Patent ID: 11897188
Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method of printing on fabric, the method comprising:
loading a thermoplastic material into a nozzle of an extruder;
using a support structure to apply tension to stretch a fabric having fibers;
positioning proximate to the nozzle a fabric having fibers while holding the fabric in a stretched condition;
heating the thermoplastic material to a temperature that is equal to or greater than a melting point temperature of the fabric;
heating the fabric to a temperature that is above ambient temperature and below the melting point temperature of the fabric; and
while holding the fabric in a stretched condition with the support structure, extruding the heated thermoplastic material from the nozzle as a filament onto the fabric to at least partially melt at least some of the fibers in the fabric to provide a secure bond between the heated thermoplastic material and the fabric and yield a printed pattern on the fabric.