Web guides with selectively protruding fins
OwnerHeather Henderinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Web guides including a roller, a control surface assembly, and a fin actuator. The roller is configured to mount to a drive shaft. The roller includes a tube wall. The tube wall defines an interior space, an exterior surface, and slots. The slots are circumferentially spaced around the tube wall. The slots pass through the tube wall from the interior space to the exterior surface. The control surface assembly is disposed within the interior space. The control surface assembly includes fins. The fins are aligned with the slots and adapted to selectively move between a retracted position contained within the roller and an extended position protruding beyond the exterior surface of the roller. The fin actuator is configured to selectively move the fins between the retracted position and the extended position.
Claims19
A web guide, comprising:
- a roller configured to mount to a drive shaft, the roller including a tube wall defining:
- an interior space radially surrounded by the tube wall;
- an exterior surface that supports a web and that defines an exterior surface diameter perpendicular to an axis of the roller;
- and
- slots circumferentially spaced around the tube wall, the slots passing through the tube wall from the interior space to the exterior surface;
- a control surface assembly disposed within the interior space, the control surface assembly including fins aligned with the slots and adapted to selectively move through the slots between a retracted position contained within the interior space of the roller and an extended position protruding beyond the exterior surface of the roller;
- and
- a fin actuator configured to selectively move the fins between the retracted position and the extended position;
- wherein:
- each fin includes a control surface configured to contact and guide a web when the fins are selectively moved to protrude beyond the exterior surface of the roller;
- the control surfaces of the fins collectively define a circumferential control surface extending around the roller and adapted to support and guide a web in place of a portion of the exterior surface from a plurality of radial positions around the tube wall;
- the circumferential control surface defines a control surface diameter perpendicular to the axis of the roller;
- and
- the control surface diameter exceeds the exterior surface diameter by a variable amount based on how far the fins protrude beyond the exterior surface of the roller.
A web guide, comprising:
- a roller configured to mount to a drive shaft, the roller including a tube wall defining:
- an interior space radially surrounded by the tube wall;
- an exterior surface;
- and
- slots circumferentially spaced around the tube wall, the slots passing through the tube wall from the interior space to the exterior surface;
- a control surface assembly disposed within the interior space, the control surface assembly including fins aligned with the slots and adapted to selectively move through the slots between a retracted position contained within the interior space of the roller and an extended position protruding beyond the exterior surface of the roller;
- and
- a fin actuator configured to selectively move the fins between the retracted position and the extended position;
- wherein:
- the control surface assembly includes a base member;
- the fins are pivotally mounted to the base member;
- the fin actuator is configured to selectively pivot the fins between the retracted position and the extended position;
- the fin actuator includes a cam configured to selectively pivot the fins between the retracted position and the extended position;
- the fin actuator includes a linear actuator configured to translate the cam relative to the control surface assembly;
- the linear actuator translating the cam towards the base member pivots the fins between the retracted position and the extended position;
- the linear actuator is controllably coupled to a control unit;
- the control unit receives web sensor inputs from a web sensor;
- the web sensor is configured to dynamically detect tracking behavior of a web that is guided by the web guide;
- and
- the web sensor inputs correspond to the tracking behavior of the web dynamically detected by the web sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.