Fan assembly for a cut sheet inkjet printer, cut sheet inkjet printer and method for operating a fan assembly for a cut sheet inkjet printer

A fan assembly for a cut sheet inkjet printer, comprising:

• a suction box comprising a wall having an open area distributed across a surface of the wall, wherein the suction box is configured to contain an underpressure on an inner side of the wall, so as to cause a sheet to adhere to a perforated transport belt moveable along the wall;
• an dryer configured to expel air supplied to the dryer towards the perforated transport belt;
• an air fan arranged to create and maintain the underpressure in the suction box and to supply the air to be expelled to the dryer via an air outlet of the suction box in fluid connection with an air inlet of the air fan and via an air outlet of the air fan in fluid connection with an air inlet of the dryer;
• a first valve arranged upstream of the air fan for conditionally and/or selectively admitting an additional air flow into the suction box;
• and
• a second valve arranged downstream of the air fan for selectively reducing an air flow from the air fan to the dryer in order to control a flow of air expelled from the dryer,
• wherein the second valve is controllable by a second valve control signal for controllably reducing the air flow from the air fan to the dryer, and
• wherein the second valve is a three-way valve comprising a valve inlet for receiving the air flow from the air fan, a first valve outlet leading to the dryer and a second valve outlet leading to surroundings of the fan assembly.