Infrared quartz conveyor dryer and method of use thereof

Abstract

A conveyor dryer for curing ink on a substrate is provided. The dryer comprises a dryer body, a housing functionally coupled to the dryer body, the housing and dryer body defining a heat zone, a heating element functionally disposed within the heat zone and configured to provide thermal energy, an infeed extension functionally coupled to the dryer body, such that the infeed extension extends substantially horizontally from the dryer body, a conveyor belt functionally coupled to the infeed extension, the conveyor belt being configured to transition from the infeed extension into the heat zone, and a sensor functionally coupled to the infeed extension and configured to sense the substrate on the conveyor belt, wherein under the condition that the substrate is placed on the conveyor belt, the sensor senses the substrate and results in the dryer transitioning from a standby state to an operational state.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.