PRINTING SYSTEM WITH FIXED PRINTHEADS AND MOVABLE VACUUM PLATEN
A printing system that has a printhead assembly, a drive roller for feeding media along a media path and a vacuum platen assembly configured for movement relative to the fixed printhead assembly.
1 . A printing system comprising:
a printhead assembly;
a drive roller for feeding media along a media path; and
a vacuum platen assembly configured for movement relative to the fixed printhead assembly.
2 . A printing system according to claim 1 wherein the printhead assembly includes a staggered array of printheads that overlap each other to collectively span the media path without gaps therebetween.
3 . A printing system according to claim 2 further comprising a vacuum actuated media transport zone configured to receive the media from the array of printheads.
4 . A printing system according to claim 1 wherein the vacuum platen comprises a plurality of service modules, each with a vacuum platen configured for alignment with a corresponding one of the array of printheads.
5 . A printing system according to claim 4 wherein the service modules are configured to cross the media path to engage the printhead during a capping or servicing operation.
6 . A printing system according to claim 5 further comprising a scanner adjacent the vacuum actuated media transport zone.
7 . A printing system according to claim 6 wherein the vacuum actuated media transport zone has a plurality of individual vacuum belts.
8 . A printing system according to claim 7 wherein the individual vacuum belts share a common belt drive mechanism.
9 . A printing system according to claim 1 further comprising a media encoder embedded within the vacuum platen assembly.
10 . A printing system according to claim 5 wherein the vacuum platen assembly further comprises a fixed vacuum platen in which the service modules are embedded, the fixed vacuum platen being positioned adjacent a section of the media path defining a print zone, the print zone encompassing an area simultaneously printable by the printheads.
11 . A printing system according to claim 10 wherein the media path is greater than 432 mm (17 inches wide).
12 . A printing system according to claim 11 wherein the media path is between 914 mm (36 inches) and 1372 mm (54 inches) wide.
13 . A printing system according to claim 12 wherein the print zone has an area less than 129032 square mm (200 square inches).
14 . A printing system according to claim 13 configured to generate less than 0.2 psi pressure difference between one surface of the media and the other as the media is fed across the fixed vacuum platen.
15 . A printing system according to claim 13 configured to generate between 0.036 psi to 0.116 psi pressure difference between one surface of the media and the other as the media is fed across the fixed vacuum platen.
16 . A printing system according to claim 13 wherein the vacuum platen assembly is configured to generate a normal force on the media of between 4 lbs to 13.5 lbs as the media is fed across the fixed vacuum platen.
17 . A printing system according to claim 1 wherein the individual vacuum belts are configured to transport the media at a faster speed than the drive roller.
18 . A printing system according to claim 17 wherein during use, the media simultaneously engages both the drive roller and the individual vacuum belts such that the media slips relative to the individual vacuum belts.