US 2023/0280734 A1 · ACTIVE SHEET-EDGE AIRFLOW CONTROL FOR VACUUM CONVEYORS

Abstract

A method of controlling airflow along sheet edges on a vacuum transport assembly including a platen including one or more holes arranged in rows in a cross process direction, and a belt displaceable with respect to the platen in a process direction, the method including enabling airflow through the one or more holes, receiving information related to one or more sheets of a print job, based on the information, disabling airflow through the one or more holes at an inboard edge of the one or more sheets, based on the information, disabling airflow through the one or more holes at a lead edge of the one or more sheets, and based on the information, disabling airflow through the one or more holes at a trail edge of the one or more sheets.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method of controlling airflow along sheet edges on a vacuum transport assembly comprising a platen including one or more holes arranged in rows in a cross process direction, and a belt displaceable with respect to the platen in a process direction, the method comprising:

enabling airflow through the one or more holes;
receiving information related to one or more sheets of a print job;
based on the information, disabling airflow through the one or more holes at an inboard edge of the one or more sheets;
based on the information, disabling airflow through the one or more holes at a lead edge of the one or more sheets;
and,
based on the information, disabling airflow through the one or more holes at a trail edge of the one or more sheets.

3 more elements

A system for controlling airflow along sheet edges during transport of one or more sheets of a print job, the system comprising:

one or more computer processors;
one or more computer readable storage media;
a vacuum transport assembly including:
a platen comprising a plurality of holes, the plurality of holes arranged in rows in a cross process direction;
a vacuum operatively arranged to create airflow through the plurality of holes;
and,
a belt operatively arranged to carry the one or more sheets over the platen in a process direction;
a valve assembly;
and,
program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive information related to the one or more sheets;
program instructions to, based on the information, disable airflow at an inboard edge of the one or more sheets;
program instructions to, based on the information, disable airflow at a lead edge of the one or more sheets;
and,
program instructions to, based on the information, disable airflow at a trail edge of the one or more sheets.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Active sheet-edge airflow control for vacuum conveyors

Life of this patent

Active sheet-edge airflow control for vacuum conveyors

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24