# US 7,744,210 B2 · Moving floor media transport for digital printers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,744,210 B2 - Document ID: US7744210B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/919,023 - Filed: 2006-05-05 - Published: 2009-11-19 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2005-05-09 - Assignees: Agfa Graphics NV - Inventors: Bart Verhoest; Dirk De Ruijter; Luciaan De Coux - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744210B2 ## CPC - B41J 11/0085: {Using suction for maintaining printing material flat (on rotatable drums B41J13/226)} - B41J 11/001: {Handling wide copy materials} - B41J 11/06: Flat page-size platens {or smaller flat platens having a greater size than line-size platens (B41J11/0085 takes precedence)} - B41J 11/14: Platen-shift mechanisms; Driving gear therefor - B41J 13/14: Aprons or guides {for the printing section} - B65H 5/04: by movable tables or carriages (rotary tables B65H5/18 {; suction gripper or gripper tables B65H5/10}) - B65H 5/10: Reciprocating or oscillating grippers {, e.g. suction or gripper tables} - B65H 5/222: {by suction devices} - B65H 20/00: Advancing webs - B65H 20/14: by direct action on web of moving fluid - B65H 20/18: to effect step-by-step advancement of web - B65H 2301/44336: using suction forces - B65H 2301/4493: intermittent - B65H 2406/342: being reciprocated in a rectilinear path - B65H 2406/351: facing the surface of the handled material - B65H 2406/363: adjusting or controlling distribution of vacuum for a plurality of suction means - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## Abstract A step-wise medium transport system is provided having high accuracy for transporting recording media in a digital printer, the medium is transported using accurately moving tables to which the medium is attached during printing steps the working area of the medium, on which the printing is done by the printer, is at all times fully supported by a static table avoiding disturbances. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A receiving medium transport system arranged to transport a receiving medium in a printing system, the receiving medium including a working area on which a swath of an image is printed during a movement of at least one printhead across a widthwise direction of the receiving medium, the receiving medium transport system comprising: a static table arranged to support the receiving medium and to apply a first holding force on the receiving medium to temporarily hold the receiving medium on the static table as the at least one printhead moves across the working area of the receiving medium; and at least a first dynamic table arranged to apply a second holding force on the receiving medium to temporarily hold and to transport the receiving medium in a lengthwise direction of the receiving medium in the printing system; wherein each of the static table and the first dynamic table are arranged to extend entirely across a widthwise direction of the receiving medium. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The receiving medium transport system according to claim 1, wherein the static table includes a vacuum chamber arranged to hold the working area of the receiving medium stationary when the swath of the image is printed; and the first dynamic table includes a vacuum chamber arranged to hold and transport the receiving medium when the receiving medium is transported. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The receiving medium transport system of claim 1, further comprising a second dynamic table, wherein the static table is located in between the first dynamic table and the second dynamic table. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The receiving medium transport system according to claim 1, wherein the first dynamic table and the static table include toothed shaped edges arranged such that the tooth shaped edges of the first dynamic table fit into the tooth shaped edges of the static table. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The receiving medium transport system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first dynamic table and the static table includes a bevelled upstream edge. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The receiving medium transport system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first dynamic table and the static table includes a plurality of separate vacuum chambers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The receiving medium transport system according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of separate vacuum chambers includes at least one blind valve arranged to switch on and off a vacuum therein by opening and closing the at least one blind valve. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The receiving medium transport system according to claim 1, further comprising a second dynamic table and first and second guide rails including at least one spindle drive mechanism, the first and second guide rails arranged to support and guide the first and second dynamic tables as the first and second dynamic tables are moved simultaneously along the first and second guide rails by the at least one spindle drive mechanism. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The receiving medium transport system according to claim 8, wherein the first guide rail is rigidly mounted to the receiving medium transport system and the second guide rail is suspended from the receiving medium transport system so as to enable expansion of the first and second dynamic tables. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The receiving medium transport system according to claim 8, wherein the first and second guide rails are common to the first and second dynamic tables. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) An ink jet printing system comprising: the receiving medium transport system according to claim 1; wherein the at least one printhead is an ink jet printhead. ### Claim 12 A receiving medium transport system arranged to transport a receiving medium in a printing system, the receiving medium including a working area on which a swath of an image is printed during a movement of at least one printhead across the receiving medium, the receiving medium transport system comprising: a static table arranged to support the receiving medium and to apply a first holding force on the receiving medium to temporarily hold the receiving medium on the static table as the at least one printhead moves across the working area of the receiving medium; and at least one dynamic table arranged to apply a second holding force on the receiving medium to temporarily hold and to transport the receiving medium in the printing system; wherein the static table is arranged to support the entire working area of the receiving medium as the at least one printhead moves across the working area of the receiving medium, and the at least one dynamic table is arranged to not support any portion of the working area of the receiving medium as the at least one printhead moves across the working area of the receiving medium.