Patent Application
20120288315
Soft media is frequently used as a substrate for printing. Soft media can be formed from a variety of compliant materials such as polymer films, woven fabrics, porous films or other thin and flexible materials. When printed with a desired image, the soft media can be used as banners, flags, covers for three dimensional shapes, and other applications. The soft media has a tendency to easily bend, fold, and wrinkle. This can make soft media challenging to thread through a media path in a printer.
The accompanying drawings illustrate various examples of the principles described herein and are a part of the specification. The illustrated examples are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.
Soft media may lack the rigidity that allows stiffer media to be easily loaded into a printer. Attaching a media loading device to the leading edge of the soft media provides additional rigidity to prevent undesirable wrinkling, folding and bending of the soft media during the loading process. The media loading device is attached to the leading edge of the soft media and is inserted into the media path of the printer. The media loading device is designed to pass through the media path and pull the soft media behind it. When the media loading device exits the opposite side of the media path, the media loading device can be removed from the soft media. The printer can then automatically manipulate the threaded soft media. The use of the media loading device can significantly reduce the amount of time used in threading soft media through the printer. Additionally, previous design constraints within the media path to accommodate soft media loading may no longer be necessary.
In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present systems and methods. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present apparatus, systems and methods may be practiced without these specific details. Reference in the specification to “an example” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example is included in at least that one example, but not necessarily in other examples.
Typically threading media includes placing the media into an opening in the printer and pushing the media through the opening until the media engages with internal drive rollers.
The soft media can be successfully threaded through the media path. However, printers typically do not support automatic threading of soft media. Threading of soft media is a manual process that involves several tedious operations. This process takes additional time on the part of the printer operator and reduces the throughput of the printer. Additionally, the printers may incorporate a number of special adaptations to support this manual threading process. For example, the media path may be relatively open to allow access for the operator to pull the soft media through the media path from a number of points and to provide access to adjust the soft media. This open architecture can include removable covers, movable rollers, and other adaptations. For example, in the Hewlett Packard LX800/LX600 line of industrial printers, the scan axis can be raised to provide enough space to thread the soft media through media path. These adaptations can increase the size, cost, and complexity of the printers.
A significant cost and time savings can be realized by providing a more effective way of threading soft media through the printer. Ideally, the threading of the soft media would mimic the loading process for more rigid substrates such as paper. This would allow the automatic feeding of the soft substrate using mechanisms that are already in place to load the more rigid substrates.
The height (222) of the detachable stiffener (202) is designed to allow the detachable stiffener (202) to be pushed into the media opening and extend to the internal drive rollers. After the internal drive rollers engage the front of the detachable stiffener (202), the media loading device (200) is advanced automatically through the media path without further operation intervention. The media loading device (200) pulls the soft media through the media path. In this example, the front or leading edge of the detachable stiffener (202) has been narrowed so that the center portion of the leading edge extends farther than other portions. This tapered geometry allows the more flexible central portion of the detachable stiffener (202) to enter the drive rollers first and pull the remainder of the detachable stiffener (202) through.
The illustrative media loading device (200) is flexible enough to pass through the media path without adjustment or redesign of the components in the media path. The detachable stiffener (202) may be formed from a variety of flexible substrates including polymers, metal, cellulose based materials, or other suitable materials. According to one example, the detachable stiffener (202) is a polymer film that can be printed on the printer. To increase the flexibility and reduce the cost of the detachable stiffener (202), the polymer film is relatively thin while being sufficiently robust against bowing, folding, and collapse. The detachable stiffener (202) may be textured to provide additional gripping power between the detachable stiffener and the media and/or between the detachable stiffener and the drive rollers. The flaps (205) may also be formed from a polymer film. In some examples, both the detachable stiffener (205) and the flaps (205) can be formed from polymer film.
Three corresponding flexible magnets (230) are adhered to the detachable stiffener (202). The magnetic poles of the magnets (235) on the flaps (205) and the magnets (230) on the detachable stiffener (202) are aligned so that they adhere to each other in pairs to hold the flaps (205) shut. When soft media is placed between the flaps (205) and the detachable stiffener (202), the soft media is sandwiched between the magnet pairs. This grips the soft media and prevents it from pulling out from under the flaps (205) as it is threaded through the printer.
In one implementation, the magnetic line orientation of the flexible magnets (230, 235) is perpendicular to the feed direction of the soft media. The magnetic line orientation is illustrated by the parallel horizontal lines (232) across the magnet (230) in the lower left hand portion of the detachable stiffener (202). The same magnetic line orientation is maintained across all of the magnets, but using opposite polarities between magnet pairs. This magnetic line orientation may provide a number of benefits including reducing the likelihood that magnets will become detached when bending around rollers in the media path. The magnetic line orientation allows for some differential motion between the magnet pairs while maintaining a substantial amount of the magnetic force that holds the magnetic pairs together.
In one implementation, the sheet of polymer film from which the detachable stiffener (202) and flaps (205) are formed is printed on the same printer they will later be used in as a loading device. The outlines (242) of the various components are printed onto the polymer film. This allows the components to be quickly and accurately positioned on the detachable stiffener (202) during the assembly process. Additionally, the instructions for use of the media loading device (200) can be printed directly on the detachable stiffener (202) or flaps (205). In one example, alignment marks (240) may be printed on the detachable stiffener (202) to assist the operator in aligning a leading edge of the soft media with the media loading device (200).
After printing the outlines (242) and alignment marks (240) on the polymer film, the components are cutout and assembled. In one example, the assembly involves attaching the flaps (205) to the detachable stiffener (202) using fabric tape. This creates a hinge joint (225) along the leading edge of the flaps (205). A variety of other techniques could be used to attach the flaps (205) to the detachable stiffener (202). For example, the leading edge of the flaps (205) could be glued or heat welded to the detachable stiffener (202). As described below, flexible magnets (230,235) are adhered to the flaps (205) and detachable stiffener (202). This can result in a relatively low cost loading device that can be readily manufactured using media that is already suited to pass through the printer.
As used in the specification and appended claims, the term “leading” refers to portions of the media loading device or soft media that are first to advance into the media path. Similarly, the term “trailing” refers to portions of the media loading device that are last to advance through the media path.
The media loading devices and methods described above are only illustrative examples. A variety of other configurations and methods could be used.
A variety of other methods can be used to attach the soft media to a detachable stiffener. For example, the soft media may be adhered to the detachable stiffener using tacky adhesive deposited on the detachable stiffener or media. Additionally or alternatively, the soft media may be attached to the detachable stiffener using removable adhesive tape. In another example, the media loading device may include a thin, flexible ferrous detachable stiffener and large flexible magnet flaps. The flaps adhere to the metal detachable stiffener and hold the soft media in place during the threading operation and can be peeled off the detachable stiffener after the threading operation is complete.
The media loading device could be used in other applications to facilitate the handling of media. For example, very wide media can be challenging to handle even if the media is stiffer than typical soft media. For example, the HP SCITEX LX820 and LX850 printers accept media that is up to 3.2 meters in width. Even relatively stiff media that has a width of 3.2 meters can be floppy due to its large dimensional size. As discussed above, this can lead to folded edges, wrinkling, and other loading issues. Loading and handling of this very wide media is conventionally performed using two operators and includes raising the scan axis of the printer.
However, a media loading device can be made to support the leading portion of this wide media. The media loading device can be designed so that it provides the desired amount of rigidity across the leading edge of the media. This provides additional rigidity which allows a single operator to manipulate and load the wide media. The use of a media loading device may also eliminate the need to lift the scan axis of the printer to load the media.
In conclusion, the use of a media loading device to support the leading portion of soft media can result in reduced media loading times. This can provide higher printer throughput for soft media. The media loading device simplifies the soft media loading process and avoids media jams due to curled edges, folds, and wrinkles. The media path design can be less restrictive and can be designed without special features/clearances to manually load soft media.
The preceding description has been presented only to illustrate and describe examples of the principles described. This description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit these principles to any precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
