Reconfigurable Single Media Printer Having a Positionable Media Support Carriage

A direct to surface printer, comprising:

• a. A movable carriage means for holding a single piece of media, said carriage means including means for holding said media at its ends and rotating said media around a longitudinal rotational axis of said media;
• b. A printing area sized for receiving said media carriage means while holding said media;
• c. A printing assembly means suspended above said printing area for printing images onto the surface of said media, said printing assembly means including a positionally reconfigurable bank of printing means for expressing ink, at least one pinning means positioned adjacent to said bank of printing means for partially curing ink expressed onto said media, and a final cure means for fully curing ink deposited on the surface of said media;
• and,
• d. wherein said printer includes means for advancing said media through said printing area and wherein said carriage means is positioned below said printing assembly means and is moveable so that the surface of said media may be spaced from said bank of printing means in suitable proximity for optimal printing thereon.

In a direct to surface printer having an ink supply means, an ink delivery control system, and a human machine interface controlled computer system, a coordinated three-dimensional media printing system, comprising:

• a. a media loading section for loading three-dimensional media into said direct to surface printer;
• b. a printing area for receiving said media from said media loading area and expressing ink onto the surface of said three-dimensional media object;
• c. A printing assembly suspended above said printing area, said printing assembly including a reconfigurable bank of inkjet printing heads, at least one laterally movable pinning lamp positioned adjacent to said bank of printing heads, and a final cure lamp;
• and,
• d. a printing carriage for rotationally holding said media, said carriage vertically repositionable and tiltable in relation to said printing assembly so that the surface of a piece of axially symmetric media may be maintained in proximal spaced relationship from said bank of printing heads as said media is laterally advanced through said printing area.