Image alignment during duplex printing
First Claim
1. A method for printing to a first side, then to a second side, of a media sheet, the media sheet having a first edge and a second edge, the method comprising the steps of:
- feeding the media sheet, with the media sheet first edge as a leading edge and the media sheet second edge as a trailing edge, along a first media path from a feed roller onto a metering roller and into a print zone for print recording onto a first side of the media sheet,as the media sheet moves through the print zone, stopping rotation of the metering roller while a trailing edge of the media sheet is gripped by the metering roller;
sensing that a duplex media handling module is installed, the duplex media handling module including a set of duplex media handling rollers;
while the trailing edge of the media sheet is gripped by the metering roller, reversing rotation of the metering roller;
moving the media sheet back along the first media path from the metering roller to the feed roller,feeding the media sheet from the feed roller onto the set of duplex media handling rollers;
moving the media sheet with the set of duplex media handling rollers along a loop media path, the media sheet departing contact with the feed roller during movement along the loop media path;
feeding the media sheet from the set of duplex media handling rollers back onto the feed roller with the media sheet second edge as the leading edge and the media sheet first edge as the trailing edge;
feeding the media sheet along the first media path from the feed roller onto the metering roller and into the print zone for print recording onto the second side of the media sheet; and
rotating an image to be printed on the second side; and
printing the rotated image onto the second side of the media sheet during the step of feeding the media sheet into the print zone for second side print recording.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
During first side printing a media sheet is fed along a first media path from feed rollers to metering rollers and into a print zone. After first side printing, the metering roller stops prior to releasing the media sheet into the output tray. The metering roller reverses direction to move the media sheet back along the first media path onto the feed roller, and into the modular duplex handling system. The media sheet is flipped, then fed back for second side printing. Second side printing is performed in either one of book mode or tablet mode. In book mode, the top of the page is the same edge of the media sheet for the first side and the second side. In tablet mode, the media sheet edge at the top of the first side corresponds to the bottom of the second side.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for printing to a first side, then to a second side, of a media sheet, the media sheet having a first edge and a second edge, the method comprising the steps of:
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feeding the media sheet, with the media sheet first edge as a leading edge and the media sheet second edge as a trailing edge, along a first media path from a feed roller onto a metering roller and into a print zone for print recording onto a first side of the media sheet, as the media sheet moves through the print zone, stopping rotation of the metering roller while a trailing edge of the media sheet is gripped by the metering roller; sensing that a duplex media handling module is installed, the duplex media handling module including a set of duplex media handling rollers; while the trailing edge of the media sheet is gripped by the metering roller, reversing rotation of the metering roller; moving the media sheet back along the first media path from the metering roller to the feed roller, feeding the media sheet from the feed roller onto the set of duplex media handling rollers; moving the media sheet with the set of duplex media handling rollers along a loop media path, the media sheet departing contact with the feed roller during movement along the loop media path; feeding the media sheet from the set of duplex media handling rollers back onto the feed roller with the media sheet second edge as the leading edge and the media sheet first edge as the trailing edge; feeding the media sheet along the first media path from the feed roller onto the metering roller and into the print zone for print recording onto the second side of the media sheet; and rotating an image to be printed on the second side; and printing the rotated image onto the second side of the media sheet during the step of feeding the media sheet into the print zone for second side print recording. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for printing to a first side, then to a second side, of a media sheet, the media sheet having a first edge and a second edge, the method comprising the steps of:
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feeding the media sheet, with the media sheet first edge as a leading edge and the media sheet second edge as a trailing edge, along a first media path from a feed roller onto a metering roller and into a print zone for print recording onto a first side of the media sheet; as the media sheet moves through the print zone, stopping rotation of the metering roller while a trailing edge of the media sheet is gripped by the metering roller; while the trailing edge of the media sheet is gripped by the metering roller, reversing rotation of the metering roller; moving the media sheet back along the first media path from the metering roller to the feed roller; feeding the media sheet from the feed roller onto a set of duplex media handling rollers, moving the media sheet with the set of duplex media handling rollers along a loop media path, the media sheet departing contact with the feed roller during movement along the loop media path; feeding the media sheet from the set of duplex media handling rollers back onto the feed roller with the media sheet second edge as the leading edge and the media sheet first edge as the trailing edge; feeding the media sheet along the first media path from the feed roller onto the metering roller and into the print zone for print recording onto the second side of the media sheet; rotating an image to be printed on the second side; printing the rotated image onto the second side of the media sheet during the step of feeding the media sheet into the print zone for second side print recording; and wherein the set of duplex media handling rollers are linked via a transmission to the feed roller, and further comprising, during the step of moving the media sheet with the set of duplex media handling rollers along the loop media path, the step of; jogging the rotation of the feed roller from a reverse direction to a forward direction, back to the reverse direction and again to the forward direction while the media sheet is out of contact with the feed roller; wherein during the step of jogging, the transmission is shifted into neutral to discontinue rotation of the set of duplex media handling rollers, then shifted into gear to rotate the set of duplex media handling rollers and move the media sheet further along the loop media path;
wherein prior to the step of jogging the feed roller is rotating in the reverse direction while the set of duplex media handling rollers are rotating in a first direction and after the step of jogging the feed roller is rotating in the forward direction while the set of duplex media handling rollers are rotating again in the first direction.
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4. A print recording apparatus for recording print onto a media sheet, comprising:
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a print recording source; a simplex media handling assembly for moving a media sheet along a media path into a print zone adjacent to the print recording source to receive print recording, the simplex media handling assembly comprising a feed roller; a drive motor for driving rotation of the feed roller; a removable duplex media handling module interfacing with the simplex media handling assembly to provide a media path for flipping the media sheet for second side printing; and a control apparatus for controlling movement of the media sheet and recording of print onto the media sheet, the control apparatus operating in either one of a book-format mode or a tablet-format mode, wherein in one of either the book-format mode or the tablet-format mode an image to be printed on one side of the media sheet is rotated prior to being printed; wherein the duplex media handling module comprises a transmission for coupling a set of duplex handling drive rollers to the drive motor, the transmission having a neutral position, first position and a second position, wherein while the transmission is in the neutral position the set of duplex handling drive rollers are not engaged to rotate;
wherein while the transmission is in the first position the set of duplex handling drive rollers are engaged to rotate in the same direction as the feed roller; and
wherein while the transmission is in the second position the set of duplex handling drive rollers are engaged to rotate in the opposite direction as the feed roller. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A control system for a printing operation, the control system interfacing with a print recording system having a drive motor, a feed roller and a metering roller, the control system controlling print recording onto a media sheet and movement of the media sheet, the media sheet having a first edge and a second edge, the control system comprising:
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means for testing whether a duplex media handling module is installed in the print recording system; means for disabling a duplex print recording mode of operation when the duplex media handling module is not installed; means for enabling the duplex print recording mode of operation when the duplex media handling module is installed; means for signalling the drive motor to rotate the feed roller and the metering roller in a forward direction to feed the media sheet, with the media sheet first edge as a leading edge and the media sheet second edge as a trailing edge, along a first media path from the feed roller onto the metering roller and into a print zone for print recording onto a first side of the media sheet; means for signalling the drive motor, as the media sheet moves through the print zone, to stop rotation of the metering roller and feed roller while a trailing edge of the media sheet is gripped by the metering roller; means for signalling the drive motor, during a duplex printing operation, while the trailing edge of the media sheet is gripped by the metering roller, to reverse rotation of the metering roller and feed roller into a reverse direction and to engage a transmission of the duplex media handling module into a gear which causes rotation of a set of duplex media handling rollers in a first direction, the media sheet being moved back along the first media path onto the set of duplex media handling rollers; and means for rotating an image to be printed on one side of the media sheet to print record in one of either book-format mode or tablet-format mode. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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Specification