Platen having media suction and vapor recovery ports

Abstract

The apparatus of the present invention thus increases the precision for controlling the movement of a printing media through an improved set of vacuum apertures formed in the platen surface, a discrete set of compartments inside the platen each fluidly coupled to a unique set of improved vacuum apertures, and vapor/dust recovery apertures fluidly coupled to a storage, collection, or other disposal vessel. In a preferred embodiment the present invention comprises at least four exhaust fans each fluidly coupled to a discrete compartment within the platen and at least one said compartment connects to each end of the platen surface adjacent to the printing zone and is adapted to evacuate the entire interior space of a large format printing engine. In each of these embodiments, at least some of the improved vacuum apertures located near the edges of the printing zone extend to a recess, or grooved, segment of the platen surface. Also in each said embodiment of the present invention using a planar, or flat, printing zone, a set of gradually tapering transition platen sections promote the best vacuum seal between the platen (within the printing zone) and the printing media. These gradually tapering transition sections can either be integrated into a monolithic platen member, or may be fabricated separately and suitably attached to the platen. In the embodiments wherein one or more vapor evacuation aperture is ported to a vessel, an appropriate vapor recovery technique may be practiced to capture any potentially harmful vapors or print-artifact producing dust particles. In these embodiments, a suitable recovery technique might include fume incinerator(s), carbon adsorbers, HEPA-quality filter materials, phase change recovery, and the like.