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US 10,850,538 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.
Claims14
An elevator for a roll of print media, the elevator including:
- rotatable shafts oriented parallel to one another;
- a drive train to mechanically couple the shafts to counterrotate simultaneously at a same rate;
- and
- translatable supports to support a roll of print media, each support operatively connected to the shafts, wherein rotation of the shafts raises the supports and opposite rotation of the shafts lowers the supports;
- sliders slidable along the rotatable shafts, wherein each slider couples a translatable support to the rotatable shafts to allow the translatable support to be slidable along the rotatable shafts.
2 more elements
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;
- two shafts parallel to the axis below the holders;
- a drive train to mechanically couple the shafts to counterrotate simultaneously at a same rate;
- two pinions each rotatable with and surrounding a corresponding one of the shafts;
- and
- a support below the holders to support the roll in a loading position above or below or at a same elevation as the dispensing position, the support having two racks each connected to a corresponding pinion to raise and lower the support when the pinions are rotated;
- where the support and the pinions are slidable together along the shafts.
5 more elements
A method for loading a roll of print media into a printer, the method including:
- sliding a translatable support disposed on parallel rotatable shafts along the parallel rotatable shafts, wherein the parallel rotatable shafts are coupled to counterrotate simultaneously at a same rate;
- supporting a roll of print media along a horizontal axis above or below a dispensing elevation with the translatable support;
- raising or lowering the roll to the dispensing elevation by rotating the parallel rotatable shafts;
- and
- keeping the roll horizontal while raising or lowering the roll to the dispensing elevation.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.