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US 6,488,422 B1Granted
Paper thickness sensor in a printer
AssigneeSilverbrook Research Pty Ltd
InventorKia Silverbrook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pagewidth drop on demand printer includes a printhead having an array of fixed printing nozzles thereon. A platen having a platen surface upon which a sheet rides to receive ink from the printing nozzles is situated alongside the nozzles. A sensor is provided to measure an offset of the print surface of the sheet with respect to the printing nozzles and means is provided effecting movement of the platen to alter the offset. This is typically done by making a compensatory rotation of the platen.
Claims3
A pagewidth printer comprising:
- a printhead having an array of fixed printing nozzles thereon,
- a platen having a platen surface, the platen located opposite the array of fixed printing nozzles;
- at least one cam coupled to said platen;
- a sensor means arranged to sense a thickness of a print media;
- at least one projection fixed relative to said array of fixed printing nozzles and arranged to follow said at least one cam;
- means responsive to the sensor means for rotating the at least one cam thereby adjusting the spacing between the fixed array of printing nozzles and the platen by action of the at least one cam upon the at least one projection wherein said platen is mounted so as to rotate about a longitudinal axis thereof and said platen surface extends along the platen parallel with said axis, said pagewidth printer further including a shaft disposed along said axis, wherein the at least one cam is coupled to an end of the shaft and wherein the platen includes a blotting surface disposed parallel to said axis.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.