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US 10,259,213 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for printing roll cleaning
AssigneePaper Converting Machine Company
InventorErico Cruz Lemus
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a device and method for cleaning the surface of a printing roll, such as an anilox roll. The device includes a laser-equipped assembly adapted to project a laser beam on the surface of the printing roll. The laser-equipped assembly uses a reflector and a lens to guide the laser beam along a predetermined path on the surface of the printing roll. In some embodiments, an autofocus system may be included to move the lens so that the desired focal point for the laser beam on the printing roll surface is achieved.
Claims15
An apparatus for cleaning a printing roll, the apparatus comprising:
- a support adapted to position a housing, the housing including a laser-equipped assembly comprising an autofocus system in operative proximity to the printing roll, wherein the housing includes an aperture and at least one shield adjacent the aperture, and the laser-equipped assembly is mounted with the support and comprises:
- a laser source configured to generate and direct a laser beam at a surface of the printing roll for cleaning of the printing roll;
- a reciprocating reflector positioned to receive the laser beam from the laser source and to repeatably redirect the laser beam along a predetermined path, the reciprocating reflector reciprocating independent of the position of the housing;
- and
- a lens adapted to receive the laser beam from the reciprocating reflector and to direct the laser beam through the aperture to a focal position;
- and
- the autofocus system comprising:
- a carrier operatively connected to the lens;
- an emitter configured to transmit an emitted energy at the surface of the printing roll such that a reflected energy from the surface of the printing roll is subsequently reflected for measuring of a distance of the surface of the printing roll to the laser-equipped assembly;
- an energy receiver adapted to receive the reflected energy from the emitter and generate a signal representing a time characteristic of the reflected energy;
- and
- a processor programmed to determine the distance of the surface of the printing roll to the laser-equipped assembly based on the signal and to actuate the carrier to adjust a position of the lens relative to the surface of the printing roll such that the focal position of the laser beam of the laser is positioned at a desired location on the surface of the printing roll.
9 more elements
An apparatus for cleaning a printing roll, the apparatus comprising:
- a support adapted to position a housing, the housing including a laser-equipped assembly comprising an autofocus system in operative proximity to the printing roll, wherein the laser-equipped assembly is mounted with the support and comprises:
- a laser source configured to generate and direct a laser beam at a surface of the printing roll for cleaning of the printing roll;
- a rotatable polygonal reflector positioned to receive the laser beam from the laser source and to redirect the laser beam across a unidirectional path, the rotatable polygonal reflector rotating independent of the position of the housing;
- and
- a lens adapted to receive the laser beam from the rotatable polygonal reflector and to direct the laser beam through the aperture to a focal position;
- and
- the autofocus system comprising:
- a carrier operatively connected to the lens;
- an emitter configured to transmit an emitted energy at the surface of the printing roll such that a reflected energy from the surface of the printing roll is subsequently reflected for measuring of a distance of the surface of the printing roll to the laser-equipped assembly;
- an energy receiver adapted to receive the reflected energy from the emitter and generate a signal representing a time characteristic of the reflected energy;
- and
- a processor programmed to determine the distance of the surface of the printing roll to the laser-equipped assembly based on the signal and to actuate the carrier to adjust a position of the lens relative to the surface of the printing roll such that the focal position of the laser beam of the laser is positioned at a desired location on the surface of the printing roll.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.