Sheet media weight detector and method
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorPat Fowler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device that automatically detects the strength of the paper as an indicator of paper weight and thickness. The detector includes a deflector acting on the paper or other sheet media and a deflection sensor that is responsive to the deflection of the paper. The deflector may be gravity or a mechanical device, or a combination of both. A mechanical deflector typically will include a contact member and a gate member. The contact member is biased against and deflects the sheet media advancing past the detector. The sensor is in operative communication with the gate member of the deflector. The deflector is operative to move between a first position, wherein the sensor outputs a first signal, and a second position, wherein the sensor outputs a second signal.
Claims15
A sheet media weight detector, comprising:
- a movable deflector having a contact member and a gate member, the contact member biased against and reflecting a single sheet advancing past the detector;
- a sensor in operative communication with the gate member;
- and
- the deflector operative to move between a first position in which there is no sheet media advancing past the contact member and the sensor outputs a first signal, and a second position in which a single sheet is advancing against and deflecting the contact member causing the deflector to move and the sensor outputs a second signal different from the first signal.
A sheet media weight detector, comprising:
- an elongated member having a first end configured to contact a sheet and a second end configured as a gate, the elongated member rotatable mounted on an axis positioned between the first end and the second end;
- a sensor in operative communication with the gate ,the sensor comprising a light source and a light sensor disposed with respect to one another so that light from the light source may be sensed by the light sensor, and a detection zone between the light source and the light sensor;
- a biasing element operatively coupled to the elongated member so that the first end of the elongated member applies a force to and deflects a sheet advancing past the first end of the elongated member;
- the elongated member operative to rotate the gate through a plurality of positions in the detection zone according to the degree of deflection of the sheet contacting the first end of the elongated member wherein the sensor outputs a plurality of signals representing the degree of deflection of the sheet contacting the first end of the elongated member..
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.