MEDIA GUIDING SYSTEM USING BERNOULLI FORCE ROLLER

• US 20150239690A1
• Filed: 02/26/2014
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Muir, Christopher M., Cornell, David James
• Granted Patent: US 9,120,634 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 20/14 by direct action on web of moving fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 23/0212 with an element utilising fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 23/0251 with a straight axis
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 23/24 by fluid action, e.g. to retard the running web
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4461 by blowing air towards handled material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/13161 Regularly spaced grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/152 Arrangement of roller on a movable frame
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/11 producing fluidised bed
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/111 for handling material along a curved path, e.g. fluidised turning bar
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/113 Details of the part distributing the air cushion
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/1132 Multiple nozzles arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/12 producing gas blast
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2406/36 Means for producing, distributing or controlling suction
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 27/00 Special constructions, e.g. surface features, of feed or guide rollers for webs rollers in general F16C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/03 Image reproduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/245 Air blast devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0638 Construction of the rollers or like rotary separators B65H3/0615 takes precedence; construction of feed or guide rollers B65H27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/0692 Vacuum assisted separator rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 3/14 Air blasts producing partial vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/06 by rollers or balls, e.g. between rollers transport by suction rollers B65H5/226
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/066 : the articles resting on rollers or balls
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/22 : by air-blast or suction device suction grippers B65H5/08
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/228 : by air-blast devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 5/26 : Duplicate, alternate, selective, or coacting feeds
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 9/166 : Roller

Abstract

A media-guiding system includes a media-guiding roller having a roller axis and an exterior surface having one or more grooves formed around the exterior surface. A media travels along a transport path past the media-guiding roller with a first side of the media facing the exterior surface of the web-guiding roller. An air source provides an air flow into one or more of the grooves, the air flow being directed between the first side of the media and the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller thereby producing a Bernoulli force to draw the media toward the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller and providing an increased traction between the media and the media-guiding roller.

Claims

1. A media-guiding system for guiding a media travelling from upstream to downstream along a transport path in an in-track direction, the media having a first side and an opposing second side, comprising:

a media-guiding roller having a roller axis and an exterior surface having one or more grooves formed around the exterior surface, wherein the media travels along the transport path past the media-guiding roller with the first side of the media facing the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller;

an air source for providing an air flow into one or more of the grooves, the air flow being directed between the first side of the media and the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller thereby producing a Bernoulli force to draw the media toward the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller and providing an increased traction between the media and the media-guiding roller; and

a roller control mechanism for adjusting an orientation of the roller axis relative to the in-track direction of the media, thereby providing a steering force to steer the media in a cross-track direction.

2. The media-guiding system of claim 1 further including a control system for selectively activating the air source, wherein when the air source is activated the Bernoulli force draws the media toward the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller providing a higher traction between the media and the media-guiding roller, and when the air source is not activated no Bernoulli force is produced providing a lower traction between the media and the media-guiding roller.

3. The media-guiding system of claim 2 wherein the roller axis is oriented in a non-orthogonal direction relative to the in-track direction such that when the air source is activated the media is steered in a cross-track direction as it passes the media-guiding roller.

4. The media-guiding system of claim 3 further including a media edge detector that detects a position of an edge of the media, and wherein the control system controls the air source in response to a signal from the media edge detector.

5. The media-guiding system of claim 1 further including an edge stop positioned along one edge of the media, wherein the roller axis is oriented to provide a steering force that pushes the media against the edge stop thereby maintaining a substantially constant cross-track position of the media.

8. The media-guiding system of claim 1 further including a media edge detector that detects a position of an edge of the media, and wherein the roller control mechanism adjusts the orientation of the roller axis in response to a signal from the media edge detector.

9. The media-guiding system of claim 1 wherein the media guiding roller is mounted to a frame, and wherein the roller control mechanism includes an actuator or a stepper motor that adjusts the orientation of the roller axis by rotating the frame around a rotation axis.

10. The media-guiding system of claim 1 wherein the media contacts the media-guiding roller for a wrap angle of less than 5 degrees as it passes the media-guiding roller.

12. The media-guiding system of claim 1 wherein the media is a web of media.

13. The media-guiding system of claim 1 wherein the media is a cut sheet of media.

14. The media-guiding system of claim 1 wherein the media-guiding roller spans a cross-track width of the media.

15. The media-guiding system of claim 1 wherein the media-guiding roller has a width in the direction of the roller axis which is less than 20% of a cross-track width of the web of media.

19. The media-guiding system of claim 1 further including a drive mechanism that rotates the media-guiding roller around its roller axis.

20. The media-guiding system of claim 1 wherein the media-guiding roller has a plurality of grooves, and wherein a separate air source is used to provide the air flow into each of the grooves.

21. The media-guiding system of claim 1 wherein the media-guiding roller has a plurality of grooves, and wherein the air source includes a plenum having openings corresponding to each of the grooves to direct the air flow into the corresponding grooves.

22. The media-guiding system of claim 1 wherein the air flow is directed into the one or more of the grooves in a direction substantially parallel to the grooves.

23. The media-guiding system of claim 1 wherein the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller is concave.

7. (canceled)

11. A media-guiding system for guiding a media travelling from upstream to downstream along a transport path in an in-track direction, the media having a first side and an opposing second side, comprising:

a media-guiding roller having a roller axis and an exterior surface having one or more grooves formed around the exterior surface, wherein the media travels along the transport path past the media-guiding roller with the first side of the media facing the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller;

an air source for providing an air flow into one or more of the grooves, the air flow being directed between the first side of the media and the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller thereby producing a Bernoulli force to draw the media toward the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller and providing an increased traction between the media and the media-guiding roller; and

an air shoe in proximity to the media-guiding roller, wherein the media passes over the air shoe on a cushion of air, and wherein the media-guiding roller stabilizes a cross-track position of the media as the media passes over the air shoe.

6. The media-guiding system of claim 11 wherein the roller axis is substantially perpendicular to the in-track direction.

16. A media-guiding system for guiding a media travelling from upstream to downstream along a transport path in an in-track direction, the media having a first side and an opposing second side, comprising:

a first media-guiding roller having a first roller axis and an exterior surface having one or more grooves formed around the exterior surface, wherein the first media-guiding roller has a width in the direction of the first roller axis which is less than 20% of a cross-track width of the web of media, and wherein the media travels along the transport path past the first media-guiding roller with the first side of the media facing the exterior surface of the first media-guiding roller;

a first air source for providing an air flow into one or more of the grooves formed around the exterior surface of the first media-guiding roller, the air flow being directed between the first side of the media and the exterior surface of the first media-guiding roller thereby producing a Bernoulli force to draw the media toward the exterior surface of the first media-guiding roller and providing an increased traction between the media and the first media-guiding roller;

a second media-guiding roller having a second roller axis and an exterior surface having one or more grooves formed around the exterior surface, wherein the second media-guiding roller has a width in the direction of the second roller axis which is less than 20% of the cross-track width of the web of media; and

a second air source for providing an air flow into one or more of the grooves formed around the exterior surface of the second media-guiding roller, the air flow being directed between the first side of the media and the exterior surface of the second media-guiding roller thereby producing a Bernoulli force to draw the media toward the exterior surface of the second media-guiding roller and providing an increased traction between the media and the second media-guiding roller.

17. The media-guiding system of claim 16 wherein the first media-guiding roller is located in proximity to a first edge of the media and the second media-guiding roller is located in proximity to an opposite second edge of the media.

18. The media-guiding system of claim 17 the first roller axis is not parallel to the second roller axis to provide a stretching force or a compressing force to the media in the cross-track direction.

24. A media-guiding system for guiding a media travelling from upstream to downstream along a transport path in an in-track direction, the media having a first side and an opposing second side, comprising:

a media-guiding roller having a roller axis and an exterior surface having a plurality of grooves formed around the exterior surface, wherein the media travels along the transport path past the media-guiding roller with the first side of the media facing the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller; and

a plurality of air sources for providing air flow into the grooves, the air flow being directed between the first side of the media and the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller thereby producing a Bernoulli force to draw the media toward the exterior surface of the media-guiding roller and providing an increased traction between the media and the media-guiding roller, wherein a separate air source is used to provide the air flow into each of the grooves.