US 12,263,671 B2
Linear ink dispensing system
Federico D'Annunzio, Florence (IT); and Antonio Bellosi, Florence (IT)
Assigned to BOBST FIRENZE S.R.L, Campi Bisenzio (IT)
Appl. No. 17/415,644
Filed by BOBST FIRENZE S.R.L., Campi Bisenzio (IT)
PCT Filed Dec. 18, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/025461
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 17, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/126085, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 25, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18020648 (EP), filed on Dec. 20, 2018; and application No. PCT/IB2019/052604 (WO), filed on Mar. 29, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0080720 A1, Mar. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. B41F 31/02 (2006.01); B41F 31/08 (2006.01)
CPC B41F 31/022 (2013.01) [B41F 31/08 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rotary printing unit comprising:
an inking cylinder and an etched cylinder, wherein the inking cylinder and the etched cylinder are arranged so that an axis between a center axis of the inking cylinder and a center axis of the etched cylinder is tilted relative to the vertical direction;
a nip area between the inking cylinder and the etched cylinder, the nip area being arranged to retain ink, wherein the inking cylinder is configured to rotate in a direction to bring ink into the nip area;
a pipe comprising an ink outlet configured to pour ink to the nip area by pouring the ink only on top of the inking cylinder, the ink outlet arranged above an ink deposit region on a surface of the inking cylinder upstream of the nip area including a cylinder contact region between the inking cylinder and the etched cylinder so that an upstream edge of the ink in the nip area is downstream of the ink deposit region, wherein a longitudinal axis of the pipe at the ink outlet is directed towards the inking cylinder so that ink poured from the pipe contacts the surface of the inking cylinder before reaching the nip area regardless of an ink pressure of the ink poured from the pipe;
a supply device configured to supply the pipe with the ink;
a sensor configured to measure a distance to the ink in the nip area and a level of the ink in the nip area downstream of the ink deposit region on the surface below the ink outlet, and arranged tilted relative to the longitudinal axis of the pipe at the ink outlet, towards the cylinder contact region between the inking cylinder and the etched cylinder in the nip area;
a carriage configured to carry the ink outlet and the sensor back and forth along a width of the inking cylinder, above the ink deposit region upstream of the cylinder contact region between the inking cylinder and the etched cylinder, and parallel to a length of the nip area such that the sensor can measure the level of the ink along the length of the nip area; and
a control system functionally connected to the supply device and to the sensor, the control system being configured to maintain a desired level of ink along the length of the nip area,
wherein the control system controls each of the inking cylinder and the etched cylinder to rotate in the same direction.