Partially dried inkjet media conditioner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10870291-B2
Application number	US-201616326057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2016
Priority date	Sep 2, 2016
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

In one example, a partially dried inkjet media conditioner can include: a print engine that encases a print zone within a housing, and a media path to provide partially dried inkjet media from the print zone to a conditioner within the print engine, wherein the conditioner comprises a heated pressure roller.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A partially dried inkjet media conditioner, comprising:
a print engine that encases a print zone within a housing; and
a media path coupled to a position of a dryer zone between an input and an output of the dryer zone to provide partially dried inkjet media from the dryer zone to a conditioner within the print engine, wherein the conditioner comprises a heated pressure roller and wherein an output of the conditioner is separate from the output of the dryer zone.

2. The conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the heated pressure roller applies pressure to a first side of the partially dried inkjet media and heat to a second side of the partially dried inkjet media.

3. The conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the heated pressure roller comprises a first roller that includes a contact zone that applies pressure to a first side of the partially dried inkjet media.

4. The conditioner of claim 3 , wherein the heated pressure roller comprises a second roller that includes a heat source and a heat transfer belt to apply heat to a second side of the partially dried inkjet media.

5. The conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the heated pressure roller increases evaporation of printing fluid applied to the partially dried inkjet media by the print zone.

6. A system for a partially dried inkjet media conditioner, comprising:
a housing;
a print engine disposed in the housing, wherein the print engine encases a print zone;
a first media path to provide partially dried inkjet media from the print zone to a dryer zone within the print engine; and
a second media path coupled to a position of the dryer zone between an input and an output of the dryer zone to provide the partially dried inkjet media from the dryer zone to a conditioner within the print engine, wherein the conditioner comprises a heated pressure roller, the output of the dryer zone is coupled to a duplexer zone, and wherein an output of the conditioner is separate from the output of the dryer zone.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the heated pressure roller is positioned above the print zone within the print engine.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second media path is coupled to an output of the dryer zone.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the heated pressure roller comprises a vertical orientation with a pressure roller positioned to receive a first side of the partially dried inkjet media and a heated roller positioned to receive a second side of the partially dried inkjet media.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the heated pressure roller is positioned above the dryer zone.

11. A system for a partially dried inkjet media conditioner, comprising:
an inkjet print engine that encases an inkjet print zone;
a first media path to provide partially dried inkjet media from the inkjet print zone to a dryer zone within the inkjet print engine;
a second media path coupled to a position of the dryer zone between an input and an output of the dryer zone to provide the partially dried inkjet media from the dryer zone to a conditioner positioned above the print zone and the dryer zone within the print engine, wherein the conditioner comprises a heated pressure roller, the output of the dryer zone is coupled to a duplexer zone to return the partially dried inkjet media to the print zone, and wherein an output of the conditioner is separate from the output of the dryer zone; and
a third media path to provide the partially dried inkjet media from the conditioner to an output zone.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the output zone is positioned below the conditioner.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the heated pressure roller comprises a horizontal orientation with a pressure roller positioned to receive a first side of the partially dried inkjet media and a heated roller positioned to receive a second side of the partially dried inkjet media.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the conditioner is removable from the inkjet print engine.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Rasmussen Steve O
• Lo Kevin
• Brinkly Richard Lee
• Mackenzie Mark H

Classifications

• B41J11/0024

  using conduction means, e.g. by using a heated platen · CPC title

• B41J11/002 Primary

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