Xerox Corporation

Jeffrey John Bradway

Paul Michael Fromm

Erwin Ruiz

Linn C Hoover

Jorge Mario Rodriguez

Frank Berkelys Tamarez Gomez

Matthew D Savoy

Steven Matthew Russel

David A VanKouwenberg

Timothy James Clark

Paul J McConville

Francisco Zirilli

Michael B Monahan

Jeffrey Nyyssonen Swing

Rachel Lynn Tanchak

Chu-Heng Liu

Douglas K Herrmann

Jason Mathew LeFevre

Seemit Praharaj

Eliud Robles Flores

Martin Edward Hoover

Michael Nicholas Soures

Christopher Douglas Atwood

Paul F Sawicki

Joseph M Ferrara, Jr

Mark A Adiletta

Jonathan Byron Hunter

Elizabeth Crossen

Bruce H Smith

Robert Bruce Anderson, Jr

Jonathan Ross Ireland

Donald E Thresh

James D Van Bortel

Alicia Schwenk Mruthyunjaya

Jorge M Rodriquez

A color changing expiration indicator includes a reactive layer and a first barrier layer that covers at least a portion of the reactive layer. The color changing expiration indicator also includes a transmission layer that covers at least a portion of the first barrier layer, and a second barrier layer that covers at least a portion of the transmission layer. The color changing expiration indicator further includes a reactant layer that covers at least a portion of the second barrier layer. The reactant layer changes color responsive to a reaction that occurs between the reactant layer and the reactive layer.

Color changing expiration indicator

A method includes printing, by one or more printer heads of the printing system, a reactive layer onto print media. The method also includes printing, by the one or more printer heads, a determined number of transmission layers and a determined number of barrier layers in alternation with one another. At least a portion of the reactive layer is configured to migrate through the transmission layers. The method further includes printing, by the one or more printer heads, a reactant layer that is configured to change color responsive to a reaction that occurs between the reactant layer and the reactive layer upon migration of the reactive layer through the determined number of transmission layers. The reaction is configured to occur on a received expiration date.

A printing system comprises printheads to eject ink to a deposition region. Print media are held by vacuum suction against a movable support surface, which moves over a vacuum platen. The vacuum platen comprises platen holes through which the vacuum suction is communicated. An airflow control system comprises airflow zones, each comprising a group of the platen holes, a duct, and a valve, the duct and the valve being arranged to selectively control vacuum suction through the group of the platen holes. For each of the printheads, at least one of the airflow zones is located under the respective printhead. Thus, airflow through platen holes under the printheads can be selectively controlled by selectively controlling the vacuum suction in the airflow zones.

Devices, systems, and methods for controlling airflow through vacuum platen of printing systems via airflow zones

A universal object holding mechanism for holding three-dimensional objects for printing thereon uses multiple conformable balls mounted within a pattern of holes in a two part back plate. The multiple conformable balls are pressed into an object, which in turn, is pressed against a datum surface that represents desired spacing away from print heads. Vacuum is applied to the multiple conformable balls which grip the object. The multiple conformable balls are filled with particulates that cause the multiple conformable balls to become rigid when the vacuum is applied. This contributes to keeping the object from moving when it is being moved past a print head.

Apparatus for general object holding during printing using multiple conformable gripper balls

A generic holder includes a generic holder plate and a 3-D insert plate. The 3-D insert plate contains locating features mirrored to the backside of the part to be printed and vacuum grippers to secure the part in the insert plate. The insert plate is secured in the generic holder plate that includes vacuum couplings. The part is located on the insert plate and vacuum is applied to the generic holder plate and insert plate to hold the part for printing.

Universal part gripper using 3-D printed mounting plate

A printer system includes a memory, a processor, and one or more printer heads. The processor determines a number of transmission layers and a number of barrier layers to use in a color changing expiration indicator based at least in part on a time period between a print date of the indicator and a received expiration date. The printer heads print a reactive layer onto print media, where at least a portion of the reactive layer is configured to migrate through the transmission layers. The printer heads also print the determined number of transmission layers and the determined number of barrier layers in alternation. The printer heads print a reactant layer that is configured to change color responsive to a reaction between the reactant layer and the reactive layer upon migration of the reactive layer through the transmission layers. The reaction is configured to occur on the received expiration date.

A cleaning pad can be attached onto an inner surface of a transport belt so the cleaning pad can move with the transport belt along hardware of a marking system, including support rollers and a marking platen to remove ink from the marking platen and support rollers of the rendering device as the transport belt cycles through its typical path within the rendering system.

Marking transport cleaning pad

A movable cleaning web can be positioned and allowed to move from a supply spool, between a platen (e.g., vacuum, marking) and the inside of a belt (e.g., marking, transport), into a take-up spool. The cleaning web can move opposite the process direction of the belt. The web can reduce contamination on the platen, inside of belt and along belt rollers.

Cleaning web disposed and operable between marker transport belt and marker platen

A universal object holding mechanism for holding three-dimensional objects for printing thereon uses multiple conformable balls mounted within a pattern of holes in a two part back plate. The multiple conformable balls are pressed into an object which in turn is pressed against a datum surface that represents desired spacing away from print heads. Vacuum is applied to the multiple conformable balls which grip the object. The multiple conformable balls are filled with particulates that cause the multiple conformable balls to become rigid when the vacuum is applied. This contributes to keeping the object from moving when it is being moved past a print head.

A universal staging platen for many types of objects in Direct to Object printing has a datum surface which is configured to represent the plane of optimal print head distance. The universal staging platen has an array of small pins protruding from it that conform under spring load to an object placed on the datum surface. Once in a conformed state, an operator can lock the pin position so that the object is precisely positioned for acquisition by a gripper mechanism. An added benefit of locking the pin position is that subsequent copies of the object may be loaded without any additional alignment or setup. The distance the contour pins protrude through the datum surface may be adjusted so that the pin ends are sufficiently far away from the gripper mechanism being used.

Apparatus for repeatable staging and holding objects in a 3-D printer using an array of pins

A universal object holder device for securing 3-D objects for printing on the objects includes one or more ball shaped conformable grippers filled with irregular-shaped granular material with the one or more ball shaped conformable grippers each possessing an integrated vacuum gripper extending through an outer surface thereof. The combination of ball and vacuum gripper enables the universal object holder device to pick up a wider range of objects including those whose diameter is larger than the diameter of each gripper ball.

Universal part gripper with conformable gripper ball with vacuum assist

An apparatus for holding three-dimensional parts for printing includes a frame with sides and a solid bottom and a part gripping membrane mounted across the face of the frame. A biasing membrane is mounted at the midpoint of the frame height to form an air chamber between the frame bottom and the biasing membrane and a vacuum chamber between the biasing membrane and the part gripping membrane positioned on the face of the frame. To grip a part, the gripping membrane is stretched over the part, positive pressure is applied to the air chamber to compress the granular material within the air chamber and further stretch the gripping membrane over the part, and then vacuum is applied to the vacuum chamber between the two membranes to maintain the granular material compression and grip on the part when air pressure is relieved from the air chamber.

Universal part holder with conformable membranes

A universal object holding mechanism for holding three-dimensional objects for printing thereon uses an array of suction cups reciprocally connected to a vacuum box to acquire objects from a staging platen while in a horizontal position and then pivot into a vertical position for movement of the objects past print heads. A plenum connected to the vacuum box is valve controlled to allow a low flow rate to the vacuum box to acquire objects and then a high flow rate pulse to close off all un-sealed suction cups with ball valves.

Spring loaded suction cup array gripper

Printing devices include a media supply storing print media, a luminescent belt positioned adjacent the media supply in a location to move sheets of the print media from the media supply, a print engine positioned adjacent the luminescent belt in a location to receive the sheets from the luminescent belt, an optical sensor positioned adjacent the belt in a location to receive belt-emitted light from the luminescent belt, and a processor electrically connected to the optical sensor. The processor receives the image from the optical sensor and identifies locations of the sheets on the belt based on where the sheets block the belt-emitted light from the luminescent belt.

Leading/trailing edge detection system having phosphorescent belt

A DMD chip includes a micromirror array mounted on a very thin silicon wafer attached to a cooling system integrated within the DMD chip. The cooling system includes a fluid cooled heat sink with a cooling channel. Fluid coolant may be pumped through the channel and out of the DMD to remove heat from the silicon substrate and the micromirror array. The micromirror array may be hermetically sealed within the housing, with the heat sink located between the micromirror array and a back wall of the housing, with both the heat sink and the array within the interior of the housing.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Jeffrey John Bradway