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US 11,413,804 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for embossing a substrate
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsSeemit Praharaj, Michael Jon Levy, Anthony S. Condello
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for embossing a substrate are disclosed. For example, the apparatus includes an embossing platform, a printhead to dispense ink on the embossing platform in a desired raised pattern on the embossing platform, a press to apply a load against a substrate placed on the desired raised pattern and the embossing platform to emboss the desired raised pattern onto the substrate, and an ink removal device to remove the ink that is dispensed on the embossing platform in the desired raised pattern.
Claims4
A method for embossing a substrate, comprising:
- controlling, by a processor of an embossing apparatus, a printhead to dispense ink on a portion of an embossing platform in a first desired raised pattern, wherein the ink comprises a water soluble ultra violet (UV) ink;
- activating, by the processor, a UV curing station to cure the water soluble UV ink after being dispensed onto the portion of the embossing platform;
- feeding, by the processor, a substrate onto the first desired raised pattern on the embossing platform;
- moving, by the processor, a press towards the embossing platform to apply a load against the substrate and the embossing platform to emboss the substrate with the first desired raised pattern;
- controlling, by the processor, the printhead to dispense ink on a different portion of the embossing platform in a second desired raised pattern, while the first desired raised pattern is being embossed onto the substrate;
- rotating, by the processor, the embossing platform towards a water spray located below the substrate and the embossing platform such that the first desired raised pattern is directed towards the water spray and the second desired raised pattern is directed towards the press and the substrate, wherein the water spray is located within the embossing apparatus;
- causing, by the processor, the water spray to spray water on the first desired raised pattern to remove the first desired raised pattern while the second desired raised pattern is embossed onto the substrate;
- moving, by the processor, a rubber blade into a clean-up position such that an edge of the rubber blade is in contact with a surface of the embossing platform;
- rotating, by the processor, the embossing platform against the edge of the rubber blade after being sprayed with the water to clean a surface of the embossing platform;
- repeating, by the processor, the feeding and the moving to allow a sequence of a plurality of desired raised patterns to be printed onto the surface of the embossing platform.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.