# US 8,770,697 B2 · Printer vacuum unit mechanism

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- Number: US 8,770,697 B2
- Document ID: US8770697B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/879,184
- Filed: 2010-09-10
- Published: 2012-03-15
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2010-09-10
- Assignees: InfoPrint Solutions Company LLC
- Applicants: Tania Wolanski; William E. Manchester
- Inventors: Tania Wolanski; William E. Manchester
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770697B2

## CPC

- B41J 3/543: {with multiple inkjet print heads (B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence)}
- B41J 11/0005: {Curl smoothing, i.e. smoothing down corrugated printing material, e.g. by pressing means acting on wrinkled printing material}
- B41J 15/04: Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A printing system is disclosed. The printing system includes a first print engine to print content on a web of paper and a vacuum unit to provide stabilization and cooling of the web. The vacuum unit operates in a first mode upon receiving an activation signal from the first print engine and operates in a second mode upon de-assertion of the activation signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A printing system comprising:
a first print engine to print content on a web of paper; and
a vacuum unit to provide stabilization and cooling of the web, including:
a tub;
a grate at the bottom of the tub; and
one or more fans below the grate,
wherein the web is pulled into the tub while the grate is maintained in an open position and the fan is powered during assertion of an activation signal by the print engine, and
wherein the web is positioned out of the tub while the fan is powered down and the grate is closed after de-assertion of the activation signal by the print engine.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The printing system of claim 1 further comprising a second print engine to print content on the web.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The printing system of claim 2 wherein the first print engine prints content on a first side of the web and the second print engine prints content on a second side of the web.

### Claim 4

A method comprising:
pulling a web of paper into a tub of a vacuum unit while receiving an activation signal, wherein the vacuum unit maintains a grate at a bottom end of a vacuum tub in an open position and operates a fan to pull air through the grate while receiving the activation signal;
detecting de-assertion of the activation signal; and
the web drifting out of the vacuum unit upon detecting de-assertion of the activation signal, wherein the fan is powered down and the grate is closed after de-assertion of the activation signal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein the web is pulled into the tub by the fan pulling air through the grate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein the vacuum unit powers off the fan upon detecting de-assertion of the activation signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the web drifts out of the tub after the grate has closed and the fan has powered off.

### Claim 8

A vacuum unit comprising:
a tub;
a grate at the bottom of the tub;
one or more fans below the grate; and
a solenoid coupled to the grate to receive an activation signal from a print engine,
wherein a web of paper is pulled into the tub while the grate is maintained in an open position by the solenoid and the fan is powered while receiving the activation signal, and
wherein the web is positioned out of the tub while the fan is powered down and the grate is closed by the solenoid upon de-assertion of the activation signal.