Methods and apparatus for moving media along a media path
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorTim M. Hoberock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for moving media along a media path employ an increase in the force with which a gripping surface contacts the media in order to compensate for wear experienced by the gripping surface. The force is increased as a function of a measured variable which can be the number of revolutions of a feed roller on which the gripping surface is defined. The variable can alternatively be elapsed time, or can be a number of sheets of media that pass a given point on the media path. An apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a wear compensator which is configured to cause the increase in force with which the gripping surface contacts the media.
Claims20
A method of moving media along a media path comprising:
- providing a gripping surface;
- contacting the media with the gripping surface;
- measuring a variable;
- and,
- increasing the force with which the gripping surface contacts the media as a function of the measured variable.
A method of moving media along a media path, comprising:
- providing a rotatable feed roller having a gripping surface defined thereon,
- wherein the gripping surface is configured to contact the media;
- measuring the rotation of the feed roller;
- and,
- increasing the force with which the gripping surface contacts the media in response to measuring rotation of the feed roller.
An apparatus for moving sheets of media along a media path defined in an imaging device, comprising:
- a gripping surface;
- and,
- a wear compensator configured to selectively increase the force with which the gripping surface contacts the media.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.