Patent
Media width sensors containing axially spaced paddles and method of using the media width sensor
| العنوان: | Media width sensors containing axially spaced paddles and method of using the media width sensor |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 8,095,062 |
| تاريخ النشر: | January 10, 2012 |
| Appl. No: | 11/851740 |
| Application Filed: | September 07, 2007 |
| مستخلص: | The present application is directed to sensors and methods of use to determine a width of a media sheet moving along a media path. In one embodiment, the sensor includes a shaft that extends at least partially across the media path. First and second paddles may extend outward from the shaft and into the media path. The paddles may be axially spaced apart along a length of the shaft, and the first paddle may be positioned upstream along the media path from the second paddle. A flag may extend outward from the shaft. A detector may be positioned in proximity to the shaft. In use, the shaft may rotate during contact between the media sheets and the paddles to move the flag. The detector may be able to differentiate between a first amount of rotation due to contact with a wide media sheet and a second amount of rotation with a narrow media sheet to determine a width of the media sheets. |
| Inventors: | Maddux, Thomas Paul (Lexington, KY, US); Jarnagin, Clark Edwin (Lexington, KY, US); Cahill, Daniel P. (Verona, KY, US) |
| Assignees: | Lexmark International, Inc. (Lexington, KY, US) |
| Claim: | 1. A device to detect widths of media sheets moving along a media path within an image forming apparatus comprising: a shaft including an elongated shape and being rotationally positioned to extend at least partially across the media path; first, second, third and fourth paddles each extending outward from the shaft and into the media path, the paddles being axially offset along the shaft, the first paddle aligned at the same position along the media path as the second paddle, the third paddle aligned at the same position along the media path as the fourth paddle, the first and second paddles positioned upstream from the third and fourth paddles; a flag extending outward from the shaft; and a detector positioned in proximity to the shaft and comprising a transmission path formed between a transmitter and a receiver; and contact between one of the media sheets with a first width and the first and second paddles causing a first degree of rotation of the shaft with a first section of the flag moving through the transmission path between the transmitter and the receiver and causing a first signal to be received by the receiver, and contact between a second of the media sheets with a second width and the third and fourth paddles causing a second degree of rotation of the shaft with a second section of the flag moving through the transmission path and causing a second signal to be received by the receiver. |
| Claim: | 2. The device of claim 1 , wherein a shape of the first, second, third and fourth paddles is substantially the same and the first and second paddles being angularly offset on the shaft from the third and fourth paddles. |
| Claim: | 3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth paddles include different shapes. |
| Claim: | 4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a window positioned along the second section of the flag. |
| Claim: | 5. The device of claim 4 , further comprising a second window positioned along the first section of the flag. |
| Claim: | 6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flag is positioned at an axial end of the shaft and is spaced away from the media path. |
| Claim: | 7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first paddle is symmetrically aligned with the second paddle relative to a reference location on the media path. |
| Claim: | 8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the third paddle is symmetrically aligned with the fourth paddle relative to the reference location on the media path and the first and second paddles are positioned a greater distance from the reference location than the third and fourth paddles. |
| Claim: | 9. A device to detect widths of media sheets moving along a media path within an image forming apparatus and referenced along a reference location on the media path, the device comprising: a shaft extending at least partially across the media path; first, second, third and fourth paddles each extending outward from the shaft and into the media path and being axially spaced apart along a length of the shaft, the first paddle aligned at the same position along the media path as the second paddle and positioned substantially the same distance from the reference location as the second paddle, the third paddle aligned at the same position along the media path as the fourth paddle and positioned substantially the same distance from the reference location as the fourth paddle, the first and second paddles positioned upstream along the media path from the third and fourth paddles and positioned a greater distance from the reference location than the third and fourth paddles; a flag extending outward from the shaft; and a detector positioned in proximity to the shaft and comprising a transmission path formed between a transmitter and a receiver; the shaft being rotated during contact between the media sheets and the paddles to move the flag relative to the detector causing variations in a signal received by the receiver to determine a width of the media sheets. |
| Claim: | 10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth paddles include a substantially common shape with the first and second paddles angularly offset on the shaft from the third and fourth paddles. |
| Claim: | 11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth paddles include different shapes. |
| Claim: | 12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the flag includes first and second windows that are positioned such that the first window moves through the transmission path during contact between one of the media sheets with a first width and the third and fourth paddles, and both the first and second windows move through the transmission path during contact between a second of the media sheets with a second width and the first and second paddles. |
| Claim: | 13. The device of claim 9 , wherein the flag includes a plurality of extensions that extend axially relative to the shaft and are spaced apart by gaps. |
| Claim: | 14. The device of claim 13 , wherein one of the transmitter and the receiver is positioned radially inward from the flag and the other of the transmitter and the receiver is positioned radially outward from the flag. |
| Claim: | 15. A method of detecting widths of media sheets moving along a media path within an image forming apparatus comprising: positioning an arm across at least a portion of the media path with the arm including a shaft and first, second, third and fourth paddles extending from and axially spaced along the shaft, the first and second paddles being aligned at the same location along the media path, the third and fourth paddles being aligned at the same location along the media path, the first and second paddles being positioned upstream along the media path from the third and fourth paddles and positioned a greater distance from a reference location on the media path than the third and fourth paddles; moving a wide media sheet along the media path and contacting against the first and second paddles; rotating the shaft a first amount as the wide media sheet moves along the media path and past the arm; causing a detector to detect the first amount of rotation of the shaft; moving a narrow media sheet along the media path and contacting against the third and fourth paddles; rotating the shaft a second amount as the narrow media sheet moves along the media path and past the arm; causing the detector to detect the second amount of rotation of the shaft. |
| Claim: | 16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of causing the detector to detect the first amount of rotation of the shaft includes moving a window on a flag that extends outward from the shaft to move through a transmission path of the detector. |
| Claim: | 17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising spacing the wide media sheet away from the third and fourth paddles as the wide media sheet contacts the first and second paddles and moves along the media path and past the arm. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 399/389 |
| Patent References Cited: | 7742736 June 2010 Kobayashi et al. 2007/0030329 February 2007 Wiens 08119534 May 1996 |
| Primary Examiner: | Marini, Matthew G |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Tromp, Justin M. Pezdek, John Victor |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.08095062 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |