Indexing planetary gear train for a printer
US5462371A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 21, 1994 |
| Grant date | Oct 31, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 21, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16H2001/2881
- WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An indexing double planetary gear train forms a portion of a feed system for accurately advancing a print media sheet through a printer. The planetary gear train has primary and secondary rings coupled to a sun gear by a series of planet gear clusters. Each planet gear cluster has primary and secondary planet gears which engage the respective primary and secondary rings. By assembling at least two of the gear train components to be fully indexing, and through the use of the identical planet gear clusters formed in a single mold, imperfections in the planet clusters and the rings, such as tooth-to-tooth defects or eccentricity, are canceled and have no effect on the accuracy of the line feed increments. Thus, more accurate and uniform media advance is achieved using plastic molded gears which are also relatively low in cost to manufacture and easy to assemble.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.