Inkjet Printer Having An Image Drum Heater And Cooler
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsRoger G. Leighton, Michael F. Leo, Venkata B. Chivukula
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inkjet offset printer includes a heated drum assembly having a hollow drum with an internal surface defining an internal cavity and a heater and a cooler located in the internal cavity. The heater includes at least one ceramic heater element. The cooler includes a slot to direct an air stream that is normal to the internal surface of the drum that aids in quenching the heating element for faster control responses.
Claims19
A heated drum assembly for use in a printer, the heated drum assembly comprising:
- a hollow drum including an internal surface defining an internal cavity, the hollow drum having a first end and a second end and a longitudinal axis;
- a heater located in the internal cavity of the hollow drum to heat the internal surface, the heater including a first ceramic heating element;
- and
- a cooler, located in the internal cavity of the hollow drum, the cooler having a first housing and at least one aperture that extends in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hollow drum to enable a stream of coolant to be directed toward the internal surface of the hollow drum in a direction normal to the internal surface.
A printer comprising:
- an image receiving member including a substantially cylindrical outer surface and an internal surface defining an internal cavity, the image receiving member having a first end and a second end and a longitudinal axis, at least one ceramic heating element located in the internal cavity, to heat the internal surface of the image receiving member, and a cooler located in the internal cavity of the hollow drum, the cooler having a first housing and at least one aperture that extends in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hollow drum to enable a stream of coolant to be directed toward the internal surface of the hollow drum in a direction normal to the internal surface;
- a printhead, to deposit ink on the image receiving member, the printhead disposed adjacent to the image receiving member;
- and
- a controller, operatively connected to the heater, the cooler, and the printhead, the controller being configured to control the application of heat to the internal surface by the heater, to control the application of cooling to the internal surface by the cooler, and to control the printhead to deposit ink on the image receiving member during one of the application of heat and the application of cooling.
The printer of claim 17, the central hub further comprising:
- a bearing to provide relative motion between the image receiving member and the cooler to enable the substantially cylindrical outer surface to rotate with respect to the cooler.
The printer of claim 18, the controller being further configured to remove power from the heater while maintaining air flow through the cooler.
The printer of claim 19, each of the first ceramic heater and the second ceramic heater further comprising:
- a rectangular prism wherein the largest surfaces thereof are placed in closest proximity to the internal surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.