Patent Application
20070257423
The present exemplary embodiments relate to a printer apparatus or the like, and more particularly, to printing on tab stock, i.e., heavy weight media or sheets having an irregular, protruding portion on one edge thereof, with such a printer.
Duplex printing of tab stock requires feeding the tab stock with the tab edge leading from through the registration transport. This requirement is incompatible with machines using stalled roll deskew registration as shown, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,949,979 and 4,128,327. No provision is made in the systems of these patents for providing deskew of tab stock.
Other existing printing products can print tabs in duplex mode by using an edge registration system, i.e. the sheets are biased against their top or bottom edge using a cross-roll or other edge registration system.
While still other systems are limited to printing tab sheets in simplex mode only; such as, for example where two sensors are used to detect lead edge skew and an electronic (or differential drive) mechanism is used to deskew the sheets. If the tabbed sheets were inverted for printing on side two, the tab would be on the leading edge of the sheet which would create problems when the lead edge passed the two skew sensors. Also, since only two point sensors are used, and they must be located to detect the smallest size media handled by the system, the accuracy of the skew reading is compromised when the larger baseline media is being used.
Accordingly, disclosed herein is a printer including a registration media sensing system that can handle tabbed sheets, even with the tab leading (on the leading edge). The system makes use of multiple sensors, for example point sensors, to detect the presence of a tab and to determine the lead edge skew of the sheet.
The disclosed apparatus may be readily operated and controlled in a conventional manner with known or conventional copier or printer control systems, operated as taught herein. Some additional examples of various prior art copiers with document handlers and control systems therefore, including sheet detecting switches, sensors, etc., are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,054,380; 4,062,061; 4,076,408; 4,078,787; 4,099,860; 4,125,325; 4,132,401; 4,144,550; 4,158,500; 4,176,945; 4,179,215; 4,229,101; 4,278,344; and 4,475,156. It is well known in general and preferable to program and execute such control functions and logic with known software instructions for known microprocessors. This is taught by the above and other patents and various commercial copiers. Such software may of course vary depending on the particular function and the particular software system and the particular microprocessor or microcomputer system being utilized, but will be available to or readily programmable by those skilled in the applicable arts without undue experimentation from either verbal functional descriptions, such as those provided herein, or prior knowledge of those functions which are conventional, together with general knowledge in the software and computer arts. Controls may alternatively be provided utilizing various other known or suitable hard-wired logic or switching systems.
As shown in the above-cited art, the control of exemplary document and copy sheet handling systems in copiers or printers may be accomplished by conventionally actuating them by signals from the copier controller directly or indirectly in response to simple programmed commands and from selected actuation or non-actuation of conventional copier switch inputs by the copier operator, such as switches selecting the number of copies to be made in that run, selecting simplex or duplex copying, selecting whether the documents are simplex or duplex, selecting a copy sheet supply tray, etc. The operator inputs and controls, and machine internal controls or limits, may be coordinated and/or made interactive with operator displays and “prompts” or instructions; e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,464 issued Jun. 1, 1982 regarding the Xerox Corporation “5700” printer. The resultant controller signals may conventionally actuate various conventional electrical solenoid or cam-control led sheet deflector fingers, motors or clutches in the copier in the selected steps or sequences as programmed. Conventional sheet path sensors, switches and bail bars, connected to the controller, may be utilized for sensing and timing the positions of documents and copy sheets, as is well known in the art, and taught in the above and other patents and products. Known copying systems utilize such conventional microprocessor control circuitry with such connecting switches and sensors for counting and comparing the numbers of document and copy sheets as they are fed and circulated, keeping track of their general positions, counting the number of completed document set circulations and completed copies, etc. and thereby controlling the operation of the document and copy sheet feeders and inverters, etc.
All references cited in this specification, and their references, are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features, and/or technical background.
Various of the above-mentioned and further features and advantages will be apparent from the specific apparatus and its operation described in the example(s) below, as well as the claims. Thus, the present exemplary embodiments will be better understood from this description of an embodiment thereof, including the drawing figures.
In one aspect, a printing system is provided for printing images onto copy sheets and tab stock including a media registration transport for transporting a media sheet along a path. The printing system further provides a sensing system having a plurality of sensors positioned in line and orthogonal to the feed direction of the sheet path for detecting a leading edge of the media sheet. A control system provides for detecting signals at the times when each of the plurality of sensors are occluded and a control algorithm compares each one of the sensor signals with each other of the sensor signals. The system then identifies at least one pair of sensor signals having inconsistent readings with the other of sensor signals and, determines the presence of a tab on the leading edge based on the inconsistent sensor signal readings.
In another aspect, a method of printing is employed including transporting a media sheet along a media registration transport path. The method of printing provides for detecting a leading edge of the media sheet including a sensing system with a plurality of sensors positioned in line and orthogonal to the feed direction of the sheet path adapted to detect signals at the times when at least three of the plurality of sensors are occluded by the leading edge. Each one of the sensor signals can then be compared with each other of the sensor signals in order to identify at least one pair of sensor signals having inconsistent readings with the other of sensor signals. The method thus determines the presence of a tab on the leading edge based on the inconsistent sensor signal readings.
In yet another aspect, a printing system is provided comprising a media registration transport for transporting a media sheet along a path and a sensing system including a plurality of sensors positioned in line and orthogonal to the feed direction of the sheet path for detecting a leading edge of the media sheet. The system further comprises a control system for detecting trip times when at least three of the plurality of sensors are occluded including a control algorithm for comparing each one of the sensor signals with each other of the sensor signals. The system identifies at least one pair of sensor signals having inconsistent readings with the other of sensor signals and then determines the presence of a tab on the leading edge based on the inconsistent sensor signal readings.
In still yet another aspect, a printing system is provided comprising a media registration transport for transporting a tabbed media sheet along a sheet path and a sensing system including a plurality of sensors positioned substantially in line and orthogonal to a feed direction of the sheet path for detecting a leading edge of the tabbed media sheet. The system further comprises a control system for detecting trip times when each of the plurality of sensors are occluded including a control algorithm having knowledge of a location of a tab on the tabbed media sheet to determine which sensor signals are to be ignored when calculating sheet skew based on the trip times of the plurality of sensors.
And still further, a printing system is provide comprising a media registration transport for transporting a media sheet having a tab along a path and a sensing system including a plurality of sensors positioned substantially in line and orthogonal to the feed direction of the sheet path for detecting a leading edge of the media sheet. The system further comprises a control system for detecting trip times when each of the plurality of sensors are occluded including a control algorithm having knowledge of the location and width of the tab on the media sheet and using a correction factor to compensate for the width of the tab when calculating sheet skew based on the trip times of the plurality of sensors.
Describing now in further detail the exemplary embodiment with reference to the
Referring further to the
The belt photoreceptor 18 here is mounted on a set of rollers 26. At least one of the rollers is driven to move the photoreceptor in the direction indicated by arrow 21 past the various other known xerographic processing stations, here a charging station 28, imaging station 24 (for a raster scan laser system 25), developing station 30, and transfer station 32. A sheet 15 is fed from a selected paper tray supply 33 to a sheet transport 34 for travel to the transfer station 32. Transfer of the toner image to the sheet is effected and the sheet is stripped from the photoreceptor and conveyed to a fusing station 36 having fusing device 16 where the toner image is fused to the sheet. The sheet 15 is then transported by a sheet output transport 37 to the finishing station 12 where plural sheets 15 may be accumulated to be compiled into superposed sets of sheets and optionally fastened together (finished) by being stapled, bound, or the like.
In order to ensure that the sheets fed from feed module 20 are accurately aligned with the image on the photoreceptor 32, a sheet registration transport 100 is located just upstream of the photoreceptor image transfer point. Transport 100 may consist of independently driven rollers 110 and 112 which can be used to deskew and optionally laterally shift the media, and a set of pre-registration transport drive nips 150 and 160 that can open or release to allow the sheets to be deskewed or laterally shifted by drive rolls 110 and 112.
The following terms regarding the example here are hereby defined. “UI” is the User Interface, in this case the interactive CRT, or liquid crystal or other operator control console display panel and touch area or switch inputs connected to the system controller. It may also be called a UIT or User Interface Terminal. This is where document handling, or finisher or other machine functions or modes are programmed in by the operator. The disclosed system can be used to determine, for example which of the five document handling modes (Recirculating Document Handler (RDH), (Semi-Automatic Document Handler (SADH), Computer Forms Feeder (CFF), Platen, and Book copying) the operator is trying to use for scanning. E.g., document scanning in Book Mode or CFF Mode are “selected” by the operator at the UIT in this example. ESS is the Electronic Sub-System or system control. IIT is the Image Input Terminal, also called a scanner in this example, but it does more than just image scan here. (Another term for this is EFE or Electronic Front End). IOT is the Image Output Terminal, which writes or prints (with a laser beam) the marks on the (copy) paper. DH is the overall Document Handler, or feeder, also referred to hereinbelow as the “UDH” or universal document handler with both an RDH document stacking tray input and a SADH/CFF document input into which either computer form web (usually fan-fold) feeding (CFF) or large or other individual documents may be loaded and fed.
As shown in
Referring now to
Paper path P1 can be provided with a series of sensors 130, 132, 134, 136. The sensors can be suitably spaced substantially on a line L arranged generally perpendicularly to the path of paper sheet travel (x-or process direction) along paper path P1. In one embodiment the spacing of sensors 130 and 136 can be approximately equidistant from a paper path centerline C. Similarly, the spacing of sensors 132 and 134 can be approximately equidistant from a paper path centerline C, albeit different than spacing 130 and 136. It will be appreciated that the positioning of the sensors 130, 132, 134, 136 allow detection of a tab T by one of the sensors prior to the other sensors detecting a skew of a leading edge E. Sensors 130, 132, 134, 136 may be comprised of reflective optical sensors which will produce a signal upon occlusion by paper sheets or the like. Other dimensions and positions of the sensors and nip roll pairs with respect to each other are possible. The above description and
As sheet S enters the deskewing arrangement and is advanced through nip roll pairs 110, 112, the tab T will occlude one of the sensors and the lead edge E will occlude the other sensors. Which sensor is occluded first depends on the location of the tab T. The order in which the other sensors are occluded depends on the direction of skew of the sheet S, and it is entirely possible that the sheet S will occlude a second, third, fourth, etc. sensor substantially simultaneously, thereby indicating no skew in the sheet. In either event, on occlusion, the sensors 130, 132, 134, 136 pass a signal to a controller system as will be described.
As shown in
There are many options for how the signal from the sensors can be used to determine the presence of a tab T and the skew of a sheet. Referring to
Using the configuration described above, the multiple point sensors can also be calibrated using non-tabbed reference sheets to correct for any misalignment of the sensors. In this manner, the multiple sensors can also be used to improve the accuracy of the lead edge skew measurement, even when non-tabbed sheets are being registered. Since the straightness of the lead edge of any given piece of media, and the position of sheet within the baffle, can affect the trip point of a sensor, using three (3) or more sensors to detect the lead edge and averaging the results will yield a more accurate skew measurement than using two (2) sensors.
It is to be appreciated that the number of point sensors that can be used to perform this function can be less than four, for example three (3), if the amount of incoming skew is limited. For example, if three sensors are in place, 130, 134, 136, with sensor 134 now located along the path centerline C, and a tab occludes sensor 134, then large and inconsistent skew values will be detected when comparing 130/134 and 134/136. The signal comparison of 130/136 gives a skew value closer to zero or the predetermined threshold. In this case, the algorithm can ignore signal comparisons 130/134 and 134/136.
Alternatively, the system can have precise knowledge of each tabbed sheet (i.e. the exact location of the tab T), as is the case when printing onto the tabs themselves, then again only three sensors can be used, even with large amounts of input skew. For this algorithm, the known location of the tab T results in a known or identified occlusion of one of the sensors. The resultant associated signal can then be ignored from that sensor. The skew is then determined based on the comparison of the two non-ignored sensors.
Further, knowledge of the location of a tab could result from running a simplex side of a sheet and detecting the location of a tab T of a trailing edge by one of the sensors (not illustrated). After inverting, the location and timing offset (error) of the detected tab T can be correspondingly imposed onto the lead edge skew measurement on the same said one sensor when the tabbed sheet is being run on a duplex side.
In addition, if the length of the tab was known, then two (2) sensors can be used by adding an appropriate correction factor to one of the signals. It should also be appreciated that a system similar to that shown in
With reference to
N=D/K (1)
where,
N=number of motor halfsteps;
K=a constant equal to the advancement of the driving roller surface for each motor halfstep; and
D=the difference distance traveled by the portion of the sheet which originally occluded 136 until 130 is occluded.
Thus, it can also be seen that
a=tan−1(D/Sx) (2)
or for small angles
a=D/Sx (3)
where,
a=the random skew angle of a sheet entering the nips; and Sx=distance between sensors 130 and 136.
Because K and Sx are constants for a particular registration subsystem, a sufficient measure of the skew angle of the sheet as it enters the registration and deskewing arrangement is simply N, the number of motor halfsteps taken between occlusion of sensor 136 and sensor 130, while the motors are driven non-differentially. It should be appreciated that instead of counting the number of half steps driven by the motors, the controller could associate a time stamp with each sensor trip event and the distance D could then be calculated based on the average velocity and time difference between two sensor trip events (i.e. trip times). That is, D=V*(Tsenor136−Tsensor130), and so forth for each sensor pair.
With the skew angle a of the sheet known, the sheet is rotated in a selected direction, for example clockwise, looking down on
It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims. In addition, the claims can encompass embodiments in hardware, software, or a combination thereof.
