Patent ID: 9010755
Filing Date: 2015-04-21
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printing apparatus comprising: an apparatus housing having an upper part and a lower part; a printing module in said lower part of said apparatus housing; an actively driven rotating transport belt in said upper part of said apparatus housing, configured to transport flat articles to be printed past said printer module; a movable contact pressure module in said lower part of said apparatus housing, said movable contact pressure module comprising a module housing having an opening therein that faces said transport belt, said movable contact pressure module being arranged with respect to said transport belt to cause said flat articles to be transported between said transport belt and said movable contact pressure module; said movable contact pressure module comprising an expandable, bellows-like airbag that is resiliently mounted in said module housing, said airbag having a low-friction, wear-resistant cover surface that, through said opening in said module housing, is in non-positive contact with said transport belt; and air supply components in said module housing in fluid communication with an interior of said airbag, and configured to produce air pressure in said interior of said airbag that allows flat articles of different thicknesses to be transported between said cover surface of said airbag and said transport belt.