Multi-Color Printing Method and System Including a Plurality of Removable Ink Drums
AssigneeTohoku Ricoh Co., Ltd.
InventorsHironobu Takasawa, Manabu Wakamatsu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multicolor printing method using a plurality of ink drums each being loaded with a respective master and a system therefore are disclosed. A plurality of removable ink drums replaceable with each other are fed with respective masters by fixed master feeding devices smaller in number than ink drums via the replacement of the drums and are used for printing. The method and system of the present invention are low cost and enhance downsizing and accurate registration between the masters.
Claims27
In a multicolor printing method, a plurality of removable ink drums replaceable with each other are fed with respective masters by fixed master feeding devices smaller in number than said plurality of ink drums via a replacement of said plurality of ink drums and are used for printing.
In a multicolor printing method, after a master has been wrapped around an ink drum by a master making device including a master feeding function and a master discharging function, said ink drum is mounted to a multicolor printing device capable of accommodating a plurality of removable ink drums, but void of a master making arrangement including a master feeding function and a master discharging function, and used for printing.
A multicolor printing system comprising:
- a master making device capable of feeding a new master and discharging a used master and allowing an ink drum to be removably mounted thereto;
- a multicolor printer loaded with a plurality of removable ink drums, but void of a master making arrangement including a master feeding function and a master discharging function;
- and
- a plurality of ink drums shared by said master making device and said multicolor printer.
A multicolor printing system comprising:
- a plurality of removable ink drums replaceable with each other and capable of implementing simultaneous multicolor printing;
- a fixed master feeding device shared by said plurality of ink drums;
- and
- at least one master discharging device.
A multicolor printing system comprising:
- a fixed master feeding device;
- a main printer including at least one removable ink drum;
- and
- an auxiliary printer connected to said main printer by an intermediate conveying unit and including at least one removable ink drum, but not including a master feeding device;
- said at least one ink drum of said main printer and said at least one ink drum of said auxiliary printer being replaceable with each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.