Scitex Digital Printing, Inc.

Eastman-Kodak Company

Russell L Bartley

Michael Joseph Piatt

Randy Dae Vandagriff

John C Loyd

Randal L Mullins

Ronald J Duke

Robert J Simon

James D McCann

John Lawrence Herman

Dan C Lyman

Rodney G Mader

Brian W Gamble

David T Heider

Rodney J Stadum

Bradley A Frazier

Paul Rudolph

James E Knight

Ronald J Enderle

A printing system for printing on a print media includes a first printhead and a second printhead for printing on the print media. A first liquid supply module including a first liquid reservoir is in fluid communication with the first printhead and provides liquid from the first liquid reservoir to the first printhead. A second liquid supply module including a second liquid reservoir is in fluid communication with the second printhead and provides liquid from the second liquid reservoir to the second printhead. A liquid transfer module transfers liquid between the first liquid reservoir and the second liquid reservoir. A method of transferring liquid in the printing system is also provided.

Printing liquid transfer and supply system

A method of controlling a digital printing system that uses multiple metadata packets is provided. A controller including a metadata channel is provided. Information in a first metadata packet that is associated with an initial point of interest of a media is provided by a primary metadata packet creation unit. The first metadata packet is inserted into the metadata channel of the controller. A second metadata packet including new information associated with a new point of interest of the media is created using a secondary metadata creation unit. The second metadata packet with the new formation is inserted into the metadata channel of the controller based on the location of the new point of interest of the media.

Printing system control using multiple metadata packets

A multi-pass imaging system and method provides for duplex documents and multiple color images with variable information to be printed by re-entering a substrate into a same tower system, employing a split roller design, for generating subsequent portions of a printed image. When a webbed substrate is fed into a tower, a first one in each of multiple pairs of rollers moves the substrate past a first set of printheads for generating a first portion of the printed image. The substrate is then re-entered into the tower, and a second one in each of the multiple pairs of rollers moves the substrate past a subsequent set of printheads for generating a subsequent portion of the printed image. Each of the multiple pairs of rollers comprise independently operating dual rollers on a single shaft.

System and method for providing multi-pass imaging in a printing system

A vacuum system solves the heretofore unknown problem of mist generation from an ink reservoir under vacuum. The vacuum system includes an ink reservoir and a vacuum pump for supplying vacuum to the ink reservoir. A mist filter is housed in a housing associated with the vacuum system for capturing ink mist from the ink reservoir.

Ink mist filter

A system and method for emptying a refill container used in a continuous ink jet fluid system reduces the amount of ink left in the refill container and eliminates adverse effects in the event that air enters the fluid system through the refill apparatus. The system for emptying the container includes a system vacuum and a refill container. A bi-directional path is provided between the system vacuum and the refill container. The air is then removed from the refill container while maintaining the system vacuum within a predetermined range.

Refill apparatus and method

A fluid system is usable with a four inch print head of a continuous ink jet printer. The fluid system controls all critical ink jet functions. The fluid functions electronically feedback-controlled by the fluid system include pressure control at the print head. The fluid system also controls ink temperature during startup and ink concentration. Finally, the fluid system controls vacuum level.

Four inch fluid system

An ink concentration sensor maintains ink concentration in an ink jet printing system. The ink concentration sensor includes a transparent fluid chamber and an infrared light source for directing a beam of IR light at the fluid chamber. A first sensor is located for receiving IR light reflected from the surface of the chamber and providing a reference signal and a second sensor is located for receiving IR light transmitted through the chamber to produce a concentration signal. A circuit receives the reference signal and generates a corrected concentration signal.

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Urbana, OH, United States of America

Russell L Bartley