Conditioners including conditioner shutdown

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11904598-B2
Application number	US-201817048027-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2018
Priority date	Jul 25, 2018
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

A conditioner includes a pressure roller assembly, a tension roller assembly, a heating element, a pressure roller drive motor, a tension drive motor, and a controller. The heating element heats the pressure roller assembly. The pressure roller drive motor rotates the pressure roller assembly. The tension drive motor rotates the tension roller assembly. The controller receives a print job complete notification to initiate a conditioner shutdown. In response to the print job complete notification, the controller turns off the tension drive motor. The controller sets the heating element to a predetermined temperature and waits a first predetermined period. In response to the first predetermined period elapsing, the controller turns off the heating element. With the heating element turned off, the controller turns off the pressure roller drive motor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A conditioner comprising:
a pressure roller assembly;
a tension roller assembly;
a heating element to heat the pressure roller assembly;
a pressure roller drive motor to rotate the pressure roller assembly;
a tension drive motor to rotate the tension roller assembly; and
a controller to receive a print job complete notification to initiate a conditioner shutdown and in response to the print job complete notification:
turn off the tension drive motor;
in response to turning off the tension drive motor, set the heating element to a predetermined temperature and wait a first predetermined period;
in response to the first predetermined period elapsing, turn off the heating element; and
in response to turning the heating element off, turn off the pressure roller drive motor.

2. The conditioner of claim 1 , further comprising:
a vapor fan; and
a cooling fan,
wherein the controller is to further in response to the print job complete notification:
with the pressure roller drive motor turned off, turn off the vapor fan and wait a second predetermined period; and
in response to the second predetermined period elapsing, turn off the cooling fan.

3. The conditioner of claim 2 , wherein the controller is to receive an immediate shutdown notification and in response to the immediate shutdown notification:
turn off the tension drive motor;
with the tension drive motor turned off, turn off the heating element;
with the heating element turned off, turn off the pressure roller drive motor;
with the pressure roller drive motor turned off, turn off the vapor fan; and
with the vapor fan turned off, turn off the cooling fan.

4. The conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to further in response to the print job complete notification:
with the tension drive motor turned off, set the pressure roller drive motor to a predetermined speed;
set a pressure of the pressure roller assembly to a released state; and
with the pressure of the pressure roller assembly in the released state, set the heating element to the predetermined temperature.

5. The conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the controller aborts shutdown of the conditioner in response to receiving a new print job notification.

6. The conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the heating element comprises bulbs.

7. The conditioner of claim 1 , wherein the pressure roller assembly comprises a pressure roller and a belt opposite to the pressure roller and print media is drawn between the pressure roller and the belt.

8. A system comprising:
a printing device to generate partially dried media;
a conditioner to apply heat and pressure to the partially dried media; and
a finisher to receive the partially dried media from the conditioner,
wherein the conditioner comprises:
a pressure roller assembly;
a tension roller assembly;
a heating element to heat the pressure roller assembly;
a pressure roller drive motor to rotate the pressure roller assembly;
a tension drive motor to rotate the tension roller assembly;
a vapor fan;
a cooling fan; and
a controller to receive a print job complete notification to initiate a conditioner shutdown and in response to the print job complete notification:
turn off the tension drive motor;
in response to turning off the tension drive motor, set the pressure roller drive motor to a predetermined speed;
in response to setting the pressure roller drive motor to a predetermined speed, set a pressure of the pressure roller assembly to a released state;
with the pressure of the pressure roller assembly in the released state, set the heating element to a predetermined temperature and wait a first predetermined period;
in response to the first predetermined period elapsing, turn off the heating element;
in response to turning the heating element off, turn off the pressure roller drive motor;
with the pressure roller drive motor turned off, turn off the vapor fan and wait a second predetermined period; and
in response to the second predetermined period elapsing, turn off the cooling fan.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is to receive an immediate shutdown notification and in response to the immediate shutdown notification:
turn off the tension drive motor;
with the tension drive motor turned off, set a pressure of the pressure roller assembly to a released state;
with the pressure of the pressure roller assembly in the released state, turn off the heating element;
with the heating element turned off, turn off the pressure roller drive motor;
with the pressure roller drive motor turned off, turn off the vapor fan; and
with the vapor fan turned off, turn off the cooling fan.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the printing device comprises an inkjet printing device.

11. A method for operating a printer, the method comprising
receiving a print job complete notification to initiate a conditioner shutdown and in response to the print job complete notification:
turning off a tension drive motor of a pressure roller assembly;
in response to turning off the tension drive motor, setting a pressure roller drive motor to a predetermined speed;
in response to setting the pressure roller drive motor to a predetermined speed, releasing a pressure of the pressure roller assembly;
setting a heating element of the pressure roller assembly to a predetermined temperature in response to the pressure of the pressure roller assembly being released;
waiting a first predetermined period in response to setting the heating element to the predetermined temperature;
turning off the heating element in response to the first predetermined period elapsing; and
turning off the pressure roller drive motor in response to turning off the heating element.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising in response to the print job complete notification:
turning off a vapor fan in response to turning off the pressure roller drive motor;
waiting a second predetermined period in response to turning off the vapor fan; and
turning off a cooling fan in response to the second predetermined period elapsing.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving an immediate shutdown notification and in response to the immediate shutdown notification:
turning off the tension drive motor;
releasing the pressure of the pressure roller assembly;
turning off the heating element in response to the pressure of the pressure roller assembly being released; and
turning off the pressure roller drive motor in response to turning off the heating element.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising in response to the immediate shutdown notification:
turning off a vapor fan in response to turning off the pressure roller drive motor; and
turning off a cooling fan in response to the turning off the vapor fan.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
aborting shutdown of the conditioner in response to receiving a new print job notification.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Clayburn Jody L
• Anderson Ian
• Hoyer Brooke

Classifications

• B41F23/0443 Primary

  after printing · CPC title

• B41J11/0005

  Curl smoothing, i.e. smoothing down corrugated printing material, e.g. by pressing means acting on wrinkled printing material · CPC title

• B41J11/0024

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

• B41J29/377

  Cooling or ventilating arrangements · CPC title

• B41M7/009

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