Sheet heater, liquid discharge apparatus, and printer
| Title: | Sheet heater, liquid discharge apparatus, and printer |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 11890,859 |
| Publication Date: | February 06, 2024 |
| Appl. No: | 17/411073 |
| Application Filed: | August 25, 2021 |
| Abstract: | A sheet heater includes a first conveyance belt configured to convey a sheet on which a liquid has been discharged in a conveyance direction, a heating unit facing the first conveyance belt, the heating unit configured to heat the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance belt, and a second conveyance belt disposed upstream of the first conveyance belt in the conveyance direction, the second conveyance belt configured to convey the sheet to the first conveyance belt. A surface temperature of the second conveyance belt is lower than a surface temperature of the first conveyance belt when the first conveyance belt and the second conveyance belt convey the sheet. |
| Inventors: | Asada, Kohki (Tokyo, JP); Kamihara, Kazuaki (Tokyo, JP); Ogawa, Masato (Kanagawa, JP); Sawase, Hiroshi (Kanagawa, JP); Takahashi, Yoshihiro (Tokyo, JP); Hida, Ryusaku (Kanagawa, JP); Nozawa, Kenji (Ibaraki, JP); Kawamichi, Genichiroh (Ibaraki, JP) |
| Assignees: | RICOH COMPANY, LTD. (Tokyo, JP) |
| Claim: | 1. A sheet heater comprising: a first conveyance belt to convey a sheet on which a liquid has been discharged in a conveyance direction; a heater facing the first conveyance belt to heat the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance belt; and a second conveyance belt disposed upstream of the first conveyance belt in the conveyance direction to convey the sheet to the first conveyance belt, wherein air sucking the sheet on the second conveyance belt is blown to a returning path of the second conveyance belt so as to cool the second conveyance belt, and a surface temperature of the second conveyance belt is lower than a surface temperature of the first conveyance belt when the first conveyance belt and the second conveyance belt convey the sheet. |
| Claim: | 2. The sheet heater according to claim 1 , wherein the surface temperature of the second conveyance belt is equal to or higher than an ambient temperature when the first conveyance belt and the second conveyance belt convey the sheet. |
| Claim: | 3. The sheet heater according to claim 1 , further comprising: a preheater to heat the sheet upstream of the second conveyance belt in the conveyance direction. |
| Claim: | 4. The sheet heater according to claim 3 , wherein the preheater is a non-contact heater to heat the sheet without contacting the sheet. |
| Claim: | 5. The sheet heater according to claim 4 , wherein the preheater includes: an infrared irradiator to heat the sheet with infrared ray; and a heat insulator between the second conveyance belt and the infrared irradiator. |
| Claim: | 6. The sheet heater according to claim 4 , wherein the preheater includes an air blower to blow air to dry the sheet. |
| Claim: | 7. The sheet heater according to claim 1 , further comprising: a heat insulator between the second conveyance belt and the first conveyance belt. |
| Claim: | 8. The sheet heater according to claim 1 , further comprising: a guide to guide the sheet from the second conveyance belt to the first conveyance belt, wherein the first conveyance belt and the second conveyance belt are separated from each other in the conveyance direction, and the guide is between the second conveyance belt and the first conveyance belt in the conveyance direction. |
| Claim: | 9. A sheet heater, comprising: a first conveyance belt to convey a sheet on which a liquid has been discharged in a conveyance direction; a heater facing the first conveyance belt to heat the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance belt; a second conveyance belt disposed upstream of the first conveyance belt in the conveyance direction to convey the sheet to the first conveyance belt; a guide to guide the sheet from the second conveyance belt to the first conveyance belt; two or more rollers around which the first conveyance belt is wound; and a heating structure inside at least one of the two or more rollers to heat said at least one of the two or more rollers, wherein a surface temperature of the second conveyance belt is lower than a surface temperature of the first conveyance belt when the first conveyance belt and the second conveyance belt convey the sheet, the first conveyance belt and the second conveyance belt are separated from each other in the conveyance direction, and the guide is between the second conveyance belt and the first conveyance belt in the conveyance direction. |
| Claim: | 10. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising: a liquid application device configured to apply a liquid onto a sheet; and the sheet heater according to claim 1 . |
| Claim: | 11. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising: a drum facing the liquid application device and disposed upstream from the second conveyance belt in the conveyance direction, the drum configured to convey the sheet onto which the liquid has been applied by the liquid application device toward the second conveyance belt. |
| Claim: | 12. A liquid discharge apparatus, comprising: a liquid application structure to apply a liquid onto a sheet; a sheet heater comprising: a first conveyance belt to convey a sheet on which a liquid has been discharged in a conveyance direction, a heater facing the first conveyance belt to heat the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance belt, and a second conveyance belt disposed upstream of the first conveyance belt in the conveyance direction to convey the sheet to the first conveyance belt, wherein a surface temperature of the second conveyance belt is lower than a surface temperature of the first conveyance belt when the first conveyance belt and the second conveyance belt convey the sheet; a drum facing the liquid application structure and disposed upstream from the second conveyance belt in the conveyance direction; the drum configured to convey the sheet onto which the liquid has been applied by the liquid application structure toward the second conveyance belt; a transfer cylinder between the drum and the second conveyance belt to convey the sheet from the drum to the second conveyance belt; and a preheater facing the transfer cylinder to heat the sheet upstream of the second conveyance belt. |
| Claim: | 13. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the preheater includes: an air blower configured to blow air toward the transfer cylinder; and an infrared irradiator disposed opposite to the air blower via the transfer cylinder, the infrared irradiator configured to heat the sheet with infrared ray. |
| Claim: | 14. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising: a cooler configured to cool the second conveyance belt, wherein the second conveyance belt is between the liquid application device and the sheet heater in the conveyance direction, and the cooler faces a first surface of the second conveyance belt opposite to a second surface of the second conveyance belt configured to contact the sheet. |
| Claim: | 15. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the cooler is a suction chamber configured to suction the sheet toward the second conveyance belt, and the suction chamber suctions air upstream of a position at which the sheet conveyed to the second conveyance belt comes into contact with the second conveyance belt. |
| Claim: | 16. A printer comprising: a liquid application device configured to apply a liquid onto a sheet; and the sheet heater according to claim 1 . |
| Claim: | 17. The printer according to claim 16 , further comprising: a drum facing the liquid application device and disposed upstream from the second conveyance belt in the conveyance direction, the drum configured to convey the sheet onto which the liquid has been applied by the liquid application device toward the second conveyance belt. |
| Patent References Cited: | 6048060 April 2000 Narushima et al. 9010920 April 2015 Nishimura 20150336394 November 2015 LeFevre 20160273832 September 2016 Asada et al. 20170266987 September 2017 Asada et al. 20170266988 September 2017 Asada et al. 20170266989 September 2017 Ogawa et al. 20170334218 November 2017 Ogawa et al. 20180016106 January 2018 Asada et al. 20180147878 May 2018 Asada et al. 20180264852 September 2018 Ohtake et al. 20190202215 July 2019 Asada et al. 20190204767 July 2019 Ishihara et al. 20190283470 September 2019 Okayama 20200290371 September 2020 Ogawa 20200290383 September 2020 Ishihara et al. 20210031542 February 2021 Kamihara et al. 20210053370 February 2021 Numata 20210197584 July 2021 Asada et al. 20210221149 July 2021 Nakamura et al. 207072185 March 2018 10 2017 214 692 March 2018 1 859 939 November 2007 2 712 737 April 2014 2009-262517 November 2009 2010-125834 June 2010 2010-201818 September 2010 2014-40053 March 2014 2018-154500 October 2018 2020-152094 September 2020 2021-035761 March 2021 |
| Other References: | Extended European Search Report dated Jan. 19, 2022, in corresponding European Patent Application No. 21190291.1, 9 pages. cited by applicant Office Action dated Dec. 7, 2023 in European Patent Application No. 21 190 291.1, 6 pages. cited by applicant |
| Primary Examiner: | Seo, Justin |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | XSENSUS LLP |
| Accession Number: | edspgr.11890859 |
| Database: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| Language: | English |
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