Application of coating fluid using movable rollers
AssigneeHP Indigo B.V.
InventorGil Fisher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Examples disclosed herein relate to application of a coating fluid. Examples include an apparatus including a first coating applicator to apply a coating fluid to a plurality of first rollers; a first transfer roller in contact with the plurality of first rollers to receive coating fluid; and a media path to apply coating fluid from the first transfer roller to a first side of a media, wherein the plurality of first rollers are shorter than the first transfer roller and are individually movable along its longitudinal axes such that they may positioned to apply a variable width of coating fluid onto the first transfer roller.
Claims12
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first roller having a first length, the first roller extending along a first longitudinal axis;
- a second roller in contact with the first roller at a first contact part on the first roller, the second roller to apply a coating fluid to the first contact part on the first roller, the second roller extending and being movable along a second longitudinal axis;
- a third roller in contact with the first roller at a second contact part on the first roller, the third roller to apply the coating fluid to the second contact part on the first roller, the third roller extending and being movable along a third longitudinal axis, and the third longitudinal axis being offset from the second longitudinal axis;
- a fluid reservoir to hold the coating fluid, wherein the second roller and the third roller are to receive the coating fluid directly from the fluid reservoir while being movable along the second longitudinal axis and the third longitudinal axis, respectively;
- and
- a controller to:
- determine a width and location of the coating fluid to be applied to a media;
- and
- control movement of the second roller along the second longitudinal axis to move the first contact part on the first roller and the third roller along the third longitudinal axis to move the second contact part on the first roller to vary a width of the coating fluid applied to the first roller from the second roller and the third roller according to the determined width and location of the coating fluid of the media.
A system, comprising:
- a coating applicator to hold a coating fluid;
- a first pickup roller extending along a first longitudinal axis, the first pickup roller to directly receive the coating fluid held in the coating applicator while being movable along the first longitudinal axis;
- a second pickup roller extending along a second longitudinal axis, the second pickup roller to receive the coating fluid held in the coating applicator while being movable along the second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being offset with respect to the first longitudinal axis;
- a first transfer roller in contact with the first pickup roller at a first contact part and in contact with the second pickup roller at a second contact part, wherein the first pickup roller and the second pickup roller are each shorter in length than the first transfer roller, and wherein the first transfer roller is to receive coating fluid at the first contact part and the second contact part and to apply the received coating fluid to a first side of a medium;
- and
- a controller to:
- determine a width and a location on the medium at which the coating fluid is to be applied;
- control movement of the first pickup roller along the first longitudinal axis based on the determined width and location on the medium at which the coating fluid is to be applied;
- and
- control movement of the second pickup roller along the second longitudinal axis based on the determined width and location on the medium at which the coating fluid is to be applied.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.