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Spatially selective heating of intermediate transfer member

  • US 10,444,672 B2
  • Filed: 04/22/2015
  • Issued: 10/15/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus, comprising:

  • a photosensitive imaging plate (PIP) for attracting a layer of printing fluid;

    a charge roller positioned in proximity to the PIP to project a uniform electrostatic charge onto a surface of the PIP as the PIP rotates;

    a laser unit positioned in proximity to the PIP and after the charge roller to selectively remove electrostatic charge on the surface of the PIP to form an image as the PIP rotates;

    a plurality of developers positioned in proximity to the PIP after the laser unit to dispense the layer of printing fluid onto the surface of the PIP having an electrostatic charge as the PIP rotates;

    an intermediate transfer member (ITM) contacting the PIP, for receiving the layer of printing fluid from the PIP as the ITM rotates in a direction that is opposite a direction of rotation of the PIP;

    a heating unit positioned in proximity to the ITM and opposite the PIP, wherein the heating unit comprises an array of individually addressable heating elements for heating the ITM in a manner that is spatially selective along a first axis in a direction of a width of the ITM and along a second axis in a direction of a rotation of the ITM;

    an impression press positioned in proximity to the ITM that rotates in a direction that is opposite the direction of rotation of the ITM and transfers the image onto a substrate that passes through between the ITM and the impression press; and

    a controller to control operation of the laser unit, the plurality of developers, and each one of the individually addressable heating elements of the array, wherein the controller is to identify areas on the ITM that are free from the layer of printing fluid based on a mapping created by a raster image processor and to generate a signal to not activate a subset of the individually addressable heating elements that correspond to the areas on the ITM that are free from the layer of printing fluid.

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