WO2021015734A1

WO2021015734A1 - Aligning media pages

Info

Publication number: WO2021015734A1
Application number: PCT/US2019/042896
Authority: WO
Inventors: Timothy LUEDEMAN; Elliott DOWNING
Original assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
Priority date: 2019-07-23
Filing date: 2019-07-23
Publication date: 2021-01-28

Abstract

In an example implementation, a finishing device includes a clamping assembly to travel in a downward motion to clamp a delivered media page, and in an upward motion to enable delivery of an additional media page. The device further includes a page alignment arm driven by the downward and upward motion to align the media pages.

Description

ALIGNING MEDIA PAGES

BACKGROUND

[0001] Image forming devices such as copiers and printers often include an associated post-processing device, sometimes referred to as a finishing device. Finishing devices can be integrated into an image forming device, mounted within or onto an image forming device, coupled in-line with an image forming device, and so on. Finishing devices can perform various value-added operations on media pages after the pages have been printed on with ink or other marking agents by an image forming device. Finishing operations can include, for example, different binding operations such as stapling, stitching, spiral/coil binding, and other operations such as hole punching, folding, perforating, and so on.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] Examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0003] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram view of an example image forming system that includes an image forming device and a finishing device;

[0004] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an example clamping assembly;

[0005] FIG. 3 shows an example of a clamping assembly and associated page alignment components as viewed from an end of the assembly where a clamping pad is located; [0006] FIG. 4 shows an example clamping assembly and associated page alignment components in an upward position after traveling in an upward motion;

[0007] FIG. 5 shows an example clamping assembly and associated page alignment components in an intermediate position during an upward traveling motion;

[0008] FIG. 6 shows an example clamping assembly and associated page alignment components traveling in a down ward motion;

[0009] FIG. 7 shows an example clamping assembly and associated page alignment components as the assembly begins traveling in an upward motion; and,

[0010] FIGs. 8 and 9 show flow diagrams illustrating example methods of aligning a media page.

[0011] Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The quality of a print job from an imaging device can depend in part on the quality of the finishing operation performed after the pages in the job have been printed and delivered to a finishing device. The quality of the finishing operation often depends on how well the printed pages are aligned or registered prior to performing the finishing operation. For example, pages that are not well aligned prior to performing a binding operation such as stapling, can result in a finished job that has uneven or jagged edges. [0013] In some example finishing operations, a printed page undergoes an initial alignment when the imaging/printing device delivers the page to the finishing device. For example, delivering a page to a finishing device often includes dropping the page onto a shelf in alignment with a particular position and/or with other pages already delivered to the shelf. After each page is delivered, some type of clamping mechanism can be moved into position to hold the page or pages in place until the next page is delivered. However, the initial alignment of a delivered page can be imprecise and is often considered to be a rough alignment. The imprecise alignment can be due to a number of factors. For example, air flow within the device can cause misalignment of a page as it is delivered onto the alignment shelf. The distance a page drops when being delivered can be on the order of one inch, and air flow can cause the page to move, resulting in its misalignment. Other factors that can cause misalignment of pages include page cockle caused by heavy ink loading, variations in the direction of material grain within the media page, the movement of an adjacent media page, and so on.

[0014] Because the initial alignment of a delivered page can be imprecise, finishing devices often employ additional mechanisms to help improve the page alignment. While such mechanisms can provide improved page alignment resulting in improved job quality, they can add significant cost and complexity to the finishing devices and the finishing operations. For example, additional alignment mechanisms generally include the use of added hardware, such as small mechanical arms that can tap on the edges of delivered pages and move them into better alignment with other pages to produce an aligned stack of pages. Additional motors and control hardware are used to move the alignment arms and control the alignment operation. Controlling the alignment operations generally involves the development and deployment of additional control routines to execute on the control hardware. Thus, the cost and complexity of additional page alignment mechanisms can be significant.

[0015] Accordingly, an example finishing device and methods described herein provide for the efficient and cost-effective alignment of media pages that improves page alignment for finishing operations and results in high quality print media jobs. A finishing device leverages the characteristic“Z-direction” clamping motion (i.e. , up and down motion) of a media clamping assembly to provide Ύ-direction” registration (i.e., alignment) of printed pages prior to a finishing operation. Leveraging the motion of the media clamping assembly for aligning media pages avoids the costs and complexities associated with using additional motors and control mechanisms.

[0016] In an example finishing device, the media clamping assembly is modified to include hardware that utilizes the Z-direction page clamping motion to load, lock, trigger, and deploy a rotatable page alignment arm. The page alignment arm includes a page contact end and a locking end. During an upward motion of the clamping assembly, the locking end of the arm contacts a reset member that causes the arm to rotate clockwise. The clockwise rotation loads the arm with elastic potential energy (e.g., by deflection of an attached rotational or extension spring), and moves the locking end of the arm into a locked position under an arm locker. When the clamping assembly moves downward, at the end of its downward motion a clamping pad contacts a media page that has been delivered onto a registration shelf. Contact between the clamping pad against the page on the shelf creates a force that triggers the arm to move. The triggering unlocks the arm by dislodging and releasing the locking end of the arm from its locked position under the arm locker. The elastic load causes the unlocked arm to rotate slightly in a counter clockwise direction until the page contact end of the arm engages the page. As the clamping assembly begins to move back upward, the clamping pad lets go of its hold on the page, and the page alignment arm deploys by continuing its counter clockwise rotation. As the arm deploys (i.e., continues its CCW rotation), the frictional surface at the page contact end of the arm pulls the page along the shelf in the Y direction until the page contacts a registration wall. As the clamping assembly continues its upward motion, the locking end of the page alignment arm again contacts the reset member, causing a clockwise rotation that reloads the alignment arm with elastic potential energy and locks the arm again under the arm locker as noted above.

[0017] In a particular example, a finishing device includes a clamping assembly to travel in a downward motion to clamp a delivered media page, and in an upward motion to enable delivery of an additional media page. The device further includes a page alignment arm driven by the downward and upward motion to align the media pages.

[0018] In some examples, a method of aligning a media page can include receiving a media page and moving a clamping assembly in a downward motion to clamp the media page in a held position, and in an upward motion to release the media page from the held position. The method can include using the clamping assembly motion to activate and drive a page alignment arm to move the media page to an aligned position.

[0019] In some examples, a media clamping and alignment assembly in a finishing device can include a clamping assembly with a clamping pad to clamp and hold media pages. The assembly can further include a rotatable alignment arm coupled to the clamping assembly and actuated by motion of the clamping assembly to align the media pages.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram view of an example image forming system 100 that includes an image forming device 102 and a finishing device 104. An example image forming device 102 can form images on pages of print media according to an imaging job. An example finishing device 104 can receive pages from the image forming device 102 and leverage a repetitive motion of a page clamping assembly 106 to drive an alignment arm that aligns the pages prior to performing a finishing operation on the pages to complete the job. Examples of an image forming device 102 include but are not limited to, a printing device, a copying device, a multi function device, and a facsimile machine. Examples of finishing operations that can be performed by a finishing device 104 include but are not limited to, binding operations such as stapling, stitching, and spiral/coil binding, as well as other finishing operations such as hole punching, folding, and perforating. Examples of print media pages can include paper, envelopes, cardstock, overhead transparencies, labels, and so on. [0021] In the example image forming system 100 of FIG. 1 , the finishing device 104 is shown integrated within the image forming device 102. However, in other examples the finishing device 104 can be positioned next to the image forming device 102, on top of the image forming device, or in some other location adjacent to the image forming device that enables the finishing device to be operatively coupled to the image forming device.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an example clamping assembly 106. As discussed in more detail below, the clamping assembly 106 in the finishing device 104 can travel in an up and down motion (indicated by up arrow 108 and down arrow 1 10) to clamp and hold pages in place as they are delivered to the finishing device 104 from the image forming device 102. The clamping assembly 106 includes an assembly axis and axle 1 12 about which the assembly 106 can pivot, and a media clamping pad 1 14 that contacts and holds media pages in place when the clamping assembly reaches the end of its downward motion. The clamping assembly 106 also includes page alignment components that are activated and driven by the up and down motion (see arrows 108, 1 10) of the clamping assembly to align media pages as the pages are delivered to the finishing device 104. The alignment components include a page alignment arm 1 16 rotatably coupled to the clamping assembly, an arm locker 1 18 also rotatably coupled to the clamping assembly, an elastic member 120 such as an extension spring or rotational spring coupled to the alignment arm 1 16 and arm locker 1 18, and a reset member 122 (FIGs. 3-7). The alignment arm 1 16 and arm locker 1 18 are rotatable around different, first and second axes, 124 and 126, respectively. The alignment arm 1 16 comprises three functional contact points that include a page gripping end 128, a locking end 129, and a reset end 130. The page gripping end 128 comprises a frictional surface such as a rubber boot or covering that can grip a media page upon contact, enabling the alignment arm 1 16 to move the media page. The locking end 129 of the alignment arm 1 16 can be locked under the arm locker 1 18 when the arm 1 16 rotates in a clockwise rotation, and the reset end 130 can contact the reset member 122 when the clamping assembly 106 moves upward, causing the clockwise rotation of the arm 1 16, as discussed in more detail below.

[0023] FIGs. 3-7 each show the example clamping assembly 106 and other page alignment components as being viewed from the end of the assembly where the clamping pad 1 14 is located. Additional page alignment components shown in FIGs. 3-7 that are not shown in FIG. 2 include a page alignment/registration wall 132, a media shelf 134 to receive media pages that are delivered to the finishing device 104, and a motor 136 that can function to lower the media shelf 134 after the finishing device 104 has performed a finishing operation and the completed job is ready to be retrieved by a user. A support housing 138 is shown surrounding the page alignment arm 1 16 in FIG. 3. In FIGs. 4-7, however, part of the housing 138 is shown as being transparent in order to not obstruct the view of the alignment arm 1 16 and other components of the clamping assembly 106. Also shown in FIGs. 3 and 4 is a page delivery mechanism 140. The page delivery mechanism 140 can be a component of the image forming device 102, and it is shown in FIGs. 3 and 4 to illustrate an example method for delivering printed or imaged pages to the finishing device 104. In some examples, a page delivery mechanism 140 can deliver a media page 142 a short distance (e.g., on the order of one inch) above the media shelf 134, and release the media page 142 so that it drops onto the media shelf 134 in proximity to, and in partial alignment with, the alignment wall 132. In different examples, a page delivery mechanism 140 can comprise clamps, rollers, tracks, and/or other components (not shown) that hold onto printed media pages and transport them from the image forming device 102 to the finishing device 104.

[0024] FIGs. 4-7 show the clamping assembly 106 and other page alignment components in different stages of operation during the delivery and alignment of media pages 142 from a job, just prior to performing a finishing operation. FIG. 4 shows the clamping assembly 106 in an upward position after it has traveled in an upward motion indicated by direction arrow 108. FIG. 5 shows the clamping assembly 106 in an intermediate position as it is traveling to the upward position in an upward motion indicated by direction arrow 108. In the upward position shown in FIG. 4, the page alignment arm 1 16 has been rotated in a clockwise rotation to lock the locking end 129 of the arm 1 16 under the arm locker 1 18. The clockwise rotation of the arm 1 16 is shown in FIG. 5 by direction arrow 144. The clockwise rotation of the arm 1 16 deforms the elastic member 120 which is coupled to the arm 1 16, storing mechanical energy (potential energy) in the elastic member 120 and creating a rotational load pressure against the arm 1 16 that tries to rotate the arm 1 16 back in a counterclockwise rotation. Thus, in the upward position shown in FIG. 4, the page alignment arm 1 16 is in a locked and loaded condition. During the time when the clamping assembly 106 is in the upward position, a media page 142 can be delivered onto the media shelf 134, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0025] While a particular example is described wherein the alignment arm 1 16 is coupled to an elastic member 120 that can store mechanical energy and create a rotational load against the arm 1 16, other examples are possible and are contemplated herein. In some examples, for instance, the alignment arm 1 16 itself may comprise an elastic member 120. In one example, the arm 1 16 may comprise an elastic member such as a leaf spring or other elastic deformable mechanism that can be loaded and locked during the upward motion of the clamping assembly 106. Such an elastic member 120 of arm 1 16 can have a page gripping end 128 that can rotate to grip and move a page into alignment upon being released from the locked position, in a manner similar to that discussed below.

[0026] Referring still generally to FIGs. 4 and 5, the alignment arm 1 16 is driven to the locked and loaded condition of FIG. 4 through the upward motion of the clamping assembly 106, as shown in FIG. 5. As the clamping assembly 106 moves upward (direction arrow 108), the stationary reset member 122 comes into contact with the reset end 139 of the alignment arm 1 16, which forces the arm 1 16 to rotate counterclockwise (direction arrow 144) around axis 124. During the continued upward motion of the clamping assembly and counterclockwise rotation of the alignment arm 1 16, the locking end 129 of the arm 1 16 eventually pushes against the arm locker 1 18, causing the arm locker 1 18 to rotate slightly in the counterclockwise direction (indicated by dashed direction arrow 146) about axis 126 as the locking end 129 slips under the arm locker 1 18 into a locked position, as shown in FIG 4.

[0027] FIG. 6 shows the clamping assembly 106 as it travels in a downward motion indicated by direction arrow 1 10. The clamping assembly 106 shown in FIG. 6 is reaching the end of its downward motion, which is indicated in part by contact between the clamping pad 1 14 and the media page 142 on the media shelf 134. At the end of the clamping assembly’s downward motion, the force applied to the clamping pad 1 14 as it contacts the media page 142 on shelf 134 causes the clamping pad 1 14 to push up on the page alignment arm 1 16. The force against the page alignment arm 1 16 causes the locking end 129 of the arm 1 16 to push up against the arm locker 1 18, rotating the arm locker 1 18 slightly in the counterclockwise direction indicated by direction arrow 148. The locking end 129 of the arm 1 16 slips out from under the arm locker 1 18 as the arm locker rotates counterclockwise.

[0028] Referring still generally to FIG. 6, the page alignment arm 1 16 is released from the locked position and is free to rotate to its“triggered” position once the locking end 129 of the arm 1 16 slips out from under the arm locker 1 18. The stored energy in the elastic member 120 causes rotation of the arm 1 16 in a counterclockwise direction (indicated by direction arrow 150) until the page gripping end 128 of the arm 1 16 contacts the media page 142. For a brief moment, the clamping pad 1 14 continues to hold the media page 142 in a fixed position prior to the clamping assembly 106 beginning its upward motion. Until the clamping assembly 106 begins its upward motion, the alignment arm 1 16 remains in the triggered position because the page gripping end 128 of the arm 1 16 continues pushing against the page 142 and the underlying shelf 134, and it does not have enough room to continue its counterclockwise rotation.

[0029] Referring now to FIG. 7, when the clamping assembly 106 begins its upward motion (indicated by direction arrow 108), the clamping pad 1 14 releases its hold on the media page 142, and the alignment arm 1 16 can continue its counterclockwise rotation. As the arm 1 16 continues to rotate counterclockwise (indicated by direction arrow 150), the page gripping end 128 of the arm 1 16 grips the media page 142 and slides the page toward the alignment wall 132 until the page 142 contacts the wall and remains aligned with the wall. The clamping assembly 106 then continues its upward motion and the page alignment arm 1 16 is relocked and reloaded as discussed above with reference to FIGs. 4 and 5.

[0030] FIGs. 8 and 9 show flow diagrams illustrating example methods 800 and 900, respectively, of aligning a media page. Method 900 is an extension of method 800 that incorporates additional details. Methods 800 and 900 are associated with the examples discussed herein with regard to FIGs. 1 - 7, and details of the operations shown in these methods can be found in the related discussion of such examples. In some examples, methods 800 and 900 may include more than one implementation, and different implementations of methods 800 and 900 may not employ every operation presented in the respective flow diagrams of FIGs. 8 and 9. Therefore, while the operations of methods 800 and 900 are presented in a particular order within the flow diagrams, the order of their presentation is not intended to be a limitation as to the order in which the operations may actually be implemented, or as to whether all of the operations may be implemented. For example, one implementation of method 900 might be achieved through the performance of a number of initial operations, without performing one or more subsequent operations, while another implementation of method 900 might be achieved through the performance of all of the operations.

[0031] Referring now to the flow diagram of FIG. 8, an example method 800 of aligning a media page begins at block 802 with receiving a media page, which can include, for example, receiving a printed media page from a printing device, copying device, or other image forming device. The method continues with moving a clamping assembly in a downward motion to clamp the media page in a held position, and moving the assembly in an upward motion to release the media page from the held position, as shown at block 804. The method includes using the clamping assembly motion to activate and drive a page alignment arm to move the media page to an aligned position, as shown at block 806.

[0032] Referring now to the flow diagram of FIG. 9, another example method 900 of aligning a media page is shown. As noted above, method 900 is an extension of method 800 incorporating additional details. Accordingly, like method 800, method 900 can include receiving a media page (block 902), moving a clamping assembly in a downward motion to clamp the media page in a held position, and in an upward motion to release the media page from the held position (block 904), and using the clamping assembly motion to activate and drive a page alignment arm to move the media page to an aligned position (block 906). In some examples, driving the page alignment arm can include rotating and locking the alignment arm into a locked position during the upward motion, and loading the alignment arm with potential energy by deforming an elastic member coupled to the alignment arm during the rotating (block 908). In some examples, rotating the alignment arm during the upward motion can include contacting a reset end of the alignment arm with a stationary reset member during the upward motion, where the contact forces the reset end of the alignment arm to rotate (block 910). In some examples, activating the page alignment arm includes unlocking the alignment arm during the downward motion, rotating the alignment arm to a triggered position to grip the media page with a gripping end of the alignment arm, and when the clamping assembly begins the upward motion, continuing to rotate the alignment arm causing the gripping end to move the media page into alignment against an alignment wall (block 912). In some examples, locking the alignment arm can include causing a rotation of the arm locker that enables a locking end of the alignment arm to slip under the arm locker (block 914). In some examples of method 900, unlocking the alignment arm includes contacting the media page with a clamping pad of the clamping assembly, moving the clamping pad upon contacting the media page, and dislodging the alignment arm from its locked position under the arm locker by moving the clamping pad (block 916).

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A finishing device comprising:

a clamping assembly to travel in a downward motion to clamp a delivered media page, and in an upward motion to enable delivery of an additional media page; and,

a page alignment arm driven by the downward and upward motion to align the media pages.

2. A finishing device as in claim 1 , wherein the arm comprises:

a reset end to enable rotating the arm during the upward motion;

a locking end to enable locking the arm into a locked position during the upward motion; and,

a gripping end to grip the media pages when the arm is triggered out of the locked position.

3. A finishing device as in claim 1 , wherein the arm is rotatably coupled to the clamping assembly.

4. A finishing device as in claim 3, further comprising:

a stationary reset member to contact the arm during the upward motion and rotate the arm to a locked position; and,

an elastic member coupled to the arm to store elastic potential energy as the arm rotates to the locked position.

5. A finishing device as in claim 4, further comprising:

an arm locker rotatably coupled to the clamping assembly to lock the arm in the locked position during the upward motion.

6. A finishing device as in claim 5, further comprising:

a shelf to receive the delivered media pages; and,

a clamping pad on the clamping assembly to unlock the arm from the locked position as the clamping assembly completes the downward motion and the pad contacts a top-most media page on the shelf, as the clamping assembly completes the downward motion, the arm to rotate from the locked position to a triggered position under force from the elastic potential energy stored in the elastic member.

7. A finishing device as in claim 4, wherein the arm comprises the elastic member, the arm to store elastic potential energy as the arm rotates to the locked position.

8. A method of aligning a media page comprising:

receiving a media page;

moving a clamping assembly in a downward motion to clamp the media page in a held position, and in an upward motion to release the media page from the held position; and,

using the clamping assembly motion, activating and driving a page alignment arm to move the media page to an aligned position.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein driving the page alignment arm comprises:

rotating and locking the alignment arm into a locked position during the upward motion; and,

loading the alignment arm with potential energy by deforming an elastic member coupled to the alignment arm during the rotating.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein rotating the alignment arm during the upward motion comprises:

contacting a reset end of the alignment arm with a stationary reset member during the upward motion, wherein the contacting forces the reset end of the alignment arm to rotate.

11. A method as in claim 9, wherein activating the page alignment arm comprises:

unlocking the alignment arm during the downward motion;

upon unlocking the alignment arm, rotating the alignment arm to a triggered position to grip the media page with a gripping end of the alignment arm; and,

when the clamping assembly begins the upward motion, continuing to rotate the alignment arm causing the gripping end to move the media page into alignment against an alignment wall.

12. A method as in claim 11 , wherein unlocking the alignment arm comprises:

contacting the media page with a clamping pad of the clamping assembly; moving the clamping pad upon contacting the media page; and,

dislodging the alignment arm from its locked position under the arm locker by moving the clamping pad.

13. A method as in claim 9, wherein locking the alignment arm comprises causing a rotation of the arm locker that enables a locking end of the alignment arm to slip under the arm locker.

14. A media clamping and alignment assembly in a finishing device, comprising:

a clamping assembly with a clamping pad to clamp and hold media pages; and, a rotatable alignment arm coupled to the clamping assembly and actuated by motion of the clamping assembly to align the media pages.

15. A media clamping and alignment assembly as in claim 14, further comprising:

an elastic spring to deform and store energy upon rotation of the alignment arm in a first direction, and to release the stored energy and cause the alignment arm to rotate in a second direction to align the media pages.