Xerox Corporation

3d Systems, Inc.

Jos Wim Jacobs

Carl Thomas Urban

Nathan E Hult

David Brian Schaefer

Rob Huala

Timothy Carlyle Shaw

Daniel Clark Park

Scott W Summit

Isaac S Frazier

Darryl I Jensen

Keaton Jonathan Daniel Snyder

John F Lombardo

Danielle R Hall

Fred T Mattern

Thomas R Edney

Jasper Kent Wong

Paul Marttila

Gustavo Fricke

Rich Chambers

Keith Newell

Lynd L Wieman

A waste removal and transfer assembly for a 3D printing system comprises a waste material remover and a waste material collector. The waste material remover comprises a movable waste removing element selectively movable into contact with a planerizer roller to remove 3D printing waste material from the planerizer roller. The waste material remover is coupled to translate with the planerizer roller and comprises an opening leading to a waste material receptacle configured to receive waste material and at least one port selectively operable to transfer waste material from the waste receptacle. The waste material collector has a receiving position that is stationary relative to the waste material remover. The waste material collector comprises an opening and a waste material storage recess to receive waste material transferred from the waste material remover via the at least one port and to store the received waste material for subsequent disposal.

3D printing waste material handling and transfer

A roller nip assembly has a drive axle (with driver rollers) and a drive unit connected to a first end of the drive axle. The drive unit rotates the drive axle. In addition, a slotted mount is connected to a second end of the drive axle (opposite the first end). Additionally, an idler frame (with idler rollers) is positioned adjacent the drive axle. Further, a bias member is connected to the drive axle. The bias member moves the drive axle in the slotted mount to bias the drive rollers toward the idler rollers. The idler frame also includes a pivot structure. The bias member causes the drive axle to pivot. The pivot structure pivots the idler frame to compensate for the pivoting motion of the drive axle and to maintain pressure between the idler rollers and the drive rollers as the drive axle pivots.

Pivoting roller nip structure

In a media tray, a mid-tray sensor is located relatively equally distant between the tray front and the tray back. This allows the tray to be free of a divider between the front and reserve stack areas. After the user closes the tandem tray, an elevator plate lifts media in the lead stack location and a slider moves in a forward direction toward the tray front based on the front media sensor not detecting media in the front stack area, or whenever the mid-tray sensor detects media located between the front stack area and the reserve stack area. An alarm is produced when the front media sensor does not detect any media, or when the slider is unable to move when it should be able to move (forward into the front stack area, back through the reserve stack area, etc.).

Tandem media tray using mid-tray sensor

An integrated module for installation within a printer may include a module frame and a plurality of printer subsystem components. The module frame is configured to fit within a predetermined space within a printer and to connect to a printer frame positioned about the predetermined space. The plurality of printer subsystem components are configured to mount to the module frame. At least one printer subsystem component includes a default module media path and at least one diverter-directed module media path within the printer subsystem component. The at least one printer subsystem component is configured to connect to the module frame at a position that enables the default module media path and the at least one diverter-directed module media path to complete a printer media path through the predetermined space when the module frame having the printer subsystem component is connected to the printer frame.

Integrated module

A media sheet deformer provides an adjustable amount of media sheet deformation. The media sheet deformer nonpermanently deforms a media sheet in a printer to increase the beam strength of the media sheet temporarily. The device includes a deformer, a support member, and a positioning member. The deformer is positioned in a media path within a printer. The deformer is configured to deform a media sheet temporarily with an amount of media sheet deformation. The amount of media sheet deformation causes the media sheet to exhibit an arched profile that increases the beam strength of the media sheet. The support member is coupled to the deformer. The support member is movably coupled to a printer frame. The positioning member is coupled to the support member. The positioning member is configured to assert a force on the support member and alter the amount of media sheet deformation.

Apparatus and method for temporarily increasing the beam strength of a media sheet in a printer

An image output device includes a marking engine and a media path adjacent the marking engine. The media path has a media transportation direction and a media transport element (e.g., a nip drive, a belt drive, a suction drive, an air pressure drive, etc.) within the media path that moves the media along the media path in the media transportation direction. A drive motor is operatively connected to the media transport element. The drive motor provides drive force in a forward direction that causes the media transport element to move media along the media path in the media transportation direction. The drive motor can also provide the drive force in a reverse direction opposite the forward direction. A one-way drive transfer device (e.g., a one-way clutch, a one-way swing arm mechanism, etc.) is operatively connected to the drive motor. The one-way drive transfer device only transfers drive force from the drive motor when the drive motor operates in the reverse direction. The reverse direction drive of the motor, in conjunction with a one-way drive transfer device, can be used to perform the lock/unlock or the open/close of a jam clearance mechanism, baffle, or shield.

Paper path powered jam/lock systems and methods

A gear and a method for combining a first gear with a second gear including the steps of moving the first gear relative to the second gear such that a first tooth of the first gear contacts a second tooth of the second gear, pressing the first tooth of the first gear against the second tooth of the second gear such that a resultant force is not directed to a center of at least one of the first gear or the second gear, wherein a torque is created by the resultant force, and rotating at least one of the first gear or the second gear based on the created torque until first teeth of the first gear mesh with second teeth of the second gear.

Gear modification that enables direct off-center engagement

An image formation device having computer readable instructions that alleviate the necessity of the user to enter the correct page size into the image formation device. The computer readable instructions contain, among other things, a look-up table, or map, of known print media dimensions the image formation device is able to handle. The size of the media loaded into the image formation device is detected and assigned a value according to the look-up table, or map, of the computer readable instructions. The value is compared to the known types of media that are supportable by the printer. These types of media are grouped into predetermined categories according to their respective width dimensions. A determination of whether the image formation device performs a function is made based on the comparison of the converted value to the predetermined group of media.

Media size sense system and firmware algorithm for an image formation device

Systems and methods for adapting cassette guide movement for size detection includes, in exemplary embodiments, a one-piece member that transmits and rotates a movement of a guide member placed on a side of a sheet to a sheet size detector that detects a position of the guide member, wherein a first end of the connector is connected to the guide member and the second end of the connector is connector is connected to the sheet size detector.

Mechanism for adapting cassette guide movement for size detection

Systems and methods for deskewing a substrate with at least one of a first substrate supplying member and second substrate supplying member that supplies substrates to a chamber that receives the sheet supplied from both the first substrate supplying member and the second substrate supplying member.

Sheet deskew system and method

A sheet feeder and separator assembly for separating and sequentially feeding individual print media sheets from a stack thereof includes a frame having at least one bearing recess. A removable print media tray is carried by the frame. A separator is connected to the removable print media tray. A pick module assembly is removably connected to the frame adjacent the removable print media tray. The pick module assembly includes a pick roller adjacent the separator to form a nip and at least one flexible bearing is removably received in the at least one bearing recess to removably connect the pick module assembly to the frame.

Growing community of inventors

Sherwood, OR, United States of America

Jos Wim Jacobs