Drying apparatus, recording apparatus, and drying method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464345-B2
Application number	US-201815901399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2018
Priority date	Feb 22, 2017
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A drying apparatus includes: a heating drying portion that heats and dries a thermoplastic medium to which a liquid has been applied; and a pressurizing portion that pressurizes the thermoplastic medium heated by the heating drying portion to correct a shape of the thermoplastic medium. The pressurizing portion pressurizes, while heating, the heated thermoplastic medium in accordance with a state of the thermoplastic medium deformed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a heating drying portion that heats and dries a thermoplastic medium to which a liquid has been applied, wherein the heating drying portion is located downstream in a transportation direction of the thermoplastic medium of an ejection head that ejects the liquid onto the thermoplastic medium; and
a pressurizing portion that is separate from the heating drying portion and that pressurizes the thermoplastic medium heated by the heating drying portion to correct a shape of the thermoplastic medium, wherein
the pressurizing portion pressurizes, while heating, the heated thermoplastic medium.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the pressurizing portion has a roller and is able to change a heating temperature in each portion of the roller different in an axial direction of the roller.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the roller is able to change the heating temperature at a center portion and end portions in the axial direction.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
in the roller, an external diameter of the center portion in the axial direction is larger than an external diameter of the end portions in the axial direction.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a determination unit that determines extension of the thermoplastic medium heated by the heating drying portion, for each region of the thermoplastic medium, wherein
the pressurizing portion pressurizes a region with less extension in the heated thermoplastic medium at a heating temperature higher than a temperature at which a region with more extension in the heated thermoplastic medium is pressurized.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the pressurizing portion pressurizes the region with less extension while heating the region with less extension at a temperature equal to or higher than a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic medium.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the pressurizing portion pressurizes the region with more extension while heating the region with more extension at a temperature lower than a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic medium.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the heating drying portion dries the thermoplastic medium by radiant heating.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the heating drying portion dries the thermoplastic medium by convective heating.

10. A recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording head capable of discharging ink as the liquid onto the thermoplastic medium; and
the apparatus according to claim 1 .

11. A recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording head capable of discharging ink as the liquid onto the thermoplastic medium; and
the apparatus according to claim 2 .

12. A recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording head capable of discharging ink as the liquid onto the thermoplastic medium; and
the apparatus according to claim 3 .

13. A recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording head capable of discharging ink as the liquid onto the thermoplastic medium; and
the apparatus according to claim 4 .

14. A recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording head capable of discharging ink as the liquid onto the thermoplastic medium; and
the apparatus according to claim 5 .

15. A recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording head capable of discharging ink as the liquid onto the thermoplastic medium; and
the apparatus according to claim 6 .

16. A recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording head capable of discharging ink as the liquid onto the thermoplastic medium; and
the apparatus according to claim 7 .

17. A recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording head capable of discharging ink as the liquid onto the thermoplastic medium; and
the apparatus according to claim 8 .

18. A recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording head capable of discharging ink as the liquid onto the thermoplastic medium; and
the apparatus according to claim 9 .

19. A drying method, comprising:
heating and drying a thermoplastic medium to which a liquid has been applied by a heating and drying portion that is located downstream in a transportation direction of the thermoplastic medium of an ejection head that ejects the liquid onto the thermoplastic medium; and
pressurizing by a pressurizing portion that is separate from the heating drying portion the thermoplastic medium heated in the heating and drying to correct a shape of the thermoplastic medium,
wherein the pressurizing pressurizes, while heating, the heated thermoplastic medium.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Okada Hideki

Classifications

• B41M5/0047

  by ink-jet printing · CPC title

• B29C37/00

  Component parts, details, accessories or auxiliary operations, not covered by group B29C33/00 or B29C35/00 · CPC title

• B41M7/009

  using thermal means, e.g. infrared radiation, heat · CPC title

• B29C2037/90

  Measuring, controlling or regulating · CPC title

• B41M5/0064

  on plastics, horn, rubber, or other organic polymers · CPC title