UV Heater Airflow Control for Selective Ink Drying
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current printers face inefficiencies in drying processes, particularly in maintaining optimal temperature control to prevent excessive heating of blank areas while ensuring effective drying of inked regions, which affects the moisture retention and drying speed.
Innovation Solution
The proposed heating device incorporates a conveyor system with an ultraviolet irradiator and an airflow generator that directs airflow opposite to the conveyance direction, utilizing UV-LED elements to heat only the inked areas and a suction device to manage airflow, thereby improving drying efficiency and maintaining lower temperatures on blank areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a heater heats the entire sheet to promote drying of applied liquid, then the drying speed is improved, but the temperature of blank areas becomes excessively high causing unnecessary heating and energy waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an airflow generator that creates a unidirectional airflow from the liquid discharge unit toward the heating unit. This localized airflow directs heat preferentially toward the inked regions while minimizing heat exposure to blank areas, thereby achieving effective drying without excessive heating of non-printed portions of the sheet.
2Reliability
If conventional heating methods are used to dry the sheet, then the entire sheet is heated uniformly, but this causes energy waste and potential damage to non-inked areas
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow generator creates a directed airflow that localizes the heating effect to only those regions of the sheet where liquid has been discharged. This selective heating approach ensures reliable drying of inked areas while avoiding energy waste on blank areas that do not require drying.
3Reliability
If high temperature is applied to ensure complete drying of liquid, then drying completeness is improved, but moisture loss from the sheet increases and quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The directed airflow from the airflow generator concentrates thermal energy only on regions where liquid discharge has occurred. This localized heating achieves complete drying of inked areas while maintaining appropriate moisture levels in blank areas, thereby preventing excessive moisture loss and preserving sheet 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 enhances drying efficiency by selectively heating inked regions while minimizing temperature increases on blank areas, reducing moisture loss and improving overall printing performance.
Implementation Method 1
an irradiator including a light emitter on an irradiation surface of the irradiator, the light emitter configured to emit light onto the sheet to heat the sheet with the light
Implementation Method 2
an airflow generator configured to generate an airflow along the irradiation surface between the irradiation surface of the irradiator and the channel plate
Implementation Method 3
a suction device configured to suck and discharge the airflow in a direction from the irradiation surface of the irradiator toward the conveyor
Data Source
AI summary
A heating device includes a conveyor configured to convey a sheet onto which a liquid is applied in a conveyance direction, an irradiator including a light emitter on an irradiation surface of the irradiator, the light emitter configured to emit light onto the sheet to heat the sheet with the light, a channel plate between the conveyor and the irradiation surface of the irradiator, an airflow generator configured to generate an airflow along the irradiation surface between the irradiation surface of the irradiator and the channel plate, and a suction device configured to suck and discharge the airflow in a direction from the irradiation surface of the irradiator toward the conveyor.