The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 29, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 04, 1999
Frederick A. Donahue, Walworth, NY (US);
Xerox Corporation, Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A variable throughput active-passive dryer assembly is provided for handling and controllably drying wet sheets printed in a liquid ink printer. The variable throughput active-passive dryer assembly includes a rotatable cylindrical member including a support shaft and an exterior surface defining a path of movement therefor; a driving device for rotatably or indexably driving the exterior surface of the rotatable cylindrical member about the path of movement; a number of wet sheet holding and releasing slots formed in the rotatable cylindrical member from the exterior surface towards a center thereof for retaining and passively allowing wet sheets to dry; an active drying component associated with each wet sheet holding and releasing slot for actively drying a wet sheets within each such slot; and a programmable controller connected to, and controlling operation of, the driving device, and of the active drying component, thereby enabling variable throughput handling and active, as well as passive, drying of wet printed sheets without ink offset and image smearing problems.