Print media handling and ejection system

• US 5,927,877 A
• Filed: 11/20/1997
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Olson, Allan G., Jones, Gene D., Kelly, Kieran B
• Primary Examiner(s): Eickholt, Eugene H.
• Application Number:
  US08/974,695
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 400/625, 400/629, 400/634, 400/624, 400/58, 101/235, 101/236, 101/237, 101/238, 101/239, 101/240, 101/241, 101/242, 271/10.09, 271/109, 271/113, 271/264, 347/104
• US Class Current: 400/625
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/06 Flat page-size platens or smaller flat platens having a greater size than line-size platens B41J11/0085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/106 for the sheet output section
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/14 Aprons or guides for the printing section
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4212 of articles substantially horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/132 Side portions
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/06 Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/34 from supports slid from under the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/02 with stationary end support against which pile accumulates

Abstract

A second feed roller of smaller diameter than a first feed roller is included in a media handling system. A print zone is located adjacent to the second feed roller away from the first feed roller to lower the location of the print zone. During ejection, a pivot mechanism moves from a first position adjacent to the printhead to an intermediary position. This causes arms to extend and rails to retract. The motions then pause and/or reverse, prior to full extension and full retraction. Next, the pivot mechanism moves to a second position causing the arms to fully extend and the rails to fully retract. The varied motion (e.g., pause and/or reversal) assures that the arms push at an edge of the media sheet to reliably move a media sheet into an output tray without the media sheet sailing from the printer.

Claims

1. An inkjet printer comprising:

an input tray for holding a media sheet;

a first feed roller having a first diameter which receives the media sheet and feeds the media sheet along a media path, the first feed roller extending to a first height relative to the input tray;

a second feed roller having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter and receiving the media sheet from the first feed roller, the second feed roller extending to a second height relative to the input tray, wherein the second height is less than the first height; and

an inkjet pen having a printhead at which ink is ejected, the printhead located at a third height relative to the input tray, wherein the third height is less than the first height.

2. The inkjet printer of claim 1, further comprising a support which supports a portion of the media sheet as the media sheet is fed from the second feed roller toward a media output area, wherein a print zone within which ink is printed onto the media sheet occurs between the printhead and the support.

3. The inkjet printer of claim 2, in which the support comprises a pivot mechanism, and wherein the pivot mechanism is movable between a first position and a second position, the pivot mechanism supporting said portion of the media sheet adjacent to the printhead while in the first position.

4. The inkjet printer of claim 3, wherein the pivot mechanism is movable between the first position and the second position via an intermediary position at which movement of the pivot mechanism is varied.

5. The inkjet printer of claim 3, in which the pivot mechanism comprises a support surface and an arm, the support surface supporting said portion of the media sheet while the pivot mechanism is in the first position and being located toward the printhead, the arm extending higher than the support surface while the pivot mechanism is in the second position to push the media sheet from the support surface.

6. An inkjet printer for printing to a media sheet fed along a media path during a print cycle, comprising:

a roller receiving the media sheet along the media path during the print cycle;

an inkjet pen having a printhead at which ink is ejected; and

a pivot mechanism which moves between a first position and a second position through an intermediary position located between the first position and the second position, wherein motion of the pivot mechanism prior to the intermediary position varies in a predetermined manner from motion of the pivot mechanism at the intermediary position, wherein the pivot mechanism supports a portion of the media sheet as the media sheet is fed from the roller, and wherein a print zone within which ink is printed onto the media sheet occurs between the printhead and the pivot mechanism.

7. The inkjet printer of claim 6, wherein the pivot mechanism while in the first position supports the portion of the media sheet.

8. The inkjet printer of claim 6, in which the pivot mechanism comprises a support surface and an arm, wherein the arm extends closer to the printhead than the support surface and pushes the media sheet from the support surface while the pivot mechanism is in the second position.

9. The printer of claim 8, further comprising a post which rotates the arm during movement of the pivot mechanism toward the second position.

16. The printer of claim 6, further comprising a rail support downstream of the print zone for receiving a media sheet, the rail support movable between a first position and a second position via an intermediary position at which movement of the rail support is varied.

17. The printer of claim 16, further comprising a cam for moving the rail support in correspondence to the movement of the pivot mechanism.

10. An inklet printer for printing to a media sheet fed along a media path during a print cycle, comprising:

a roller receiving the media sheet along the media path during the print cycle;

an inklet pen having a printhead at which ink is ejected; and

a pivot mechanism movable between a first position and a second position through an intermediary position at which movement of the pivot mechanism is varied, wherein the pivot mechanism supports a portion of the media sheet as the media sheet is fed from the roller, wherein a print zone within which ink is printed onto the media sheet occurs between the printhead and the pivot mechanism, and wherein the variation of movement of the pivot mechanism at the intermediary position comprises a pause of motion of the pivot mechanism for a prescribed time period.

11. The inkjet printer of claim 10, in which the pivot mechanism comprises a support surface and an arm, wherein the arm extends closer to the printhead than the support surface and pushes the media sheet from the support surface while the pivot mechanism is in the second position.

12. The printer of claim 11, further comprising a post which rotates the arm during movement of the pivot mechanism toward the second position.

13. The printer of claim 10, further comprising a rail support downstream of the print zone for receiving a media sheet, the rail support movable between a first position and a second position via an intermediary position at which movement of the rail support is varied.

14. The printer of claim 13, further comprising a cam for moving the rail support in correspondence to the movement of the pivot mechanism.

15. An inklet printer for printing to a media sheet fed along a media path during a print cycle, comprising:

a roller receiving the media sheet along the media path during the print cycle;

an inklet pen having a printhead at which ink is ejected; and

a pivot mechanism movable between a first position and a second position through an intermediary position at which movement of the pivot mechanism is varied, wherein the pivot mechanism supports a portion of the media sheet as the media sheet is fed from the roller, wherein a print zone within which ink is printed onto the media sheet occurs between the printhead and the pivot mechanism, and wherein the variation of movement of the pivot mechanism at the intermediary position comprises a first change in direction of the pivot mechanism back toward the first position, and a second change in direction of the pivot mechanism back toward the second position.

18. The inkjet printer of claim 15, in which the pivot mechanism comprises a support surface and an arm, wherein the arm extends closer to the printhead than the support surface and pushes the media sheet from the support surface while the pivot mechanism is in the second position.

19. The printer of claim 18, further comprising a post which rotates the arm during movement of the pivot mechanism toward the second position.

20. The printer of claim 15, further comprising a rail support downstream of the print zone for receiving a media sheet, the rail support movable between a first position and a second position via an intermediary position at which movement of the rail support is varied.

21. The printer of claim 20, further comprising a cam for moving the rail support in correspondence to the movement of the pivot mechanism.

22. A method for ejecting a media sheet in an inkjet printer, comprising the steps of:

feeding a media sheet through a print zone formed between an inkjet printhead and a support surface positioned in a first position;

moving the support surface away from the first position toward a second position; and

varying motion of the support surface in a predetermined manner when the support surface reaches a predetermined intermediary position between the first position and second position.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein during the step of feeding the media sheet is fed onto a rail in a rail first position and further comprising the steps of:

moving the rail from the rail first position toward a rail second position; and

varying motion of the rail when the rail reaches a rail intermediary position between the rail first position and the rail second position.

24. The method of claim 23, in which the movement and varied movement of the rail corresponds to the movement and varied movement of the support surface.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

during the movement of the support surface away from the first position to the intermediate position, extending an end of an arm to a first height above the support surface to push a portion of the media sheet from the support surface.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

during the movement of the support surface mechanism beyond the intermediary position to the second position, extending the arm to a second height above the support surface to push the media sheet from the support surface, wherein the second height exceeds the first height.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the variation of movement of the support surface at the intermediary position comprises a pause of motion for a prescribed time period.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the variation of movement of the support surface at the intermediary position comprises a first change in direction back toward the first position, and a second change in direction back toward the second position.

29. A method for electing a media sheet in an inkiet printer, comprising the steps of:

feeding a media sheet through a print zone formed between an inklet printhead and a support surface positioned in a first position;

detecting the lead edge and trail edge of the media sheet;

moving the support surface away from the first position toward a second position; and

varying motion of the support surface when the support surface reaches an intermediary position between the first position and second position, wherein the variation of movement of the support surface is one variation for a media sheet having a length from lead edge to trail edge which is less than a threshold length and the variation of movement is another variation for a media sheet having a length from lead edge to trail edge which is greater than the threshold length.

30. A method for ejecting a media sheet in an inkjet printer, comprising the steps of:

feeding a media sheet through a print zone formed between an inkjet printhead and a support surface positioned in a first position;

detecting the lead edge and trail edge of the media sheet;

moving the support surface away from the first position toward a second position; and

varying motion of the support surface when the support surface reaches an intermediary position between the first position and second position, wherein the variation of movement of the pivot mechanism at the intermediary position comprises either one of a pause of motion of the pivot mechanism for a prescribed time period or a reversal of direction, and wherein the variation of movement is one of either the pause of motion or the reversal of direction for a media sheet having a length from lead edge to trail edge which is less than a threshold length, and wherein the variation of movement is the other of either the pause of motion or the reversal of direction for a media sheet having a length from lead edge to trail edge which is greater than a threshold length.

31. A method for ejecting a media sheet in an inkjet printer, comprising the steps of:

feeding a media sheet along a media path through a print zone;

detecting the lead edge and trail edge of the media sheet along the media path to determine media length; and

varying position of the media sheet as a function of media length.

32. The method of claim 31, in which the print zone is formed between the inkjet printhead and a support surface positioned in a first position, further comprising the step of moving the support surface away from the first position toward a second position, and wherein the step of varying position of the media sheet comprises:

varying motion of the support surface when the support surface reaches an intermediary position between the first position and second position, wherein the variation of movement of the pivot mechanism at the intermediary position comprises either one of a pause of motion of the pivot mechanism for a prescribed time period or a reversal of direction, and wherein the variation of movement is one of either the pause of motion or the reversal of direction for a media sheet having a length from lead edge to trail edge which is less than a threshold length, and wherein the variation of movement is the other of either the pause of motion or the reversal of direction for a media sheet having a length from lead edge to trail edge which is greater than a threshold length.

33. The method of claim 31, in which the print zone is formed between the inkjet printhead and a support surface positioned in a first position, further comprising the step of moving the support surface away from the first position toward a second position, and wherein the step of varying position of the media sheet comprises:

varying movement of the support surface in one variation for a media sheet having a length from lead edge to trail edge which is less than a threshold length and varying movement of the support surface in another variation for a media sheet having a length from lead edge to trail edge which is greater than the threshold length.

34. An inkjet printer for printing to a media sheet fed along a media path during a print cycle, comprising:

a roller receiving the media sheet along the media path during the print cycle;

an inkjet pen having a printhead at which ink is ejected; and

a pivot mechanism which moves between a first position and a second position through an intermediary position during a media ejection sequence, the intermediary position located between the first position and the second position, wherein motion of the pivot mechanism is varied at the intermediary position, wherein the pivot mechanism supports a portion of the media sheet as the media sheet is fed from the roller, and wherein a print zone within which ink is printed onto the media sheet occurs between the printhead and the pivot mechanism.