Printer Corner Trimming Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing label printers face difficulties in rapidly and continuously producing less-peelable labels with trimmed corners, as the printing and trimming processes are not coordinated, leading to poor quality and misalignment issues.

Innovation Solution

A printing apparatus that integrates a printer, a first cutter for trimming corners, and a processor to control both the printer and cutter based on cutting information, ensuring that the printing area is not trimmed, allowing for coordinated printing and trimming processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If printing and trimming are performed as separate processes, then the trimming operation can be performed, but the production speed decreases and misalignment occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment between printing area and trimming positionVSAvoidproduction speed of labels

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the printing process and trimming process into a single integrated operation. The printer is equipped with a cutter that can trim corners during the printing process itself, eliminating the need for separate trimming operations and preventing misalignment between print and trim positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The cutter is positioned and configured in advance to trim corners at predetermined locations before the printing process completes. By pre-positioning the cutter at the exact locations where corners need to be trimmed, the system ensures accurate alignment without requiring separate positioning steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If a separate trimming apparatus is used, then corner trimming can be performed, but the user burden increases and continuous production becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser burden for placing labelsVSAvoidcontinuous production capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The printing apparatus performs trimming automatically as part of its own operation. The integrated cutter trims corners during the printing process without requiring user intervention to transfer labels to a separate trimming device, enabling continuous automated production.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of manufacture

If printing area is not considered during trimming, then corner trimming can be performed, but the print quality deteriorates due to misalignment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of trimming operationVSAvoidquality of printed content

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses detection means to identify the printing area and provides feedback to control the cutter's positioning. This ensures the cutter trims only the corners outside the printing area, maintaining both the simplicity of the trimming operation and the quality of the printed content.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10633138B2Printing apparatus, printing method and computer-readable medium

Publication Date: 2020.04.28 CASIO COMPUTER CO LTD

AI summary

A printing apparatus includes a print head, a first cutter and a processor. The print head performs printing on a printing medium. The first cutter cuts the printing medium on which the print head has performed the printing. The first cutter trims away a corner at an end in a width direction of the printing medium. The processor controls the print head and the first cutter based on cutting information on an area to be trimmed by the first cutter so that a printing area of the printing medium is not cut by the first cutter.