Patent Publication Number: US-6213460-B1

Title: Label support

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a label support and, more particularly, to a label support for an integrated label having at least one portion thicker than at least one other portion with the label support used in a media support tray. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In printers and copiers, for example, sheets of media are fed from a media support tray having a plurality of sheets of media stacked therein for sequential feeding to the printer or copier. Two examples of feeding sheets of media from a support tray are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,040 to Oleska et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,874 to Armstrong et al, which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     Integrated labels include a paper backing having a label portion releasably adhered thereto whereby the label portion may be removed after printing on the label portion for application to an article, for example. For example, pharmacies now utilize an integrated label in which a label portion has spaces for printing the patient&#39;s name, the physician&#39;s name, the name of the drug, and the dosage from a computer controlled printer. 
     The remainder of the paper backing constitutes a paper portion, which is not covered by the label portion and is larger than the label portion. One side of the paper portion could have instructions and the side effects for the particular drug printed thereon by the printer during the passage of the integrated label through a processing station of the printer. The other side of the paper portion could have printed matter already on it since it is on the opposite side from where printing occurs. 
     With this type of integrated label, the label portion is several times thicker than the paper backing to which it is adhered. Thus, the paper backing functions as a substrate for the label portion. 
     As shown and described in each of the aforesaid Oleska et al and Armstrong et al patents, the media support tray has a dam inclined upwardly from the support surface on which the sheets of media are stacked. Each sheet of media has its leading edge advanced into the dam by a pair of feed rollers and then advanced upwardly along the dam and a predetermined path thereafter to a processing station in the printer or copier. With narrow width sheets, only one of the pair of rollers is employed in the aforesaid Armstrong et al patent. 
     When the thickness of the label portion is several times thicker than the paper backing to which it is adhered, the leading edge of each of the label portions may not advance up the dam of the media support tray. This is particularly true when the label portion of the integrated label extends rearwardly from the leading edge of each of the integrated labels. 
     When the integrated labels of varying thicknesses are in a stack on the support surface of the media support tray, the uppermost labels in the stack tend to slide away from the dam so as to be spaced further away from the dam when stacked on the support surface of the media support tray. With the leading edge of the integrated label spaced from the dam, the leading edge of the integrated label may curl down as the integrated label is advanced by feed rollers. When this occurs, the label portions will occasionally turn down instead of moving up the dam. As a result, no integrated label can be fed from the stack. 
     Another problem in feeding integrated labels from a media support tray can occur if a user adds sheets of the integrated labels to a partially filled tray of the sheets of the integrated labels so that they overhang the initial integrated labels; this occurs when the user places the leading edge of the label portion of each of the new integrated labels in contact with the dam, for example. Accordingly, because of the weight of the label portion of each of the new integrated labels being unsupported, each of the uppermost integrated labels will tend to curl downwardly at its leading edge. This also can prevent feeding of the integrated labels. 
     Instead of loading the integrated labels so that the label portion of each of the new integrated labels extends beyond the initial integrated labels in the stack, the label portions of the new integrated labels could be loaded by a user so that they are further away from the dam than the initial integrated labels on which they were stacked. When this occurs, the location of the uppermost sheet of the stacked integrated labels may be such that the location of the feed rollers is too far forward for the feed rollers to engage the uppermost sheet to advance any sheet of the stacked integrated labels into engagement with the dam. 
     A further problem can occur when the uppermost sheet of the stack of the initial sheets of integrated labels extends into engagement with the dam prior to additional sheets of the integrated labels being stacked thereon. When this occurs, there can be multiple feeding of the lowermost sheet of the added sheets of the integrated labels along with the uppermost sheet of the integrated label of the initial stack and possibly one or more sheets of the integrated labels therebeneath. 
     Thus, several problems can occur when an integrated label has its label portion substantially thicker than the remainder of the integrated label, particularly when the label portion of the integrated label extends rearwardly from its leading edge. These problems include jamming because of the curling downwardly of the particular label portion, inability to feed any sheets of the integrated labels, and multiple sheet feeding, for example. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention satisfactorily solves the foregoing problems through providing a label support for use with a media support tray having a media support surface. The label support has inclined rear restraints, which bear against the trailing edge of each of the stacked integrated labels, at a smaller acute angle than the complement of the obtuse angle of the inclined dam of the media support tray to the support surface of the media support tray. This results in the stack of the integrated labels having their leading edges forming a stack end substantially parallel to the dam. 
     Additionally, one embodiment of the invention has only the rear portion of its support surface spaced from the support surface of the media support tray and substantially parallel thereto. The support surface has a front portion, which is connected to the rear portion by an inclined portion, resting on the support surface of the media support tray. 
     This arrangement contemplates the sheets of the integrated labels being disposed so that strippers of a sheet feeding mechanism of each of the aforesaid Oleska et al and Armstrong et al patents, for example, can remove sheets when the height of the stack is too high. The height of the stack must be limited because feeding of the sheets will not occur if the stack is too high. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the entire support surface of the label support is spaced above the entire support surface of the media support tray. The support surface of the label support is inclined toward its front end for a portion, approximately one-fourth, of its length. This embodiment is particularly effective when the label portion of each of the integrated labels extends rearwardly from the leading edge of the integrated label. 
     An object of this invention is to provide a label support for integrated labels for use in a media support tray of a printer or copier. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a label support for integrated labels having varying thicknesses in their feed direction. 
     Other objects of this invention will be readily perceived from the following description, claims, and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The attached drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a portion of a media support tray in which one embodiment of the label support of the present invention is disposed with the label and paper portions of the integrated labels substantially enlarged to show their relative sizes. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a media support tray having the label support of FIG. 1 disposed therein without any sheets of the integrated labels disposed therein. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of another embodiment of the label support of the present invention disposed in a media support tray without any sheets of the integrated labels supported thereby. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the label support of FIG. 3 without the media support tray. 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a media support tray without a label support of the present invention and having a stack of integrated labels on its support surface with the uppermost sheets of the integrated labels spaced further from the dam of the media support tray than the lowermost sheets and with the label and paper portions of the integrated labels substantially enlarged to show their relative sizes. 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a media support tray, similar to FIG. 5, but having the uppermost sheets of the integrated labels extending beyond the remainder of the stack with the label and paper portions of the integrated labels substantially enlarged to show their relative sizes. 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of a media support tray without a label support of the present invention and having a stack of integrated labels on its support surface in which the uppermost sheets of the integrated labels have their leading edges rearward of the leading edges of the lowermost sheets of the integrated labels in the stack and with the label and paper portions of the integrated labels substantially enlarged to show their relative sizes. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of a media support tray without a label support of the present invention and having a stack of sheets of the integrated labels in which an intermediate sheet in the stack is advanced against the dam while the sheets thereabove are spaced from the dam due to having been stacked later and with the label and paper portions of the integrated labels substantially enlarged to show their relative sizes. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1, there is shown a media support tray  10  having a label support  11  of the present invention supported thereby. The label support  11  includes a base  12  having a first spacing or support element  14  extending downwardly from its rear. 
     The base  12  includes a first or upper substantially horizontal portion  15 , an inclined portion  16 , and a second or lower substantially horizontal portion  17 . The inclined portion  16  connects the forward end of the first or upper substantially horizontal portion  15  with the rear end of the second or lower substantially horizontal portion  17 . The portions  15 - 17  constitute a support surface for a stack  18  of sheets  19  of integrated labels  20 . 
     Each of the sheets  19  of the integrated labels  20  has a paper backing  21  supporting a label portion  22 . The remainder of the paper backing  21  constitutes a paper portion  23 . The thickness of the label portion  22  is at least several times greater than the thickness of the paper portion  23 . In one form, the integrated label  20  has the label portion  22  extending rearwardly from its leading edge  24  for a distance substantially less than the length of the paper portion  23 . 
     The spacing element  14 , which preferably extends the width of the base  12 , maintains the first or upper substantially horizontal portion  15  of the base  12  in spaced relation to a support surface  25  of the media support tray  10  and substantially parallel thereto. The support surface  25  of the media support tray  10  has a recess  26  to receive a support surface  27  of a rear restraint body  28 , which is slidable in the recess  26 . The rear restraint body  28  is held in a desired position in the recess  26  by a detent (not shown) thereon cooperating with one of a plurality of parallel grooves in the bottom of the recess  26 . The support surface  25  of the media support tray  10  is deemed to include the support surface  27  of the rear restraint body  28  as they are in the same horizontal plane. 
     The spacing element  14  is disposed at an obtuse angle to the first or upper substantially horizontal portion  15  and substantially parallel to an inclined rear restraint  29  of the rear restraint body  28 . The inclined rear restraint  29  is substantially parallel to an inclined dam  30  (see FIG. 2) of the media support tray  10 . 
     The inclined rear restraint  29 , which extends about two-thirds of the width of the base  12 , is slidable along the bottom of the recess  26  in the support surface  25  of the media support tray  10 . The overall length of the label support  11  allows the inclined rear restraint body  28  to move longitudinally along the length of the recess  26  in the support surface  25  of the media support tray  10  to accommodate various lengths of the integrated labels  20 . 
     The label support  11  has two inclined rear restraints  32  (see FIG.  1 ),which are at an acute angle to the first or upper substantially horizontal portion  15  of the base  12  and at a smaller angle than the acute angle of the inclined rear restraint  29  to the support surface  27  of the of the rear restraint body  28 . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the inclined rear restraints  32  of the base  12  cause the leading edges  24  of the stacked sheets  19  of the integrated labels  20  to form a stacked end substantially parallel to the dam  30 . This insures that the uppermost sheet  19  of the integrated labels  20  can more easily engage the dam  30  than any of the other sheets  19  of the integrated labels  20 . 
     The second or lower substantially horizontal portion  17  of the base  12  rests on the support surface  25  of the of the media support tray  10 . However, the thickness of the base  12 , which is preferably formed of polycarbonate sold under the trademark LEXAN 500, of the label support  11  is only 2 mm. As a result, the second or lower substantially horizontal portion  17  of the base  12  is in substantially the same horizontal plane as the support surface  25  of the media support tray  10 . 
     To prevent transverse movement of the label support  11 , a projection  33  (see FIG. 2) extends rearwardly from the first support element  14  (see FIG.  1 ). The projection  33  (see FIG. 2) extends into a slot  34  in the inclined rear restraint  29  of the inclined rear restraint body  28 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a label support  40 . The label support  40  includes a base  41 , which is spaced from the support surface  25  of the media support tray  10  and the support surface  27  of the inclined rear restraint body  28 . The entire upper surface of the base  41  constitutes a support surface for the stack  18  (see FIG. 1) of the sheets  19  of the integrated labels  20 . 
     The base  41  has a first portion  42  substantially parallel to the support surface  25  of the media support tray  10  and a second portion  43  inclined from the portion  42  to its front end. This provides more room for the label portion  22  (see FIG. 1) of the integrated labels  20 . 
     The rear end of the base  41  (see FIG. 4) has a first support or spacing element  44  extending downwardly and rearwardly therefrom. The first support element  44 , which preferably extends the width of the base  41 , has its bottom edge  45  resting on the support surface  25  (see FIG. 3) of the media support tray  10 . 
     Two inclined rear restraints  46  (see FIG. 4) and  47  extend upwardly from the rear end of the base  41  adjacent opposite sides of the base  41 . The inclined rear restraints  46  and  47  are at an acute angle to the base  41 . 
     The inclined rear restraints  46  and  47  are at a smaller acute angle to the base  41  than the angle of the inclined rear restraint  29  (see FIG. 3) of the rear restraint body  28  in the same manner as the rear restraints  32  (see FIG. 1) of the label support  11 . This insures that the uppermost sheet  19  of the integrated labels  20  can more easily engage the dam  30  than any of the other sheets  19  of the integrated labels  20 . 
     The base  41  (see FIG. 4) has two second support or spacing elements  48  and  49  extending downwardly from its forward end  50 . The two support elements  48  and  49  are preferably substantially perpendicular to the base  41 . 
     The two support elements  48  and  49  space the forward end  50  of the base  41  from the support surface  25  (see FIG. 3) of the media support tray  10  a lesser distance than the rear end of the base  41  due to the first support element  44  having a greater length than each of the two second support elements  48  and  49 . This disposition of the forward end  50  of the base  41  closer to the support surface  25  of the media support tray  10  provides more stacking space for the label portion  22  (see FIG. 1) of the integrated label  20  than for the paper portion  23 . 
     To prevent transverse movement of the label support  40 , a projection  51  extends rearwardly from the bottom edge  45  of the first support element  44 . The projection  51  extends into the slot  34  (see FIG. 2) in the inclined rear restraint  29  of the rear restraint body  28 . 
     The base  41  has an intermediate support  52  (see FIG.3 ) extending downwardly from the bottom of the base  41  for engaging the support surface  25  of the media support tray  10 . This supports the label support  40  intermediate its ends. 
     The label support  40  (see FIG. 3) does not allow adjustment of the inclined rear restraint  29  of the rear restraint body  28  since the label support  40  extends for the length of the support surface  25  of the media support tray  10 . Accordingly, only one length of the integrated labels  20  can be used in this embodiment. 
     In FIG. 5, the media support tray  10  does not have the label support  11  (see FIG. 1) or the label support  40  (see FIG.  3 ). As a result, the uppermost sheets  19  (see FIG. 5) of the integrated labels  20  of the stack  18  are spaced from the dam  30 . This can cause the label portion  22  of the integrated label  20  to curl downwardly and cease to enable advancement of any of the sheets  19  of the integrated labels  20 . 
     In FIG. 6, the media support tray  10  does not have the label support  11  (see FIG. 1) or the label support  40  (see FIG.  3 ). This discloses another problem when the sheets  19  (see FIG. 6) of the integrated labels  20  are supported in the stack  18  on the support surface  25  of the media support tray  10 . One or more of the uppermost sheets of the sheets  19  of the integrated labels  20  of the stack  18  has been loaded so as to extend beyond the remainder of the sheets  19  of the integrated labels  20  of the stack  18 . The weight of the label portion  22  of at least the uppermost sheet  19  causes it to curl downwardly because it is not supported by the stack  18 . The uppermost sheet  18  also could curl downwardly due to its properties. 
     In FIG. 7, the media support tray  10  does not have the label support  11  (see FIG. 1) or the label support  40  (see FIG. 3) therein. At least the uppermost sheets  19  (see FIG. 7) of the integrated labels  20  of the stack  18  have their leading edges spaced further from the dam  30  of the media support tray  10  than the lowermost sheets. With a pair of feed rollers  53  disposed as shown in FIG. 7, the feed rollers  53  could never engage the uppermost sheets  19  of the integrated labels  20  of the stack  18 . Thus, none of the sheets  19  of the integrated labels  20  of the stack  18  could be advanced. Versions of the feed rollers  53  are particularly shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,026 to Padgett et al, which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     In FIG. 8, the media support tray  10  does not have the label support  11  (see FIG. 1) or the label support  40  (see FIG. 3) therein. One of the intermediate sheets  19  (see FIG. 8) of the integrated labels  20 , disposed in the middle of the stack  18 , is advanced into engagement with the dam  30 . Accordingly, after the uppermost sheets  19  of the integrated labels  20  of the stack  18  have been fed, there will be a multiple feeding when there is feeding of the sheet  19  above the sheet  19  engaging the dam  30 . 
     While the label support  40  (see FIG. 3) has been shown and described as being supported at its front and rear ends, it should be understood that this is not a requisite for satisfactory operation. Thus, the label support  40  could be supported by support or spacing elements extending from its sides rather than its front and rear ends, if desired. Of course, this would require a different support arrangement for the projection  51 . A similar support arrangement could be utilized with the first substantially horizontal portion  15  (see FIG. 1) of the label support  11 . 
     While the integrated labels  20  have been shown and described as having the label portion  22  extending rearwardly from the leading edge  24  of the integrated label  20 , it should be understood that the label portion  22  could be disposed other than extending rearwardly from the leading edge  24  of the integrated label  20 . Thus, the label portion  22  could be positioned on the paper backing  21  (see FIG. 1) intermediate the ends of the integrated label  20  or even extend forwardly from the trailing edge of the integrated label  20 , if desired. Each of these could still be satisfactorily fed with either of the embodiments. 
     An advantage of this invention is that it substantially eliminates double feeding or jamming problems when feeding integrated labels in which each of the integrated labels has varying thicknesses in its feeding direction. Another advantage of this invention is that it prevents paper jams when feeding integrated labels from a media support tray of a printer or copier. 
     For purposes of exemplification, preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described according to the best present understanding thereof. However, it will be apparent that changes and modifications in the arrangement and construction of the parts thereof may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.