Printing Apparatus Tension Control for Parallel Roll Media
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Solution Overview
Problem
Printing apparatuses that perform parallel printing on multiple roll-paper strips often face issues with differing transport rates due to variations in surface specification, thickness, and tension, leading to inconsistencies in image quality.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a tension-imparting section with rotational drive devices and a control unit to apply individual tensile forces to each roll-paper strip, adjusting the driving torques of the motors to correct transport inaccuracies and ensure consistent feed rates, even with different types and widths of media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the same transport system is used for multiple roll-paper strips, then the device complexity is reduced, but the transport accuracy becomes different among the printing media
Solution Approach 1:
The transport system is segmented into multiple independent drive units, each equipped with its own motor and drive roller. This allows each roll-paper strip to be transported independently with individually controllable tension, resolving the contradiction by maintaining device simplicity while achieving uniform transport accuracy across multiple media strips.
Solution Approach 2:
Each drive unit is equipped with individual tension control capabilities, allowing local adjustment of transporting force based on the specific characteristics of each roll-paper strip. This enables differentiated treatment of each media strip while using a common transport system architecture.
2Ease of operation
If different types of roll-paper strips are transported with the same driving conditions, then the ease of operation is improved, but the feed rates become different leading to quality differences
Solution Approach 1:
The transport system dynamically adjusts the driving torque of each motor based on the detected transport characteristics of each roll-paper strip. This allows the system to adapt to different media types automatically, maintaining feed rate consistency without requiring manual intervention or complex operational procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
Transport characteristics are detected and fed back to the control unit, which then adjusts the driving conditions of each motor accordingly. This closed-loop control system automatically compensates for variations in surface specification, thickness, and tension, ensuring consistent feed rates across different media types while maintaining ease of operation.
3Manufacturing precision
If individual tension control is implemented for each roll-paper strip, then the transport accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A common control unit is designed to perform multiple functions: detecting transport characteristics of each roll-paper strip, calculating appropriate driving torques, and controlling multiple motors. This multi-functional approach enables individual tension control for each strip while avoiding the complexity of separate control systems for each drive unit.
Data Source
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AI summary
The printing apparatus (10) includes a supply section (40) that supports a plurality of rolls (RA) into which roll-paper strips (M) are wound and supplies the roll-paper strips (M), a transport section (60) that applies respective transporting forces to the supplied roll-paper strips (M) and transports the roll-paper strips (M), a printing section (70) that performs printing onto the transported roll-paper strips (M), and a tension-imparting section (440) that individually imparts respective tensile forces to a plurality of roll-paper strips (M) against the transporting forces.