Concentric arrangement of web conditioning modules in a dryer of a print system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9908342-B1
Application number	US-201715442690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 26, 2017
Priority date	Feb 26, 2017
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for concentric arrangement of web conditioning modules in a dryer of a printing system. In one embodiment a dryer includes a drum, first rollers positioned in an arc around the drum to define a web path between an entrance of the dryer and the drum, and second rollers positioned along the arc between the first rollers and the drum that reverse the web path between the drum and an exit of the dryer. The dryer further includes first web conditioners positioned along the arc and beyond the first rollers from the drum that direct energy toward a portion of the web path that is between the entrance of the dryer and the drum. The dryer further includes second web conditioners positioned along the arc between the second rollers and the drum that direct energy toward a portion of the web path that wraps around the drum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a dryer of a printing system comprising:
a drum configured to rotate about an axis, and to apply heat to a web of print media to dry ink applied to the web;
first rollers positioned in an arc around the drum to define a web path along the arc between an entrance of the dryer and the drum;
second rollers positioned along the arc and radially between the first rollers and the drum, the second rollers reverse the web path along the arc between the drum and an exit of the dryer;
first web conditioners positioned along the arc and radially beyond the first rollers, the first web conditioners configured to direct web conditioning toward a portion of the web path that is between the entrance of the dryer and the drum; and
second web conditioners positioned along the arc and radially between the second rollers and the drum, the second web conditioners configured to direct web conditioning toward a portion of the web path that wraps around the drum.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first web conditioners include first air knives that direct an air jet toward the portion of the web path that is between the entrance of the dryer and the drum.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein:
the second web conditioners include second air knives that direct an air jet toward the portion of the web path that wraps around the drum.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein:
at least one of the second air knives of the second web conditioners directs an air jet away from the drum and toward a portion of the web path defined by the second rollers.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein:
one or more of the second air knives include a return path to exhaust moist air.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein:
at least one of the first air knives directs a heated air jet toward the portion of the web path that is between the entrance of the dryer and the drum.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first web conditioners include first heating elements that direct radiant heat toward the portion of the web path that is between the entrance of the dryer and the drum.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:
the second web conditioners include second heating elements that direct radiant heat toward the portion of the web path that wraps around the drum.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first web conditioners include a combination of first air knives and first heating elements, wherein the first air knives direct an air jet toward the portion of the web path that is between the entrance of the dryer and the drum, and wherein the first heating elements direct radiant heat toward the portion of the web path that is between the entrance of the dryer and the drum.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein:
the second web conditioners include a combination of second air knives and second heating elements, wherein the second air knives direct an air jet toward the portion of the web path that wraps around the drum, and wherein the second heating elements direct radiant heat toward the portion of the web path that wraps around the drum.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein:
at least one of the second air knives of the second web conditioners directs an air jet away from the drum and toward a portion of the web path defined by the second rollers.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein:
one or more of the first air knives include a return path to exhaust moist air.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein:
one or more of the second air knives include a return path to exhaust moist air.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first rollers are heated; and
the first rollers, the first web conditioners, and one or more of the second web conditioners apply energy toward the web path in an alternating fashion along the arc.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
an enclosure;
wherein a concentric arrangement of components inside the enclosure starting nearest to the drum includes the second web conditioners, the second rollers, the first rollers, and the first web conditioners.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein:
the first web conditioners are offset along the arc relative to the first rollers to direct the conditioning in spaces between the first rollers and toward the portion of the web path that is between the entrance of the dryer and the drum.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the dryer further comprises:
a track to partially surround the drum along the arc; and
a roller assembly including a frame and at least one of the first rollers and at least one second rollers mounted inside the frame, the frame configured to slide along the track;
wherein the frame is removable from at least one end of the track.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein:
the track configured to support multiple roller assemblies to surround the drum along the arc with the first rollers and the second rollers, wherein each roller assembly includes one of the first rollers and one of the second rollers.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein:
each of the multiple roller assemblies include electrical connections that align with the electrical connections of an adjacent roller assembly to establish a series of electrical connections from a power source for heating at least one roller in each of the multiple roller assemblies.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein:
the track includes an inner rail at a first radial distance from the drum, and an outer rail that is a second radial distance from the drum larger than the first radial distance.

Assignees

• Boland Stuart James
• Fernando Dilan Nirushan
• Johnson Scott Richard
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Boland Stuart James
• Fernando Dilan Nirushan
• Johnson Scott Richard

Classifications

• B41J11/002

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

• B41J11/0015 Primary

  for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing (selective coating B41J2/2114) · CPC title

• F26B13/00

  Machines and apparatus for drying fabrics, fibres, yarns, or other materials in long lengths, with progressive movement · CPC title

• B41J11/0022 Primary

  using convection means, e.g. by using a fan for blowing or sucking air · CPC title

• B41J11/0024

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