Retainers with movable pinch arms
View Patent ↗In an example, a retainer may include a transition arm having a lift tab. The retainer may further include a pinch arm pivotably or movably engaged with the transition arm. The pinch arm may be movable between an engaged position and a stowed position, and may have a pinching member disposed on a pinching end of the pinch arm. Further, the transition arm may move the pinch arm form the engaged position to the stowed position upon the lift tab being moved about a retainer pivot point.
1. A retainer, comprising:
a transition arm having a lift tab; and
a pinch arm pivotably engaged with the transition arm, the pinch arm movable between an engaged position and a stowed position and having a pinching member disposed on a pinching end of the pinch arm,
wherein the transition arm is to move the pinch arm from the engaged position to the stowed position upon the lift tab being moved about a retainer pivot point.
2. The retainer of claim 1 , further comprising a lift arm engaged with the lift tab, wherein the transition arm is to move the pinch arm from the engaged position to the stowed position upon the lift arm moving from a first position to a second position.
3. The retainer of claim 2 , wherein the transition arm is to move the pinch arm from the stowed position to the engaged position upon the lift arm being pivoted from the second position to the first position.
4. The retainer of claim 3 , wherein the lift arm is pivoted from the first position to the second position by a cam shaft.
5. The retainer of claim 1 , wherein the pinching member is a roller rotatable relative to the pinch arm.
6. The retainer of claim 5 , wherein the pinching member comprises a second roller disposed at the pinching end of the pinch arm, wherein the first and second roller are to rotate relative to each other and the pinch arm.
7. A retainer assembly, comprising:
a cam shaft;
a driven member fixed to the cam shaft; and
a retainer, comprising:
a lift arm fixed to the cam shaft;
a transition arm engaged with the lift arm; and
a pinch arm pivotably engaged with the transition arm and movable between an engaged position and a stowed position;
wherein the driven member is to rotate the cam shaft in a stowing direction to move the lift arm from a first position to a second position, and the cam shaft is to rotate in a pinching direction to move the lift arm from the second position to the first position, and
wherein the transition arm is to move the pinch arm from the engaged position to the stowed position upon the driven member rotating the cam shaft in the stowing direction, and the transition arm is to move the pinch arm from the stowed position to the engaged position upon the cam shaft rotating in the pinching direction.
8. The retainer assembly of claim 7 , wherein the driven member is engaged with a driving member of a cam follower, the driving member to move the driven member to rotate the cam shaft.
9. The retainer assembly of claim 8 , wherein the driven member includes a tooth array to engage with a complementary tooth array of the driving member.
10. The retainer assembly of claim 7 , wherein the retainer further includes a pivot bias member to urge the pinch arm towards the engaged position.
11. An imaging device, comprising:
a printer;
a media door enclosing a media compartment;
a cam shaft extending along a portion of a length of the media door;
a retainer disposed on the cam shaft, comprising:
a lift arm fixed to the cam shaft;
a transition arm engaged with the lift arm; and
a pinch arm engaged with the transition arm and including a roller disposed on a pinching end of the pinch arm;
a cam follower disposed at a driven end of the cam shaft; and
a cam surface to engage with the cam follower,
wherein the cam follower is to rotate the cam shaft as the cam follower is moved along the cam surface, the cam shaft to move the pinch arm from an engaged position to a stowed position.
12. The imaging device of claim 11 , wherein the pinch arm is to press against a media roll within the imaging device if the pinch arm is disposed in the engaged position, and the pinch arm is to be spaced apart from the media roll if disposed in the stowed position.
13. The imaging device of claim 12 , wherein the cam follower is to be moved along the cam surface by the media door upon the media door being moved from a closed position to an open position.
14. The imaging device of claim 11 , wherein the cam surface is disposed on a roll support of the imaging device, the roll support to support a first end of a roll of media within the imaging device.
15. The imaging device of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of retainers disposed along the cam shaft.