Methods and apparatus for moving media along a media path
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorTim M. Hoberock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for moving media along a media path employ an increase in the force with which a gripping surface contacts the media in order to compensate for wear experienced by the gripping surface. The force is increased as a function of a measured variable which can be the number of revolutions of a feed roller on which the gripping surface is defined. The variable can alternatively be elapsed time, or can be a number of sheets of media that pass a given point on the media path. An apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes a wear compensator which is configured to cause the increase in force with which the gripping surface contacts the media.
Claims13
A method of moving media along a media path, comprising:
- providing a gripping surface, wherein the gripping surface has an operational life;
- contacting the media with the gripping surface;
- measuring a variable a plurality of times throughout the operational life of the gripping surface;
- and,
- increasing the force with which the gripping surface contacts the media in response to each subsequent measurement of the variable.
A method of moving media along a media path, comprising:
- providing a rotatable feed roller having a gripping surface defined thereon, wherein the gripping surface is configured to contact the media;
- measuring the rotation of the feed roller;
- and,
- increasing the force with which the gripping surface contacts the media in response to measuring rotation of the feed roller.
An apparatus for moving sheets of media along a media path defined in an imaging device, comprising:
- a gripping surface that has an operational life;
- a wear compensator configured only to selectively increase the force with which the gripping surface contacts the media, wherein the force is not decreased by the wear compensator during the operational life of the gripping surface.
A method of moving media along a media paths comprising:
- providing a gripping surface, wherein the gripping surface has an operational life;
- contacting the media with the gripping surface;
- making a plurality of measurements of a variable throughout the operational life of the gripping surface;
- and,
- increasing the force with which the gripping surface contacts the media in response to each measurement of the variable, wherein the force is not decreased during the operational life of the gripping surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.