Back to results
US 10,300,711 B2Granted
Device for providing multiple surface treatments to three-dimensional objects prior to printing and system using the device
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsJack T. LeStrange, Anthony S. Condello, Mandakini Kanungo, Peter J. Knausdorf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surface treatment system includes a holder configured to secure an object within the holder and a surface treatment device that is configured to treat a surface of the object within the holder with two types of surface treatments. The device is capable of producing a plasma or a flame at its nozzle for surface treatment. By controlling the materials supplied to the device and the way in which is operated, either a flame or plasma is produced. Thus, the surface treatment system is capable of treating a wide range of materials for printing by a direct-to-object printer.
Claims10
A printer comprising:
- an object surface treatment system comprising:
- an object surface treatment device that is configured to produce both a plasma and a flame, but not both simultaneously;
- a first support member;
- a first holder mounted to the support member, the first holder being configured to secure an object within the holder;
- a first actuator operatively connected to the first holder;
- a second support member to which the object surface treatment device is mounted;
- a second actuator operatively connected to the object surface treatment device;
- a controller operatively connected to the first actuator, the second actuator, and the object surface treatment device, the controller being configured to operate the first actuator to move the first holder along the first support member, to operate the second actuator to move the object surface treatment device along the second support member to position the object surface treatment device with reference to the object in the first holder, and to operate the object surface treatment device to enable at least a portion of a surface of the object within the holder to be treated with either the plasma alone, the flame alone, or both the plasma and the flame independently of each other;
- and
- a printing system having at least one printhead configured to eject marking material, the printing system being configured to receive the first support member to enable the second actuator to move the first holder and the object secured within the first holder into the printing system after the object has had at least a portion of the surface of the object treated by the object surface treatment device to enable the at least one printhead of the printing system to eject marking material onto the portion of the surface of the object treated by the object surface treatment device.
7 more elements
A method of operating a printer comprising:
- operating an object surface treatment device within an object surface treatment system by operating with a controller a first actuator to move a first holder along a first support member;
- operating with the controller a second actuator to move the plurality of object surface treatment devices along a second support member to position the object surface treatment devices with reference to the object in the first holder;
- operating with the controller the object surface treatment device to enable at least the portion of the surface of the object to be treated with either a flame or a plasma produced by the object surface treatment device to treat at least a portion of a surface of an object positioned within the object surface treatment system with either a plasma or a flame, the object surface treatment device being configured to produce both a flame or a plasma independently of each another;
- directly conveying to a printing system from the object surface treatment system an object that has had at least the portion of the surface of the object treated by the object surface treatment device in the object surface treatment system by operating with the controller the second actuator to move the first holder and the object secured within the first holder into the printing system;
- and
- operating at least one printhead in the printing system to eject marking material onto the portion of the surface of the object treated by the object surface treatment device in the object surface treatment system.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.