Xerox Corporation

Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

Bruce Earl Thayer

Aaron Michael Burry

Palghat Srinivas Ramesh

Dennis G Gerbasi

Michael F Zona

Richard W Seyfried

Clark V Lange

Peter Paul

Rachael L McGrath

Cheryl A Linton

Paul J McConville

Trevor James Snyder

Nero R Lindblad

Michael D Thompson

Bin Zhang

Norman E LaTour

Christopher Auguste Dirubio

Samuel P Mordenga

Ronald E Auty

Billy D Walcott

Christopher B Miller

Linn C Hoover

Robert Alan Clark

Moritz Patrick Wagner

Robert Steven Pozniakas

David E Rollins

David R Stookey

Darryl L Pozzanghera

Ralph J Weber

N Kedarnath

James J Teich

Alvin J Owens, Jr

Thomas A Prentiss

Matthew P Daniels

Gregory J Mancine

Jason Mathew LeFevre

Anthony Salvatore Condello

Paul Michael Fromm

Dan A Hays

Roger Gaylord Leighton

Varun Sambhy

Kenny-Tuan Dinh

Gerald M Fletcher

Timothy D Stowe

John F Knapp

Joseph Benjamin Gault

Robert P Siegel

David A VanKouwenberg

Philipp Helmut Schmaelzle

Gregory B Anderson

Sourobh Raychaudhuri

Michael Quoc Lu

Ronald E Godlove

Karl Edwin Kurz

Thomas J Behe

Lawrence Floyd, Jr

John Robert Uchal

Walter Sean Harris

Anthony E Audi

Daniel R Gilmore, Iii

David P Vanbortel

Herbert C Relyea

Nicholas M Soures

John L Howard

Steven W Baldwin

William C Dean

John M Wysocky

Ellery F Wong

Anthony C Fornalik

John M Bonislawski, Jr

David R Wyble

Soon Kuan Kuek

Karen H Kuntz

Marty J Sheridan

Alexander J Floravanti

A printer cleaning device cleans an image receiving surface treated with a surface preparation material. The cleaning surface includes an applicator that receives fluid from a receptacle and applies a portion of the fluid onto the image receiving surface of a printer. A wiper engages the image receiving surface to remove a portion of dried aqueous ink and fluid from the image receiving surface. The applicator is rotated in a direction opposite to a direction of movement of the image receiving surface. The dried aqueous ink and fluid removed by the wiper are diverted to a conduit to enable a pump to move the dried aqueous ink and fluid through a filter before returning the filtered fluid to the receptacle so the applicator can absorb the filtered fluid.

System and method for cleaning an image receiving surface in an inkjet printer

A printer includes a surface preparatory material remover. The remover is configured with a pad mounted to a roller to engage selectively the surface preparatory material on a surface of a rotating member to remove a portion of the surface preparatory material outside of an area where an ink image is formed to reduce the adhesion of media to the rotating member surface as the media exits a nip in which the ink image is transferred to the media.

System and method for imaging in an aqueous inkjet printer

A printer cleaning device cleans an image receiving surface with a surface preparation material, includes a roller having a perforated cylindrical wall surrounded by a foam material. The cylindrical wall has an interior volume for holding a fluid pumped into the interior volume by a pump. The pressurized fluid flows through the cylindrical wall into the foam material as the roller is moved into engagement with the image receiving surface. The roller is rotated in a direction opposition to a direction of movement of the image receiving surface to help the foam material to scrub the image receiving surface and apply the fluid to the surface. As the roller is moved away from the surface, the foam material expands to facilitate absorption of fluid and remove material from the image receiving surface. The foam material in one embodiment is hydrophobic.

A system and method are provided for enclosing a plurality of cleaning unit components in a moist cleaning unit environment, the plurality of cleaning unit components cooperating to employ a cleaner roller in an image forming device to facilitate effective cleaning of a reimageable surface in an image forming device using a proposed variable data digital lithographic image forming architecture. A range of solvents may be applied to a hard smooth high surface energy surface of the cleaner roll and a cleaning unit component internally positioned within the cleaning enclosure to clean the surface of the cleaner roll. Mechanical components are properly placed prior to the cleaner roll-reimageable surface nip to ensure that residual liquid on a surface of the cleaner roll is removed.

Systems and methods for implementing advanced single pass cleaning of a reimageable surface in a variable data digital lithographic printing device

A printer cleaning device includes a cleaning blade that is operatively disposed on a cleaning surface to contact and remove a material from the cleaning surface. The cleaning blade has a body portion and a cleaning edge adjoining the body portion adapted to contact the cleaning surface. The printer cleaning device further includes a pad that is attached to the body portion of the cleaning blade and is disposed across a predetermined length of the cleaning blade. The pad has a first corner that is located at a first end of the body portion wherein the first end is at a predetermined distance from the cleaning edge. The printer cleaning device further includes a controller configured to control the cleaning blade to contact and wipe the cleaning surface.

System and method for cleaning an inkjet printer

An inkjet printer is configured to apply a coating material to the lead edge of an imaging surface after an ink image is formed on the surface. A controller determines the amount and location of coating material applied to the lead edge based on the stiffness or thickness of the media printed on, and based on image content.

System and method for lead edge release coating for improved media stripping in an aqueous inkjet printer

A filtration system, mechanism and method is proved that continuously filters waste fluid from variable data ink-based printing system cleaning subsystems. Waste fluid from a cleaning subsystem is forced through a bank of progressively finer filter media. Initial coarse filters remove large components of the ink and/or skin that would rapidly clog the later finer filters required to remove small components of the ink and/or skin. The filtered fluid is recycled for printing surface cleaning and filtration. To avoid clogging, the filter media are cleaned by reversing the flow of fluid through the filters. This back-flushing operation is accomplished with a relatively small volume of fluid that is routed as concentrated waste fluid to a waste container for disposal. To avoid disruption to the printing process, two or more filter banks are preferably used. While one filter bank is filtering the waste fluid any other bank(s) may be back-flushed.

Systems and methods for continuous waste ink filtration in image forming devices

A system and method are provided for depositing a release layer/film on a cleaner roller in an image forming device to facilitate effective cleaning of a reimageable surface in an image forming device using a proposed variable data digital lithographic image forming architecture. A borax or other solute solution is deposited on a surface of a cleaner roller and an air knife is used to evaporate a liquid component of the solution causing the liquid to come off and a thin-film of borax or other solute to remain on the surface of the cleaner roller. The thin film layer is then dry at a point of contact with the reimageable surface to recover residual ink from the reimageable surface with the surface of the cleaner roller on top of the thin film layer. The thin film layer is re-wetted to support efficient transfer of the ink to a web.

Systems and methods for implementing a release film for a cleaning unit in an image forming device using digital offset lithographic printing techniques

A pressure roller for a media processing device has enhanced temperature uniformity and resists temperature increases when subjected to elevated temperatures, enabling greater dimensional stability of the pressure roller in fluctuating temperatures. The pressure roller includes a hollow cylindrical member, an elastomeric layer, and an endbell on each end of the hollow cylindrical member. A chamber is defined by an inner wall of the hollow cylindrical member and the endbells in which a volume of fluid is contained to absorb heat from the hollow cylindrical member.

Pressure roller containing a volume of fluid

An inkjet offset printer includes an image receiving drum assembly having a hollow drum with an external surface and an internal surface defining an internal cavity. A heating and a cooling system located in the internal cavity provides distributed heating and cooling to the internal surface of the drum. Heating and cooling can be provided to individual regions of the internal drum surface to maintain a substantially uniform external drum surface temperature.

Inkjet printer having an image drum heating and cooling system

An indirect printer includes a system for alternating the pressure in a transfer nip by manipulating the transfer roller. The system includes a pair of pivotable collars mounted about the ends of the transfer roller. The collars are pivoted towards or away from one another to bend the transfer roller and to increase or decrease, respectively, the pressure in the longitudinal center of the nip.

Transfix roller with adjustable crown for use in an indirect printer

An image transfer system for use in an indirect printer includes a support roller for a transfix roller. The support roller is configured to apply pressure to a center portion of a nip formed between a transfix roller and an imaging drum while the transfix roller applies pressure to the ends of the nip. This configuration is particularly advantageous for use with imaging drums and transfix rollers having thin walls.

Transfix roller with adaptive center loading for use in an indirect printer

An inkjet offset printer includes a heated drum assembly having a hollow drum with an internal surface defining an internal cavity and a heater located in the internal cavity. The heater includes a reflector having a seal, and at least one heating element configured to generate heat and disposed between the reflector and the internal surface of the drum. The seal contacts the internal surface of the hollow drum to confine the generated heat within a space defined by the reflector and the internal surface of the drum.

Inkjet printer having an image drum heater with heater seals

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Spencerport, NY, United States of America

Bruce Earl Thayer