Printing Head Clearance Control for Floating Media Conveyance
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Solution Overview
Problem
When a printing material floats during conveyance due to abnormalities, it can bump into a printing head, leading to potential failure, and stopping the conveyance to maintain tension can cause further floating and contact with the printing head.
Innovation Solution
The printing apparatus includes a floating detection sensor that triggers the evacuation of guide rollers and/or printing heads to a non-conveying position, maintaining tension and preventing contact with the printing head.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the conveying unit stops when floating is detected, then the floating printing material can be prevented from reaching the printing head, but the tension below the printing head is not maintained causing vibration and potential contact
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is positioned upstream of the printing head to preemptively regulate the printing material before it can float and contact the printing head. The floating detection sensor also operates in advance to detect floating conditions before they reach the critical zone, allowing the conveying unit to stop proactively rather than reactively.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member acts as an intermediary element between the printing material and the printing head, physically regulating the material path and preventing floating. This intermediary structure maintains tension and guides the material through the hazardous zone without direct contact with the printing head.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the conveying unit stops immediately upon detecting floating, then contact is avoided, but vibration from stopping causes the printing material to float and potentially bump into the printing head
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is positioned upstream to preemptively regulate the printing material before floating occurs. By controlling the material path in advance through the guide member, the system prevents the vibration-induced floating that would otherwise occur after stopping.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member provides a cushioning effect by gently regulating the printing material upstream, absorbing potential floating tendencies before they can develop into contact with the printing head. This prevents the harmful vibration effects from propagating to the critical zone.
Data Source
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AI summary
A printing apparatus includes: a printing head (114) for printing on a printing material; a feeding portion (102) for feeding the printing material from an upstream side of a conveyance path of the printing material toward the printing head; a winding portion (111) for winding a part of the printing material at a downstream side of the conveyance path, the part of the printing material having passed through the printing head; a conveying portion configured to convey the printing material while performing printing on the printing material with the printing head, at a position where the conveying portion is opposed to the printing head; a movement mechanism configured to change an opposing interval between the printing head and the conveying portion; and a detecting portion (103) configured to detect floating of the printing material. The movement mechanism performs a separation operation to widen the opposing interval when the detecting portion detects the floating.