Printer for printing deformable flat supports and its loader
AssigneeZIH Corp.
InventorsGaëtan Heno, Michaël Hinry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer comprises a loader (2) for supports (1) to be printed, a printing device (9) and transfer elements delimiting a series of gripping regions (8) forming a transport path (8A) to lead sequentially the printed supports (1) from the outlet (5) of the loader (2) to the printing device (9) and from the printing device (9) toward collection elements disposed below the loader (2). At least the portion of a wall (7) with an opening (4) of the loader (2) is inclined at a positive angle relative to the transport path (8A) to give to the support (1) to be printed an inclination in the inlet direction of a first gripping region (8) of the transport path (8A). The inlet is provided with a deflector (11).
Claims7
A printer for printing deformable flat supports, which comprises, from upstream to downstream,
- a loader for the supports to be printed;
- said loader having an outlet and adapted to coact with a drive element at the outlet of the support from the loader;
- said drive element comprising a cylinder in contact with the supports to be printed through an opening provided in a wall of the loader;
- a printing device for printing the supports;
- a collection means disposed below the loader for collecting printed supports;
- transfer means delimiting a sequence of gripping regions forming a transport path which leads the supports sequentially from the outlet of the loader to the printing device, and from the printing device to the collection means;
- at least a portion of the wall positioned adjacent the outlet of the loader being inclined at a positive angle relative to the transport path to give to a support to be printed, at the outlet, an inclination such that the support and the transport path form, adjacent an inlet of a first gripping region of the transport path, an obtuse angle;
- a deflector oriented in the direction of the first gripping region to bring the support which strikes said deflector into tangential position in the first gripping region of the transport path;
- said deflector comprising a ramp disposed immediately upstream of the first gripping region;
- said ramp arising in or slightly below the plane passing through the gripping regions and being inclined in the direction of the collection means to permit evacuation by simple gravity of the printed support into the collection means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.