Swirling Web Paper Drying Path for Energy-Efficient Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printing apparatuses face challenges in enhancing drying efficiency for print media while avoiding increased energy consumption and mechanism size.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a swirling transportation path with turning rollers and path changing rollers to extend the drying path, utilizing existing drying units more efficiently, and incorporates ventilation units to enhance drying efficiency without additional energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the heating temperature is increased or the number of heating units is increased to enhance drying efficiency, then the drying efficiency is improved, but the energy consumption increases and the drying mechanism becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a swirling transportation path where the print medium follows a curved, spiral trajectory through the drying mechanism. This curved path increases the residence time of the print medium in the drying zone without requiring additional heating units or increased heating temperature, thereby improving drying efficiency while avoiding increased energy consumption and mechanism size
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension by arranging heating units at different positions along the swirling path and using multiple turning rollers to create a three-dimensional transportation route. This allows the print medium to be heated from multiple directions and positions, enhancing drying efficiency without simply adding more heating units in a linear sequence
2Productivity
If the number of heating units is increased to enhance drying efficiency, then the drying efficiency is improved, but the drying mechanism becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The swirling transportation path compactly packs the drying process within a smaller volume by using a spiral trajectory. This allows the print medium to traverse a longer effective drying path within a compact footprint, improving drying efficiency without proportionally increasing the mechanism size
Solution Approach 2:
Each heating unit in the swirling path serves multiple functions: heating the print medium, maintaining temperature gradients, and working in conjunction with the swirling motion to enhance heat transfer efficiency. This multi-functionality allows fewer heating units to achieve the drying effect that would otherwise require more units in a conventional linear arrangement
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 achieves enhanced drying efficiency for print media by optimizing the transportation path and using existing drying units effectively, reducing energy requirements and maintaining a compact mechanism size.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of drying units arranged so as to face the printing face of the print medium transported in a swirling form, and configured to dry the inks by heating the print medium
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of ventilation units arranged in the second section, and configured to ventilate a space surrounding the print medium in the second section
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of ventilation units arranged in the second section, and configured to ventilate a space surrounding the print medium in the second section
Data Source
AI summary
In a printing apparatus, web paper is transported by guide rollers and path changing rollers to a printing face contact roller in a swirling form. In a first section, the web paper is heated and dried by heating units facing thereto. The path changing rollers change and bypass a path of the web paper in a second section, downstream of the first section, and thus the path of the web paper in the second section is made longer. In the first section, since the web paper is heated and dried by the heating units, the web paper in the second section has the highest temperature. Therefore, by making the web paper longer in the second section, the web paper can be dried more efficiently in the second section. This results in enhanced drying efficiency of the web paper without increasing energy required for drying.