# US 10,308,010 B2 · Infrared-heated air knives for dryers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,010 B2 - Document ID: US10308010B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/427,297 - Filed: 2017-02-08 - Published: 2018-08-09 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-08 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Stuart James Boland; Graham James Carson; Scott Richard Johnson - Inventors: Stuart James Boland; Graham James Carson; Scott Richard Johnson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308010B2 ## CPC - B41J 11/00216: {using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves} - B41F 23/0413: {Infrared dryers} - B41F 23/0436: {using a combination of radiation, conduction or convection} - B41J 11/0022: {using convection means, e.g. by using a fan for blowing or sucking air} - F26B 3/283: {in combination with convection} - F26B 21/50: Ducting arrangements from the source of air or other gases to the materials or objects being dried - F26B 21/55: Outlets for directing or distributing the air or other gases - F26B 23/04: using electric heating (F26B23/10 takes precedence) - F26B 13/00: Machines and apparatus for drying fabrics, fibres, yarns, or other materials in long lengths, with progressive movement - 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 are provided for enhanced dryers for printing systems. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a dryer for a continuous-forms printing system. The dryer includes heating elements located within an interior of the dryer that radiate infrared energy onto a web of printed media as the web travels through the interior, and an air knife that is interposed between the heating elements. The air knife includes a shell that directly absorbs infrared energy from the heating elements and also defines a passage for air to travel through the air knife onto the web. The shell directly absorbs infrared energy from each heating element that would otherwise overlap on the web with infrared energy from another heating element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a dryer for a continuous-forms printing system, the dryer comprising: heating elements located within an interior of the dryer that radiate infrared energy onto a web of printed media as the web travels through the interior; and an air knife that is interposed between the heating elements, the air knife comprising a shell that directly absorbs infrared energy from the heating elements and also defines a passage for air to travel through the air knife onto the web, wherein the shell directly absorbs infrared energy from each heating element that would otherwise overlap on the web with infrared energy from another heating element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: the shell directly prevents the formation of a region where infrared energy from multiple heating elements overlaps on the web. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: air exiting the air knife is heated by at least ten degrees Celsius via convective heat transfer with an inner surface of the shell. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: air exiting the air knife is heated above ambient temperature exclusively by forced convective heat transfer with an inner surface of the shell. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: the shell defines an exit nozzle of the air knife. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a return vent that draws air out of the dryer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: the return vent includes a baffle having slots of varying sizes along a length of the baffle, such that the slot size decreases in locations with higher air velocity and increases in locations with lower air velocity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: the return vent includes a vent plate which includes a varying pattern of holes along its length, such that the vent plate has fewer holes in locations with higher air velocity and more holes in locations with lower air velocity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6 wherein: the dryer includes multiple return vents; and each heating element is located between a return vent and the air knife. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a fan that blows air across one or more of the heating elements. ### Claim 11 An apparatus comprising: multiple heating elements; and an air knife interposed between the heating elements, the air knife comprising: a shell comprising an exterior that directly absorbs infrared energy from the heating elements; a passage defined by the shell; and an inner surface of the shell heated by conductive heat transfer with the exterior the shell, wherein air exiting the air knife is heated by at least ten degrees Celsius via forced convective heat transfer with the shell. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein: the shell absorbs infrared energy from each heating element that would otherwise intersect with infrared energy from another heating element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein: the shell reduces a size of a region in which infrared energy from the heating elements intersects. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein: air exiting the air knife is heated above ambient temperature exclusively by forced convective heat transfer with the inner surface of the shell. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein: the shell defines an exit nozzle of the air knife. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein: a distance between the exterior of the shell and the inner surface of the shell is less than two millimeters. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11 wherein: the shell comprises a material having a thermal conductivity of at least twenty Watts per meter Kelvin. ### Claim 18 A method comprising: operating heating elements within an interior of a dryer to radiate infrared energy onto a web of printed media as the web travels through the interior; directly receiving infrared energy from the heating elements at a shell of an air knife; and heating air exiting a passage of the air knife by at least ten degrees Celsius via forced convective heat transfer with the shell. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein: directly receiving infrared energy from the heating elements at the shell absorbs infrared energy from each heating element that would otherwise overlap on the web with infrared energy from another heating element. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein: directly receiving infrared energy from the heating elements at the shell reduces a size of a region in which infrared energy from the heating elements overlaps on the web.