Convective Gas Bars for Print Media Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drying methods for print media, such as infrared dryers and air-knives, are costly and can damage the print medium due to direct contact, while they also consume high energy and have high manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
Convective gas bars that utilize a lower gas flow to dry print material by directing gas through feed holes and nozzles, providing efficient drying without direct contact and lower energy costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If infrared dryers or air-knives are used to dry print material, then drying efficiency is improved, but energy consumption and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses pneumatic principles by directing streams of gas (air) through nozzles onto the print medium surface. The gas flow carries away moisture evaporating from the print material, achieving drying through convective mass transfer rather than thermal heating. This approach provides effective drying while consuming significantly less energy compared to infrared heating methods.
2Productivity
If air-knives are used for drying, then drying efficiency is improved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drying system is segmented into multiple independent gas bars, each with multiple nozzles arranged in arrays. This modular segmentation allows the system to achieve effective drying through distributed gas flow while keeping individual components simple and inexpensive to manufacture. The segmented approach replaces complex single-unit air-knives with simpler, more manufacturable modular elements.
3Productivity
If direct contact drying methods are used, then drying efficiency is improved, but print medium damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a stream of gas as an intermediary between the drying system and the print medium. This gas flow acts as a mediator that transfers moisture away from the print material without requiring direct physical contact between the drying apparatus and the sensitive print surface. This intermediary approach enables effective drying while preventing mechanical damage to the printed material.
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
The convective gas bars offer a cost-effective and energy-efficient solution for drying print media, reducing the risk of print damage and lowering capital costs compared to traditional drying systems.
Implementation Method 1
convective gas bars that utilize a lower gas flow to dry print material by directing gas through feed holes and nozzles
Data Source
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AI summary
In some examples, a convective gas bar can include a gas inlet to receive supply gas to a first portion of the convective gas bar, feed holes located in the first portion, a nozzle plate located in a second portion of the convective gas bar, where the nozzle plate includes nozzles, and the nozzles are adapted to receive and direct the supply gas from the feed holes through the nozzles.