Heated Pass Rollers for Wrinkle-Free Web Transport

Solution Overview

Problem

Transport devices fail to prevent wrinkling of web-shaped substrates when transporting them in environments with temperature gradient differences, leading to quality issues and meandering due to inadequate tension control.

Innovation Solution

A transport device with pass rollers and heaters that adjust temperatures along the transport path to match atmospheric conditions, using processors to control heater settings based on thermometer measurements to maintain substrate stability and prevent wrinkling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If transport tension is increased to suppress meandering and scratches, then substrate stability improves, but wrinkling occurs in temperature gradient environments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubstrate stabilityVSAvoidsubstrate wrinkling

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the temperature parameter of the pass rollers to match the atmospheric temperature gradient. By heating or cooling the pass rollers along the transport path, the substrate temperature is gradually adjusted, preventing thermal shock and wrinkling while maintaining stable transport tension without requiring excessive force.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention compensates for thermal expansion and contraction of the substrate by controlling the temperature of pass rollers. As the substrate moves through zones with different atmospheric temperatures, the pass rollers are heated or cooled to match, preventing dimensional changes that would cause wrinkling under transport tension.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #37Thermal expansion

2Productivity

If hot air is strongly blown onto substrate to increase drying intensity, then drying efficiency improves, but substrate meandering and scratches increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrying efficiencyVSAvoidsubstrate meandering

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the temperature parameter of the pass rollers to match the atmospheric temperature gradient. By heating or cooling the pass rollers along the transport path, the substrate temperature is gradually adjusted, preventing thermal shock and wrinkling while maintaining stable transport tension without requiring excessive force.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Shape

If transport tension is reduced to prevent wrinkles, then substrate shape is maintained, but meandering and scratches increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubstrate smoothnessVSAvoidsubstrate meandering

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the temperature parameter of the pass rollers to match the atmospheric temperature gradient. By heating or cooling the pass rollers along the transport path, the substrate temperature is gradually adjusted, preventing thermal shock and wrinkling while maintaining stable transport tension without requiring excessive force.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 solution effectively prevents wrinkling and maintains substrate quality by adjusting the temperature of pass rollers to match the temperature gradient, ensuring smooth transport even in environments with temperature differences.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of heaters that heat the plurality of pass rollers respectively, in which the plurality of heaters perform heating such that the closer a pass roller is to an upstream side of the transport path, the closer a temperature to which the pass roller is heated is to the first atmosphere temperature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

where T (unit: ° C.) is the temperature of the substrate, t (unit: ° C.) is the surface temperature of the pass roller, and ΔL (T) and ΔL (t) (unit: mm) are amounts of expansion of the substrate at temperatures of T° C. and t° C., respectively

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS20230034087A1Transport device, drying device, and printing apparatus

Publication Date: 2023.02.02 FUJIFILM CORP

AI summary

There is provided a transport device which transports a web-shaped substrate from a first atmosphere of a first atmosphere temperature to a second atmosphere of a second atmosphere temperature different from the first atmosphere temperature along a transport path, the transport device including a plurality of pass rollers that are disposed in the transport path and that each support the substrate, and a plurality of heaters that heat the plurality of pass rollers respectively. The plurality of heaters perform heating such that the closer a pass roller is to an upstream side of the transport path, the closer a temperature to which the pass roller is heated is to the first atmosphere temperature and the closer a pass roller is to a downstream side of the transport path, the closer a temperature to which the pass roller is heated is to the second atmosphere temperature.