# US 11,298,959 B2 · Active energy radiation unit and active energy radiation device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,298,959 B2 - Document ID: US11298959B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/000,812 - Filed: 2020-08-24 - Published: 2021-03-04 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-26 - Assignees: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. - Applicants: Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. - Inventors: Kyoichi Murayama; Keita Umeno; Ryotaro Matui - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298959B2 ## CPC - B41J 11/002: {Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating} - B41J 11/00214: {using UV radiation} - B05D 3/0466: {the gas being a non-reacting gas (B05D3/0406 takes precedence)} - B05D 3/065: {After-treatment} - B05D 3/066: {involving also the use of a gas} - B05D 3/067: {Curing or cross-linking the coating} - B41J 11/00218: {Constructional details of the irradiation means, e.g. radiation source attached to reciprocating print head assembly or shutter means provided on the radiation source} - B41M 7/0081: {using electromagnetic radiation or waves, e.g. ultraviolet radiation, electron beams} - F26B 3/28: by radiation, e.g. from the sun - F26B 21/40: using gases other than air - H10P 72/0436: {mainly by radiation} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) - B41M: PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING, (correction of typographical errors B41J; processes for applying transfer pictures or the like B44C1/16; fluid media for correction of typographical errors by coating C09D10/00; printing textiles D06P) - 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) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An active energy radiation unit includes a light source which radiates ultraviolet rays onto a target object, and a main gas supply mechanism which is disposed to be adjacent to the light source and ejects an inert gas. The main gas supply mechanism includes a receiving part which receives the inert gas, and a main ejection port which is provided at a position between the receiving part and the light source and closer to the target object than the receiving part. A flow path area from the receiving part to the main ejection port is constant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An active energy radiation unit comprising: an active energy radiation part which radiates active energy rays onto a target object that passes along a transfer direction intersecting a width direction of the target object in in an active energy radiation region extending in the width direction; and a main gas supply mechanism which is disposed upstream of the active energy radiation part in the transfer direction, and ejects an inert gas for forming an inactive region including the active energy radiation region between the target object and the active energy radiation part, wherein the main gas supply mechanism includes: a socket which receives the inert gas that has been compressed; a first flow path part which receives the inert gas discharged from the socket; a second flow path part which receives the inert gas from the first flow path part and causes the inert gas to flow along a direction of an axis of the socket, the second flow path part having a flow path area that is smaller than a flow path area of the first flow path part; and an ejection port which ejects the inert gas toward the target object, wherein the first flow path part includes a rectifying surface intersecting with the axis of the socket, and the inert gas that flows through the first flow path part flows along the rectifying surface after colliding with the rectifying surface and is guided to the second flow path part. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 1 further comprising a sub gas supply mechanism which extends in the transfer direction, is disposed to sandwich the active energy radiation region in the width direction, and ejects the inert gas. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 2, wherein one end of the sub gas supply mechanism in the transfer direction is connected to the main gas supply mechanism, and the active energy radiation part is disposed between the one end of the sub gas supply mechanism and the other end of the sub gas supply mechanism in the transfer direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 1, wherein the second flow path part is disposed upstream of the axis of the socket in the transfer direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 4, wherein the main gas supply mechanism further includes a third flow path part, one end of the third flow path part is connected to the second flow path part, another end of the third flow path part is the ejection port, and a flow path area of the third flow path part is constant. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 4, wherein the third flow path part extends diagonally downward toward a downstream side in the transfer direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 4, wherein the rectifying surface is a slope surface inclined with respect to the axis of the socket, and extends diagonally downward toward an upstream side in the transfer direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 4, wherein the rectifying surface is a surface orthogonal to the axis of the socket, and extends parallel to the transfer direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 1, wherein the second flow path part is disposed downstream of the axis of the socket in the transfer direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 9, wherein the rectifying surface is a slope surface inclined with respect to the axis of the socket, and extends diagonally downward toward a downstream side in the transfer direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 9, wherein the rectifying surface is a slope surface extending parallel to the axis of the socket from one end of the second flow path part to another end of the second flow path part. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 9, wherein the second flow path part includes a first portion connected to the first flow path part and extending parallel to the axis of the socket, and a second portion connected to the first portion, extending diagonally downward toward the downstream side in the transfer direction, and including the ejection port. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The active energy radiation unit according to claim 9, wherein the second flow path part includes a first portion connected to the first flow path part and extending parallel to the axis of the socket, and a second portion connected to the first portion, extending diagonally downward toward the upstream side in the transfer direction, and including the ejection port. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) An active energy radiation device comprising: the active energy radiation unit according to claim 1; and a transfer part which causes a relative movement of the target object with respect to the active energy radiation region.