Unwinding or winding rolls of print substrate
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsDaniel Gutierrez Garcia, Roger Terradellas Callau, Carlos Felip Aragon, Raimon Castells De Monet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one example, a device for unwinding or winding multiple rolls of print substrate includes multiple spindles each to hold a roll of print substrate and a differential operatively connected to one end of each spindle. The spindles are aligned with one another lengthwise along a spindle axis and the differential is to output torque along a differential axis offset from the spindle axis to turn the spindles on the first axis.
Claims19
A device for unwinding or winding multiple rolls of print substrate, the device comprising:
- spindles each to hold a roll of print substrate, the spindles in line with one another lengthwise along a spindle axis;
- a driveline inside a first spindle of the spindles, and rotatable on the spindle axis by a motor;
- a drive gear rotatable on the spindle axis by rotation of the driveline;
- and
- a differential operatively connected to a respective end of each spindle, the differential to receive an input torque from the drive gear rotating on the spindle axis, redirect the input torque to a torque along a differential axis parallel to and offset from the spindle axis, and transmit an output torque based on the torque along the differential axis to turn the spindles on the spindle axis.
A device for unwinding or winding multiple rolls of print substrate, the device comprising:
- co-axial spindles each to hold a roll of print substrate along a spindle axis, each respective co-axial spindle of the co-axial spindles including a co-axial spindle gear to turn the respective co-axial spindle on the spindle axis;
- a driveline to turn a drive gear on the spindle axis;
- and
- a differential operatively connected between the drive gear and the co-axial spindle gears to receive an input torque from the drive gear turning on the spindle axis, redirect the input torque to a torque applied along a differential axis of the differential, and transmit an output torque based on the torque applied along the differential axis to turn the co-axial spindle gears on the spindle axis, the differential axis parallel to and offset from the spindle axis.
A device for unwinding or winding multiple rolls of print substrate, the device comprising:
- a differential to receive an input torque from a drive gear that turns on a first axis, redirect the input torque to a torque applied along a second axis of the differential, and transmit an output torque based on the torqued applied along the second axis offset from the first axis to turn spindle gears on the first axis, the second axis parallel to and offset from the first axis;
- and
- a support to support the differential along the second axis.
A method for unwinding or winding multiple rolls of print substrate, comprising:
- aligning spindles each holding a roll of print substrate along a spindle axis;
- inputting an input torque along the spindle axis to a differential that has a differential axis parallel to and offset from the spindle axis;
- redirecting, by the differential, the input torque to a torque along the differential axis;
- and
- outputting, by the differential, an output torque based on the torque along the differential axis, to the spindle axis to turn the spindles simultaneously on the spindle axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.