EP0241118A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for reproduction of documents
Assignee: Olivetti SpA
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Filing: 1987-02-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-02-24
Abstract
Abstract An original document (10) to be reproduced, bearing coloured images, is placed on a fixed transparent exposure surface (12) beneath which moves (left to right) a reading and printing carriage (16) on which there is mounted an optical system (26-30) which scans successive strips of the original and directs light rays which are reflected from the original to an image converter (32) comprising dichroic filters which separate three primary colour bands, with a high level of optical efficiency. The dichroic filters pass the colour bands to three optical-electrical image converters mounted on the carriage. Also mounted on the carriage is a print device (70) comprising groups of ink jet print elements (72) for printing on a sheet of paper (73) with inks of different colours. The sheet of paper is supported by an insulating belt to which the paper adheres by an electrostatic effect. During the printing operation the reading and printing carriage (16) advances with a stepping motion while the sheet of paper is caused to oscillate in a direction perpendicular to the movement of the carriage in such a way as to produce printing of series-parallel type. During each half-oscillation of the paper, a line of dots of the image to be reproduced is printed while the paper is stationary. An electronic circuit provides for real-time processing of the signals produced by the converters for activating the print elements. At the end of the printing operation the print elements are moved into a parking station where they are cleaned by means of suction.
Inventors
- 👤 Riccardo Brescia
- 👤 Giuseppe Coli
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-10 00:31
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/04; H04N1/10; H04N1/1013; H04N1/1021; B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/135; B41J2/165; B41J2/16505; B41J2/16508; H04N1/1017; H04N1/1039; H04N1/1043; H04N1/1048; H04N1/1052; H04N1/12; H04N1/126; H04N1/128; H04N1/19; H04N1/191; H04N1/192; H04N1/193; H04N1/1934; H04N1/46; H04N1/48; H04N1/486; H04N1/488; B41J2/16517; B41J2/1652; B41J2/16532
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
Reproduction apparatus comprising a print device (70) for printing an image on a print carrier (73), a carriage (16) for transporting the print device along the print carrier, and means (46) for advancing the print carrier, characterised in that the advancing means (96) move the print carrier (73) with an alternating movement and in that the carriage (16) is advanced with an intermittent movement which is synchronised with the alternating movement for printing information corresponding to the image on the print carrier during periods when the carriage is stopped.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
89 words
Reproduction apparatus comprising a print device (70) for printing an image on a print carrier (73), a carriage (16) for transporting the print device along the print carrier, and means (46) for advancing the print carrier, characterised in that the advancing means (96) move the print carrier (73) with an alternating movement and in that the carriage (16) is advanced with an intermittent movement which is synchronised with the alternating movement for printing information corresponding to the image on the print carrier during periods when the carriage is stopped.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the alternating movement has a cycle of oscillation comprising a first interval (182) at a constant speed interposed between an interval (183) of acceleration and an interval (184) of deceleration, and in that the carriage (16) is advanced during the ; interval of deceleration.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the alternating movement of the print carrier (73) is in a direction perpendicular to the movement of the carriage (16).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
55 words
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the print device (70) comprises a plurality of ink jet print elements (72) aligned perpendicular to the direction of the movement of said carriage, the elements being arranged in one or more groups (74) and being spaced by a constant pitch within each group.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus according to claim 4 characterised in that there is a plurality of the said groups (74) and in that the alternating movement is of an amplitude which is equal to the pitch (P) between homologous print elements (72) of the groups.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that there is a plurality of the said groups (74), each containing the same number of ink jet print elements (72) supplied with different colour inks.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that the first three print elements of each group are supplied with inks of three primary colours, the fourth element being supplied with black ink.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
119 words
Apparatus for reproduction of an image, comprising a print device (70) for printing an image on a print carrier (73), a carriage (16) for transporting the print device along the print carrier and advancing means for moving the print carrier perpendicularly to the movement of the carriage (96), characterised in that the moving means comprise a belt (122) of insulating material stretched between two idle rollers (118,120) which are parallel to each other, and by a metal support plate (108) for the belt, which extends between the rollers, and means (160) for electrostatically charging the print carrier (73) with respect to the plate for holding the print carrier adhering to the surface of the belt opposite to the plate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
119 words
Apparatus for reproduction of an image, comprising a print device (70) for printing an image on a print carrier (73), a carriage (16) for transporting the print device along the print carrier and advancing means for moving the print carrier perpendicularly to the movement of the carriage (96), characterised in that the moving means comprise a belt (122) of insulating material stretched between two idle rollers (118,120) which are parallel to each other, and by a metal support plate (108) for the belt, which extends between the rollers, and means (160) for electrostatically charging the print carrier (73) with respect to the plate for holding the print carrier adhering to the surface of the belt opposite to the plate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 8, characterised in that the belt (122) is wound at two ends around corresponding rollers (124,126) which are rotatable jointly and alternately in both directions of rotation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
61 words
Apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the charging means comprise a high d.c. voltage generator and a charge distributor (160) which acts against the surface of the print carrier (73) which is opposite to the belt (122), the generator having one pole connected to the charge distributor and the other pole connected to the metal plate (108).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 characterised in that the charge distributor (160) comprises a brush having electrically conductive bristles and selectively actuable for rubbing against the print carrier.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
88 words
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, can- prising a fixed transparent exposure surface (12) for supporting a document (10) to be reproduced, a reading device (26-30) which is movable with respect to the document for detecting successive image portions on the document, and an image converter (32) optically connected to the reading device for transforming the detected image into electrical signals, characterised in that the image converter (32) is rendered active in an interval (T3) comprised within each half-period of oscillation of the print carrier (73).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 12, characterised in that the interval of activation is comprised in each interval (184) of deceleration of the print carrier (73).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
- Apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, characterised in that the electrical signals activate the print device (70) an interval (182) of constant speed of movement of the print carrier during each half period of the alternating movement.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
85 words
Apparatus according to claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein the reading device comprises a plurality of mirrors (26-29) and an objective lens (30) which form an optical path between the document (10) and the image converter (32) for focusing a light beam corresponding to each of the image portions on the image converter, characterised in that the image converter (32) comprises first and second dichroic filters (37,38) disposed in series for separating from the light beam beams of monochromatic light corresponding to three primary colours.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus according to claim 15, characterised in that each of the dichroic filters (37,38) reflects a beam of monochromatic light of a predetermined primary colour and totally transmits a beam of light which is made up of the remaining primary colour(s).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, characterised in that the first dichroic filter (37) reflects a beam of monochromatic light of one of the three primary colours on to a first electro-optical transducer (45) and in that the second dichroic filter (38) respectively reflects and transmits beams of monochromatic light of the other two primary colours on to corresponding second and third electro-optical transducers (45) for generating electrical signals which are representative of the luminous intensity of each of the three beams of monochromatic light.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus according to claim 17, characterised in that each of the representative electrical signals is processed by corresponding electronic circuit (53), these circuits being interconnected for generating electrical signals which are representative of colours intermediate the primary colours.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus according to claim 18, characterised in that the electronic circuits (53) selectively activate the print elements (72) in an interval (182)in which the altermating movement is at a constant speed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
155 words
Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims wherein the print device (70) comprises groups (74) of ink jet print elements (72) and the carriage (16) is selectively moved into a parking position(s) in which the print elements (72) are disposed facing a device (190) for cleaning the elements, characterised in that the cleaning device (190) comprises a raw of chambers (200) which are aligned parallel to the groups (74) of elements (72), each chamber having an aperture (204) which is disposed facing one of the groups of print elements, the chambers being selectively movable into an operative. position in which the print elements are introduced into the apertures with a pneumatic sealing effect in relation thereto , the cleaning device (190) further comprising a suction device (226) which can be selectively connected to each of the chambers in the said operative position for sucking ink from the print elements (72) of each groups (74).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 20, characterised in that the chambers (200) remain in the operative position during the periods of inactivity of the print elements (72) for maintaining those elements isolated from the outside environment.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
85 words
Apparatus according to claim 20, characterised in that the suction device (226) comprises a suction conduit (260) which is mounted on a slide member (250) slidable perpendicularly to the raw of chambers on a support (240) movable along a guide (242) parallel to the row of chambers and moved by a rotatable screw (244) which is parallel to the guide, the slide member being moved by a solenoid (252) fixed to the support for selectively connecting the suction conduit to each of the chambers (200).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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