Patent Application
20060291899
This invention relates to alignment and attachment mechanisms for removably mounting an imaging media cartridge in a printer.
Production-level high-end printer, such as the iGen printing press may include a customer changeable unit (CCU) to supply and/or develop imaging media corresponding to a customized color. Such imaging media may include dry toner or liquid ink. The CCU may include, for example, an imaging media dispenser as well as a developer, particularly for a toner and integrated together in an imaging media cartridge.
The imaging media may correspond to a standard set of colors that include cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) in the four standard imaging media stations may be augmented by a trademarked color heavily used by a printer client for high quality publications.
Such trademarked colors may be assigned a corresponding four-digit PANTONE® number and assigned to a fifth imaging media station. Upon completion of a print run for one printer client using a first CCU having imaging media in a first trademarked color, the first CCU may be removed and replaced by a second CCU having imaging media in a second trademarked color for another printer client. Alternatively, the CCU in the fifth imaging media station may be assigned to a heavily used color of the CMYK set.
The CCU may be integrally designed and constructed and weigh between ˜30 and ˜40 pounds-mass. The CCU may be installed into a right side Xerographic-tower (or X-tower) of the iGen printing press as a consequence of overlapping design constraints. Close tolerances may be imposed for installing the mounted CCU in order to avoid misalignment of its imaging media dispensing and/or developing equipment.
Various exemplary embodiments provide a printing system that may receive an imaging media cartridge including a rail and a dock to install the imaging media cartridge. The imaging media cartridge may include a housing that has pivots along an alignment axis substantially parallel to the rail. The imaging media cartridge may further include a roller that slides along the rail, with the roller being disposed on the housing. The imaging media cartridge also may include a bracket disposed on the housing. To align and insert the bracket into the dock, the housing may rotate on the pivots.
In various exemplary embodiments, the position of the imaging media cartridge may be further adjusted in the xerographic system. The housing may rotate along at least one axis substantially orthogonal to the alignment axis. The rail may include a support beam and a flange. The roller may include at least a pair of wheel housings, each wheel housing having a pair of tandem wheels that glide along the rail.
In various exemplary embodiments, the tandem wheels in the wheel housing may face each other and glide along the flange and between the support beam. The imaging media cartridge may include a pair of magazines that contains the pivots, with the pair of magazines being disposed in the pair of wheel housings. The bracket may include at least one wheel to glide into the dock.
Various details are described below with reference to the following figures, wherein
The following detailed description refers to an imaging media cartridge in a printing system, such as a xerographic printer. The imaging media cartridge may refer to customer changeable unit (CCU) used in an iGen printer. However, it should be appreciated that the principles described herein may be equally applied to any known or later-developed imaging media cartridges and printing systems, beyond the examples specifically discussed herein.
Xerographic printing may include disposing charged toner particles to a photoreceptor, such as a drum or belt. The photoreceptor represents an intermediate transfer body with which to transfer an image using toner particles to a sheet medium. The toner particles may be composed of pigmented thermoplastic resin.
A photoreceptor belt 120 may travel in a path around stations in the iGen printer. Following the capture of an image to be reproduced, corresponding regions on the photoreceptor belt 120 may be selectively charged to attract the toner particles for transfer to a sheet medium.
The X-tower portion 100 may include a mounting frame 130 onto which a CCU 200 may be installed. The CCU 200 may contain and dispense the toner particles, particularly those corresponding to the customized color. The mounting frame 130 may include an engagement member 135 and may be slidable along one or more lateral rails 140 substantially parallel to the X-axis.
Lateral force may be applied to a closure mechanism 150 connected to the mounting frame 130 for sliding the CCU 200 in the X-direction. The X-tower portion 100 may also include one or more docking blocks 160, with which to align and secure the CCU 200. The closure mechanism (or slider) 150 may include a slider stop 155 to interrupt travel of the mounting frame 130. The docking blocks 160 may be disposed in association with and proximately to (i.e., in proximity of) the photoreceptor belt 120.
The CCU 200 may include a developer housing 210 and a roller assembly 220 that slides along the slider rail 180 to be disposed in the X-tower 100. The developer housing 210 may include locating pins 230 that insert into corresponding alignment holes in the rear plate 170. The CCU 200 dispenses a quantity of toner, which is electrically charged by a developer to be transferred to a sheet for image reproduction.
The CCU 200 may translate along the X- and Y-directions, and rotate about the X-, Y- and Z-axes shown by the coordinate set of axes 110. For aligned mounting into the X-tower portion 100, the CCU 200 may rotate along the Z-axis between three and five degrees (3-5°), such as along an alignment axis corresponding to the pivot pins 272 (and thereby at least approximately parallel to the slider rail 180).
Additionally, the CCU may translate in the X and Y directions a few millimeters and/or rotate about the X- and Y-axes between two and three degrees (2-3°). Upon being aligned, the CCU 200 may be secured in the X-tower 100 by the closure mechanism 150 returning the mounting frame 130 to the operating position.
The wheels 222 may be disposed in wheel housings 224 connected together by connection rods 226. The wheel housings 224 at either end of the roller assembly 220 may include recessed receivers 228 into which the magazine assemblies 270 may be inserted.
The magazine assemblies 270 may include pivot cases 274 that contain the pivot pins 272. Each pivot case 274 may be inserted into a corresponding magazine housing 276 suspended between a flat cage bearing 277 and lateral springs 278a. The magazine assemblies 270 may be inserted into the recessed receivers 228 and secured by corresponding axial springs 278b and retainer plates 229.
The CCU 200 requires close alignment with the photoreceptor belt 120. To achieve this result, the slider rail 180 supports the roller assembly 220, both while in operation as well as during installation and removal of the CCU 200 from the X-tower portion 100. The mounting frame 130 may be shifted in the X-direction away from the photoreceptor belt 120 to install the CCU 200 by rolling the roller assembly wheels 222 along the slider rail 180, thereby positioning the CCU 200 adjacent the rear plate 170.
The position of the CCU 200 may be adjusted for proper alignment in the X-tower portion 100 by pivoting the cradle assembly 260 joined with the roller assembly 220 by the magazine assemblies 270 along the X-, Y- and Z-axes. Accordingly, the bracket assemblies 250 may then be inserted into their corresponding docking blocks 160. Returning the mounting 130 to the operating position by moving the closure mechanism 150 closes the X-tower portion 100 and secures the CCU 200 in proper proximity to the photoreceptor belt 120.
It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also, various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art, and are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
