Translatable Roller Media Aligning Mechanism
AssigneeLexmark International, Inc.
InventorsMargarito Panal Banai, Jose Jonna Tohay Chavez, Joseph Garces Cornelia, Al Salcedo Pineda, Julio Tagaro Plariza, Malyn Vidal Pumariga
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A media conveying system for aligning a media sheet in a media path of an image forming apparatus may include a first roll mounted across the media path, a second roll mounted relative to the first roll so as to define a first nip between the first roll and the second roll, and a reference edge positioned along a side of the media path. A drive mechanism is coupled to the second roll for translating the second roll in a first direction such that a media sheet positioned in the nip moves in the first direction towards the reference edge.
Claims31
A media conveying system for aligning a media sheet in a media path of an apparatus, comprising:
- a reference edge positioned along a side of a media path, the media path having a starting location and an ending location, the media sheet moves in the media path in a media feed direction;
- a first roll mounted across the media path;
- a second roll mounted relative to the first roll so as to define a first nip between the first roll and the second roll, one of the first and second rolls being a rotationally driven roll;
- a drive mechanism coupled to both first and second rolls for translating the first and second rolls in a first direction other than the media feed direction such that a media sheet positioned in the first nip moves in the first direction towards the reference edge, the drive mechanism comprising:
- a motor operable in forward and reverse directions;
- and
- a bracket for mounting the first and second rolls, the bracket comprising a rack gear portion for receiving rotary power from the motor;
- and
- at least one sensing device for determining a location of the media sheet in the media path and for use in controlling the translation of the first and second rolls based upon the determined location of the media sheet,
- wherein rotational movement of the motor causes movement of the bracket in the first direction towards the reference edge, and wherein the at least one sensing device determines a location of a leading edge of the media sheet in the media path, and following a positive determination and following the leading edge of the media sheet moving a predetermined distance from the at least one sensing device in the media feed direction, the drive mechanism translates the second roll a first distance in the first direction from a home position towards the reference edge.
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A system to align a media sheet in a media path of an apparatus comprising:
- a media path having a starting location and an ending location, wherein media moves in the media path in a media feed direction;
- a reference edge positioned along a side of the media path;
- a first roll mounted across the media path;
- a second roll mounted relative to the first roll so as to define a first nip between the first roll and the second roll, one of the first and second rolls being a driven roll;
- and
- a drive mechanism coupled to only one of the first and second rolls for translating the one of the first and second rolls in a first direction other than the media feed direction such that a media sheet positioned in the first nip moves in the first direction towards the reference edge, the drive mechanism comprising:
- a motor operable in forward and reverse directions;
- and
- a bracket for mounting the one of the first and second rolls, comprising a rack gear portion receiving rotary power from the motor;
- wherein rotational movement of the motor causes movement of the bracket in the first direction.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.