Regulating vacuum hold of media in a printer
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsSteve O. Rasmussen, Steven B. Elgee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for regulating the vacuum hold pressure in a printer based upon the physical characteristics of the print media that is directed through the printer. In one embodiment, the characteristic of a sheet of media is detected before or as the sheet reaches the carrier. The vacuum pressure level is thus regulated in response to the physical characteristic of the sheet, thereby to have applied to that particular media a level of vacuum pressure that prevents problems that arise when pressure levels are too low (for example, inadvertent shifting of the paper) or too high (for example, paper deformations that reduce print quality).
Claims14
A method of regulating vacuum hold in a printer that includes a perforated carrier for supporting a sheet of print media that is fed onto one side of the carrier, wherein the carrier is provided with vacuum pressure on another side for holding the sheet to the carrier, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting a thickness of the sheet and a stiffness of the sheet;
- providing a signal indicative of the thickness and stiffness;
- and
- regulating the vacuum pressure in response to the signal.
A vacuum hold regulation system for a printer comprising:
- a perforated carrier having a first side against which a sheet of print media may be directed;
- a vacuum source connected to the carrier to provide a level of suction on a second side of the carrier, which suction is communicated to the first side through the perforations thereby to hold to the carrier a sheet of print media that is directed to the first side of the carrier;
- a regulator responsive to a control signal for regulating the level of suction;
- and
- a sensor for sensing a stiffness characteristic of the sheet of print media that is directed against the first side of the carrier and for providing to the regulator a control signal that is indicative of the stiffness characteristic.
A vacuum hold regulation system for a printer comprising:
- a perforated carrier having a first side against which a sheet of print media may be directed;
- a vacuum source connected to the carrier to provide a level of suction on a second side of the carrier, which suction is communicated to the first side through the perforations thereby to hold to the carrier a sheet of print media that is directed to the first side of the carrier;
- a regulator responsive to a control signal for regulating the level of suction;
- and
- a sensor for sensing a porosity characteristic of the sheet of print media and generating the control signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.