Spiral Ink Drying Apparatus for Resin Substrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ink drying apparatuses are not suitable for drying aqueous ink on resin substrates due to differences in ink permeability and temperature requirements, leading to inefficient drying and potential substrate damage, especially when using infrared dryers which can overheat certain ink colors and substrates.
Innovation Solution
An ink drying apparatus featuring a hot air dryer with a spirally shaped substrate conveying path, a hot air supplying part, and an exhausting part, which allows for uniform hot air supply and vapor exhaustion, combined with an infrared dryer for initial drying, to efficiently dry ink on resin substrates while minimizing substrate damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If infrared dryer is used for initial drying, then drying speed is improved, but substrate and ink may be overheated causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from using only infrared heating to a combined heating system that includes both infrared and hot air heating. This parameter change in the heating method allows for controlled temperature application - infrared provides rapid initial drying while hot air maintains moderate temperatures, preventing overheating damage to the resin substrate and ink.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite heating approach combining two different heating mechanisms (infrared and hot air convection) into a unified drying system. This composite method leverages the advantages of both: infrared's high-speed surface drying capability and hot air's gentle bulk heating and vapor removal capability, achieving effective drying without damage.
2Productivity
If hot air temperature is increased to improve drying efficiency, then drying speed is improved, but resin substrate is damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the heating parameter from high-temperature direct heating to moderate-temperature prolonged heating. By using hot air at temperatures below 80°C for extended drying periods, the system achieves effective ink removal without exceeding the resin substrate's temperature tolerance, thus preventing substrate damage while maintaining drying efficiency.
3Duration of action of moving object
If conveying distance is increased to extend drying time, then drying time is improved, but installation space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a spiral conveying path instead of a straight linear path. This curved spiral configuration allows the substrate to traverse a longer distance through the drying chamber, extending the drying time and ensuring complete ink removal, while the spiral geometry compacts the overall apparatus footprint, reducing the installation space requirement compared to a straight-line conveying 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
The apparatus effectively dries aqueous ink on resin substrates by uniformly supplying hot air and exhausting water vapor, achieving efficient and uniform drying without overheating, thus preserving the substrate and maintaining ink quality.
Implementation Method 1
ink ejected on a surface of the substrate is dried by hot air blown to the surface of the substrate and heat of the heater
Implementation Method 2
a hot air drying apparatus comprising a drying furnace (20), a substrate conveying path (21) formed as a spirally shaped path provided in the drying furnace (20)
Implementation Method 3
The ink drying apparatus comprises an infrared dryer (1) and a hot air dryer (2)
Data Source
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AI summary
To obtain a compact ink drying apparatus capable of drying ink ejected to a resin substrate. The ink drying apparatus comprising a hot air dryer 2, a hot air supplying part, and an exhausting part, wherein the hot air dryer 2 is provided with a drying furnace 20, a substrate conveying path 21 formed as a spirally shaped path provided in the drying furnace 20, and a plurality of substrate drying ducts 22 blowing hot air to a surface of a resin substrate 15 on which ink is ejected conveyed along the substrate conveying path 21 to heat ink and exhausting water vapor generated by heating of ink, the hot air supplying part is provided at an outside the drying furnace 20 and configured to supply hot air into the substrate drying ducts 22, and the exhausting part is provided at the outside the drying furnace 20 and configured to exhaust air in the drying furnace 20 through the substrate drying ducts 22.