Non-Contact Static Elimination Spacer for Printing Media
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing electrostatic eliminators in printing apparatuses require complex control and wear out quickly due to direct contact with printing paper, leading to a deterioration in static electricity elimination efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus configuration using a spacer to maintain a predetermined distance between the medium and the static electricity eliminating material, allowing for non-contact destaticization and reducing wear by using a compact structure with a medium guide mechanism comprising a shaft member, static electricity eliminating material, and spacer, which also facilitates transport accuracy and direction switching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the tip end portion of the destaticizing brush makes contact with the printing paper, then the destaticizing effect is improved, but the brush wears out quickly and the control becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
A spacer member is introduced as an intermediary between the destaticizing brush and the printing paper. The spacer maintains a predetermined distance, allowing the brush to destaticize the paper without direct contact. This resolves the contradiction by enabling the destaticizing function while preventing wear through the intermediary spacer.
2Reliability
If the destaticizing brush makes contact with the printing paper, then static electricity is eliminated, but transport resistance increases and transport accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer acts as a mediator that enables static electricity elimination while preventing the brush from contacting the printing paper. This maintains transport accuracy by avoiding direct contact that would create friction and resistance, while still achieving the destaticizing effect through the spacer-mediated interaction.
3Volume of moving object
If the spacer is made thin to reduce size, then the device becomes compact, but the predetermined distance cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is segmented into a thin base structure with extended protrusions. The thin base reduces overall device volume and size, while the protrusions extend to maintain the predetermined distance between the brush and printing paper. This segmentation allows the spacer to be both compact and functionally effective.
4Duration of action of moving object
If the static electricity eliminating material is pressed toward the shaft member, then relative rotation is suppressed and wear is reduced, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing function is merged with the spacer structure itself. The spacer is designed to press the static electricity eliminating material toward the shaft member through its own structural configuration, eliminating the need for separate pressing mechanisms. This reduces device complexity while achieving the wear reduction benefit.
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
This configuration ensures reliable static electricity elimination with reduced wear and increased transport accuracy by maintaining a constant distance and using frictional forces to prevent relative rotation between the static electricity eliminating material and spacer, thereby extending the functional life of the material.
Implementation Method 1
a second surface Mb of the medium M and a static electricity eliminating material 120 face each other through the spacer 130
Implementation Method 2
the second surface of the medium and the static electricity eliminating material face each other through the spacer
Implementation Method 3
the frictional force (the second frictional force) acting between the static electricity eliminating material and the spacer is a greatest value, and thus, relative rotation between the static electricity eliminating material and the spacer can be suppressed
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Wear of a static electricity eliminating material is reduced and static electricity is reliably eliminated from a medium. A printing apparatus 1 includes a printing head 31 that performs printing in a printing region of a first surface of a medium, a support portion that supports a second surface Mb of a medium M, a transport unit 2 that transports the medium M in a transport direction, and a static electricity eliminating material 120 that is provided facing the second surface Mb and that eliminates, in a non-contact manner with the medium M, static electricity accumulated in the medium M. The support portion includes a spacer 130 that maintains a predetermined distance between the medium M and the static electricity eliminating material 120.