Patent
Kiosk-installable printer with duplex path utilized to deliver printed media sheets to lower front exterior of printer
| العنوان: | Kiosk-installable printer with duplex path utilized to deliver printed media sheets to lower front exterior of printer |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 8,641,040 |
| تاريخ النشر: | February 04, 2014 |
| Appl. No: | 12/189518 |
| Application Filed: | August 11, 2008 |
| مستخلص: | An image forming device includes an image formation path extending from an entrance end adjacent to a source of supply of media sheets, past an image forming station, to an exit end adjacent to a top collection site adapted to receive media sheets, a duplex path extending from an inlet end adjacent the top collection site to an outlet end adjacent a lower front opening in the device, a media sheet directing mechanism disposed between the exit end of the image formation path, top collection site and inlet end of the duplex path and selectively operable to deliver printed media sheets to the top collection site or the inlet end of the duplex path, and a deflector mechanism between the lower front opening and the outlet end of the duplex path and operable to divert printed media sheets from the duplex path through the lower front opening to exterior of the device. |
| Inventors: | Cahill, Daniel Paul (Verona, KY, US); Piening, Chad Michael (Lexington, KY, US); Samuels, Louann Behymer (Georgetown, KY, US); Weaver, Brian Patrick (Shelbyville, KY, US); Woodson, Curtis Duane (Georgetown, KY, US) |
| Assignees: | Lexmark International, Inc. (Lexington, KY, US) |
| Claim: | 1. An image forming device, comprising: a housing having a collection site on a top portion thereof adapted to receive media sheets and a lower front opening to an exterior of said housing; an image formation path in said housing extending from an entrance end of said image formation path adjacent a source of supply of media sheets in said housing, past an image forming station in said housing, to an exit end of said image formation path adjacent said collection site; a lower exit path in said housing extending from an inlet end of said lower exit path adjacent said collection site to an outlet end of said lower exit path adjacent said entrance end of said image formation path and said lower front opening; a media sheet directing mechanism disposed in said housing between said exit end of said image formation path, said collection site and said inlet end of said lower exit path and selectively operable to deliver printed media sheets to said collection site or said inlet end of said lower exit path; and a deflector mechanism disposed in said housing between said lower front opening and said outlet end of said lower exit path and operable to divert printed media sheets from said lower exit path through said lower front opening to the exterior of said housing. |
| Claim: | 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said deflector mechanism includes a diverter body disposed in said housing between said outlet end of said lower exit path and said lower front opening in said housing and having a main portion, disposed at a predetermined angle of slope relative to a horizontal plane, defining a discharge path extending downwardly and outwardly from said outlet end of said lower exit path to said lower front opening of said housing. |
| Claim: | 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said diverter body also has an upper edge portion, extending at an angle to the horizontal plane shallower than the angle of slope of said main portion relative to the horizontal plane, for blocking media sheets from moving along a return path from said outlet end of said lower exit path to said entrance end of said media formation path. |
| Claim: | 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said diverter body further has a lower edge portion projecting through said lower front opening in said housing, and extending at an angle to the horizontal plane shallower than the angle of slope of said main portion relative to the horizontal plane and in a direction from said main portion opposite that of said upper edge portion, for guiding media sheets from said main portion of said diverter body through said lower front opening in said housing to the exterior of said housing. |
| Claim: | 5. The device of claim 2 wherein said diverter body is mounted in a stationary position on a media input tray disposed in said housing below said entrance end of said image formation path and adapted to hold a stack of the media sheets so as to provide said source of supply of media sheets. |
| Claim: | 6. The device of claim 1 wherein said deflector mechanism includes a diverter body movably disposed in said housing for undergoing movement between first and second orientations wherein said first orientation said diverter body deflects media sheets along a discharge path extending downwardly and outwardly from said outlet end of said duplex path through said lower front opening to exterior of said housing and wherein said second orientation said diverter body deflects media sheets to move along a return path extending from said outlet end of said duplex path to said entrance end of said image formation path. |
| Claim: | 7. The device of claim 6 wherein said deflector mechanism also includes a prime mover disposed in said housing and drivingly coupled to said diverter body and being selectively operable to move said diverter body to change said diverter body between said first and second orientations thereof. |
| Claim: | 8. The device of claim 7 wherein said prime mover is one of a solenoid device or a motor. |
| Claim: | 9. An image forming device, comprising: a housing having a lower front opening and a collection site on a top portion of said housing adapted to receive printed media sheets; at least one image forming station disposed in said housing; an image formation path in said housing having an entrance end and an exit end and extending from said entrance end disposed adjacent to but spaced from a source of supply of media sheets, past said at least one image forming station, to said exit end disposed adjacent to but spaced from said collection site on said housing; a lower exit path in said housing having an inlet end and an outlet end and being spaced from said image formation path and extending from said inlet end disposed adjacent to but spaced from said collection site to said outlet end disposed adjacent to but spaced from said lower front opening of said housing; a media sheet directing mechanism disposed between said exit end of said image formation path, said top collection site and said inlet end of said lower exit path and selectively operable to deliver printed media sheets to said collection site or to said inlet end of said lower exit path; and a diverter body mounted in a stationary position in said housing between said lower front opening of said housing and said outlet end of said lower exit path having a main portion, disposed at a predetermined angle of slope relative to a horizontal plane, defining a discharge path extending downwardly and outwardly from said outlet end of said lower exit path to said lower front opening of said housing and operable to divert printed media sheets from said lower exit path through said lower front opening to an exterior of said housing. |
| Claim: | 10. The device of claim 9 wherein said at least one image forming station is a plurality of image forming stations arranged in said housing along said image formation path. |
| Claim: | 11. The device of claim 9 further comprising a media input tray disposed in said housing spaced below said at least one image forming station and adapted to hold a stack of the media sheets so as to provide said source of supply of media sheets. |
| Claim: | 12. The device of claim 9 wherein said diverter body also has an upper edge portion, extending at an angle to the horizontal plane shallower than the angle of slope of said main portion relative to the horizontal plane, for blocking media sheets from moving along a return path extending from said outlet end of said lower exit path to said entrance end of said media formation path. |
| Claim: | 13. The device of claim 12 wherein said diverter body further has a lower edge portion projecting through said lower front opening in said housing, and extending at an angle to the horizontal plane shallower than the angle of slope of said main portion relative to the horizontal plane and in a direction from said main portion opposite that of said upper edge portion, for guiding media sheets from said main portion of said diverter body through said lower front opening in said housing to the exterior of said housing. |
| Claim: | 14. The device of claim 9 wherein said diverter body is movably disposed in said housing for undergoing movement between first and second orientations wherein said first orientation said diverter body deflects media sheets along a discharge path extending downwardly and outwardly from said outlet end of said duplex path though said lower front opening to exterior of said housing and wherein said second orientation said diverter body deflects media sheets to move along a return path extending from said outlet end of said duplex path to said entrance end of said image formation path. |
| Claim: | 15. The device of claim 9 wherein said deflector mechanism also includes a prime mover disposed in said housing and drivingly coupled to said diverter body and being selectively operable to move said diverter body to change said diverter body between said first and second orientations thereof, wherein said prime mover is one of a solenoid device or a motor. |
| Claim: | 16. An image forming device, comprising: a housing having a lower front opening and a collection site on a top portion of said housing adapted to receive printed media sheets; a plurality of image forming stations disposed in said housing; a media input tray in said housing spaced below said image forming stations and adapted to hold a stack of media sheets; a sheet pick mechanism disposed adjacent to said input tray and operable to move media sheets from said input tray toward an image formation path; a feed mechanism operable to receive media sheets from said pick mechanism and feed the media sheets along said image formation path through said plurality of image forming stations; a transport mechanism disposed in said housing alongside said image forming stations and adapted to receive media sheets from said feed mechanism in said image formation path and transport the media sheets through said image forming stations to enable formation of an image thereon; an internal structure disposed in said housing defining a lower exit path extending from an inlet end thereof disposed adjacent to but spaced from said collection site and an outlet end thereof disposed adjacent to but spaced from said feed mechanism; a media sheet directing mechanism disposed in said housing between said transport mechanism, said collection site and said inlet end of said lower exit path and selectively operable to deliver printed media sheets to said collection site or said inlet end of said lower exit path; and a deflector mechanism disposed in said housing between said lower front opening of said housing and said outlet end of said lower exit path and operable to divert printed media sheets from said lower exit path through said lower front opening to an exterior of said housing, said deflector mechanism having a diverter body disposed in said housing between said outlet end of said lower exit path and said lower front opening in said housing and being oriented at a predetermined angle of slope, relative to a horizontal plane, defining a discharge path extending downwardly and outwardly from said outlet end of said lower exit path through said lower front opening of said housing. |
| Claim: | 17. The device of claim 16 wherein said diverter body is mounted in a stationary orientation on said media input tray. |
| Claim: | 18. The device of claim 16 wherein said diverter body is movably disposed in said housing for undergoing movement between first and second orientations wherein said first orientation said diverter body deflects media sheets along a discharge path extending downwardly and outwardly from said outlet end of said duplex path through said lower front opening to exterior of said housing and wherein said second orientation said diverter body deflects media sheets to move along a return path extending from said outlet end of said duplex path to said feed mechanism. |
| Current U.S. Class: | 271/186 |
| Patent References Cited: | 4872659 October 1989 Kato et al. 5594542 January 1997 Sugimoto et al. 5996995 December 1999 Kim et al. 6267368 July 2001 Tomoe et al. 7292820 November 2007 Triplett et al. 2003/0116911 June 2003 Kanai 2005/0184442 August 2005 Kitano 2007/0065200 March 2007 Asaba 2007/0182086 August 2007 Murrell et al. 63134435 June 1988 03211161 September 1991 |
| Primary Examiner: | Gokhale, Prasad |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Tromp, Justin M Pezdek, John Victor |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.08641040 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |