To maintain a uniform spacing between the print media, such as paper, and an inkjet printhead having a large print swath, for instance about 25 millimeters (one inch) wide, a new media support system is provided for inkjet printing mechanisms, such as printers or plotters. The support system employs an endless belt driven from the belt interior surface by a roller drive system that uniformly supports the print media under the reciprocating printhead. The belt may be lined with anti-cockle ribs to support the media when saturated. The belt may also be foraminous, with a vacuum applied thereunder to pull the media onto the belt. A method is also provided for supporting and transporting a large sheet of print media through a printzone of an inkjet printing mechanism, such as an inkjet plotter, that uses such a large swath inkjet printhead.
The apparatus is provided with a holddown device for a medium lying on a platen, said device comprising first cockle-control means which in a medium output zone downstream of the print zone control an expansion of the medium to be in the form of a wave defined by a plurality of bubbles and substantially adapted in frequency to a ridged surface of the supporting platen; the holddown device may comprise second cockle-control means which control an expansion of the medium in the print zone to be in the form of at least two parallel waves defined by a plurality of bubbles and alternated such that a downward bubble of one of the waves is adjacent to an upward bubble, or no bubble, of an adjacent wave in the direction (Y) of advance of the medium. The effects of cockle are improved without tensioning the medium downstream from the printing zone, and improving vertical banding.
A wet-dye hard copy apparatus is provided with a vacuum transport for moving print media from and input, through a print zone, to an output. In order to reduce high frequency paper cockle, the print media is subjected to a post-printing predetermined bending while the print dye thereon is drying. In an alternative embodiment, a post-ejection bending heating step is added prior to ejecting a printed print medium to the apparatus output.
The invention relates to an endless transport belt for receiving ink, not ejected for printing purposes, of an inkjet printer; said transport belt receiving the ink sprayed thereon during printing of printing material in such a manner that smearing on the back side of the paper is prevented. For this purpose, the transport belt comprises a carrier layer and a support layer for supporting and printing printing materials of differing widths and lengths by means of an inkjet print head, the support layer according to the present invention having a knobbed grid structure with a hydrophobic and ink-rejecting coating.
The present invention addresses the problem of paper cockle by stretching the paper as it progresses along the paper path through the wet colorant printing station of a hard copy apparatus. The hard copy apparatus uses a paper feed belt system as a paper platen in which the belt or set of belts is splayed along the paper path. Firmly adhering a sheet of print media to the belt, or belts, system, such as by use of a vacuum force, as it travels through the apparatus printing zone, stretches the media orthogonally and particularly in an orientation perpendicular to the paper path.
An ink-jet apparatus is disclosed having a vacuum type print media transport subsystem for moving the print media through a printing zone. A transport belt is provided with an array of perforations such that vacuum flow is restricted. The perforations only pass vacuum induced airflow through the belt when over vacuum ported platen regions.
