US 12,005,701 B2
Printing system with dampers to vary vacuum suction through a vacuum plenum and related a devices, systems, and methods
Conner Nicholas Smith, Webster, NY (US); Jonathan Ross Ireland, Lancaster, PA (US); Bruce H. Smith, Webster, NY (US); Michael Nicholas Soures, Webster, NY (US); and James D. van Bortel, Rochester, NY (US)
Assigned to XEROX CORPORATION, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed by XEROX CORPORATION, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed on Apr. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/222,169.
Prior Publication US 2022/0314656 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B41J 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B41J 11/0085 (2013.01) 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A printing system, comprising:
an ink deposition assembly comprising one or more printheads arranged to eject ink to a deposition region of the ink deposition assembly;
a media transport device comprising a vacuum source, a vacuum plenum, and a movable support surface, the media transport device configured to hold print media against the movable support surface by vacuum suction through holes in the movable support surface and transport the print media along a process direction though the deposition region, the vacuum suction being communicated from the vacuum source to the holes via the vacuum plenum; and
an airflow control system comprising a damper arranged in the vacuum plenum, the damper having an adjustable impedance to airflow through the damper between the vacuum source and the holes,
wherein the airflow control system is configured to dynamically adjust the impedance of the damper based on one or more of:
a sensed pressure in the vacuum plenum;
an amount of the holes currently covered by print media;
the number of print media currently being transported by the movable support surface; or
image content associated with a current print job.