Roll holder assembly for loading media rolls in wide format printers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148893-B2
Application number	US-201916519948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2019
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

A media roll holder assembly for a roll is detachably supported in a printing system. A rotational drive includes a roll engaging element configured for fittingly engaging and driving a drive engaging element of a roller, for example an Oldham coupling. A first guide surface is configured to support and direct the roller in a loading direction. A second guide surface at least partially extends at an angle with respect to the first guide surface, such that movement of the roller over the first guide surface brings the drive engaging element in contact with the second guide surface. The second guide surface directs the drive engaging element into a predetermined orientation, which orientation aligns the drive engaging element with the roll engaging element in a loading orientation, such that further movement of the roller in the loading direction inserts the drive engaging element into the roll engaging element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A media roll holder assembly for a roll that is detachably supported in a printing system, the media roll holder assembly comprising:
a rotational drive comprising a roll engaging element configured for fittingly engaging and driving a drive engaging element of a roller;
a first guide surface configured to support and direct the roller in a loading direction; and
a second guide surface at least partially extending at an angle with respect to the first guide surface, such that movement of the roller over the first guide surface brings the drive engaging element in contact with the second guide surface,
wherein the second guide surface directs the drive engaging element into a predetermined orientation, said predetermined orientation aligning the drive engaging element with the roll engaging element in a loading orientation, such that further movement of the roller in the loading direction inserts the drive engaging element into the roll engaging element.

2. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 1 , wherein one of the roll engaging element and the drive engaging element is a receiving slot.

3. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the other one of the roll engaging element and the drive engaging element is a longitudinal beam element dimensioned to fit in the receiving slot.

4. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second guide surface is configured to direct the drive engaging element parallel to the loading direction.

5. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the second guide surface is partially inclined to direct the drive engaging element parallel to the loading direction.

6. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 4 , wherein a second guide surface portion is inclined with respect to a first guide surface portion to direct the drive engaging element parallel to the loading direction.

7. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide surface extends parallel to the loading direction.

8. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second guide surface comprises a first guide surface portion upstream of a second guide surface portion, wherein the first guide surface portion extends at a non-zero angle with respect to the first guide surface and wherein the second guide surface portion extends parallel to the first guide surface.

9. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a support positioned downstream of the second guide surface in the loading direction to support the roll in an operative position, such that the roll is arranged to rotate around a rotation axis, wherein the support is provided with a tapered positioning recess configured to receive at least part of the roller, such that the roller is aligned into a predetermined position by urging the roller against the tapered positioning recess.

10. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the tapered positioning recess is tapered in the loading direction.

11. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a holding element positionable in a holding position at a periphery of the roll to engage the roller at a contact point for holding the roller rotatably around a rotation axis thereof; and
a pivotable arm on which the holding element is provided, the pivotable arm being configured to pivot around a pivot axis,
wherein the holding element in the holding position is positioned at an angle of at least 180° from the pivot axis as measured around the rotation axis in a first pivoting direction wherein the holding element moves towards the rotation axis.

12. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the pivotable arm is configured, such that a lifting force on the roll results in a holding force on the holding element in the holding position in a first angular direction, said holding force urging the pivotable arm in the first pivoting direction, thereby urging the holding element against the roller for clamping the roller.

13. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the pivotable arm is configured to pivot around the pivot axis, such that a distance between the holding element and the rotation axis of the roller is decreased in the first pivoting direction.

14. The media roll holder assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second guide surface is formed by a guide block positioned besides the first guide surface, such that movement of the roller over the first guide surface in the loading direction is not obstructed by the guide block.

15. A roll printing system comprising the media roll holder assembly according to claim 1 .

16. A method for loading a roller for wound up print media into the media roll holder assembly according to claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of:
moving the roller onto a first guide surface in a loading direction, such that the roller first moves along the second guide surface at least partially extending at an angle with respect to the first guide surface, wherein movement of the roller over the first guide surface brings a drive engaging element of the roller in contact with the second guide surface, such that the second guide surface directs the drive engaging element into a predetermined orientation; and
moving the roller further over the first guide surface, such that the drive engaging element in the predetermined orientation is transferred from the second guide surface to a roll engaging element of a rotational drive.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
moving the roller further in the loading direction, such that the roller is urged against a tapered positioning recess of a support, thereby aligning the roller in a predetermined operational position.

Assignees

• Oce Holding Bv
• Canon Production Printing Holding Bv

Inventors

• Philipse Hermanus J P M

Classifications

• F16D3/04

  specially adapted to allow radial displacement, e.g. Oldham couplings · CPC title

• B65H16/02

  Supporting web roll · CPC title

• B65H2301/413223

  around an axis parallel to roll axis · CPC title

• B65H16/06 Primary

  both-ends type · CPC title

• B65H2301/4136

  Mounting arrangements not otherwise provided for · CPC title