Printer Cutter Blade Separation Mechanism for Jam Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printers with cutters face difficulties in reliably and promptly resolving the bite between the fixed blade and movable blade due to paper jams, requiring manual intervention and prolonged recovery times, especially when the open/close cover cannot be opened.
Innovation Solution
A printer with a cutter mechanism featuring a movable blade drive system, a manipulatable lever portion, and a cooperative mechanism that allows for the separation of units, enabling the fixed blade to be moved away from the movable blade to release contacting pressure, allowing for automatic return of the movable blade to its original position without motor operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the movable blade and fixed blade are configured to sandwich and cut the recording sheet, then the cutting function is achieved, but the blades bite each other when paper jam occurs, requiring manual intervention to resolve
Solution Approach 1:
The cutter mechanism is divided into a first unit (fixed blade) and a second unit (movable blade), which can be separated from each other. When blade bite occurs, the units can be separated to release the biting force, allowing easy recovery without manual manipulation of the blade mechanism itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable blade is made slidable relative to the fixed blade, allowing dynamic adjustment of the blade positions. The movable blade can slide to ride on the upper surface of the fixed blade during normal operation, and can be moved away when bite occurs, providing flexibility in handling different operational states.
2Manufacturing precision
If the movable blade is slidably arranged with respect to the fixed blade, then the cutting precision is improved, but the complexity of the blade mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade mechanism is segmented into independent first and second units that can be separated. This modular design simplifies the overall mechanism by allowing the movable blade to be independently controlled without complex linkage to the fixed blade, reducing mechanical complexity while maintaining cutting precision.
3Ease of operation
If the units are made separable, then the blade bite recovery is simplified, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cutter is divided into separable first and second units with a simple separation interface. This allows the units to be easily separated for blade bite recovery without requiring complex mechanisms, as the separation is achieved through basic mechanical disengagement of the modular units.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables reliable and prompt release of blade contact pressure and recovery from paper jams without manual effort, even when the unit separation is hindered by jammed paper, reducing operator burden and recovery time.
Implementation Method 1
The fixed blade is configured to have the root side supported by a hinge portion, and the cutting edge side to be swingable, and is biased to be pushed upward by a biasing portion such as a coil spring
Implementation Method 2
a movable blade drive system including a rack attached to the movable blade, and a rack gear which gears with the rack, rotates in accordance with rotation of a drive gear coupled to a forward/reverse rotatable motor, and linearly moves the rack
Data Source
AI summary
In order to reliably and promptly release bite of a fixed blade and a movable blade with a simple manipulation without being influenced by a state of paper jam of a recording sheet, provided is a printer capable of performing printing on a recording sheet and then cutting the same, including: a fixed blade (11); a movable blade (30); a movable blade drive system (31) including a rack (40) attached to the movable blade, and a rack gear (42) which gears with the rack, rotates in accordance with rotation of a drive gear (41) coupled to a forward/reverse rotatable motor, and linearly moves the rack; a manipulatable lever portion (32); a cooperative mechanism (13) including a pushing portion (12) for moving the fixed blade in a direction of moving away from the movable blade in conjunction with manipulation of the lever portion, and for releasing a contacting pressure of both the blades; a first unit mainly incorporating the fixed blade and the cooperative mechanism; and a second unit (4) mainly incorporating the movable blade and the movable blade drive system, in which one of both the units is separable from another unit, and combination is released.