Method and a device of treating a continuous material web with infrared light and heated air

An heating and ventilation unit according to claim 11, in combination with a plurality of other units each comprising a housing being open at one end thereof and defining a hollow interior chamber therein, an array of infrared lamps (4) being supported in the chamber proximate to and facing toward the open end of said housing, a pair of glass holders (8) being attached along opposite longitudinal edges of the open end of said housing, a glass plate (9) being supported by said pair of glass holders and extending substantially across the width of the open end, means for providing a flow of cooling air to said housing for cooling said lamps, at least one spacer (13) separating each said pair of glass holders from the longitudinal edges of said housing thereby to define an elongate clearance between each longitudinal edge of said housing and the adjacent glass holder (8), an air flow guide flange (14) attached to each said longitudinal edge of said housing and extending in a plane parallel to said glass plate, each said air flow guide flange (14) having a remote end curving back toward said glass plate holder and terminating in an end portion (15), each said end portion (15) and the adjacent glass holder (8) defining a nozzle gap (19, 24) therebetween extending the entire length of said housing, whereby in use cooling air, supplied by said means for providing cooling air, passes around and cools the lamps (4) and becomes heated, and the heated air exits said housing through the clearances and is directed by the guide flanges (14, 15) through said nozzle gaps (19, 24) to form air knives extending across the longitudinal length of the open end and directed substantially at a right angle relative to said glass plate;

• and
• the plurality of other units being arranged in series with the air knives positioned in an end to end relationship such that the air knives form two continuous elongate air knifes which span the entire width of a web to be dried.

A method of treating a continuous web of material by providing a unit for treating a continuous web of material, said method comprising the steps of:

• using a housing which is opened at one end thereof and defines a hollow interior chamber therein;
• supporting an array of infrared lamps (4) in the chamber proximate to and facing toward the open end of said housing;
• attaching a pair of glass holders (8) along opposite longitudinal edges of the open end of said housing;
• supporting a glass plate (9), by said pair of glass holders, which extends substantially across the width of the open end;
• separating each said pair of glass holders from the longitudinal edges of said housing with at least one spacer (13) thereby to define an elongate clearance between each longitudinal edge of said housing and the adjacent glass holder (8);
• providing an air flow guide flange (14) which extends from each said longitudinal edge of said housing in a plane parallel to said glass plate, each said air flow guide flange (14) having a remote end curving back toward said glass plate holder and terminating in an end portion (15);
• defining a nozzle gap (19, 24), extending the entire width of the web to be dried (12), between each said end portion (15) and the adjacent glass holder (8);
• supplying cooling air to said housing which passes around and cools the lamps (4) and becomes heated;
• exhausting said heated air from said housing through the clearances;
• and
• directing said heated air, via the guide flanges (14, 15), through said nozzle gaps (19, 24) to form air knives extending across the longitudinal length of the open end and directed substantially at a right angle relative to said glass plate.