Low-volume flexographic inking system
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsGary A. Smith, Michael G. Shaughnessy, Timothy John Young
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inking system for use in transferring ink to a flexographic printing plate in a flexographic printing system includes an anilox member having an ink transfer zone located between first and second recessed bearing contact zones. A radius of the recessed bearing contact zones is less than a radius of the ink transfer zone by at least 0.100 inches. An ink tray includes a floor and first and second end walls. Bearings are mounted outside of the end walls which engage with the first and second bearing contact zones, respectively, thereby positioning the ink tray assembly in a specified position relative to the anilox member. Upper edges of the end walls extend into the recessed bearing contact zones.
Claims18
An inking system for use in transferring ink to a flexographic printing plate in a flexographic printing system, comprising:
- an anilox member having a cylindrical outer surface, the outer surface including:
- a first recessed bearing contact zone;
- a second recessed bearing contact zone;
- and
- an ink transfer zone located between the first and second recessed bearing contact zones, the ink transfer zone having a plurality of cells, the cells being indentations in the outer surface of the anilox member configured to transfer ink to the flexographic printing plate;
- wherein a radius of the outer surface in the first and second recessed bearing contact zones is less than a radius of the outer surface in the ink transfer zone;
- and
- an ink tray assembly, including:
- an ink tray having a floor and first and second end walls;
- and
- first and second bearings mounted to the first and second end walls of the ink tray on the outside surface of the first and second end walls of the ink tray, respectively;
- wherein the first and second bearings engage with the first and second recessed bearing contact zones, respectively, thereby positioning the ink tray assembly in a specified position relative to the anilox member;
- wherein upper edges of the first and second end walls extend into the first and second recessed bearing contact zones of the anilox member, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.