Eastman-Kodak Company

Kurt Stehle

Michael N Freund

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cleaning from the outer surface of an endless transport belt the ink, not ejected for printing purposes, of an inkjet printer, said method and apparatus serving for completely removing and collecting the ink adhering to the transport belt, while retaining a high transport belt speed. The method is characterized by the application of a converging compressed-air stream onto the outer surface of the ink-wetted transport belt by means of an air conduit, comprising a suction nozzle, of a pressure nozzle, and by extraction of the resulting ink-air mixture by means of the suction nozzle, the two steps being performed simultaneously. The apparatus which is arranged downstream of an inkjet printing device in the transport path of the transport belt is characterized by a pressure nozzle for applying compressed air onto the outer surface of the ink-wetted transport belt, said pressure nozzle being formed by a suction nozzle arranged centrally in the pressure nozzle to extract the ink-air mixture produced by the compressed air.

Method and apparatus for cleaning from the outer surface of an endless transport belt the ink, not ejected for printing purposes, of an inkjet printer

The invention relates to an endless transport belt for receiving ink, not ejected for printing purposes, of an inkjet printer; said transport belt receiving the ink sprayed thereon during printing of printing material in such a manner that smearing on the back side of the paper is prevented. For this purpose, the transport belt comprises a carrier layer and a support layer for supporting and printing printing materials of differing widths and lengths by means of an inkjet print head, the support layer according to the present invention having a knobbed grid structure with a hydrophobic and ink-rejecting coating.

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Neuffen, Germany

Kurt Stehle