Eastman-kodak Company

W Charles Kasiske, Jr

John Leonard Hryhorenko

Michael Joseph Piatt

Christopher M Muir

Randy Eugene Armbruster

Harsha Sanjeewa Bulathsinghalage

Donald Saul Rimai

Jiann-Hsing Chen

Rodney Ray Bucks

Timothy John Young

David Francis Cahill

Robert J Simon

Alan Earl Rapkin

Randy Dae Vandagriff

David F Tunmore

Andrew Ciaschi

Timothy John Hawryschuk

Donna P Suchy

Kevin A Cole

James H Hurst

James Alan Katerberg

Michael Thomas Dobbertin

Bradley S Bush

David J Fuest

Bonnie J Patterson

David J Stephens

A web-guiding system for guiding a web of media travelling from upstream to downstream along a transport path in an in-track direction, including a web-guiding structure and a vacuum system. The web-guiding structure includes an exterior surface having a pattern of recesses formed into the exterior surface, wherein the web of media travels past the web-guiding structure with a first side of the web of media contacting at least some non-recessed portions of the exterior surface of the web-guiding structure. The vacuum system is positioned such that the web of media passes between the web-guiding structure and the vacuum system, the vacuum system being adapted to provide a vacuum force to pull the second side of the web of media toward the vacuum system, thereby lifting portions of the web of media overlying the recesses away from the exterior surface of the web-guiding structure.

Negative pressure web wrinkle reduction system

A web-guiding system for guiding a web of media travelling from upstream to downstream along a transport path in an in-track direction, including a web-guiding structure and an air source. The web-guiding structure includes an exterior surface having a pattern of recesses formed into the exterior surface, wherein the web of media travels past the web-guiding structure with a first side of the web of media contacting at least some non-recessed portions of the exterior surface of the web-guiding structure. The air source provides an air flow between the first side of the web of media and the exterior surface of the web-guiding structure thereby providing a lifting force to lift portions of the web of media overlying the recesses away from the exterior surface of the web-guiding structure.

Positive pressure web wrinkle reduction system

A method for heating a substrate in a printing device, the method comprises positioning at least one radiant heater along a printing path of a printing device, the at least one radiant heater includes at least two emitters; measuring a voltage and current supplied to each of the at least two emitters; determining an electrical power supplied to each of the at least two emitters; and adjusting the electrical power supplied to at least one of the at least two emitters if a difference in power supplied to each of the at least two emitters exceeds a threshold.

Method for heating a substrate in a printing device

A printing device includes a radiant heater having at least one radiant heater includes at least two emitters; a controller that receives a voltage and current supplied to each of the at least two emitters and calculates an electrical power supplied to each of the at least two emitters; wherein the controller adjusts the electrical power supplied to at least one of the at least two emitters if a difference in power supplied to each of the at least two emitters exceeds a threshold.

Dryer for heating a substrate

A web-guiding system for guiding a web of media travelling from upstream to downstream along a transport path in an in-track direction. A web-guiding structure includes an exterior surface having a pattern of alternating ridges and recesses formed into the exterior surface. The web of media travels past the web-guiding structure with the first side of the web of media contacting at least some of the ridges on the exterior surface of the web-guiding structure. The ridges and recesses are formed into the exterior surface of the web-guiding structure such that the exterior surface has a continuous and smooth surface profile in the cross-track direction having a specified maximum slope magnitude and a specified minimum radius of curvature magnitude.

Web guiding structure with continuous smooth recesses

A web-guiding system for guiding a web of media along a transport path comprising a drive roller rotated by a motor and a plurality of nip rollers. The drive roller includes a first section, a second section and a third section along the length of the roller, the second section being located between the first section and the third section. A diameter of a surface envelope around the exterior surface of the drive roller is substantially constant within the second section, and is larger in the first section and the third section than in the second section. The nip rollers are aligned with the second section of the drive roller, with the web of media passing between the drive roller and the nip rollers.

Drive roller configuration providing reduced web wrinkling

A printing system including a staggered inkjet printhead including at least two inkjet nozzle arrays arranged along first and second print lines in an alternating pattern, wherein the inkjet nozzle arrays along a particular print line alternate with non-printing regions. A media guide including first and second rollers is used for guiding receiver media along a media path past the first and second print lines of the inkjet printhead. A center roller having a contoured media guide surface is positioned between the first and second rollers for guiding the recording media along the media path between the first and second print lines, wherein the diameter of the center roller is smaller for portions of its length corresponding to the inkjet nozzle arrays of the first print line than it is for at least some portion of its length corresponding to the non-printing regions of the first print line.

Inkjet printer with contoured media guide roller

A printing system including a staggered inkjet printhead including at least two inkjet nozzle arrays arranged along first and second print lines in an alternating pattern, wherein the inkjet nozzle arrays along a particular print line alternate with non-printing regions. A media guide including first and second media guide surfaces is used for guiding receiver media along a media path past the first and second print lines of the inkjet printhead. At least one of the media guide surfaces is contoured such that it is closer to the staggered inkjet printhead along portions of the associated print line that correspond to the associated inkjet nozzle arrays than it is for at least some portion of the associated print line that corresponds to the non-printing regions.

Staggered printhead printer with contoured media guide

A printing system comprising an inkjet printhead including at least two inkjet nozzle arrays arranged along a print line, and a media guide having a contoured media guide surface for guiding receiver media along a media path past the inkjet printhead. The inkjet nozzle arrays are separated from each other along the print line by one or more intervening non-printing regions. The media guide surface is contoured such that it is closer to the inkjet printhead for portions of the print line corresponding to the inkjet nozzle arrays than it is for at least some portion of the print line corresponding to the non-printing regions between the inkjet nozzle arrays.

Inkjet printing system with contoured media guide

Inkjet droplets having a vaporizable carrier fluid are jetted from a printhead according to image data. A heated condensation shield between the printhead and a target area at which the printhead directs drops protects against condensation of vaporized carrier fluid and creates heat. A heat shield between the printhead and a support structure for the printhead protects the printhead and support structure from heat and condensation. A heated zone exists between the heat shield and the condensation shield. The condensation shield is heated to a temperature above a condensation temperature of vaporized carrier fluid in the second region so that ink droplets that pass through the heated zone are heated in a manner that causes ink droplets having a first concentration to spread when printed onto a paper in the target area as if the ink droplets had a higher concentration of at least one percent.

Inkjet printer with in-flight droplet drying system

Methods for operating a printing system are provided. In one method, an inkjet printhead that is positioned by a support structure is caused to emit droplets of an ink including vaporizable carrier fluid toward a target area to emit droplets according to image data and a shield is used to separate the support structure from the target area to form a first region between the support structure and the shield and a second region between the shield and the target area with the shield providing an opening between the first region and the second region to allow the inkjet printhead to jet droplets to the target area. The shield is heated to a temperature that is at least equal to a condensation temperature of the vaporized carrier fluid in the second region.

Inkjet printing system with condensation control system

A printing system includes one or more lineheads disposed opposite a first side of a print media and at least one vacuum assembly having a vacuum manifold disposed opposite a second side of the print media. The linehead or lineheads has one or more print zones where a liquid or ink is deposited onto the first side of the print media. The vacuum manifold is aligned with a non-print zone of each linehead and outputs a vacuum force proximate to the second side of the print media such that at least a portion of the second side of the print media is deflected away from the lineheads. The printing system can also include another component, such as a dryer, disposed over the print media and laterally adjacent to the linehead. Another vacuum manifold can be disposed adjacent to the second side print media between the linehead and the component.

Vacuum pulldown of a print media in a printing system

Inkjet droplets having a vaporizable carrier fluid are jetted from a printhead according to image data. A heated condensation shield is used between a printhead and a target area at which the printhead directs drops protects against condensation of vaporized carrier fluid and creates heat. A heat shield is used between the printhead and a support structure for the printhead protects the printhead and support structure from heat and condensation. A heated zone exists between the heat shield and the condensation shield. The condensation shield is heated to a temperature above a condensation temperature of vaporized carrier fluid in the second region so that ink droplets that pass through the heated zone are heated in a manner that causes ink droplets having a first concentration to spread when printed onto a paper in the target area as if the ink droplets had a higher concentration of at least one percent.

In-flight ink droplet drying method

Apparatus for drying media in a printer includes first and second successive printing stations with a first rotatable member that contacts the wet side of the media between them. Each prints on one side of the media. A media-path extender between the first printing station and the first rotatable member includes a dry-side rotatable member and a wet-side rotatable member around which the media path passes in that order. An extension media path is defined from the first printing station past the dry-side member, the wet-side member, and the first rotatable member, in that order, to the second printing station. The printer selectively transports the media either along a bypass media path or along the extension media path. The wet-side member is farther past the first printing station than is the first rotatable member.

Growing community of inventors

Webster, NY, United States of America

W Charles Kasiske, Jr