Printing Apparatus Movable Support Portion for Sheet Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses face challenges in preventing positional shifts of discharge target sheets due to varying sheet widths, particularly when the support structure is not appropriately adjusted to match the sheet width, leading to potential printing quality issues and sheet misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus with a conveyance unit, a printhead that moves in the sheet widthwise direction, a platen for supporting the sheet, a detection unit to measure the sheet's position, and a support portion that can move between a stored and standing posture, allowing the system to determine and adjust its posture based on the sheet width to prevent positional shifts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the support portion is made fixed in position, then the structure is simple, but the sheet positional shift cannot be prevented for various sheet widths
Solution Approach 1:
The support portion is designed to be movable between a first position (protruding from the conveyance surface) and a second position (retracted into the conveyance surface). This dynamic positioning allows the support structure to adapt to different sheet widths, preventing positional shifts for both narrow and wide sheets while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Reliability
If the support portion is made movable to match sheet width, then sheet positional shift is prevented, but the detection and control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A detection unit is mounted on the printing unit to detect the position of the support portion. The determination unit uses this detection information to determine whether the support portion is at the first or second position, enabling the system to feedback and verify the support portion's position state without requiring complex manual measurement or adjustment mechanisms.
3Volume of moving object
If the support portion is retracted into the conveyance surface, then the apparatus structure is compact, but the sheet cannot be supported from below effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The support portion dynamically transitions between retracted and protruding states based on sheet width requirements. For narrow sheets, the support portion retracts into the conveyance surface to maintain compactness. For wide sheets, it protrudes to provide adequate support from below, preventing positional shifts. This dynamic behavior allows the apparatus to maintain both compactness and effective sheet support capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing apparatus, comprising a conveyance unit for conveying a sheet, a carriage mounted with a printhead and configured to scan the printhead in a sheet widthwise direction, a platen arranged so as to face the printhead, a detection unit mounted on the carriage and configured to detect a distance to a sheet, a support portion, for supporting a sheet from below, arranged on a downstream side of the carriage in a conveyance direction, movable between a first position at which the support portion forms a conveyance surface for a sheet and a second position at which the support portion protrudes above the conveyance surface, and a determination unit configured to determine, based on a detection result of the detection unit, whether the support portion is at the first position or the second position.