Tape Cartridge Core Rotation Guide for Rattle Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing tape cartridges experience 'rattle' and inclination of the tape core during rotation due to inadequate support, leading to uneven tape unwinding and potential misalignment.
Innovation Solution
A tape cartridge design featuring a disk-like rib with a shaft hole at its center, supported by a shaft support and a rotation guide that slides on the inner peripheral surface, ensuring stable rotation and preventing inclination by distributing the force of tape unwinding effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the tape core is supported only by a rib with predetermined dimensional tolerance, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the tape core generates rattle and inclination during rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The support function is segmented into two independent components: the shaft support inserted into the shaft hole for axial positioning, and the rotation guide sliding on the inner peripheral surface for rotational stability. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in one aspect of support, eliminating rattle while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation guide acts as an intermediary element between the tape core and the shaft support. It slides on the inner peripheral surface of the core body and provides additional contact points that prevent inclination during rotation, mediating the interaction between the rotating tape core and the stationary shaft support.
2Device complexity
If the tape core is supported at only one position by the shaft support, then the structure is simple, but the tape core becomes inclined when force is applied during tape unwinding
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the support system have different functions: the shaft support provides axial positioning and rotational freedom, while the rotation guide provides lateral constraint and anti-inclination support. This local differentiation of support qualities ensures stability without requiring support at every possible position.
Solution Approach 2:
The support system transitions from one-dimensional axial support by the shaft support to two-dimensional support by adding the rotation guide that contacts the inner peripheral surface. This adds a radial dimension of constraint that prevents inclination while maintaining simplicity.
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 stabilizes the rotation of the tape core, prevents 'rattle', and ensures straight unwinding of the tape, while allowing the tape core to be mounted in any direction, thus enhancing the reliability of the tape cartridge and printer operation.
Implementation Method 1
a rotation guide (42) that slides on the inner peripheral surface of the core body
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A tape cartridge 2 includes a tape core 21b rotatably supported in a cartridge case 25 and houses a print tape 21a wound around the tape core 21b such that the print tape 21a can be unwound. The tape core 21b includes a core body 26 with the print tape 21a wound around an outer peripheral surface of the core body 26, a disk-like rib 27 provided at a middle portion in an axial direction of an inner peripheral surface of the core body 26, and a shaft hole 28 formed at an axis center of the rib 27. The cartridge case 25 includes a shaft support 41 that is inserted into the shaft hole 28 and rotatably supports the tape core 21b, and a rotation guide 42 that slides on the inner peripheral surface of the core body 26.