Media output system
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsBruce G Johnson, Al Olson, Steve O Rasmussen, Elliott Downing, Jonathan Cha Spafford, Michael J Wilmink
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing device includes, in one example, a media output system including a mezzanine level including a plurality of media support members, the mezzanine level being intermediate to a floor level and a media output level; wherein the plurality of media support members move orthogonally relative to a print media path so that a number of finishing processes may be performed on print media accumulated on the number of media support members.
Claims18
A printing device, comprising:
- an inkjet print bar for printing on print media moving in a print media path;
- a media output system comprising a mezzanine level, the mezzanine level comprising a plurality of media support members onto which print media is stacked, the mezzanine level being intermediate between a floor level of the media output system and a media output level of the print media path;
- and
- a motorized system for moving the media support members;
- wherein the plurality of media support members move orthogonally relative to the print media path so that the stacked print media is transported to where a number of finishing processes may be performed on the stacked print media accumulated on the number of media support members;
- and
- wherein the motorized system comprises a gear and a wheel coupled to each media support member, the gear moving in a toothed track of a gear rack and the wheel moving on a portion the gear rack adjacent the toothed track as the media support member is moved.
A method for finishing a number of sheets of print media, comprising:
- accumulating a number of sheets of print media stacked onto and supported on a plurality of media support members within a media output system;
- and
- moving the stack of print media with the plurality of media support members in a direction orthogonal to the direction of a media feed path;
- wherein a first media support member of the plurality of media support members advances relatively faster than a second media support member of the plurality of media support members;
- wherein moving the plurality of media support members in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the media feed path comprises moving the plurality of media support members from a starting position towards a finishing device and returning the plurality of media support members to the starting position after the finishing device conducts a finishing process;
- and
- wherein returning the plurality of media support members to the starting position further comprises advancing the first media support member relatively slower than the second media support member.
A media output system, comprising:
- a plurality of media support members to receive a number of sheets of print media from a printing device;
- and
- a print finishing device to conduct finishing processes on the number of sheets of print media;
- a motorized system for moving the media support members;
- wherein the plurality of media support members transport the number of sheets of print media towards the finishing device with each of the plurality of media support members moving at different speeds relative to each other such that the sheets of print media extend beyond a media support member that is closest to the finishing device in a direction of the finishing device and wherein at least one of the plurality of media support members comprises at least one friction surface that imposes a higher coefficient of friction to one of the number of sheets of print media than other surface portions of the at least one media support member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.