Roll Tape Dual-Core Structure for Width Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printers face challenges in accommodating printing tapes of different widths without wasting natural resources, as a common tape core is required for both narrow and wide tapes, leading to inefficient winding and resource waste.
Innovation Solution
A roll tape design featuring a dual-core structure with adjustable outer and inner core diameters and shafts, allowing for easy adaptation to different tape widths, ensuring proper alignment and reducing waste by matching the core width to the tape width, and using guide grooves to support the shafts for stable rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a common wide tape core is used for both narrow and wide printing tapes, then tapes of different widths can be accommodated in the same printer, but natural resources are wasted and alignment becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The tape core is divided into an inner core portion and an outer core portion that can be separated. The inner core portion has a smaller diameter suitable for narrow tapes, while the outer core portion can be added for wide tapes. This segmentation allows the core structure to adapt to different tape widths without wasting materials, as each portion can be optimally sized for the specific tape being used.
Solution Approach 2:
The tape core structure is made dynamic by allowing the outer core portion to be selectively added or removed based on the tape width requirement. This dynamic configuration enables the same core components to serve multiple purposes - the inner core for narrow tapes and the expanded core (inner + outer portions) for wide tapes - thereby eliminating resource waste while maintaining versatility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a common wide tape core is used for both narrow and wide printing tapes, then tapes of different widths can be accommodated in the same printer, but center alignment becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the core into inner and outer portions with defined geometric relationships, the invention ensures that each portion has a predetermined center point. When the outer core portion is added to the inner core portion, their centers are aligned by design, making it easy to achieve precise center alignment for the printing tape regardless of whether the inner or expanded core is used.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner core portion and outer core portion are designed with specific local geometric properties that facilitate alignment. The inner core portion serves as a precise alignment reference for narrow tapes, while the outer core portion is designed to maintain this alignment reference when added for wide tapes, ensuring consistent center alignment across different tape widths.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided a roll tape (50) including a core main body portion (61) having a double cylinder construction made up of an outer core portion (63) and an inner core portion (65), a pair of shaft portions (70) each having an insertion portion (75) which can be fittingly inserted in the inner core portion, an outer shaft (73) which can be fittingly inserted in the outer core portion and a bearing shaft (71) that is thinner than and concentric with the outer shaft and which extends longer in one direction than the outer shaft and a printing tape (53) which is wound around a tape core which has the pair of shaft portions disposed individually on both sides of the core main body portion.