Printer Roll Guide Swing Mechanism for Small Diameter Media
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printers face difficulties in loading and holding print media with small inner diameters or remaining amounts, as the holding pin cannot effectively enter the tubular material, leading to incomplete loading and holding operations.
Innovation Solution
A printer design featuring a roll guide with swing members and biasing springs that allow the holding pin to adjust its position, enabling it to enter and securely hold print media regardless of diameter, using a combination of first and second biasing springs to facilitate loading and unloading.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a holding pin is used to enter into the tubular material of the print medium, then the print medium can be held securely, but the operation cannot be performed when the print medium has a small inner diameter or small remaining amount
Solution Approach 1:
The holding pin is made movable relative to the guide plates through a rocking mechanism. The holding pin can rock between a projecting position (for entering small-diameter tubular materials) and a retracted position (for accommodating large-diameter or small-remaining-amount media), enabling adaptive operation across different print medium configurations while maintaining secure holding capability
Solution Approach 2:
The position of the holding pin is dynamically adjusted by changing its projection parameter. When the print medium has a small inner diameter, the holding pin rocks to a projecting position to increase its penetration depth. When the print medium has a large diameter or small remaining amount, the holding pin is maintained in a retracted position, thereby adapting the holding mechanism to various diameter parameters
2Device complexity
If the holding pin is fixed in position, then the structure is simple, but it cannot adapt to print media with varying diameters and remaining amounts
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than using a complex adjustable mechanism, the invention employs a simple rocking motion of the holding pin mounted on a support shaft. This dynamic but mechanically simple approach allows the holding pin to adapt its position based on the print medium characteristics, achieving versatility without significant structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The holding pin mechanism serves multiple functions: it can hold both large-diameter and small-diameter print media, accommodate full rolls and nearly depleted rolls, and automatically adjust its position based on the medium being loaded. This multi-functionality is achieved through the rocking capability that allows the same pin to serve different holding requirements
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
The printer effectively loads and holds print media of varying diameters and remaining amounts, ensuring reliable operation and easy media handling by allowing the holding pin to adjust its position and maintain secure engagement with the tubular material.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member having a first energizing piece fixed to the holding member and a second energizing piece extending toward the orthogonal direction to the first energizing piece and fixed to the abutting member
Data Source
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AI summary
Including a pair of support members sandwiching a roll-like print medium and a pair of swing members each including a holding pin for rotatably holding the print medium, mounted on the support member, capable of swing, respectively, and swinging in the direction where the pair of holding pins gets closer to each other by being brought into contact with the print medium, the swing member being mounted at a position biased to a taking-out direction side of the print medium in the support member and a length of the swing member in a swing radial direction being smaller than a length of the support member in a taking-in/out direction of the print medium.