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US 10,087,562 B2Granted
Steam treating printed fibrous sheet material
AssigneeMs Printing Solutions S.R.L
InventorLuigi Milini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Steam-treating printed fibrous sheet material to fix ink printed on the material includes conveying the printed material into a steam chamber on a conveyor with a surface containing condensed water. At least some of the condensed water is transferred to the sheet material on the conveyor.
Claims18
A printed fibrous sheet material steam treatment apparatus, comprising:
- a casing defining at least one steam-treatment chamber and having at least one inlet port, configured for enabling introduction of a fibrous sheet material into the treatment chamber, and at least one outlet port configured for enabling the treated fibrous sheet material to exit from the treatment chamber;
- at least one conveyor configured to contactingly receive the fibrous sheet material and convey the material into the treatment chamber through the inlet port, the conveyor being positioned with respect to the inlet port so as to constantly present a first conveyor portion disposed outside the treatment chamber and a second conveyor portion extending inside the treatment chamber;
- and
- wherein the conveyor includes at least one absorbing surface arranged to contact the fibrous sheet material as placed on the conveyor, the absorbing surface being configured to capture condensate water.
1 more element
A method of fixing ink on a fibrous sheet material having at least one printed side, comprising:
- conveying printed fibrous sheet material into a steam-treatment chamber on a conveyor having an absorbing surface, the printed fibrous sheet material carrying an ink;
- steam fixing the ink to the fibrous sheet material in the steam-treatment chamber, by guiding the fibrous sheet material along a predetermined operative path between an inlet port and an outlet port of the chamber, thereby treating the fibrous sheet material;
- and
- extracting the treated fibrous sheet material from the outlet port;
- wherein the method includes pre-humidifying the fibrous sheet material outside the steam-treatment chamber, by:
- bringing the fibrous sheet material into contact with the absorbing surface of the conveyor, the absorbing surface containing condensate water;
- and
- transferring into the fibrous sheet material at least a portion of the condensate water from the absorbing surface.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.