A device for processing of flat elements, especially for the processing of paper blanks, is described. This device comprises a conveyor belt (25) that is guided over a first roller (12a) and a second roller (12b), said conveyor belt being made of metal and being permeable to air, wherein its upper section forms the transport section (25a) and its lower section forms the return section (25b), and a vacuum generator being located under the upper section of the conveyor belt. A laser (30) for cutting the flat elements is located above the transport section (25a). In order to achieve an improved flatness and an increased durability, the conveyor belt (25) consists of an expanded metal.

A feeding device includes a sheet tray, a transport device, a sheet sensor, and a control device. On the sheet tray, a sheet is placed. The transport device transports the sheet placed on the sheet tray. The sheet sensor is located upstream of the transport device in a sheet transport direction, and outputs curvature information indicating a curvature status of the sheet being transported by the transport device. The control device includes a processor, and acts as a measuring device and a calculation device, when the processor executes a control program. The measuring device measures a curvature amount of the sheet, on a basis of the curvature information. The calculation device calculates rigidity of the sheet, on a basis of the curvature amount.

An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit forming a transfer nip portion, a fixing unit forming a fixing nip portion, and first and second belt suction conveyance units to suck a sheet onto a first belt and a second belt, respectively. The fixing nip portion is arranged at a position above the transfer nip portion. In a sheet conveyance direction, an upstream end portion of the first belt in the first belt suction conveyance unit is provided below the transfer nip portion, a downstream end portion of the first belt is provided above an upstream end portion of the second belt in the second belt suction conveyance unit, and a downstream end portion of the second belt is provided below the fixing nip portion. The first and second belts are inclined from a lower position to an upper position from upstream to downstream in the sheet conveyance direction.

A belt conveyance device includes an endless belt, a duct having a suction port, and a rectifier inside the duct. The duct is surrounded by an inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The rectifier extends in a width direction of the endless belt perpendicular to a direction of conveyance by the endless belt.

A printing system comprises printheads to eject ink to a deposition region. Print media are held by vacuum suction against a movable support surface, which moves over a vacuum platen. The vacuum platen comprises platen holes through which the vacuum suction is communicated. An airflow control system comprises airflow zones, each comprising a group of the platen holes, a duct, and a valve, the duct and the valve being arranged to selectively control vacuum suction through the group of the platen holes. For each of the printheads, at least one of the airflow zones is located under the respective printhead. Thus, airflow through platen holes under the printheads can be selectively controlled by selectively controlling the vacuum suction in the airflow zones.

A sheet 200 for an array of vacuum apertures 152 in a substrate support unit 150 of a printer is provided. The sheet 200 comprises a plurality of valves 202 formed into the sheet 200. The sheet 200 is made from a resilient material. Each valve 202 comprises a valve head 204 for sealing a vacuum aperture 152 in the substrate support unit 150, and a valve lever arm 206 for permitting movement of the valve head 204 towards and away from the vacuum aperture 152 in order to open and close the valve 202.

A substrate support system 10 for a conveyor printer is provided, comprising a support unit 100 comprising a plurality of vacuum apertures 108 arranged for fluidic communication with a source of negative pressure. The support unit 100 also comprises at least one air bearing 114 arranged for fluidic communication with a source of positive pressure. The air bearing 114 comprises porous media 116. The substrate support system 10 also comprises a conveyor belt 150 arranged over the support unit 100 for supporting a substrate 170 to be printed on. The conveyor belt 150 comprises a plurality of belt apertures. The vacuum apertures 108 are arranged to convey a negative pressure through the belt apertures for retaining the substrate 170 on the conveyor belt 150. The at least one air bearing 114 is arranged to convey a positive pressure to support the conveyor belt 150.

A printing system comprises a printhead to eject a print fluid to a deposition region. Print media are held against a movable support surface via vacuum suction, and the movable support surface transports the print media through the deposition region. A vacuum plenum comprises a vacuum platen over which the movable support surface moves. The vacuum platen has platen holes that communicate the vacuum suction from the vacuum plenum to the movable support surface. An airflow restriction mechanism forms a high impedance zone in the vacuum platen, the high impedance zone comprising a subset of the platen holes. The airflow impedance through the high impedance zone is relatively high compared to the airflow impedance through another subset of the platen holes, which are part of a low impedance zone. The high impedance zone may be located near the printhead to reduce airflow through uncovered platen holes near the printhead.

A sheet feeding device includes a sheet tray, a blower, a feeder, an illuminator, an imager, and circuitry. The sheet tray stacks sheets. The blower blows air to the sheets stacked on the sheet tray and floats an uppermost sheet of the sheets. The feeder feeds the uppermost sheet. The illuminator illuminates the uppermost sheet floating. The imager captures an image including the uppermost sheet illuminated by the illuminator. The circuitry adjusts an imaging condition based on the image captured by the imager.

A printing system comprises printheads to eject ink to a deposition region. Print media are held by vacuum suction against a movable support surface, which moves over a vacuum platen. The vacuum platen comprises platen holes through which the vacuum suction is communicated. An airflow control system comprises airflow zones, each comprising a group of the platen holes, a duct, and a valve, the duct and the valve being arranged to selectively control vacuum suction through the group of the platen holes. For each of the printheads, at least one of the airflow zones is located under the respective printhead. Thus, airflow through platen holes under the printheads can be selectively controlled by selectively controlling the vacuum suction in the airflow zones.