Staggered Transporting Belts for Vibration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed line head printers experience image distortion due to instant separation of the print medium from upstream transporting belts, leading to potential decreases in image quality.
Innovation Solution
A printer design featuring a staggered arrangement of first and second transporting belts, where the print medium is separated at multiple points along the direction of transportation, with the first transporting belts being alternately long and short, increasing the number of separations and dispersing vibrations, allowing for high-quality image printing by the downstream transporting unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the rear end of the print medium is separated from the upstream transporting belts at one point (instant separation), then high-speed printing is enabled, but vibrations are caused that distort images and decrease image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single separation point into multiple separation points by making the transporting belts of different lengths. The print medium is separated from the upstream transporting belts at multiple different positions along the transportation direction, which segments the vibration events and reduces their cumulative impact on image quality while maintaining high-speed printing capability
2Productivity
If multiple transporting belts are used to transport print media, then printing capability is improved, but the complexity of the transporting system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric design by making the transporting belts have different lengths rather than uniform lengths. This asymmetric configuration achieves multiple separation points without requiring complex additional mechanisms, thereby improving printing capability while controlling system complexity through a relatively simple structural modification
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The increased number of separations effectively disperses vibrations caused by the separation of the print medium, resulting in high-quality images being printed on the print medium transported by the downstream unit.
Implementation Method 1
two sets of transporting units corresponding to the liquid ejection heads in the direction of transportation of print media, the transporting units each having a plurality of transporting belts disposed at predetermined intervals in the direction intersecting the direction of transportation of print media. This printer performs printing by transporting a print medium that is electrostatically adsorbed on the transporting belts
Data Source
AI summary
A printer includes first transporting belts disposed in parallel at predetermined intervals in the direction intersecting the direction of transportation of print media. The first transporting belts transport a print medium while adsorbing the print medium. Second transporting belts disposed in parallel at predetermined intervals in the direction intersecting the direction of transportation of print media further transport the print media. The second transporting belts are separated from the first transporting belts at the downstream part of the first transporting belts in the direction of transportation of print media. A print head prints on the print medium. The position of separation at which the print medium is separated from the first transporting belts is different in the direction of transportation of print media between one of the first transporting belts and another one of the first transporting belts.