Coating apparatus for use in an ink jet printer

An ink jet printer comprising:

• a housing;
• an ink jet printing apparatus located within said housing and including an ink jet printing device capable of ejecting ink droplets onto a first side of a printing substrate which moves through said housing along a printing substrate feed path;
• and
• a coating apparatus positioned along said printing substrate feed path and spaced from said printing device, said coating apparatus applying a substantially uniform layer of coating material onto at least a portion of said first side of said printing substrate;
• wherein said coating apparatus comprises:
• a rotatable first roll having a textured outer surface;
• a rotatable second roll positioned adjacent to said first roll and defining with said first roll a nip through which said printing substrate passes;
• a rotatable third roll having a textured outer surface positioned adjacent to said second roll;
• and
• a metering device for applying a generally uniform layer of liquid coating material onto said third roll, said third roll transferring said coating material to said second roll which in turn transfers said coating material to said printing substrate.

An ink jet printer comprising:

• a housing;
• an ink jet printing apparatus located within said housing and including an ink jet printing device capable of ejecting ink droplets onto a first side of a printing substrate which moves through said housing along a printing substrate feed path;
• a coating apparatus positioned along said printing substrate feed path and spaced from said printing device, said coating apparatus applying a substantially uniform layer of coating material onto at least a portion of said first side of said printing substrate;
• and
• a pair of feed rollers positioned within said housing between said coating apparatus and said ink jet printing device for incrementally feeding said printing substrate along said printing substrate feed path past said ink jet printing device.

An ink jet printer comprising:

• a housing;
• an ink jet printing apparatus located within said housing and including an ink jet printing device capable of ejecting ink droplets onto a first side of a printing substrate which moves through said housing along a printing substrate feed path;
• and
• a coating apparatus positioned along said printing substrate feed path and spaced from said printing device, said coating apparatus applying a substantially uniform layer of coating material onto at least a portion of said first side of said printing substrate;
• wherein said coating apparatus comprises:
• a rotatable first roll;
• a rotatable second roll positioned adjacent to said first roll and defining with said first roll a nip through which said printing substrate passes;
• a rotatable third roll having a textured outer surface positioned adjacent to said second roll;
• and
• a metering device for applying a generally uniform layer of liquid coating material onto said third roll, said third roll transferring said coating material to said second roll which in turn transfers said coating material to said printing substrate.