# US 12,005,701 B2 · Printing system with dampers to vary vacuum suction through a vacuum plenum and related a devices, systems, and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,701 B2 - Document ID: US12005701B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/222,169 - Filed: 2021-04-05 - Published: 2022-10-06 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-05 - Assignees: Xerox Corporation - Applicants: Xerox Corporation - Inventors: Conner Nicholas Smith; Jonathan Ross Ireland; Bruce H. Smith; Michael Nicholas Soures; James D. van Bortel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005701B2 ## CPC - B41J 11/0085: {Using suction for maintaining printing material flat (on rotatable drums B41J13/226)} - B41J 11/007: {Conveyor belts or like feeding devices} - B41J 11/06: Flat page-size platens {or smaller flat platens having a greater size than line-size platens (B41J11/0085 takes precedence)} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A printing system comprises one or more printheads arranged to eject ink to a deposition region. Print media are held by vacuum suction against a movable support surface, which transports the print media though the deposition region. The vacuum suction is communicated from a vacuum source to the movable support surface via a vacuum plenum. An airflow control system comprises one or more dampers arranged in the vacuum plenum to control airflow between the vacuum source and the movable support surface. The dampers have an adjustable impedance to airflow through the damper. The airflow control system is configured to adjust the impedance of the damper based on a detected condition of the printing system. A detected condition of the printing system may include, for example, a sensed pressure in the vacuum plenum. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printing system, comprising: an ink deposition assembly comprising one or more printheads arranged to eject ink to a deposition region of the ink deposition assembly; a media transport device comprising a vacuum source, a vacuum plenum, and a movable support surface, the media transport device configured to hold print media against the movable support surface by vacuum suction through holes in the movable support surface and transport the print media along a process direction though the deposition region, the vacuum suction being communicated from the vacuum source to the holes via the vacuum plenum; and an airflow control system comprising a damper arranged in the vacuum plenum, the damper having an adjustable impedance to airflow through the damper between the vacuum source and the holes, wherein the airflow control system is configured to dynamically adjust the impedance of the damper based on one or more of: a sensed pressure in the vacuum plenum; an amount of the holes currently covered by print media; the number of print media currently being transported by the movable support surface; or image content associated with a current print job. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The printing system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum plenum comprises a vacuum platen to support the movable support surface, wherein the vacuum platen comprises platen holes to supply the vacuum suction from the vacuum plenum to the holes of the movable support surface; wherein the airflow control system comprises a damper unit comprising one or more dampers arranged in the vacuum plenum between the vacuum platen and the vacuum source such that all air flowing between the vacuum platen and the vacuum source passes through the one or more dampers of the damper unit, the damper being one of the one or more dampers; wherein the damper unit has an adjustable impedance to airflow through the one or more dampers, the impedance controlling airflow between the vacuum source and each of the platen holes, wherein the airflow control system is configured to adjust the impedance of the damper unit to control airflow through all of the platen holes based on a detected condition of the printing system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The printing system of claim 2, wherein the airflow control system is configured to dynamically adjust the impedance of the damper unit based on the detected condition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The printing system of claim 2, further comprising: a pressure sensor in the vacuum plenum, the pressure sensor configured to sense pressure in the vacuum plenum, wherein the detected condition comprises the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The printing system of claim 4, wherein the airflow control system is configured to adjust the impedance of the damper unit to maintain a target pressure in the vacuum plenum. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The printing system of claim 4, wherein the vacuum plenum is separated, at least in part by the damper unit, into a first compartment fluidically coupled to the vacuum source and a second compartment fluidically coupled to the holes of the movable support surface, wherein the first compartment and the second compartment are configured to be placed in fluidic communication through the damper, and wherein the pressure sensor is in the second compartment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The printing system of claim 2, wherein the detected condition comprises the amount of the holes of the movable support surface that are currently covered by the print media. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The printing system of claim 7, wherein the airflow control system is configured to adjust the impedance of the damper unit in response to a change in the amount of the holes of the movable support surface that are currently covered by the print media so as to maintain a target pressure in the vacuum plenum. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The printing system of claim 2, wherein the detected condition comprises the image content associated with the current print job. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The printing system of claim 2, further comprising: wherein the damper unit comprises a plurality of dampers; and wherein the vacuum plenum is separated, at least in part by the plurality of dampers, into a first compartment fluidically coupled to the vacuum source and a second compartment fluidically coupled to the holes of the movable support surface, wherein the first compartment and the second compartment are configured to be placed in fluidic communication through the dampers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The printing system of claim 2, further comprising: wherein the vacuum plenum is separated, at least in part by the damper unit, into a first compartment fluidically coupled to the vacuum source and a second compartment fluidically coupled to the holes of the movable support surface, wherein the first compartment and the second compartment are configured to be placed in fluidic communication through the damper unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The printing system of claim 2, wherein the one or more dampers of the damper unit comprise at least one of an iris damper, a sliding shutter damper, a blade damper, or a butterfly flat dish damper. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The printing system of claim 2, wherein the one or more dampers of the damper unit comprise one or more apertures and the airflow control system is configured to adjust the impedance of the damper by adjusting a size of the one or more apertures. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The printing system of claim 13, wherein the airflow control system further comprises an actuator operably coupled to the damper unit, the actuator configured to adjust the size of the one or more apertures. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The printing system of claim 2, wherein the movable support surface comprises a belt configured to move relative to the vacuum platen. ### Claim 16 A method comprising: transporting one or more print media through a deposition region of a printhead of a printing system, wherein the print media are held during the transporting against a movable support surface of a media transport device via vacuum suction through holes in the media transport device, the vacuum suction being communicated from a vacuum source to the holes via a vacuum plenum; ejecting print fluid from the printhead to deposit the ink to the print media in the deposition region; detecting a condition comprising one or more of: a sensed pressure in the vacuum plenum; an amount of the holes currently covered by print media; the number of print media currently being transported by the movable support surface; or image content associated with a current print job; and controlling an airflow control system to dynamically adjust an impedance of a damper arranged in the vacuum plenum based the detected condition such that the impedance of the damper is adjusted in response to a change in one or more of: the sensed pressure in the vacuum plenum; the amount of the holes currently covered by print media; the number of print media currently being transported by the movable support surface; or the image content associated with a current print job, wherein the impedance of the damper controls airflow between the vacuum source and the holes. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the vacuum plenum comprises a vacuum platen to support the movable support surface, wherein the vacuum platen comprises platen holes to supply the vacuum suction from the vacuum plenum to the holes of the movable support surface; wherein controlling the airflow control system to dynamically adjust the impedance of the damper based the detected condition comprises controlling the airflow control system to dynamically adjust an impedance of a damper unit comprising one or more dampers arranged in the vacuum plenum to control airflow through all of the platen holes based on the detected condition, the one or more dampers comprising the damper; and wherein the damper unit is positioned between the vacuum platen and the vacuum source such that all air flowing between the vacuum platen and the vacuum source passes through the damper unit and the impedance of the damper unit controls airflow between the vacuum source and each of the platen holes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein dynamically adjusting the impedance of the damper unit includes adjusting a size of one or more apertures of the one or more dampers using an actuator operably coupled to the damper unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: sensing a pressure inside the vacuum plenum, the detected condition comprising the sensed pressure; and wherein dynamically adjusting the impedance of the damper unit comprises adjusting the impedance of the damper unit to maintain the sensed pressure at or near a target pressure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, determining an amount of the covered holes consisting of the holes of the movable support surface that are currently covered by the print media, the detected condition comprising the amount of the covered holes, and wherein dynamically adjusting the impedance of the damper comprises adjusting the impedance of the damper unit in response to a change in the amount of the covered holes so as to maintain a target pressure in the vacuum plenum. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: determining a number of the print media currently being transported by the movable support surface, the detected condition comprising the number of the print media; wherein dynamically adjusting the impedance of the damper unit comprises adjusting the impedance of the damper in response to a change in the number of the print media. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: determining image content, or a system setting associated with a current print job, the detected condition comprising one or more of the image content, or the system setting, wherein dynamically adjusting the impedance of the damper unit comprises adjusting the impedance of the damper in response to a change in one or more of the image content, or the system setting.