Hewlett-Packard Company

Scott M Nakada

David M Petersen

Jeremy F Mayer

A printer with paper stacker activation. A platen is mounted on the drive roller for both rotation and translation. When fully to the right end of its travel, the platen is engaged with rotation stops which position the platen a fixed distance from the print cartridge, and disengaged from the roller, which can rotate for paper advancement during printing. When translated to the left, the platen is disengaged from the rotation stops and allowed to rotate. A clockwise rotation of the drive roller brings a roller shoulder into contact with a platen tab, urging the platen downwardly, clearing the way for the paper to fall into the output tray. Platen translation from right to left is driven by the carriage. A flag and a key are mounted on the roller, and engage the platen by the pen carriage. The key has a friction pinch on the roller, such that a torque is produced when the roller turns. The flag is adjacent the key, and the torque produced by the key urges rotation of the flag. The flag and key are constrained in rotation; when the roller rotates forward, the flag is lowered and will not engage the carriage. When the roller reverses, the flag is constrained to stop in a position which interferes with the carriage. Platen engagement occurs by driving the roller in reverse, rotating the flag into the pen carriage path, which then moves left, moving the platen.

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Oceanside, CA, United States of America

Scott M Nakada