Printer with vacuum platen having movable belt providing selectable active area
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorDavid E. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer having a media transport with a rigid, air-transmissive platen. A movable air-transmissive flexible web overlays the platen, and a suction device communicates with the platen to draw air through the web and through the platen, such that a sheet of media carried on the web is biased toward the platen. A second movable web below the first web limits air flow through at least a selected portion of the platen other than a portion overlaid by the sheet. The movable web may be a continuous belt, which may have two separate air-blocking regions that are positioned beyond the platen when full airflow is desired, and at least partly registered with the platen to block airflow to peripheral platen portions.
Claims20
A printer with a media transport comprising:
- a rigid, air-transmissive platen;
- a movable air-transmissive flexible first web overlaying the platen;
- a suction device in communication with the platen to draw air through the web and through the platen such that a sheet of media carried on the web is biased toward the platen;
- and
- a second movable web adjacent to the platen to limit air flow through at least a selected portion of the platen other than a portion overlain by the sheet.
A media transport for a printer comprising:
- a rigid, air-transmissive platen;
- an air-transmissive flexible web overlaying the platen and movable along a feed axis to carry a media sheet over the platen along the feed axis;
- a suction device in communication with the platen to draw air through the web and through the platen;
- and
- a shutter element operable to prevent air transmissions through a lateral edge portion of the platen.
A method of operating a printer media transport having a rigid, air-transmissive platen with an overlaying air-transmissive flexible web movable along a feed axis to carry a media sheet over the platen along the feed axis comprising:
- drawing air through the web and through the platen;
- providing a shutter element operable to prevent air transmissions through a lateral edge portion of the platen;
- moving the shutter to establish a width of the platen through which air may flow;
- and
- after establishing a width, moving the web to feed a media sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.