Tray insert for an ink tray of a production printing system
View Patent ↗Tray inserts are disclosed for production printing systems. The tray inserts rest in ink trays and hold ink absorbing elements. The tray inserts and ink absorbing elements collect ink when printheads print outside of the margin of a printable medium, or otherwise discharge ink that does not contact the medium, such as during a cleaning cycle. When the ink absorbing elements become saturated and excess ink collects in the tray inserts, the tray inserts may be lifted vertically out of the ink trays and the ink absorbing elements may be removed from the tray inserts. The excess ink may then be dumped or otherwise cleaned from the tray inserts. In one embodiment, the tray inserts include drains which are used to empty the excess ink.
1. A production printing system, comprising:
a printhead array operable to discharge ink to print on a printable medium;
an ink tray that is affixed in the printing system facing the printhead array;
a tray insert adapted to rest in the ink tray and to be lifted from the ink tray; and
an ink absorbing element adapted to rest in the tray insert and operable to absorb ink that is discharged from the printhead array when the ink does not contact the printable medium;
wherein the tray insert includes a bottom section, two side sections, and two end sections that are connected to one another in a sealed fashion to form a container structure that is open at the top and enclosed at the bottom to contain a liquid;
wherein the tray insert further includes a drain on the bottom section, where the bottom section of the tray insert slopes toward the drain.
2. The production printing system of claim 1 wherein the tray insert has a width at least as wide as the printhead array.
3. The production printing system of claim 1 wherein the tray insert further includes:
a lip on one of the end sections that is adapted to be grasped by a printer operator to lift the tray insert vertically from the ink tray.
4. The production printing system of claim 1 further comprising:
a drain tube that connects between the drain and an ink storage container.
5. A production printing system having a printhead array operable to discharge ink and having an ink tray that is affixed in the printing system to face the printhead array, the production printing system comprising:
a tray insert that fits in the ink tray and has a container structure having a bottom section, two side sections, and two end sections that are connected to one another in a sealed fashion, the container structure is open at the top to receive an ink absorbing element operable to absorb ink that is discharged from the printhead array outside of the margin of the printable medium, and is enclosed at the bottom to contain a liquid;
wherein the tray insert further includes a drain on the bottom section, where the bottom section of the tray insert slopes toward the drain;
wherein the tray insert is adapted to be lifted from the ink tray to remove the ink absorbing element from the printing system.
6. The production printing system of claim 5 wherein the tray insert has a width at least as wide as the printhead array.
7. The production printing system of claim 5 wherein the tray insert further includes:
a lip on one of the end sections that is adapted to be grasped by a printer operator to lift the tray insert vertically from the ink tray.
8. The production printing system of claim 5 further comprising:
a drain tube that connects between the drain and an ink storage container.
9. A production printing system, comprising:
a plurality of rollers operable to support a first surface of a printable medium;
a plurality of printhead arrays operable to discharge ink to print on a second surface of the printable medium;
a plurality of ink trays that are affixed in the printing system proximate to the rollers and facing the printhead arrays;
a plurality of tray inserts each adapted to rest in one of the ink trays and to be lifted from the ink trays; and
a plurality of ink absorbing elements each adapted to rest in one of the tray inserts and operable to absorb ink that is discharged from the printhead arrays outside of the margin of the printable medium.
10. The production printing system of claim 9 wherein the tray inserts have a width at least as wide as the printhead arrays.
11. The production printing system of claim 9 wherein each of the tray inserts include:
a bottom section, two side sections, and two end sections that are connected to one another in a sealed fashion to form a container structure that is open at the top and enclosed at the bottom to contain a liquid.
12. The production printing system of claim 11 wherein each of the tray inserts further include:
a lip on one of the end sections that is adapted to be grasped by a printer operator to lift the tray insert vertically from the ink tray.
13. The production printing system of claim 11 wherein each of the tray inserts further includes:
a drain on the bottom section.
14. The production printing system of claim 13 wherein the bottom section of each of the tray inserts slopes toward the drain.
15. The production printing system of claim 13 further comprising:
a plurality of drain tubes that connect between the drains and an ink storage container.
16. A production printing system, comprising:
a printhead array operable to discharge ink to print on a printable medium;
an ink tray that is affixed in the printing system facing the printhead array;
a tray insert adapted to rest in the ink tray; and
an ink absorbing element adapted to rest in the tray insert and operable to absorb ink that is discharged from the printhead array when the ink does not contact the printable medium;
wherein the tray insert includes a drain;
wherein the tray insert has a width corresponding with the width of the printhead array.
17. The production printing system of claim 16 further comprising:
a drain tube that connects between the drain and an ink storage container.
18. The production printing system of claim 16 wherein the tray insert includes:
a bottom section, two side sections, and two end sections that are connected to one another in a sealed fashion to form a container structure;
wherein the drain is fabricated on the bottom section.
19. The production printing system of claim 18 wherein the bottom section of the tray insert slopes toward the drain.
20. The production printing system of claim 18 wherein the tray insert further includes:
a lip on one of the end sections that is adapted to be grasped by a printer operator to lift the tray insert vertically from the ink tray.
21. A production printing system having a printhead array operable to discharge ink and having an ink tray that is affixed in the printing system facing the printhead array, the production printing system comprising:
a tray insert that fits in the ink tray and has a container structure that is open at the top to receive an ink absorbing element operable to absorb ink that is discharged from the printhead array outside of the margin of the printable medium, and is enclosed at the bottom to contain a liquid;
the tray insert further including a drain proximate to a bottom section of the container structure;
wherein the tray insert has a width at least as wide as the printhead array.
22. The production printing system of claim 21 wherein the bottom section of the tray insert slopes toward the drain.
23. The production printing system of claim 21 further comprising:
a drain tube that connects between the drain and an ink storage container.
24. The production printing system of claim 21 wherein the tray insert includes:
the bottom section, two side sections, and two end sections that are connected to one another in a sealed fashion to form the container structure;
wherein the drain is fabricated on the bottom section.
25. The production printing system of claim 24 wherein the tray insert further includes:
a lip on one of the end sections that is adapted to be grasped by a printer operator to lift the tray insert vertically from the ink tray.