Patent ID: 7370579

Claim:
A printing blanket unit for a printing blanket cylinder of a printing press comprising: a dimensionally stable support plate including a plate central element, with a plate exterior surface, and leading and trailing support plate ends, said support plate ends being formed at an angle, with respect to said plate exterior surface and forming leading and trailing printing blanket unit securement legs; fold zones located at a transition between said plate central element and each of said leading and trailing printing blanket unit securement legs; a printing blanket fastened on said plate exterior surface of said plate central element and having printing blanket ends spaced apart in a longitudinal direction of said printing blanket, and a printing blanket exterior surface; and a filler material on at least a portion of each of said leading and trailing support plate ends and being secured to said fold zones, said filler material being embodied as a support element, said filler material secured to each of said fold zones engaging a respective one end of said printing blanket and extending from its respective one of said fold zones in said longitudinal direction of said printing blanket at a length greater than 0.1 mm, wherein when said printing blanket unit is mounted on the printing blanket cylinder, said filler material on one of said leading and trailing printing blanket unit securement legs is out of contact with said filler material on the other of said leading and trailing printing blanket unit securement legs and further wherein said printing blanket ends are out of contact with each other.