Sheet media processing machines with re-feed prevention elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11124373-B2
Application number	US-201615760557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2016
Priority date	Jan 21, 2016
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

There is disclosed a sheet media processing machine comprising a media inlet to receive sheet media along a feed direction from a first side of the machine and a media outlet to discharge sheet media along a discharge direction towards the first side of the machine. There is a feed mechanism to convey sheet media from the media inlet to the media outlet, and a re-feed prevention element disposed upstream of the media inlet with respect to the feed direction to inhibit recirculation of discharged sheet media along an external recirculation path between the media outlet and the media inlet. The re-feed prevention element is exposed to contact with sheet media and comprises an elastomer. There is also disclosed a feed guide comprising a re-feed prevention element, and a method in which such a feed guide is installed on a sheet media processing machine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sheet media processing machine comprising:
a media inlet to receive sheet media along a feed direction from a first side of the machine;
a media outlet to discharge sheet media along a discharge direction towards the first side of the machine;
a feed mechanism to convey sheet media from the media inlet to the media outlet; and
a re-feed prevention element disposed upstream of the media inlet with respect to the feed direction and coupled to a support to inhibit recirculation of discharged sheet media along an external recirculation path between the media outlet and the media inlet, the re-feed prevention element being exposed to contact sheet media and comprising an elastomer, wherein the support is moveable between a stowed configuration and an extended configuration, wherein the spacing between the re-feed prevention element and the media inlet increases as the support is moved from the stowed configuration to the extended configuration.

2. A sheet media processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the re-feed prevention element has a width less than a width of the media inlet.

3. A sheet media processing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a feed guide to guide sheet media along the feed direction to the media inlet, and wherein the support is coupled to the feed guide of the machine.

4. A sheet media processing machine according to claim 3 , wherein:
the support is moveable between a stowed configuration and an extended configuration;
the support is at least partly disposed within the feed guide in the stowed configuration; and
the spacing between the re-feed prevention element and the media inlet increases as the support is moved from the stowed configuration to the extended configuration.

5. A sheet media processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the re-feed prevention element is in the form of an elastomeric coating, overmolded layer or heat shrink tube on the support.

6. A sheet media processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the re-feed prevention element comprises rubber.

7. A sheet media processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the re-feed prevention element is substantially parallel with the media inlet.

8. A sheet media processing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a feed guide to guide sheet media along the feed direction to the media inlet, and wherein the re-feed prevention element is coupled to the feed guide.

9. A sheet media processing machine according to claim 8 , wherein the re-feed prevention element is provided at the distal end of the feed guide.

10. A sheet media processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet media processing machine is a printer, scanner or photocopier.

11. A feed guide for a sheet media processing machine, the feed guide being installable to guide sheet media along a feed direction towards a media inlet of the machine and comprising:
a re-feed prevention element to inhibit recirculation of discharged sheet media in use, the re-feed prevention element being exposed to contact sheet media and comprising an elastomer, wherein the re-feed prevention element is coupled to a support being moveable between a stowed configuration and an extended configuration, wherein the spacing between the re-feed prevention and the media inlet increases as the support is moved from the stowed configuration to the extended configuration.

12. A method comprising:
providing a feed guide comprising a re-feed prevention element, the re-feed prevention element comprising an elastomer; and
installing the feed guide on a sheet media processing machine, the sheet media processing machine comprising:
a media inlet to receive sheet media along a feed direction from a first side of the machine;
a media outlet to discharge sheet media along a discharge direction towards the first side of the machine; and
a feed mechanism to convey sheet media from the media inlet to the media outlet;

wherein the feed guide is installed to guide sheet media along a feed direction towards the media inlet of the machine, and wherein the re-feed prevention element is disposed upstream of the media inlet relative the feed direction and coupled to a support to inhibit recirculation of discharged sheet media along an external recirculation path between the media outlet and the media inlet, the re-feed prevention element being exposed to contact sheet media, wherein the support is moveable between a stowed configuration and an extended configuration, wherein the spacing between the re-feed prevention element and the media inlet increases as the support is moved from the stowed configuration to the extended configuration.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co
• Moya Rojo Oscar
• Onecha Javier
• Oliver Andreu
• Vazquez Dorkaitz Alain
• Fabregat Nuria
• Ruiz Martinez Felix

Inventors

• Moya Rojo Oscar
• Onecha Javier
• Oliver Andreu
• Vazquez Dorkaitz Alain
• Fabregat Nuria
• Ruiz Martinez Felix

Classifications

• B65H29/52

  Stationary guides or smoothers · CPC title

• B65H2407/21

  Manual feeding · CPC title

• B65H1/266

  Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer (B65H1/027 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H2301/3122

  U-shaped · CPC title

• B65H5/38

  immovable in operation · CPC title