Ink jet printing depth of focus control apparatus
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsHenry T. Bober, Linn C. Hoover
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for maintaining depth of focus in an ink jet printer between a series of print heads and corrugated media includes a vacuum transport in combination with an acquisition cylinder positioned upstream of the series of print heads in order to help the vacuum transport acquire the corrugated media and work in conjunction with a series of star wheels distributed about and positioned immediately adjacent to each of the series of print heads to suppress cross process direction curl.
Claims20
An ink jet recording apparatus that conducts image recording by ejecting ink from a series of staggered rows of print head modules onto corrugated recording media within a print zone includes a system for maintaining depth of focus in the print zone between the print head modules and the corrugated recording media, comprising:
- a vacuum transport, said vacuum transport including a belt module having a belt support for supporting a movable continuous belt that conveys the recording media through the print zone and a vacuum plenum connected to a vacuum source, said vacuum plenum including a plenum plate covering said vacuum plenum and facing an underside portion of said continuous belt such that vacuum pressure can be applied to corrugated recording media carried by said belt module;
- an acquisition cylinder positioned immediately upstream of said series of staggered rows of print head modules and adapted to iron out process and cross process direction curl and assist said vacuum transport in acquiring control of the corrugated recording media;
- and
- a series of star wheels mounted between said series of staggered rows of print head modules, said star wheels protruding below a print head plane of said staggered rows of print head modules in order to control the print head to media gap and to suppress process direction curl.
An ink jet printing apparatus that conducts image recording by ejecting ink from a series of print head modules onto corrugated recording media within a print zone including a vacuum transport, said vacuum transport including a belt module having a belt support for supporting a movable continuous belt that conveys the recording media through the print zone and a vacuum plenum connected to a vacuum source, said vacuum plenum including a plenum plate covering said vacuum plenum and facing an underside portion of said continuous belt such that vacuum pressure can be applied to corrugated recording media carried by said belt module, said ink jet printing apparatus including a system for maintaining depth of focus in the print zone between the print head modules and the corrugated recording media, comprising:
- an acquisition cylinder positioned immediately upstream of said print head modules and adapted to iron out process and cross process direction curl and assist said vacuum transport in acquiring control of the corrugated recording media;
- and
- a series of star wheels mounted in close proximity to said print head modules, said star wheels protruding below a print head plane of said print head modules in order to control the print head to media gap and to suppress process direction curl.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.