Strike plate and exit section utilizing same

• US 7,837,190 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Feygelman, Alex, Solomovitch, Elias
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Saúl J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morrison; Thomas A
• Application Number:
  US10/554,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20070057440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,764 Days
• Field of Search: 271/207, 271/182
• US Class Current: 271/220
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/112 Rear, i.e. portion opposite to the feeding / delivering side
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/141 Reliefs, projections
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/06 Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/02 with stationary end support against which pile accumulates

Abstract

A strike plate (266) against which sheets (150) exiting a printer contact prior to falling into a receiving tray, the strike plate comprising: a) at least one strike face (268); and b) a generally outward directed abutment surface (254) at an upper portion of the strike face, said direction being referenced to said strike face.

Claims

1. A strike plate against which sheets exiting a printer contact prior to falling into a receiving tray, the strike plate comprising:

at least one strike face, wherein the strike face is at an angle of between +5 and +15 degrees with the vertical, where a positive angle denotes that the outward-pointing normal to the strike face is rotated downward with respect to the horizontal; and

a single connecting surface associated with each of the at least one strike face, wherein the single connecting surface connects the strike face with the strike plate and intersects with the lower terminus of the strike face to form an acute angle in the interior of the strike plate, and wherein the outward-pointing normal of the single connecting surface is directed in a downward direction.

2. A strike face according to claim 1 wherein the strike face is at an angle of about +10 degrees.

3. A strike plate according to claim 1 including a plurality of strike faces that are offset from each other in the direction of motion of the sheet.

11. A strike plate according to claim 1 and including a rotator, operative to rotate the strike face so as to allow for a different angle with respect to the vertical, depending on the characteristics of the sheet used.

12. A strike plate according to claim 1 wherein the strike plate is the surface of a cylindrical portion of an object.

13. A strike plate according to claim 12 wherein the cylindrical object is rotated about the axis of the cylindrical portion with respect to the vertical.

14. A strike plate according to claim 13 wherein the cylindrical portion has a diameter of between 20 and 30 mm.

15. A strike plate according to claim 14 wherein the cylindrical portion has a diameter of about 24 mm.

16. An exit section of a paper handling system comprising an exit receptacle and a strike plate according to claim 1.

17. A paper handling system comprising an exit section according to claim 16.

18. An imager comprising:

an imaging section; and

an exit section according to claim 16.

19. An imager according to claim 18 wherein the imaging section is a printer.

20. An imager according to claim 18 wherein the imaging section is a copier.

4. A strike plate against which sheets exiting a printer contact prior to falling into a receiving tray, the strike plate comprising:

a plurality of strike faces that are offset from each other in the direction of motion of the sheet, wherein each of the plurality of strike faces are at an angle of between −

5 and +15 degrees with the vertical, where a positive angle denotes that the outward-pointing normal to the strike face is rotated downward with respect to the horizontal; and

wherein each of the plurality of strike faces has an associated single connecting surface, wherein the single connecting surface connects the associated strike face with the strike plate and intersects with the lower terminus of the associated strike face to form an acute angle in the interior of the strike plate, and wherein the outward-pointing normal of the single connecting surface is directed in a downward direction; and

including a rotator, operative to rotate the strike face so as to allow for a different angle with respect to the vertical, depending on the characteristics of the sheet used.

5. A strike plate according to claim 4 wherein a connecting surface associated with one strike face intersects with the upper terminus of a next lower strike face.

6. An exit section of a paper handling system comprising an exit receptacle and a strike plate according to claim 4.

7. A paper handling system comprising an exit section according to claim 6.

8. An imager comprising:

an imaging section; and

an exit section according to claim 6.

9. An imager according to claim 8 wherein the imaging section is a printer.

10. An imager according to claim 8 wherein the imaging section is a copier.

21. A strike plate against which sheets exiting a printer contact prior to falling into a receiving tray, the strike plate comprising:

a plurality of strike faces that are offset from each other in a direction of motion of the exiting sheets, wherein each of the plurality of strike faces is at an angle of between −

5 and +15 degrees with the vertical, where a positive angle denotes that an outward-pointing normal to the strike face is rotated downward with respect to horizontal;

wherein each of the plurality of strike faces has an associated single connecting surface, wherein the single connecting surface connects the associated strike face with the strike plate and intersects with a lower terminus of the associated strike face to form an acute angle in the interior of the strike plate, and wherein an outward-pointing normal of the single connecting surface is directed in a downward direction;

wherein the plurality of strike plates is the surface of a cylindrical portion of an object; and

wherein the cylindrical object is rotated about an axis of the cylindrical portion with respect to vertical.