Hot air dryer structure
AssigneeMEG Inc.
InventorsRene Bodenan, Nicholas Teculescu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modular hot air dryer includes air jet support for a continuously moving, freshly printed flexible paper web. Air curtains are provided at the dryer entrance and exists to prevent excess fresh air penetration into the dryer. Air which is intentionally introduced is preheated before being introduced through the air curtains to help avoid tar build-up. Automatic control is provided of the exhaust flow rate to maintain constant vapor concentration. Each zone of the dryer is separately temperature-controlled.
Claims41
Apparatus for simultaneously drying in hot air a continuous web of flexible material carrying a solvent to be evaporated and supporting said continuous web of flexible material;
- said apparatus comprising:
- a casing having a web inlet opening and a web outlet opening for said web, said web traveling between said inlet opening and said outlet opening in a general path (D) which extends longitudinally through the interior of said casing;
- said casing comprising at least two modular sections which contain respective chambers in adjacent relation longitudinally of said casing;
- each of said two sections having an upper set of nozzles and a lower set of nozzles disposed respectively above and below said general path;
- each of said two sections including air recycling means having input means communicating with said interior of said casing and output means;
- heater means;
- air exhaust means for extracting air from the interior of said casing;
- duct means coupled between said output means and said upper set of nozzles and said lower set of nozzles of the respective said section;
- conduit means for placing said heater means in communication with said duct means for preheating the air recycled to said sets of nozzles by said output means of said recycling means;
- and solvent concentration sensing means for sensing the concentration of said solvent in the atmosphere within said casing;
- said solvent concentration sensing means being connected to said air exhaust means for controlling said air exhaust means, and second pressure sensing means sensitive to the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of said casing;
- said second pressure sensing means connected to said air exhaust means for further controlling the flow through said exhaust means.
Apparatus for simultaneously drying a continuous web of flexible material carrying a solvent to be evaporated in hot air and supporting said continuous web of flexible material;
- said apparatus comprising:
- a casing having a web inlet opening and a web outlet opening for said web, said web traveling between said inlet opening and said outlet opening in a general path (D) which extends longitudinally through the interior of said casing;
- said casing comprising at least two modular sections which contain respective chambers in adjacent relations having an upper set of nozzles and a lower set of nozzles disposed respectively above and below said general path;
- each of said two sections including air recycling means having input means communicating with said interior of said casing and output means;
- heater means;
- air exhaust means for extracting air from the interior of said casing;
- duct means coupled between said output means and said upper set of nozzles and said lower set of nozzles of the respective said section;
- conduit means for placing said heater means in communication with said duct means for preheating the air recycled to said sets of nozzles by said output means of said recycling means;
- and upper and lower external nozzle means disposed outside of said casing and adjacent both of said web inlet and outlet openings, respectively, above and below said web path;
- said upper and lower external nozzle means having slits extending across the web path for blowing air onto said web, and means for heating and supplying external air to said external nozzle means exteriorly of said casing, said means comprising means for recovering heat from the dried web issuing from the casing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.