Printer waste diverters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11839992-B2
Application number	US-202117494439-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2021
Priority date	Oct 5, 2020
Publication date	Dec 12, 2023
Grant date	Dec 12, 2023

Abstract

A mechanism is described herein to drive slitter and cutter waste in a direction that allows for a more advantageous use of the waste collection bin's volume. The waste drive mechanism allows for at least one armature that drives the waste in a desired direction. The armature is made from a material that is flexible, with a curved shape to allow a pre-loaded force against a contact surface of the waste collection bin. The pre-loaded flexible armature against a contact surface of the collection bin provides sufficient force to drive the waste it in a desired direction, allowing for a more consistent use of the waste collection bin spatial volume.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal printer, comprising:
at least one slitter mechanism;
at least one cutter mechanism;
at least one waste collection bin;
at least one waste diverter, wherein at least one waste diverter is constantly and substantially inside at least one waste collection bin; and
a slitter drive belt, wherein the slitter drive belt is attached to the at least one slitter mechanism and the at least one waste diverter.

2. The thermal printer of claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive belt, wherein the drive belt is attached to the at least one waste diverter.

3. The thermal printer of claim 1 , wherein the at least one waste diverter is made of a flexible material.

4. A thermal printer, comprising:
at least one slitter mechanism;
at least one cutter mechanism;
at least one waste collection bin;
at least one waste diverter, wherein at least one waste diverter is constantly and substantially inside at least one waste collection bin;
a cutter drive belt, wherein the cutter drive belt is attached to the at least one cutter mechanism and the at least one waste diverter.

5. The thermal printer of claim 4 , further comprising:
a drive belt, wherein the drive belt is attached to the at least one waste diverter.

6. The thermal printer of claim 4 , wherein the at least one waste diverter is made of a flexible material.

Assignees

• Kodak Alaris Inc

Inventors

• White Trevor
• Paoletti Richard S
• Repass Joseph

Classifications

• B26D7/18 Primary

  Means for removing cut-out material or waste · CPC title

• B26D5/08

  Means for actuating the cutting member to effect the cut · CPC title

• B26D7/0006

  Means for guiding the cutter (for hand knives B26B29/06; for band-knives B26D1/54) · CPC title

• B41J11/663 Primary

  Controlling cutting, cutting resulting in special shapes of the cutting line, e.g. controlling cutting positions, e.g. for cutting in the immediate vicinity of a printed image · CPC title

• B41J11/68

  cutting parallel to the direction of paper feed · CPC title