Print group for an ink printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9296206-B2
Application number	US-201414279384-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2014
Priority date	May 17, 2013
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

In a print group for an ink printing apparatus, a housing is provided with print bars comprising print heads. The print bars are moveable independently of one another in a vertical direction from a printing position adjacent to a printing substrate into a park position and back. A protective flap bar for each print bar is provided which is pivotable and which is open to one side. The protective flap bar is arranged in a vertical position next to the print bar in the printing position such that the open side is facing away from the print bar. The protective flap bar is arranged in a horizontal position with the open side upward in the park position such that the print bar is engaged with its print head side in the protective flap bar.

First claim

We claim as our invention:

1. A print group for an ink printing apparatus, comprising:
a transport unit for a printing substrate and a printing unit, said printing unit comprising a housing with internally arranged print bars comprising print heads;
drive and guidance units arranged per print bar in the housing of the printing unit for moving the print bars independently of one another in a vertical direction as viewed from the transport unit from a printing position situated adjacent to the printing substrate into a park position and back;
a protective flap bar comprising a trough for each print bar and borne so as to be pivotable and the trough being open to one side;
the protective flap bar being arranged in a vertical position next to the print bar in the printing position of said respective print bar such that the open side is facing away from the print bar; and
the protective flap bar being arranged in a horizontal position with the open side upward in the park position of the printing unit such that the print bar is engaged with its print head side in the protective flap bar.

2. The print group according to claim 1 in which a sealing plate is arranged adjacent to the open side in the vertical position of the protective flap bar.

3. The print group according to claim 1 in which a seal is arranged at the open side of the protective flap bar so that said protective flap bar is sealed given an inserted print bar.

4. The print group according to claim 1 in which the protective flap bar is at least partially filled with fluid.

5. The print group according to claim 1 in which a drive and guidance assembly is arranged at the housing of the printing unit, and with the drive and guidance assembly the printing unit is moved from an operating position situated above the printing substrate into a cleaning position situated next to the transport unit and back.

6. A method for positioning print bars in a printing unit and comprising print heads and for positioning protective flap bars having a trough with an open side and provided to cover the print bars, the print bars being moveable independently of one another between a printing position in which a printing substrate is printed to a park position above the printing position in the printing unit, and the protective flap bars being borne so as to be pivotable adjacent to their associated print bars so that they can be pivoted from a vertical position into a horizontal position and back, comprising the steps of:
moving a print bar that is not being used for printing upward in a vertical direction, pivoting an associated protective flap bar into the horizontal position, and then lowering the print bar through the open side into the protective flap bar in a park position; and
moving a print bar provided for printing away from the flap bar and out of the park position, pivoting the protective flap bar into the vertical position, and then moving the print bar into the printing position, the open side of the flap bar facing away from the print bar.

7. The method according to claim 6 in which in the event that individual print bars are used for printing said print bars are moved into the printing position after their protective flap bars have been pivoted into the vertical position, for the remaining print bars their protective flap bars are pivoted into the horizontal position, and then the print bars are moved into the park position so that they are covered by their protective flap bars.

8. The method according to claim 7 in which the protective flap bars are arranged in the horizontal position so that the print bars of the printing unit are inserted into the protective flap bars upon being lowered so that the print bars are sealed by the associated protective flap bars.

9. The method according to claim 8 in which the print bars that are used for printing are moved into the printing position and the print bars that are not used for printing remain in the park position and are covered by their protective cap flaps.

10. The method according to claim 9 in which the printing unit with the print bars and the protective flap bars is moved from the operating position into a cleaning position in which the print bars are cleaned by wiper units.

11. A print group for an ink printing apparatus, comprising:
a printing substrate and a printing unit adjacent the printing substrate, said printing unit comprising print bars comprising print heads;
drive and guidance units arranged per print bar moving the print bars independently of one another in a vertical direction from a printing position situated adjacent to the printing substrate into a park position spaced further away from the substrate and back;
a protective flap bar for each print bar comprising a trough and borne so as to be pivotable and the trough being open to one side;
the protective flap bar being arranged in a vertical position next to the print bar in the printing position of said respective print bar such that the open side is facing away from the print bar; and
the protective flap bar being arranged in a horizontal position in the park position of the printing unit such that the print bar is engaged with its print head side inserted through the open side in the protective flap bar.

Assignees

• Achatz Augustinus
• Petrut Lucian
• Sigismund Robert
• Wachter Sebastian
• Oce Printing Systems Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Achatz Augustinus
• Petrut Lucian
• Sigismund Robert
• Wachter Sebastian

Classifications

• B41J2/16511 Primary

  Constructions for cap positioning (B41J2/16547 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2/16588

  Print heads movable towards the cleaning unit · CPC title

• B41J2/16507

  integral with the printhead · CPC title

• B41J2/16505 Primary

  Caps, spittoons or covers for cleaning or preventing drying out · CPC title