Device for determining the degree of wear of a paper transport roller

US6055047A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY · US

Inventors

• Andreas Schweizer · Bad Boll, DE
• Reinhard Weltz · Leonberg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 20, 1998
• Grant date: Apr 25, 2000
• Expiry date: May 20, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2203/0652
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The degree of wear of the paper transport roller (10) is checked by means of a reflected light barrier (40). To that end, the paper transport roller (10) comprises two layers (13 and 15) applied to the core of the paper transport roller (10). The two layers (13 and 15) differ in their degree of reflection for electromagnetic radiation. The layers (13 and 15) are applied to the paper transport roller (10) such that the inner layer (13) has a lower degree of reflection than the outer layer (15). The inner layer (13) is advantageously black and the outer layer (15) white. When the outer layer (15) is worn as a result of the friction between the single sheet (30) to be transported and the paper transport roller (10), the inner layer (13) gradually comes into contact with the single sheets. The degree of reflection of the surface of the paper transport roller (10) then also changes in the same way and is determined using a reflected light barrier (40). The user is therefore signaled that the paper transport roller (10) must be replaced.