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High speed plate pick up device

High speed plate pick up device description/claims

This patent application claims priority based upon patent application 60/880,893, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification. This application also is a continuation-in-part of applicants' copending patent application U.S. Ser. No. 11/296,527, filed on Dec. 8, 2005, which was published as (U.S. 2006/0117975) on Jun. 8, 2006. The entire disclosure of such patent application is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.

A system for removing and/or separating an interleaf sheet from a plate sheet and/or transporting a plate sheet that is used in conjunction with, e.g., a Computer-to-Plate imaging system.

Published United States patent application US 2006/0117975 relates generally to a system and method for removing and/or separating an interleaf sheet from a plate sheet and/or transporting a plate sheet, used in connection with, for example, Computer-to-Plate (CTP) imaging systems. As is described in paragraph 0005 of such published patent application, “Automating the printing process in CTP imaging systems involves the alternating process of extracting plate sheet material, and then interleaf sheet material, from a material stack. Images are exposed on the plate sheet material, and the interleaf sheet material is used to protect the imaging surface of plate sheets from each other.”

In paragraph 0007 of such patent application, it is disclosed that “Extracting the interleaf sheets manually is labor intensive, but normally does not present other issues or challenges. However, automating the process for extracting interleaf sheets can be challenging. For example, interleaf sheets can adhere onto the imaging surface of the plate sheet because of, for example, friction and/or static. Known CTP systems that automate the removal of interleaf sheets, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,452, which is in incorporated herein by reference, use at least a combination of a suction cup and air blast. However, due to the porous nature of the interleaf sheet, reliability issues are generally present when suction cups are used to remove interleaf sheets.”

Claim 1 of published patent application US 2006/0117975 discusses a system for removing an interleaf sheet, describing: “1. A system for removing an interleaf sheet contacting a plate sheet used in an imaging system, comprising: a substantially horizontal member; an assembly comprising at least two elements configured to directly contact and pick up the interleaf sheet, a portion of said assembly connected to said member; a motor configured to move said member in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the interleaf sheet as positioned prior to contact; and a sensor system that generates a signal indicating when said member is a first predetermined distance from the interleaf sheet; said motor utilizing the first predetermined distance to move said member a second predetermined distance from the interleaf sheet, the at least two elements not contacting each other at the second predetermined distance, said motor moving said member in a direction toward the first predetermined distance to a position where at least a portion of the interleaf sheet is interposed between the at least two elements.”

Claim 36 of published patent application US 2006/0117975 discusses a system for picking up plate, describing: “36. A system for raising a plate sheet for use in an imaging system comprising an imager, comprising: a substantially horizontal member; at least one element configured to directly contact and vertically raise the plate sheet, a portion of said at least one element connected to said member; a motor configured to raise said member in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the plate sheet as positioned prior to contact; and a sensor system that generates a signal indicating when said member is a first predetermined distance from the plate sheet; said motor utilizing the first predetermined distance to move said member a second predetermined distance, thereby raising the plate sheet.”

Claim 41 of published patent application US 2006/0117975 depends upon such claim 36 and further describes a rail system for moving the plate sheet as follows: “41. The system according to claim 36, further comprising a rail system for moving the plate sheet in a direction away from the imager, to thereby substantially align a trailing edge of the plate sheet with a trailing edge of a second plate sheet positioned beneath said plate sheet.”

The devices utilized in the prior art (such as, e.g., the devices described by such claims 1, 36, and 41) utilize a one-arm assembly to pick up plates out of a cassette and transfer them into an imaging system; that same arm assembly is also used to pick up interleaf sheets and dispose the interleaf sheets into a chute. As described hereinabove, and with reference to such published patent application, claim 1 describes the system for removing the interleaf sheets, claim 36 describes the system for picking up plates, and claim 41 describes the rail system that the arras travels on. The published patent application patent shows both the interleaf removal mechanism and the plate pick mechanism on the same arm assembly.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device with a substantially greater speed of operation than the prior art devices and, in particular, than the device disclosed in published United States patent application 2006/0117975.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided a system for removing an interleaf sheet contacting a plate sheet used in an imaging system, comprised of a substantially horizontal member; an assembly comprising at least two elements configured to directly contact and pick up the interleaf sheet, a portion of said assembly connected to said member; a motor configured to move said member in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the interleaf sheet as positioned prior to contact; and a first sensor system that generates a signal indicating when said member is a first predetermined distance from the interleaf sheet; and a second sensor system comprised of a second sensor that generates a signal indicating that the sheet beneath the second sensor is an interleaf sheet; said motor utilizing the first predetermined distance to move said member a second predetermined distance from the interleaf sheet, the at least two elements not contacting each other at the second predetermined distance, said motor moving said member in a direction toward the first predetermined distance to a position where at least a portion of the interleaf sheet is interposed between the at least two elements.

The invention will be described by reference to specification and the accompanying Figures, in which like numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a Computer-to-Plate (CTP) imaging system;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary interleaf sheet removal and plate sheet transport apparatus;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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