Unitary ink tank for printer system
Granted: January 14, 2020
Patent Number:
10532577
The disclosed embodiments include a system for generating a unitary ink tank with a three-dimensional (3D) printing process. The system includes a processor configured to execute computer instructions that control 3D printing of an ink tank for a printer system. The system further includes a 3D printer coupled to the processor and configured to, based on the computer instructions, print the ink tank in accordance with a selective laser sintering process that sinters a powdered nylon…
Integration of a line-scan camera on a single pass inkjet printer
Granted: December 24, 2019
Patent Number:
10513110
Disclosed is an industrial single-pass inkjet printer/press incorporating an line-scan camera. The line-scan camera enables system software to inspect every sheet for quality assurance purposes. These inspection results are tied back to a digital printer to take one or more of several possible actions. Actions include ensuring a particular number of acceptable prints are generated and sorted. Actions further include performing nozzle checks without pausing or interrupting production…
Replication alignment of components for use in inkjet printing applications
Granted: December 17, 2019
Patent Number:
10507679
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…
Nozzle compensation for shuttle based printers
Granted: December 17, 2019
Patent Number:
10507670
In a color printing environment, functions for printing color management are dissociated. An abstraction layer is also provided to facilitate setting and evaluation of all factors relating to color print and prediction.
Inkjet decoration of architectural materials
Granted: November 26, 2019
Patent Number:
10487231
Embodiments of the invention involve printing a ceramic or metal oxide pigmented ink onto asphalt, bitumen, or rubberoid backed roofing materials. Additionally, embodiments of the invention allow for adhesion of the ink to TPO and PVC roofing substrates.
Low odor radiation curable ink compositions
Granted: November 26, 2019
Patent Number:
10487226
The present invention relates to low odor radiation curable ink compositions. The composition comprises 10-40% w/w of 4-hydrobutylacrylate, 5-25% of a urethane (math)acrylate oligomer, 10-55% of diacrylates, one or more photoinitiators, one or more additives, and one or more pigments. The composition excludes many monofunctional monomers that have distinct odor and are commonly used in an ink jet composition.
UV curable inkjet ink compositions
Granted: October 29, 2019
Patent Number:
10457825
A UV curable inkjet ink composition includes a monofunctional urethane acrylate component consisting of 5-50% by weight of the ink composition, the monofunctional urethane acrylate component comprising either of a monomer and an oligomer; a monomer component consisting of 10-80% by weight of ink composition; a photoinitiator component consisting of 1-15% by weight of ink composition; and an oligomer component, consisting of no more than 20% by weight of the ink composition, in addition…
Elastic bending mechanism for bi-directional adjustment of print head position
Granted: October 22, 2019
Patent Number:
10449792
Mechanisms for adjusting the position of one or more print heads at an extremely fine resolution (e.g., less than 10 ?m) are described herein. The adjustment mechanisms include a differential screw and an indexing wheel through which the differential screw extends. One threaded segment of the differential screw is connected to a threaded feature of a flexible body that is coupled to the print head(s), while another threaded segment of the differential screw is connected to a threaded…
Interactive three-dimensional (3D) color histograms
Granted: October 15, 2019
Patent Number:
10447896
Techniques for interactively determining/visualizing the color content of a source image and how the corresponding image data is mapped to device colors are described herein. For example, the color content of a digital image can be converted between different color spaces to identify gamut limitations of an output device (e.g., a printing assembly), discover color(s) that cannot be accurately reproduced, etc. Color space conversions enable the transformation of the color content of the…
Multilayer white printing with white-balance
Granted: September 24, 2019
Patent Number:
10421289
White-balance is improved when printing on colored media, while minimizing the time and use of costly materials required by present approaches. In an embodiment, the typical solid white fill or background layer is altered by including in the white layer one or more of the other colors already available in the printer to shade this layer. Thus, a small amount of cyan, for example, helps balance a pink-ish (red) media; yellow is used for blue media; and magenta is used for green media; as…
Ceramic inkjet ink for red decoration
Granted: August 27, 2019
Patent Number:
10392524
Disclosed are compositions, such as inkjet inks, for jetting onto a ceramic substrate, and associated methods and systems. The compositions comprise a pigment compound that is configured to be jetted on a ceramic substrate during a ceramic inkjet process to impart a color effect to the ceramic substrate, and a reduction agent which, when exposed to a firing temperature, reacts with the pigment compound to cause a reduction reaction. In some embodiments, the pigment compound comprises…
Selective ink cure
Granted: July 16, 2019
Patent Number:
10350911
Individually controllable ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are used to cure ink and generate different effects. The UV LEDs only expose specified areas to generate the different effect and can create multiple effects on the same substrate by exposing different areas to varying amounts of time or by performing a curing stage and post-dosage curing stages. The different effects include generating a glossy surface, a matte surface, and sharper images.
Method and apparatus for color print management
Granted: June 18, 2019
Patent Number:
10326915
In a color printing environment, functions for printing color management are dissociated. An abstraction layer is also provided to facilitate setting and evaluation of all factors relating to color print and prediction.
Coloration of acetylated wood
Granted: June 11, 2019
Patent Number:
10315332
Techniques and products are described for coloring acetylated wood products. An acetylated wood product can be impregnated by a coloring medium within a chamber and the colorant or colorants contained within the coloring medium can be fixed to the acetylated wood product by the application of heat or by application of radio frequency radiation to color any external surface or interior region of the acetylated wood product which has been impregnated by the coloring medium.
Systems and methods for determining printing conditions based on samples of images printed by shuttle-based printers
Granted: May 28, 2019
Patent Number:
10300723
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…
Monomers and oligomers with application in energy curing chemistry
Granted: May 7, 2019
Patent Number:
10280318
Embodiments of the invention have application in the field of inkjet inks. Additionally, the novel energy cure monomers and oligomers disclosed herein also have application more broadly in the field of energy cure inks and coatings.
Printer band edge hold down systems
Granted: April 23, 2019
Patent Number:
10265978
Edge hold down (EHD) systems are described herein that enable high print quality to be achieved more consistently, particularly when using substrates that are rigid or include one or more defects. Each EHD system includes a tensioned band for holding down an edge of a substrate as it passes through a printer assembly without impacting the print area. The tensioned band can be affixed between an entry tension assembly and an exit tension assembly disposed downstream of the entry tension…
Inert UV inkjet printing having dual curing modes for ultraviolet-curable ink
Granted: February 5, 2019
Patent Number:
10195874
Enhanced printing solutions are enabled by providing ultraviolet curing conditions without requiring complete evacuation of atmospheric oxygen. Increased ink coverage and adjusted surface appearance are also provided.
Generation of spot colors with reduced ink subsets
Granted: January 15, 2019
Patent Number:
10179462
Optimization of ink recipes for spot colors in printers. Often, ICC Profiles are optimized for smooth rendering of images; thus, color recipes often contain more inks than are required for matching a color when generated from a Profile. When transitioning from one color to another, it is better to make smaller changes in inkings. This goal is not served when printing spot colors. Spot colors are often single, solid colors that do not vary in gradients from one to another. Herein is a…
Method and apparatus for variable gloss reduction
Granted: October 30, 2018
Patent Number:
10114307
Various variable gloss reduction techniques are disclosed. In one embodiment, a gloss reduction technique is disclosed using a textured roller and a wiper impregnated with fuser oil to create a differential gloss pattern that reduces the gloss of an image printed on a substrate. In one embodiment, a gloss reduction technique is disclosed using a combination of heat and pressure to create a differential gloss pattern that reduces the gloss in specific regions of an image printed on a…
