Printer Lid Gimbal Plate Paper Guide Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Clamshell printers often experience paper jams due to recording paper entering the gap between the cutter and the housing, especially when using rolled paper with strong curl, as the existing designs do not effectively prevent paper from entering this gap.
Innovation Solution
The printer incorporates a gimbal plate connected to the lid with a movable blade unit, featuring a narrow paper discharge opening and additional recording paper guides to prevent paper from entering the gap between the cutter and the lid, utilizing a combination of fixed and movable blades to minimize jamming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lid is connected to the printer body to enable opening and closing for cutter operation, then the cutter can be positioned correctly for paper cutting, but recording paper may enter the gap between the cutter and housing causing paper jams
Solution Approach 1:
A guide member is introduced as an intermediary component between the recording paper and the gap between the lid and printer body. This guide member actively directs the paper along a safe path, preventing it from entering the harmful gap while maintaining the clamshell printer's operational structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The paper discharge path is segmented into distinct zones: a safe discharge region and a hazardous gap region. The guide member creates a visual and physical boundary between these zones, guiding paper through the safe path and preventing entry into the gap area where paper jams occur.
2Adaptability or versatility
If recording paper with strong curl is used, then the printer can handle various paper types, but the curled paper is more likely to enter the gap between cutter and housing
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member serves as a mediator that accommodates papers with strong curl by providing a controlled discharge path. The guide member's positioning and geometry are designed to handle curled paper without forcing it into the gap between the lid and printer body, thus maintaining versatility while preventing jams.
3Reliability
If the gap between lid and printer body is reduced, then paper entry into the gap is prevented, but the structural complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than reducing the gap through precise manufacturing, a guide member is introduced as a simple intermediary component. This approach prevents paper jams through functional guidance rather than geometric constraint, maintaining manufacturing ease while achieving reliable paper jam prevention.
Data Source
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AI summary
A printer includes a printer body, a lid, a cutter, a fixed blade unit provided in the printer body and including the fixed blade of the cutter, a movable blade unit provided on the lid and including the movable blade of the cutter, and a gimbal plate attached to the lid. The movable blade unit is connected to the gimbal plate. A paper discharge opening is formed between the printer body and an end of the lid. The lid includes a first recording paper guide that projects toward the movable blade and is positioned at the end of the lid. The gimbal plate includes a second recording paper guide that projects toward the movable blade and is positioned at an end of the gimbal plate facing the paper discharge opening.