Heating Device for Liquid Discharge Apparatus Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing drying devices for liquid discharge apparatuses suffer from temperature unevenness due to vacuum conveyance belts, leading to image unevenness such as color unevenness on printed sheets, and high power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A heating device configuration that includes a first heater to pre-dry the sheet before it passes through a vacuum conveyor with a second heater, which further dries the sheet using hot air, while a controller determines the need for the first heater based on sheet data to prevent temperature unevenness and reduce power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a vacuum conveyor is used to convey the sheet during drying, then the sheet can be conveyed and dried simultaneously, but temperature unevenness occurs due to the vacuum conveyor belt structure causing image unevenness
Solution Approach 1:
The drying process is divided into two distinct stages: first drying (before vacuum conveyor) and second drying (during vacuum conveyor). This segmentation allows each drying stage to serve a specific function - the first drying removes bulk moisture to prevent temperature unevenness, while the second drying completes the drying process during conveyance, thereby resolving the contradiction between drying efficiency and image uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The first drying unit performs preliminary drying of the sheet before it enters the vacuum conveyor. By removing the majority of moisture in advance, the sheet becomes less susceptible to temperature unevenness during vacuum conveyance, thus preventing image unevenness while maintaining efficient drying throughput.
2Manufacturing precision
If the first heater is always operated to pre-dry the sheet, then image unevenness is prevented, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit dynamically adjusts the operating parameters of the first heater based on sheet characteristics (type, thickness, liquid amount). By changing heating parameters adaptively rather than operating at constant high power, the system maintains image uniformity while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption for sheets that require less pre-drying.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit receives information about sheet characteristics and uses this feedback to determine the appropriate heating level of the first heater. This feedback mechanism ensures that the heater operates only as much as needed to prevent image unevenness, avoiding excessive power consumption while maintaining drying 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 effectively prevents image unevenness and reduces power consumption by ensuring consistent drying and controlled heating based on sheet type and thickness, enhancing image quality and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a first heater to heat the sheet that has passed through the liquid discharge unit
Implementation Method 2
a vacuum conveyor to convey the sheet that has passed through the first heater while sucking the sheet
Implementation Method 3
a second heater to heat the sheet being conveyed by the vacuum conveyor
Data Source
AI summary
A heating device heats a sheet to which a liquid discharge unit discharges a liquid. The heating device includes a first heater to heat the sheet that has passed through the liquid discharge unit, a vacuum conveyor to convey the sheet that has passed through the first heater while sucking the sheet, a second heater to heat the sheet being conveyed by the vacuum conveyor, and circuitry that cause the first heater to heat the sheet when sheet data regarding the sheet satisfies a predetermined condition.