The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 01, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 08, 1995
Robin P Yergenson, Eagle, ID (US);
Richard F Beaufort, Boise, ID (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for detecting a transfer medium (i.e., paper) accordion jam in a processing path of a laser printer comprises an accordion detection flag pivotally disposed near the processing path. In the event an accordion jam occurs to the transfer medium in the processing path, an accordioned portion of the transfer medium presses against the flag thereby forcing the flag to pivot for signaling the accordion jam. A preferred method for detecting an accordion jam comprises (a) storing a first time increment indicia indicative of a length of time elapsed for a leading and trailing edge of the transfer medium to pass a reference point in the processing path; (b) storing a second time indicia indicative of a point in time that the leading edge of the transfer medium forces the fuser sensor flag to activate the fuser sensor; (c) storing a third time increment indicia indicative of time elapsed since the second time indicia, measured at a point in time signaled, alternatively, by (i) the trailing edge of the transfer medium causing the fuser sensor flag to deactivate the fuser sensor, or (ii) in the event an accordion effect occurs to the transfer medium, an accordioned portion of the transfer medium forcing the accordion jam flag to deactivate the fuser sensor; and, (d) calculating a difference between the second and third time indicia, and in the event the difference is less than the first time indicia, signaling that an accordion jam has occurred.