Printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10625520-B2
Application number	US-201916274619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2019
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a transport unit for transporting a continuous sheet, a printing unit for printing by discharging ink to the continuous sheet, and a drying unit for drying the ink deposited on the continuous sheet. The drying unit includes a first heater unit for heating a printed surface of the continuous sheet and a second heater unit for heating the opposite surface of the continuous sheet to the printed surface. The first heater unit includes a plurality of first heaters that are disposed at the same position in a transport direction and that are arranged in width directions. The second heater unit includes a plurality of second heaters that are disposed at a position superposed on the first heater unit in the transport direction and that are disposed at positions between adjacent ones of first heating elements of the first heaters in the width directions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drying apparatus comprising:
a first heating unit configured to heat a first surface of a medium, the medium being printed and transported in a transport direction;
a second heating unit configured to heat a second surface of the medium, the second surface being opposite side of the first surface of the medium; wherein
the first heating unit includes a first heating element and a second heating element adjacent to the first heating element, and
the first heating element and the second heating element have a length, in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, which is longer than a length in the transport direction,
the second heating unit heats an area, the area superposing a gap between the first heating element and the second heating element,
wherein the second heating element is adjacent to the first heating element in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

2. The drying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first heating element is detachable, from the first heating unit, separately from the second heating element.

3. The drying apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first heating unit further includes a first reflective plate in which a first heating element is disposed and the second reflective plate in which a second heating element is disposed
wherein the first hearing element and the first reflective plate are integrally movable relative to the second heating element.

4. The drying apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first element and the first reflective plate are integrally detachable, from the drying apparatus, separately from the second heating element.

5. The drying apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the area heated by the second heating unit superposed a gap between the first reflective plate and the second reflective plate.

6. A printing apparatus comprising:
a transport unit configured to transport a medium in a transport direction,
a printing unit configured to print on a first surface of the medium,
a first heating unit configured to heat the first surface of the medium, the medium being printed and transported;
a second heating unit configured to heat a second surface of the medium, the second surface being opposite side of the first surface of the medium; wherein
the first heating unit includes a first heating element and a second heating element adjacent to the first heating element, and
the first heating element and the second heating element have a length, in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, which is longer than a length in the transport direction,
the second heating unit heats an area, the area superposing a gap between the first heating element and the second heating element,
wherein the second heating element is adjacent to the first heating element in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first heating element is detachable, from the first heating unit, separately from the second heating element.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first heating unit further includes a first reflective plate in which a first heating element is disposed and the second reflective plate in which a second heating element is disposed
wherein the first hearing element and the first reflective plate are integrally movable relative to the second heating element.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first element and the first reflective plate are integrally detachable, from the drying apparatus, separately from the second heating element.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the area heated by the second heating unit superposed a gap between the first reflective plate and the second reflective plate.

11. A drying apparatus comprising:
a first heating unit configured to heat a first surface of a medium, the medium being printed and transported in a transport direction;
a second heating unit configured to heat a second surface of the medium, the second surface being opposite side of the first surface of the medium; wherein
the first heating unit includes a first heating element and a second heating element adjacent to the first heating element, and
the first heating element and the second heating element have a length, in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, which is longer than a length in the transport direction,
the first heating element is removable from the first heating unit independently from the second heating element,
the second heating unit heats an area, the area superposing a gap between a first end of the first heating element and a second end of the second heating element in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nakano Shuichiro

Classifications

• B41M7/00

  After-treatment of prints, e.g. heating, irradiating, {setting of the ink, protection of the printed stock (pre-treatment or treatment during printing B41M5/0011; printers for treating or overcoating copy materials before, during or after printing B41J11/0015)} · CPC title

• B41J2/42

  for heating selectively · CPC title

• G03G13/20

  Fixing, e.g. by using heat · CPC title

• B41J11/002 Primary

  Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating · CPC title

• B41J11/00216 Primary

  using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves · CPC title