Patent Application
20130114987
A web press enables printing a high volume of materials via use of a continuous web of media from which sheets are cut after printing desired content on the web. Typical web presses determine when and where to print by using vision systems and alignment marks on the media web. For example, a sensor is used to sense position marks or top-of-form indicators on the web of media to trigger printing at a desired location. In another example, a typical web press uses active steering mechanisms to guide travel of the media web and typically uses heaters to dry printed portions of the media web. Despite the common acceptance of typical web presses, challenges remain to achieve high quality printing in smaller formats.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the present disclosure may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “leading,” “trailing,” etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. Because components of embodiments of the present disclosure can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a web press and a method of printing. In particular, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide high quality duplex printing for a web press by controlling velocity while maintaining the media web in alignment under tension without heating and without duplicative drive systems. Timing of printing is controlled without the use of alignment marks or features on the media web. Moreover, some of these embodiments are employed in a generally horizontal configuration that is modifiable to different sizes without substantially altering vertical dimensions of the web press.
In one embodiment, duplex printing is achieved with a first printer for printing on a first side of a media web and a second printer downstream from the first printer for printing on a second opposite side of the media web. In one aspect, both printers are interposed between a pair of nips to control the media web to travel at a substantially constant velocity in the printing zone between the nips.
In some embodiments, printing on a media web at both a first printer and a second printer is initiated at a top-of-form location based on a cutting frequency that occurs downstream from the printing location. This arrangement ensures top-to-bottom alignment as well as front-to-back alignment in duplex printing because the printing is synchronized according to the timing used to cut sheets. In one embodiment, the timing is based on sensing a mechanical position of the cutter
In some embodiments, controlling a dry time or throughput rate of the web press is controllable via arranging several spans of the media web along its travel path into a vertically stacked, generally parallel relationship and a generally horizontal orientation. With this generally horizontal orientation, the drying time or throughput rate is achieved for a given type of media and/or ink by initially setting a combined length and/or individual length of the various spans of the web pathway that extend horizontally. It will be understood that in other embodiments, the web press is arranged so that the stack of generally parallel spans of the media web extends in a generally vertical orientation instead of a generally horizontal orientation. In this latter arrangement, in one embodiment, drying time or throughput rate is modified by changing a length of the respective spans of media web in the generally vertical orientation without substantially altering the horizontal dimensions of the web press.
In one embodiment, alignment of the media web in the web press is primarily achieved via constantly maintaining some tension on the media web from the media supply, through a buffer zone, and through the region of printing. Accordingly, once the media supply is properly aligned, maintaining this tension generally keeps the media web in proper alignment. In this arrangement, the buffer zone is located and configured to absorb variances in velocity of the media web so that the media web is fed at a substantially constant velocity to the printers of the web press and so that some constant tension is maintained on media web throughout its pathway through the web press.
These embodiments, and additional embodiments, are described and illustrated in association with
As further shown in
Media supply 20 provides a supply of media web 22 for printing and includes a magnetic clutch to control feeding of media web 22 to downstream portions of web press 20. In general terms, web press 10 can be constructed to accommodate varying widths of media web 22. In one embodiment, media supply 20 supplies a media web having a width of about 8½ inches. Moreover, in one embodiment, web 22 comprises a web of printing material such as a cellulose-based media. In another embodiment, web 22 is formed of a polymeric material. In yet another embodiment, web 22 comprises one or more other materials. In one embodiment, the printing material comprises a fluid such as one or more inks. In yet other embodiments, the printing material may comprise other types of fluid.
Before being fed to printers 40, 60, media web 22 is engaged by dancer roller 30. In one embodiment, dancer roller 30 is supported via a swing arm 35 and includes a mass, as familiar to those skilled in the art, such that dancer roller 30 is capable of moving up and down via pivoting action (represented by arrow) of swing arm 35 in response to variations in velocity of media web 22. For example, when a web velocity decreases, the dancer roller 30 drops vertically and when a web velocity increases, the dancer roller 30 rises vertically. With an appropriately selected mass of dancer roller 30, this arrangement and behavior ensures that a desired level of tension is maintained on media web 22 while absorbing any variances in velocity of media web 22 as media supply 20 feeds web 22 to printers 40, 60. In one aspect, this arrangement facilitates travel of media web 22 at a substantially constant velocity, under tension, at printers 40, 60 as well as facilitating alignment of media web 22.
As further shown in
From first nip 32, web 22 travels underneath positioning roller 34 and then underneath first printer 40. Rollers 42 are positioned on an opposite side of media web 22 from first printer 40 to support media web 22 during application of ink by second printer 40 to media web 22. Printer 40 selectively deposits printing material upon web 22 to form an image, pattern, layout or arrangement of printing material upon web 22. Moreover, first printer 40 includes the capability of printing in color and/or black. In some embodiments, first printer 40 is configured as a page-wide printhead array to enable printing across a full width of media web 22 without translating the individual printheads relative to the media web 22.
Second printer 60 comprises substantially the same features and attributes as first printer 40, as previously described, with rollers 62 positioned on an opposite side of media web 22 from second printer 60 to support media web 22 during application of ink by second printer 60 to the media web 22.
In some embodiments, printers 40, 60 include an array of pens (represented as P in
According to one embodiment, the pens of printers 40, 60 include a self-contained reservoir of fluid which is supplied to the associated print heads. In yet another embodiment, the pens of printers 40, 60 each include a reservoir which is further supplied with fluid or ink via an off-axis ink supply system using one or more pumps or other mechanisms to supply a fluid to each of pens. In one embodiment, the pens of print module 22 are configured to apply multiple colors of ink such as black (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), or yellow (Y) colored inks, as well as other colors as desired.
Looking downstream from first printer 40, media web 22 travels over roller 43 to support a span 47 of media web 22 from first printer 40 to first directional roller 50. First directional roller 50 is positioned and sized to cause media web 22 to change from the first direction (A) to the second opposite direction (B) while simultaneously orienting second side 22B of media web 22 to receive printing from second printer 60. In this way, first directional roller 50 facilitates duplex printing on media web 22. In addition, by providing the directional change via a single, relative large roller 50, web press 10 creates space to house second printer 60 vertically below the first span 47 of media web 22 (and generally below first printer 40) and above second side 22B of media web 22 through the second span 57 of media web 22. In one embodiment, roller 50 includes a diameter that is generally equal to or greater than a height of second printer 60 that extends above media web 22. In another aspect, providing the directional change via a single, relatively large roller also minimizes velocity variations (typically associated with the conventional uses of many smaller rollers) due to the potential roundness variability from roller to roller.
In one embodiment, span 57 extends from first directional roller 50 to second directional roller 55, which has substantially the same features as roller 50 except for its general location. Approximately midway between the first and second rollers 50, 55 the second printer 60 applies material to media web 22. After printing, media web 22 changes direction again via second directional roller 55 so that in third span 67, the media web 22 again travels in the first direction (arrow A). In one aspect, span 67 of media web 22 extends from second directional roller 55 to roller 70, and then a short span 77 extends generally vertically from roller 70 to second nip 80. Following release from second nip 80, media web 22 enters cutter 90.
Accordingly, within the zone between first nip 32 and second nip 80, web press 10 maintains media web 22 in a web travel path under tension and moving at a substantially constant velocity as the media web 22 passes underneath first printer 40 and second printer 60. While the tension is allowed to vary within an operating range (as described later in association with
With further reference to the diagram 100 of
Similarly, the span 29 (represented between arrows S and T along the web travel path) between second printer 60 and second nip 80 is sufficiently long to ensure proper drying time of printed-upon second side 22B of media web 22, such that span 29 is also heater-free. In one aspect, span 29 has substantially similar dimensional parameters as the first span 27 in that the length of span 29 is substantially longer than the path length (X) of printer 60. In some embodiments, as illustrated in
As previously described in association with
As further shown in
In general terms, web press 10 provides a web travel path in which a substantial majority of a length of the media web 22 extends in a generally horizontal orientation, and the various spans or segments of media web 22 extend generally parallel to each other. With this general arrangement, one can readily implement multiple designs by modifying a length of spans 47, 57, and 67. In one aspect, selecting the length of the various spans 47, 57, 67 or a combined length of spans 47, 57, 67 is based on at least one of a media type, an ink type, and a travel speed of the media web.
In one embodiment, at the time of initial assembly, one selects an overall path length and length of spans 47, 57, 67 (from among a plurality of possible lengths) to achieve a desired drying time between the first printer 40 and second printer 60 or between second printer 60 and second nip 80. These modifications affecting the length of generally horizontal dimensions of the spans 47, 57, 67 are made without substantially altering the vertical dimensions of the web press in general, and of the vertical stack of spans 47, 57, and 67 in particular.
In one embodiment, in order to modify the overall path length, which includes the path lengths of spans 47, 57, 67, a distance between nips 32, 80 is changed to a desired length while maintaining a substantial majority of the media web 22 between nips 32, 80 in the generally horizontal orientation. In one embodiment, this substantially majority comprises about 90 percent of the path length of media web 22 between nips 32, 80. In another aspect, the generally horizontal orientation of the respective spans is expressed by the combined length of the respective spans 47, 57, 67 (L1+L2+L3) being substantially greater than a vertical height (H in
Accordingly, web press 10 achieves high quality duplex printing in an efficient manner with an arrangement that is scalable to accommodate different lengths of media web 22 between nips 32, 80.
In general terms, the controller 18 is configured to cause a selected throughput rate or displacement rate of the media web 22 between the pre-printing nip 32 and the post-printing nip 80. In general terms, input 19 comprises one or more mechanisms by which instructions or commands may be provided to controller 18. Examples of input 19, include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, a keypad, a touchpad, a touch screen, a microphone with speech recognition software, one or more buttons, switches and the like. Although input 19 is illustrated as being directly located with web press 10, input 19 may be an external source of commands which transmits control signals via the internet, a network or other wired or wireless communication medium.
Controller 18 comprises one or more processing units and associated memories configured to generate control signals directing the operation of web press 10. In particular, in response to or based upon commands received via input 19 or instructions contained in the memory of controller 18, the controller 18 generates signals to control operations of web press 10. Some non-limiting examples includes the controller 18 generating control signals directing operation of nips 32, 80 to drive transport of web 22, control signals directing the application or deposition of printing material by printers 40, 60, and control signals directing supply 20, nip 32, and nip 80 to control the tension of web 22 and/or the rate or velocity at which web 22 moves through web press 10.
For purposes of this application, the term “processing unit” shall mean a presently developed or future developed processing unit that executes sequences of instructions contained in a memory. Execution of the sequences of instructions causes the processing unit to perform steps such as generating control signals. The instructions may be loaded in a random access memory (RAM) for execution by the processing unit from a read only memory (ROM), a mass storage device, or some other persistent storage. In other embodiments, hard wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the functions described. For example, controller 18 may be embodied as part of one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Unless otherwise specifically noted, the controller is not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software, nor limited to any particular source for the instructions executed by the processing unit.
In order to ensure that content is printed at the proper locations on media web 222 to achieve high quality printed sheets, web press 210 determines which locations on the media web at which printing should be initiated. In some contexts, this determination is generally referred to as identifying a top-of-form on the media web prior to printing. In particular, the printed content has to conform with top-to-bottom constraints, as well as front-to-back constraints when printing in duplex.
As further shown in
It will be understood that the lines in
In one embodiment of web press 10, the determination of where to initiating printing along media web 22 for each future sheet (to be cut from media web 22) is made by using information from the cutter 290, which is located downstream from the printers 240, 260. Accordingly, with this arrangement, information from a location downstream is used to determine when to initiate an action upstream. In particular, in one embodiment cutter 290 tracks a frequency of cutting sheets from the media web 222 by detecting the position of a mechanical element associated with cutting. In some embodiments, the cutter 290 comprises a drum-type cutter, as will be described in more detail in association with
Web press 210 also includes a controller 286. In one embodiment, controller 286 includes at least substantially the same features and attributes as controller 18, as previously described in association with
As previously noted, the diagram 200 in
It will be understood that in other embodiments, the reference function 292 may track a different reference parameter (other than cutting frequency) of cutter 290 or even track a reference parameter for another device along web travel path that is indicative of a throughput rate which can trigger initiation of printing without use of a vision system and/or alignment marks on the media web.
Prior to operation of web press 210, the initiation signal 2401, 2601 for printers 240, 260 is synchronized or calibrated relative to the rotational behavior of cutter 290. In particular, the initiation signal is based on several parameters, including but not limited to, (1) a speed of travel of web 222; (2) distance between the cutter 290 and the first printer 240, and distance between the cutter 290 and the second printer 260; (3) a desired length of the future sheets; and (4) a frequency of rotation of a drum or disc that comprises a portion of the cutter 290. In the situation where the initiation signal corresponds to a top-of-form signal, the signal also accounts for the top and bottom whitespace margins of the future sheets to be cut.
Accordingly, based on these parameters, a time interval is calculated at which printing will be periodically initiated at first printer 240 and then at second printer 260, after a fixed time delay accounting for the distance between the respective printers 260. In this way, the rotational components associated with cutter 290 effectively function as clock to cyclically initiate printing for each “future” sheet on media web. Moreover, because the rotational cutting frequency of cutter 290 is the basis for timing of printing content, the arrangement ensures that cutting locations will be matched with the top and bottom of the printed portion of web to be cut as a sheet.
In general terms, cutter 290 comprises a device including a cutting element 300 configured for cutting sheets from media web 222. In one embodiment, as shown in
In one embodiment, drum 302 includes a recess portion 308 in which blade 304 is mounted such that cutting edge 307 is exposed at a surface 303 of drum 302 and in a position to engage opposing knife 351 of block 350 to result in a cutting action on media web 222 as the blade 304 moves past fixed knife 351 with each rotation of drum 302. Accordingly, the blade 304 cuts the media web 222 into separate sheets with each rotation of the drum 302.
While blade 304 extends generally transverse to the travel direction of media web 22 as shown in
As shown in
With this arrangement, sensor 240 detects the various features of disc 320, including generally circular edge 322 and the respective edges 326, 328 of notch 324. In general terms, upon detection via sensor 340 of notch 324 with each rotation of disc 320 and drum 302, the controller 286 generates an initiation signal 240I, 260I to printers 240, 260 (
As shown in
With this arrangement, printing is performed at the desired location on media web 222 without detecting features or alignment marks on the media web 222, as is otherwise typically done with conventional web presses. Consequently, web press 210 operates without a costly or complex vision system to detect such marks and/or without alignment marks on a media web 222.
In some embodiments, instead of using disc 320 and notch 324 as the rotational position element to track rotational frequency of cutter 290, an encoder mechanism is used to count encoder markings on a motor of cutter 290. The encoder count is used to develop a top-of-form signal used to trigger initiation of printing on media web.
While the cutter 290 is located after second nip 280, and therefore after printing is completed, it will be understood that in some embodiments, cutter 290 forms part of a single assembly with the components that perform printing. In this aspect, cutter 290 would be integrated into the web press 220 as opposed to the cutter 290 being a separate and independent device as in conventional web presses. Moreover, with reference to earlier described embodiments (
In some embodiments, the signal tracked at cutter 290 is used to synchronize additional processes downstream from cutter 290 in a manner substantially similar to synchronizing initiating of printing on media web 222. For example, as shown in
With this arrangement in mind, web press 410 includes a first web tension zone 451, a second web tension zone 453, and a third web tension zone 457. The first web tension zone 451 extends from the media supply 420 to nip 425. The second web tension zone 453 is located downstream from the first web tension zone 451, extends between nip 425 and nip 432, and is defined primarily by the dancer roller 431. The third web tension zone 457 is located downstream from the second tension zone 453 and extends between the respective first and second nips 432, 480. The printer(s) 440, 460 are located in the third web tension zone 457 and print on the media web 422 according to an alignment path determined relative to a detected edge of the media web, as will be further described in association with
In one embodiment, second tension zone acts as a buffer to effectively absorb or compensate for any variances in velocity as media web 422 is taken off media supply 420 so that media web 422 constantly remains under some amount of tension through its entire path from media supply 420 through the third tension zone 457 wherein printing occurs. In this respect, the media web 422 remains coupled within a travel path as the media web 422 transitions from media supply 420 to printing operations in third tension zone 457. Unlike a conventional web press, this arrangement maintains the media travel path under tension without decoupling the media web. In one embodiment, first tension zone 451 applies a tension of about one-half lbs/inch while second tension zone 452 maintains a tension of about one-half lbs/inch. However, the second tension zone 452 maintains this tension by the dancer roller 430 supported by swing arm 425 (and associated mass). The third tension zone 457, in which printing operations take place, constantly maintains tension on media web 422 but allows the tension to vary within an operating range of one-quarter lbs/inch to one lb/inch. In one aspect, the tension in third tension zone 457 is achieved and maintained by driving nip 480 slightly faster than nip 432.
Maintaining tension through all three zones 451, 453, and 457 greatly facilitates achieving and maintaining a substantially constant velocity on media web 422 as it travels through the third tension zone 457 in which printing operations take place. By maintaining a substantially constant velocity with the web constantly under tension from the media supply 420 and through the printing operations, high quality printing is achieved without using complex control systems directly adjacent the printers.
In general terms, by maintaining the tension on media web 22 consecutively through zones 451, 453, 457, web press 410 maintains an alignment path for media web 422 relative to the printers 440, 460 and relative to various nips and rollers. In one embodiment, further alignment can occur via laterally shifting media supply 420 until the proper alignment of the media web 422 is achieved for travel in alignment with printers 440, 460, and other elements of web press 410.
In one aspect, assuming a given alignment path is maintained, the alignment path will be coordinated with a position of the printers 440, 460 to ensure proper alignment of the printers relative to media web 422.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide high quality duplex printing for a web press by controlling velocity while maintaining the media web in alignment under tension without heating and without duplicative drive systems. Timing of printing is controlled without the use of alignment marks or features on the media web, and therefore, the web press efficiently omits complex, costly vision systems. Moreover, these embodiments are employed in a generally horizontal configuration that is modifiable to different sizes without substantially altering vertical dimensions of the web press.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2010/039845 | Jun 2010 | US | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US10/39845 | 6/24/2010 | WO | 00 | 12/17/2012 |
