# US 2013/0156481 A1 · Flexible Gear Rack Carriage Transport in a Printing Apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0156481 A1 - Document ID: US20130156481A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/330,249 - Filed: 2011-12-19 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-19 - Assignees: Xerox Corporation - Inventors: Timothy Carlyle Shaw; Jamie Kelso; David W. Johnson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156481A1 ## CPC - F16G 1/00: Driving-belts (V-belts F16G5/00; conveyor belt B65G) - B41J 2/165: Prevention {or detection} of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles - B41J 23/025: {using a single or common power source for two or more functions} - F16H 55/26: Racks - Y10T 74/18816: Curvilinear rack - Y10T 74/19633: Yieldability in gear trains - F16G: BELTS, CABLES, OR ROPES, PREDOMINANTLY USED FOR DRIVING PURPOSES; CHAINS; FITTINGS PREDOMINANTLY USED THEREFOR - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - F16H: GEARING - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A durable gear strap couples components in an imaging device to a driving force. The gear strap includes a strip having a plurality of rigid sections and a plurality of flexible sections. Gear teeth on the strip enable rotation of a gear to move the gear strap in a track. At least one engagement member extends from one of the rigid sections to couple a component to the gear strap for movement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A gear strap comprising: a strip having a plurality of rigid sections interspersed with a plurality of flexible sections formed from essentially one material, the rigid sections being thicker in cross-section than the flexible sections to enable the flexible sections to bend; a plurality of teeth formed on the rigid sections and the flexible sections of the strip, the plurality of teeth being configured to engage a gear to enable the gear to move the strip in response to rotation of the gear; and at least one engagement member extending from one of the plurality of rigid sections of the strip, the engagement member being configured to receive a coupling member to enable the one rigid section to move the coupling member in response to movement of the strip. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gear strap of claim 1, each of the plurality of flexible sections of the strip having a curved shape to urge at least one tooth formed in each of the flexible sections into engagement with the gear. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gear strap of claim 1, the plurality of rigid sections and the plurality of flexible sections in the strip being formed in a linear configuration. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The gear strap of claim 3, each rigid section in the plurality of rigid sections being formed adjacent to at least one flexible section in the plurality of flexible sections. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The gear strap of claim 1, each of the flexible sections further comprising: a plurality of protuberances to enable gear mesh tolerance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The gear strap of claim 5, each flexible section in the plurality of flexible sections being configured to bend to enable the gear strap to move through a curved portion of the track. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The gear strap of claim 1, the one material being essentially comprised of a thermoplastic polymer material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The gear strap of claim 7, the thermoplastic polymer material being essentially comprised of polypropylene. ### Claim 9 A printing apparatus comprising: a support plate; a track positioned in the support plate, the track having a first wall and a second wall; a gear positioned on the support plate proximate to one side of the track; and a gear strap positioned in the track between the first wall and the second wall, the gear strap further comprising: a strip having a plurality of rigid sections interspersed with a plurality of flexible sections formed from essentially one material, the rigid sections being thicker in cross-section than the flexible sections to enable the flexible sections to bend; a plurality of teeth formed on the rigid sections and the flexible sections of the continuous strip, the plurality of teeth being configured to engage the gear to enable rotation of the gear to move the continuous strip in the track; and at least one engagement member extending from one of the plurality of rigid sections of the strip, the engagement member being configured to receive a coupling member to enable the one rigid section to move the coupling member in response to movement of the strip. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The printing apparatus of claim 9, each of the plurality of flexible sections of the strip having a curved shape to urge at least one tooth formed on each of the flexible sections into engagement with the gear. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The printing apparatus of claim 9, the plurality of rigid sections and the plurality of flexible sections in the strip being formed in a linear configuration. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The printing apparatus of claim 11, each rigid section in the plurality of rigid sections in the strip being formed adjacent to at least one flexible section in the plurality of flexible sections in the strip. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The printing apparatus of claim 9, each of the flexible sections in the strip further comprising: a plurality of protuberances to enable gear mesh tolerance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The printing apparatus of claim 9 further comprising: a gap formed in the first wall and the second wall in the track, each rigid section in the plurality of rigid sections in the strip having a length that is longer than a length of the gap. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The printing apparatus of claim 14, the gear strap being configured to move between a first position in the track to a second position in the track in response to rotation of the gear. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The printing apparatus of claim 15, one of the rigid sections being positioned across the gap in the track when the gear strap is in the first position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The printing apparatus of claim 14 further comprising: a second track positioned in the support plate and extending across the track at an intersection through the gap in the track, the second track having a third wall and a fourth wall arranged in parallel with a second gap formed through the third wall and fourth wall at the intersection through the gap in the track, the second track enabling a printhead carriage to move from a first location in the second track through the intersection to a second location in the second track. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The printing apparatus of claim 15 further comprising: a second plurality of teeth formed on the third wall of the second track and configured to engage the printhead carriage, the second gap having a width that corresponds to a width of one tooth in the second plurality of teeth. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The printing apparatus of claim 9, the track further comprising a curved portion, each flexible section in the plurality of flexible sections of the strip being configured to bend to enable the gear strap to move through the curved portion of the track. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The printing apparatus of claim 9, the strip being essentially comprised of a thermoplastic polymer material. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The printing apparatus of claim 20, the thermoplastic polymer material being essentially comprised of polypropylene.