Printing Apparatus Ear Portion Separation Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses face inefficiencies and increased costs due to the need for separate equipment to separate the ear portions of a medium in roll form, which can cause printing failures and damage to the printing head.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a conveyance unit, including a feed shaft, driving roller, driven roller, and conveyance belt, and an ear portion winding shaft that separates and winds up the ear portions without requiring additional special apparatus, allowing for printing on the medium after ear portion separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a special apparatus for separating the ear portion of the medium is prepared separately from the printing apparatus, then the ear portion can be separated before printing, but the efficiency of operation is low and additional cost and installation space are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ear portion separation function with the printing apparatus by integrating the feed shaft into the existing conveyance system. The feed shaft, which is already part of the printing apparatus, is used to separate ear portions by feeding the medium in a rolled form, eliminating the need for a separate special apparatus while maintaining the reliability of preventing printing failures
Solution Approach 2:
The feed shaft serves multiple functions: it conveys the medium during printing and simultaneously separates ear portions by rotating the medium in a rolled form. This multi-functionality reduces the number of dedicated components needed, thereby reducing device complexity while ensuring reliable ear portion separation
2Productivity
If the ear portion is not separated before printing, then the printing apparatus can operate continuously without additional separation steps, but the ear portion may curl or contact the printing head causing printing failure and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs ear portion separation as a preliminary action before the medium enters the printing area. The feed shaft separates ear portions by rotating the medium in a rolled form before conveyance to the printing head, ensuring that the printing head is protected from curling ear portions while maintaining continuous printing operation
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus includes a feed shaft configured to feed a medium in a roll form by supporting and rotating the medium, a conveyance unit including a driving roller, a driven roller and an endless conveyance belt and configured to convey, in a conveyance direction, the medium supported by the conveyance belt by rotating the driving roller forward, a printing head configured to perform printing on the medium supported by the conveyance belt, and an ear portion winding shaft configured to wind up ear portions of the medium separated from the medium supported by the feed shaft.