Conveyance Belt Joint Positioning for Consistent Sheet Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printers face challenges in efficiently heating sheets with liquid applied, as the conveyance belt's heat transfer is inconsistent, leading to potential paper jams and uneven drying, especially when the belt joint interferes with sheet placement.
Innovation Solution
A sheet conveyor system with an endless conveyance belt and a belt heater, controlled by circuitry to manage rotation and temperature, ensuring the belt joint is positioned away from the sheet, and using ultraviolet or infrared irradiation to dry the ink effectively while minimizing heat transfer to non-image areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the conveyance belt is heated by heat transfer plate, then the sheet can be heated for drying, but the heat transfer is inconsistent causing uneven drying and potential paper jams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating function from the heat transfer plate system and implements it directly through the conveyance belt using embedded heating elements. This allows consistent heat application across the entire belt surface, eliminating the uneven heat transfer problems associated with plate-based heating while maintaining reliable sheet drying.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical heat transfer plate system with an electrical heating system embedded in the conveyance belt. This substitution enables precise temperature control and uniform heat distribution across the belt surface, resolving the inconsistency issues of the mechanical heat transfer approach.
2Reliability
If the belt joint is positioned to avoid sheet placement, then paper jams are reduced, but the belt structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a movable belt joint position system that can be dynamically adjusted based on sheet placement detection. The belt joint position is not fixed but can be shifted along the belt circumference to avoid interfering with sheets, achieving paper jam prevention while maintaining a relatively simple belt structure through dynamic positioning rather than complex mechanical designs.
3Productivity
If ultraviolet or infrared irradiation is used to dry ink, then drying efficiency is improved, but heat transfer to non-image areas increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using UV or IR irradiation that selectively targets only the ink regions on the sheet. The irradiation system is configured to direct energy precisely at the printed areas, enabling efficient ink drying while minimizing heat transfer to non-image areas of the sheet, thus maintaining both high productivity and controlled temperature in non-print regions.
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 solution ensures consistent sheet heating and drying, reducing paper jams and maintaining image quality by controlling the conveyance belt's rotation speed and temperature, while preventing excessive heat transfer to non-image areas.
Implementation Method 1
a belt heater configured to heat the conveyance belt
Implementation Method 2
the circuitry controls the conveyance belt to rotate to receive the sheet in an area of the conveyance belt other than the belt joint
Data Source
AI summary
A sheet conveyor includes an endless conveyance belt configured to rotate to convey a sheet, a belt heater configured to heat the conveyance belt; and circuitry configured to control the conveyance belt to rotate. The conveyance belt has a belt joint joining both ends of a sheet member to form the conveyance belt, and the circuitry controls the conveyance belt to rotate to receive the sheet in an area of the conveyance belt other than the belt joint of the conveyance belt.