Typewriting machines – For typing on flat record-medium or against flat platen
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-28
2001-10-02
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
For typing on flat record-medium or against flat platen
C400S029000, C400S031000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296403
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to printers and, in particular, it concerns a dual-mode printer for printing on both flexible and rigid substrates.
There exist many printer configurations for printing on flexible substrates. These range from sheet-fed paper printers up to large format roll-to-roll and roll-to-sheet printers for printing on continuous webs of various materials such as paper, adhesive vinyl, cloth and PVC. Two examples of the latter types are shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
In general terms, all such printers have a feed system including various rollers
10
configured to feed the flexible substrate in a given feed direction between a print head
12
and an opposing support strip
14
. Depending on the type of print head and the width of the substrate, a motion system (not shown) may be used to scan the print head in a direction perpendicular to the feed direction. Relative displacement between the substrate and the print head parallel to the feed direction, on the other hand, is typically generated exclusively by the feed system.
There exist many applications in which printed matter is to be displayed on rigid substrates. This is most commonly achieved by printing on flexible substrates and then attaching the flexible substrate to the rigid substrate. However, this procedure is clearly inefficient and wasteful.
In the field of plotters, commonly used for technical drawings and plans, it is known to attach a substrate, typically paper, to a large support surface and to displace a print head, typically in the form of a pen, across the surface in two dimensions.
Although the applicant is not aware of any such system, it would appear possible to employ the plotter-type configuration to design a printer for rigid substrates along the lines illustrated in FIG.
3
. Here, the rigid substrate
20
would be attached to a support surface
22
and a print head
24
would be moved over it in at least one, and typically two, dimensions by a motion system
26
,
27
.
While the printer of
FIG. 3
would provide a solution for printing on rigid substrates, provision of a specialized rigid-substrate printer will in many cases not be economically or logistically viable.
There is therefore a need for a dual-mode printer for printing on both flexible and rigid substrates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a dual-mode printer for printing on both flexible and rigid substrates.
According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided, a dual-mode printer for printing on both flexible and rigid substrates, the printer comprising: (a) a table providing a substantially planar support surface for supporting a substrate; (b) a flexible-substrate feed system including at least one roller, the flexible-substrate feed system being configured to feed a flexible substrate in a given feed direction across the support surface; (c) a print head deployed in facing relation to the support surface and configured for depositing a printing medium on a substrate as part of a printing process; and (d) a motion system associated with the print head and the table, and configured to generate relative displacement between the print head and the support surface in at least a first direction.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the first direction is parallel to the feed direction, the dual-mode printer being usable in a flexible-substrate mode in which relative displacement between the substrate and the print head is generated at least in part by the flexible-substrate feed system and a rigid-substrate mode in which relative displacement between the substrate and the print head is generated exclusively by the motion system.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the motion system is further configured to displace the print head relative to the support surface in a second direction perpendicular to the feed direction, the motion system being operative to displace the print bead in the second direction during printing in both the flexible-substrate mode and the rigid-substrate mode.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the print head has a major dimension and a minor dimension, the major dimension being deployed substantially perpendicular to the feed direction.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the print head has a major dimension and a minor dimension, the major dimension being deployed substantially parallel to the feed direction, the motion system being configured to displace the print head exclusively in a direction substantially perpendicular to the feed direction.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the printing medium is an ink and wherein the print head is an inkjet head.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the table includes a retention system for holding the rigid substrate in a given position on the support surface.
According to a further feature of the present invention, the retention system includes a vacuum system configured to apply suction to a plurality of apertures formed in the support surface.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3477322 (1969-11-01), Gerber et al.
patent: 4301999 (1981-11-01), Higgins et al.
patent: 4665619 (1987-05-01), Pearl
patent: 4916819 (1990-04-01), Gerber
patent: 5027133 (1991-06-01), Weiselfish
patent: 4120293 (1992-02-01), None
Chau Minh
Friedman Mark M.
Hilten John S.
Scitex Vision Ltd.
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