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US 9,815,303 B1Granted
Vacuum media transport system with shutter for multiple media sizes
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsDouglas K. Herrmann, Jason M. Lefevre, Derek A. Bryl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A media transport system includes a belt with a plurality of rows of holes, a vacuum plenum, and a shutter. The belt is positioned over the vacuum plenum carries a plurality of media over the vacuum plenum. A row of holes in the belt includes inter-copy gaps that separate media on the belt and the inter-copy gaps include no holes in the belt. The shutter includes a solid member that prevents a flow of air between the vacuum plenum and a portion of the belt positioned above the first shutter and a first aperture formed through the solid member that is aligned with the row of holes in the belt.
Claims14
A media transport system comprising:
- a vacuum plenum;
- a belt positioned over the vacuum plenum, the belt comprising:
- at least one member that forms a surface to carry media;
- a plurality of rows of holes formed through the at least one member to enable the vacuum plenum to draw air through the plurality of rows of holes;
- and
- a first plurality of inter-copy gaps formed in a first row of holes in the plurality of rows of holes, each inter-copy gap in the first plurality of inter-copy gaps includes no holes formed through the at least one member, and the first plurality of inter-copy gaps is arranged at a first predetermined interval along the first row of holes, the first predetermined interval corresponds to a first predetermined size of media that the belt carries in a process direction;
- a first shutter positioned between the vacuum plenum and the belt, the first shutter comprising:
- a solid member that prevents a flow of air between the vacuum plenum and a portion of the belt positioned above the first shutter;
- and
- a first aperture formed through the solid member, the first aperture being aligned with the first row of holes in the belt to enable the vacuum plenum to draw air through the first row of holes and to prevent the vacuum plenum from drawing air through the first aperture as each inter-copy gap in the plurality of inter-copy gaps moves over the first aperture;
- and
- a first actuator configured to move the belt over the vacuum plenum in a process direction to enable the belt to carry a plurality of media in the process direction.
9 more elements
A printer comprising:
- a media transport system comprising:
- a vacuum plenum;
- a belt positioned over the vacuum plenum, the belt comprising:
- at least one member that forms a surface to carry print media;
- a plurality of rows of holes formed through the at least one member to enable the vacuum plenum to draw air through the plurality of rows of holes;
- and
- a first plurality of inter-copy gaps formed in a first row of holes in the plurality of rows of holes, each inter-copy gap in the first plurality of inter-copy gaps including no holes formed through the at least one member, and the first plurality of inter-copy gaps being arranged at a first predetermined interval along the first row of holes, the first predetermined interval corresponding to a first predetermined size of print media that the belt carries in a process direction;
- a first shutter positioned between the vacuum plenum and the belt, the first shutter comprising:
- a solid member that prevents a flow of air between the vacuum plenum and a portion of the belt positioned above the first shutter;
- and
- a first aperture formed through the solid member, the first aperture being aligned with the first row of holes in the belt to enable the vacuum plenum to draw air through the first row of holes and to prevent the vacuum plenum from drawing air through the first aperture as each inter-copy gap in the plurality of inter-copy gaps moves over the first aperture;
- and
- a first actuator configured to move the belt over the vacuum plenum in a process direction to enable the belt to carry a plurality of print media in the process direction;
- and
- a print zone comprising:
- at least one printhead positioned over the belt in a location that is proximate to the first shutter, the printhead being configured to eject ink drops onto a surface of a print medium placed on the belt between a first inter-copy gap and a second inter-copy gap in the first plurality of inter-copy gaps where each inter-copy gap covers the first aperture of the solid member as an edge of the print medium moves past the at least one printhead.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.