# US 10,369,813 B2 · Conveyor, dryer, and printer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,813 B2 - Document ID: US10369813B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/875,536 - Filed: 2018-01-19 - Published: 2018-09-20 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-16 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Satoru Nagasawa; Ken Onodera; Toshihiro Yoshinuma - Inventors: Satoru Nagasawa; Ken Onodera; Toshihiro Yoshinuma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369813B2 ## CPC - B41J 11/0024: {using conduction means, e.g. by using a heated platen} - B41J 2/175: Ink supply systems {; Circuit parts therefor} - B41J 13/076: Construction of rollers; Bearings therefor - B41J 13/08: {Conveyor} bands or like feeding devices - B41J 15/04: Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles - B41J 15/16: Means for tensioning or winding the web - F26B 3/28: by radiation, e.g. from the sun - F26B 13/12: Controlling movement, tension or position of material - F26B 13/18: heated {or} cooled, {e.g. from inside, the material being dried on the outside surface by conduction} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - 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 A conveyor for printer includes, a first guide, a second guide disposed separately from the first guide, a third guide disposed between the first guide and the second guide, the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide defining a conveyance path along which a medium is conveyed, and a loading guide movable to guide the medium between the first guide and the second guide. The third guide is movable between a first position and a second position. The third guide presses the medium to the first guide and the second guide at the first position and is separated from the medium at the second position. The loading guide is disposed at a guiding position to guide the medium and is disposed at a retracted position retracted from the guiding position in response to the third guide disposed at the first position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A conveyor for a printer, comprising: a first guide; a second guide disposed separately from the first guide; a third guide disposed between the first guide and the second guide, the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide defining a conveyance path along which a medium is conveyed; and a loading guide movable to guide the medium between the first guide and the second guide, the third guide movable between a first position and a second position, the third guide pressing the medium to the first guide and the second guide at the first position, the third guide separated from the medium at the second position, the loading guide disposed at a guiding position to guide the medium, and the loading guide disposed at a retracted position to be separated from the medium during conveying the medium in response to the third guide disposed at the first position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the loading guide is rotatable about an axis orthogonal to a direction of conveyance of the medium along a surface of the medium, and the loading guide is movable in a direction along the axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the loading guide is movable in a direction orthogonal to a direction of conveyance of the medium along a surface of the medium. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the loading guide includes a guide having a curved shape concaved toward the third guide. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the loading guide has a guide, ends of which are concaved toward the third guide, and the guide has a wall rising obliquely on downstream side in a direction of conveyance of the medium. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The conveyor according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of first guides and a plurality of second guides arranged in an arc. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The conveyor according to claim 6, further comprising a plurality of third guides and a plurality of loading guides, wherein each of the plurality of first guides, the plurality of second guides, and the plurality of third guides includes rollers, the conveyance path includes a first path defined by an outer region of the plurality of first guides and the plurality of second guides arranged in the arc and a second path defined by an inner region of the plurality of first guides and the plurality of the second guide arranged in the arc, and the plurality of third guides is disposed in the second path to form the second path. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The conveyor according to claim 7, wherein the medium is first conveyed through the first path while contacting the outer region of the plurality of first guides and the plurality of second guides and then conveyed through the second path while contacting the inner region of the plurality of first guides and the plurality of second guides. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A dryer for drying a medium to be conveyed to which a liquid is applied, the dryer comprising the conveyor according to claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The dryer according to claim 9, wherein the first guide and the second guide are heating rollers. ### Claim 11 A dryer for drying a medium to which a liquid is applied, the dryer comprising: a heating drum to heat and dry the medium; a plurality of heating rollers disposed separately around the heating drum, defining a conveyance path along which the medium is conveyed while contacting the plurality of heating rollers; a pressing roller disposed between adjacent two of the plurality of heating rollers; and a loading guide movable to guide the medium along an inner region of the plurality of heating rollers defined by the plurality of heating rollers and the heating drum, the pressing roller movable between a first position and a second position, the pressing roller pressing the medium to the plurality of heating roller at the first position, the pressing roller separated from the medium at the second position, the loading guide disposed at a guiding position to guide the medium, and the loading guide disposed at a retracted position to be separated from the medium during conveying the medium in response to the pressing roller disposed at the first position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The dryer according to claim 11, wherein the loading guide is disposed at the guiding position in response to the pressing roller disposed at the second position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) A printer comprising: a liquid applier to apply liquid to a medium; and the dryer according to claim 9.