Air Knife Partition Design for Uniform Drying Across Wide Sheets

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drying devices for continuous sheets, such as those used in printing apparatuses, face issues with temperature and airflow unevenness due to the elongated design of air knives, leading to uneven heating and potential damage to the sheets.

Innovation Solution

The air blower design incorporates a partition member with varying opening ratios along its length and an air flow guide to regulate airflow, ensuring consistent flow rates and temperatures across the nozzle, thereby reducing temperature and drying unevenness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the air knife is designed as an elongated structure to cover the width of the continuous sheet, then the drying coverage is improved, but temperature and airflow unevenness increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrying coverageVSAvoidtemperature uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The air knife is divided into multiple independent blowing sections along its length, with each section having adjustable airflow characteristics. The partition member creates separate air passages that can be independently controlled, allowing different regions to compensate for temperature and airflow variations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The opening ratios of the partition member are varied at different positions along the air knife length. Central portions have different opening ratios compared to end portions, creating localized airflow adjustments that compensate for the natural unevenness in elongated structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Area of stationary object

If the air knife is designed as an elongated structure to cover the width of the continuous sheet, then the drying coverage is improved, but airflow uniformity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrying coverageVSAvoidairflow uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The air knife is divided into multiple independent blowing sections along its length, with each section having adjustable airflow characteristics. The partition member creates separate air passages that can be independently controlled, allowing different regions to compensate for temperature and airflow variations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The opening ratios of the partition member are varied at different positions along the air knife length. Central portions have different opening ratios compared to end portions, creating localized airflow adjustments that compensate for the natural unevenness in elongated structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Manufacturing precision

If the opening ratio of the partition member is increased at central portions, then airflow distribution is improved, but structural simplicity is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveairflow distributionVSAvoidpartition structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The partition member incorporates varying opening ratios at different positions, with central portions having different openings compared to end portions. This localized variation optimizes airflow distribution while maintaining a relatively simple overall partition structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration ensures uniform heating and drying, preventing excessive heating and damage to the continuous sheet by maintaining consistent airflow and temperature across the sheet's width, thus enhancing the drying process.

Implementation Method 1

a partition member disposed in the chamber to partition the interior of the chamber into a first space including the supply port and a second space not including the supply port, the partition member including at least one first opening through which the gas communicates between the first space and the second space

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid flow regulation:

Implementation Method 2

an air flow guide including a plurality of second openings, disposed in the chamber between the second space and the nozzle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFlow distribution:

Implementation Method 3

The air warmed by the heaters is blown onto the object to be heated from the nozzles of the blowers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 4

The air warmed by the heaters is blown onto the object to be heated from the nozzles of the blowers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentUS10688811B2Air blower, drying device, liquid discharge apparatus, and treatment-liquid application device

Publication Date: 2020.06.23 RICOH CO LTD

AI summary

A gas blower includes a supply port, a chamber to which a gas is fed from the supply port, a nozzle communicating with an interior of the chamber to discharge the gas from the nozzle, a partition member disposed in the chamber to partition the interior of the chamber into a first space including the supply port and a second space not including the supply port, the partition member including at least one first opening through which the gas communicates between the first space and the second space, and an air flow guide including a plurality of second openings, disposed in the chamber between the second space and the nozzle. The supply port is disposed on one end in a longitudinal direction of the chamber.