Kodak Issued Patent For Lead Detection in an Inkjet Printer

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Kodak Issued Patent For Lead Detection in an Inkjet Printer

Patent Issued for Method of Lead Edge Detection in an Inkjet Printer
According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by VerticalNews journalists, a patent by the inventors Murray, Richard A. (San Diego, CA); Burke, Gregory M. (San Diego, CA), filed on September 27, 2010, was cleared and issued on March 12, 2013.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 8395784, is Eastman Kodak Company (Rochester, NY).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: "In a carriage printer, such as an inkjet carriage printer, a printhead is mounted in a carriage that is moved back and forth across the region of printing. To print an image on a sheet of paper or other recording medium (sometimes generically referred to as paper herein), the recording medium is advanced a given distance along a recording medium advance direction and then momentarily stopped. While the recording medium is stopped and supported on a platen, the printhead carriage is moved along a carriage scan path. The carriage scan path extends in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the recording medium advance direction. As it travels along the carriage scan path, controllable marking elements in the printhead record marks on the recording medium–for example by ejecting drops from an inkjet printhead. After the carriage has printed a swath of the image while traversing the recording medium, the recording medium is advanced, the carriage direction of motion is reversed, and marking repeated so that the image is formed swath by swath.

"In order to produce high quality images, it is helpful to accurately locate the leading edge of the recording medium as it is advanced toward the carriage scan path. Accurate location of the leading edge permits more precise coordination of media handling as the recording medium enters the carriage scan path and can be used for timing the start of printing and for registration of image content relative to that edge to close tolerances.

"Conventional solutions for leading edge detection include the use of pivoting mechanical fingers that are located at a suitable position along the media advance path and are caused to pivot upon contact with the leading edge as the medium is advanced. The movement of these devices is typically detected by a separate optical sensor that responds when a portion of the pivoting element interrupts a light path or, alternately, is moved out from a light path or moves another component with respect to a sensed light path. One example of this type of mechanism is given in U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,925 entitled ‘Media Leading Edge Sensor’ to Driggers. Conventional solutions of this type work, but have a number of inherent shortcomings. Pivoting members can collect dust and dirt, sticking in position instead of responding as intended to the moving receiver edge. Space and components for a separate optical path must be provided, typically beneath the platen over which the receiver travels, with its own light source and sensor and associated power and signal wiring.

"Competitive pressures drive the need to provide high quality printing at lower cost, as well as the need to design printing apparatus with reduced dimensions and footprint. There is a recognized need to reduce the parts count and complexity of these systems without compromising image quality and performance."

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, VerticalNews editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: "It is an object of the present invention to address the need for an improved apparatus and method for lead edge detection in a carriage printer. With this object in mind, the present invention provides a carriage printer having a method of detecting an edge of a piece of media in a printer, the method comprising providing a carriage for moving a printhead and a photosensor along a carriage scan path; providing a light source; providing a light guiding element having a first end that is aimed at a first predetermined position along a media advance path between a media input region and a printing region and a second end that is aimed at a second predetermined position along the carriage scan path, moving the carriage to an edge-detection position such that the second end of the light guiding element is aimed at the field of view of the photosensor; directing light from the light source toward the first predetermined position; obtaining a signal generated in response to light received in the photosensor; and analyzing the signal to detect the edge of the piece of media.

"This invention has the advantage that it provides leading edge detection without requiring mechanical contact with the edge of the receiver. A light signal transition is used for sensing the lead edge of a recording medium.

"This invention has the additional advantage that it can take advantage of existing carriage sensor components, re-using components already provided on the printer to provide additional sensing functions."

For more information, see this patent: Murray, Richard A.; Burke, Gregory M.. Method of Lead Edge Detection in an Inkjet Printer. U.S. Patent Number 8395784, filed September 27, 2010, and issued March 12, 2013. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=40&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1964&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=20130312.PD.&OS=ISD/20130312&RS=ISD/20130312

Keywords for this news article include: Eastman Kodak Company.

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March 21, 2013 at 7:42 AM