Eastman-kodak Company

Nexpress Solutions, Inc.

Other

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag

James Douglas Shifley

Thomas Nathaniel Tombs

Michael Thomas Dobbertin

Gregory Leo Kowalski

Donald Saul Rimai

Brian J Kwarta

Peter S Alexandrovich

Terry Nate Morganti

Andreas Dickhoff

Mridula Nair

Kevin Edward Spaulding

Muhammed Aslam

Rodney Ray Bucks

James Albert Reczek

Francisco Luiz Ziegelmuller

Christian Compera

Andrew Ciaschi

Gary P Wainwright

Kelvin P Hill

Robert R Bettin

Wayne Thomas Ferrar

Timothy John Young

David Francis Cahill

Gary A Smith

Andreas G Nagy

Alan J Swire

Henry Paul Mitchell, Jr

Richard H Berg

Theophilus C Wituszynski

Gregory R Jantsch

Eric C Stelter

Joseph A Pavlisko

Chung-Hui Kuo

Jiann-Hsing Chen

Lloyd A Lobo

Samuel Chen

Joseph E Guth

Alan Earl Rapkin

Fangsheng Wu

Robert David Bobo

Richard C Baughman

Douglas Edward Garman

Michael H Parsons

Douglas J Pfaff

Steven Cormier

James N Alkins

Shyh-Hua E Jao

Charles R Hubbard

Wolfgang Heinrich Alberstadt

Wayne W Forrest

Mark A Wilde

Jean Marie Trost

Larry J Mortellaro

Robert A Zimny

Christopher Demario

James W Gunn

Karlheinz Groeninger

Gregory L Kowalski

Miguel A Triana

Kevin P Hill

A foamed, opacifying element useful as a light-blocking article is prepared with a dry opacifying layer on a substrate. The dry opacifying layer is densified, followed by application of a functional composition formulation to form a functional composition upon drying and curing at a coverage of 0.5-15 g/m. The functional composition comprises at least: (i) glass particles such as hollow glass particles at a coverage of 0.1-2.2 g/cm, and can also include any or combination of a (iv) water-soluble or water-dispersible organic polymeric binder that may be crosslinked, thickeners, coating aids having an HLB of at least 5, (ii) lubricants, (iii) tinting materials, and (v) crosslinking agents. Among other properties, the presence of the glass particles provides additional heat absorption for the foamed, opacifying elements that can be formed into light-blocking materials.

Method for making light-blocking articles

An additive manufacturing system includes a transfer belt traveling along a belt path including first and second moveable-position rollers and a plurality of fixed-position rollers. The belt path includes a fixed-velocity portion from the first moveable position roller to the second moveable position roller, and a variable-velocity portion from the second moveable position roller to the first moveable position roller. An electrophotography engine positioned along the fixed-velocity portion deposits a part material layer onto the transfer belt, and an image transfer assembly positioned along the variable-velocity portion transfers the part material layer onto a receiver medium. An image sensing system positioned along the belt path between the second moveable position roller and the image transfer assembly captures an image which is analyzed to determine an in-track registration error, and the positions of the first and second moveable position rollers are adjusted to compensate for the in-track registration error.

Electrophotography-based 3D printing with improved layer registration

A web transport system for transporting a web of media along a web-transport path including a fluid bar for guiding the web of media, and a scavenger blade positioned downstream of the fluid bar. A liquid is pumped through holes in an exterior bearing surface of the fluid bar, thereby pushing the web of media away from the fluid bar. The scavenger bar includes a blade edge facing the first surface of the web of media, the blade edge being spaced apart from the first surface of the web of media by a gap distance. The scavenger blade removes at least some liquid from the first surface of the web of media as it passes by the scavenger blade, thereby reducing the amount of liquid that is carried along to portions of the web-transport path that are downstream of the scavenger blade.

Web transport system including scavenger blade

A web transport system for transporting a web of media along a web-transport path includes a fluid bar for guiding the web of media, and first and second fluid shields positioned proximate to first and second ends of the fluid bar. A liquid is pumped through holes in an exterior bearing surface of the fluid bar into a region between the web of media and the bearing surface of the fluid bar, thereby pushing the web of media away from the fluid bar. The fluid shields are positioned to redirect fluid that is ejected from the region between the web of media and the bearing surface of the fluid bar along the edges of the web of media.

Web transport system including fluid shield

A roll-to-roll electroless plating system, including a plating tank containing plating solution, and a web advance system for advancing a web of media along a web-transport path that passes through the plating tank. One or more fluid guides are positioned within the plating tank to redirect plating fluid containing gas bubbles introduced by a gas bubble source away from the web of media as it is advanced through the plating solution in the plating tank.

Electroless plating system including bubble guide

A method for adjusting an extent of contact between a fountain roller mounted within a pivotable ink pan and an anilox roller in a flexographic printing system, the pivotable ink pan being adapted to pivot around a pivot axis disposed proximate to a first end of the pivotable ink pan. The pivotable ink pan is positioned to provide a predetermined gap between the anilox roller and the fountain roller by inserting a shim between the fountain roller and the anilox roller. The position of the pivotable ink pan is adjusted by adjusting a height of a distal portion of the pivotable ink pan by a predetermined amount that is known to close the predetermined gap to a desired extent. The position of the pivotable ink pan is then locked such that the distal portion of the pivotable ink pan is maintained at the adjusted height.

Roller contact adjustment for flexographic printing system

A flexographic printing system uses a flexographic printing plate to produce printed patterns on a substrate. An ink recirculation system is used to reduce variability in system performance resulting from ink viscosity changes. A recirculation pump moves ink through an ink recirculation line connected to an ink reservoir. A metering pump adds a controlled flow rate of solvent from a solvent replenishment chamber into the ink recirculation line, thereby providing replenished ink which is returned to the ink reservoir. A control system is used to control the flow rate of solvent provided by the metering pump responsive to feature characteristics determined by analyzing a captured image of the printed pattern.

Flexographic printing system providing controlled feature characteristics

A method for controlling feature characteristics in a flexographic printing system that forms a printed pattern on a substrate by applying ink from an ink reservoir using a flexographic printing plate mounted on a plate cylinder. An imaging system is used to capture an image of the pattern printed on the substrate, and the captured image is analyzed to determine a feature characteristic of one or more features of the printed pattern. A control system automatically controls an amount of solvent used to replenish the ink in the ink reservoir responsive to the determined feature characteristic.

Controlling line widths in flexographic printing

A flexographic printing system including an ink pan configured to pivot around a pivot element having a pivot axis. A first bracket affixed to the ink pan is configured to rest on the pivot element, and a second bracket is affixed to the ink pan in an adjustable position and is configured to constrain motion of the ink pan to a pivoting motion around the pivot axis. A fountain roller is mounted on the ink pan and is at least partially immersed in the ink in the ink pan for transferring the ink to an anilox roller having a patterned surface for transferring a controlled amount of ink from the ink pan to the flexographic printing plate. A height adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting a height of a distal portion of the ink pan to control the extent of contact between the fountain roller and the anilox roller.

Flexographic printing system with pivoting ink pan

A flexographic printing system comprising a print module including a plate cylinder on which is mounted a flexographic printing plate, an impression cylinder, an ink pan containing an ink, and an anilox roller for transferring the ink to the flexographic printing plate. A fountain roller mounted to the ink pan is at least partially immersed in the ink in the ink pan and transfers the ink to the anilox roller. A doctor blade mounted to the ink pan and is on a side of the anilox roller proximate to the impression cylinder removes excess amounts of the ink from the patterned surface of the first anilox roller before the ink is transferred to the flexographic printing plate.

Inking system for flexographic printing

A flexographic printing system uses a flexographic printing plate to produce printed patterns on a substrate. An ink recirculation system is used to reduce variability in system performance resulting from ink viscosity changes. A recirculation pump moves ink through an ink recirculation line connected to an ink reservoir. A metering pump adds a controlled flow rate of solvent from a solvent replenishment chamber into the ink recirculation line, thereby providing replenished ink. The replenished ink is returned to the ink reservoir through a distribution tube that includes a plurality of supply ports at a plurality of spaced apart locations across a width of the ink reservoir. A control system is used to control the flow rate of solvent provided by the metering pump.

Flexographic printing system with solvent replenishment

An inkjet printing method and system includes an arrangement that is adapted to repair a printed image using a combination of in-line imaging and feedback control of an inkjet printhead or printing with a redundant inkjet printhead. The inkjet printing method and system is further adapted to print at higher optical density than is normally possible by use of multi-pass capabilities.

Inkjet printing method and apparatus with feedback control

An acoustic air impingement drying system is provided for drying a material. An inlet chamber receives air from an airflow source provides air at a supply flow rate. A plurality of acoustic resonant chambers are provided, each having an inlet slot that receives air from the inlet chamber and an outlet slot that directs air onto the material, wherein the acoustic resonant chambers impart acoustic energy to the transiting air, the outlet slots being oriented at an oblique angle relative to the width dimension of the pneumatic transducer unit. A plurality of exhaust air channels interspersed between the outlet slots remove the air directed onto the material by the acoustic resonant chambers. A blower pulls air through the exhaust air channels at an exhaust flow rate.

Acoustic drying system with interspersed exhaust channels

An inkjet printing system, comprising: one or more inkjet printheads for printing drops of ink onto a receiver medium, and an acoustic air impingement drying system positioned in proximity to at least one of the inkjet printheads. The acoustic air impingement drying system includes: an airflow source providing a supply flow rate; an acoustic resonant chamber having an inlet slot that receives air from the airflow source and an outlet slot that directs air onto the receiver medium; an exhaust air channel for removing the air directed onto the receiver medium by the acoustic resonant chamber; a blower for pulling air through the exhaust air channel at an exhaust flow rate; and a blower controller that controls the supply flow rate and the exhaust flow rate, wherein the exhaust flow rate is controlled to match the supply flow rate to within 1%, or to exceed the supply flow rate.

Acoustic drying system with matched exhaust flow

Growing community of inventors

Spencerport, NY, United States of America

James Douglas Shifley