Printer Skew Rollers for Job Offset Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printing devices that provide job offset functionality often require additional costly hardware and increase the device's footprint, leading to inefficiencies in processing and sorting print jobs.
Innovation Solution
A printing device that utilizes standard hardware, such as skew rollers, and a controller to detect and correct initial misalignments of print media, allowing for skewing of media to a predefined offset position before image rendering, enabling efficient offset functionality without the need for post-manufacture modifications or additional hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional hardware is added to provide job offset functionality, then sorting and separation of print jobs is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the existing drive system perform the additional function of skewing media to enable job offset sorting. The drive system, already present for media transport, is controlled to rotate skew rollers at different speeds to skew media sheets to different angles, thereby providing job offset functionality without adding dedicated hardware components.
Solution Approach 2:
The existing skew rollers in the drive system are utilized for their primary function of feeding media and an additional function of job offset sorting. The controller manages the skew rollers to perform both media transport and skewing operations, allowing the system to serve multiple purposes with existing components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If specialized components are added for post-print tasks, then functionality is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive system with skew rollers is designed to perform multiple functions: media feeding, media skewing for offset sorting, and potential post-print tasks. By making the drive system multi-functional, the patent avoids the need for separate specialized components for post-print tasks, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional offset solutions are used, then job sorting is achieved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The media is skewed to the desired offset angle during the printing process itself, before the print job is completed. This preliminary skewing action eliminates the need for separate post-print sorting operations, thereby maintaining high processing speed while achieving job sorting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The skew rollers continuously skew media sheets to the required angles during media transport through the printer. This continuous skewing action occurs simultaneously with the printing process, eliminating idle time and maintaining continuous productive operation without interrupting the print workflow.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing device to skew print media in accordance with pre-determined offsets, in order to assist a user to delineate the print media of successive print jobs.