Devices, systems, and methods for controlling airflow through vacuum platen of printing system by a movable damper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11772391-B2
Application number	US-202117217399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2021
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A printing system comprises a media transport device which holds print media, such as paper, against a movable support surface, such as a belt, by vacuum suction through holes in the media transport device and transports the print media though a deposition region of one or more printheads, which deposit a print fluid, such as ink, on the print media. The printing system comprises an airflow control device comprising one or more dampers that are moveable in a cross-process direction between an undeployed configuration and a deployed configuration, each damper blocking at least one row of the holes in the deployed configuration. The airflow control device also comprises one or more actuators to move the damper(s). The actuator(s) are controlled to selectively move the damper(s) between the undeployed and deployed configuration based on a position of an inter-media zone between adjacent print media held against the movable support surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing system, comprising:
an ink deposition assembly comprising one or more printheads arranged to eject a print fluid to a deposition region of the ink deposition assembly;
a media transport device comprising a movable support surface, the media transport device configured to hold a print medium against the movable support surface by vacuum suction through holes in the media transport device and transport the print medium along a process direction though the deposition region, the holes arranged in columns extending in the process direction and in rows extending in a cross-process direction perpendicular to the process direction; and
an airflow control system comprising:
a damper that is moveable in the cross-process direction between a deployed configuration and an undeployed configuration, the damper blocking at least one row of the holes in the deployed configuration and not blocking the at least one row of the holes in the undeployed configuration; and
an actuator operably coupled to the damper and configured to move the damper between the undeployed configuration and the deployed configuration.

2. The printing system of claim 1 , comprising:
a controller configured to cause the actuator to selectively move the damper between the undeployed configuration and the deployed configuration to selectively block the at least one row of the holes based on a position of an inter-media zone between adjacent print media held against the movable support surface.

3. The printing system of claim 2 ,
wherein the controller is configured to cause the actuator to move the damper from the undeployed configuration to the deployed configuration in response to a downstream edge of the inter-media zone reaching a first position aligned with an upstream edge of the damper, wherein upstream and downstream are defined relative to the process direction.

4. The printing system of claim 3 ,
wherein the controller is configured to cause the actuator to move the damper from the deployed configuration to the undeployed configuration in response to an upstream edge of the inter-media zone reaching a second position aligned with a downstream edge of the damper.

5. The printing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one row of the holes blocked by the damper comprise one or any combination of:
a row of the holes upstream of and adjacent to one of the printheads;
a row of the holes downstream of and adjacent to one of the printheads;
a row of the holes located under one of the printheads; and
a row of the holes located under a printhead module, the printhead module comprising a carrier plate and a plurality of the printheads arranged to eject the printing fluid through openings in the carrier plate.

6. The printing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the airflow control system further comprises:
a plurality of dampers, the damper being one of the plurality of dampers, each of the plurality of dampers being independently movable in the cross-process direction between undeployed and deployed configurations; and
a plurality of actuators, the actuator being one of the plurality of actuators, each of the plurality of actuators being operably coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of dampers and configured to move a corresponding one of the plurality of dampers.

7. A printing system, comprising:
an ink deposition assembly comprising one or more printheads arranged to eject a print fluid to a deposition region of the ink deposition assembly;
a media transport device comprising a movable support surface, the media transport device configured to hold a print medium against the movable support surface by vacuum suction through holes in the media transport device and transport the print medium along a process direction though the deposition region, the holes arranged in columns extending in the process direction and in rows extending in a cross-process direction perpendicular to the process direction; and
an airflow control system comprising:
a plurality of dampers, each of the plurality of dampers being independently movable in the cross-process direction between undeployed and deployed configurations and blocking at least one row of the holes in the deployed configuration and not blocking the at least one row of the holes in the undeployed configuration;
a plurality of actuators, each of the plurality of actuators being operably coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of dampers and configured to move a corresponding one of the plurality of dampers between the undeployed and deployed configurations; and
a controller configured to cause the plurality of actuators to independently move the plurality of dampers between the deployed and undeployed configurations based on the position of an inter-media zone between adjacent print media held against the movable support surface.

8. The printing system of claim 7 , comprising:
one or more printhead modules, each comprising a carrier plate and a plurality of printheads of the one or more printheads arranged to eject the printing fluid through openings in the carrier plate;
wherein the plurality of dampers are associated with one of the printhead modules and are arranged to collectively block at least each row of the holes located under the associated printhead module.

9. The printing system of claim 8 ,
wherein the one or more printhead modules comprise a plurality of printhead modules, and
the plurality of dampers are arranged in a plurality of groups with each group of the plurality of dampers being associated with one of the plurality of printhead modules and being arranged to collectively block holes located under the associated printhead module in a deployed configuration of the group of dampers.

10. The printing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the actuator comprises an arm configured to translate linearly, and
the arm is coupled to the damper such that linear translation of the arm moves the damper from the undeployed configuration to the deployed configuration.

11. The printing system of claim 10 , wherein:
the arm is coupled to an end portion of the damper, and
linear translation of the arm moves the end portion of the damper along the cross-process direction.

12. The printing system of claim 11 , wherein:
the end portion of the damper is a first end portion, the damper having a second end portion, opposite the first end portion, coupled to a hub, and
the damper is wound on the hub in the undeployed configuration and unwound relative to the hub in the deployed configuration.

13. The printing system of claim 10 ,
wherein the actuator comprises a hydraulic or pneumatic piston operably coupled to the arm.

14. The printing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the damper is flexible along the cross-process direction, and
the damper is constrained to move along a path such that as a first end portion of the damper moves along the cross-process direction the damper is flexed and redirected such that another portion of the damper moves in a direction other than the cross-process direction.

15. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein:
the media transport device comprises a vacuum platen comprising the holes,
the movable support surface comprises a belt configured to slide over a first surface of the vacuum platen, and
the damper is adjacent a second surface of the vacuum platen opposite to the first surface.

16. A method of operating a printing system, comprising:
transporting a print medium along a process direction through a deposition region of a printhead of the printing system, wherein the print medi

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Zielenski Megan
• Baker John Patrick
• Balthasar Brian M
• Spence Emmett James
• Zhang Robert Jian

Classifications

• B41J11/0085 Primary

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