# US 9,039,812 B2 · Exhaust substance removal

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- Number: US 9,039,812 B2
- Document ID: US9039812B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/931,452
- Filed: 2013-06-28
- Published: 2015-01-01
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2013-06-28
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Francesc Tarrida Tirado; Xavier Gasso Puchal; Macia Sole Pons
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039812B2

## CPC

- B01D 46/0031: {with collecting, draining means}
- B01D 3/007: {Energy recuperation; Heat pumps}
- B01D 3/02: in boilers or stills
- B01D 5/0072: {with filtration}
- B41F 35/00: Cleaning arrangements or devices {(in manifolding apparatus or the like B41L41/00)}
- B41J 29/17: Cleaning arrangements
- B41J 29/377: Cooling or ventilating arrangements
- B41J 2202/03: Specific materials used
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B41F: PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES (manifolding devices or office printing machines B41L)
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

In one implementation, a substance removal apparatus may include a collection unit and a removal unit. The collection unit may have a structure forming a channel and an inlet to receive an exhaust from a print system. The removal unit may separate a substance from the exhaust and transfer heat from the exhaust to the print system. The removal unit may include a heat exchanger and an impaction mechanism.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substance removal apparatus for a print system comprising:
a collection unit having a structure forming a channel, a portion of the structure forming an inlet to the channel to receive an exhaust from the print system, the exhaust to contain a substance; and
a removal unit operatively coupled to the collection unit, the removal unit to separate the substance from the exhaust and transfer heat from the exhaust to the print system, the removal unit comprising:
a heat exchanger to transfer heat from the exhaust to a gas;
an impaction mechanism to impact the exhaust and coalesce the substance;
a return channel to communicate with the print system; and
a gas movement device to generate a flow of the exhaust through the heat exchanger and through the impaction mechanism to the return channel, the return channel to pass the exhaust, after removal of the substance by the inspection mechanism, back to the print system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substance removal apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger includes a plate to transfer heat from the exhaust to the gas, and the impaction mechanism includes a collection surface having a plurality of threaded fibers to form a mesh.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The substance removal apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heat exchanger is a passive plate cross-flow heat exchanger, and the impaction mechanism includes a demister having a mesh density based on at least one of a particle size of the substance and a viscosity of the substance.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The substance removal apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portion of the structure of the collection unit forms a plurality of inlets, each inlet of the plurality of inlets having a geometry based on at least one of a location of the each inlet of the plurality of inlets and a flow rate of the exhaust from the print system.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The substance removal apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a lip coupled to the collection unit, the lip to divert the exhaust from the print system to the plurality of inlets of the collection unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The substance removal apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
an attachment mechanism coupled to the collection unit, the attachment mechanism to attach the collection unit to the print system and align the portion of the structure of the collection unit with a portion of the print system forming an outlet; and
a container coupled to the removal unit to collect the substance, the substance comprising a solvent.

### Claim 7

A system comprising:
a print system to produce an exhaust having a substance;
a collection unit operatively coupled to the print system, the collection unit including a structure forming a channel to receive the exhaust from the print system;
a heat exchanger operatively coupled to the collection unit to receive the exhaust from the collection unit, the heat exchanger to condense the exhaust by transferring heat to a gas;
an impaction mechanism operatively coupled to the heat exchanger to receive a portion of the exhaust discharged from the heat exchanger, the impaction mechanism comprising a mesh of fibers to remove the substance from the portion of the exhaust, to form an output exhaust;
a return channel between the impaction mechanism and the print system; and
a gas movement device to cause the exhaust to flow through the heat exchanger, the portion of the exhaust to flow into the impaction mechanism from the heat exchanger, and the output exhaust to flow into the return channel to return the output exhaust to the print system.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a plate to transfer the heat from the exhaust to the gas to cause the exhaust to decrease in temperature.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the structure of the collection unit comprises a plurality of inlets to receive the exhaust from the print system, the plurality of inlets arranged along the collection unit and progressively growing in size from a first end of the collection unit to a second end of the collection unit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, further comprising a second gas movement device to cause a flow of the gas through the heat exchanger in a direction that is angled with respect to a direction of the flow of the exhaust through the heat exchanger.

### Claim 11

A method comprising:
collecting exhaust from a print system by a collection unit operatively coupled to the print system, the exhaust containing a substance; and
separating the substance from the exhaust by:
transferring, by a heat exchanger, heat between the exhaust and a gas to condense the exhaust;
impacting the exhaust from the heat exchanger on an impaction mechanism to collect the substance; and
using a gas movement device, flowing the exhaust from the collection unit to the heat exchanger, flowing the exhaust from the heat exchanger to the impaction mechanism, and flowing the exhaust after removal of the substance by the impaction mechanism to a return channel to return the exhaust to the print system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein collecting the exhaust from the print system comprises collecting the exhaust at an inhale rate based on an exhale rate of the exhaust from the print system.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein transferring the heat is performed by the heat exchanger that is one of a passive heat exchanger or an active heat exchanger.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The substance removal apparatus of claim 1, wherein the passing of the exhaust back to the print system causes transfer of heat of the exhaust, after passing through the impaction mechanism, to the print system for reuse of the heat in the print system.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The substance removal apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas movement device is to cause the exhaust to pass through the heat exchanger to cool the exhaust, and to cause the cooled exhaust to pass through the impaction mechanism to remove the substance.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The substance removal apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger is a cross-flow heat exchanger, and the removal unit further comprising a second gas movement device to cause a flow of the gas in a first direction, and wherein the flow of the exhaust through the heat exchanger is in a second direction that is angled with respect to the first direction.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The substance removal apparatus of claim 16, wherein the heat exchanger comprises a heat exchange plate between the flow of the gas and the flow of the exhaust.

### Claim 18 (depends on 7)

The system of claim 7, wherein the return of the output exhaust to the print system causes transfer of heat of the output exhaust for reuse in the print system.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the return of the exhaust to the print system causes heat of the exhaust to be returned to the print system for reuse by the print system.