System for inductively heating a belt
OwnerRobert J. Lawton, Jose Alvaro Barba Villanueva +1inventors
InventorsRobert J. Lawton, Jose Alvaro Barba Villanueva, B. Mark Hirst
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Abstract
A system for inductively heating a belt employs a magnetic flux intensifier that serves to intensify a magnetic field through which an electrically conductive belt is driven in order to heat said belt. A workpiece such as a sheet of paper having partially dried ink (or electrophotographic toner in need of softening) can be placed in association with the belt and thereby heated in order to dry the ink (or fuse the toner).
Claims20
A system for inductively heating a belt, said system comprising:
- a magnetic flux generating device for creating a magnetic field in a gap;
- a magnetic flux intensifier positioned such that (1) a gap is defined between said intensifier and the magnetic flux generating device, (2) the magnetic field is concentrated in the gap and (3) the gap is wide enough to freely pass a sheet of material containing an electrically conductive material in which a current is induced when said sheet of material is driven through the concentrated magnetic field and thereby heating said sheet of material.
A system for inductively heating a belt, said system comprising:
- a magnetic flux generating device;
- a magnetic flux intensifier positioned such that a gap is defined between said intensifier and the magnetic flux generating device;
- and
- a belt containing an electrically conductive material in which a current is induced when said belt is driven through a magnetic field in the gap and thereby heating the belt.
A system for inductively heating a belt, said system comprising:
- a magnetic flux generating device;
- a magnetic flux intensifier positioned such that a gap is defined between said intensifier and the magnetic flux generating device;
- a belt containing an electrically conductive material in which a current is induced when said belt is driven through a magnetic field in the gap and thereby heating the belt;
- and
- a workpiece that is heated by its physical association with the belt when said belt is driven through the magnetic field in the gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.