Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Detail of medium positioning
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-16
2004-02-10
Coles, Edward (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Detail of medium positioning
C358S001150, C283S104000, C283S105000, C283S106000, C271S018000, C271S220000, C271S037000, C271S117000, C271S118000, C271S188000, C271S186000, C271S280000, C271S009100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06690476
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to image forming devices, and more specifically, a method and system for unloading media from image forming devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Continuous forms printers refer to printers that use continuous forms media. The continuous forms media may include stacked sheets of paper which are folded in a box as shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 1
illustrates a box
1
which includes several stacked sheets
2
, each sheet having a length (l) and a width (w). In this context, the term sheet refers to the portion of the media between two folds or perforation folds. It should be noted that in
FIG. 1
, each sheet represents a single form.
Within a continuous forms printer, the media travels along a media path (also referred to as a forms path or paper path). The media path generally refers to the entire route forms travel between the beginning state of being unused to the end state of a printed document. One characteristic of high speed continuous forms printers is that the media path is longer than the length (l) of a single sheet of paper.
FIG. 2
illustrates a media path
21
within printer
20
. The media path
21
starts at
31
where paper is fed into printer
20
from an unused stack of paper
22
and ends at location
30
where printed paper is passed to a stacker
23
. Location
24
along media path
21
represents the print start position and location
29
along media path
21
represents the print end position. It should be noted that media path
21
extends beyond print end position
29
.
As a transport unit
28
transports the media between print start position
24
and print end position
29
, an image may be transferred to the media via drum
26
(also referred to as an organic photoconductor cartridge) which receives toner from a developer
25
. In general, once toner is on a sheet (i.e., immediately after the sheet has traveled pass a fusing system
27
), that sheet is considered to be printed. The toner is permanently affixed to the media by heat and pressure from fusing system
27
before exiting the end of the media path at location
30
.
In order to reduce the likelihood of paper jams caused by stacker
23
, it is desirable to stack the media after printing with the folds in the same orientation as they were originally folded. If folding is done opposite the original fold direction, the jam rate may become unacceptably high.
Typically, the fold orientation of a continuous forms media is defined as having a “first fold up” or a “first fold down”. If one places continuous forms media on a flat surface in the direction the media will enter a printer, the media typically has “memory” in that the first fold will either bulge up or down slightly. If the first fold bulges up, then the media has a first fold up orientation and if the first fold bulges down, then the media has a first fold down orientation.
Once the continuous forms media exits media path
21
at location
30
, the sheets may be stacked by a stacker. Stackers are typically attached to or positioned near a printer at the media exit location. Two common types of stackers are the gravity stacker and the power stacker. If the continuous forms media that exits the printer has strong memory, it can fall onto the floor and essentially stack itself in the fold orientation it had when it came out of a box. In this situation a gravity stacker may be suitable. On the other hand, if the continuous forms media that exits the printer does not have strong enough memory for the gravity stacker, or higher reliability is required, a power stacker may be suitable.
A power stacker includes a folding mechanism which must fold the media to match the fold memory of the media. This can be accomplished two ways, either the folding mechanism always folds in one direction with the media always being loaded into the printer with the same fold orientation, or whenever media is loaded, an operator must provide input as to the fold orientation of the media loaded.
When media is unloaded from media path
21
, the last printed sheet is cut from the media. Furthermore, if stacker
23
requires that the media always be loaded in the same fold orientation, an additional unused sheet may also be cut from the media. For example, assume that stacker
23
requires that media always be loaded having a first fold up orientation. If the last printed sheet has a fold up orientation, then the next unused sheet has a fold down orientation. If the media was cut at the fold boundary between the last printed sheet and the first unused sheet, then the media would be reloaded having a first fold down orientation which would not meet the set-up requirements of stacker
23
and likely cause paper jams. Thus, in this situation, the media is cut after the next unused sheet so that the media can be reloaded having a first fold up orientation.
On the other hand, if stacker
23
does not require that media always be loaded in the same fold orientation, then for the example above, the media is cut at the fold boundary between the last printed sheet and the first unused sheet. Because the first fold orientation of the media has changed from first fold up to first fold down, stacker
23
needs to be informed of this change, which is typically done via operator intervention.
In certain situations, it is desirable to have multiple forms per sheet. For example, when printing checks, multiple checks may be printed on a single sheet.
FIG. 3
illustrates an example where there are three forms per sheet. Sheet
33
includes forms
33
a-c
, sheet
34
includes forms
34
a-c
, and sheet
35
includes forms
35
a-c
. In
FIG. 3
, stacked sheets
33
,
34
, and
35
have been pulled from box
32
to illustrate that when the media is loaded starting with sheet
33
, it has a first fold up orientation. As shown in
FIG. 3
, adjacent sheets
33
and
34
are separated by a fold perforation and adjacent sheets
34
and
35
are also separated by a fold perforation. Furthermore, adjacent forms within each sheet are separated by a perforation.
When media having multiple forms per sheet are used, it is likely that unused forms will be wasted when unloading the last printed form because mechanical stacking is based on the fold length of the sheet rather than a form. For example, assuming the stacker is set for a first fold up orientation and there are three sheets per form, if the first form (
33
a
) of a sheet (
33
) having a fold up orientation is printed and there are no more forms to print, then in a first situation five unused forms are wasted and in a second situation two unused forms are wasted.
Five unused forms are wasted when the stacker requires media to always be loaded with the same fold orientation. In this situation, the media is cut after the two forms (
33
b-c
) on the first sheet (
33
), a fold, and three forms (
34
a-c
) in the next sheet (
34
). Based on this example, it is possible to waste five of the six forms when unloading.
Two unused form are wasted when the stacker does not require that the media always be loaded in the same fold orientation. In this situation, the media is cut after the two forms (
33
b-c
) on the first sheet (
33
) and the stacker is reset to a first fold down orientation. Based on this example, the number of wasted forms is reduced from five to two forms; however, operator intervention is typically required to reset the stacker to change to first fold orientation.
In certain situations, it may be desirable to unload the media without wasting any forms and/or sheets. For example, when printing numbered forms, such as checks, the operators must manually account for the wasted forms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to utilize full forms on consecutive print runs while automatically unloading print runs.
Another object of the present invention is to minimize the number of forms wasted during an unload operation.
A method of unloading media from a media path in an image forming device is described. The media includes a plu
Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P.
Coles Edward
International Business Machines - Corporation
Mitchell Monica
Reid Scott W.
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