Transport Unit for Marker Cards Preventing Warping
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing marking cards made of plastic or metal used for identifying electrical and electronic components face distortion due to internal stresses from injection molding and thermal fixing, which affects their flatness and usability in printers.
Innovation Solution
A transport unit with a carrier frame made of non-metallic material, designed to prevent warping, where marker cards are clamped and centered using locking and centering elements that compensate for temperature and moisture changes, allowing tool-free separation of the printable area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If marker cards are made of plastic and subjected to thermal fixing, then print quality is improved, but the marker cards warp due to internal stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transport unit as an intermediary structure that holds marker cards during printing and thermal fixing. This mediator provides external support to counteract the warping forces generated by internal stresses and thermal expansion, allowing high-quality printing without compromising the flatness of the marker cards.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and constraints of the marker cards by securing them in a fixed position within the transport unit. This constraint modification prevents the cards from warping during thermal fixing while still allowing the print image to be thermally fixed for smudge and scratch resistance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If marker cards are individually produced and assembled, then flexibility is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual marker cards into a single transport unit with multiple frame fields. This merging approach maintains the flexibility of individual card production while reducing assembly complexity by providing a unified structure that holds all cards in predetermined positions, eliminating the need for separate handling and positioning of each card.
Solution Approach 2:
The transport unit is pre-configured with frame fields, centering elements, and locking mechanisms before the marker cards are inserted. This preliminary preparation simplifies the assembly process by providing ready-made positioning and securing structures that guide the insertion and automatic centering of individual cards without requiring complex assembly operations.
3Strength
If carrier frames are made of metal, then strength is improved, but warping occurs due to thermal expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the carrier frame from metal to non-metallic material with low thermal expansion. This material substitution maintains sufficient structural strength while dramatically improving dimensional stability during thermal fixing, preventing the warping that would occur with metal frames subjected to heat.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs non-metallic composite materials for the carrier frame that combine adequate mechanical strength with low thermal expansion properties. These composite materials provide the necessary rigidity to support marker cards while remaining dimensionally stable under the thermal conditions of the printing and fixing process.
4Force
If locking elements are rigid, then securing force is improved, but inability to compensate for dimensional changes occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the locking elements from rigid, fixed-geometry components to dynamic elements that can adapt their position and geometry in response to dimensional changes in the marker cards. The locking elements are designed to follow the displacement of cards caused by temperature and moisture variations, maintaining securing force while accommodating environmental fluctuations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates design features that account for and compensate for thermal expansion and moisture-induced dimensional changes. The locking elements are configured to move or deform in a controlled manner that matches the expected dimensional changes of the marker cards, ensuring continuous securement without excessive force or distortion.
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
Ensures marker cards remain flat and functional post-printing, maintaining high-quality images and preventing warping, even with temperature fluctuations, facilitating easy assembly and continuous printing processes.
Implementation Method 1
the carrier frames are designed as one-piece molded parts made of a non-metallic material, preferably plastic molded parts produced by injection molding. A material is used that prevents the carrier frame from warping when the printed images are fixed using relatively high temperatures.
Implementation Method 2
The locking, clamping and centering elements are designed in such a way that small changes in dimensions caused by temperature or moisture can be compensated for.
Data Source
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AI summary
Transport unit comprising one or more printable marking cards (1) made of plastic or metal for identifying electrical and/or electronic conductors, components, modules or the like, with a support frame (5) having at least one or more frame sections in which at least one printable marking card (1) can be fixed, which is provided with at least one locking and centering rib (3, 4) which can be fixed to the support frame (5) by means of molded clamping and/or centering elements in a form-fit and/or force-fit and centered manner, wherein the frame sections are bounded by two parallel longitudinal beams of the support frame (5) and by transverse beams (8) to form the individual frame sections.