Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090009573 | INK-JET PRINTER USING PHASE-CHANGE INK PRINTING ON A CONTINUOUS WEB - A printing apparatus includes a printing station, including at least one printhead for applying phase-change ink to the substrate, and a backing member disposed on an opposite side of the substrate substantially opposite the printhead, the backing member causing the substrate to reach a predetermined ink-receiving temperature. | 01-08-2009 |
20090303305 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENCAPSULATING EDGES OF PAPER IN PRINTERS - System and method for encapsulating edges of a paper in digital printing systems. A spray applicator can include a set of stationary sprayers with spray nozzles, a set of transfer rollers and an inkjet print head. The stationary sprayers can be positioned at both marginal ends of the paper. The stationary sprayers apply the fluid through the spray nozzles at edges of the moving paper to encapsulate the edges of the paper such that loose paper fibers and debris are bound to the paper. The fluid can be applied when the transfer rollers can pass the moving paper through a printer or printing press. Thus, the system can protect various subsystems of the printer or printing press against contamination due to the loose paper fibers and debris. | 12-10-2009 |
20100086339 | System And Method For Facilitating Cutting Of Media Having A Phase Change Ink Image - A system cuts media printed with phase change ink in a manner that reduces the ink debris produced by cutting solidified ink. The system includes a heater configured to heat phase change ink on the media moving through the heater to a temperature at which the ink is malleable, the temperature being above room temperature and below a temperature at which phase change ink melts, and a cutter configured to receive the media after the media has been heated by the heater and to cut the media. The blade of the cutter may also be heated to facilitate media cutting with a reduced likelihood of solid ink debris being generated. | 04-08-2010 |
20110048312 | Label Configured To Indicate An Object Reaching A Predetermined Temperature - An apparatus indicates a temperature of an object. The apparatus includes a porous substrate, a mirror image of a first image pattern printed with a first phase-change ink having a first phase change temperature on a first side of the porous substrate, and an adhesive layer applied to the first side of the porous substrate to enable the porous substrate to be affixed to an object. | 03-03-2011 |
20120039645 | FIXING DEVICES INCLUDING LOW-VISCOSITY RELEASE AGENT APPLICATOR SYSTEM AND METHODS OF FIXING MARKING MATERIAL TO SUBSTRATES - Fixing devices for fixing marking material to a substrate, printing apparatuses and methods of fixing marking material to a substrate are provided. An exemplary embodiment of the fixing devices includes a first roll including an outer surface; a second roll forming a fixing nip with the outer surface of the first roll at which is received a pre-heated substrate on which marking material is disposed; a release agent applicator system including a supply of a release agent having a viscosity of from about 10 cST to about 300 cST, and a release agent applicator for applying the release agent to the outer surface of the first roll; and a thermal energy source for heating the outer surface of the first roll to a temperature of less than a boiling point of the release agent. The first roll and second roll are operable to apply heat and a pressure of at least about 500 psi to the pre-heated substrate and marking material at the fixing nip to fix the marking material to the substrate. | 02-16-2012 |
20130021398 | Method and System for Aligning Printheads that Eject Clear Ink in an Inkjet Printer - A method enables an operator to detect misalignment of printheads that eject clear ink in an inkjet printer. The method prints a first test pattern with a first color of ink and then prints a second test pattern of clear ink on top of the first test pattern. The ink of the first and the second test patterns is then spread to enable the clear ink to be dispersed in interstitial spaces in the ink of the first color. An operator is then able to detect the spatial relationship of predetermined marks in the second test pattern to predetermined marks in the first test pattern. The predetermined marks of the first and the second test patterns are arranged to enable an operator to detect a misalignment distance and the inkjet printer uses the misalignment distance entered by the operator to adjust the alignment of the printheads that eject clear ink. | 01-24-2013 |
20130293648 | Method and Apparatus for Cleaning a Heated Drum Within a Continuous Web Printer - A method of cleaning a heated drum within a continuous web printer includes operating an actuator to rotate a drum that is heated to a first temperature. The drum rotates in a process direction of a media web contacting the drum and heats the media web as the media web moves over a portion of the drum. The method also includes stopping movement of the media web, heating the drum to a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature, and operating the actuator to rotate the drum against a portion of the stopped media web to transfer ink from the drum to the portion of the stopped media web. | 11-07-2013 |
20140028747 | System and Method for Spreading Ink on a Media Web - A leveling and spreading system has been developed that enables the speed and position of the web to be determined from a sensor on a first roller. In a duplex print process, the first roller also reduces a temperature of the media web and an ink image printed in the first side print operation to within a first predetermined temperature range. A second roller modulates the temperature of the media web and ink ejected onto the media web immediately before the web enters the leveling and spreading system to within a second predetermined temperature range to enable uniformity of the ink and web temperatures for spreading the ink in a nip formed with a third roller. | 01-30-2014 |
20140139578 | Method And Apparatus For Alignment Of A Low Contrast Ink Printhead In An Inkjet Printer - In an inkjet printer, a first printhead forms a first mark on a print medium using a high-contrast ink. A second printhead forms a second mark on the first mark using a low-contrast ink. The printer generates image data of the low-contrast ink mark and the high-contrast ink, and a controller in the printer identifies a cross-process direction offset between the first printhead and the second printhead with reference to a distance between the center of the first mark and the second mark in the image data. | 05-22-2014 |
20140139851 | Compensation For Alignment Errors In An Optical Sensor - A method of operating a printer to detect errors in an optical sensor includes forming a printed line across a first side of a print medium and generating first image data corresponding to the printed line with the optical sensor. The optical sensor generates second image data of the second side of the print medium as the print medium passes the optical sensor a second time. A detect in the optical sensor is identified with reference to a difference between process direction alignments of the line in the first image data and the second image data. | 05-22-2014 |
20140146102 | System And Method For Full-Bleed And Near Full-Bleed Printing - A method of operating a printer includes identifying a region of a print medium located between marks formed by a first plurality of inkjets in the printer and an edge of the print medium. The printer activates a second plurality of inkjets to print ink drops into the region during a printing operation. The method enables full-bleed or near full-bleed printing for different media sizes. | 05-29-2014 |
20140146329 | System And Method For Page Alignment In A Printer - A method for printing on a continuous print medium having a plurality of pages includes identifying a location of a feature in image data that are generated from a portion of a first page in the print medium. The method includes modifying a time of operation of a marking unit to form an image on each page in the plurality of pages at a predetermined distance from the edge of each page with reference to the location of the identified feature in the image data. In one configuration, the method enables precise placement of printed images over preprinted forms. | 05-29-2014 |