# US 8,770,738 B2 · Acoustic drying system with matched exhaust flow > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,738 B2 - Document ID: US8770738B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/693,309 - Filed: 2012-12-04 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04 - Assignees: Eastman Kodak Company - Applicants: James Douglas Shifley; Rodney Ray Bucks; Thomas Nathaniel Tombs; Andrew Ciaschi - Inventors: James Douglas Shifley; Rodney Ray Bucks; Thomas Nathaniel Tombs; Andrew Ciaschi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770738B2 ## CPC - B41J 11/0022: {using convection means, e.g. by using a fan for blowing or sucking air} - B41J 11/0015: {for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing (selective coating B41J2/2114)} - F26B 5/02: by using ultrasonic vibrations {(using sonic energy generated by pulse jet combustion F26B23/026)} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - 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 An inkjet printing system, comprising: one or more inkjet printheads for printing drops of ink onto a receiver medium, and an acoustic air impingement drying system positioned in proximity to at least one of the inkjet printheads. The acoustic air impingement drying system includes: an airflow source providing a supply flow rate; an acoustic resonant chamber having an inlet slot that receives air from the airflow source and an outlet slot that directs air onto the receiver medium; an exhaust air channel for removing the air directed onto the receiver medium by the acoustic resonant chamber; a blower for pulling air through the exhaust air channel at an exhaust flow rate; and a blower controller that controls the supply flow rate and the exhaust flow rate, wherein the exhaust flow rate is controlled to match the supply flow rate to within 1%, or to exceed the supply flow rate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An inkjet printing system, comprising: one or more inkjet printheads, each having an array of ink nozzles for printing drops of ink onto a receiver medium; a receiver media transport system for moving the receiver medium past the inkjet printheads; and an acoustic air impingement drying system positioned in proximity to at least one of the inkjet printheads, the acoustic air impingement drying system including: an airflow source providing air at a supply flow rate; an acoustic resonant chamber having an inlet slot that receives air from the airflow source and an outlet slot that directs air onto the receiver medium, wherein the acoustic resonant chamber imparts acoustic energy to the air flowing through the acoustic resonant chamber; an exhaust air channel for removing the air directed onto the receiver medium by the acoustic resonant chamber; a blower for pulling air through the exhaust air channel at an exhaust flow rate; and a blower controller that controls the exhaust flow rate, wherein the exhaust flow rate is controlled to match the supply flow rate to within 1%, or to exceed the supply flow rate, and wherein the acoustic resonant chamber includes a plurality of closed-end resonant chambers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inkjet printing system of claim 1 wherein the blower controller also controls the supply flow rate, the supply flow rate being controlled by sensing the supply flow rate and adjusting the supply flow rate when a difference between the sensed supply flow rate and a predefined aim supply flow rate exceeds a predefined threshold, and the exhaust flow rate being controlled by sensing the exhaust flow rate, and adjusting the exhaust flow rate when a difference between the sensed exhaust flow rate and a predefined aim exhaust flow rate exceeds a predefined threshold, the aim exhaust flow rate being greater than or equal to the aim supply flow rate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The inkjet printing system of claim 1 wherein the exhaust flow rate is controlled by sensing the supply flow rate and the exhaust flow rate, and adjusting the exhaust flow rate when a difference between the sensed supply flow rate and the sensed exhaust flow rate exceeds a predefined threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The inkjet printing system of claim 1 wherein the exhaust flow rate is controlled by sensing an airflow rate at a position intermediate to the acoustic air impingement drying system and one of the inkjet printheads. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The inkjet printing system of claim 1 wherein the outlet slot of the acoustic air impingement drying system is positioned no more than 45 mm from the ink nozzles in the nearest inkjet printhead. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The inkjet printing system of claim 1 wherein the acoustic resonant chamber is positioned between two inkjet printheads. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The inkjet printing system of claim 1 wherein the exhaust air channel removes air from at least two sides of the outlet slot. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The inkjet printing system of claim 1 wherein the acoustic air impingement drying system includes a plurality of output slots, each output slot directing air onto the receiver medium and being oriented at an oblique angle relative to the direction of receiver medium movement.