Patent · US Expired

Ink-jet printer having dual drying system

US5774155A · kind A · utility

34Cited by
27References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 25, 1996
Grant dateJun 30, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 25, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J11/00244
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

An ink-jet printer having a dual drying system. A print heater is disposed at the print zone for heating a portion of the print medium during printing operations to dry ink ejected onto the medium. The printer has means for drying the print medium at a drying location before the medium reaches the print zone to prevent uneven shrinkage of a cellulose-based print medium due to heating the medium at the print zone. The print heater can be controlled to provide a higher temperature at the print zone than the drying means provides at the drying location. The printer provides the capability of independent control of said drying means and said print heater. A method is described for detecting a transparent medium being advanced to a print zone of an ink-jet printer capable of supporting printing operations on a transparent medium as well as an opaque medium, including: providing a sheet of transparent print medium having an opaque strip extending along a leading edge thereof, wherein a reflectivity of the strip is substantially higher than a reflectivity of the transparent print medium; advancing an opaque or transparent print medium along a medium path toward the print zone; and determi…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.