Patent Grant
11014384
Printing devices include devices like multi-function devices (MFDs) or all-in-one (AIO) devices that can both form images on media as well as perform other functions such as scanning, as well as devices like printers that can just form images on media. Different technologies that printing devices employ to form images on media like paper include inkjet printing technologies and laser printing technologies. Some types of printing devices utilize media trays, which are loaded with media sheets and then inserted into the devices. A printing device then individually “picks” the media sheets from the tray and advances them to a print engine for forming images thereon.
As noted in the background section, some types of printing devices use media trays. A printing device can include one or multiple media trays. A user removes a media tray from a printing device, loads media sheets like sheets of paper into the tray, and then inserts the tray back into the device. When the printing device is to form images on one or more media sheets, the device individually picks the media sheets from the tray, and advances them to a print engine, such as a laser or an inkjet print engine, which actually forms an image on each sheet.
Some designs of media trays and some types of media sheets make it more difficult to properly pick a sheet from a tray and advance it to the print engine of a printing device. For example, a media tray design may result in a media sheet having to turn nearly 180 degrees at a relatively tight radius to reach the print engine. As another example, cardstock and other heavy media sheets may be more rigid than standard office paper. In both cases, picking the media sheets from the tray and advancing them to the print engine of the printing device is more difficult, which can result in undesired jamming of the sheets within the device.
Techniques disclosed herein provide for improved media sheet picking from a media tray and advancement to the print engine of a printing device, decreasing the potential for media sheets to jam within the device. In one example technique, a pick roller that is used to pick a media sheet from the media tray continues to rotate to assist a turn roller in advancing the sheet to the print engine. In another example technique, if the media sheet is of a special type, such as cardstock, the pick roller is rotated more than once to pick the sheet from media tray.
In a third example technique, different counters are maintained while each media sheet is individually attempted to be picked from the media tray and advanced to the print engine. The counters include a per-sheet pick attempt counter and a per-tray pick attempt counter. The counters are used to determine whether to initiate another pick attempt of a media sheet when the current pick attempt has failed. The various techniques described herein can be employed individually as well as in conjunction with one another, to decrease the likelihood of undesired media sheet jamming within a printing device.
The media tray 102 is removably insertable into the printing device 100. As such, the media tray 102 is removed from the printing device 100, loaded with a number of media sheets 105, such as sheets of paper or other media, and then inserted back into the device 100. For example, 100 sheets, 250 sheets, or a ream of media sheets (typically 500 sheets) may be loaded into the media tray 102 at one time. The media sheets 105 specifically are placed on a holder tray 104 of the media tray 102.
The printing device 100 includes a tray lift gear train 106 mechanically coupled to a tray lift gear train motor 108. The tray lift gear train 106 exerts a force, which is referred to as a pick normal force, upwards against the holder tray 104. To increase the pick normal force that the tray lift gear train 106 exerts, the tray lift gear train motor 108 rotates the gear train 106, such as in a clockwise direction in the example of
The printing device 100 includes a pick roller 110 and a pick roller motor 112. The pick roller motor 112 causes the pick roller 110 to rotate, such as in a clockwise direction in the example of
The printing device 100 includes a pick sensor 114. The pick sensor 114 may be an optical sensor that emits a beam of light, such as infrared light, via a photodiode, for instance, towards a mirror 116 or other reflective surface. The mirror 116 reflects the light back to the pick sensor 114, which can include a photo sensor to detect the reflected light. The pick sensor 114 thus detects whether the pick roller 110 has successfully picked the top-most media sheet 105 from the holder tray 104. If the pick sensor 114 detects light, this means that there is no media sheet 105 between the sensor 114 and the mirror 116, which occurs when there has been an unsuccessful pick. If the pick sensor 114 does not detect light, this means that there is a media sheet 105 between the sensor 114 and the mirror 116 blocking the light, which occurs when there has been a successful pick.
The printing device 100 includes an active turn roller 118 and a turn roller motor 120, and can include a passive turn roller 122 as well. The turn roller motor 120 causes the active turn roller 118 to rotate, such as in a counter-clockwise direction in the example of
The printing device includes a form sensor 124, which may also be referred to as a top-of-form sensor. The form sensor 124 may be an optical sensor that emits a beam of light, such as infrared light, via a photodiode, for instance, towards a mirror 126 or other reflective surface. The mirror 126 reflects the light back to the form sensor 124, which can include a photo sensor to detect the reflected light. The form sensor 124 detects whether the turn rollers 118 and 122 have successively advanced the media sheet 105 to the print engine 128. If the form sensor 124 detects light, this means that there is no media sheet 105 between the sensor 124 and the mirror 126, which occurs when there has been unsuccessful media advancement to the print engine 128. If the form sensor 124 does not detect light, this means that there is a media sheet 105 between the sensor 124 and the mirror 126 blocking the light, which occurs when the media sheet 105 has been successfully advanced to the print engine 128.
The print engine 128 is the component of the printing device 100 that actually forms images, including graphics and text, on the media sheets 105. The print engine 128 can be a laser-printing print engine that employs laser-printing technology to form images on the media sheets 105. The print engine 128 can be an inkjet-printing print engine that employs inkjet-printing technology to form images on the media sheets 105. The print engine 128 can employ a different type of printing technology as well.
Within the printing device 100, there can be two aspects that can make it more difficult to properly pick a media sheet 105 from the holder tray 104 of the media tray 102 and advance the sheet 105 to the print engine 128. First, the media sheet 105 may have to turn nearly 180 degrees at a relatively tight radius, one or more times, after being picked by the pick sensor and advanced by the turn roller 118, in being advanced to the print engine 128. When such turning or bending of the media sheet 105 is severe, the potential for the sheet 105 to jam within the printing device 100 increases. Second, the media sheet 105 may be heavy, rigid, and/or relatively inflexible, like cardstock is. This can increase the potential for the media sheet 105 to jam within the printing device 100, because the picking and/or advancing of such a sheet 105 becomes more difficult.
A per-tray pick attempt counter is reset to zero when the media tray 102 is (re)inserted into the printing device 100 (202). Presumably, the media tray 102 is removed from the printing device 100 when there are no more media sheets 105 within the tray 102. A user adds media sheets 105 to the media tray 102, and reinserts the tray 102 into the printing device 100. At this time, then, the per-tray pick attempt counter is reset to zero.
The per-tray pick attempt counter tracks the number of unsuccessful pick attempts that the pick roller 110 makes for the media tray 102 as a whole. That is, the per-tray pick attempt counter is not reset each time a new media sheet 105 is to be advanced to the print engine 128. Stated another way, the per-tray pick attempt counter is not necessarily reset every time the method 200 is performed for a new media sheet 105, but rather is reset just when the media tray 102 is (re)inserted into the printing device 100. However, the per-track pick attempt counter is novelly decremented in certain situations, as described below.
A per-sheet pick attempt counter is also reset to zero (204). The per-sheet pick attempt counter tracks the number of unsuccessful pick attempts that the pick roller 110 makes for the current media sheet 105 in relation to which the method 200 is currently being performed. As such, in contradistinction to the per-tray pick attempt counter, the per-sheet pick attempt counter is reset each time a new media sheet 105 is to be advanced to the print engine 128. Stated another way, the per-sheet pick attempt counter is reset every time the method 200 is performed for a new media sheet 105.
A media sheet 105 can be designated as being a special media sheet type or not. A special media sheet type can be one that is heavier, more rigid, and/or less flexible, for instance, than a regular sheet of office paper, and as msch has a greater potential to jam within the printing device 100 when being picked and then advanced along the media sheet path 130. A user may designate that the type of media loaded within the media tray 102 is of the special media sheet, or a sensor of the printing device 100 may make this determination.
In response to the media sheet 105 not having been designated as the special media sheet type (206), the number of pick roller rotations is set to one (208), whereas in response to the sheet 105 having been designated as the special media sheet type (206), the number of pick roller rotations is set to a number greater than one (210), in one implementation. The number of pick roller rotations that is set is the number of rotations that the pick roller motor 112 rotates the pick roller 110, at least to pick the media sheet 105 from the holder tray 104. By increasing the number of pick roller rotations greater than one for a media sheet 105 of the special media type, this technique novelly increases the likelihood that a successful pick of the sheet 105 by the pick roller 110 from the holder tray 104 will occur.
A first pick attempt of the media sheet 105 is initiated (212). Specifically, the pick roller motor 112 rotates the pick roller 110 a number of times equal to the set number of pick roller rotations. A specified time window is measured, or begins, a specified length of time after the rotation of the pick roller 110 has started. With respect to this time window, there are three possible outcomes of the pick attempt initiated in part 212. First, the pick attempt may be successful, but occur prior to the specified time window. Second, the pick attempt may be successful, but occur within the specified time window. Third, the pick attempt may be unsuccessful. The latter outcome occurs when the specified time window has expired, and the media sheet 105 has not yet been picked (as detected by the pick sensor 114).
Therefore, in response to the pick sensor 114 detecting the media sheet 105 (214), it is known that there has been a successful pick attempt of the sheet 105. If the pick sensor 114 detected the sheet 105 within the specified window of time, then the pick roller motor 112 again rotates the pick roller 110 (218), and the turn roller motor 120 also rotates the turn roller 118 (220). By comparison, if the pick sensor 114 has not detected the sheet 105 within the specified window of time (i.e., the sensor 114 has detected the sheet 105 prior to the specified window of time) (216), then the turn roller motor 120 rotates the turn roller 118 (220), and the pick roller motor 112 does not again rotate the pick roller 110.
The turn roller 118 may be rotated continuously in part 220 until the form sensor 124 has detected the media sheet 105 or not, as will be described. By comparison, in one implementation, the pick roller 110 may be rotated a number of times in part 218 equal to the number of pick roller rotations set in part 208 or part 210. In another implementation, the pick roller 110 may be rotated a number of times in part 218 equal to the number of pick roller rotations that would be set in part 210, regardless of whether part 208 or part 210 is performed. In a third implementation, the pick roller 110 may be rotated until the pick sensor 114 no longer detects the media sheet 105.
The purpose of rotating the pick roller 110 in part 218 upon the pick sensor 114 detecting the media sheet 105 within the specified window of time, but not rotating the pick roller 110 upon the pick sensor 114 detecting the media sheet 105 prior to commencement of the specified window of time, is as follows. If the pick roller 110 is not able to easily (and thus quickly) pick the media sheet 105 from the holder tray 104 upon the initiation of the pick attempt in part 212, then the pick sensor 114 will detect the sheet 105 within the specified window of time, as opposed to prior to the specified window of time. Therefore, it is novelly concluded that since the pick roller 110 had difficulty picking the media sheet 105, the turn roller 118 may also have difficulty advancing the sheet 105 to the print engine 128. As such, the pick roller 110 is novelly and again rotated in part 218, to assist the turn roller 118 in advancing the media sheet 105 to the print engine 128. This technique is novel at least because the pick roller 110 is being employed for a purpose other than that for which it is intended—that is, instead of using the pick roller 110 just to pick the media sheet 105 from the holder tray 104, the pick roller 110 is also used to assist the turn roller 118 in advancing the sheet 105 to the print engine 128.
By comparison, if the pick roller 110 is able to easily (and thus quickly) pick the media sheet 105 from the holder tray 104 upon the initiation of the pick attempt in part 212, then the pick sensor 114 will detect the sheet 105 prior to commencement of the specified window of time, as opposed to within the specified window of time. Therefore, it is novelly concluded that since the pick roller did not have difficulty picking the media sheet 105, the turn roller 118 is also likely to not encounter difficulty advancing the sheet 105 to the print engine 128. As such, the pick roller 110 does not have to be rotated again, since the turn roller 118 is likely not to need assistance in advancing the media sheet 105 to the print engine 128.
For a particular design of a media tray 102, it can be determined and thus it is known how long it should take for the turn roller 118, with or without the assistance of the pick roller 110, to advance the media sheet 105 along the media sheet path 130 just prior to the print engine 128, where the form sensor 124 is able to detect the sheet 105 or not. Therefore, if the form sensor 124 has detected the media sheet 105 by the expiration of such a specified length of time (222), then it is known that both the pick attempt of part 212 and the media sheet advancement of parts 218 and/or 220 have been successful. However, prior to the method 200 ending, if the per-sheet pick attempt counter is still equal to zero (224), then the per-tray pick attempt counter is decremented by one if it is greater than zero (226), before ending the method 200 with a successful pick attempt and media sheet advancement (228). That is, it is determined that the pick attempt and media sheet advancement are successful. By comparison, if the per-sheet pick attempt counter has been incremented and thus is greater than zero (224), then the method 200 ends with a successful pick attempt and media sheet advancement (228) without decrementing the per-tray pick attempt counter.
As will be described, the per-sheet pick attempt counter and the per-tray pick attempt counter are each incremented when a pick attempt is initiated in part 212 but has failed. If there is no pick attempt failure for the current media sheet 105, then the per-sheet pick attempt counter will have not been incremented and will remain at zero. However, the per-tray pick attempt counter, while also not having been incremented with respect to the current media sheet 105, may still have a value greater than zero, due to a pick attempt failure with a prior media sheet 105. As noted above, in other words, when the method 200 is performed for a new media sheet 105, the per-sheet pick attempt counter is reset to zero in part 204, but the per-tray pick attempt counter is not reset to zero, unless the media tray 102 has just been (re)inserted into the printing device 100.
As will also be described, if either or both of the per-sheet pick attempt counter and the per-tray pick attempt have reached a threshold, which may be the same or different for each counter, then the method 200 ends with an unsuccessful pick attempt. Having both a per-sheet pick attempt counter and a per-tray pick attempt counter, while decrementing the per-tray pick attempt counter if the first pick attempt of a given media sheet 105 is successful, is a novel technique to balance the desire to keep printing on the one hand even if periodically some media sheets 105 require more than one pick attempt, and to stop printing on the other hand if many media sheets 105 in a row require more than one pick attempt. An example is illustrative in this respect.
Assume, for instance, that the threshold for each of the two counters is fifteen. If a first media sheet 105 requires two pick attempts, then the per-tray pick attempt counter is one (i.e., equal to one unsuccessful pick attempt), and the per-sheet pick attempt counter is also one (i.e., again equal to one unsuccessful pick attempt). If the very next media sheet 105 also requires two pick attempts, then the per-tray pick attempt counter becomes two, since this counter is not necessarily reset each time the method 200 is performed, whereas the per-sheet pick attempt is one, since it is reset each time the method 200 is performed.
Assume that this situation occurs for every media sheet 105, that it takes two pick attempts to pick each sheet 105 from the media tray 102. If there were no per-tray pick attempt counter, then printing would continue without, for instance, notifying the user, because for any given media sheet 105, the threshold of unsuccessful pick attempts is never reached. However, this situation can be undesirable, because printing would slow due to two pick attempts being needed to pick each media sheet 105. Therefore, using a per-tray pick attempt counter novelly ensures that if the pick roller 110 is having difficulty picking up media sheets 105, at some point the per-tray pick attempt counter will reach the threshold, and printing will cease.
However, say that for a given ream of media sheets 105 loaded within media tray 102, there are a few groups of contiguous media sheets 105 that each need more than one pick attempt. This scenario may be more tenable, and stopping printing may be undesirable. If the per-tray pick attempt counter is incremented each time any media sheet 105 encounters an unsuccessful pick attempt, without any decrementation, then this counter will likely by the second or third group of contiguous sheets 105 reach the threshold, such that printing undesirably stops. Therefore, by novelly decrementing the per-tray pick attempt counter in part 226 if the current media sheet 105 has been successfully picked on its first pick attempt (i.e., the per-sheet pick attempt counter is zero when part 224 is reached), this situation is at least less likely to occur. As noted above, having both per-sheet and per-tray pick attempt counters, while decrementing the per-tray pick attempt counter if the first pick attempt of a given media sheet 105 is successful, thus novelly balances the desire to keep printing even if periodically some sheets 105 need more than one pick attempt, and to stop printing if many sheets 105 in a row require more than one pick attempt.
Referring still to
Further, if after the pick attempt has been initiated in part 212 the pick sensor has not detected the media sheet 105 by the end of the specified time window (214), then the pick attempt of the sheet 105 is deemed unsuccessful. Both the per-sheet and the per-tray pick attempt counters are each incremented (232) to denote that an unsuccessful pick attempt has occurred. If neither the per-sheet counter nor the per-tray pick attempt counter has reached its corresponding threshold (234), then another pick attempt of the media sheet 105 is initiated (212). As noted above, the per-sheet and per-tray pick attempt counters may have the same threshold, or they may have different thresholds. The per-sheet pick attempt counter may have a per-sheet pick attempt counter threshold, for instance, while the per-tray pick attempt counter may have a per-tray pick attempt counter threshold.
However, if either the per-sheet counter or the per-tray pick attempt counter (or both counters) has reached its corresponding threshold (234), then the pick normal force exerted by the tray lift gear train 106 against the holder tray 104 and by extension to the media sheets 105 against the pick roller 110 is examined. Specifically, if the maximum pick normal force has not yet been exerted (236), then the pick normal force is increased (238). This is achieved by the tray lift gear train motor 108 further causing the tray lift gear train 106 to exert more force against the holder tray 104. For example, the tray lift gear train 106 may have a number of discrete force levels, from a minimum pick normal force to a maximum pick normal force. When the media tray 102 is (re)inserted into the printing device 100, the act of insertion may cause the tray lift gear train 106 to reset to the minimum pick normal force.
Once the pick normal force has been increased to the next discrete level, for instance, then both the per-sheet and per-tray pick attempt counters are reset to zero (240), and another pick attempt of the current media sheet 105 is attempted (212). In this respect, the per-tray pick attempt counter may even more accurately be referred to as a per-tray pick normal force level pick attempt counter, since it is reset at each pick normal force level, including at the minimum pick normal force when the media tray 102 is (re)inserted into the printing device 100. However, ultimately if either or both pick-attempt counters have reached their corresponding thresholds (234), and the maximum pick normal force has already been reached (236), then the method 200 ends with an unsuccessful pick attempt (230). That is, it is determined that the pick attempt has failed. Unsuccessful media advancement in this case likewise occurs, since a successful pick attempt is needed for successful media advance to the print engine 128 to occur.
The method 200 that has been described thus provides for improved media sheet picking from the media tray 102. Three particular techniques for such improved media sheet picking are intertwined within the method 200. Each of these three techniques is now described separately. It is noted that the techniques can be used individually, together, as is the case with the method 200, or in any combination thereof.
The example method 300 can differ from the way in which the technique is integrated in the example method 200 in that in the method 300, the pick roller 110 may be rotated in part 308 regardless of whether the pick sensor 114 detects the media sheet 105 within the specified time window or prior to this window beginning. By comparison, in the method 200, the pick roller 110 is rotated while the turn roller 118 rotates just if the pick sensor 114 detects the media sheet 105 within the specified time window. However, in another implementation, the method 300 may likewise rotate the pick roller 110 while the turn roller 118 rotates just if the pick sensor 114 detects the media sheet 105 within the specified time window, and not prior to the window.
As such, the example method 400 implements one of the techniques that are integrated within the example method 200. By rotating the pick roller 110 more than once when the media sheet 105 is of the special media sheet type, the likelihood that the sheet 105 will be successfully picked from the holder tray 104 of the media tray 102 is increased, as compared to if the roller 110 were rotated just once. It is noted that both the example methods 300 and 400 can have their constituent parts performed by a controller of the printing device 100, as described above in relation to the method 200. The methods 300 and 400 further in this respect can be implemented as computer-executable code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium.
The controller 502 manages a per-sheet pick attempt counter 504 and a per-tray pick attempt counter 506 while media sheets are individually attempted to be picked from the media tray 102 and advanced to the print engine 128. The controller 502 uses the counters 504 and 506 to determine whether to initiate another pick attempt of any given media sheet when the current pick attempt of that sheet has failed. In this respect, the controller 502 can perform the method 200 that has been described, including at least the parts thereof pertaining to the counters 504 and 506.
Techniques have thus been disclosed herein that improve at least media sheet picking from media trays of printing devices. Implementing one or more of these techniques reduces the likelihood that media sheets will not be successfully picked and/or will not be successfully advanced to a print engine of a printing device. This results in a better user experience of such a printing device, and further provides an objective improvement in the technology of printing devices, by decreasing media sheet jamming within such devices.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2016/024742 | 3/29/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2017/171729 | 10/5/2017 | WO | A |
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