Printer Inner Cover Ridge Design for Linerless Label Jamming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Linerless labels with an adhesive agent layer on one surface tend to stick to the platen roller and opening and closing cover during back feeding, leading to jamming issues due to prolonged contact between the adhesive layer and the printer components.

Innovation Solution

The printer incorporates a design with ridge parts on the protruding head of the opening and closing cover, allowing the adhesive agent layer to make limited contact with specific surfaces, reducing contact resistance and preventing sticking, thereby inhibiting jamming during both print feeding and back feeding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the adhesive agent layer is exposed on linerless labels, then the labels can be fed through the printer, but the adhesive layer sticks to the platen roller and opening and closing cover during back feeding, causing jamming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelabel feedingVSAvoidback feeding jamming
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The opening and closing cover is segmented into multiple functional surfaces: a first surface (inner wall surface), a second surface (outer wall surface), and a third surface (connecting part). Each surface has specific ridge parts that create controlled contact zones, separating the adhesive layer interaction into distinct segments rather than continuous contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different surfaces of the opening and closing cover have different local qualities: the first surface has ridge parts that prevent sticking during back feeding, the second surface has ridge parts that reduce contact during label rotation, and the third surface connects these functional zones. The ridge parts create localized non-adhesive zones where needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the adhesive agent layer makes contact with the inner wall surface during print feeding, then the labels can be guided, but contact resistance increases causing printing defects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelabel guidanceVSAvoidprinting quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The first surface of the opening and closing cover features ridge parts that create localized contact zones. These ridge parts provide just enough contact to guide the label while minimizing the adhesive layer contact area, preventing excessive contact resistance that would cause printing defects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If the label continuous body rotates within the print medium container, then the labels can be fed, but the adhesive layer sticks to the container surface

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelabel feeding speedVSAvoidsticking jam
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The second surface of the opening and closing cover, which contacts the label continuous body during rotation in the container, has ridge parts that create localized contact zones. This reduces the overall contact area between the adhesive layer and the cover, preventing sticking while allowing smooth rotation and feeding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3184314B1printer
Publication Date: 2021.07.28 SATO HLDG CORP
  • EP3184314B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3184314B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3184314B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

An inner cover disposed on the underside of the free end of an open and closing cover that opens and closes a print medium container of a printer includes a protruding head having thickness is gradually narrower in the direction away from a platen roller. On said protruding head, a protruding part is disposed on a first surface opposing an adhesive layer during feeding a continuous label faces. The protruding part is adjacent to a portion of the outer circumference of the platen roller. A first rib is disposed on the surface of the protruding part. The first rib has a function of separating the continuous label from the outer circumference of the platen roller during back-feeding.