Controlling multiple eversion-based actuators
Granted: November 19, 2024
Patent Number:
12146511
Disclosed here is a system and method to control multiple eversion-based actuators using a single motor, or no motor, thereby reducing the size and cost of the multiple eversion-based actuators. An activation mechanism can include a motor rotating in an expansion direction, rotating shaft, clutch, brake, pressure source under high pressure, and/or valve. The activation mechanism can cause the actuators including a wound reel of material to unwind and lengthen. A retraction mechanism can…
Printer vacuum conveyor with adjustable active area
Granted: October 15, 2024
Patent Number:
12115777
A printing system includes a driving belt configured to drive media through the printing system relative to one or more print heads and a vacuum conveyor system. The vacuum conveyor system includes a vacuum chamber cover having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, as well as a plurality of slots through the cover that form openings from the first surface to the second surface. A seal, disposed within and extending along at least a portion of a length of a…
Systems and methods for determining printing conditions based on samples of images printed by shuttle-based printers
Granted: August 20, 2024
Patent Number:
12064980
Embodiments include a method performed by a system operative to determine a condition related to a printed section printed by a shuttle-based printer. The method includes printing a portion of an image on a section of a medium, thereby providing a printed section. The section of the medium can have a size defined by at least a step size taken by the shuttle-based printer to advance the medium in a downstream direction. The method also includes scanning at least the printed section to…
Systems and methods for optical tracking of high precision
Granted: August 6, 2024
Patent Number:
12055377
Introduced here is a system for optically tracking displacement with high precision across one or more axes. To track displacement of an object, images that are generated by a plurality of optical sensors can be compared against one another. For example, images that are generated by a first optical sensor can be compared against images that are generated by a second optical sensor. Because the first and second optical sensors are in a fixed spatial relationship with one another,…
Vacuum conveyor system for inkjet printing with adjustment to the covered area
Granted: July 30, 2024
Patent Number:
12049378
Apparatus, methods, and systems for a vacuum conveyor for inkjet printing with adjustment to the covered area are disclosed. In some embodiments, a controller of a vacuum conveyor expands first one or more actuators of multiple first actuators of a substrate transportation system to decrease a suction width of an area of suction provided by the vacuum conveyor in accordance with a substrate width of a substrate being inkjet printed using the vacuum conveyor. A second one or more…
Thermal transformative variable gloss control
Granted: July 30, 2024
Patent Number:
12049075
Thermal transformative variable gloss control produces selectively variable levels of gloss finish on thermoformed materials. In embodiments, the power level of LED curing lamps associated with an ink jet printer that is using thermoforming inks for printing is selectively varied depending upon a desired level of gloss in a finished substrate. Heat treating of the substrate during thermoforming or in an oven develops the glossy finish on the substrate in relation to the level of power…
Replication alignment of components for use in inkjet printing applications
Granted: June 18, 2024
Patent Number:
12011937
Techniques for more accurately and efficiently replicating the alignment of one or more printer components with respect to another printer component are described herein. Replication may be achieved by using a fixture and a connection media to create a near exact replica of features of the fixture, or to temporarily hold multiple printer components in position while a joining layer of the connection media hardens. More specifically, a connection media, such as epoxy, can be used to fill…
Linear rotary encoder
Granted: June 4, 2024
Patent Number:
12000717
A linear rotary encoder includes a pair of rotational surfaces. A contact belt has a first end coupled to a first rotational surface in the pair and a second end coupled to a second rotational surface in the pair. The contact belt is driven to rotate around the pair of rotational surfaces by a driving force applied to media to move the media from the first end toward the second end. An encoding scale is coupled to an inner surface of the contact belt. A reader is positioned to read the…
Method and system for aligning images printed with digital printer and analog cylinders
Granted: May 14, 2024
Patent Number:
11981124
Techniques for aligning images printed with digital printer and rotary cylinders include measuring a position of a substrate on a belt, capturing by a camera a digital image of the substrate, transmitting by camera the digital image to a processing device, performing digital image processing on the digital image to identify two shapes, determining the positions of each of the two shapes using the measured position of the substrate, measuring a distance between the determined positions of…
High stability ink delivery systems, and associated print systems and methods
Granted: April 30, 2024
Patent Number:
11970009
Disclosed are high stability ink delivery system systems and methods for their use, in which a secondary reservoir is placed upstream of a printhead. The secondary reservoir can be opened to the atmosphere through a valve, such as based on the reading of a pressure sensor placed at a point before the printhead. The purpose of this valve is to open the secondary reservoir to the atmosphere when the pressure sensor indicates that the secondary reservoir can be open while avoiding air…
Assessing printer quality by assigning quality scores to images
Granted: April 9, 2024
Patent Number:
11954849
Disclosed here is a system enabling users/customers to receive an objective assessment of the performance of a printer. This is accomplished by comparing a quality score of an earlier-in-time image with a quality score of a later-in-time image. A processor analyzes each image based on several criteria and uses various image-analysis methods, to flag errors within an image. A numeric quality score, based on the number of errors, is provided to the user to objectively evaluate whether the…
Controlling multiple eversion-based actuators
Granted: March 26, 2024
Patent Number:
11939995
Disclosed here is a system and method to control multiple eversion-based actuators using a single motor, or no motor, thereby reducing the size and cost of the multiple eversion-based actuators. An activation mechanism can include a motor rotating in an expansion direction, rotating shaft, clutch, brake, pressure source under high pressure, and/or valve. The activation mechanism can cause the actuators including a wound reel of material to unwind and lengthen. A retraction mechanism can…
Upwards jetting digital printing platform
Granted: June 27, 2023
Patent Number:
11685157
A printing platform includes a printing engine with one or more printheads arranged such that the ink drops are jetted vertically upwards against the action of gravity; and a substrate transportation system where the normal to the surface in contact with the substrate is parallel and with opposite direction to the travelling direction of the jetted ink drops. It is necessary to counteract the weight of the substrate during the printing process to avoid it from falling under the action of…
Woodgrain suppression in inkjet printing
Granted: June 6, 2023
Patent Number:
11667133
The present embodiments relate to a printing apparatus capable of mitigating/preventing instances of turbulent deviation of ink jetted from print heads when printing onto a substrate, a severe form of which looks like woodgrain. The printing apparatus can include a jet plate that has a first width and that is disposed between the substrate and a series of print heads. The jet plate can also include a series of apertures formed in the jet plate that each correspond to one or more of the…
Systems and methods for determining printing conditions based on samples of images printed by shuttle-based printers
Granted: May 30, 2023
Patent Number:
11660892
Embodiments include a method performed by a system operative to determine a condition related to a printed section printed by a shuttle-based printer. The method includes printing a portion of an image on a section of a medium, thereby providing a printed section. The section of the medium can have a size defined by at least a step size taken by the shuttle-based printer to advance the medium in a downstream direction. The method also includes scanning at least the printed section to…
Inkjet process for three-dimensional relief on tiles
Granted: April 25, 2023
Patent Number:
11633972
A technique is described for the application of three-dimensional (3D) relief to a substrate such as a ceramic tile using digital inkjet technology. In an example embodiment, the introduced technique includes application of binder ink to a portion of the surface of a substrate using a digital inkjet process. This binder ink forms a barrier layer which protects the portion of the surface of the substrate. Next, a brushing process is applied to remove unprotected portions of the substrate,…
Spot gloss and gloss control in an inkjet printing system
Granted: February 28, 2023
Patent Number:
11590771
Embodiments of the invention provide a technique that effects spot gloss or gloss control and/or variations on one image without requiring clear inks. This is preferably accomplished by use of a multilayer printing process in which an image is first printed using a first set of color print heads and then cured, and in which the image is again printed using a second set of color print head, but where the image remains uncured for a predetermined interval to allow the ink drops applied to…
Multi-color multi-speed printing apparatus with circulation
Granted: January 24, 2023
Patent Number:
11559993
Methods, systems, and devices related to a printer system that includes a first primary ink tank holding a dark-colored ink, a second primary ink tank holding a light-colored ink, a first selector valve configured to change a state, a first secondary ink tank connected to the first primary ink tank via the first selector valve, a second secondary ink tank connected to the first and second primary ink tanks via the first selector valve, a second selector valve connected to the first…
Multi-color multi-speed printing apparatus with circulation
Granted: January 24, 2023
Patent Number:
11559993
Methods, systems, and devices related to a printer system that includes a first primary ink tank holding a dark-colored ink, a second primary ink tank holding a light-colored ink, a first selector valve configured to change a state, a first secondary ink tank connected to the first primary ink tank via the first selector valve, a second secondary ink tank connected to the first and second primary ink tanks via the first selector valve, a second selector valve connected to the first…
Method and composition for ink jet printing on a nonabsorbent substrate
Granted: January 10, 2023
Patent Number:
11548306
Ink jet printing on a non-absorbent substrate involves a wet primer having a primer viscosity. The wet primer is applied on the non-absorbent substrate. An ink jet ink having an ink jet viscosity lower than the primer viscosity is jetted over the wet primer while the primer is still wet. The wet primer and ink are simultaneously cured on the substrate.
