Gripper Carriage Reflector for Sheet Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sheet-processing machines with gripper carriages experience inadequate drying of sheets due to shielding from radiation dryers, leading to incomplete ink drying and reduced abrasion and scratch resistance, especially at higher machine speeds.
Innovation Solution
A gripper carriage with a reflector that deflects unused dryer radiation onto the sheet, ensuring even radiation distribution and preventing ink smudging, using a reflector with high reflectivity (at least 40%) designed to extend continuously over the sheet transport path, preferably with a convex or concave shape to optimize radiation distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the gripper carriage projects from the sheet transport plane towards the radiation dryer, then the gripper carriage can effectively transport the sheet, but it shields the leading edge of the sheet from radiation, resulting in inadequate drying
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector converts the harmful shielding effect of the gripper carriage into a beneficial effect by redirecting radiation onto the previously shaded leading edge of the sheet. The reflector captures radiation that would otherwise be blocked by the gripper carriage and redirects it to illuminate and dry the leading edge area, thus converting the shielding harm into a drying benefit.
Solution Approach 2:
The reflector acts as an intermediary element between the radiation dryer and the sheet. It mediates the radiation path by capturing radiation from the dryer and redirecting it onto the sheet's leading edge, enabling uniform drying across the entire sheet surface despite the gripper carriage's presence.
2Strength
If a T-shaped gripper carriage profile is used to achieve low mass and high flexural strength, then structural efficiency is improved, but a greater shadow is cast on the curved sections near the gripper carriage, worsening the shielding effect
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector converts the harmful shadow cast by the T-shaped gripper carriage profile into a beneficial effect. By positioning the reflector to capture and redirect radiation onto the curved sections and leading edge that would otherwise be shaded, the reflector transforms the structural efficiency benefit of the T-profile into a complete solution that maintains both strength and drying quality.
3Productivity
If machine speed is increased to improve productivity, then output is improved, but the drying time is reduced, worsening the drying completeness
Solution Approach 1:
The reflector performs preliminary action by redirecting radiation onto the leading edge of the sheet before the sheet completes its passage under the radiation dryer. This ensures that the leading edge receives adequate radiation exposure even at higher machine speeds, maintaining drying completeness despite reduced exposure time.
Solution Approach 2:
The reflector ensures continuous useful action by maintaining radiation exposure on the sheet's leading edge throughout its passage. The reflector continuously redirects radiation onto the leading edge area, ensuring that drying action continues effectively even as the sheet moves at high speed through the delivery system.
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
Ensures uniform drying across the sheet width, preventing ink smudging and enhancing abrasion resistance by redirecting unused radiation onto previously shaded areas, thus improving the drying efficiency and print quality.
Implementation Method 1
the reflector redirects a portion of the dryer radiation, which would otherwise be uselessly absorbed by the gripper carriage, onto the leading edge of a sheet being transported by the gripper carriage
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 6~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a gripper carriage for transporting a sheet (22) in a sheet transport direction (29) along a sheet transport path (23), wherein the gripper carriage (19) has a wall (20) and a reflector (27), the reflector (27) being associated with a flank (07) of the wall (20), which is trailing in relation to the sheet transport direction (29).