Printer Label Adhesive Activation Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printers face challenges in preventing adhesive labels without mounts from undesirably attaching to printer components, leading to disposal issues and inefficiencies in printing processes.
Innovation Solution
A printer design that includes a label holder, cutter, and printing section, where the adhesive layer is activated at a temperature lower than the thermal color developing temperature, allowing for precise cutting and printing without the need for additional non-adhesion processes, and optional preheating or post-heating sections to optimize adhesive activation and prevent attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a label without a mount is used to avoid disposal problems, then the environmental friendliness and ease of disposal are improved, but the label undesirably attaches to printer components leading to reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive layer's activation temperature is changed to be lower than the thermal head temperature. This parameter change allows the adhesive to remain inactive during label conveyance and cutting operations, preventing undesirable attachment to printer components, while still activating properly during the printing process to ensure label adhesion functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive layer is designed to activate at a temperature lower than the thermal head temperature, creating a preliminary activation condition. This preliminary action ensures that the adhesive activates during the printing process before the label is fully processed, preventing premature attachment to printer components while ensuring proper adhesion when needed
2Reliability
If the adhesive layer is activated at a lower temperature, then the undesirable attachment to printer components is prevented, but additional heating control mechanisms are required
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive layer is designed to self-activate at a temperature lower than the thermal head temperature during the normal printing process. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for separate heating control mechanisms, as the printing process itself provides the necessary thermal activation without requiring additional complexity
3Reliability
If conventional preventive measures are taken to prevent label attachment, then some protection is provided, but the measures are unreliable and require additional process steps
Solution Approach 1:
The fundamental parameter of adhesive activation temperature is changed to be lower than the thermal head temperature. This single parameter change provides reliable prevention of undesirable attachment during label conveyance and cutting, eliminating the need for multiple additional preventive process steps and non-adhesion coatings that characterize conventional approaches
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 solution effectively prevents adhesive labels from adhering to printer components, eliminates the need for non-adhesion processes, and enhances printing efficiency by activating the adhesive layer only when necessary, improving the adhesion force and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
an adhesive layer activated through the heating at a temperature lower than a thermal color developing temperature of a printing surface is arranged
Implementation Method 2
a heating section positioned at a downstream side of a label conveyance direction with respect to the cutter and the printing section and heating the printed portion of the label roll to a temperature at which the adhesive layer is activated
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
In accordance with an embodiment, a printer (1) comprises a label holding section (2) configured to hold a label roll (20) formed by winding a belt-shaped label (21) on the back surface of which an adhesive layer activated through heating at a temperature lower than a thermal color developing temperature of a printing surface is arranged without a mount; a cutting section (4) configured to sandwich the label (21) from the printing surface side and the adhesive layer side to cut it; and a printing section (5) configured to be arranged at the downstream side of a label conveyance direction with respect to the cutting section (4) and print on the printing surface of the label (21) through a thermal head (51).