Segmented Uneven Roller for Curl Correction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roller technologies for embossing paper sheets are complex and lack detailed descriptions of the embossing portions, particularly in the configuration of male and female rollers, which complicates their manufacturing and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
An uneven roller with a surface featuring protrusions and recesses, composed of a shaft portion, a reference portion, a ring portion, and a restriction portion, where the ring portion is made of multiple uneven rings that can be easily configured and replaced, reducing production costs and enabling efficient curl correction of media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If male and female rollers are used for embossing paper sheets, then curl correction is achieved, but device complexity increases due to lack of detailed configuration descriptions
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is divided into a shaft portion and a separate ring portion that can be assembled together. The ring portion includes multiple uneven rings with protrusions and recesses that can be independently configured. This segmentation allows the embossing function to be achieved while simplifying the overall device configuration and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring portion acts as an intermediary component between the shaft portion and the medium. It provides the embossing surface with protrusions and recesses while being easily replaceable and configurable, thus achieving curl correction without requiring complex integrated roller designs.
2Reliability
If traditional embossing rollers are manufactured with complicated shapes, then embossing function is achieved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The roller is segmented into a simple shaft portion and a separate ring portion. The ring portion can be manufactured independently with standard processes and then assembled to the shaft. This segmentation dramatically improves ease of manufacture while maintaining the embossing function through the uneven surface structure of the ring portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The embossing characteristics are achieved by varying the parameters of the uneven rings (protrusion height, recess depth, spacing) rather than changing the fundamental roller structure. This allows different embossing patterns to be produced by modifying ring portion parameters while keeping the manufacturing process simple and standardized.
3Reliability
If entire roller surface is embossed, then curl correction is achieved, but loss of substance increases due to material waste
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of embossing the entire roller surface, the invention applies uneven structures (protrusions and recesses) only to specific regions of the ring portion. This localized embossing achieves curl correction while minimizing material removal and waste, as only the necessary surface areas are modified to create the embossing pattern.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided is an uneven roller of which a surface coming into contact with a medium, onto which liquid is discharged, is provided with a plurality of protrusions and recesses, the uneven roller including a shaft portion, a reference portion mounted on the shaft portion, a ring portion that is positioned closer to a side, to which a first direction along an axial direction of the shaft portion extends, than the reference portion is and that is mounted on the shaft portion, and a restriction portion that is positioned closer to the side, to which the first direction extends, than the ring portion is and that is mounted on the shaft portion to restrict movement of the ring portion in the first direction. The ring portion is composed of a plurality of uneven rings disposed along the axial direction, the uneven ring including a plurality of protrusion portions disposed along a circumferential direction.