Input converger for hardcopy devices
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsPeter Boucher, Vance M. Stephens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus for advancing media through a hardcopy device includes a cylindrical guide wheel having a first radius mounted on a shaft having an axis transverse to a media feed path axis. A guide surface is spaced apart from the guide wheel and defines a media feed path between the guide wheel and the guide surface. A drive wheel having an extended portion that is concentric with the guide wheel, and which has a greater radius than the first radius is fixed to the shaft. A pinch roller communicates with the media feed path.
Claims32
An input converger for advancing media along a media feed path in a hardcopy device, comprising:
- a guide surface;
- a cylindrical media guide wheel having a radius R1 mounted on a shaft having a shaft axis extending transverse to a media feed axis defined by the direction of media advancement, the guide wheel and the guide surface spaced apart from one another to define a media feed path therebetween;
- a pinch roller having an outer surface communicating with the media feed path;
- a drive wheel fixed on the shaft and having an extended portion having radius R2, where R2>R1, the extended portion concentric with the guide wheel.
A method of deskewing media taken from a selected one of plural media sources as the media is advanced through a hardcopy device, the method comprising:
- (a) advancing the media through a feed path defined between a media guide and a cylindrical guide wheel having a radius R1, by pinching the media between an extended portion of a rotating drive wheel and a pinch roller that communicates with the feed path, wherein the extended portion defines a radius R2 that is greater than R1 and the extended portion defines an arc having a length L;
- (b) advancing a leading edge of the media to a linefeed pinch between a driven linefeed roller and a linefeed pinch wheel, the linefeed pinch separated from the pinch roller by a distance less than length L;
- (c) buckling the media between the linefeed pinch and the pinch roller;
- (d) disengaging the drive wheel from the pinch roller to depinch the media from the drive wheel after the media leading edge has entered the linefeed pinch.
An input converger for advancing a sheet of media along a media feed path in a hardcopy device, comprising:
- a guide surface defining a portion of the media feed path;
- plural drive wheels, each fixed to a shaft having a shaft axis extending transverse to a media feed axis that is defined by the direction of media advancement and each having an extended portion defining a partial radial section having radius R2;
- plural pinch rollers, one associated with each drive wheel, and each mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the shaft axis and having an outer surface communicating with the media feed path, and each pinch roller having an outer surface separated from the shaft axis by a distance less than R2.
An input converger for advancing media through a hardcopy device, comprising:
- guide surface means for defining a portion of a media feed path;
- media guide wheel means for defining a portion of the media feed path and having a radius R1, said media guide wheel means mounted on a shaft having a shaft axis extending transverse to a media feed axis defined by the direction of media advancement, the media guide wheel means and the guide surface means spaced apart from one another to define a media feed path therebetween;
- pinching means mounted for rotation about an axis parallel to the shaft axis and having an outer surface for communicating with the media feed path;
- and
- media drive wheel means fixed on the shaft and having an extended portion configured for contacting the pinch roller.
A hardcopy device, comprising:
- a frame defining a media interaction zone;
- a supply source of media;
- and
- a media advancement mechanism comprising:
- a guide surface;
- a cylindrical media guide wheel defining a first radius and mounted on a shaft having a shaft axis transverse to a media feed axis defined by the direction of media advancement, the guide wheel and the guide surface defining a media feed path therebetween;
- a pinch roller having an outer surface communication with the media feed path;
- a drive wheel fixed on the shaft and having an extended portion having a radius greater than the first radius, wherein the extended portion is concentric with the guide wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.