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US 10,118,415 B2Granted
Supporting a roll of print media
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsSergi Culubret, Lluis Valles, Lluis Hierro
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one example, an elevator for a roll of print media includes rotatable shafts oriented parallel to one another and translatable supports to support a roll of print media. Each support is operatively connected to the shafts such that rotating the shafts in a first direction raises the supports and rotating the shafts in a second direction opposite the first direction lowers the supports.
Claims7
An elevator for a roll of print media, the elevator including:
- rotatable shafts having longitudinal axes and oriented parallel to one another;
- and
- translatable supports, slidable along the longitudinal axes of the shafts, to support a roll of print media, each support operatively connected to the shafts through a pinion on each shaft, each pinion slidable along the longitudinal axis of one of the shafts with the support and engaging a rack on the support,
- such that rotating the shafts in a first direction raises the supports and rotating the shafts in a second direction opposite the first direction lowers the supports.
1 more element
A holder for a roll of print media, including:
- a first holder to hold a first end of the roll in a dispensing position;
- a second holder to hold a second end of the roll in the dispensing position, the second holder opposite the first holder along an axis;
- a rotatable shaft parallel to the axis below the holders;
- a pinion rotatable with the shaft;
- and
- a support below the holders to support the roll in a loading position above or below or at the same elevation as the dispensing position, the support having a rack connected to the pinion to raise the support when the pinion is rotated in a first direction and to lower the support when the pinion is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction, wherein the support and the pinion are slidable together along a length of the shaft.
3 more elements
A method for loading a roll of print media into a printer, the method including:
- supporting a roll of print media along a horizontal axis above or below a dispensing elevation with translatable supports disposed on and movable along a length of a rotatable shaft extending along an axis parallel to the horizontal axis;
- raising or lowering the roll to the dispensing elevation by rotating the rotatable shaft such that a pinion disposed on and movable along a length of the rotatable shaft raises or lowers a rack disposed on each support;
- and
- keeping the roll horizontal while raising or lowering the roll to the dispensing elevation.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.