Paper moving system for a printer/plotter
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorBrian P. Canfield
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A paper moving system for a computer driven printer/plotter comprises a paper pinching assembly positioned at the two oppositely facing edges of the paper adjacent the print zone 10. The edges of the paper are fed through each assembly where the paper is gripped between a lubricous shim plate 52 and a straight stretch of a paper drive belt 42 which frictionally engages the paper. The belts of each assembly are biased toward the shim plates by a spring urged rail 50 to hold the belts in non-slip engagement with the paper. The paper is tensioned edge to edge by the assemblies so that a paper table or platen underneath the print zone is unnecessary.
Claims18
A paper moving assembly for moving paper or other print media through a print zone of a computer driven printer/plotter, said print zone being defined in an X direction by the direction of movement of paper or other print medium and in the Y direction by the direction of movement of a printer carriage, said assembly comprising:
- a) a mounting block and means for supporting said mounting block on said printer/plotter proximate said print zone;
- b) a first belt roller and means for supporting said first belt roller on said printer/plotter proximate said print zone;
- c) a media feed belt roller and means for supporting said media feed belt roller proximate said print zone;
- d) a media drive belt trained around said first roller and said feed roller and having a stretch moveable parallel to a path of movement of the paper or other print media;
- e) a shim plate fixedly attached to said mounting block, said shim plate extending parallel to said stretch of belt and defining a paper gripping path between said shim plate and said belt for gripping an edge of the paper adjacent the print zone for moving the paper therethrough;
- f) a belt biasing rail supported on said mounting block, said rail supporting said stretch of belt;
- g) means for biasing said rail and supported stretch of belt toward said shim plate;
- and
- h) means for rotating at least one of said rollers to drive said belt.
In a computer driven printer/plotter having a chassis, means on said chassis for moving paper or other print media through the printer/plotter and a print head carriage moveable transversely of the direction of travel of the print media, a paper moving system comprising:
- a paper moving assembly on each lateral side of a print zone, each assembly being positioned to grip an edge of said print media, each assembly comprising:
- a) a powered drive roller;
- c) a media feed roller;
- d) a media drive belt trained around said drive roller and said feed roller and having a stretch moveable parallel to a path of movement of the paper or other print media;
- e) a shim plate, said shim plate extending fixedly parallel to said stretch of belt and defining a paper gripping path between said shim plate and said belt for gripping and edge of said media adjacent the print zone;
- f) a belt biasing rail supported on said mounting block, said rail supporting said stretch of belt;
- g) means for biasing said rail and supported stretch of belt toward said shim plate;
- and
- h) means for rotating said drive roller, said assemblies being supported on said chassis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.