Continuous media web heater

A web heating system for heating a continuous media web in an imaging device, the web heating system comprising:

• a plurality of radiant heating units positioned adjacent a media pathway of a continuous media web in an imaging device, each radiant heating unit including:
• a housing having an opening for positioning adjacent the media web;
• a pair of radiant heating panels configured to emit thermal radiation in accordance with a variable thermal output signal, the pair of panels being positionable in the housing to any one of a plurality of positions between and including a fully open position in which the pair of radiant heating panels are positioned side by side in the opening of the housing and facing the media web and a retracted position in which the pair of radiant heating panels are inside the housing and facing each other, a view factor of the pair of panels with respect to the media web being different for each position in the plurality of positions;
• and
• a panel driver operably coupled to the pair of radiant heating panels for positioning the pair of radiant heating panels to at least one of the plurality of positions in response to a variable view factor signal;
• at least one temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the media web and for generating a temperature signal indicative of the detected temperature of the media web;
• a web heating controller for selectively generating thermal output signals and view factor signals for each radiant heating unit in the plurality of radiant heating unit, the web heating controller being configured to generate at least one of the thermal output signals and the view factor signals in accordance with the temperature signal.

A solid ink imaging device comprising:

• a continuous media web;
• a media handling system for transporting the media web along a media pathway through a solid ink imaging device;
• a solid ink printing system positioned along the media pathway for printing images on the media web;
• a web heating system positioned along the media pathway upstream from the printing system for heating the media web to a web heating temperature, the web heating system comprising:
• at least one radiant heating unit positioned adjacent the media pathway, the at least one radiant heating unit including:
• a housing having an opening for positioning adjacent the media web;
• a pair of radiant heating panels configured to emit thermal radiation in accordance with a variable thermal output signal, the pair of panels being positionable in the housing to any one of a plurality of positions between and including a fully open position in which the pair of radiant heating panels are positioned side by side in the opening of the housing and facing the media web and a retracted position in which the pair of radiant heating panels are inside the housing and facing each other, a view factor of the pair of panels with respect to the media web being different for each position in the plurality of positions;
• and
• a panel driver operably coupled to the pair of radiant heating panels for positioning the pair of radiant heating panels to at least one of the plurality of positions in response to a variable view factor signal;
• at least one temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the media web and for generating a temperature signal indicative of the detected temperature of the media web;
• and
• a web heating controller for selectively generating thermal output signals and view factor signals for at least one radiant heating unit to heat the media web to the web heating temperature, the web heating controller being configured to generate at least one of the thermal output signals and the view factor signals in accordance with the temperature signal.