Method and apparatus for attaching flexographic and metal back plates on an imaging cylinder
AssigneeEsko-Graphics Imaging GmbH
InventorJörg Koberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for attaching flexible or magnetic plates onto an imaging cylinder are provided. A drum apparatus of an imaging device includes an imaging cylinder having an outer surface and a magnetic foil attachable to the outer surface of the imaging cylinder. In a configuration with the magnetic foil attached to the outer surface of the imaging cylinder, at least one metal back plate can be attached to the imaging cylinder via magnetic coupling to the magnetic foil. In a configuration without the magnetic foil attached to the outer surface of the imaging cylinder, at least one flexographic plate can be attached to the imaging cylinder.
Claims19
An imaging system configured or retrofitted to accept both ferromagnetic back plates and non-ferromagnetic flexographic plates, the imaging system comprising:
- a non-magnetic imaging cylinder having an outer surface;
- a vacuum system coupled to the imaging cylinder configured to apply a suction through perforations in the outer surface of the imaging cylinder, and
- a flexible magnetic foil having an inner surface and an outer surface;
- the imaging system having:
- a first configuration in which the imaging cylinder is configured or retrofitted to accept the ferromagnetic back plate in which the inner surface of the magnetic foil is releasable and exclusively non-magnetically coupled directly to and in contact with the outer surface of the imaging cylinder including via a coupling force transmitted by the vacuum system suction through the perforations in the imaging cylinder, and the at least one ferromagnetic metal back plate is retained on the imaging cylinder via magnetic coupling directly to and in contact with the outer surface of the magnetic foil, the magnetic foil devoid of perforations except for one or more optional apertures for receiving members of an optional registration system and devoid of any perforations configured to transmit suction from the perforations in the outer surface of the imaging cylinder to an outer surface of the magnetic foil, and
- a second configuration in which the imaging cylinder is not configured or retrofitted to accept the ferromagnetic back plate, in which the magnetic foil is not coupled to the outer surface of the imaging cylinder, wherein at least one non-ferromagnetic flexographic plate is non-magnetically coupled directly to and in contact with the outer surface of the imaging cylinder including via the coupling force transmitted by the vacuum system suction through the perforations in the imaging cylinder.
A method of retrofitting a non-magnetic vacuum drum imaging cylinder to receive at least one ferromagnetic metal back plate, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing the non-magnetic vacuum drum imaging cylinder having a plurality of perforations in the outer surface of the imaging cylinder and a source of vacuum connected to the imaging cylinder for creating a suction through each of the perforations,
- (b) retrofitting the non-magnetic vacuum drum imaging cylinder to receive the at least one ferromagnetic metal back plate by releasably non-magnetically coupling a flexible magnetic foil directly to and in contact with an outer surface of the imaging cylinder at least in part using the suction through the perforations, and in no part by magnetic coupling, the magnetic foil devoid of perforations except for one or more optional apertures for receiving members of an optional registration system and devoid of any perforations configured to transmit suction from the perforations in the outer surface of the imaging cylinder to an outer surface of the magnetic foil;
- and
- (c) magnetically coupling the at least one ferromagnetic metal back plate directly to and in contact with the magnetic foil on the imaging cylinder.
A method of retrofitting a non-magnetic vacuum drum imaging cylinder to receive at least one ferromagnetic metal back plate, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing the non-magnetic vacuum drum imaging cylinder having a plurality of perforations in the outer surface of the imaging cylinder and a source of vacuum connected to the imaging cylinder for creating a suction through each of the perforations,
- (b) retrofitting the non-magnetic vacuum drum imaging cylinder to receive the at least one ferromagnetic metal back plate by attaching a flexible magnetic foil directly to an outer surface of the imaging cylinder at least in part via an adhesive layer and at least in part using the suction transmitted through the perforations, and in no part by magnetic coupling, said adhesive layer disposed directly on and in contact with the outer surface of the imaging cylinder and directly on and in contact with the flexible magnetic foil, the magnetic foil devoid of perforations except for one or more optional apertures for receiving members of an optional registration system and devoid of any perforations configured to transmit suction from the perforations in the outer surface of the imaging cylinder to an outer surface of the magnetic foil;
- and
- (c) magnetically coupling the at least one ferromagnetic metal back plate directly to and in contact with the magnetic foil on the imaging cylinder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.