Drive nip release apparatus
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorDerek A. Bryl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An energy storage apparatus has one or more camshafts, one or more cams connected to the camshaft, one or more followers contacting the cam, one or more biasing members connected to the follower, and one or more tracks connected to the follower. With embodiments herein the track limits movement of the follower to a constrained path intersecting the axis about which the camshaft rotates. Alternatively, the biasing member itself can limit the movement of the follower to this linear path. The biasing member can comprise any force member such as a spring, a piston, a flexible member, a compressible member, etc. that has the ability to bias the follower toward the axis of the camshaft. The embodiments herein store and transfer potential energy to reduce the total reflected torque on the motor.
Claims16
A sheet-feeding apparatus comprising:
- a sheet path comprising:
- at least one camshaft having an axis around which said camshaft rotates;
- at least one cam connected to said camshaft;
- at least one roller contacting said cam;
- and
- at least one biasing member connected to said roller,
- said biasing member limiting movement of said roller to a constrained linear path orthogonal to and intersecting said axis of said camshaft, and
- said biasing member storing potential energy as said roller moves away from said axis of said camshaft, while a second biasing member releases energy as a follower moves toward said camshaft, and said biasing member releasing stored potential energy as said roller moves toward said axis of said camshaft, while said second biasing member stores said potential energy.
A sheet-feeding apparatus comprising:
- a sheet path comprising:
- at least one camshaft having an axis around which said camshaft rotates;
- at least one cam connected to said camshaft;
- at least one roller contacting said cam;
- at least one biasing member connected to said roller;
- and
- at least one track connected to said roller,
- said track limiting movement of said roller to a constrained linear path orthogonal to and intersecting said axis of said camshaft,
- said biasing member storing potential energy as said roller moves away from said axis of said camshaft, while a second biasing member releases energy as a follower moves toward said camshaft, and said biasing member releasing stored potential energy as said roller moves toward said axis of said camshaft, while said second biasing member stores said potential energy.
A printing device comprising:
- a printing engine;
- and
- a sheet path operatively connected to said printing engine and supplying sheets to said printing engine, said sheet path comprising:
- at least one camshaft having an axis around which said camshaft rotates;
- at least one cam connected to said camshaft;
- at least one roller contacting said cam;
- and
- at least one biasing member connected to said roller,
- said biasing member limiting movement of said roller to a constrained linear path orthogonal to and intersecting said axis of said camshaft, and
- said biasing member storing potential energy as said roller moves away from said axis of said camshaft, while a second biasing member releases energy as a follower moves toward said camshaft, and said biasing member releasing stored potential energy as said roller moves toward said axis of said camshaft, while said second biasing member stores said potential energy.
A module installable in a printing apparatus, said module comprising:
- at least one drive nip, said drive nip comprising:
- at least one camshaft having an axis around which said camshaft rotates;
- at least one cam connected to said camshaft;
- at least one roller contacting said cam;
- and
- at least one biasing member connected to said roller,
- said biasing member limiting movement of said roller to a linear path orthogonal to and intersecting said axis of said camshaft, and
- said biasing member storing potential energy as said roller moves away from said axis of said camshaft, while a second biasing member releases energy as a follower moves toward said camshaft, and said biasing member releasing stored potential energy as said roller moves toward said axis of said camshaft, while said second biasing member stores said potential energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.