Lexmark International, Inc.

Robert Alan Pemberton

Mark Joseph Edwards

Robert Warren Rumford

Gregory Paul Washnock

Philip David Jones

Michael Ray Wedding

An imaging device having a door-actuated feed roll separator mechanism. A pair of opposed panels of a frame of the imaging device are positioned parallel to a media path. A feed roll pair in the media path has a drive roll fixedly and rotatably mounted between the panels and a backup roll mounted to a pair of release assemblies that are slidably mounted to the panels. Biasing members bias the backup roll into contact with the drive roll forming a feed nip. A door pivotally mounted along a bottom end to the frame substantially covers the media path. A pair of tethers connect the pair of release assemblies to the door. With the door lowered, its weight applies a release force to the backup roll separating it from the drive roll to allow for easier removal of a media sheet jammed in the feed nip.

Door-actuated feed roll separator for an imaging device

A method for scanning a media sheet with a scanning apparatus includes feeding the media sheet through the first set of rollers into a scanning area, such that a first portion of the media sheet is available for scanning. A first partial media sheet image of the first portion is scanned. The media sheet is fed into the second set of rollers, then out of the first set of rollers, such that a second portion of the media sheet is available for scanning. A second partial media sheet image of the second portion of the media sheet is scanned. At least the first partial media sheet image is combined with the second partial media sheet image to generate a full image of the media sheet. In a further embodiment, the number of partial scans may be increased as necessary to provide a complete image of the scanned object, e.g., the media sheet. For example, one or more intermediate scans may be performed in accordance with the present invention in addition to the scans occurring at the ends of media sheet. In another embodiment, multiple image sheets may be sequentially scanned forming a plurality of first and second partial media sheet images that are stitched together to form a panoramic image.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Robert Alan Pemberton