Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090003896 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENHANCED SHEET STRIPPING - An enhanced sheet stripping method and apparatus for stripping toner image carrying copy sheets from a surface of a moving heated fusing member forming a fusing nip. The apparatus includes (a) a moving assembly for moving a cut sheet towards the fusing nip; (b) a sheet curling device positioned upstream of the fusing nip relative to movement of the cut sheet for inducing a desired pre-curl in the cut sheet before the cut sheet enters the fusing nip; and (c) a sheet stripping device positioned downstream of the fusing nip for stripping the cut sheet from contact with the surface of the moving heated fusing member as the cut sheet exits the fusing nip. The method includes inducing a desired curl in the cut sheet before the cut sheet enters the fusing nip and enhanced stripping the cut sheet from contact with the surface of the fuser roll as the cut sheet exits the fusing nip. | 01-01-2009 |
20090087234 | ENHANCED FUSER STRIPPING SYSTEM - An improved fuser includes a fuser member, a pressure member that forms a nip with the fuser member through which copy sheets pass to have images fused thereon and an air knife to assist in peeling copy sheets from the fuser member. The air knife has a device connected to it that blocks entrained airflow between the fuser and air knife to reduce fuser cooling and power loss. | 04-02-2009 |
20090110415 | CONTROL TO DETECT AIR KNIFE BLOCKAGE - A system for detecting stripper device blockage in a printing system is disclosed. The system includes a fusing member which during operation contacts a sheet of printer media to fuse a marking material to the sheet, a stripping device configured to apply pressurized air from an air supply through at least one orifice to the fuser member in order to separate the sheet from the surface and a flow measurement device in line with the air supply which measures air flow. The air flow device will assist in performing an assessment check which may include taking a baseline measurement of air flow and a diagnostic measurement of air flow. In the case where the difference between the diagnostic measurement and baseline measurement is above a different threshold, corrective action may be taken. | 04-30-2009 |
20090304419 | ACTIVE ROTATION OF AIR KNIFE FOR INCREASED PERFORMANCE - According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided a method of optimizing an electro-photographic reproduction machine having a fusing subsystem and an air knife. The methods acquire at least one electro-photographic reproduction machine objective and media characteristic; and the acquired objective and characteristic are used to determine values for the pressurized air emitted from the air knife, the position of the air knife, and the rotation of the air knife relative to a fuse roll in the fusing subsystem. The methods further disclose acquiring the leading edge of the media being stripped and then using the beam strength of the media to assist in stripping the body of the sheet. The air knife can be controlled by a controller or a processor based on determined optimization parameter values that relate to objectives and media characteristics. | 12-10-2009 |
20100101716 | APPARATUS FOR FIXING A RADIATION-CURABLE GEL-INK IMAGE ON A SUBSTRATE - An apparatus fixes ink on a substrate, such as in ink-jet printing. A leveling member is positioned to contact an ink-bearing side of the substrate at a nip. A radiation source is positioned to direct radiation to the ink-bearing side of the substrate at the nip, the radiation suitable for curing the ink on the substrate. | 04-29-2010 |
20100101717 | DUAL-WEB APPARATUS FOR FIXING A RADIATION-CURABLE GEL-INK IMAGE ON A SUBSTRATE - Radiation-curable (such as UV-curable) ink is used to form an image on a moving substrate. A radiation-transmissive web is attached to the substrate, and then radiation is applied to the web and substrate to cure the ink. The resulting combined substrate and web forms a laminated print. | 04-29-2010 |
20100103235 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FIXING A RADIATION-CURABLE GEL-INK IMAGE ON A SUBSTRATE - An apparatus fixes ink on a substrate, such as in ink-jet printing. A leveling member is positioned to contact an ink-bearing side of the substrate at a nip. A radiation source is positioned to direct radiation to the ink-bearing side of the substrate at the nip, the radiation suitable for curing the ink on the substrate. | 04-29-2010 |
20100141720 | SPREADING AND LEVELING OF CURABLE GEL INK - A method of leveling a curable phase-change ink on a surface includes printing the curable phase-change ink onto a transfer surface, pressing the transfer surface onto a print substrate with sufficient pressure to level the ink, and exposing the curable phase-change ink to radiation through the transfer surface to cure the phase-change ink. A method for leveling a region of a printed surface includes printing curable phase-change ink onto a surface, pressing a leveling surface onto the print surface to contact a region of the curable phase-change ink, and exposing the curable phase-change ink through the leveling surface to radiation to cure the phase-change ink. | 06-10-2010 |
20100231986 | INFRARED HEAT SOURCE TIED TO IMAGE SCANNER FOR TRANSITIONAL DOCUMENT ERASING - A device which can be used to handle documents which can be written to and erased can include a scan head which can output a first light source for scanning a document and a second light source for erasing an image from a printed document. In one embodiment, the device can further include a third light source for writing or imaging a pattern onto a page. | 09-16-2010 |
20100233597 | METHOD FOR SCHEDULING TRANSIENT DOCUMENT ERASE CYCLE - A method of handling documents which can be imaged and erased comprises entry of a scheduled time which a device such as a multipurpose imager and eraser has a low probability of being used. At the scheduled time, erasure of transient documents to be erased is initiated. A transient document to be erased is transported from a first transient document storage area to an erasure area where it is erased, then transported to a second, erased transient document storage area. Upon receipt of a user interrupt during the scheduled erasure, any partially erased transient document is returned to the first transient document storage area for later erasure. The method thus allows for more efficient use of equipment resources, for example in an office environment. | 09-16-2010 |
20100321740 | SECONDARY SCAN TO ENSURE TRANSIENT DOCUMENT ERASURE - Systems and methods of ensuring the erasure of transient documents are disclosed. The systems and methods include an imaging device that sends a transient document with a pre-printed image into an erase cycle to attempt to remove the image from the document. After the erase cycle, a scanner scans the transient document and converts the transient document into a digital image. A processor compares bit depths of individual bits of the digital image to a bit depth threshold. Depending on the comparison and a number of completed erase cycles, the transient document enters an additional erase cycle, completes as sufficiently erased, or is rejected as not sufficiently erased. | 12-23-2010 |
20110045186 | Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane Image Conditioning Coating - A contact leveling surface for an ink jet imaging member including a coating disposed on a contact leveling substrate, wherein the coating includes a fluoroalkyl-substituted polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane. In embodiments, the contact leveling surface is for an ink jet imaging member that jets a phase change ink, a gel ink, a curable phase change ink, or a curable gel ink directly to a final image receiving substrate such as a direct to paper imaging device. | 02-24-2011 |
20110079735 | PEN SPECIFIC FOR ERASABLE MEDIA USAGE - Exemplary embodiments provide materials and methods for a pen that can include a writing end for writing an image on an erasable medium and an erasing end for locally erasing an image from the erasable medium. | 04-07-2011 |
20110116110 | SHOW-THROUGH MEASUREMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INKS ON MEDIA - Systems and methods of measuring an amount of show-through in a printed document are disclosed. The systems and methods include an imaging device that scans a back side of the printed document and scans a front side of the printed document with a blank document disposed thereon. The imaging device produces bitmaps related to the scans and calculates bit depths associated with the bitmaps. A difference array is calculated based on the differences between the bitmaps of the back side and front side scans, and the average value and standard deviation of the difference array is calculated. The amount of show-through of the document is measured based on a formula with the calculated average and standard deviation. | 05-19-2011 |
20110122210 | Image Conditioning Coating - A contact leveling surface for an ink jet imaging member comprising a low adhesion coating, wherein when the low adhesion coating is disposed on a contact leveling surface, jetted drops of ultra-violet gel ink exhibit a low sliding angle with the contact leveling surface, wherein the low sliding angle is less than about 1° to less than about 30°. | 05-26-2011 |
20110262659 | METHODS OF LEVELING INK ON SUBSTRATES USING FLASH HEATING AND APPARATUSES USEFUL IN PRINTING - Methods of leveling ink on substrates and apparatuses useful in printing are provided. An exemplary embodiment of the methods includes irradiating ink disposed on a first surface of a porous substrate with radiation emitted by at least one flash lamp. The radiation flash heats the ink to at least a viscosity threshold temperature of the ink to allow the ink to flow laterally on the first surface to produce leveling of the ink. The ink is heated sufficiently rapidly that heat transfer from the ink to the substrate is sufficiently small during the leveling that ink at the substrate interface is cooled to a temperature below the viscosity threshold temperature thereby preventing any significant ink permeation into the substrate from the first surface. | 10-27-2011 |
20120062665 | METHODS OF ADJUSTING GLOSS OF IMAGES ON SUBSTRATES USING INK PARTIAL-CURING AND CONTACT LEVELING AND APPARATUSES USEFUL IN FORMING IMAGES ON SUBSTRATES - Apparatuses and methods for forming images on substrates in printing are provided. An exemplary embodiment of the apparatuses includes a first marking station for applying a first ink having a first color to a surface of a substrate; a first partial-curing station downstream from the first marking station including at least one first radiant energy source for irradiating the first ink on the surface of the substrate with first radiation to partially-cure, and adjust gloss of, the first ink; a second marking station downstream from the first partial-curing station for applying a second ink having a second color to the surface of the substrate; a second partial-curing station downstream from the second marking station including at least one second radiant energy source for irradiating the first ink and the second ink on the surface of the substrate with second radiation to further partially-cure the first ink and to partially-cure the second ink to adjust gloss of the first ink and the second ink; a leveling device comprising a first member, a second member, and a nip formed by the first member and second member, the first member and second member being configured to apply pressure to the partially-cured first ink and second ink when the substrate is received at the nip to level the first ink and second ink on the surface of the substrate; and a post-leveling curing device for irradiating the as-leveled first ink and second ink on the surface of the substrate to substantially-fully cure the first ink and the second ink. | 03-15-2012 |
20120062666 | METHODS OF FORMING IMAGES ON SUBSTRATES WITH INK PARTIAL-CURING AND CONTACT LEVELING AND APPARATUSES USEFUL IN FORMING IMAGES ON SUBSTRATES - Methods of forming images on substrates in printing and apparatuses for forming images on substrates in printing are provided. An exemplary embodiment of the methods of forming images on substrates in printing includes applying ink onto a surface of a substrate; irradiating the ink on the surface of the substrate with first radiation to partially-cure the ink; applying pressure to the substrate and partially-cured ink at a nip with a first surface of a first member and a second surface of a second member to level the ink on the surface of the substrate; and irradiating the as-leveled ink on the surface of the substrate with second radiation to substantially fully cure the ink. | 03-15-2012 |
20120062667 | METHODS OF ADJUSTING GLOSS OF IMAGES LOCALLY ON SUBSTRATES USING INK PARTIAL-CURING AND CONTACT LEVELING AND APPARATUSES USEFUL IN FORMING IMAGES ON SUBSTRATES - Apparatuses and methods for forming images on substrates in printing are provided and may include a first marking station for applying a first ink having a first color to a surface of a substrate, a first partial-curing station downstream from the first marking station, a second marking station downstream from the first partial-curing station for applying a second ink having a second color to the surface of the substrate, a second partial-curing station downstream from the second marking station, a leveling device for applying pressure to the substrate and the partially-cured first ink and second ink to level the first ink and second ink on the surface of the substrate, and a post-leveling curing device for irradiating the as-leveled first ink and second ink on the surface of the substrate to substantially-fully cure the first ink and the second ink. | 03-15-2012 |
20120086761 | CURABLE PHASE CHANGE INKS CONTAINING CRYSTALLINE POLYESTERS - This disclosure is generally directed to curable phase change inks, such as radiation-curable phase change inks, and their use in forming images, such as through inkjet printing. More specifically, this disclosure is directed to radiation-curable phase change inks, such as ultraviolet-light-curable phase change inks, that an ink vehicle and at least one crystalline polyester resin. | 04-12-2012 |
20120224011 | CURABLE SOLID INK COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING NOVEL CURABLE WAX - Curable solid ink compositions, comprising a curable wax having a melting point under 40° C. as part of the ink vehicle, which are suitable for ink jet printing in applications that require high and/or variable levels of gloss. In particular, there is provided a novel high gloss, ultraviolet (UV) curable, phase change ink composition comprising a colorant and an ink vehicle comprising a gellant, a reactive diluent, a photoinitiator package, and a curable acrylate wax. | 09-06-2012 |
20120255489 | QUARTZ TUBE LEVELING APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS FOR SIMULTANEOUS LEVELING AND PINNING OF RADIATION CURABLE INKS - Systems for leveling UV-curable gel ink include a leveling member having a conformable surface. The leveling member is a quartz tube rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and connected to a mandrel, with conformable VITON O-rings interposing the mandrel and the quartz tube. A UV source is disposed within the quartz tube, and configured to emit light through the quartz tube and the conformable surface onto a surface of a substrate passing through a leveling or pressure nip defined by the quartz tube and a backing member or pressure belt. | 10-11-2012 |
20120314012 | BELT LEVELING APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS FOR SIMULTANEOUS LEVELING AND PINNING OF RADIATION CURABLE INKS - Systems for leveling UV-curable gel ink include a leveling belt member having a TEFLON FEP inner layer and a conformable silicone outer layer. A UV source is disposed to direct light through the belt onto a substrate at a leveling or pressure nip defined by the leveling beltz tube and a backing member such as a backing belt and chilled platen. | 12-13-2012 |
20120320117 | METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR UV GEL INK SPREADING - A UV curable gel ink spreading method and system includes setting an ink re-flow drum temperature, jetting UV gel ink onto a substrate using a print head, heating a back side of the substrate to cause re-flow using the re-flow drum, and curing the UV gel ink image using a UV source to produce a cured image. At least one of drawback and line spread may be measured in-line to determine whether to modify a drum temperature, a UV source location, and/or a print process speed to optimize drawback and/or line spread. Acceptable or optimized temperatures and/or UV source locations may be saved as a set point that corresponds to a substrate type. | 12-20-2012 |
20130002770 | METHODS FOR UV GEL INK LEVELING AND DIRECT-TO-SUBSTRATE DIGITAL RADIATION CURABLE GEL INK PRINTING, APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS HAVING LEVELING MEMBER WITH A METAL OXIDE SURFACE - A radiation curable gel ink leveling method for digital direct-to-substrate radiation curable gel ink printing includes depositing radiation curable gel ink directly onto a substrate, irradiating the gel ink to increase a viscosity of the gel ink, adding sacrificial release fluid to a hydrophilic leveling roll surface, the leveling roll surface including metal oxide, and leveling the ink with the leveling roll. UV gel ink printing systems and leveling apparatus include a leveling roll having a metal oxide surface suitable for use with water based release fluids that contain a surfactant and/or polymer. | 01-03-2013 |
20130010041 | METHODS FOR RADIATION CURABLE GEL INK LEVELING AND DIRECT-TO-SUBSTRATE DIGITAL RADIATION CURABLE GEL INK PRINTING, APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS HAVING PRESSURE MEMBER WITH HYDROPHOBIC SURFACE - A UV curable gel ink leveling method for digital direct-to-substrate UV curable gel ink printing includes jetting UV curable gel ink directly onto a substrate, irradiating the gel ink to increase a viscosity of the gel ink, adding sacrificial release fluid to a hydrophilic contact roll, and leveling the ink at a leveling nip formed by the contact roll and a pressure roll. The pressure roll comprises an elastomeric material and a surface that is hydrophobic. | 01-10-2013 |
20130025485 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR APPLYING RELEASE FLUID TO A LEVELER IN A PRINTING APPARATUS - An apparatus and method apply release fluid to a leveler in a printing apparatus. The apparatus can include a substrate path, at least one release fluid spray nozzle, and a marking material leveling system having a marking material leveler. The method can include transporting a substrate with marking material along the substrate path. The method can include pulse spraying release fluid to the marking material leveling system using the at least one release fluid spray nozzle to apply the release fluid to the marking material leveler. The method can include leveling marking material on the substrate using the marking material leveler with release fluid. | 01-31-2013 |
20130027454 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR APPLYING RELEASE FLUID TO A LEVELER IN A PRINTING APPARATUS - An apparatus and method apply release fluid to a leveler in a printing apparatus. The apparatus can include a substrate path, at least one release fluid spray nozzle, and a marking material leveling system having a marking material leveler. The method can include transporting a substrate with marking material along the substrate path. The method can include pulse spraying release fluid to the marking material leveling system using the at least one release fluid spray nozzle. The method can include leveling marking material on the substrate using the marking material leveler with release fluid. The method can include determining an adjusted amount of release fluid to spray to the marking material leveling system. The method can include pulse spraying the adjusted amount of release fluid to the marking material leveling system using the at least one release fluid spray nozzle. | 01-31-2013 |
20130033549 | METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR SPREADING RADIATION CURABLE GEL INK - A radiation curable gel ink spreading system includes a print head for jetting radiation curable gel ink onto a front side of a substrate, a heated re-flow drum for contacting a back side of the substrate to heat the gel ink and cause the ink to re-flow, and at least one radiation source that irradiates the heated ink to reduce or stop re-flow. A re-flow drum temperature, amount of radiation emission per unit time, radiation source location including a substrate wrap angle with respect to the re-flow drum and/or the radiation source, a distance between a re-flow zone start and the radiation source, and a gap distance between the radiation source and the substrate, and a process speed or substrate translation speed are adjustable for achieving desired spreading characteristics. | 02-07-2013 |
20130047873 | RELEASE FLUID DELIVERY AND DAMPENING SYSTEM CLEANING METHODS, APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS FOR RADIATION CURABLE GEL INK PRINTING - A dampening fluid delivery apparatus includes a water delivery line, a surfactant delivery line, and a cleaning solution delivery line, each connected to a mixing chamber. An open and closed state and a flow rate of one or more of the delivery lines may be controlled. Delivery lines may be pressurized and fitted with valves. The valves may be controlled using an electrically connected controller. The controller may control the dampening fluid delivery apparatus in accordance with at least one of print mode data and cleaning mode data. | 02-28-2013 |
20130229452 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FORMING RAISED MARKINGS ON SUBSTRATES FOR BRAILLE IDENTIFICATION AND SECURITY AND TO FACILITATE AUTOMATIC HANDLING OF THE SUBSTRATES - Haptic or tactile features, which are generally not visually perceptible or reproducible, are applied at varying positions on a substrate according to a predetermined scheme. A plurality of raised image areas are specified for a group of substrates and raised marks are printed in only one raised image area for each substrate in a manner that is evenly distributed between the raised image areas for the group of substrates. The substrates will present a relatively uniform stack avoiding localized large pile heights when the substrates are stacked. A clear marking material is used to print the raised marks so as not to obscure underlying data printed on the substrate. The clear marking material may include a monomer that may become cross-linked in an exposure process to resist deinking of the substrate. The clear marking material may be mixed with a phosphorescing or fluorescing material as an additional security measure. | 09-05-2013 |
20130293603 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IN-LINE GEL INK MIXING - Systems and methods for controlling ink component concentration for optimizing ink for use on specific media types, such as paper or plastic, include an in-line ink delivery system for mixing and delivering ink. The ink delivery system includes a first ink supply, a second ink supply, a mixing chamber or pot, and a print head connected to a print head reservoir. The ink delivery system may be configured to mix ink according to one of stored setpoints or acquired media data for media on which ink is to be printed. | 11-07-2013 |
20140002520 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRINTING RAISED MARKINGS ON DOCUMENTS | 01-02-2014 |
20140176512 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING AND MODIFYING PHYSICALLY TRANSIENT HANDWRITTEN DIGITAL DOCUMENTS - A method, system, and apparatus for capturing information is disclosed. The method includes emitting energy of a first wavelength from a first energy source located proximate to a first end of a digital pen and forming a first set handwritten markings on the substrate by causing the substrate to image as a result of an exposure of the substrate to the energy emitted from the first energy source. The method also includes detecting by an image-capturing sensor of the digital pen a first detected portion of a position-identifying pattern on the substrate and storing in the memory a digital document file comprising the first set of handwritten markings and the first detected portion of the position-identifying data. An apparatus and system for performing the method is also disclosed. | 06-26-2014 |
20140341677 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FORMING AND IMPLEMENTING BOOK BINDING GEOMETRIES AS A FUNCTION OF STACK THICKNESS - A system and method are provided for forming and implementing book binding geometries as a function of image receiving medium stack thicknesses for automated book binding in image forming devices. The disclosed schemes optimize book binding employing a plurality of strip-like binding elements to form loops in a process that employs heat and pressure to reduce residual stresses in the strips as they are formed into loops. The disclosed schemes mechanically modify a process of bending individual book-binding elements in a manner that more effectively employs less expensive material elements to provide consistent and durable “right-sized” book binding of finished documents. A combination of heat and pressure are introduced with a molded structure that results in controlling a radius of formation to be consistently followed by the “folded” binding elements in order to relieve the stress and preserve the integrity of those binding elements in the finished product. | 11-20-2014 |