阅读说明：本技术 用于保持喷墨打印机中所打印基片的平坦度的打印机和基片冷却器 (Printer and substrate cooler for maintaining flatness of printed substrate in ink jet printer ) 是由 P·M·弗罗姆 E·鲁伊斯 D·A·范库文伯格 L·C·胡佛 于 2019-08-12 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明题为“用于保持喷墨打印机中所打印基片的平坦度的打印机和基片冷却器”。本发明公开了一种成像系统,该成像系统包括基片冷却器,该基片冷却器降低承载干燥油墨图像的基片的温度。基片冷却器具有多个辊、可操作地连接到多个辊的至少一个致动器,以及可操作地连接到至少一个致动器的控制器。控制器被配置为操作至少一个致动器以使辊相对于彼此移动,从而改变基片沿其移动经过基片冷却器的路径的长度。(The invention provides a printer and a substrate cooler for maintaining flatness of a printed substrate in an ink jet printer. An imaging system includes a substrate cooler that reduces the temperature of a substrate bearing a dried ink image. The substrate cooler has a plurality of rollers, at least one actuator operatively connected to the plurality of rollers, and a controller operatively connected to the at least one actuator. The controller is configured to operate the at least one actuator to move the rollers relative to each other to vary a length of a path along which the substrate moves past the substrate cooler.)

1. An imaging system, comprising:

at least one marking material device configured to form an image on a substrate;

a media transport system configured to move the substrate past the at least one marking material device to enable the at least one marking material device to form an image on the substrate;

a first dryer configured to dry the substrate after the at least one marking material device has formed an image on the substrate; and

a substrate cooler configured to receive the substrate after the substrate has been dried by the dryer, the substrate cooler configured to change a length of a path along which the substrate moves through the substrate cooler.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, the substrate cooler further comprising:

a plurality of rollers;

at least one actuator operably connected to the plurality of rollers; and

a controller operatively connected to the at least one actuator, the controller configured to operate the at least one actuator to move the rollers relative to each other to vary the length of the path along which the substrate moves through the substrate cooler.

3. The imaging system of claim 2, the controller further configured to:

operating the at least one actuator to regulate the speed at which the roller rotates as a function of the temperature to which the substrate is exposed in the dryer.

4. The imaging system of claim 3, further comprising:

a cooling system configured to absorb heat from the roller to enable the roller to absorb heat from the substrate.

5. The imaging system of claim 4, the cooling system further comprising:

a forced air device configured to direct an airflow through the roller.

6. The imaging system of claim 4, the cooling system further comprising:

a fluid source;

a pump operatively connected to the fluid source and the roller;

a heat exchanger operatively connected to the roller and the fluid source; and is

The controller is operatively connected to the pump, the controller being further configured to operate the pump to circulate fluid through the roller, the heat exchanger, and the fluid source to enable the circulating fluid to absorb heat from the roller.

7. The imaging system of claim 4, further comprising:

a first endless belt wound around a first predetermined number of rollers;

a first member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first member being mounted about an axle about which one of the first predetermined number of rollers rotates to enable the member to pivot about the axle, and the second end of the first member having a roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the first member, the roller rotatably mounted about the second end of the first member engaging an inner surface of the first endless belt;

the at least one actuator operably connected to the roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the first member and to the first predetermined number of rollers, the at least one actuator further configured to move the roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the first member toward and away from the first predetermined number of rollers;

a second endless belt wound around a second predetermined number of rollers;

a second member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second member being mounted about an axle about which one of the second predetermined number of rollers rotates to enable the second member to pivot about the axle, and the second end of the second member having a roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the second member, the roller rotatably mounted about the second end of the second member engaging an inner surface of the second endless belt;

the at least one actuator operably connected to the roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the member and to the second predetermined number of rollers, the at least one actuator further configured to move the roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the second member toward and away from the second predetermined number of rollers; and is

The controller is further configured to operate the at least one actuator to move the roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the first member toward the first predetermined number of rollers, and moving the first predetermined number of rollers toward the second predetermined number of rollers and moving the rollers rotatably mounted to the second end of the second member toward the second predetermined number of rollers, such that the first predetermined number of rollers is interleaved with the second predetermined number of rollers such that a portion of the first endless belt engages the first predetermined number of rollers, and a portion of the second endless belt engages the second predetermined number of rollers to form an undulating path between the first predetermined number of rollers and the second predetermined number of rollers through which the substrate moves past the substrate cooler.

8. The imaging system of claim 7, wherein the first and second endless belts are made of 0.1mm thick polyester or polyimide.

9. The imaging system of claim 7, wherein the first and second endless belts are made of 1mm thick rubber.

10. The imaging system of claim 7, the controller further configured to:

moving the first predetermined number of rollers toward the second predetermined number of rollers to lengthen the undulating path between the first and second endless belts and moving the first predetermined number of rollers away from the second predetermined number of rollers to shorten the undulating path between the first and second endless belts.

11. A substrate cooler for an imaging system, comprising:

a plurality of rollers;

at least one actuator operably connected to the plurality of rollers; and

a controller operatively connected to the at least one actuator, the controller configured to operate the at least one actuator to move the rollers relative to each other to vary the length of the path along which the substrate moves through the substrate cooler.

12. The substrate cooler of claim 11, the controller further configured to:

operating the at least one actuator to regulate the speed at which the roller rotates in dependence on the temperature to which the substrate is exposed in a dryer in an ink jet printer.

13. The substrate cooler of claim 12, further comprising:

a cooling system configured to absorb heat from the roller to enable the roller to absorb heat from the substrate.

14. The substrate cooler of claim 13, the cooling system further comprising:

a forced air device configured to direct an airflow through the roller.

15. The substrate cooler of claim 13, the cooling system further comprising:

a fluid source;

a pump operatively connected to the fluid source and the roller;

a heat exchanger operatively connected to the roller and the fluid source; and is

The controller is operatively connected to the pump, the controller being further configured to operate the pump to circulate fluid through the roller, the heat exchanger, and the fluid source to enable the circulating fluid to absorb heat from the roller.

16. The substrate cooler of claim 13, further comprising:

a first endless belt wound around a first predetermined number of rollers;

a first member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first member being mounted about an axle about which one of the first predetermined number of rollers rotates to enable the member to pivot about the axle, and the second end of the first member having a roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the first member, the roller rotatably mounted about the second end of the first member engaging an inner surface of the first endless belt;

the at least one actuator operably connected to the roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the first member and to the first predetermined number of rollers, the at least one actuator further configured to move the roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the first member toward and away from the first predetermined number of rollers;

a second endless belt wound around a second predetermined number of rollers;

a second member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second member being mounted about an axle about which one of the second predetermined number of rollers rotates to enable the second member to pivot about the axle, and the second end of the second member having a roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the second member, the roller rotatably mounted about the second end of the second member engaging an inner surface of the second endless belt;

the at least one actuator operably connected to the roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the member and to the second predetermined number of rollers, the at least one actuator further configured to move the roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the second member toward and away from the second predetermined number of rollers; and is

The controller is further configured to operate the at least one actuator to move the roller rotatably mounted to the second end of the first member toward the first predetermined number of rollers, and moving the first predetermined number of rollers toward the second predetermined number of rollers and moving the rollers rotatably mounted to the second end of the second member toward the second predetermined number of rollers, such that the first predetermined number of rollers is interleaved with the second predetermined number of rollers such that a portion of the first endless belt engages the first predetermined number of rollers, and a portion of the second endless belt engages the second predetermined number of rollers to form an undulating path between the first predetermined number of rollers and the second predetermined number of rollers through which the substrate moves past the substrate cooler.

17. The substrate cooler of claim 16, wherein the first and second endless belts are made of 0.1mm thick polyester or polyimide.

18. The substrate cooler of claim 16, wherein the first annular band and the second annular band are made of 1mm thick rubber.

19. The substrate cooler of claim 16, the controller further configured to:

moving the first predetermined number of rollers toward the second predetermined number of rollers to lengthen the undulating path between the first and second endless belts and moving the first predetermined number of rollers away from the second predetermined number of rollers to shorten the undulating path between the first and second endless belts.