Xerox Corporation

Roberto A Irizarry

Carlos Manuel Terrero

Erwin Ruiz

Rachel Lynn Tanchak

Timothy Gordon Shelhart

Aaron Michael Moore

Jacob R McCarthy

Glenn David Batchelor

Ali Rafic Dergham

Joseph M Ferrara, Jr

Michael J Linder

Jeffrey Nyyssonen Swing

Donald Richard Fess

Lynn C Saxton

Brian Andrew Hanna

Eliud Robles Flores

Michael John Martin

Ron Edward Dufort

David Clark Craig

Dara Nanette Lubin

Elizabeth Crossen

William G Osbourne

Brian J Dunham

Dragana Pavlovic

Timothy D Slattery

Daniel M McHugh

Randy R Sprague

James A Spence

Jacob Mccarthy

An ultra-high resolution capacitive sensor affixed above an imaging member surface measures the thickness of fountain solution on the imaging member surface in real-time during a printing operation. The sensor is considered ultra-high resolution with a resolution high enough to detect nanometer scale thicknesses. The capacitive sensor would initially be zeroed to the imaging member surface. As fluid is added, the capacitive sensor detects the increase and can measure and communicate with the image forming device to adjust fountain solution flow rate to the imaging member surface and correct for any anomalies in thickness. This fountain solution monitoring system may be fully automated. The capacitive sensor may have a resolution (e.g., as low as about 1 nm resolution) of about 0.001% of the distance/gap that the capacitive sensor is mounted away from the imaging member surface.

Method and device for controlling fountain solution thickness on an imaging surface using a capacitive proximity sensor

Printing apparatuses include (among other components) a photoreceptor (that is adapted to contact and transfer marking material to a printing side of sheets of media), a transport belt adjacent the photoreceptor, a baffle, and an air outlet. The sheets of media are moved by the photoreceptor across a gap to the transport belt in a 'processing direction.' The baffle is adjacent the back side of the sheets of media (the side that is opposite to the printing side of the sheets of media). The air outlet is also positioned adjacent the back side of the sheets of media, and the air outlet is adapted to direct a stream of air along the baffle and between the baffle and the back side of the sheets of media to lift the sheets of media off the photoreceptor without damaging the sheets of media or disturbing the unfused marking material thereon.

Air-based photoreceptor sheet stripper

Devices include electrically conductive elements contacting a vacuum belt, and a voltage source connected to the electrically conductive elements. The electrically conductive elements form an electrical circuit from the voltage source, through the belt, and back to the voltage source. The electrically conductive elements are positioned so that they are separated from the belt when the belt moves the sheets of media between the electrically conductive elements and the belt. A processor is capable of identifying leading edges of the sheets of media on the belt (when voltage of the electrical circuit changes from a relatively higher voltage to a relatively lower voltage) and identifying trailing edges of the sheets of media on the belt (when the voltage of the electrical circuit changes from the relatively lower voltage back to the relatively higher voltage).

Sheet detection circuit using electrical elements contacting conductive vacuum belt

A printer for producing a print media moving in a process direction including a print engine, a fuser, a full width array and a duplexing path. The print engine is operatively arranged to receive the print media and to apply a first dry marking material to a first surface of the print media. The fuser is arranged subsequently to the print engine in the process direction and is operatively arranged to receive the print media with the first dry marking material applied to the first surface of the print media and to fix the first dry marking material on the first surface using at least one of heat and pressure. The full width array is arranged subsequently to the fuser and is operatively arranged to obtain a first image of the first surface of the print media, the first image being used to quantify a flatness of the print media and/or image quality of the first image. The duplexing path is arranged subsequently to the full width array.

System, apparatus, and method for printing large format media and targeted decurling of various printing processes

An apparatus is disclosed. For example, the apparatus includes a paper feed to feed print media a single sheet at a time, a plurality of rotating discs, wherein each one of the plurality of rotating discs comprises an elastomer ring to secure a leading edge of the single sheet against a registration wall and initiate a flipping process, a curved baffle positioned above the plurality of rotating discs and the single sheet, an air duct located above the plurality of rotating discs and the single sheet to force an air flow towards the curved baffle, wherein the air flow follows a shape of the curved baffle to create a low pressure zone above the single sheet to keep a trailing edge of the single sheet levitated during completion of the flipping process, and a movable platform to hold a stack of the print media.

Stacking module with air streams

A system for controlling curl in sheets passing beneath a camera includes applying a thin layer of high velocity air to a curved baffle positioned beneath the camera. The high velocity air layer, which will have a tendency to follow the curved baffle (Coanda effect), will divert sheets (Bernoulli effect) towards the curved baffle. By positioning the curved baffle along the media paper path and by applying a uniform air stream to it, a lower pressure area will be created. This will flatten the trajectory of the sheets and thereby remove curl before the sheets pass the camera.

Apparatus for controlling sheet flatness under an imaging system robust to media curl

An apparatus for controlling cross curl in corners of sheets between in-line transports includes a curved baffle placed between the two transports. A thin layer of high velocity air is applied to the curved baffle only at lead edge corner regions of the sheets. The high velocity air layer, which will have a tendency to follow the curved baffle (Coanda effect), will divert corners of the sheets (Bernoulli effect) towards the curved baffle. By positioning a curved baffle between the two transports and by applying a uniform air stream to it, a lower pressure area will be created. This will flatten the corners of the sheets and ensure passage between downstream baffles and acquisition by a downstream transport.

System for preventing paper jams between subsystem transitions

An apparatus for controlling curl in sheets between two transports includes a curved baffle placed between the two transports. A thin layer of high velocity air is applied to the curved baffle. The high velocity air layer, which will have a tendency to follow the curved baffle (Coanda effect), will divert sheets (Bernoulli effect) towards the curved baffle. By positioning the curved baffle between the two transports and by applying a uniform air stream to it, a lower pressure area will be created. This will flatten the trajectory of the sheets and ensure acquisition by the downstream transport.

Media handling between modules robust to paper curl

A system of configuring a decurler subsystem of a print device includes an electronic device, and a computer-readable storage medium having one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the electronic device to receive from a print device via a communication network, one or more job parameters associated with a print job that is to be processed by a print device, access a historical print job data store comprising one or more historical job parameters associated with one or more historical print jobs processed by the print device or one or more other print devices that are in communication with the electronic device, compare at least a portion of the received job parameters to at least a portion of the historical job parameters to identify one or more recommended job parameters for the print job, and determine an updated decurler transfer function based on the recommended job parameters.

Methods and systems for dynamically configuring a decurler subsystem of a print device

A registration system for a printing device and a method for controlling the same are disclosed. For example, the registration system includes at least one sensor, omni wheels, a motor coupled to each omni wheel, a translating carriage, and a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the motors, and the translating carriage, wherein the processor calculates a desired movement to move the omni wheels and the translating carriage based on the position of the print media.

Registration system with translating carriage and omni wheels

A sheet profile input area is displayed on a user interface. The user interface can be in communication with a processor and a decurler device. The decurler device receives sheets output by any form of sheet output device that may add curl to the sheets. User input that corresponds to the curl of the sheets is received into the sheet profile input area. The decurler device is controlled to remove the curl of the sheets based on the user input by causing the decurler device to contact the sheets after the sheets are output from the sheet output device.

Sheet profile input feature for decurler

Devices and processes include/use an inkjet printhead, a sheet transport positioned to move sheets of media past the inkjet printhead, a sheet registration device positioned to align the sheets of media, and a controller electrically connected to the inkjet printhead and the sheet registration device. The controller is adapted to periodically control the sheet registration device to align a first sacrificial sheet with a first edge of the sheet transport and align a second sacrificial sheet with a second edge of the sheet transport and that is opposite the first edge. The controller is adapted to control the inkjet printhead to eject ink from a first set of nozzles to the first sacrificial sheet and eject ink from a second set of nozzles to the second sacrificial sheet. The first set of nozzles contains different nozzles from the second set of nozzles.

Multiple sacrificial sheets steering device for full width inkjet printhead jetting

A direct-to-object printer includes an object indexing subsystem. The object indexing subsystem includes an indexer actuator that operates a rotating indexer to rotate a collar in which an object is mounted. The amount of collar rotation enables the object held by the collar to be turned a predetermined angular amount so operation of the indexing subsystem between passes by a plurality of printheads enables different portions of a curved object surface to be printed during different passes.

System and method for indexing a three-dimensional (3D) object during printing of the object

A gravity-assisted registration system suited to use in a printing device includes a transport member with a surface on which an associated sheet is translated in a process direction. The surface defines an angle with respect to horizontal in a cross-process direction. A registration wall, adjacent a lower end of the surface, defines a registration edge for registering the sheet. A drive mechanism drives at least one rotation mechanism, for translating sheet in the process direction, each rotation mechanism including at least one drive member with an axis of rotation parallel to the surface in the cross-process direction, Each drive member includes a sliding mechanism, at a periphery of the drive member, enabling the sheet to slide, under gravity, on the surface, toward the registration wall into an alignment position, in contact with the registration wall.

Gravity-assisted wall registration system

A direct-to-object printer includes an image projector that projects an image on an object secured in a holder before the holder and the object pass a plurality of printheads for printing an ink image on the object. A camera generates a sequence of images of the projected image on the object to enable an operator to select a position on the object for the printing of the image and to identify distortion in the image through a user interface so a controller can modify operation of the printheads to attenuate the distortion in the image printed on the object.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Roberto A Irizarry