US 11,718,107 B2
Airflow control in a printing system via media registration, and related devices, systems, and methods
Chu-Heng Liu, Penfield, NY (US); Douglas K. Herrmann, Webster, NY (US); Jason M. LeFevre, Penfield, NY (US); Paul J. McConville, Webster, NY (US); and Seemit Praharaj, Webster, NY (US)
Assigned to Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed by XEROX CORPORATION, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed on Mar. 31, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/218,900.
Prior Publication US 2022/0314654 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B41J 29/38 (2006.01); B41J 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 11/0085 (2013.01) 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A printing system, comprising:
an ink deposition assembly comprising a printhead arranged to eject a print fluid to a deposition region of the ink deposition assembly;
a media transport assembly comprising a movable support surface with holes through the movable support surface, a media registration device, and a source of vacuum suction,
wherein the media registration device is configured to load print media onto the movable support surface and register the print media to locations of the movable support surface, each of the print media having a lead edge and a trail edge,
wherein the media transport assembly is configured to hold the print media against the movable support surface by vacuum suction through the holes and transport the print media along a process direction though the deposition region, and
wherein the movable support surface comprises no-suction-regions in which the vacuum suction is prevented, the no-suction-regions extending in a cross-process direction across the movable support surface and being distributed along the movable support surface in the process direction; and
a control system configured to cause the media registration device to register the lead edge or the trail edge of each of the print media relative to a respective one of the no-suction-regions, wherein there is an upstream gap between an upstream face of the printhead and a rim of the printhead opening and a downstream gap between a downstream face of the printhead and the rim of the printhead opening, and
wherein:
the upstream gap is blocked to passage of airflow and the downstream gap is open to passage of airflow and the control system is configured to cause the media registration device to register the trail edge of each of the print media against a respective one of the no-suction-regions, or
the downstream gap is blocked to passage of airflow and the upstream gap is open to passage of airflow and the control system is configured to cause the media registration device to register the lead edge of each of the print media against a respective one of the no-suction-regions.