Portable Printer Manual Cutting Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional portable printers with auto cutting schemes require a power source and complex motor and circuit configurations, limiting their use environment and increasing product complexity and cost, while manual cutting schemes can lead to printer failures due to paper debris and jamming issues.

Innovation Solution

A portable printer design where the cover part can be easily opened and the cutting part operated in different directions using a sliding operating part, allowing for manual cutting of discharged paper without separate power sources, reducing jamming risks and simplifying paper replacement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If an auto cutting scheme is used in a portable printer, then paper cutting is automated, but the product complexity and price increase due to required power source, motor, and circuit configurations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepaper cutting automationVSAvoidproduct configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the automatic cutting mechanism (motor, power source, circuits) from the portable printer system, extracting only the essential manual cutting functionality. This eliminates the complex components while maintaining the core paper cutting capability, directly resolving the contradiction between automation and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Extent of automation

If an auto cutting scheme is used in a portable printer, then paper cutting is automated, but the use environment is limited due to battery power requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepaper cutting automationVSAvoiduse environment adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the battery-powered automatic cutting system entirely, removing the power source requirement. This allows the printer to function in any environment without being constrained by battery availability, directly resolving the contradiction between automation extent and use environment adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Device complexity

If a manual cutting scheme is used in a portable printer, then the product complexity is reduced, but paper debris is introduced into the printer causing driving failures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduct configuration simplicityVSAvoidprinter driving reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a paper debris removal mechanism as an intermediary component between the manual cutting operation and the printer's internal driving mechanisms. This mediator prevents debris from entering and causing failures, resolving the contradiction between device complexity and reliability by adding only the necessary protective function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If continuous paper is used in a portable printer, then printing functionality is maintained, but periodic paper replacement is required reducing productivity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprinting output continuityVSAvoidpaper replacement time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates a paper end detection mechanism that provides preliminary warning before the continuous paper is fully consumed. This allows users to prepare for paper replacement in advance, reducing the actual downtime during replacement operations and resolving the contradiction between productivity and time loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3666530B1Portable printer
Publication Date: 2022.11.30 AROOT CO LTD
  • EP3666530B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3666530B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3666530B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A portable printer according to the present invention comprises: a main body part having a paper feeding port and a paper discharge port; a cover part coupled to the main body part to be opened and closed; a cutting part disposed to be adjacent to the paper discharge port and cutting paper discharged from the paper discharge port; and an operating part sliding in at least two directions by an external force so as to operate the cover part or the cutting part.