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Print dryer heater control

  • US 10,449,783 B2
  • Filed: 04/18/2018
  • Issued: 10/22/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2017
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A printer, comprising:

  • a print dryer having a variable-power heater controllable by a duty cycle;

    a sensor in the print dryer to repetitively measure and record an internal temperature of the print dryer; and

    a controller coupled to the heater and the sensor toapply to the heater a high duty cycle to heat the print dryer until the internal temperature exceeds a target temperature and then apply a low duty cycle,calculate from the recorded internal temperatures a dT/dt slope occurring at an end portion of the high duty cycle before the low duty cycle,convert the dT/dt slope into an initial heater duty cycle according to a piecewise-continuous function associated with the target temperature, where the initial heater duty cycle is negatively proportional to the dT/dt slope below a given value of dT/dt slope and constant above the given value of dT/dt slope, andperform proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control of the heater beginning at the initial heater duty cycle to maintain the print dryer at the target temperature within a predefined accuracy.

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