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:
Jul. 10, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 24, 1999
John D. Rhodes, Vancouver, WA (US);
Robert M. Yraceburu, Camas, WA (US);
Angela Chen, Portland, OR (US);
Steve O Rasmussen, Vancouver, WA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for delivery of sheet media to a printer includes a chassis, a drive motor, a media tray with elevatable pressure plate, a plurality of pick rollers situated opposite movable pinch rollers that come into contact with the pick rollers to form a roller assembly therebetween when in an extended position. A movable separator forms a throat between one of the pick rollers and the leading edge of the separator when it is in an extended position. A common transmission is used to simultaneously position the pinch rollers, separator, and the pressure plate. The apparatus also includes a media retarder for preventing multiple sheets of media from advancing through the apparatus at the same time. The method includes delaying the rotation of the pick rollers until a stack of media has been raised to press against the pick rollers, and the pinch rollers and separator are in an extended position. The pinch rollers and separator are retracted, and the transmission is disengaged from the pick rollers once the media sheet is delivered to a printer feed system.