Media-activated transmission for modular autoduplex mechanism
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsMatt G. Driggers, Thomas W. Ruhe, Jeffrey R. Blackman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modular duplex media handling system is used in conjunction with a simplex media handling print recording apparatus. The duplex media handling system is linked by a transmission to a print recording system drive motor. The drive motor drives feed rollers and metering rollers or the simplex media handling system. The transmission is media-activated to allow the duplex handling drive rollers to be disengaged, engaged for rotation in the same direction as the feed rollers, or engaged for rotation in the opposite direction as the feed rollers.
Claims15
A print recording apparatus for recording print onto a media sheet, comprising:
- a print recording source;
- a simplex media handling assembly for moving a media sheet along a media path to receive print recording, the simplex media handling assembly comprising a feed roller;
- a drive motor for driving rotation of the feed roller;
- a removable duplex media handling module interfacing with the simplex media handling assembly to provide a media path for flipping the media sheet for second side printing, the duplex media handling module comprising a duplex handling drive roller and a transmission coupled to the drive motor;
- and
- a media-activated lever mechanism coupled to the transmission for determining a gear engagement of the transmission.
A method for operating a transmission of a removable duplex-media handling system, the duplex media handling, system coupled to a simplex media handling system, the duplex media handling system and the simplex media handling system being driven by a common drive motor, the drive motor having a drive axle, said transmission coupled to the drive motor, the method comprising the steps of:
- operating the transmission in a second gear mode while the drive motor rotates the drive axle in a first rotational direction;
- operating the transmission in either one of a neutral gear mode or a first gear mode while the drive motor rotates the drive axle in a second rotational direction, said one of the neutral gear mode and the first gear mode determined based upon a position of a media-activated lever which is coupled to the transmission.
A method for moving, a media sheet through a duplex media handling system to achieve flipping of a media sheet for second side printing, comprising the steps of:
- feeding the media sheet along a first media path into a print zone for first side print recording with a drive motor rotating a drive axle in a first rotational direction;
- reversing rotation of the drive axle into a second rotational direction to reverse motion of the media sheet along the first media path after completing first side print recording to move the media sheet into the duplex media handling system onto a second media path;
- engaging a transmission of a removable duplex media handling module into a second gear mode in response to said step of reversing, the transmission coupling the drive axle to a drive roller of the duplex media handling, system;
- deflecting, by the media sheet a lever coupled to the transmission, as the media sheet moves along the second media path, the lever being deflected from a first position into a second position, wherein in the first position the lever prevents the transmission from entering the first ear mode and while in the second position the lever arm does not prevent the transmission from entering, the first gear mode;
- after the media sheet clears the first media path and is continuing to deflect the lever into the first position, reversing rotation of the drive axle back to the first rotational direction;
- and
- engaging the transmission into a first gear mode in response to said step of reversing rotation back, wherein with the transmission engaged in either one of the first gear mode or the second gear mode the drive roller is rotated in a common direction to move the media sheet along the second media path and back to the first media path for second side printing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.