Electrophotography – Having particular structure – Modular or displaceable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-17
2001-05-22
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Having particular structure
Modular or displaceable
C271S273000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06236824
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to a shutter arrangement for access to a paper path of single sheet printers and copiers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Paper jams occasionally occur in the paper path of single sheet printers and copiers. In any case, the paper path must be at least partially uncovered in order to remove jammed sheets. For the sake of simplicity, only single sheet printers shall be mentioned below instead of single sheet printers and copiers; not only paper but also other printing matter can be processed with single sheet printers, whereby only paper jam, paper material and the like shall be mentioned below.
In order to remove jammed sheets from the paper path, it is known, for example, to arrange shutters along the paper path that form a part of the guide surface of the paper path in the closed condition and that can be pivoted away from the paper path in the case of a paper jam so that the user can remove the jammed sheets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,556, thus, discloses a copier device wherein a shutter arrangement is provided for removing potential paper jams in the area of the photo conductor drum. The shutter arrangement is composed of two shutters connected to one another via an articulation, the one thereof being seated at the housing of the copier device pivotable around a swivelling axis. The two shutters can be adjusted in common between an operating position wherein they form a guide surface for the paper path and an open position wherein the shutters are swivelled away from the paper path and release a lateral interspace between the paper path and the shutters through which the jammed sheets can be removed. A comparable shutter arrangement having two shutters pivotably seated at the housing is also disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,506 or, respectively, by JP-57 151 954 A.
Given these known shutter arrangements, the shutters can in fact be swivelled away from the paper path in order to enable access into the paper path. The interspace between the paper path and the shutters produced for the access, however, is comparatively small due to the small structural volume of such copier devices, so that the jammed sheets can only be removed from the paper path under more difficult conditions and with a great expenditure of time.
Therefore, there is a need for a shutter arrangement for single sheet printers and copiers that can be unproblematically opened and enables simple access to the paper path.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an embodiment, the shutters swivelled into the open position release an opening for the access, and in that at least one tension element is provided at the second shutter that is pre-stressed in the operating position of the second shutter and supports the opening movement thereof into the open position due to the pre-stressing force.
In the invention, the shutters swivelled in common into the open position release an opening through which the sheets jammed in the paper path can be removed in a simple and comfortable way. Further, the opening of the shutters is facilitated by the tension element that promotes the opening movement of the second shutter. When, by contrast, the second shutter is swivelled into the operating position, it is mechanically clamped by the pre-stressing force exerted by the tension element and is held in a defined position in this way.
It is fundamentally possible to equip each of the two shutters with a separate lock and with its own actuation means, that must be separately actuated for each shutter. According to a development of the invention, however, it is advantageous that the second shutter is pivotable by the actuation means together with the first shutter, so that operation is simple and takes little time.
It would then be possible to provide a higher-ranking actuation and locking means that, for example, is connected to each of the two shutters via a rodding. An especially simple and expedient development of the invention is then comprised therein that the second shutter is fashioned and trainable by the first shutter.
The first swivelling axis can be displaceably arranged on, for instance, a pivotably seated carrier, so that the first shutter can be swivelled around obstacles in this way.
In a preferred embodiment, the first swivelling axis is stationarily arranged at the single sheet printer. In order to be able to pivot the first shutter around an obstacle, it potentially has a projecting web at the backside, i.e., at the side facing away from the paper path, whose free end edge is penetrated by the swivelling axis.
It is also proposed to seat the second shutter pivotably at the first shutter and to provide a tension spring as a tension element that has its one end secured to the first shutter and has its other end secured to the second shutter, so that the second swivelling axis also swivels when the first shutter is swivelled. As a result of the tension spring, the two shutters are secured such that, in their operating position, it stresses these toward one another between their guide surfaces and the second swivelling axis. The movement of the second shutter in at least the one direction, namely when opening the shutters, can thus be controlled in a simple and dependable way.
In another preferred, second embodiment, the second swivelling axis is also stationarily arranged at the single sheet printer and a tension spring is provided as tension element that has its one end stationarily secured at the single sheet printer and has its other end secured to the second shutter. Two separate shutters are thus provided that, like window shutters, are hinged at both sides of the access opening of the paper path.
The shutters, for example, can be shaped of deep-drawn sheet metal or can be cast in one piece. According to a development of the invention, it is especially advantageous that the two shutters are parts of profiled ledges that extend transversely relative to the paper path.
Such profiled ledges can be manufactured of plastic or lightweight metal with high precision and surface quality in an economical way and are provided as desired with versatile stiffening means.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuation means is a locking rod seated in the first shutter and extending transversely relative to the paper path that engages into an abutment stationarily attached to the single sheet printer and comprises a draw-button for unlocking.
The first shutter is thus positively held in its respective locked position; the locking rod can be actuated from the outside of the mechanism of the single sheet printer via the draw-button. Given a correspondingly rigid shutter, it is adequate to lock this at only one side. A reliable holding of the shutter is achieved in a development of the invention in that an abutment is arranged at both sides of the first shutter.
In the first of the alternative embodiments recited above, a bearing plate is attached to the first shutter for improved stiffening of the profiled ledge and for bearing additional elements, this bearing plate extending transversely to the first shutter from the side facing away from the guide surface. At its side facing away from the guide surface, the second shutter comprises a projecting web at whose end the second swivelling axis is provided, whereby the second swivelling axis is connected to the projecting part of the bearing plate.
A rodding that sees to the motion control of the second shutter can be arranged between the first shutter that comprises the actuation means and the second shutter.
Since the first shutter is fixed in its operating position by locking the actuation means, the support of the second shutter in the operating position can ensue via the first shutter. Further, a stationary abutment is provided that supports the second shutter in its operating position. This sees to a stable and precise final position of the second shutter.
The abutment is advantageously composed of a stationary connecting link that is provided for accepting and for supporting a sliding pad that is attached to the second shutter. When sw
Chen Sophia S.
Oce Printing Systems GmbH
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
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