# US 10,870,292 B2 · Indexing a media feed shaft

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- Number: US 10,870,292 B2
- Document ID: US10870292B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/748,841
- Filed: 2015-10-28
- Published: 2018-08-23
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-28
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Keith Jariabka; Michael Ewe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870292B2

## CPC

- B41J 11/42: Controlling {printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering}
- B41J 29/38: Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
- G01D 5/34: the beams of light being detected by photocells
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

In an implementation, an example method of indexing a media feed shaft in a media feed device includes rotating a media feed shaft and transmitting the rotation to an output gear that is remote from the media feed shaft. The method also includes sensing a feature of the rotating output gear and indexing the media feed shaft to the feature.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of indexing a media feed shaft in a media feed device, the method comprising:
rotating a media feed shaft;
through a transmission, transmitting rotation of the media feed shaft to an output gear that is remote from the media feed shaft, the transmission comprising a drive gear rotatably attached to the media feed shaft, an idler gear, and the output gear, the drive gear to rotate with the media feed shaft and drive rotation of the idler gear, and the idler gear to drive rotation of the output gear;
sensing a feature of the rotating output gear; and,
indexing the media feed shaft to the feature.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as in claim 1, wherein transmitting rotation of the media feed shaft comprises rotating the output gear at a rate that matches that of the media feed shaft.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method as in claim 1, wherein sensing the feature comprises:
emitting light from a sensor; and
detecting a portion of the light that reflects off the feature when the feature rotates past the sensor on the output gear.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method as in claim 1, wherein sensing the feature comprises:
positioning a carriage comprising the sensor in a position proximate the output gear.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method as in claim 1, wherein positioning the carriage comprises moving the carriage to a far end of the media shaft to which the output gear is rotatably coupled.

### Claim 6

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor of a media feed device, cause the media feed device to:
receive a power-up indication;
in response to the power-up indication, move an index sensor to a position that is proximate to an output gear of a transmission which transfers rotation of a media feed shaft to the output gear;
rotate the media feed shaft;
detect an index feature on the output gear; and
index the media feed shaft to the detected index feature.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A storage medium as in claim 6, wherein detecting an index feature comprises:
emitting light from a light source of the index sensor; and
sensing a reflection of the light with a photo-detector of the index sensor as the index feature rotates into the light.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

A storage medium as in claim 6, wherein moving an index sensor comprises moving a print carriage comprising the index sensor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

A storage medium as in claim 6, the instructions further causing the media feed device to apply calibration positioning offsets to the media feed shaft based on a rotational position of the indexed media feed shaft.

### Claim 10

A media feed device comprising:
a media feed shaft to advance media through a print zone;
a transmission to propagate rotation of the media feed shaft to a remote index feature rotatably attached to an output gear that is remote from the media feed shaft, the transmission comprising a drive gear rotatably attached to the media feed shaft, an idler gear, and the output gear, the drive gear to rotate with the media feed shaft and drive rotation of the idler gear, and the idler gear to drive rotation of the output gear;
a sensor to detect the remote index feature as it rotates; and,
a controller to index the media feed shaft based on detection of the index feature.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A device as in claim 10, wherein:
the drive gear and output gear are the same size and rotate at a same speed; and
the remote index feature is an integral component of the output gear and thereby rotates at the same speed.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

A device as in claim 10, wherein the remote feature comprises a light color to reflect light from the sensor as it rotates about a dark colored axle that does not reflect light from the sensor.