Swingable Thermal Print Head Mounting for Uniform Roller Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for mounting a thermal head in thermal printers often fail to achieve uniform pressure on the platen roller, leading to degraded print quality.
Innovation Solution
A printer design that includes a biasing member to apply a force to the thermal head, allowing it to swing around a fulcrum and maintain optimal pressure against the feed roller, enhancing print quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thermal head is fixed using screws, a shaft, or a bracket to an internal frame or housing, then the thermal head can be securely mounted, but uniform pressure of the thermal head on the platen roller cannot be obtained, leading to degraded print quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the thermal head movable rather than fixed. The thermal head is supported by a support member that allows it to move in the vertical direction, enabling dynamic adjustment of the thermal head position. This movement allows the thermal head to adapt to variations in platen roller position and maintain uniform pressure during printing, resolving the contradiction between mounting stability and print quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the parameter changes principle by introducing a biasing member that exerts a biasing force on the support member, causing the thermal head to move toward the platen roller. This changes the positional parameter of the thermal head dynamically, ensuring uniform pressure distribution across the platen roller surface. The biasing force can be adjusted to optimize the pressure parameter for high-quality printing while maintaining reliable mounting.
2Ease of operation
If a support member with two arms and a connecting part is used to mount the thermal head, then the thermal head can be supported, but uniform pressure distribution over the axial direction of the platen roller is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the local quality principle by designing the support member with a specific geometric configuration where the connecting part has a width that is smaller than the distance between the two arms. This creates localized contact points rather than distributed contact, allowing the thermal head to be supported at specific locations while maintaining the ability to move freely in the vertical direction. This local support structure enables uniform pressure distribution on the platen roller while keeping the support mechanism simple and easy to operate.
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
Prevents print quality degradation by ensuring consistent pressure between the thermal head and the platen roller, thereby improving printing performance.
Implementation Method 1
at least a biasing member configured to bias the print head in a first direction toward the feed roller
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An embodiment of the present invention is a printer including: a feed roller configured to feed a print medium; a print head configured to pinch the print medium with the feed roller and to print on the print medium; at least a biasing member configured to bias the print head in a first direction toward the feed roller; and an abutting part that abuts on the print head. The print head comprises: a first side biased by the biasing member, and a second side that is an opposite of the first side, the second side facing the feed roller. When seen from a side view of the printer, a point of applying a biasing force of the biasing member to the print head is between a position at which the print head receives a reaction force from the feed roller and a position at which the abutting part supports the second side of the print head. The print head is swingable around a fulcrum at the abutting part in a clockwise swinging direction and a counterclockwise swinging direction in a side view of the printer.