Method of printing on a product

• US 8,065,034 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2010
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quad Graphics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quad Graphics, Inc.
• Inventors: Geres, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BURGESS, RAMYA PRAKASAM
• Application Number:
  US12/726,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188677A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 700/223, 700/220, 700/227, 700/113, 270/113, 270/1.01, 270/1.02, 270/1.03, 270/52.02, 532/843
• US Class Current: 700/223
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 1/12 Machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together the sheets or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4311 Making personalised books or mail packets according to personal, geographic or demographic data
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4454 Merging two or more streams
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/412 of user, e.g. user code
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/415 of job
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/78 Mailing systems
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 39/06 from delivery streams

Abstract

A method of conveying a printed product on a conveying device toward a printer for printing. The thickness of the printed product is monitored, and the height of the printer is adjusted based on the thickness of the printed product. Indicia is printed on the printed product with the printer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a first stream of printed products comprising a first printed product having a first thickness;

printing indicia on the first printed product with a first printer;

providing a second stream of printed products comprising a second printed product having a second thickness;

combining the first stream of printed products and the second stream of printed products on a conveying device,

conveying the first printed product and the second printed product on the conveying device toward a second printer;

monitoring at least the second thickness of the second printed product;

adjusting a height of the second printer based on at least the second thickness of the second printed product; and

printing indicia on the second printed product with the second printer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first thickness of the first printed product is different than the second thickness of the second printed product.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first printed product and the second printed product are combined at a single location of the conveying device to form a stack of printed products.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein monitoring at least the second thickness of the second printed product further comprises monitoring the first thickness of the first printed product and calculating the thickness of the stack of printed products based on the first thickness of the first printed product and the second thickness of the second printed product.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the height adjustment of the second printer is based on the calculated thickness of the stack of printed products.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein monitoring at least the second thickness of the second printed product further comprises monitoring the thickness of the stack of printed products.

7. A method comprising:

conveying a first printed product on a conveying device toward a printer, the first printed product having a thickness;

monitoring the thickness of the first printed product;

adjusting a height of the printer based on the thickness of the first printed product; and

printing indicia on the first printed product with the printer.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

conveying a second printed product toward the printer, wherein the second printed product has a thickness different than the thickness of the first printed product;

monitoring the thickness of the second printed product; and

adjusting the printer height based on the thickness of the second printed product.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising printing indicia on the second printed product with the printer.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising combining a first stream of printed products comprising the first printed product and a second stream of printed products comprising the second printed product on the conveying device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising stacking the first printed product on top of the second printed product, wherein monitoring the thickness of each of the first and second printed products comprises monitoring a thickness of a stack of printed products comprising at least the first and second printed products, and wherein adjusting the printer height based on each of the first and second printed products comprises adjusting the height of the printer based on the thickness of the stack of printed products.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the stack of printed products comprising at least the first and second printed products is within a single position on the conveying device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the single position on the conveying device is a chain slot.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising printing indicia on the second printed product prior to stacking the first printed product on top of the second printed product.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second printed products are placed at different positions on the conveying device when the first stream of printed products and the second stream of printed products are combined.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second printed products are placed in different chain slots of the conveying device.

17. The method of claim 7, further comprising monitoring the thickness of at least the first printed product with a controller, and providing a signal to an actuator to adjust the height of the printer based on the thickness of at least the first printed product conveyed toward the printer.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the indicia includes an address.

19. A method comprising:

combining a first printed product and a second printed product on a conveying device, wherein the first printed product and the second printed product have different thicknesses and are placed at different positions on the conveying device;

conveying the first printed product and the second printed product on the conveying device toward a printer;

monitoring the thicknesses of the first printed product and the second printed product;

adjusting a height of the printer based on the thickness of the first printed product;

printing indicia on the first printed product with the printer;

adjusting a height of the printer based on the thickness of the second printed product; and

printing indicia on the second printed product with the printer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first and second printed products are placed in different chain slots of the conveying device.