# US 2014/0150283 A1 · Infrared quartz conveyor dryer and method of use thereof

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- Number: US 2014/0150283 A1
- Document ID: US20140150283A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/705,989
- Filed: 2012-12-05
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-05
- Assignees: Bergmann Precision, Inc.
- Applicants: Bergmann Precision, Inc.
- Inventors: John Bergmann
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150283A1

## CPC

- F26B 23/04: using electric heating (F26B23/10 takes precedence)
- F26B 3/30: from infrared-emitting elements {(by radiation emanating from passages containing heated fluids other than combustion gases F26B23/10)}
- F26B 21/35: Temperature; Pressure
- F26B 21/37: Velocity of flow; Quantity of flow
- 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)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A conveyor dryer for curing ink on a substrate, the dryer comprising:
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 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 dryer 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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The dryer of claim 1, further comprising a control unit, wherein the control unit receives a signal from the sensor and based on the signal received transitions the dryer back and forth between the standby state and the operational state.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The dryer of claim 2, wherein the heating element is a plurality of infrared quartz heating elements arranged at predetermined intervals within the housing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The dryer of claim 3, wherein in the standby state the infrared quartz heating elements are not thermally active and the conveyor belt is not moving, and wherein in the operational state the infrared quartz heating elements are thermally active and the conveyor belt is moving.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The dryer of claim 4, wherein under the condition that the sensor senses the substrate on the conveyor belt, the infrared quartz elements transition from the standby state to the operational state, and the conveyor belt postpones transition from the standby state to the operational state until a predetermined amount of time has expired, at which time the conveyor belt transitions to the operational state.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The dryer of claim 5, wherein the predetermined amount of time is 60 seconds or less.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The dryer of claim 5, wherein upon transition to the operational state the conveyor belt is configured to operate for a predetermined interval of time, and wherein upon expiration of the predetermined interval of time each of the heating elements and the conveyor belt transition from the operational state to the standby state.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The dryer of claim 6, wherein under the condition that the sensor senses another substrate on the conveyor belt prior to expiration of the predetermined interval of time, the predetermined interval of time resets and the heating elements and the conveyor belt remain in the operational state.

### Claim 9 (depends on 4)

The dryer of claim 4, the dryer further comprising:
a temperature control functionally coupled to the heat zone and in communication with the control unit, wherein the temperature control senses the temperature of the heat zone and the control unit cycles the infrared quartz heating elements off and on during the operational state to maintain a predetermined temperature within the heat zone.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The dryer of claim 5, the dryer further comprising:
a recirculation fan coupled to the dryer body and in fluidic communication with the heat zone, the recirculation fan being configured to circulate air within the heat zone; and
an exhaust unit coupled to the housing and configured to exhaust the heat zone,
wherein under the condition that the conveyor belt is in the operational state, the control unit transitions the recirculation fan and the exhaust unit from the standby state to the operational state.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The dryer of claim 1, the dryer further comprising:
a hood panel that is releasably coupled to the housing and covers the heating element; and
a reflector shield functionally coupled to the housing between the hood panel and the heating element to reflect the thermal energy of the heating element toward the conveyor belt passing thereunder.

### Claim 12

A method of curing ink on a textile substrate, the method comprising:
providing a conveyor dryer having a conveyor belt and a heating element in a heat zone;
sensing the textile substrate on the conveyor belt by a sensor;
transitioning the dryer from a standby state to an operational state upon the sensing the textile substrate; and
curing the ink on the textile substrate in the operational state.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, the transitioning the dryer from a standby state to an operational state further comprises thermally activating the heating element to heat the heat zone upon the sensing the textile substrate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, the transitioning the dryer from a standby state to an operational state further comprises the conveyer belt waiting a predetermined amount of time upon the sensing the textile substrate prior to moving through the heat zone.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined time is 60 seconds or less.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, the curing the ink on the textile substrate in the operational state further comprises the conveyor belt moving the textile substrate through the heating zone for a predetermined interval of time sufficient to cure the ink on the textile substrate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, the method further comprising maintaining the heating zone within a predetermined temperature range during the operational state.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, the maintaining the heating zone within a predetermined temperature range further comprises cycling the heating element on and off during the operational state.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising transitioning the dryer from the operational state to the standby state upon expiration of the interval of time.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising maintaining the operational state of the dryer under the condition that the sensor senses another textile substrate on the conveyor belt prior to the expiration of the interval of time.