Ink tray insert

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025083434-A1
Application number	US-202318244973-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 12, 2023
Priority date	Sep 12, 2023
Publication date	Mar 13, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An ink tray insert is adapted to be inserted into a conventional ink tray in a printing system. The ink tray insert includes a bottom surface having an outer profile that substantially conforms to an inner profile of a bottom surface of the conventional ink tray, and left and right side walls that extend upwards from left and right edges of the bottom surface, respectively. Bearing saddles are mounted on the left and right side walls adapted to receive bearings mounted on a shaft of a fountain roller, the ink tray insert being adapted to supply ink to the fountain roller in an ink transfer zone. A cross-track width of the ink tray insert between the left and right side walls is less than a cross-track width of the conventional ink tray.

First claim

1 . An inking system, comprising:
an ink tray insert for inserting into an ink tray in a printing system, and the ink tray insert including:
a bottom surface having an outer profile that substantially conforms to an inner profile of a bottom surface of the ink tray; and
left and right side walls that extend upwards from left and right edges of the bottom surface, respectively; and
bearing saddles mounted on the inside of and adjacent to each of left and right side walls, which bearing saddles are adapted to receive the bearings mounted on a shaft of a fountain roller, the ink tray insert being adapted to supply ink to the fountain roller in an ink transfer zone,
wherein a cross-track width of the ink tray insert between the left and right side walls is less than a cross-track width of the ink tray.

2 . The inking system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of ink tray inserts are present within the ink tray.

3 . The inking system of claim 2 , wherein different inks are supplied by at least two of the plurality of ink tray inserts.

4 . The inking system of claim 3 , wherein ink supplied by one of the plurality of ink tray inserts is a transparent ink and the ink supplied by another of the plurality of ink tray inserts is an opaque ink.

5 . The inking system of claim 3 , wherein ink supplied by one of the plurality of ink tray inserts is a high-cost ink and the ink supplied by another of the plurality of ink tray inserts is a low-cost ink having a lower cost per unit volume than the high-cost ink.

6 . The inking system of claim 1 , further comprising the fountain roller mounted within the ink tray insert, the fountain roller comprising bearings mounted on a shaft and being adapted to transfer ink supplied by the ink tray insert to an anilox roller, the anilox roller having a cylindrical outer surface having a plurality of cells, the cells being indentations in the outer surface of the anilox roller configured to transfer ink to a flexographic printing plate.

7 . The inking system of claim 1 , further including bearing guards positioned on inward faces of the bearing saddles that shield a lower portion of the bearings such that ink cannot penetrate in between the bearings and the bearing saddles.

8 . The inking system of claim 1 , wherein the cross-track width of the ink tray insert between the left and right side walls is less than one half of the cross-track width of the ink tray.

9 . The inking system of claim 6 , further comprising the anilox roller.

Assignees

• Eastman Kodak Co

Inventors

• Steadman Jason D
• Shaughnessy Michael G
• Ellinger Carolyn Rae

Classifications

• B41F31/04

  with duct-blades or like metering devices · CPC title

• B41F31/26

  Construction of inking rollers (inking-rollers serving also to apply ink repellants in rotary lithographic machines B41F7/36) · CPC title

• B41F31/06 Primary

  Troughs or like reservoirs with immersed or partly immersed, rollers or cylinders · CPC title

• B41F5/24 Primary

  for flexographic printing · CPC title