# US 10,245,853 B2 · Concentric duct system for a dryer of a printing system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,245,853 B2
- Document ID: US10245853B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/908,220
- Filed: 2018-02-28
- Published: 2018-08-30
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-28
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Stuart James Boland; Scott Richard Johnson
- Inventors: Stuart James Boland; Scott Richard Johnson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245853B2

## CPC

- B41J 11/0022: {using convection means, e.g. by using a fan for blowing or sucking air}
- B41F 23/04: by heat drying, by cooling, by applying powders {(B41F23/005 takes precedence)}
- B41J 11/0024: {using conduction means, e.g. by using a heated platen}
- F26B 3/04: the gas or vapour circulating over or surrounding the materials or objects to be dried (F26B3/14 takes precedence)
- F26B 13/14: Rollers, {drums, cylinders}(sorbent surfaces F26B13/26); {Arrangement of drives, supports, bearings, cleaning}
- F26B 21/25: partly outside the drying enclosure
- F26B 3/18: by conduction, i.e. the heat is conveyed from the heat source, e.g. gas flame, to the materials or objects to be dried by direct contact
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41F: PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES (manifolding devices or office printing machines B41L)
- F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27)

## Abstract

Systems and methods for concentric duct system for a dryer of a printing system. One embodiment includes a dryer of a printing system and a duct system. The dryer includes web conditioners sources to condition a web of print media, intake ports to supply air for the web conditioners, and outlet ports to remove air for the web conditioners. The duct system includes a supply hub and a return hub. The supply hub includes a tubular body with a lower portion and an upper portion, and supply nodes around the lower portion. The return hub includes a body around the upper portion of the supply hub, and return nodes around the body. The duct system further includes supply ducts to connect the supply nodes and the intake ports, and return ducts to connect the return nodes and the outlet ports.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a dryer of a printing system comprising:
web conditioners configured to condition a web of print media;
intake ports configured to supply air for the web conditioners; and
outlet ports configured to remove air for the web conditioners; and
a duct system for the dryer comprising:
a supply hub including supply nodes around a body of the supply hub and configured to connect with the intake ports via supply ducts; and
a return hub including return nodes around a body of the return hub and configured to connect with the outlet ports via return ducts;
wherein the supply hub and the return hub are configured to position concentrically with one another.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 wherein:
the supply hub and the return hub are positioned concentrically with one another on a side of the dryer; and
the supply hub and the return hub occupy a center of the side of the dryer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2 wherein the duct system further includes:
supply ducts each including a rigid body with a first end configured to removably attach to a supply node on the supply hub, and a second end configured to removably attach to one of the intake ports of the dryer; and
return ducts each including a rigid body with a first end configured to removably attach to a return node on the return hub, and a second end configured to removably attach to one of the outlet ports of the dryer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 wherein:
one or more supply ducts branch into multiple second ends configured to removably attach to multiple intake ports spaced in a radial direction within the dryer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4 wherein:
the multiple intake ports belong to different web conditioners within the dryer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3 wherein:
one or more return ducts branch into multiple second ends configured to removably attach to multiple outlet ports spaced in a radial direction within the dryer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6 wherein:
the multiple outlet ports belong to different web conditioners within the dryer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2 wherein:
the dryer includes a rotating drum; and
the supply hub includes an opening on an axial end of a lower portion of the supply hub configured to supply air near the center of the side of the dryer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a gasket that borders around each of the supply nodes to seal connections with a base end of an aligned supply duct; and
a gasket that borders around each of the return nodes to seal connections with a base end of an aligned return duct.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a printer to apply wet colorants to the web of print media.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1 further comprising:
an enclosure configured to surround the dryer wherein the enclosure provides external access to the supply hub and the return hub.

### Claim 12

An apparatus comprising:
a supply hub configured to provide air to intake ports of a dryer, the supply hub including supply nodes around a perimeter of the supply hub, the supply nodes configured to connect with the intake ports via supply ducts; and
a return hub configured to receive air from outlet ports of the dryer, the return hub including return nodes around a perimeter of the return hub, the return nodes configured to connect with the outlet ports via return ducts;
wherein the supply hub and the return hub are configured to position concentrically with one another.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein:
the return hub is stacked on top of the supply hub in a concentric configuration;
the return ducts are configured to attach to the return nodes around a circumference of the return hub in a first plane that overlaps with an upper portion of the supply hub; and
the supply ducts are configured to attach to the supply nodes around a circumference of the supply hub in a lower portion in a second plane that is below that first plane.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:
latches to removably attach the return ducts with the return nodes and the supply ducts with the supply nodes.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:
gaskets to seal connections of the return ducts with the return nodes and to seal connections of the supply ducts with the supply nodes.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 wherein:
one or more of the supply ducts include a rigid body that aligns with the supply nodes of the supply hub and multiple intake ports of the dryer; and
one or more of the return ducts include a rigid body that aligns with the return nodes of the return hub and multiple outlet ports of the dryer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:
an enclosure configured to surround the dryer wherein the enclosure provides external access to the supply hub and the return hub.

### Claim 18

A system comprising:
a dryer of a printing system comprising:
web conditioners configured to condition a web of print media;
intake ports configured to supply air for the web conditioners; and
outlet ports configured to remove air for the web conditioners; and
a duct system for the dryer comprising:
a supply hub for the intake ports of the web conditioners; and
a return hub for the outlet ports of the web conditioners;
wherein the supply hub and the return hub are positioned concentrically with one another on a side of the dryer.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18 wherein:
the supply hub is stacked on top of an upper portion of the return hub.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18 wherein:
the return hub is stacked on top of an upper portion of the supply hub.