Printing Apparatus Sheet End Transfer Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses using the thermal transfer recording method require cutting paper along perforations at two locations, which is labor-intensive and increases costs due to the need for blank margins.
Innovation Solution
A technique that allows for appropriate control of transfer in the vicinity of an end of a sheet, reducing the number of locations requiring cutting and eliminating blank margins by detecting the position of the sheet end and calculating the transfer start and end positions accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If cutting is performed at two locations to eliminate blank margins, then blank margins are eliminated, but labor effort and paper costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the cutting operation from the necessary post-printing processes by eliminating the need for cutting through controlled transfer termination. The transfer process is stopped precisely at the sheet end, removing the need for subsequent cutting operations at multiple locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the transfer process into distinct phases: active transfer during the sheet passage and terminated transfer at the sheet end. This segmentation allows precise control where transfer is maintained only where needed (on the sheet) and stopped where not needed (beyond the sheet end), eliminating waste without requiring physical cutting.
2Loss of substance
If cutting is performed at two locations to eliminate blank margins, then blank margins are eliminated, but paper costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical cutting system with a controlled transfer termination system. Instead of using physical cutters to remove blank margins, the system uses precise control of the transfer process (thermal or other types) to stop ink transfer exactly at the sheet end, substituting mechanical post-processing with controlled process termination.
3Productivity
If transfer control is not precisely controlled at sheet end, then printing speed is maintained, but blank margins or transfer defects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention implements preliminary action by detecting the sheet end position before the transfer process reaches it, and pre-calculating the termination point. The transfer termination is triggered in advance based on sheet length information, ensuring precise stopping at the correct location without compromising printing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses feedback from sheet end detection (via sensors or pre-input sheet length data) to dynamically control the transfer termination point. The system continuously monitors sheet position and adjusts the transfer process accordingly, ensuring precise termination at the sheet end while maintaining optimal printing speed.
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
Enables efficient and cost-effective printing without blank margins by accurately controlling the transfer process near the sheet end, reducing the need for paper cutting and minimizing waste.
Implementation Method 1
printing by transferring ink onto a sheet using a thermal transfer recording method
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A printing apparatus (100) detects a position of a recording sheet (300) being conveyed, and controls transferring of ink and conveying of the recording sheet. The apparatus determines (S 1 14) a transfer start position of the ink based on a detected position of a following end of the recording sheet being conveyed before the transferring of the ink starts, and determines (S 1 18) a transfer end position of the ink based on a detected position of the following end of the recording sheet being conveyed in a second state where a space through which the recording sheet being conveyed can pass is narrower than a predetermined first state.