System for directly printing fibrous objects with solid ink images
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsMichael F. Leo, Wayne A. Buchar, Brendan C. Casey, Daniel J. McVeigh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printer includes a spindle that rotates a fibrous object opposite a plurality of printheads while a forced air heater directs heated air toward the surface of the fibrous object. The plurality of printheads eject drops of solid ink onto the surface of the fibrous object to form a solid ink image on the fibrous object and the heated air affixes the solid ink image to the surface of the fibrous object without requiring pressure to affix the solid ink image to the fibrous object.
Claims14
A printing system comprising:
- a plurality of printheads, each printhead in the plurality of printheads being configured to eject solid ink marking material;
- a holder configured to hold a stack of nested objects;
- a spindle configured for reciprocal movement;
- an actuator operatively connected to the spindle to enable the actuator to move the spindle within an orifice of the object in the stack of nested objects that is closest to the plurality of printheads to engage the object and to move the object to a position opposite the plurality of printheads;
- a forced air heater configured to direct heated air toward the position opposite the plurality of printheads;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the plurality of printheads, the forced air heater, and the actuator, the controller being configured to operate the actuator to move the spindle within the orifice of the object in the stack of nested objects that is closest to the plurality of printheads to engage the object, remove the object from the stack, and move the object to the position opposite the plurality of printheads, to operate the forced air heater to direct heated air toward the surface of the object opposite the plurality of printheads, and to operate the plurality of printheads to eject solid ink marking material onto the object on the spindle as the forced air heater directs heated air toward the surface of the object.
A system for printing fibrous objects with solid ink images comprising:
- a plurality of printheads, each printhead in the plurality of printheads being configured to eject solid ink marking material;
- a spindle configured for reciprocal movement;
- an actuator operatively connected to the spindle to enable the actuator to move the spindle to a first position where a fibrous object can be placed on or removed from the spindle and to move the spindle to a second position where the fibrous object is opposite the plurality of printheads;
- a forced air heater configured to direct heated air toward the second position where the fibrous object is opposite the plurality of printheads;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the plurality of printheads, the forced air heater, and the actuator, the controller being configured to operate the actuator to move the spindle to the first position to enable the fibrous object to be placed on the spindle and then move the fibrous object to the second position opposite the plurality of printheads, to operate the forced air heater to direct heated air toward the surface of the fibrous object when the fibrous object is at the second position opposite the plurality of printheads, to operate the plurality of printheads to eject solid ink marking material onto the fibrous object on the spindle as the forced air heater directs heated air toward the surface of the fibrous object, and to operate the actuator to return the spindle and the fibrous object to the first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.