High-speed printer and the uses of such a printer

• US 6,120,142 A
• Filed: 05/27/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nipson SA
• Original Assignee: Nipson SA
• Inventors: Mourier, Jean, Eltgen, Jean-Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALLACHER, CRAIG ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/863,716
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 347/16, 347/101, 347/104, 347/121, 347/123, 347/125, 347/115, 347/43, 347/102, 355/24, 399/384, 242/615, 242/615.12, 242/615.21
• US Class Current: 347/104
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/22 for feeding webs in separate paths during printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material

Abstract

The present invention relates to a printer with a single printing motor and a single non-contact heating element characterized in that it includes a printing width and a paper path width greater than that of a double web width between 18.5" (46.99 cm) and 20.5" (52.07 cm), and selective control of the writing heads. The writing heads are controlled either in order to use them in a single group to print a centered double-width web, or to use them in two groups of heads to concomitantly print two single-width webs separated by a margin. Both groups of heads or each group of heads can be supplied with one color of ink.

Claims

1. A printer assembly for printing on a circulating centered double-width web or two single-width webs separated by a gap (13) comprising:

a single printing motor assembly arranged for circulating the web, the web having a web feed path having a width greater than the width of a double-width web,

at least one displacement device arranged for acting on the web,

at least one pair of heads (T1, T2), each head having a plurality of fixed writing heads arranged for printing patterns on the webs, said patterns being separated from each other by a first spatial displacement in the feed path direction,

a single non-contact heating element disposed in the path of travel of the circulating web, and

means for selective control of the pairs of heads for alternative operating conditions, a first condition comprising selection of a pair of heads (T1,T2) to print a circulating centered double-width web, a second condition comprising selection of the pair of heads (T1,T2) independently to concomitantly print on the two circulating single-width webs separated by a gap (13), and a third condition comprising selection of the pair of heads (T1,T2) to print overlaved print images on a single width web circulating multiple times past said pairs of heads (T1,T2),

means for supplying the selected heads (T1, T2) with at least one color of ink (C1), wherein

the means for selective control of the heads in order to print a pattern by each head onto said centered double-width web or said single-width web takes into account a second spatial displacement resulting from the at least one displacement device acting on said centered double-width web or said single-width web.

2. The printer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the displacement device is constituted by a double web collator device having two turner bars and wherein the means for selective control of the heads is adapted for printing a pattern by means of each single group of heads onto a single web and takes into account the second spatial displacement produced by the double-web collator device with two turner bars (40, 41;

FIG.

     4).

3. The printer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the displacement device is constituted by a return device for the return without turnover (60 through 64;

FIG.

     6) of a single-width web printed on one side in a first color of ink (C1;

FIG.

     6) by a first single group of heads (T1) toward a second group of heads (T2) supplied with another color of ink (C2), in order to allow two-color printing on a same side of said web.

4. The printer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the displacement device is constituted by a return device for a return, with turnover (50 through 54;

FIG.

     5), of a single-width web printed on one side in one color (C1, FIG.

     6) by the first group of heads (T1) toward the second group of heads (T2) supplied with ink of the same color (C1), in order to allow two-sided printing.

5. The printer assembly according to claim 1, including a first and a second printer associated in series, the first printer being disposed such that the two single-width webs (FIG. 11) or the double-width web (FIG. 10) exit from the first printer (1A) and are turned over by a turner device (70 through 74) before being fed into the second printer.

6. The printer assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one displacement device comprises a displacement device operative in one of a first, second, third, or fourth print configurations, wherein

said first print configuration includes said displacement device configured for printing on the circulating centered double-width web,

said second print configuration includes said displacement device configured for printing said single-width web fed multiple times through the printer assembly,

said third print configuration includes said displacement device configured to displace first and second single-width webs separated by a gap, said displacement operatively causing said first single-width web to be displaced in relation to said second single width web, and

said fourth print configuration includes said displacement device configured to displace two single width webs separated by a gap, each of said two single width webs each having opposing first and second printed sides, said displacement operatively causing one or both said opposing first and second printed sides to be reversed with respect to said single printer assembly.

7. A printer assembly for printing on a circulating centered double-width web or two single-width webs separated by a gap (13) comprising:

a single printing motor assembly arranged for circulating the web, the web having a web feed path having a width greater than the width of a double-width web,

at least one displacement device arranged for acting on the web,

at least one pair of heads (T1, T2), each head having a plurality of fixed writing heads arranged for printing patterns on the webs, said patterns being separated from each other by a first spatial displacement in the feed path direction,

a single non-contact heating element disposed in the path of travel of the circulating web, and

means for selective control of the pairs of heads for alternative operating conditions, a first condition comprising selection of a pair of heads (T1,T2) to print a circulating centered double-width web, a second condition comprising selection of the pair of heads (T1,T2) independently to concomitantly print on the two circulating single-width webs separated by a gap (13),

means for supplying the selected heads (T1,T2) with at least one color of ink (C1), wherein

the means for selective control of the heads in order to print a pattern by each head onto a same or different web, takes into account a second spatial displacement resulting from the at least one displacement device acting on said same or different web;

wherein

the displacement device is constituted by a return device for a return without turnover (60 through 64;

FIG.

     6) of a single-width web printed on one side in a first color of ink (C1;

FIG.

     6) by a first single group of heads (T1) toward a second group of heads (T2) supplied with another color of ink (C2), in order to allow two-color printing in a same side of said web; and

the printer assembly includes a first printer (1A) and a second printer (1B) associated in series for four-color printing on the same side of a single width web, the second printer (1B) using the second group of heads (T'"'"'2;

FIG.

     16) as the first printer and printing on a first side, and the device for returning without turnover (60B through 64B;

FIG.

     16) disposed to assure the orientation of the web exiting from the second group of heads (T'"'"'2) of the second printer toward the first group of heads (T'"'"'2) of the second printer disposed on the left side of the second printer so as to print four colors on the same side of a single width web.

8. The printer assembly according to claim 7, wherein each group of heads or both groups of heads are supplied with one color of ink.

9. The printer assembly according to claim 7, wherein the printing motor is the magnetographic type.

10. The printer assembly according to claim 7, wherein the printing motor is the electrophotographic type.

11. The printer assembly according to claim 7, wherein the printing motor is the ionographic type.

12. The printer assembly according to claim 7, wherein the printing motor is the thermal type.

13. The printer assembly according to claim 7, wherein the printing motor is the ink-jet type.

14. The printer assembly according to claim 7, wherein the first motor is a first type and the second motor is another type.

15. A printer assembly for printing on a circulating centered double-width web or two single-width webs separated by a gap (13) comprising:

a single printing motor assembly arranged for circulating the web, the web having a web feed path having a width greater than the width of a double-width web,

at least one displacement device arranged for acting on the web,

at least one pair of heads (T1, T2), each head having a plurality of fixed writing heads arranged for printing patterns on the webs, said patterns being separated from each other by a first spatial displacement in the feed path direction,

a single non-contact heating element disposed in the path of travel of the circulating web, and

means for selective control of the pairs of heads for alternative operating conditions, a first condition comprising selection of a pair of heads (T1,T2) to print a circulating centered double-width web, a second condition comprising selection of the pair of heads (T1,T2) independently to concomitantly print on the two circulating single-width webs separated by a gap (13),

means for supplying the selected heads (T1, T2) with at least one color of ink (C1), wherein the means for selective control of the heads in order to print a pattern by each head onto a same or different web, takes into account a second spatial displacement resulting from the at least one displacement device acting on said same or different web;

wherein

the displacement device is constituted by a return device for a return, with turnover (50 through 54;

FIG.

     5), of a single-width web printed on one side in one color (C1, FIG.

     6) by the first group of heads (T1) toward the second group of heads (T2) supplied with ink of the same color (C1), in order to allow two-sided printing; and

a first (1A) and a second (1B) two-sided printer associated in series, the second printer (1B) printing the second color (C2) of the two-color pattern on the back side of the single-width web using the second group of heads (T'"'"'2), and the device for returning with turnover (50B through 54B;

FIG.

     13) in the second printer (1B) being disposed to assure the orientation of the web exiting from the group of heads (T'"'"'2) situated at the right of the printer toward the group of heads (T'"'"'1) situated at the left of the second printer (1B) in order to effect the printing of the pattern in the second color (C1) on a front side of the web.

16. The printer assembly according to claim 15, wherein each group of heads or both groups of heads are supplied with one color of ink.

17. The printer assembly according to claim 15, wherein the printing motor is the magnetographic type.

18. The printer assembly according to claim 15, wherein the printing motor is the electrophotographic type.

19. The printer assembly according to claim 15, wherein the printing motor is the ionographic type.

20. The printer assembly according to claim 15, wherein the printing motor is the thermal type.

21. The printer assembly according to claim 15, wherein the printing motor is the ink-jet type.

22. The printer assembly according to claim 15, wherein the first motor is a first type and the second motor is another type.

23. A printer assembly for printing on a circulating centered double-width web or two single-width webs separated by a gap (13) comprising:

a single printing motor assembly arranged for circulating the web, the web having a web feed path having a width greater than the width of a double-width web,

at least one displacement device arranged for acting on the web,

at least one pair of heads (T1, T2), each head having a plurality of fixed writing heads arranged for printing patterns on the webs, said patterns being separated from each other by a first spatial displacement in the feed path direction,

a single non-contact heating element disposed in the path of travel of the circulating web, and

means for selective control of the pairs of heads for multiple operating conditions, a first condition comprising selection of a pair of heads (T1,T2) to print a circulating centered double-width web, a second condition comprising selection of the pair of heads (T1,T2) independently to concomitantly print on the two circulating single-width webs separated by a gap (13), and a third condition comprising selection of the pair of heads (T1,T2) to print overlayed print images on a single width web circulating multiple times past said pairs of heads (T1, T2),

means for supplying the selected heads (T1, T2) with at least one color of ink (C1), wherein

the means for selective control of the heads in order to print a pattern by each head onto said centered double-width web or said single-width web takes into account a second spatial displacement resulting from the at least one displacement device acting on said centered double-width web or said single-width web; and

including a first (1A) and a second printer (1B) printing in series on two single width webs with different colors of ink, and wherein single-width web exiting from a left path under a left group of heads (T1) of the first printer (1A;

FIG.

     14) is turned over by a turner device (70 through 74;

FIG.

     14) before being fed into a left path of the second printer (1B) to be printed in a different color of ink by the left group of heads (T1) of the second printer (1B).

24. A printer assembly for printing on a circulating centered double-width web or two single-width webs separated by a gap (13) comprising:

a single printing motor assembly arranged for circulating the web, the web having a web feed path having a width greater than the width of a double-width web,

at least one displacement device arranged for acting on the web,

at least one pair of heads (T1, T2), each head having a plurality of fixed writing heads arranged for printing patterns on the webs, said patterns being separated from each other by a first spatial displacement in the feed path direction,

a single non-contact heating element disposed in the path of travel of the circulating web, and

means for selective control of the pairs of heads for multiple operating conditions, a first condition comprising selection of a pair of heads (T1,T2) to print a circulating centered double-width web, a second condition comprising selection of the pair of heads (T1,T2) independently to concomitantly print on the two circulating single-width webs separated by a gap (13), and a third condition comprising selection of the pair of heads (T1,T2) to print overlayed print images on a single width web circulating multiple times past said pairs of heads (T1,T2),

means for supplying the selected heads (T1, T2) with at least one color of ink (C1), wherein

the means for selective control of the heads in order to print a pattern by each head onto said centered double-width web or said single-width web takes into account a second spatial displacement resulting from the at least one displacement device acting on said same or different web centered double-width web or said single-width web; and

including a first (1A) and a second (1B) printer associated in series for printing on a two single width web, the second printer (1B;

FIG.

     15) being supplied with two different colors of ink (C1, C2), and each printer using the heads in two groups of heads (T'"'"'1, T'"'"'2), and wherein the web exiting via a left path of the first printer is turned over in a turner device (70 through 73;

FIG.

     15) in order to be fed into a left path corresponding to the first group of heads (T'"'"'1) of the second printer (18) which is supplied with the same color of ink (C1) as the first printer (1A), while a right web exiting from the first printer (1A) returns directly into the second printer (1B) to be printed by the second group of heads (T'"'"'2) in the second printer (1B) supplied with the second color (C2).

25. A printer assembly for printing on a circulating centered double-width web comprising:

a first and second printing motor assembly each arranged for circulating the web, the web having a web feed path having a width greater than the width of the double-width web,

at least one displacement device arranged for acting on the web,

at least one pair of heads, each head having a plurality of fixed writing heads arranged for printing patterns on the webs, said patterns being separated from each other by a first spatial displacement in the feed path direction,

each of said first and second motor assemblies being associated with a single non-contact heating element disposed in the path of travel of the circulating web,

means for selective control of the pairs of heads to print the circulating centered double-width web, and

means for supplying the selected heads with at least one color of ink, wherein

the means for selective control of the heads in order to print a pattern by each head onto said centered double-width web, takes into account a second spatial displacement resulting from the at least one displacement device acting on.

26. A printer assembly for printing on two circulating single-width webs, comprising:

a first and second printing motor assembly each arranged for circulating the webs, each web having a web feed path having a width greater than the width of the double-width web,

at least one displacement device arranged for acting on at least one web,

at least one pair of heads, each head having a plurality of fixed writing heads arranged for printing patterns on the two webs, said patterns being separated from each other by a first spatial displacement in the feed path direction, said heads arranged for concomitantly printing on the circulating two single width webs separated by a gap (13),

each of said first and second motor assemblies being associated with a single non-contact heating element disposed in the path of travel of the circulating web,

means for selective control of the pairs of heads to print a circulating centered double-width web, and

means for supplying the selected heads with at least one color of ink, wherein

the means for selective control of the heads in order to print a pattern by each head onto said two centered double-width webs, takes into account a second spatial displacement resulting from the at least one displacement device acting on the webs.