Device and method for loading a sheet-like medium
AssigneeBarco Graphics N.V.
InventorMarc Vernackt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a device and a method for loading a sheet-like medium onto a drum without tension. The drum may be a vacuum drum of an imagesetter for example, or a vacuum drum of an input scanning machine. In order to load a sheet-like medium onto a drum without any tension, the sheet-like medium is taken over by take-over means before fixing it on the drum.
Claims13
A loading device for loading a sheet-like medium on a drum, the loading device comprising:
- a) means for supplying a vacuum to the interior of said drum;
- b) a material supply device able to contain at least one sheet-like medium;
- c) a mechanical device which picks up said sheet-like medium from the material supply device, transports said sheet-like medium to said drum, and releases said sheet-like medium;
- and
- d) take-over means which engages the sheet-like medium at exactly one point approximately in the center of said sheet-like medium prior to the mechanical device releasing the sheet-like medium, wherein the takeover means allows the sheet-like medium to relax to a substantially tension-free state substantially onto the drum after the mechanical device releases the sheet-like medium;
- said means for supplying a vacuum supplying a vacuum to the interior of said drum after said take-over means engages the sheet-like medium.
A method for loading a sheet-like medium onto a drum of an apparatus, the apparatus comprising a material supply device, means for supplying a vacuum to the interior of the drum, a mechanical device, and take-over means, the method comprising the steps of
- a) taking a sheet-like medium from the material supply device using the mechanical device;
- b) after the taking step a), moving the sheet-like medium towards the drum using the mechanical device;
- c) prior to releasing the sheet-like medium from the mechanical device, holding the sheet-like medium at exactly one point approximately in the center of the sheet-like medium by means of the take-over means;
- d) releasing the sheet-like medium from the mechanical device while the sheet-like medium is held by the take-over means at the one point, the sheet-like medium thus relaxing to a substantially tension-free state substantially in contact with the drum;
- e) after the mechanical device releasing step d), turning a vacuum on in the drum while the sheet-like medium is at the substantially tension-free state substantially in contact with the drum;
- and
- f) after the vacuum turning on step e), releasing the sheet-like medium from the take-over means by releasing the take-over means.
A loading device for loading a sheet-like medium on a drum, the loading device comprising:
- a) means for supplying a vacuum to the interior of said drum;
- b) means for rotating the drum;
- c) a material supply device able to contain at least one sheet-like medium;
- d) a mechanical device able to take a sheet-like medium from the material supply device and move it to the drum;
- e) take-over means which engages the sheet-like medium at exactly one point approximately in the center of said sheet-like medium substantially without tension when no other mechanism holds the sheet-like medium;
- and
- f) a controller for controlling the sequence of operation of the means for supplying a vacuum, the mechanical device, and the take-over means,
- the controller causing upon command the taking of one sheet-like medium from the material supply device using the mechanical device, then moving the one sheet-like medium towards the drum using the mechanical device, then, prior to releasing the one sheet-like medium from the mechanical device, holding the one sheet-like medium by means of the take-over means, then releasing the one sheet-like medium from the mechanical device while the one sheet-like medium is held by the take-over means, the one sheet-like medium thus relaxing to a substantially tension-free state substantially in contact with the drum, then, after the mechanical device releasing step, turning a vacuum on in the drum while the one sheet-like medium is at the substantially tension-free state substantially in contact with the drum;
- and after the vacuum turning on step, releasing the one sheet-like medium from the take-over means by releasing the take-over means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.