Patent ID: 7223033
Filing Date: 2007-05-29
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A pinch control apparatus in a printer for controlling a pinch force exerted by a pinch plate on a medium which is being fed into a print zone, the pinch control apparatus comprising: a camshaft rotatably mounted across a width of the medium; at least one cam attached to the camshaft, said at least one cam having a predefined profile and is rotatable with the camshaft; at least one pinch plate lifting cam attached to the camshaft, said at least one pinch plate lifting cam having a predefined profile which abuts the pinch plate and is rotatable with the camshaft; a plunger which abuts the predefined profile of said at least one cam; and a biasing rod extending from the plunger to the pinch plate for biasing the plunger to the predefined profile of said at least one cam such that the plunger is always in contact with the predefined profile of said at least one cam and the pinch plate is always in contact with the predefined profile of said at least one pinch plate lifting cam, wherein the pinch force exerted on the medium and lifting of the pinch plate are controllable by the rotation of the camshaft.