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US 10,589,547 B2Granted
Inkjet printer having an aerodynamic element for reducing turbulences
AssigneeOcé Holding B.V.
InventorsMatthias Brust, Egor Mohilnik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inkjet printer having at least one print head in which an aerodynamic element is placed before (e.g. in a transport direction) a recording medium (e.g. in the form of a sheet or page or plate) to reduce or avoid turbulences that may arise due to the relative motion between print head(s) and recording medium at an edge of the recording medium.
Claims17
An inkjet printer for printing to a recording medium, comprising:
- a print head having one or more nozzles arranged in a nozzle plate;
- and
- a conveyor configured to move the recording medium in a transport direction relative to the print head to print a print image onto the recording medium and such that at least an intake edge of the recording medium is arranged below the nozzle plate, wherein a clearance below the nozzle plate as of the intake edge corresponds to a reference clearance wherein the conveyor includes:
- a conveyor belt configured to carry the recording medium and direct the recording medium past the print head;
- and
- an aerodynamic element arranged on the conveyor belt and configured to match the clearance below the nozzle plate in a region that extends before the intake edge in the transport direction, starting from the intake edge to the reference clearance so that a flat top side of the aerodynamic element facing toward the nozzle plate at the intake edge is at a same height as a top side of the recording medium facing toward the nozzle plate, wherein at least a portion of the flat top side of the aerodynamic element travels parallel to the top side of the recording medium.
3 more elements
An inkjet printer for printing to a recording medium, comprising:
- a print head having one or more nozzles arranged in a nozzle plate;
- and
- a conveyor configured to move the recording medium in a transport direction relative to the print head to print a print image onto the recording medium and such that at least an intake edge of the recording medium is arranged at least partially below the nozzle plate, wherein a clearance below the nozzle plate corresponds to a reference clearance as of the intake edge, the conveyor including:
- an aerodynamic element that is configured to converge the clearance below the nozzle plate on the reference clearance to match the reference clearance in a region that extends before the intake edge and starting from the intake edge with respect to the transport direction, wherein the aerodynamic element is arranged in a region between two successive recording media, the aerodynamic element including a flat surface that faces toward the nozzle plate,
- wherein the printer is configured to print, using the print head, a regeneration print image and/or test print image onto the flat surface of the aerodynamic element for regeneration and/or monitoring of the one or more nozzles.
2 more elements
A carrier for supporting a recording medium in a printer, comprising:
- a body configured to accommodate at least a portion of the recording medium;
- and
- an aerodynamic element coupled to the body and arranged before the body with respect to a transport direction of the printer, the aerodynamic element including a planar top portion and an angled portion configured to direct an air flow to a bottom of the body of the carrier, wherein the planar top portion has a height that is greater or equal to a thickness of the recording medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.