Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Other

Xiaoxi Huang

Wei Lit Teoh

Ah Chong Tee

Tong Nam Samuel Low

Yu Zhao

Ramanathan Alaganchetty

Kong Hock Lim

Manish Agarwal

Michael Nordlund

Jun Hong Goh

Chin Hung Andy Koh

De-Ming Xu

Lim Cheng Woon

Deming Xu

Wee-Lian Tan

Choon-Siang Peck

Yonggang Zhang

Ching Keong Tham

Lian Chye Tan

Bo Pu

An apparatus including an illuminator to emit light on a media to be printed on is provided. The apparatus also includes an optical sensor disposed proximate to the illuminator to detect an amount of reflected light. In addition, the apparatus includes a processor to control the illuminator and the optical sensor. The processor is to calibrate the illuminator to determine a first brightness level for high sensitivity at the optical sensor. The processor is to calibrate the illuminator to determine a second brightness level iteratively based on a signal to noise ratio. The processor is to compare the second brightness level with the first brightness level to determine whether to proceed with detection of an edge of the media using the second brightness level.

Illuminator calibrations for media edge detections

In an example, a retainer may include a transition arm having a lift tab. The retainer may further include a pinch arm pivotably or movably engaged with the transition arm. The pinch arm may be movable between an engaged position and a stowed position, and may have a pinching member disposed on a pinching end of the pinch arm. Further, the transition arm may move the pinch arm form the engaged position to the stowed position upon the lift tab being moved about a retainer pivot point.

Retainers with movable pinch arms

In an example, a tray cover extender may include a cover rack attached to a movable tray cover such that movement of the cover rack is transferred to a movement of the movable tray cover. Further, the tray cover extender may include a pinion gear operably engaged with the cover rack so as to actuate or move the cover rack if the pinion gear is actuated. The example tray cover extender may also include a tray rack attached to a media tray. The tray rack may actuate or move the pinion gear as the media tray is moved past the pinion gear. The cover rack may extend the movable tray cover from a first position to a second position if the pinion gear actuates the cover rack.

Tray cover extenders

In an example, a media guide assembly includes a support structure, a first media guide, and a second media guide moveably coupled to the support structure. In that example, the second media guide includes a surface that generates a wedge effect to move the second media guide to a level when contacted by a force. In another example, an example print apparatus includes a support structure, a first media guide, and a second media guide substantially parallel to the first media guide with respect to a media advance direction. In that example, the second media guide includes a position control mechanism to place force on a media path surface of the second media guide towards a rest position where the media path surface of the second media guide is substantially parallel to the media path surface of the first media guide.

Media guides

In one example, a system for a inline duplexer media path includes a first print media pathway extending from an input roller to an output roller, wherein the first print media pathway provides the print media through a print zone, and a second print media pathway extending from the output roller to the input roller, wherein the second print media pathway is substantially parallel and separate from the first print media pathway.

Inline duplexer media path

A media diversion apparatus for a printing system is described. In an example implementation, the apparatus comprises a media diverter to route media printed by a print assembly of a printing system. The media diverter, in a first position, is to route cut-sheet media from the print assembly to a first output region. The media diverter, in a second position, is to route roll media from the print assembly to a second output region.

Media diversion apparatus

Systems and methods for calibrating scanning devices are described. The method comprises dividing a dark scan image of a calibration strip into one or more regions. The dark scan image is further analyzed to obtain at least one data point from each of the one or more regions. Further, calibration values for each of the one or more regions are computed based on the at least one data point for calibrating the scanning device. The calibration values include mean and standard deviation of the data points for each of the one or more regions.

Calibration of scanning devices

An apparatus for use in printing to a rotational media having a surface to be printed to and being rotatable about an axis extending away from the surface is provided. The apparatus includes an engaging arrangement to engage the rotational media so as to impart controlled rotational movement thereto about the axis. The engaging arrangement is configured to be coupled to printer gearing on a printer, such that rotation of the printer gearing on the printer causes rotation of the rotational media when engaged on the engaging arrangement.

Method and apparatus for rotational media printing

A media handling system is disclosed, which system includes a media picking unit for picking up individual media sheets from a stack of media sheets and a media output unit for advancing a printed media sheet toward an output area. The media picking unit includes a rotatable lifting shaft, a rotatable pick roller shaft, a pick roller and a pick arm. The pick roller is rotatably connected to one end of a pick arm, and the one end of the pick arm is pivotally connected to the pick roller shaft. The media output unit includes at least one sheet support member operable to support the printed portion of the media sheet above the output area. The sheet support member is linked to the lifting shaft by a linking structure such that the sheet support member is movable between a supporting position and a retracted position by a rotational movement the lifting shaft.

System for media handling

A pinch control apparatus in a printer for controlling a pinch force exerted on a medium which is being fed into a printing zone is provided. The pinch control apparatus includes a camshaft rotatably mounted across a width of the medium, at least one cam attached to the camshaft, a plunger and a biasing rod. The cam has a predefined profile and is able to rotate with the camshaft. The plunger abuts the predefined profile of the at least one cam. The biasing rod extends from a pinch plate to the plunger to bias the pinch plate to a linefeed roller for exerting the pinch force on the medium therebetween. The pinch force exerted on the medium is controllable by the rotation of the camshaft.

Pinch control in a printer

An apparatus and a method for duplex printing are disclosed. The apparatus includes a print zone where printing is performed and a duplex module configured to change the orientation of the media sheet. The duplex module is positioned so as to receive the media sheet from the print zone, trailing edge first. The method includes feeding a media sheet to the print zone and printing swaths of ink dots on a first side of the media sheet. Black ink density is calculated for each swath containing black ink dots. The highest black ink density is then determined. The media sheet is stopped from advancing after the last swath has been printed on the first side. The first side is allowed to dry for a drying period, which is based on the highest black ink density. After the drying period has elapsed, the media sheet is moved in the reverse direction from the print zone to the duplex module to change the orientation of the media sheet to an orientation suitable for printing on a second side. If the trailing edge of the media sheet is at a position that cannot enter the duplex module after the last swath has been printed on the first side, the media sheet is moved in the forward direction for a minimum distance to enable the trailing edge to enter the duplex module. The media sheet is then re-introduced into the print zone for printing on the second side.

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Singapore, Singapore

Xiaoxi Huang