Controlling and monitoring a digital printing system by inspecting a periodic pattern of a flexible substrate
AssigneeLanda Corporation Ltd.
InventorVitaly Burkatovsky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A digital printing system (10) includes a flexible substrate (44), an optical assembly (200, 301) and a processor (20). The flexible substrate (44) has a periodic pattern, and is configured to be moved and to receive ink droplets in a printing process that forms an image thereon. The optical assembly (200, 301) is configured to illuminate the flexible substrate (44) with light (215, 315), to detect the light (215, 315) from the flexible substrate (44), and to derive from the detected light (215, 315) a signal indicative of the periodic pattern. The processor (20) is configured to receive the signal and to monitor or control the digital printing system (10) based on the periodic pattern as indicated by the signal.
Claims18
A digital printing system, comprising:
- a flexible substrate configured to be moved and to receive ink droplets in a printing process that forms an image thereon, the flexible substrate comprising:
- (i) a fabric having first and second sets of fibers interleaved with one another in accordance with a periodic pattern and a first elongation obtained when applying a given tension to the moving flexible substrate, and (ii) a seam for coupling between edges of the fabric, wherein the seam has a structure other than the periodic pattern, wherein, when applying the given tension to the moving flexible substrate, the seam has a second elongation different from the first elongation;
- an optical assembly, which is configured to illuminate the flexible substrate with light, to detect the light from the flexible substrate and to derive from the detected light a signal indicative of the periodic pattern from the interleaved first and second sets of fibers;
- and
- a processor, which is configured to receive the signal and to:
- (i) calculate a ratio between the first and second elongations based on the signal, and (ii) monitor or control the digital printing system based on the periodic pattern as indicated by the signal.
A method for controlling a digital printing system, the method comprising:
- illuminating with light a movable flexible substrate that receives ink droplets in a printing process that forms an image thereon, the movable flexible substrate comprising:
- (i) a fabric having first and second sets of fibers interleaved with one another in accordance with a periodic pattern and a first elongation obtained when applying a given tension to the moving flexible substrate, and (ii) a seam for coupling between edges of the fabric, wherein the seam has a structure other than the periodic pattern, wherein, when applying the given tension to the moving flexible substrate, the seam has a second elongation different from the first elongation;
- detecting the light from the flexible substrate and deriving from the detected light a signal indicative of the periodic pattern from the interleaved first and second sets of fibers;
- calculating a ratio between the first and second elongations based on the signal;
- and
- monitoring or controlling the digital printing system based on the periodic pattern as indicated by the signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.