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US 10,065,826 B1Granted
Stacking module with fans
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsErwin Ruiz, Ali R. Dergham, Glenn David Batchelor, William A. Novak, Paul F. Brown, II
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus is disclosed. For example, the apparatus includes a paper feed to feed print media a single sheet at a time, a plurality of rotating discs, wherein each one of the plurality of rotating discs comprises an elastomer ring to secure a leading edge of the single sheet against a registration wall and initiate a flipping process, a plurality of fans to generate an air flow, wherein the air flow levitates a trailing edge of the single sheet during completion of the flipping process, and a movable platform to hold a stack of the print media.
Claims18
An apparatus, comprising:
- a paper feed to feed print media a single sheet at a time;
- a sensor in a paper path to detect a leading edge of the single sheet contacting a registration wall;
- a plurality of rotating discs, wherein each one of the plurality of rotating discs comprises an elastomer ring to secure the leading edge of the single sheet against the registration wall and initiate a flipping process;
- a plurality of fans to generate an air flow, wherein the plurality of fans is activated in response to the leading edge of the single sheet contacting the registration wall, wherein the air flow levitates a trailing edge of the single sheet during completion of the flipping process;
- a movable platform to hold a stack of the print media;
- and
- a vacuum to create a low pressure zone, wherein the vacuum is coupled to a first end of a stacker module that is opposite from a second end of the stacker module where the plurality of fans are located.
4 more elements
A method for flipping print media in a stacker module, comprising:
- activating, by a processor, a paper feed to feed a single sheet of the print media in a stacker module;
- initiating, by the processor, a rotation of a plurality of rotating discs each having an elastomer ring to catch the single sheet of the print media to initiate a flipping process;
- detecting, by the processor, a leading edge of the single sheet contacting a registration wall based on a signal from a sensor in a paper path, a speed of the single sheet and a distance between the sensor and the registration wall;
- activating, by the processor, a plurality of fans in response to the detecting of the leading edge of the single sheet contacting the registration wall to generate an air flow to levitate a trailing edge of the single sheet during completion of the flipping process;
- and
- activating, by the processor, a vacuum to create a low pressure zone, wherein the vacuum is coupled to a first end of the stacker module that is opposite from a second end of the stacker module where the plurality of fans are located to create a low pressure zone.
3 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a paper feed to feed a single sheet of paper at a time, wherein the paper weighs less than 50 grams per square meter (gsm) and has a length of at least 19 inches;
- a sensor in a paper path to detect a leading edge of the single sheet contacting a registration wall;
- a plurality of rotating discs, wherein each one of the plurality of rotating discs comprises an elastomer ring, wherein the plurality of rotating discs secures the leading edge of the single sheet and rotates move the leading edge of the single sheet towards the registration wall and initiate a flipping process;
- a first fan and a second fan to generate an amount of an air flow of approximately 15 cubic feet per minute (cfm) to 30 cfm towards an end that is opposite the plurality of rotating discs to levitate a trailing edge of the single sheet of paper during completion of the flipping process, wherein the first fan and the second fan are activated in response to the leading edge of the single sheet contacting the registration wall;
- a movable platform to hold a stack of the print media, wherein the first fan and the second fan are located adjacent to the plurality of rotating discs at an angle towards a center of the single sheet of paper, above the movable platform, and below the paper feed;
- and
- a vacuum to create a low pressure zone, wherein the vacuum is coupled to a first end of a stacker module that is opposite from a second end of the stacker module where the first fan and the second fan are located.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.