Patent Application
20080122164
The present invention relates to collecting devices for collecting printed mediums after printing.
Electronic copiers, photofinishing devices, inkjet printers and/or other forms of printers are commonly used to render multi-page compilations of printed materials such as multi-page documents, sequences of images and the like. Typically, it is desired that the pages of such documents be presented to the user in an orderly and sequential fashion. Accordingly, automatic collation and arrangement of printed material is a highly desirable feature in printers.
Some printers incorporate advanced collating systems that actively work to arrange printed pages to provide features such as multi-document collation, stapling, folding and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,591 to Boyden, issued Sep. 29, 1987, entitled “Fan Folded Printer Output Collector,” describes a printer output collector useful in printers that print on so-called fan folded paper. In this patent a printer having a fan folded output is provided with an output catching tray which cantilevers upwardly at an angle of 35-55 degrees from the printer output. The tray includes side walls defining a bottom which bears on the top of the printer. The sidewalls each define integrally formed hooks for catching onto the printer at any bar of fastening disposed in the area of the output. These hooks enable the cantilevered support to occur. At the bottom of the tray, an arcuate and cam-like surface is disposed against the printer output. This cam-like surface takes horizontal output from the printer and causes it to pass upwardly over its surface. The cam surface extends from an angle in the range of 45 degrees in vicinity of the printer to a slope beyond horizontal at the bottom of the paper catching tray. The end of the cam and the bottom of the paper catching tray form a notch. The paper catching tray extends upward from the notch at an angle between 30 to 60 degrees, the full length of the fan fold paper, and is preferably provided at the upper end thereof with a paper stop. In operation, fan folded paper output from the printer is fed to the tray, typically to the notch at the end of the cam surface and the beginning of the upwardly extending tray. Thereafter, when printer output occurs, the columnar strength of the paper combined with the natural weight of the paper as it lies on the tray surface causes a fan fold layering of the paper catching tray.
The system provided in the '591 patent allows a user to view the printed output of the printer soon after printing which in turn allows real time print monitoring and job interruption where necessary. However, it will be appreciated that this system requires a printer that is capable of actively driving movement of the receiver medium even after printing is complete. EP 0 183 413 A2, to Prevignano, issued Aug. 1, 1990, describes a sheet feeder that can supply both cut sheets and continuous media for an office printing or typing machine. After printing such media is advanced by the printer against gravity into a collector tray. The collector tray simply receives such material.
However, such active driving systems can be costly and complex. What is needed therefore is a system that can collect printed mediums in a sequentially collated and orderly way but without actively driving the printed pages after printing.
There have been attempts to provide such systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,698 to Clyburn, issued Jun. 26, 1990, entitled “Printer Stand with Print-Out Catcher,” describes a printer stand that comprises a support base for holding a rear-ejection printer and a paper catcher mounted to the rear of the printer and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom. The catcher comprises a flat backer panel having bent-up side flanges and having a bent-up lower ledge for supporting the lower edge of a packet of sheets of paper resting against the backer panel. The catcher is mounted to the base for easy removal by providing a forwardly and downwardly extending slot at the rear of each side wall of the support base, into and out of which the panel can readily be slid; the side flanges are preferably spaced apart by only slightly more than the distance between the outer sides of the side walls, and the ledge is preferably at about right angles to the packer panel. The system provides stable support of the packet of sheets, is easily assembled and disassembled, and is inexpensively made from a single metal sheet by bending up the side flanges and the ledge. The system, however, is best adapted to receive and collate sheet mediums having a fixed length.
WO 2005/070674 to King et al., published on Aug. 4, 2005, entitled “A Printer Unit Employing Vertically Disposed Media Storage and Collection Areas” describes a printer unit employing substantially vertically disposed media storage and collection areas. In this system a transport device is provided to transport print media through a delivery path which passes through an angle of at least 140 degrees and preferably 180 degrees from the supply area to the collector area. A foot portion is arranged to project into the substantially vertical path of the ejected sheets and has a contact surface that is arranged to contact a leading edge of the sheets to stop movement thereof along the substantially vertical path. The contact surface is arranged to urge the sheets toward the collection surface for collection, such as by having an angle that is inclined from the vertical path. Optionally, an outlet from which the sheets are ejected can be arranged with respect to the foot portion so that the ejected sheets are allowed to fall under gravity to assume the substantially vertical path. To retain media within the storage area, the guide ribs are shaped to impart a curvature of the media.
While the '674 publication provides a good solution for organizing printed media, this solution requires that the printing system have a substantially vertical profile which may not be suitable or desirable in many applications. Further, it will be appreciated that many printers and printing technologies use a generally horizontally configured print head, which is not compatible with such a vertical configuration.
Further, as illustrated in
What is needed, therefore, is a print storage and collation system that can be used to provide a more horizontal profile while also providing greater reliability and without requiring active driving of the recently printed sheets.
In one aspect, a printed medium collector is provided. The printed medium collector comprises a guide surface having an intake edge and a drop off edge, with the guide surface being downwardly inclined from the intake edge toward the drop off edge such that when a printer releases a printed medium onto the guide surface, the printed medium can be drawn by gravity across the guide surface and over the drop off edge with a leading edge of the printed medium moving within a range of trajectories, each trajectory having a downward and lateral component and a printed medium storage area arranged to receive any printed medium with a leading edge moving within the range of trajectories, the printed medium storage area having a support surface to provide support against downward movement of the printed medium and a stop extending above the support surface to an extent that is sufficient to engage a leading edge of any printed mediums received by the print storage area to block lateral travel of the printed mediums so that such printed mediums are stored on the support surface against the stop to form a stack. The support surface and stop are positioned at an elevation and at a lateral location relative to the drop off edge such that the leading edge of a printed medium that follows the range of trajectories will laterally travel past the trailing edge of each of the printed mediums in the stack before the leading edge passes downward of the trailing edge of that printed medium.
In printer 20, a medium advance 26 is used to position a receiver medium 24 and/or print engine 22 relative to each other to facilitate recording of a printed image (not shown) on receiver medium 24 to form a printed medium 70. Medium advance 26 can comprise any number of well-known systems for moving receiver medium 24 within printer 20, including a motor (not shown), pinch rollers 30, a motorized platen roller (not shown) or other well-known systems for the movement of paper or other types of receiver medium 24. Medium advance 26 is also adapted to advance a receiver medium 24 so that a printed medium 70 can pass through an exit area 34. Medium advance 26 is not adapted to provide further advancement of receiver medium 24 and thus does not require that moving components be supplied outside of printer housing 21 and does not require a medium advance 26 that is adapted to thrust printed medium 70 from exit area 34.
Printer 20 can be adapted to print images on cut sheet receiver mediums 24. Such cut sheet receiver mediums 24 can be identically sized or can be of different sizes between a smallest sized receiver medium 24 and a largest receiver medium 24. The size range of receiver medium 24 that can be used in printer 20 is typically a function of the type of medium advance 26 used, the type of printing, the size of the printing area provided by printhead 17 and other factors known to those of skill in the art. For example, one embodiment of printer 20 can print images on one size receiver medium 24 that is of a post card size or index card size and is further adapted to print images on a larger size receiver medium such as 11″×17″ medium size. In another example, printer 20 can print images on 4″×6″ receiver medium 24 and on 6″×8″ receiver medium 24. Alternatively, an optional slitter or cutter 36 can be provided that can cut a continuous roll of receiver medium 24 into sized sheets match a wide range of sizes. As is illustrated in
The details of the operation of printer 20 are otherwise not critical and are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
As is illustrated in
The at least one gripping surface 42 can take any of a variety of forms. In the embodiment that is illustrated in
It will be appreciated that the at least one gripping surface 42 can comprise any other known structure that can be used to define a fixed positional relationship between printer 20 and printed medium collector 40 such that intake edge 50 of guide surface 52 is held proximate to exit area 34. For example, and without limitation, the at least one gripping surface 42 can comprise a fastener, adhesive strip, magnetic attractant or the like. In another embodiment, again without limitation, the at least one gripping surface 42 can comprise an area intended to receive a fastener or other surface projected or extending from printer 20 into or through printed medium collector 40 to secure printed medium collector 40 in the desired positional relationship. In still another embodiment, printed medium collector 40 can be formed from a common substrate or joined as a common assembly with at least a part of housing 21.
It also will be appreciated that gripping surface 42 is optional and, that in other embodiments printed medium collector 40 can comprise any structure that can hold intake edge 50 of guide surface 52 such that a printed medium 70 released at exit area 34 of a printer 20 will fall or otherwise cross from exit area 34, over intake edge 50 and onto guide surface 52 extending from intake edge 50 to a drop-off edge 54.
As is shown in
A printed medium storage area 90 is arranged to receive any printed medium 70 with a leading edge 72 moving within range of trajectories 80. Accordingly, printed medium storage area 90 is positioned downward of guide surface 52 and extends at least in part laterally away from drop-off edge 54. As illustrated, printed medium storage area 90 has a support surface 92 to provide support against downward movement of printed medium 70. Support surface 92 can be a solid surface or a surface having ribs or other supports to receive printed medium 70. A stop 94 is located at an end or other portion of support surface 92 that is laterally separated along the X axis from drop-off edge 54. Stop 94 extends above support surface 92 to an elevation A that is sufficient to engage a leading edge 72 of any printed medium 70 received by printed medium storage area 90. Once engaged, stop 94 blocks lateral travel of any such printed medium 70. Gravity operating on printed medium 70, and any downward momentum of printed medium 70, then causes printed medium 70 to come to a rest on support surface 92 generally positioned against stop 94. Elevation A of stop 94 is typically sufficient to allow a plurality of receiver mediums 24 to be retained in printed medium storage area 90 in the form of what will be referred to herein as stack 96 of stored printed mediums 76. Each stored printed medium 76 has a leading edge 98 that is generally positioned against stop 94 and a trailing edge 100 that is positioned along support surface 92 at a distance from stop 94 that is generally determined by a length B of stored printed medium 76.
Support surface 92 and stop 94 are further positioned at an elevation and at a lateral location relative to the drop-off edge 54 such that the leading edge 72 of a printed medium 70 that follows the range of trajectories 80 will laterally travel past a trailing edge 100 of each of stored printed mediums 76 before leading edge 72 passes downward of such trailing edge 100. In this way, leading edge 72 of printed medium 70 does not contact any of trailing edges 100 in stack 96 and is free to fall such that it makes first contact with an upper surface 102 of an uppermost 104 one of stored printed mediums 76 in stack 96 as illustrated by printed medium 70N in
As is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6A-6C the range of trajectories 80 is bounded in part by a maximum trajectory 82 that can be defined as a trajectory at which leading edge 72 of printed medium 70 has first contact with contact with stop 94. As is illustrated in
Typically, the maximum trajectory will be selected so that it is low enough to avoid the risk that leading edge 72 will pass over stop 94 or will gain so much momentum during transit that printed medium 70 can pivot over stop 94. Alternatively, the maximum trajectory 82 can be defined at a point that brings leading edge 72 into first contact with support surface 92 or stored printed medium 76 on support surface 92.
The determination of the minimum trajectory 84 is made in a different fashion.
Further, as is illustrated in
The minimum trajectory can be established either by controlling or influencing the amount of energy supplied to printed medium 70 by gravity as printed medium 70 passes along guide surface 52, such as by adjusting the angle of inclination C of guide surface 52 to ensure that the printed medium has at least a minimum amount of lateral momentum as it leaves drop-off edge 54.
In the embodiment illustrated, guide surface 52 defined with a first portion 56 at the angle of inclination J and a second portion 58 that is downwardly inclined at a greater angle of inclination K than the angle of inclination J of guide surface portion 56 to minimize contact between printed medium 70 and guide surface 52 as printed medium 70 travels across guide surface 52. This reduces the amount of friction to which printed medium 70 is exposed as printed medium 70, allowing the leading edge 72 to follow a trajectory within the range of trajectories 80. By providing a guide surface 52 having a first portion 56 downwardly inclined at the angle of inclination J and a second portion 58 downwardly inclined at a greater angle of inclination K, leading edge 72 of printed medium 70 passes over an inflection point 59 between first portion 56 and the second portion 58 after which leading edge 72 and portions of printed medium 70 proximate to leading edge 72 are unsupported by guide surface 52 while trailing edge 74 and portions of printed medium 70 proximate to trailing edge 74 pass between intake edge 50 toward inflection point 59. This continues so long as a greater portion of printed medium 70 is on a side of inflection point 59 that is closer to intake edge 50 than to drop off edge 54. However, at some point, the portion of printed medium 70 that is positioned in the path of travel of printed medium 70 after inflection point 59 becomes greater than the portion that is positioned in the path of travel of printed medium 70 before inflection point 59. This causes printed medium 70 to cantilever on inflection point 59 as is illustrated by position of printed medium 70M. It can be appreciated the guide surface 52 angle of inclination can be created from one of one or more angular or segmented surfaces joined together to form a contiguous surface.
When printed medium 70 is in this cantilevered position, the amount of friction resisting the movement of printed medium 70 on guide surface 52 is substantially reduced, thus allowing printed medium 70 to travel along guide surface 52 toward drop off edge 54 with reduced friction acting against printed medium 70. This can be used to preserve much of the lateral and downward momentum imposed by gravitational acceleration of printed medium 70 during travel of the printed medium 70 across first portion 56. This can also be used to allow better control of the movement of printed medium 70 as it transitions from a movement path guided by contact with guide surface 52 to a trajectory guided generally by momentum and gravity.
The exact location of inflection point 59 may vary based upon characteristics of the printed medium 70 such as the curvature if any of printed medium 70. However, guide surface 52 is adapted so that the location of inflection point 59 is such that the lateral and downward momentum of printed medium 70 when such cantilevering effect begins is such as to cause leading edge 72 to travel within the range of trajectories 80 after printed medium 70 is no longer positioned by guide surface 52.
This arrangement helps to prevent frictional forces acting on printed medium 70 from stalling the movement of printed medium 70 such that movement of printed medium 70 across guide surface 52 ceases. Further, this arrangement helps to ensure that printed mediums of all sizes will experience such a cantilevered drop-off at generally the same location on guide surface 52. This allows both shorter and longer printed mediums 70 to begin unguided travel at the same time.
It will be appreciated that a guide surface 52 can be provided that has other arrangements for providing an inflection point 59, such as for example providing a guide surface 52 with a curvature or similar feature that enables low friction movement transition from movement of printed medium
The minimum trajectory 84 can also be controlled by adjusting both the downward travel distance between guide surface 52 and support surface 92 so that the lateral momentum of printed medium 70 has a longer period of time to move printed medium 70 in the lateral direction before leading edge 72 travels sufficiently far in a downward direction to present a risk that leading edge 72 might pass below clearance point 112.
The minimum trajectory 84 can also be controlled by adjusting the travel distance along the lateral axis X from drop-off edge 54 to stop 94 such that the lateral travel distance is minimized and allowing a shorter minimum trajectory 84.
However, as is illustrated in
When printed medium collector 40 is used with a printer that is capable of printing multiple lengths of printed mediums 70, guide surface 52 can be positioned so that drop-off edge 54 is positioned at a distance that is less than a minimum length Bmin of printed medium 70. This can be accomplished by close positioning of guide surface 52 exit area 34 of printer 20 and can also be accomplished by defining the length of guide surface 52, between intake edge 50 and drop-off edge 54 as being less than minimum length Bmin. This can help for example to draw any portions of a Bmin length printed image from exit area 34 and over drop-off edge 54 with an appropriate amount of lateral momentum. However, it will be appreciated that, in other embodiments the angle of inclination C of guide surface 52 can be modified so that a Bmin length printed medium 70 will provide such movement and lateral momentum using a guide surface that is longer than the minimum length Bmin.
The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.
