Abstract:
Spaced pins support and align the strip. Apertures in the strip engage the pins with no fastening. The strip—best a transparent member and glued strength member—is end-mounted and -tensioned. Ideally the apertures are slots to constrain the strip as to only one dimension, and spaced (ideally about 30 cm on centers) to facilitate cutting various-size strips (e. g. for spans of roughly 91½, 106½, 152½ and 183 cm) from common, preapertured stock. The strip is longer than a meter; the invention is progressively more valuable for 1¼ m or longer strips. At least one pin is placed to keep fundamental oscillation of the strip, due to environmental vibration, from moving the strip out of position. The invention can take the form of the strip only, for use with the pins; or a printer with encoding system having the strip and pins—and a sensor responsive to the encoder to control printing; or a method of preparing a system for use. The pins prevent the strip from leaving the sensor and permit use of very low tension—only that needed to hold up the strip, within its vertical-alignment tolerance, over a short span between pins. The tension, and thereby the vertical-dimension stack from encoder scale to sensor, are thus made virtually independent of encoder-strip length. Such a printer ideally has a printhead carriage that scans parallel to the strip; the sensor (adjacent to the strip and carried on the carriage) develops signals representing position and velocity of the sensor and carriage relative to the strip. Printheads on the carriage form color marks to construct an image on a print medium. A medium-advance mechanism provides relative motion between carriage and medium. A processor responds to the position/velocity signals, and coordinates the printheads and advance mechanism to form the image.
Abstract:
Techniques related to printing are described herein. According to an example, color patches are to be printed on a substrate. The substrate can be positioned on a substrate support for operation of a color sensor in a color measurement zone. Dimension and location in the substrate of the color patches are selected such that, for each color patch, at least a portion of the color patch can be positioned on a support projection in the color measurement zone. In some examples, color analysis techniques are described.
Abstract:
Ink drying methods and apparatus are disclosed. One example ink drying apparatus includes a resistive heating element having a first power dissipation density adjacent to a center region of a print media travel path and a second power dissipation density adjacent to an edge region of the print media travel path, wherein the first and second power densities are not equal.
Abstract:
A printing fluid circulation system is described. The system comprises first and second reservoirs, an outlet to supply printing fluid to a fluid inlet of a printhead, an inlet to receive printing fluid from a fluid outlet of the printhead, and a supply system. The supply system is to operate in a first mode to concurrently supply printing fluid from the first reservoir to the outlet and from the inlet to the second reservoir, and in a second mode to concurrently supply printing fluid from the second reservoir to the outlet and from the inlet to the first reservoir.
Abstract:
A print head servicing unit comprises a cassette which is removably insertable in a hard copy apparatus and comprises some or all of a moveable web of absorbent colour material for receiving waste ink from the print head; a storage compartment for accommodating received waste ink; a cap for the print head; and a filter for filtering air-borne particles in the region of the print head. The path of the web through the cassette is such that a region thereof for receiving spat ink from the print head is arranged downstream of a region thereof for wiping ink from the print head.
Abstract:
System for supplying ink printed on a print medium comprises a heater to heat air, an impingement plate with a plurality of holes, and a blower for blowing heated air through the holes of the impingement plate onto the print medium. The impingement flux length in the system which may be defined as the length of the impingement plate through which heated air is blown, is adjustable.
Abstract:
System for supplying ink printed on a print medium comprises a heater to heat air, an impingement plate with a plurality of holes, and a blower for blowing heated air through the holes of the impingement plate onto the print medium. The impingement flux length in the system which may be defined as the length of the impingement plate through which heated air is blown, is adjustable.
Abstract:
Ink drying methods and apparatus are disclosed. One example ink drying apparatus includes a resistive heating element having a first power dissipation density adjacent to a center region of a print media travel path and a second power dissipation density adjacent to an edge region of the print media travel path, wherein the first and second power densities are not equal.