Single Motor Printing Apparatus Feeding Timing Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses require multiple driving sources to control feeding and discharging rollers, increasing costs and complexity, while also facing challenges in optimizing the timing for starting the feeding operation of subsequent pages to enhance printing speed.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a single driving source that controls a conveying unit, feeding unit, and discharging unit, utilizing a switching mechanism to manage the driving states of the feeding and discharging rollers based on the printing start position of subsequent pages, allowing for early feeding start timing without causing paper jams or degrading print quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If two separate driving sources are used for feeding roller and conveying/discharging rollers, then functional advantages such as skew correction and control of feeding start timing are achieved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate driving sources into a single driving source that controls both the feeding roller and the conveying/discharging rollers. The feeding roller and conveying roller are both driven by the same motor through a transmission mechanism, eliminating the need for separate motors while maintaining the functional capabilities of skew correction and feeding timing control through coordinated control of the single driving source.
Solution Approach 2:
The single driving source is designed to perform multiple functions: it drives both the feeding roller for paper feeding and the conveying roller for image printing and discharging. By making the driving source universal, the system achieves the same operational flexibility as two separate driving sources while reducing component count and cost.
2Productivity
If feeding operation of subsequent printing medium is started early to increase printing speed, then productivity increases, but paper jams may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors the discharge timing of the preceding printing medium and uses this feedback information to determine the optimal feeding start timing for the subsequent printing medium. By continuously adjusting the feeding timing based on actual discharge timing, the system maximizes printing speed while preventing paper jams that would occur with fixed early feeding timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The feeding start timing is made dynamic rather than fixed. The control unit adjusts the feeding timing based on the actual discharge timing of the preceding medium, allowing the system to adapt to variations in discharge speed and timing. This dynamic adjustment enables earlier feeding when conditions permit (increasing speed) while preventing paper jams when discharge timing requires more spacing.
3Ease of operation
If feeding roller and conveying roller are controlled by separate driving sources, then skew correction is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control of the feeding roller and conveying roller into a single driving source system. The transmission mechanism and control unit coordinate the rotation of both rollers through the single driving source, maintaining the skew correction capability that requires independent control while reducing the number of driving sources from two to one, thereby simplifying the overall device structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a printing unit, a conveying unit, a driving source driving the conveying unit, a feeding unit, a discharging unit, a control unit, a switching mechanism switching a driving state of the feeding unit and a restricting mechanism restricting backward feeding of the discharging unit. The control unit changes a timing of feeding the subsequent printing medium in accordance with a printing start position of the subsequent printing medium.