Finisher transport assembly jam access cover for digital printers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9272864-B2
Application number	US-201414296617-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2014
Priority date	Jun 5, 2014
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

A sheet jam access assembly in combination with a finisher transport assembly having a main transport cover, is used with a digital printer. First and second axles with idler nip rollers are mounted on the transport assembly for movement away from the process path. First and second drive nip rollers are mounted for driven rotation on the transport assembly. A jam access cover pivots on the main transport cover from a closed to an open position. First and second hinges each have a first outer leaf on the jam access cover connected by a hinge pin to an inner leaf which translates transverse to the process direction. The hinge axis is spaced apart from the cover axis. A cam plate base portion translates parallel to the process direction. First and second ramps adjacent the axles extend away from the base portion at an angle to the process direction. A slot extends through the first inner leaf at an angle to the process direction. A transfer pin attached to the base portion engages the slot to move the cam plate ramps, which engage the axles to raise the nip rollers and release the jammed sheet. A leaf spring detent holds the jam access cover open.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A jam access assembly in combination with a finisher transport assembly having a main transport cover, for use in connection with a digital printer and a media sheet adapted for travel through the transport assembly along a process path in a process direction, the jam access assembly comprising:
at least one idler nip roller axle mounted on the transport assembly for movement away from the process path;
at least one idler nip roller mounted for rotation on the at least one axle;
at least one drive nip roller mounted for driven rotation on the transport assembly, and operatively engaging the at least one idler nip roller;
a jam access cover pivotally mounted on the finisher transport assembly for pivotal movement on a cover axis from a closed position at least partially covering the transport assembly to an open position projecting at an angle away from the transport assembly;
at least one hinge having an inner leaf mounted on the transport assembly for translation generally transverse to the process direction, the at least one hinge having an outer leaf mounted on the jam access cover for rotation about the cover axis;
a hinge pin connecting the outer leaf to the inner leaf, the hinge pin being centered on a hinge axis spaced apart from the cover axis, so that as the jam access cover pivots from the closed position to the open position, the hinge pin will move in a path generally transverse to the process direction, thereby causing translation of the inner leaf;
a cam plate having a base portion mounted on the transport assembly for translation generally parallel to the process direction, the cam plate base portion being generally parallel to the inner leaf and adjacent to the inner leaf, the cam plate having a ramp adjacent the at least one axle, the ramp extending away from the base portion at an angle to the process direction, so that as the cam plate moves generally parallel to the process direction, the ramp slidingly engages the at least one axle causing the at least one axle to move upward, thereby raising the at least one idler nip roller away from the at least one drive nip roller;
a slot through one of the cam plate base portion and the inner leaf, the slot being disposed at an angle to the process direction; and
a transfer pin attached to one of the cam plate base portion and the inner leaf opposite the slot, the transfer pin being operatively received for sliding motion in the slot, so that as the inner leaf moves transverse to the process direction, reactive forces between the slot and the transfer pin will cause the cam plate to move generally parallel to the process direction, the ramp will cause the at least one axle to move upward, thereby raising the at least one idler nip roller away from the at least one drive nip roller and releasing the media sheet.

2. The jam access assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the at least one idler nip roller axle includes a first axle extending between opposite ends;
the at least one idler nip roller includes two first idler nip rollers, each first idler nip roller being mounted for rotation on one end of the first axle; and
the at least one drive nip roller includes two first drive nip rollers mounted for driven rotation on the transport assembly, each first drive nip roller operatively engaging one first idler nip roller.

3. The jam access assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
the at least one idler nip roller axle includes a second axle extending between opposite ends, the second axle being spaced apart from the first axle in the process direction;
the at least one idler nip roller includes two second idler nip rollers, each second idler nip roller being mounted for rotation on one end of the second axle; and
the at least one drive nip roller includes two second drive nip rollers mounted for driven rotation on the transport assembly, each second drive nip roller operatively engaging one second idler nip roller.

4. The jam access assembly of claim 3 , further comprising:
the cam plate ramp includes a first ramp on the cam plate adjacent the first axle, the first ramp extending away from the base portion at an angle to the process direction; and
the cam plate ramp includes a second ramp on the cam plate adjacent the second axle, the second ramp extending away from the base portion at an angle to the process direction;
so that as the cam plate moves generally parallel to the process direction, the first ramp slidingly engages the first axle, the second ramp slidingly engages the second axle, causing the first and second axles to move upward, thereby raising the first and second idler nip rollers away from the first and second drive nip rollers, respectively.

5. The jam access assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
the at least one hinge includes a first hinge, the first hinge having a first inner leaf mounted on the transport assembly for translation generally transverse to the process direction, the first hinge having a first outer leaf mounted on the jam access cover for rotation about the cover axis;
the hinge pin includes a first hinge pin connecting the first outer leaf to the first inner leaf, the first hinge pin being centered on a first hinge axis spaced apart from the cover axis, so that as the jam access cover pivots from the closed position to the open position, the first hinge pin will move in a path generally transverse to the process direction, thereby causing translation of the first inner leaf;
the slot extends through one of the cam plate base portion and the first inner leaf, the slot being disposed at an angle to the process direction;
the transfer pin being attached to one of the cam plate base portion and the first inner leaf opposite the slot, the transfer pin being operatively received for sliding motion in the slot, so that as the first inner leaf moves transverse to the process direction, reactive forces between the slot and the transfer pin will cause the cam plate to move generally parallel to the process direction;
the at least one hinge includes a second hinge, the second hinge having a second inner leaf mounted on the transport assembly for translation generally transverse to the process direction, the second hinge having a second outer leaf mounted on the jam access cover for rotation about the cover axis;
the hinge pin includes a second hinge pin connecting the second outer leaf to the second inner leaf, the second hinge pin being centered on a second hinge axis spaced apart from the cover axis, so that as the jam access cover pivots from the closed position to the open position, the second hinge pin will move in a path generally transverse to the process direction, thereby causing translation of the second inner leaf;
a bridge member attached to one of the transport assembly and the second inner leaf; and
a cantilever leaf spring attached to one of the transport assembly and the second inner leaf opposite to the bridge member, the cantilever leaf spring having an inclined surface with an apex, the inclined surface being disposed adjacent the bridge member, so that as the second inner leaf moves transverse to the process direction, the inclined surface will slide against the bridge member causing the cantilever leaf spring to flex resiliently away from the bridge member, the apex will pass the bridge member, and the cantilever leaf spring bias will hold the jam access cover in the open position as a detent.

6. The jam access assembly of claim 5 , further comprising:
a first journal attached to one of the first outer leaf and the first inner leaf, the first journal having a cross-section shaped approximately in a U-shape with two legs generally perpendicular to the attached leaf, the first hinge pin being attached to the other one of the first outer leaf and

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Dufort Ron Edward
• Kahn Arthur Harold
• Ford Brian Roy

Classifications

• B65H1/266

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

• B65H2402/45

  Doors · CPC title

• B41J11/006

  Means for preventing paper jams or for facilitating their removal · CPC title

• B65H5/062 Primary

  between rollers or balls · CPC title

• B65H1/04

  adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for separation from top of pile · CPC title