US4811038A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ink jet printing system and drum therefore
Assignee: Metromedia Co
•
Filing: 1988-03-01
•
Granted: 1989-03-07
•
Expires: 2008-03-01
Abstract
Abstract An ink jet printing system has a low aspect ratio cylindrical drum adapted to support a sheet of material to be printed by a computer controlled printing head of a plurality of pigmented inks. The drum is preferably of approximately the same diameter as its axial length, is made up of at least two spoked wheel assemblies consisting of several arcuate wheel segment subassemblies that are joined together and held in place by a corregated skin covered with a fiberglass layup to provide a smooth cylindrical surface onto which the sheet material is spread. A clamping device is provided for tensioning the sheet material as it is rotated past a carriage carrying the printing head and affording two relative movement directions as between the printing head and the sheet to be printed for these differently colored printing inks.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas Gordon
- 👤 Kenneth O. Wood
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 14:58
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J11/00; B41J11/001
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
179 words
An ink jet printing system for printing onto sheet material, said system comprising: drum means defining a cylindrical surface for supporting said sheet material, means for rotating said drum means on a central axis, way defining means parallel said central axis, means defining an ink jet printing station and provided on said way defining means, means for moving said ink jet printing station along said way defining means, said ink jet printing station having at least one ink jet printing head for ejecting ink in pulsed droplets onto said material on said drum surface, means for selectively operating said ink jet printing head to provide ink drops along a circumferentially extending scan line at predetermined locations around said drum circumference, said means for so moving said ink jet printing station providing additional axially spaced circumferentially spaced scan lines such that substantial areas of said sheet material can be selectively subjected to said ink drop printing, and said drum means comprising at least two spoked wheel assemblies, a skin structure, said wheel assemblies having a rim supporting said skin structure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
179 words
An ink jet printing system for printing onto sheet material, said system comprising: drum means defining a cylindrical surface for supporting said sheet material, means for rotating said drum means on a central axis, way defining means parallel said central axis, means defining an ink jet printing station and provided on said way defining means, means for moving said ink jet printing station along said way defining means, said ink jet printing station having at least one ink jet printing head for ejecting ink in pulsed droplets onto said material on said drum surface, means for selectively operating said ink jet printing head to provide ink drops along a circumferentially extending scan line at predetermined locations around said drum circumference, said means for so moving said ink jet printing station providing additional axially spaced circumferentially spaced scan lines such that substantial areas of said sheet material can be selectively subjected to said ink drop printing, and said drum means comprising at least two spoked wheel assemblies, a skin structure, said wheel assemblies having a rim supporting said skin structure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The ink jet printing system of claim 1 further characterized by first encoding means for monitoring the angular position of said rotating drum, and means responsive to said encoding means for timing operation of said ink jet printing head.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The ink jet printing system of claim 1 wherein said drum central axis is oriented horizontally and wherein said drum has a diameter at least as great as the axial length of said drum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The ink jet printing system of claim 1 wherein each wheel assembly rim including a plurality of wheel rim segment subassemblies, and fastening means connecting said rim segment subassemblies to one another.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The ink jet printing system of claim 1 further characterized by second encoding means for monitoring the axial (or lateral) position of said ink jet printing station defining means, and means responsive to said second encoding means for timing operation of said ink jet printing head.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The ink jet printing system of claim 1 further characterized by a shroud enclosing said drum means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The ink jet printing system of claim 1 wherein said skin structure comprises a corrugated metal inner layer wrapped around said wheel assemblies, and a outer layer of cylindrical contour.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The ink jet printing system of claim 7 wherein said skin structure further comprises an expanded polystyrene layer between said outer cylindrically contoured layer and said inner corrugated metal layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The ink jet printing system of claim 6 further characterized by air moving means to exhaust the air inside said shroud, and window means to admit fresh air into said shroud adjacent said ink jet printing station.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The ink jet printing system of claim 4 further characterized by a shroud enclosing said drum means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The ink jet printing system of claim 4 wherein said skin structure comprises a corrugated metal inner layer wrapped around said wheel assemblies, and a outer layer of cylindrical contour.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The ink jet printing system of claim 11 wherein said skin structure further comprises an expanded polystyrene layer between said outer cylindrically contoured layer and said inner corrugated metal layer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-03-06 | 1992-09-05 | 1993-03-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-03-06 | 1996-09-05 | 1997-03-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-03-06 | 2000-09-05 | 2001-03-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |