Printer Transportation Roller Cleaning Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printer technologies face issues with ink buildup on transportation rollers, leading to retransfer onto the printing surface, and infrequent cleaning when not printing on specific media types, such as CDs or DVDs.
Innovation Solution
A transportation roller cleaning mechanism that moves between a cleaning position and a retracted position in conjunction with the opening and closing of an access cover, allowing for ink removal without interfering with media transportation and incorporating a cleaning member with grooves and a cutter mechanism to simplify the cleaning process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cleaning roller is in constant contact with the transportation roller to continuously remove ink, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the removed ink accumulates on the cleaning roller and can transfer back onto the transportation roller, soil the printing surface
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member is configured to move between a cleaning position (contacting the transportation roller) and a retracted position (not contacting). This dynamic positioning allows the system to switch between cleaning mode and normal transportation mode, preventing continuous contact that would cause ink accumulation and retransfer while maintaining effective cleaning when needed.
2Productivity
If cleaning occurs only when tray is loaded and unloaded, then cleaning does not affect transportation performance, but cleaning frequency is insufficient when printing on standard media without CD/DVD trays
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning operation is triggered by the opening/closing action of the access cover, which is a routine operation performed before printing. This preliminary cleaning action ensures the transportation roller is cleaned before ink is applied, preventing ink buildup and retransfer without interfering with the actual printing and transportation processes.
3Reliability
If cleaning member is positioned to contact transportation roller during normal operation, then continuous cleaning occurs, but it interferes with media transportation and affects paper feed performance
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member dynamically transitions between contacting and non-contacting positions with the transportation roller. During normal media transportation, the cleaning member is retracted to avoid interference. During cleaning cycles (triggered by access cover operation), the cleaning member contacts the transportation roller to remove ink. This dynamic behavior maintains both cleaning effectiveness and transportation performance.
Data Source
AI summary
Ink on a transportation roller that touches the printing surface of a recording medium can be regularly removed without affecting media transportation performance. The cleaning mechanism has a cleaning lever that is pivotably supported with one end extending to above the discharge follower roller downstream from the printing position and the other end urged upward. When a cover attached to the roll paper loading opening is closed, the cleaning lever is held in resistance to this urging force at a position not touching the discharge follower roller by the fixed knife and movable knife of a cutter disposed downstream from the discharge follower roller. When the cover starts to open, the movable knife on the platen unit moves and the fixed knife separates from the cleaning lever, and the cleaning lever contacts the discharge follower roller.