Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for controlling interpage gaps in printers and method of interpage gap control

US5056771A · kind A · utility

37Cited by
10References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 25, 1989
Grant dateOct 15, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 25, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB65H2701/1313
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An interpage gap control, which acts to optimize the throughput of a printer or other device, which utilizes fed pages, monitors the time for a page to be picked and fed to a sensor and the time for the page to pass the sensor. By using these time periods and other constants, the control calculates a delay time from the detection of the leading edge of the page at the sensor. This delay time must expire before the next page may be picked and fed. The control adjusts the delay period by comparing the time periods measured to reference values for the respective periods and if the measured values vary therefrom, adjusts the reference values. The adjustment of the values is made in small increments when the adjustment will tend to narrow the gap width and will replace the reference values with the measured value when the gap must be widened. This insures that the optimum width is approached cautiously, while expanding the gap quickly to avoid a jam condition when the measured time values indicate that the gap has unduly narrowed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.