Photo Printer Thermal Head Asymmetric Hinge Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional photo printers experience reduced print quality due to surface contact between the thermal printing head and platen roller, leading to uneven heat transfer and paper misfeeding, resulting in low-quality images and texts.
Innovation Solution
A photo printer design where the thermal printing head is rotatably mounted and coupled to a swing bracket with hinge holes behind the platen roller's rotary shaft, allowing for larger space between the head and platen roller for line contact and minimizing platen roller compression, combined with a pressurizing mechanism for uniform pressure and a double feed prevention member to ensure single sheet feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the hinge shafts are located in front of the platen roller and springs are at the back, then the space between the head and platen roller becomes large to allow paper advancement, but the space at the discharging side becomes small causing platen roller compression and surface contact instead of line contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the hinge shafts asymmetrically at the rear side of the platen roller rather than in front, creating an uneven distribution of space that maintains adequate clearance at the advancing side while ensuring line contact at the discharging side. This asymmetric positioning resolves the contradiction by optimizing both paper advancement space and print quality contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by placing the hinge shafts at the rear side instead of the front side of the platen roller. This inversion changes the swing dynamics of the lower casing, allowing the space distribution to be optimized differently - maintaining larger space at the advancing side for paper entry while ensuring proper line contact at the discharging side for printing.
2Ease of operation
If the lower casing swings around hinge shafts located at the front side, then paper can advance into the space between head and platen roller, but the platen roller becomes compressed and deformed causing surface contact instead of line contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric positioning of hinge shafts at the rear side of the platen roller, creating different space characteristics at the advancing and discharging sides. This asymmetric design allows smooth paper feeding at the front while maintaining structural integrity and line contact at the rear discharge side, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
3Ease of operation
If the PCB is inclined upwardly to prevent paper locking, then paper can enter without being locked onto solder joints, but the thickness of the photo printer becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent guides paper along the inclined surface of the PCB in a controlled manner, utilizing the inclination to prevent locking while maintaining a compact overall structure. The paper follows the inclined path naturally, preventing contact with solder joints without requiring excessive vertical space, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and compact dimensions.
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
This configuration ensures maximum line contact between the head and paper for improved heat transfer, reducing platen roller deformation and enhancing print quality while preventing double feeding, resulting in higher-quality image and text printing.
Implementation Method 1
the part corresponding to the cartridge is contained in the paper, and accordingly, only heat is used to express colors. That is, dyes, which respond to heat and thus express colors, are laminated on the paper, so that the heating temperature or heating time of a head is controlled to print images (pictures) or texts.
Implementation Method 2
the head 12a and the PCB 13 are located on the underside of a heating plate 12, and the heating plate 12 is coupled to an upper casing 10, while the platen roller 30 is being coupled to a lower casing 20... the upper casing 10 and the lower casing 20 can swing elastically
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a photo printer including: a base adapted to accommodate paper therein; a pickup roller protruding from the bottom of the base to feed the paper accommodated in the base forwardly; a platen roller disposed in front of the base to discharge the paper fed by the pickup roller forwardly; a head located above the platen roller to apply given heat to the paper; a motor; a transgear engaged with the motor; a first power transfer part for connecting the transgear and the rotary shaft of the platen roller with each other to rotate the platen roller; and a second power transfer part for connecting the transgear and the rotary shaft of the pickup roller with each other to rotate the pickup roller. The transgear, the first power transfer part and the second power transfer part are disposed on the same side surface of the base as each other.