Drying apparatus

#This Non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 2003-312433 filed in Japan on Sep. 4, 2003, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a drying apparatus, particularly to the drying apparatus suitable for a drying process in a manufacturing line of a presensitized plate (hereinafter PS plate).

#One with ordinary skill in the art would easily understand the above-described objects and advantages of the present invention when the following detailed description is read with reference to the drawings attached hereto.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a PS plate manufacturing line;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a composition of a drying apparatus of the present invention; and

#In FIG. 1 showing a manufacturing line of a presensitized plate (PS plate) wherein a drying apparatus of the present invention is applied, an aluminum web 10, whose surface is treated by a surface treating device (not shown), is transported to a coating device 12 by a plural of rollers 11. The surface of the aluminum web 10 is coated with a coating liquid by the coating device 12 to form a coated layer. Then, the aluminum web 10 is transported sequentially to a dryer booth by the rollers 11 with following a conveying path for the aluminum web 10. A plural of dryer booths are provided in the drying apparatus: a first dryer booth 13A, a second dryer booth 13B, a third dryer booth 13C, and a fourth dryer and cooler booth 13D.

#Each of the first dryer booth 13A, the second dryer booth 13B, the third dryer booth 13C, and the fourth dryer and cooler booth 13D is provided with a first dryer 14A, a second dryer 14B, a third dryer 14C, and a fourth dryer and cooler 14D respectively. Each of the first dryer 14A, the second dryer 14B, the third dryer 14C, and the fourth dryer and cooler 14D sends hot air respectively to the first dryer booth 13A, the second dryer booth 13B, the third dryer booth 13C, and the fourth dryer and cooler booth 13D so as to dry the coated layer formed on the aluminum web 10. Next, the aluminum web 10 is transported by the rollers 11 to the next process, wherein another coated layer is formed on the aluminum web 10, then dried and cooled. After that, the aluminum web 10 is cut by a slitter (not shown) into PS plates having a predetermined size. Alternatively, a cooler may be provided in addition to the fourth dryer and cooler 14D to cool the aluminum web 10.

#The PS plate is manufactured by forming a coating layer on a rectangular and thin aluminum support. The coating layer is a photosensitive layer for a photosensitive PS plate and a heat-sensitive layer for a heat-sensitive PS plate. An overcoat layer and a mat layer may also be formed, if necessary. Plate-making processes such as exposing, developing and gum coating are executed for the coated layer, and then the PS plate is set in a printer to be coated with ink and prints characters and images on a paper. Though the composition of the PS plate is not limited specifically in the present embodiment, the PS plate for a laser printing of a heat mode system or a photon mode system, for example, are capable of direct plate making from digital data.