Method and apparatus for paper control including kickers
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsLarry A. Jackson, Kieran B. Kelly
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for advancing a sheet of print media through a printer mechanism having a print zone. The apparatus includes a roller assembly for advancing a sheet of media through the print zone, a printing assembly for recording information on a surface of the sheet of media and an assembly for receiving the sheet of media once information has been recorded on the sheet of media. The apparatus includes a kicker which is movable in the forward direction to engage an edge of the sheet of media to urge the sheet in a forwardly direction from the print zone to the receiving assembly. The method of this invention includes the step of pushing the edge of the sheet of media towards the receiving assembly.
Claims21
Apparatus for control of individual sheets of print media in a printer mechanism, each sheet of media having an edge, said apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a supply assembly that supplies individual sheets of media to a print zone;
- a printing assembly that records information on a sheet of media as the sheet advances through the print zone;
- a receiving assembly that receives individual sheets of media from the print zone;
- a roller assembly mounted in said frame and having rollers to engage and advance individual sheets of media in a forward direction from said supply assembly through the print zone to said receiving assembly;
- and
- a kicker movable in the forward direction with respect to said frame to engage an edge of a sheet of media to urge the sheet in the forward direction from the print zone to said receiving assembly, said kicker engaging an edge of the sheet of media spaced from and not in contact with the information recorded on the sheet of media.
A method of advancing a sheet of print media through a printer mechanism, the printer mechanism comprising a print zone, a roller assembly for advancing the sheet of media through the print zone, a printing assembly for recording information on a surface on the sheet of media when in the print zone, and an assembly for receiving the sheet of media once information has been recorded on the sheet of media, the sheet of media having an edge, the method comprising the steps of:
- conveying the sheet of media through the print zone;
- recording information on the surface of the sheet of media;
- disengaging the sheet of media from the roller assembly after said recording step;
- and
- pushing the edge of the sheet of media toward the receiving assembly to urge the sheet of media into the receiving assembly after said disengaging step, said pushing step contacting the sheet edge and not information which was recorded in said recording step.
Apparatus for control of individual sheets of print media in a printer mechanism, each sheet of media having an edge, said apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- means for supplying individual sheets of media to a print zone in said apparatus;
- means for receiving individual sheets of media from the print zone;
- means for advancing individual sheets of media in a forward direction from said supplying means through the print zone to said receiving means;
- means for recording information on a sheet of print media as the sheet is advanced through the print zone by said advancing means;
- and
- means movable in the forward direction with respect to said frame for engaging an edge of a sheet of media and for urging the sheet of media in the forward direction from the print zone to said receiving means, said engaging and urging means engaging an edge of the sheet of media spaced from and not in contact with the information recorded on the sheet of media.
A method of advancing a sheet of print media through a printer mechanism, the printer mechanism comprising a print zone, a roller assembly for advancing the sheet of media through the print zone, a printing assembly for recording information on a surface of the sheet of media when in the print zone, a tray for receiving the sheet of media once information has been recorded on the sheet of media and a kicker for pushing the sheet of media toward the receiving tray, the method comprising the steps of:
- conveying the sheet of media through the print zone;
- recording information on the surface of the sheet of media;
- during said recording step, retracting the kicker out of engagement with the sheet of media;
- disengaging the sheet of media from the roller assembly after said recording step;
- and
- after said disengaging step, pivoting the kicker toward the receiving tray to engage the sheet of media without contacting information recorded on the sheet of media in said recording step and to push the sheet of media toward the receiving tray.
Apparatus for control of individual sheets of print media in a printer mechanism, each sheet of media having an edge, said apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- a supply assembly that supplies individual sheets of media to a print zone;
- a printing assembly that records information on a sheet of media as the sheet advances through the print zone;
- a roller assembly mounted in said frame and having rollers to engage and advance individual sheets of media in a forward direction from said supply assembly through said print zone;
- and
- a kicker movable in the forward direction with respect to said frame to engage an edge of a sheet of media to urge the sheet in the forward direction from the print zone to a point forward of said print zone, said kicker engaging an edge of the sheet of media spaced from, and not in contact with, the information recorded on the sheet of media.
A method of advancing a sheet of print media through a printer mechanism, the printer mechanism comprising a print zone, a roller assembly for advancing the sheet of media through the print zone, and a printing assembly for recording information on a surface on the sheet of media when in the print zone, the sheet of media having an edge, the method comprising the steps of:
- conveying the sheet of media through the print zone;
- recording information on the surface of the sheet of media;
- disengaging the sheet of media from the roller assembly after said recording step;
- and
- pushing the edge of the sheet of media from the printer assembly to urge the sheet of media away from said printing assembly after said disengaging step, said pushing step contacting the sheet edge and not information which was recorded in said recording step.
Apparatus for control of individual sheets of print media in a printer mechanism, each sheet of media having an edge, said apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- means for supplying individual sheets of media to a print zone in said apparatus;
- means for advancing individual sheets of media in a forward direction from said supplying means through the print zone;
- means for recording information on a sheet of print media as the sheet is advanced through the print zone by said advancing means;
- and
- means movable in the forward direction with respect to said frame for engaging an edge of a sheet of media and for urging the sheet of media in the forward direction away from the print zone, said engaging and urging means engaging an edge of the sheet of media spaced from and not in contact with the information recorded on the sheet of media.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.