BACKGROUND

[0001] Printers utilize automatic document feeders to sequentially feed sheets of print media, such as paper, from a media tray through the printer. A pick lever may selectively raise print media into contact with a pick roller. A pick gear rotates the pick roller to move the print media into or out of a print assembly. A drive gear is selectively coupled to the pick gear to control the rotation of the pick gear and connected pick roller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0002] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples of the disclosure are described with reference to the figures outlined below.

[0003] Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example of a print assembly of a printer, including a pick assembly with a forked pick lever to control rotation of a pick gear of a pick roller.

[0004] Figure 2 illustrates a forked pick lever and a swing arm of a printer pick assembly, according to various examples.

[0005] Figure 3 illustrates an example of various components of a printer pick assembly, including a motor, a drive gear, planetary gears, an idler gear, and a pick gear.

[0006] Figure 4A illustrates an example of a forked pick lever in a first operation mode with the forked pick lever in a home state and a drive gear rotating clockwise.

[0007] Figure 4B illustrates an example of the forked pick lever in a second operation mode with the forked pick lever in a home state with the drive gear rotating counterclockwise.

[0008] Figure 4C illustrates an example of the forked pick lever in a third operation mode with the forked pick lever in a pick-up state with drive gear rotating clockwise.

[0009] Figure 4D illustrates an example of the forked pick lever in a fourth operation mode with the forked pick lever in a pick-up state with the drive gear rotating counterclockwise. [0010] Figure 4E illustrates an example of the forked pick lever in a fifth operation mode in which a swing arm is engaged with a forked control surface of the forked pick lever to disengage a pick gear with the drive gear rotating clockwise.

[0011] Figure 4F illustrates an example of the forked pick lever in a sixth operation mode with the swing arm engaged with the forked control surface to disengage the pick gear with the drive gear rotating counterclockwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] In many instances, a printer may include a printer pick assembly to pick up a sheet of a print media and selectively advance the sheet into the printer for printing. Any of a wide variety of printer types and printer configurations, such as laser printers and inkjet printers, may utilize a printer pick assembly to pick individual sheets of print media from a tray of print media. According to various examples described herein, the printer pick assembly includes a forked pick arm assembly that includes a forked pick lever and a swing arm. The swing arm may include the drive gear driven by a motor. A controller of the printer pick assembly may drive the motor to selectively rotate the drive gear counterclockwise or clockwise. The swing arm may further include multiple planetary gears proximate to the drive gear that can be selectively engaged with the output gears. Specifically, the forked pick lever operates to selectively engage the drive gear with one of the output gears via the planetary gears to control movement of the print media.

[0013] In various examples, a controller may rotate a cam or operate another mechanical device to selectively pivot the forked pick lever between a home state and a pick-up state. The forked pick lever may include a first end, a second end, and a pivot point therebetween. The cam or another mechanical device may operate to raise and lower the first end of the forked pick lever. In some examples, a biasing member, such a spring, may bias the forked pick lever to a default or static pivot angle. When the forked pick lever is pivoted to the pick-up state, the second end of the forked pick lever may operate to raise a sheet of the print media into contact with the pick roller, as described herein.

[0014] In some examples, the swing arm may include two planetary gears that can be selectively engage the drive gear to an output gear. The planetary gears may, for example, be separated by 130 degrees relative to the center of the drive gear. As described below, the printer pick assembly may include a pick gear connected to a pick roller that selectively moves the print media into the printer when the pick gear is engaged with the drive gear (e.g., via one of the planetary gears and/or an idler gear, as described below). In various examples, the printer pick assembly includes an idler gear to ensure the pick gear rotates in the same direction (e.g., clockwise) regardless of which direction the drive gear is rotating.

[0015] In other examples, a first planetary gear may drive a pick roller and second planetary gear may drive a feed roller. In such examples, the forked swing arm lever may be used to selectively control rotation of the pick roller and/or feed roller. Thus, while many of the examples described herein relate to the selective engagement of planetary gears with a pick gear based on a position of a forked swing arm lever, similar control of engagement with other types of gears and associated rollers and/or associated shafts can be accomplished using a forked swing arm lever as described herein.

[0016] For example, a motor may rotate a drive gear and a swing arm may be pivotable to selectively connect the drive gear to either a first gear or a second gear. For example, the drive gear may be selectively connected to either a pick gear or a feed gear. The first and second gears may each be associated with a roller. In the previous example, the pick gear may be associated with a pick roller and the feed gear may be associated with a feed roller. As described herein, a forked pick lever may be pivotable between multiple states, including a first state, a second state, and a third or locked state. In the first state, the forked pick lever may cause the swing arm to selectively connect the drive gear to the first gear (e.g., a pick gear associated with a pick roller). In the second state, the forked pick lever may cause the swing arm to selectively connect the drive gear to the second gear (e.g., a feed gear associated with a feed roller). In the third, locked state, the forked pick lever may cause the swing arm to disengage from both the first and second gears. In some examples, the drive gear may be connected to one of the first and second gears, but not both. In other examples, the drive gear may be selectively connected to both the first and second gears simultaneously.

[0017] In various examples, the forked pick lever limits the motion of the swing arm to disengage the swing arm from the pick gear. The “fork” on the forked pick lever provides a control surface (herein after the “forked control surface”) that interacts with the swing arm. For instance, a controller of the printer pick assembly may coordinate motor movements to selectively prevent the swing arm from engaging the pick gear, regardless of the rotational direction of the drive gear.

[0018] In one example, the swing arm includes an upper planetary gear and a lower planetary gear that are positioned 130 degrees apart relative to the drive gear. Controlled movements of the forked pick lever (e.g., via a cam or other mechanical device) and the rotational direction of the drive gear may be used to pick print media and raise the print media into contact with a pick roller, move the print media forward, or move the print media backward. For example, the controller may move the forked pick lever to engage the drive gear with the pick gear via the upper planetary gear. Rotation of the pick gear causes the pick roller to move and advance the print media forward.

[0019] As described herein, the idler gear ensures that the pick gear rotates in the same direction regardless of the direction of rotation of the drive gear. Thus, to allow the print media to be moved backward, the controller moves the forked pick lever to disengage the upper planetary gear from the pick gear. A tail portion of the swing arm interacts with the forked control surface of the forked pick lever to stop the swing arm from fully rotating. With the swing arm in this locked position, the swing arm prevents the lower planetary gear from engaging with the idler gear so the pick gear of the pick roller does not rotate. [0020] The forked control surface operates to maintain the swing arm in the locked position that disengages the pick gear from the drive gear and therefore stops rotation of the pick roller. Print media can be moved backward more easily (e.g., to clear a jam) because the pick roller is not advancing the print media into the printer.

[0021] The printer pick assembly can be operated in six different modes. In a first mode, the forked pick lever is in the home state and forward rotation of the drive gear results in rotation of the pick gear via the upper planetary gear. In a second mode, the forked pick lever is in the home state and reverse rotation of the drive gear disengages the pick gear from the planetary gears of the printer pick assembly so the pick gear does not rotate. [0022] In third and fourth modes, the forked pick lever is in the pick-up state and rotation of the drive gear in any rotational direction causes a rotation of the pick gear to advance print media into the printer for printing. In the fifth and sixth modes, the forked pick lever is in the home state and the forked control surface locks the swing arm in a locked position. The pick gear is disengaged from the drive gear so the pick roller does not rotate, regardless of the directional rotation of the pick roller.

[0023] Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example of a print assembly 100 of a printer. The illustrated print assembly 100 shows various mechanical components that may be adapted for different printer types and specific printer models. Many of these features are understood in the art and so are not described in detail herein. The illustrated example includes a printer pick assembly with a forked pick lever obscured by other components of the print assembly 100. However, an idler gear 160 is partially visible and shown engaged with a pick gear 175.

[0024] In the illustrated example, the pick gear 175 is connected to a pick roller to advance the print media (e.g., paper) into the print assembly 100. For example, the pick roller may advance sheets of print media, such as paper, from a media tray into the print assembly 100. Other components of the printer pick assembly are illustrated and described in conjunction with figures 2-5.

[0025] Figure 2 illustrates a portion 200 of a printer pick assembly, including a forked pick lever 210 and a swing arm 230, according to various examples. The forked pick lever

210 includes a first end 211 that can be raised and lowered by a mechanical apparatus, such as a cam. The forked pick lever 210 pivots about an axis at which the forked pick lever 210 forks and includes a forked control surface 225. The second end 212 of the forked pick lever 210 selectively raises and lowers print media into contact with the pick roller (not shown in Figure 2). The first end 211 is pushed (or biased) upward to place the forked pick lever 210 in the home state, such that the second end 212 is lowered and does not raise print media into contact with the pick roller. In a pick-up state, the first end

211 is pulled (or biased) downward and the second end 212 moves upward to raise print media into contact with the pick roller.

[0026] The swing arm 230 is connected to a drive gear 240. Movement of the forked pick lever 210 causes the forked portion with the forked control surface 225 to move the swing arm 230 to selectively connect the drive gear 240 to a pick gear (not shown in Figure 2) via an upper planetary gear 252 or, alternatively, to the pick gear via an idler gear (not shown in Figure 2) via a lower planetary gear 254. A described below, the forked control surface 225 may be rotated to lock the swing arm 230 into a locked position in which the upper planetary gear 252 is disengaged from the drive gear 240 and the lower planetary gear 254 is disengaged from the idler gear, such that the pick gear does not rotate.

[0027] Figure 3 illustrates an example of various components of a printer pick assembly 300, including a motor 380, a drive gear 340, planetary gears 352 and 354, an idler gear 360, and a pick gear 375. Figure 3 provides an example of the relative location of components of a printer pick assembly described herein relative to other components of a printer assembly that are understood in the art.

[0028] Figure 4A illustrates an example of a forked pick lever 410 in a first operation mode with the forked pick lever 410 in a home state, and a drive gear 440 rotating clockwise. A illustrated, the first end 411 of the forked pick lever 410 is biased or moved upward such that the second end 412 of the forked pick lever 410 is lowered and does not raise print media into contact with a pick roller connected to the pick gear 475. In this first operation mode, the drive gear 440 is rotated by a motor (e.g., motor 380, Figure 3) in a clockwise direction. The pick gear 475 is rotated by the drive gear 440 via auxiliary gears, such as upper planetary gear 452.

[0029] The forked pick lever 410 pivots about an axis 420 to selectively raise and lower the second end 412 of the forked pick lever 410 as the forked pick lever 410 is transitioned between a home state (as illustrated in Figure 4A) and a pick-up state described in greater detail below. In the home state, the forked control surface 425 does not engage or lock the swing arm 430. Accordingly, the pick gear 475 is connected to the drive gear 440 to cause the pick gear 475 to rotate the same direction as the drive gear 440. The lower planetary gear 454 is disengaged from the idler gear 460.

[0030] Figure 4B illustrates an example of the forked pick lever 410 in a second operation mode with the forked pick lever 410 in a home state with the drive gear 440 rotating counterclockwise. In the illustrated position, the planetary gears 452 and 454 are disengaged from the pick gear 475 and the idler gear 460. Accordingly, the pick gear 475 does not rotate in concert with the drive gear 440. Comparing Figures 4A and 4B, with the forked pick lever 410 in the home state, the pick gear 475 rotates when the drive gear 440 rotates clockwise but does not rotate when the drive gear 440 rotates counterclockwise.

[0031] Figure 4C illustrates an example of the forked pick lever 410 in a third operation mode with the forked pick lever 410 in a pick-up state with drive gear 440 rotating clockwise. As illustrated, the first end 411 of the forked pick lever 410 is lowered, which pivots the second end 412 upward to raise print media into contact with a pick roller connected to the pick gear 475. The upper planetary gear 452 connects the drive gear 440 to the pick gear 475 such that the pick gear 475 rotates clockwise in conjunction with the drive gear 440.

[0032] Figure 4D illustrates an example of the forked pick lever 410 in a fourth operation mode with the forked pick lever 410 in a pick-up state with the drive gear 440 rotating counterclockwise. As illustrated, with the drive gear 440 rotating counterclockwise the forked control surface 425 interacts with the swing arm 430 to engage the drive gear 440 with the pick gear 475 via the lower planetary gear 454 and the idler gear 460. Figures 4C and 4D illustrate that with the forked pick lever 410 in the pick-up state, the planetary gears 452, 454 and the idler gear 460 work to ensure that the pick gear 475 rotates clockwise regardless of the direction of rotation of the drive gear 440.

[0033] Figure 4E illustrates an example of the forked pick lever 410 in a fifth operation mode in which the swing arm 430 is engaged with a forked control surface 425 of the forked pick lever 410 to disengage the pick gear 475 from the drive gear 440. A controller may actuate the cam to pivot the forked pick lever 410 so that the forked control surface 425 secures the swing arm 430 in a locked position with the planetary gears 452, 454 disengaged, as illustrated. With the swing arm 430 in the locked position, the pick gear 475 does not rotate when the drive gear 440 is rotating clockwise.

[0034] Figure 4F illustrates an example of the forked pick lever 410 in a sixth operation mode with the swing arm 430 engaged with the forked control surface 425 to disengage the pick gear 475 from the drive gear 440 while it is rotating counterclockwise. Similar to Figure 4E, a controller can actuate the cam to pivot the forked pick lever 410 so that the forked control surface 425 secures the swing arm 430 in a locked position. With the swing arm 430 in the locked position, the planetary gears 452, 454 are disengaged from the pick gear 475 and the idler gear 460, as illustrated. With the swing arm 430 in the locked position, the pick gear 475 does not rotate when the drive gear 440 is rotating counterclockwise.

[0035] While specific examples and applications of the disclosure have been illustrated and described, it is understood that the disclosure is not limited to the precise configurations and components disclosed herein. Accordingly, many changes may be made to the details of the above-described examples without departing from the underlying principles of this disclosure consistent with the following claims.