Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Ricardo Sanchis Estruch

Xavier Alonso Becerro

Gianni Cessel

Eduardo Martin Orue

Marcel Llorach To

David Chanclón Fernández

Joan Sanjuán Mercadal

Ignacio De Olazábal Zugasti

Pau Martin Vidal

Alberto Arredondo

Emilio López Matos

Daniel Gonzalez Perello

Joaquim Brugue Garvi

Pol Morral

Alberto Borrego Lebrato

David Chanclon Fernandez

Javier Deocon Mir

Isidoro Maya Agudo

Alejandro Puente

Javier Onecha Celestino

Fernando Rey Arrieta

Dani Gonzalez Perello

Emilio Löpez Matos

Ignacio De Olazabal Zugasti

Joan Sanjuan Mercadal

Jose Ma Montserrat Caldero

Emilo Lopez Matos

Marcel Llorach

Joan Singla Mila

David Chancion Fernandez

A printing system comprises an air-transmissive platen, a vacuum source, a cap and a controller. The vacuum source is configured to draw air through the platen to bias print media towards the platen. The cap is provided on a surface of the platen, between the vacuum source and the platen. The cap is configured to limit air flow through the platen, and comprises a plurality of closable openings provided in a plurality of zones along a length of the cap in a print media advance direction. The controller is configured to selectively open or close the openings of each of the plurality of zones to permit airflow through a portion of the platen overlain by print media and limit airflow through a portion of the platen not overlain by print media.

Platen vacuum control

Examples relate to printing systems comprising a safety assembly associated with a printhead. The safety assembly comprises a rolling element upstream of the printhead in the print medium advance direction to prevent a print medium from contacting the printhead.

Printing system having a safety assembly with a rolling element

Print apparatus comprises: a platen to support a print substrate; a print head to apply print agent to a print substrate supported by the platen, the print head being movable relative to the platen to vary a distance therebetween; and a suction device having an inlet, the suction device to draw air from between the print head and the platen and into the inlet. The inlet of the suction device is movable with the print head to vary a clearance between the inlet and the platen.

Print apparatus and methods

A media transfer system comprising a media drive component and a vent. The media drive component supports and transfers a media in a drive direction. The vent directs air flow towards the leading edge of the media in the drive direction to exert a separating force on the leading edge of the media, the separating force acting on the media away from the media drive component.

Media transfer

A print media support assembly includes a print platen structure having a number of through holes for applying a vacuum from a bottom side to a surface of the print platen structure, and a number of sinkholes in the surface of the print platen structure, each sinkhole associated with at least one through hole for distributing a vacuum, applied via the through holes, across the surface of the print platen structure; the print platen structure supporting a print medium in a print zone; and at least one vacuum belt running across the surface of the print platen structure in a direction of print media advance, the belt overlapping with only part of the surface of the print platen structure to form at least one belt area and at least one non-belt area on the print platen structure; wherein at least one of the density and the size of the through holes and the distribution, the area and the shape of a footprint of the sinkholes is different between the belt area and the non-belt area.

Print media support assembly and print platen assembly

An example printing apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure may comprise a platen () on which print media may advance and which may comprise a hole () that is open towards a print media advance surface and in fluid communication with a vacuum source () and with a pressure sensor (). In implementations of the apparatus a control unit () may detect the presence of print media at the hole () if the pressure sensor () measures an air pressure below a predetermined threshold.

Media detection

Described is a print zone assembly comprising a print platen device including at least a section of a print platen, hiving a first dimension and a second dimension, the second dimension being perpendicular to the first dimension, wherein the print platen device has a higher rigidity in the direction of the second dimension and a lower rigidity in the direction of the first dimension; and a platen support structure supporting the print platen device at a number of references, establishing a multi-point contact, wherein the print platen device conforms to the references for providing a flat platen surface.

Print zone assembly, print platen device, and large format printer

An assembly of a large format media handling system comprises a planar cross structure, and a support structure, the support structure including two side supports, wherein the two side supports extend perpendicularly to the cross structure and are connected to the cross structure at respective side edges of the side supports. A tensioning component is associated with each of the side supports, wherein the tensioning component transmits a tensioning force between the cross structure and the side edges of the side supports in a direction parallel to the side supports.

Media handling system assembly

An assembly of a large format media handling system, including a planar longitudinal cross structure; and a support structure, the support structure including two side supports comprising a number of fixed references and at least one adjustable reference, wherein the side supports are supported by the longitudinal cross structure at said references; wherein the at least one adjustable reference is formed by a wedge element slidably attached to the support structure; and the side supports are fixed to the planar longitudinal cross structure wherein the cross structure is in contact with all of the references.

In some examples, a media stacker includes a drawer defining a chamber, and a plurality of moving elements to engage media sheets of different sizes as the media sheets are output from a system. The plurality of moving elements are to slide the media sheets to a target position in the drawer, and the plurality of moving elements are to disengage from the media sheets once the media sheets have reached the target position. A plurality of retaining elements are to engage the media sheets of the different sizes as the media sheets slide into the drawer.

Media stacker to receive media sheets

A sensor can sense a weight of items in an area. A sensor can sense a height of items in the area. An available capacity of the area can be determined based on the sensed weight and height.

Determining an available capacity

A drawer defines a chamber to receive a media sheet from a system. A moving element is to engage the media sheet as the media sheet is output from the system. The moving element is to slide the media sheet to a target position in the drawer, and the moving element is to disengage from the media sheet once the particular media sheet has reached the target position. A retaining element is to engage the media sheet as the media sheet slides into the drawer.

Media stacker to receive media sheets from a system

A sheet scanner comprises a sheet inlet on a front side, a scanned sheet outlet on a rear side, and a deflector to direct scanned sheets from the outlet towards the front side of the scanner, over the top cover thereof, and further comprises a stopper on the top cover, at the front side of the scanner and above the sheet inlet, to temporarily restrain the leading edge of a scanned sheet such that the sheet advances and folds over itself and beyond the stopper, the leading edge being released from the stopper when the sheet folded over itself and beyond the stopper pulls it downwards.

Sheet scanners

According to one example, there is provided a controller readable medium on which are stored controller readable instructions. The instructions are such that, when executed by a controller, perform the steps of commencing the printing of a print job on a media sheet, determining when about half of the media sheet ejected out of a printer media output is at the level of a stacker unit, activating a first array of fans to retain a portion of the ejected media sheet, completing the print job, and activating a second array of fans to blow the trailing edge of the ejected media sheet over the stacker unit.

Growing community of inventors

Barcelona, Spain

Ricardo Sanchis Estruch