Patents by Inventor Chris Gullentops

Chris Gullentops has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9393771
    Abstract: A relief print master is created by a printhead that moves in a slow scan direction. The nozzles of the printhead jet droplets of a polymerisable liquid on a rotating drum. The different nozzles jet droplets simultaneously on different layers that have different diameters. As a result, the droplets jetted by different nozzles travel over different distances before landing. The effect of this is that the droplets undergo different position lag as they land on the different layers. By rotating the printhead in a plane that includes the central axis of the rotating drum and a nozzle row this effect can be compensated for.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: AGFA GRAPHICS NV
    Inventor: Chris Gullentops
  • Patent number: 9216566
    Abstract: A method for making a flexographic printing master includes the steps of providing a flexographic printing support; providing an inkjet printing device; applying a mesa relief on the flexographic printing support with the inkjet printing device; and applying an image relief with the inkjet printing device on the mesa relief. A method for making a flexographic printing master includes the imaging apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: AGFA GRAPHICS NV
    Inventors: Chris Gullentops, Eddie Daems, Luc Vanmaele
  • Patent number: 9199272
    Abstract: A relief print master is created with a printhead that jets droplets of a polymerizable liquid on a cylindrical sleeve. The droplets follow a spiral path on the cylindrical sleeve. In a multiple printhead unit, there are different spiral paths associated with the constituting printheads in the multiple printhead unit. The distance between the spiral paths is not even. Preferred embodiments of the current invention provide a method and a system so that the distance between these spiral paths becomes even. The system can also be used for the creation of other types of print masters, such as offset print plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: AGFA GRAPHICS NV
    Inventor: Chris Gullentops
  • Patent number: 9126394
    Abstract: A method of preparing a flexographic printing master including an optional elastomeric floor, an optional mesa relief, and an image relief are applied in this order on a flexographic printing support includes applying and curing fluid droplets thereby building up a plurality of layers of fluid on top of each other, wherein each fluid droplet applied is at least partially cured before an adjacent fluid droplet is subsequently applied, with the exception that a fluid droplet applied during building up at least one layer of fluid is not cured before an adjacent fluid droplet of the same layer is subsequently applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Agfa Graphics NV
    Inventors: Chris Gullentops, Eddie R. Daems, Luc Vanmaele
  • Patent number: 9085129
    Abstract: A relief print master is created by a printhead that jets droplets of a polymerisable liquid on a cylindrical sleeve. The droplets follow a spiral path on the cylindrical sleeve. In a multiple printhead unit, there are different spiral paths associated with the different constituting printheads. The distance between these spiral paths is not even in a prior art system. By rotating the printhead under a specific angle, the distance between these spiral paths becomes even. The invention can also be used for the creation of other types of print plates, such as for example offset print plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Aqfa Graphics NV
    Inventor: Chris Gullentops
  • Patent number: 8960121
    Abstract: A relief print master is created by a printhead that moves in a slow scan direction. The nozzles of the printhead jet droplets of a polymerisable liquid on a rotating drum. The different nozzles jet droplets simultaneously on different layers that have different diameters. As a result, the droplets jetted by different nozzles travel over different distances before landing. The effect of this is that the droplets undergo different position lag as they land on the different layers. By rotating the printhead in a plane that is orthogonal to the jetting direction this effect can be compensated for.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Agfa Graphics NV
    Inventor: Chris Gullentops
  • Patent number: 8848233
    Abstract: A relief print master, such as a flexographic print master or sleeve is created by printing a sequence of intermediate layers on top of each other with an inkjet printing system. The top layer corresponds with the halftoned image that is to be printed by the print master and the lower intermediate layers are supporting layers. The pixels of the intermediate layers that are stacked on top of each other are printed with different nozzles to reduce image quality artifacts. Both a method and a system are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Agfa Graphics NV
    Inventors: Chris Gullentops, Rudi Lenders
  • Patent number: 8705144
    Abstract: A relief print master is created by printing a sequence of layers on top of each other by an inkjet printing system. The top layer corresponds with the binary halftoned image that is to be printed by the print master and the lower intermediate layers are supporting layers. The features in a lower supporting layer have an area that is larger than the corresponding features in a higher supporting layer. A circular spread function is applied on the features of a higher intermediate layer to increase the area of the features in a lower intermediate layer. By using a sequence of two non-circular spread functions, the circular spread function is approximated and the number of required calculations can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Agfa Graphics NV
    Inventors: Chris Gullentops, Rudi Lenders
  • Publication number: 20130222452
    Abstract: A relief print master is created by a printhead that moves in a slow scan direction. The nozzles of the printhead jet droplets of a polymerisable liquid on a rotating drum. The different nozzles jet droplets simultaneously on different layers that have different diameters. As a result, the droplets jetted by different nozzles travel over different distances before landing. The effect of this is that the droplets undergo different position lag as they land on the different layers. By rotating the printhead in a plane that includes the central axis of the rotating drum and a nozzle row this effect can be compensated for.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: AGFA GRAPHICS NV
    Inventor: Chris Gullentops
  • Publication number: 20130141488
    Abstract: A relief print master is created by a printhead that jets droplets of a polymerisable liquid on a cylindrical sleeve. The droplets follow a spiral path on the cylindrical sleeve. In a multiple printhead unit, there are different spiral paths associated with the different constituting printheads. The distance between these spiral paths is not even in a prior art system. By rotating the printhead under a specific angle, the distance between these spiral paths becomes even. The invention can also be used for the creation of other types of print plates, such as for example offset print plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Inventor: Chris Gullentops
  • Publication number: 20130133572
    Abstract: A relief print master is created by a printhead that moves in a slow scan direction. The nozzles of the printhead jet droplets of a polymerisable liquid on a rotating drum. The different nozzles jet droplets simultaneously on different layers that have different diameters. As a result, the droplets jetted by different nozzles travel over different distances before landing. The effect of this is that the droplets undergo different position lag as they land on the different layers. By rotating the printhead in a plane that is orthogonal to the jetting direction this effect can be compensated for.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: Agfa Graphics NV
    Inventor: Chris Gullentops
  • Publication number: 20130059089
    Abstract: A method of preparing a flexographic printing master including an optional elastomeric floor, an optional mesa relief, and an image relief are applied in this order on a flexographic printing support includes applying and curing fluid droplets thereby building up a plurality of layers of fluid on top of each other, wherein each fluid droplet applied is at least partially cured before an adjacent fluid droplet is subsequently applied, with the exception that a fluid droplet applied during building up at least one layer of fluid is not cured before an adjacent fluid droplet of the same layer is subsequently applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventors: Chris Gullentops, Eddie R. Daems, Luc Vanmaele
  • Publication number: 20120321795
    Abstract: A relief print master is created with a printhead that jets droplets of a polymerizable liquid on a cylindrical sleeve. The droplets follow a spiral path on the cylindrical sleeve. In a multiple printhead unit, there are different spiral paths associated with the constituting printheads in the multiple printhead unit. The distance between the spiral paths is not even. Preferred embodiments of the current invention provide a method and a system so that the distance between these spiral paths becomes even. The system can also be used for the creation of other types of print masters, such as offset print plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: AGFA GRAPHICS NV
    Inventor: Chris Gullentops
  • Publication number: 20110249048
    Abstract: A relief print master is created by printing a sequence of layers on top of each other by an inkjet printing system. The top layer corresponds with the binary halftoned image that is to be printed by the print master and the lower intermediate layers are supporting layers. The features in a lower supporting layer have an area that is larger than the corresponding features in a higher supporting layer. A circular spread function is applied on the features of a higher intermediate layer to increase the area of the features in a lower intermediate layer. By using a sequence of two non-circular spread functions, the circular spread function is approximated and the number of required calculations can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: AGFA GRAPHICS NV
    Inventors: Chris Gullentops, Rudi Lenders
  • Publication number: 20110249298
    Abstract: A relief print master, such as a flexographic print master or sleeve is created by printing a sequence of intermediate layers on top of each other with an inkjet printing system. The top layer corresponds with the halftoned image that is to be printed by the print master and the lower intermediate layers are supporting layers. The pixels of the intermediate layers that are stacked on top of each other are printed with different nozzles to reduce image quality artifacts. Both a method and a system are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2009
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: AGFA GRAPHICS NV
    Inventors: Chris Gullentops, Rudi Lenders
  • Publication number: 20110219973
    Abstract: A method for making a flexographic printing master includes the steps of providing a flexographic printing support; providing an inkjet printing device; applying a mesa relief on the flexographic printing support with the inkjet printing device; and applying an image relief with the inkjet printing device on the mesa relief. A method for making a flexographic printing master includes the imaging apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: AGFA GRAPHICS NV
    Inventors: Chris Gullentops, Eddie Daems, Luc Vanmaele