EP0566298A1 - System zum Glätten von Blättern - Google Patents

System zum Glätten von Blättern Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0566298A1
EP0566298A1 EP93302666A EP93302666A EP0566298A1 EP 0566298 A1 EP0566298 A1 EP 0566298A1 EP 93302666 A EP93302666 A EP 93302666A EP 93302666 A EP93302666 A EP 93302666A EP 0566298 A1 EP0566298 A1 EP 0566298A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sheet
decurling
decurler
ambient air
belts
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP93302666A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0566298B1 (de
Inventor
Suzzette Solano Resto
John J. Bigenwald
Christian O. Abreu
Theodore J. Kellogg
Patrick T. Ferrari
Thomas R. Alexander
Robert P. Rebres
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Xerox Corp
Original Assignee
Xerox Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Xerox Corp filed Critical Xerox Corp
Publication of EP0566298A1 publication Critical patent/EP0566298A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0566298B1 publication Critical patent/EP0566298B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H29/00—Delivering or advancing articles from machines; Advancing articles to or into piles
    • B65H29/70—Article bending or stiffening arrangements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H23/00—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs
    • B65H23/04—Registering, tensioning, smoothing or guiding webs longitudinally
    • B65H23/34—Apparatus for taking-out curl from webs
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/50—Auxiliary process performed during handling process
    • B65H2301/51—Modifying a characteristic of handled material
    • B65H2301/512—Changing form of handled material
    • B65H2301/5125—Restoring form
    • B65H2301/51256—Removing waviness or curl, smoothing

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to an apparatus for improving the quality of a sheet, and more particularly concerns a sheet decurling system.
  • a curl or bend may be created in a sheet as a result of its method of manufacture.
  • a problem which sometimes occurs in a printing machine such as an electrophotographic printing machine is the development of a curl or bend in the sheet as the sheet passes through the various processing stations of the printing machine.
  • a curled sheet may be undesirable from a variety of standpoints.
  • the curled sheet may be difficult to handle as the sheet is processed in a printing machine. Curled sheets may tend to produce jams or misfeeds within the printing machine. Additionally, sheets having a curl or bend therein may be esthetically undesirable to consumers thereof.
  • the present invention provides a system according to claim 1 of the appended claims.
  • the generating and directing means is adapted to direct one portion of the flow of room ambient air onto one side of the sheet through the aperture in said first plate and the other portion of the flow of room ambient air onto the other side of the sheet through the aperture in said second plate.
  • the generating and directing means comprises means for substantially isolating the flow of room ambient air from machine ambient air prior to the directing of the flow of room ambient air onto the sheet.
  • FIG. 1 of the drawings there is shown a printing machine, generally indicated by the reference numeral 5.
  • the printing machine may be an electrophotographic printing machine such as the printing machine described in US-a-5,075,734.
  • the printing machine 5 includes a fuser apparatus 10, a catch tray 12 and a sheet decurling system, indicated generally by the reference numeral 14.
  • the sheet decurling system 14 includes an equilibrium station, indicated generally by the reference numeral 16, and a belt decurling mechanism, indicated generally by the reference numeral 18.
  • the decurling system 14 receives a sheet 20, traveling in the direction of arrow 22, from the output of the fuser apparatus 10.
  • the decurling system 14 then physically acts on the sheet to reduce the amount of curl therein and subsequently guides the sheet to the catch tray 12 for subsequent removal therefrom by a machine operator.
  • the equilibrium station 16 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 2-5.
  • the equilibrium station 16 includes a fan 34 for producing a current or flow of air.
  • the fan 34 is schematically illustrated by a tube in FIGS. 1-3.
  • the fan 34 has an intake port 36 positioned to receive ambient air directly from a location outside of the printing machine 5 (also see FIGS. 1-3).
  • the intake port may be positioned adjacent an outer wall of the printing machine 5 or the port may extend beyond an outer wall of the printing machine.
  • Ambient air located outside of the walls of a printing machine has significantly different characteristics, such as temperature and relative humidity levels, in comparison to ambient air located inside of the walls of a printing machine.
  • the equilibrium station 16 further includes a connection duct 24, an upper plenum duct 26 and a lower plenum duct 28.
  • the upper plenum duct 26 includes a plate 30 while the lower plenum duct 28 includes a plate 32.
  • plate 30 is a number of elongated apertures 38 and an air passageway 48 (see FIG. 4).
  • plate 32 has a number of elongated apertures 40 and an air passageway 50 defined therein (see FIG. 5).
  • the upper plenum duct 26 receives a flow of room ambient air via the fan 34 and the connection duct 24.
  • the lower plenum duct 28 receives a flow of room ambient air via the fan 34, the connection duct 24 and passageways 48 and 50.
  • the flow of room ambient air received within upper plenum duct 26 exits through apertures 38 defined in plate 30.
  • the flow of room ambient air received within lower plenum duct 28 exits through apertures 40 defined in plate 32.
  • the sheet 20 is advanced in the direction of arrow 22, the sheet is guided by a guide member 42 into a space 44 defined between plate 30 and plate 32 (see FIG. 2).
  • the equilibrium station 16 further includes a pair of rollers 46 which assists in the advancement of the sheet 20 through the equilibrium station.
  • the belt decurling mechanism 18 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 6-14. More specifically, the belt decurling mechanism 18 includes a first set of decurler belts 52 and a second set of decurler belts 54.
  • the first set of decurler belts 52 are entrained about a first belt shaft 56 and a second belt shaft 58.
  • the second set of decurler belts 54 are entrained about a third belt shaft 60 and a fourth belt shaft 62.
  • Belt shafts 56, 58, 60 and 62 are each mounted between a pair of side plates 64 and 66.
  • a motor 68 is secured adjacent to the sideplate 66 (see FIG. 7) and mechanically coupled to the first belt shaft 56 by a drive belt 70.
  • the first belt shaft 56 is mechanically coupled to the third belt shaft 60 by a set of gears (not shown).
  • the motor 68 rotates the drive belt 70
  • the first belt shaft 56 and consequently the third belt shaft 60 are caused to rotate.
  • each of the decurler belts 52 and each of the decurler belts 54 are caused to advance in a recirculating path of movement.
  • the belt decurling mechanism 18 further includes an inlet baffle 63 and an outlet baffle 65.
  • the decurler belts 52 and 54 are shown in more detail in Figures 8 and 9.
  • the decurler belts 52 are each made from a polyurethane material.
  • an inner surface portion 74 of each of the decurler belts 52 comprises a polyurethane material.
  • molded in an outer surface portion 76 of each of the decurler belts 52 is a dispersion of fine powder material.
  • the fine powder material is an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene material.
  • each of the decurler belts 52 comprises a fine powder material such as an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene material
  • the frictional resistance between the outer surface portion 76 of each of the decurler belts 52 and the sheet 20 is reduced during advancement of the sheet through the belt decurling mechanism 18.
  • the decurler belts 54 are each made from a polyurethane material.
  • an inner surface portion 78 of each of the decurler belts 54 comprises a polyurethane material.
  • molded in an outer surface portion 80 of each of the decurler belts 54 is a dispersion of fine powder material.
  • the fine powder material comprises an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene material.
  • each of the decurler belts 54 comprises a fine powder material such as an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene material
  • the frictional resistance between the outer surface portion 80 of each of the decurler belts 54 and the sheet 20 is reduced during advancement of the sheet through the belt decurling mechanism 18.
  • the sheet is advanced between the outer surface portion 76 of each of the decurler belts 52 and the outer surface portion 80 of each of the decurler belts 54.
  • the belt decurling mechanism 18 additionally includes a movable assembly, generally indicated by the reference numeral 72.
  • the movable assembly 72 is slidably mounted between sideplates 64 and 66.
  • An elongated slot 74 is defined in sideplate 64 while a similar elongated slot (not shown) is defined in sideplate 66.
  • the movable assembly 72 is selectively positionable at one of a number of positions along the length of the elongated slots as indicated by the two headed arrow 73 in FIG. 6.
  • the printing machine 5 may be equipped with a mechanism (not shown) which allows the machine operator to manually adjust the movable assembly 72 to a desired position or the printing machine may incorporate a mechanism (not shown), including a control system, which automatically adjusts the movable assembly to a desirable position in response to various sensed characteristics of the sheet such as the magnitude of curl in the sheet, the amount of toner on the sheet, and the size and orientation of the sheet.
  • the movable assembly 72 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 10 and 11.
  • the movable assembly includes a pair of end blocks 82. Mounted between the end blocks 82 is a first decurler shaft 84 and a second decurler shaft 86.
  • the first support assembly 88 includes a support beam 92 and a support shaft 94.
  • the support beam 92 is made of an acetal resin material.
  • the support beam 92 can be made from DeIrinAF, a trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware.
  • the support beam 92 defines a bearing surface 96 which is positioned to contact the first decurler shaft 84.
  • the first support beam 92 is also positioned to contact the support shaft 94 (see FIG. 10).
  • the first support assembly 88 also includes a number of cylindrical bearings 98, each being positioned around a portion of the support shaft 94 (see FIGS. 7 and 10).
  • the cylindrical bearings 98 are caused to rotate around support shaft 94 when the decurler belts 54 are being advanced and are respectively positioned in contact with the cylindrical bearings 98.
  • the second support assembly 90 includes a support beam 100 and a support shaft 102.
  • the support beam 100 is made of an acetal resin material.
  • the support beam 100 can be made from DeirinAF, a trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware.
  • the support beam 100 defines a bearing surface 104 which is positioned to contact the second decurler shaft 86.
  • the support beam 100 is also positioned to contact the support shaft 102 (see FIG. 10).
  • the second support assembly 90 also includes a number of cylindrical bearings 106, each being positioned around a portion of the support shaft 102 (see FIGS. 7 and 10). The cylindrical bearings 106 are caused to rotate around support shaft 102 when the decurler belts 52 are being advanced and are respectively positioned in contact with the cylindrical bearings 106.
  • An arcuate portion or region of the first decurler shaft 84 is positionable to contact the inner surface portion 78 of each of the decurler belts 54 while an arcuate portion or region of the second decurler shaft 86 is positionable to contact the inner surface portion 74 of each of the decurler belts 52.
  • the decurler belts 52 and the decurler belts 54 each travel through the space defined between the first decurler shaft 84 and the second decurler shaft 86 (see FIGS. 1, and 10-14). Therefore, as the movable assembly 72 is linearly adjusted to one of a variety of positions, as shown in FIGS. 12-14, the sheet path through the belt decurling mechanism 18 is correspondingly adjusted.
  • a discrete amount of mechanical force may be applied to the sheet within a range of amounts of mechanical force in either the positive or the negative direction as the sheet is advanced through the nip defined by the area of contact between the outer surface portion 76 of each of the decurler belts 52 and the outer surface portion 80 of each of the of decurler belts 54.
  • each of the decurler belts 54 are positioned in contact with an arcuate portion of the first decurler shaft 84 while each of the decurler belts 52 are respectively positioned in contact with the decurler belts 54 and are bent around the arcuate portion of the first decurler shaft 84.
  • each of the decurler belts 52 are positioned in contact with an arcuate portion of the second decurler shaft 86 while each of the decurler belts 54 are respectively positioned in contact with the decurler belts 52 and are bent around the arcuate portion of the second decurler shaft 86.
  • a strip of flexible material may be positioned near the sheet path between each set of neighboring decurler belts 52, and also between each set of neighboring decurler belts 54.
  • Each strip of flexible material would extend from the inlet baffle 63 to the outlet baffle 65 and through the space defined between the first decurler shaft 84 and the second decurler shaft 86.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Separation, Sorting, Adjustment, Or Bending Of Sheets To Be Conveyed (AREA)
  • Paper Feeding For Electrophotography (AREA)
  • Registering, Tensioning, Guiding Webs, And Rollers Therefor (AREA)
EP19930302666 1992-04-06 1993-04-05 System zum Glätten von Blättern Expired - Lifetime EP0566298B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US86427692A 1992-04-06 1992-04-06
US864276 1992-04-06

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0566298A1 true EP0566298A1 (de) 1993-10-20
EP0566298B1 EP0566298B1 (de) 1995-12-20

Family

ID=25342901

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19930302666 Expired - Lifetime EP0566298B1 (de) 1992-04-06 1993-04-05 System zum Glätten von Blättern

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0566298B1 (de)
JP (1) JPH0616309A (de)
DE (1) DE69301051T2 (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN101497283B (zh) * 2008-01-29 2010-11-10 诺日士钢机株式会社 打印装置

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2211629A1 (de) * 1971-03-10 1972-11-16 Masson Scott Thrissell Engineering Ltd., Bristol (Grossbritannien) Drall-Korrektionsvorrichtung für eine kontinuierlich ablaufende Bahn
GB1360191A (en) * 1971-07-22 1974-07-17 Molins Ltd Web feeding
DE2345900A1 (de) * 1973-05-10 1974-11-28 Howard B Carstedt Verfahren und vorrichtung zum kontinuierlichen biegen von blattmaterial
DE2427280A1 (de) * 1974-06-06 1975-12-18 Maeteling Johannes Vorrichtung zum glattziehen von in einer rotations-druckmaschine bedruckten bogen
DE2459862B1 (de) * 1974-12-18 1976-02-19 Erhardt & Leimer Kg Kantenausroller zum Glaetten von Rollkanten oder dgl. an laufenden Warenbahnen
FR2332938A1 (fr) * 1975-11-28 1977-06-24 Xerox Corp Appareil de transport et positionnement a assistance pneumatique
FR2369193A1 (fr) * 1976-10-28 1978-05-26 Roland Offsetmaschf Dispositif pour aplanir des feuilles par succion
EP0416896A2 (de) * 1989-09-05 1991-03-13 Xerox Corporation Passives und intelligentes System zum Glätten von Blättern

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2211629A1 (de) * 1971-03-10 1972-11-16 Masson Scott Thrissell Engineering Ltd., Bristol (Grossbritannien) Drall-Korrektionsvorrichtung für eine kontinuierlich ablaufende Bahn
GB1360191A (en) * 1971-07-22 1974-07-17 Molins Ltd Web feeding
DE2345900A1 (de) * 1973-05-10 1974-11-28 Howard B Carstedt Verfahren und vorrichtung zum kontinuierlichen biegen von blattmaterial
DE2427280A1 (de) * 1974-06-06 1975-12-18 Maeteling Johannes Vorrichtung zum glattziehen von in einer rotations-druckmaschine bedruckten bogen
DE2459862B1 (de) * 1974-12-18 1976-02-19 Erhardt & Leimer Kg Kantenausroller zum Glaetten von Rollkanten oder dgl. an laufenden Warenbahnen
FR2332938A1 (fr) * 1975-11-28 1977-06-24 Xerox Corp Appareil de transport et positionnement a assistance pneumatique
FR2369193A1 (fr) * 1976-10-28 1978-05-26 Roland Offsetmaschf Dispositif pour aplanir des feuilles par succion
EP0416896A2 (de) * 1989-09-05 1991-03-13 Xerox Corporation Passives und intelligentes System zum Glätten von Blättern

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 9, no. 135 (M-386)(1858) 11 June 1985 & JP-A-60 015 348 ( FUJI XEROX ) 26 January 1985 *

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN101497283B (zh) * 2008-01-29 2010-11-10 诺日士钢机株式会社 打印装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69301051D1 (de) 1996-02-01
JPH0616309A (ja) 1994-01-25
EP0566298B1 (de) 1995-12-20
DE69301051T2 (de) 1996-06-20

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