Xerox Corporation

James J Spence

Mark A Atwood

Michael John Martin

Michael F Leo

Mark Steven Amico

Todd Kenneth Preston

Richard A Kalb

Paul J McConville

Barry Paul Mandel

Steven Matthew Russel

Jack Gaynor Elliot

Wayne A Buchar

Henry Thomas Bober

Jonathan Byron Hunter

Norman David Robinson, Jr

Douglas K Herrmann

David Allen Mantell

Paul Michael Fromm

Roger Gaylord Leighton

Carlos Manuel Terrero

James Patrick Calamita

James Lawton Giacobbi

Marc Dennis Daniels

Matthew Ryan McLaughlin

Brian J Dunham

Robert A Pictor

Jason Mathew LeFevre

Erwin Ruiz

Howard A Mizes

Michael Jon Levy

James Edward Williams

Joseph C Sheflin

Ron Edward Dufort

Donald M Bott

Paul S Bonino

James Michael Chappell

Paul N Richards

Stephen F Skrainar

Michael B Monahan

Jeffrey Nyyssonen Swing

David Michael Thompson

Joseph M Wing

Wayne D Drinkwater

Jeffrey William Drawe

Alvin D Kromm, Jr

David R Kretschmann

Douglas F Sundquist

Joseph Fredrick Casey

Robert Edward Hildebrand

Richard A Lux

James Edward Baxter, Iii

Barbara J Schaeffer

Keith M Wasula

Scott Douglas Berner, Legal Representative

Henry T Bober, Jr

Jack G Elliot

An additive manufacturing system for fabricating multi-sided printed composite sheet structures includes a roll fed duplex architecture that prints polymer images on both sides of a substrate sheet to form two-sided 3D composite layers. A substrate web is fed into the machine, and a top side is printed with a wetting agent, powdered, and the excess powder is removed. The image may be pinned to the substrate in a fusing step so that the web can be inverted to print a second image on the other side. The inversion architecture could include inverting rollers, tubes or a Mobius strip that may flip the substrate for backside printing using a single imaging station. The resulting two-side powdered and pinned substrate would then be cut, stacked, heated and compressed to create a 3-D object with more polymer in the stack, resulting in better adhesive binding characteristics at a much higher production speed.

Apparatus and method for fabricating multi-sided printed composite sheet structures

Disclosed is a media transport system utilizing a honeycomb core platen for transporting and maintaining the flatness of a sheet of media in an associated printing system. According to one exemplary embodiment, the honeycomb platen includes a plurality of laminated layers that include features configured to communicate vacuum throughout the entire thickness of the platen.

Honeycomb core platen for media transport

Disclosed is a media transport system utilizing a chambered honeycomb core platen for transporting and maintaining the flatness of a sheet of media in an associated printing system. According to one exemplary embodiment, the chambered honeycomb platen includes a plurality of rows of cross-drilled hollow columnar cells configured to independently communicate vacuum through the platen.

Chambered vacuum transport platen enabled by honeycomb core

A printer is configured with at least two printheads that are separated from one another in a cross-process direction by an integral multiple of printhead widths. This configuration enables parallel swaths of material to be ejected and then movement of the printheads in the cross-process direction by a distance corresponding to one or more integral numbers of the printhead width enables the area between the swaths to be completed and the area outside of the original swaths printed.

Printer having a separated printhead array

A printhead maintenance module is configured as a replaceable unit. The module includes a frame, at least two rollers detachably mounted within the frame, at least two electric motors, a platen, an optical sensor, and a controller. Each electric motor is operatively connected to one of the rollers in a one-to-one correspondence. The controller is configured to operate one of the electric motors to rotate one of the rollers to move media from a position opposite a printhead where a test pattern is printed on the media to a position opposite the optical sensor, receive image data of the printed test pattern generated by the optical sensor, and identify inoperative ejectors with reference to the image data of the test pattern.

Modular system for detecting inoperative ejectors in three-dimensional object printers

An apparatus and process overcoats a rendered image on a substrate with a liquid material. The apparatus includes a scanning device and a marking module aligned with the scanning device. The scanning device is used to scan the substrate including the rendered image to acquire scan data. A movable transport member moves the scanned substrate including the rendered image to a location underneath the marking subsystem. A controller uses registration and image data, generated from the scan data, to overcoat the rendered image on the substrate.

Apparatus and method for overcoating a rendered print

A printing system facilitates the printing of articles of manufacture. The system includes an array of printheads, a support member positioned to be parallel to a plane formed by the array of printheads, a member movably mounted to the support member, an actuator operatively connected to the movably mounted member, an object holder configured to mount to the movably mounted member, and a controller operatively connected to the plurality of printheads and the actuator. The controller is configured to operate the actuator to move the object holder past the array of printheads and to operate the plurality of printheads to eject marking material onto objects held by the object holder as the object holder passes the array of printheads. The support member and printhead array are oriented vertically to enable the printing system to be installed in a vertical cabinet that provides a small footprint in a non-production environment.

System for printing on three-dimensional (3D) objects

Printer having separated printhead array and method for operating a printer having a separated printhead array

A cleaning cart for a three-dimensional object printing system wipes an ejector head to remove debris from the ejector head. The cleaning cart includes a platform having a plurality of bearings configured to move the platform on rails of the printing system. A cleaning mechanism is movably mounted to the platform, and an actuator is mounted to the platform. The actuator is configured to move the cleaning mechanism relative to the platform to enable the cleaning mechanism to clean an ejector head that is positioned opposite the rails of the printing system.

Ejector head cleaning cart for three-dimensional object printing systems

An apparatus including a control cylinder rotatably supported for thermal conduction to a sheet. The sheet conveys ink deposited on a first side. The sheet is held against a peripheral arch of the control cylinder as it rotates with the first side of the sheet directly engaging and wrapping around the control cylinder along the peripheral arch. The apparatus also includes a thermal control element for heating and/or cooling the control cylinder. The apparatus also includes a pressure roll for spreading the ink. The pressure roll with the control cylinder forms a spreader nip, which is selectively changeable between a closed and open position. In the closed position the pressure roll is biased toward the control cylinder for applying pressure to the ink on the sheet. The pressure roll is spaced further away from the control cylinder in the open position relative to the closed position.

Post-application ink processing and sheet handling

A print head includes a backup plate and a nozzle plate. The backup plate has a non-planar lower surface. The nozzle plate also has a non-planar lower surface. The nozzle plate is coupled to the lower surface of the backup plate.

Print head with curved nozzle plate

An apparatus, method and non-transitory computer readable medium for printing on a profile of a printing medium having an irregular surface are disclosed. For example, the apparatus includes a print bar having one or more print heads, a shuttle, a loading carriage for holding the printing medium, wherein the loading carriage is coupled to the shuttle, a profile template coupled to the loading carriage via a cam follower and a controller coupled to the print bar and the shuttle, wherein the controller controls movement of the shuttle to cause the cam follower to move the loading carriage along a path that follows the profile of the printing medium and maintain a minimum print head gap during printing between the one or more print heads and the profile of the printing medium.

Profile printing with cam followers and template guides

A modular printhead assembly facilitates the manufacture of printers with print zones of differing widths. The printhead assembly includes a pair of end pieces and a plurality of rods that extend between the end pieces in parallel. The rods pass through holes in lugs extending from carriers configured for the mounting of printheads. Plates are interposed between the printheads and the carriers to enable actuators to move the plates and printheads within the perimeters of the carriers to adjust the stitch and roll alignments of the printheads.

Modular print bar assembly for an inkjet printer

Growing community of inventors

Honeoye Falls, NY, United States of America

James J Spence