Apparatus and method for treating and transporting a relief printing plate precursor
AssigneeXsys Prepress NV
InventorBart WATTYN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for preparing a relief plate precursor, such as a printing plate precursor, that has to be treated. The apparatus includes a transport bar provided with at least one penetration element, preferably a plurality of penetration elements; and a plate coupling station configured for coupling a relief plate precursor to the transport bar by causing a penetration by the at least one penetration element through an unperforated area near an edge of a relief plate precursor.
Claims20
An apparatus for preparing a relief plate precursor that has to be treated, comprising:
- a transport bar provided with at least one pin-like penetration element having a sharp tip;
- a plate coupling station configured for coupling the relief plate precursor to the transport bar by causing a penetration by the at least one pin-like penetration element through an unperforated area near an edge of the relief plate precursor, such that the at least one pin-like penetration element extends from a first side of the relief plate precursor through the relief precursor and protrudes at a second side of the relief precursor.
An apparatus for preparing a relief plate precursor that has to be treated, comprising:
- a transport bar provided with at least one penetration element;
- a plate coupling station configured for coupling the relief plate precursor to the transport bar by causing a penetration by the at least one penetration element through an unperforated area near an edge of the relief plate precursor;
- a treatment compartment configured for treating the relief plate precursor, preferably with a liquid, whilst the relief plate precursor is being transported coupled to the transport bar;
- a plate decoupling station configured for decoupling the treated relief plate precursor from the transport bar, and
- a transport system, wherein the transport system is configured to move each transport bar, after being coupled to a relief plate precursor in the plate coupling station, from the plate coupling station through the treatment compartment to the plate decoupling station, and, after being decoupled from a treated printing plate, from the plate decoupling station back to the plate coupling station;
- wherein the transport system comprises a forward transport mechanism configured to transport the transport bar with the coupled relief plate precursor at least from an inlet side to an outlet side of the treatment compartment, and from the outlet side to the plate decoupling station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.