BACKGROUND

[0001] Imaging systems, such as printers, typically form an image on a print medium, such as paper. The print medium may be transported from a media input (e.g., a paper tray) through various subsystems of the imaging system. For example, the print medium may be transported along a media path through an image forming portion using rollers provided along the media path.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] For a more complete understanding of various examples, reference is now made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0003] Figure 1 illustrates an example system with a media guide;

[0004] Figure 2 illustrates the example system of Figure 1 with the module detached from the main body;

[0005] Figure 3 illustrates the example system of Figure 1 with jam in the media guide;

[0006] Figure 4 illustrates the example system of Figure 3 with the module detached from the main body;

[0007] Figure 5 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of another example system with a media guide;

[0008] Figure 6 provides a perspective view of the guide portion of the imaging device;

[0009] Figure 7 illustrates the example system of Figure 5 with the module detached from the imaging device;

[0010] Figure 8 provides a detailed view of the guide portion of the imaging device; and

[0011] Figure 9 is a flow chart illustrating an example method for clearing a jam in a media path.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Various examples described herein relate to media guide in a media path of an imaging device, such as a printer. In various examples, a media guide is formed by one guide portion that is part of the main body of the imaging device and a second guide portion that is part of a removable module. Thus, when the module is removed, the media guide separates, and the media path can be exposed, facilitating removal of jams that may occur in the media path, servicing or maintenance.

[0013] Referring now to the figures, Figure 1 illustrates an example system with a media guide. The example system 100 of Figure 1 includes a main body 110 and a module 120. In various examples, the main body 110 may be part of an imaging system, such as a printer, copier, scanner, fax machine or a multi -function device. As described below, in various examples, the module 120 may form a removable part of the imaging system. In various examples, the main body 110 and the module 120 may be formed of any of a variety of materials, including metals, plastics or a combination thereof.

[0014] The main body 110 of the example system 100 of Figure 1 includes a first guide portion 112. Similarly, the module 120 of the example system 100 includes a second guide portion 122. The module 120 is removably attachable to the main body 110. In this regard, Figure 1 illustrates the example system 100 with the module 120 attached to the main body 110, and Figure 2 illustrates the example system 100 with the module 120 removed from the main body 110. The attachment of the module 120 to the main body 110 may be facilitated by latching members (not shown in Figures 1 and 2).

[0015] When the module 120 is attached to the main body 110, as illustrated in Figure 1, the first guide portion 112 of the main body 110 and the second guide portion 122 of the module 120 form complimentary parts of a media guide 130. The media guide 130 may be part of a media path of the system 100 through which print media, such as paper, may be transported. In this regard, the main body 110 and the module 120 may include rollers (not shown in Figures 1 and 2) to facilitate transportation of print media through the media path, including through the media guide 130. Further, in various examples, each of the first guide portion 112 and the second guide portion 122 may have a width (into the page in Figure 1) that is sufficient to accommodate a desired width of a print medium (e.g., paper). For example, the first guide portion 112 and the second guide portion 122 may accommodate a paper with a width of 11 inches (e.g., 11x17 paper). Thus, when the module 120 is attached to the main body 110, the first guide portion 112 and the second guide portion 122 each face the opposite flat surfaces of the print media being transported through the media guide 130. [0016] Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, clearing of a jam in the media path in the example system 100 of Figures 1 and 2 is illustrated. Figure 3 illustrates the example system 100 with the module 120 attached to the main body 110. As noted above, the media guide 130 is formed by the first guide portion 112 of the main body 110 and the second guide portion 122 of the module 120. As noted above, print media, such as a sheet of paper 199, may be transported through the media guide 130 by, for example, rollers (not shown). As illustrated in Figure 3, a jam may occur with, for example, the sheet of paper 199 being stuck or mis-fed in a media path, such as through the media guide 130. Such jams can often be difficult to clear. For example, pulling the sheet of paper 199 through one end may cause the sheet to tear, leaving portions remaining in the path to potentially cause further jams. In the example system 100, as illustrated in Figure 4, the jam can be more easily and completely cleared by detaching the module 120 from the main body 110. Detaching the module 120 from the main body 110 separates the first guide portion 112 from the second guide portion 122, thereby allowing improved access to the jam. Similarly, the module 120 may be detached from the main body 110 for maintenance purposes, for example.

[0017] Referring now to Figure 5, a cross-sectional side view of another example system with a media guide is illustrated. The example system 200 of Figure 5 includes an imaging device 210 which may include various subsystems. For example, the imaging device 210 may include an image forming portion (not shown) with printheads, for example, for forming an image on print media. Similarly, the imaging device 210 may include a media input portion, media output portion and various other components.

[0018] In the example system 200 of Figure 5, print media may be transported through the various subsystems and portions of the imaging device 210 along a media path 212. In this regard, the media path 212 is provided with various components to facilitate transportation of the print media. For example, the example imaging device 210 is provided with rollers 214 to convey print media through the media path 212. Various examples may include various other components to convey the print media through the various subsystems.

[0019] The example system 200 further includes a module 240 that is removably inserted into the imaging device 210. With the module 240 attached to the imaging device 210, the media path 212 of the imaging device 210 couples with and extends into a media path 242 in the module 240. In this regard, the module 240 is inserted into the media path 212 of the imaging device 210. Further, the module 240 of the example system 200 of Figure 2 is provided with rollers 244 or other components to facilitate transportation of print media through the media path 242 of the module 240.

[0020] The media path 212 of the imaging device 210 and the media path 242 of the module are coupled through a media guide 230 forming an intermediate media path. The media guide 230 is formed with a first guide portion 216 of the imaging device 210 on one side and a second guide portion 246 of the module 240 on the opposite side. Thus, the first guide portion 216 and the second guide portion 246 form complimentary parts of the media guide 230. In the example system 200 of Figure 5, the first guide portion 216 of the imaging device 210 forms the bottom part of the media guide 230, and the second guide portion 246 of the module 240 forms the top part of the media guide 230. Of course, in other examples, the top part and the bottom part may be reversed with a guide portion of the module forming the bottom part and a guide portion of the imaging device forming the top part.

[0021] In the example system 200 of Figure 5, the first guide portion 216 includes guide rollers 218. The guide rollers 218 are more clearly illustrated in Figure 6, which illustrates a perspective view of the first guide portion 216 of the imaging device 210. For purposes of clarity, Figure 6 shows the first guide portion 216 with the remainder of the imaging device 210 removed. In the example of Figures 5 and 6, the guide rollers 218 of the first guide portion 216 may extend substantially through the width of the first guide portion 216, as most clearly illustrated in Figure 6. Further, at least one of the guide rollers 218 is coupled to a driven gear 220 which may be coupled to a gearing arrangement and/or a motor to cause rotation of the guide rollers 218. When the module 240 is inserted into the imaging device 210, as illustrated in Figure 5, the guide rollers 218 of the imaging device 210 engage complementary guide rollers 248 provided on the second guide portion 246 of the module 240. The rollers 218, 248 facilitate transportation of print media through the media guide 230.

[0022] Referring now to Figure 7, the example system 200 of Figure 5 is illustrated with the module 240 removed or detached from the imaging device 210. Again, for purposes of clarity, Figure 7 shows portions of the imaging device 210 removed. In various examples, the example system 200 is provided with features to facilitate insertion and removal of the module 240 into and from the imaging device 210. For example, in the example system 200 of Figures 5-7, the imaging device 210 is provided with a notch 222 for receiving a corresponding protrusion 252 in the module 240. When the module 240 is inserted into the imaging device 210, the protrusion notch 222 and the protrusion 252 form complementary latching features that facilitate insertion and removal of the module 240 into the imaging device 210. Further, the notch 222 and the protrusion 252 may facilitate proper alignment of the module 240 with the imaging device 210.

[0023] Referring now to Figure 8, a detailed view of the first guide portion 210 of the imaging device 210 is provided. The first guide portion 210 is provided with an arrangement to facilitate proper or predetermined spacing between the first guide portion 210 and the second guide portion 240 of the module 240 when the module 240 is inserted into the imaging device 210. In this regard, proper contact between the guide rollers 218 of the first guide portion 216 of the imaging device 210 and the guide rollers 248 of the second guide portion 246 of the module 240 may be assured.

[0024] In the example illustrated in Figure 8, the first guide portion 216 is provided with a resilient member 224 which forces the top surface of the first guide portion 216 to be biased upward. In various examples, the resilient member 224 may be a compression spring or other resilient member, for example. As the module 240 is inserted, proper contact between the guide rollers 248 of the module 240 and the guide rollers 218 of the imaging device 210 is maintained via the upward biasing by the resilient member 224. The proper contact between the guide rollers 218, 248 translates to providing a proper or predetermined clearance between the first guide portion 216 and the second guide portion 246 when the module 240 is inserted into the imaging device 210.

[0025] The first guide portion 216 is further provided with a restrictor 226 to limit movement of the first guide portion 216. As illustrated in Figure 8, the restrictor includes a hard stop 228 to limit movement of the first guide portion 216 due to the biasing of the resilient member 224.

[0026] In the example illustrated in Figure 5-8, the resilient member 224 and the restrictor 226 are provided on the first guide portion 216 of the imaging device 210. In other examples, the second guide portion 246 of the module 240 may be provided with similar features either in addition to or in place of the resilient member 224 and the restrictor 226 on the first guide portion 216 of the imaging device 210.

[0027] Referring now to Figure 9, a flow chart illustrates an example method for clearing a jam in a media path. Various examples of the method 900 may be implemented in the examples systems 100, 200 described above with reference to Figures 1-8, for example. In the example

5 method 900 of Figure 9, a jam in a media guide in a media path is detected (block 910). For example, the media path may be a media path in an imaging system, such as the media path 212, 242 illustrated in Figure 5. A jam may occur in a media guide along the media path, as illustrated in Figure 3. The jam, such as the jam illustrated in Figure 3, may be detected via sensors along the media path, for example.

[0028] In accordance with the example method of Figure 9, a module is detached from a main body of the imaging system. As described above, the main body includes a first guide portion. For example, as illustrated in Figures 1-4, the main body 110 includes a first guide portion 112. Further, the module includes a second guide portion, such as the second guide portion 122 of the module 120 of Figures 1-4. Further, the module (e.g., the module 120 of Figures 1-4) is removably attachable to the main body, and the first guide portion and the second guide portion forming complimentary parts of the media guide, such as the media guide 130 illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. With the module detached from the main body, the jam between first guide portion and the second guide portion is cleared (block 930).

[0029] The foregoing description of various examples has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting to the examples disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of various examples. The examples discussed herein were chosen and described in order to explain the principles and the nature of various examples of the present disclosure and its practical application to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the present disclosure in various examples and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The features of the examples described herein may be combined in all possible combinations of methods, apparatus, modules, systems, and computer program products.

[0030] It is also noted herein that while the above describes examples, these descriptions should not be viewed in a limiting sense. Rather, there are several variations and modifications which may be made without departing from the scope as defined in the appended claims.