Fire control and containment in production printing systems with radiant dryers

• US 9,656,493 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Bildstein, Carl R, Boland, Stuart J., Johnson, Scott, Walker, Casey E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TUONGMINH NGUYEN
• Application Number:
  US15/224,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20170008321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 169 60- 61, 169 56, 169 68, 169 45, 169 46, 169 48- 50, 83358-372, 400621, 399 91, 399385, 399386, 352143-145
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 2/04 Removing or cutting-off the supply of inflammable material
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 3/00 Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places in oil wells E21B29/08, A62C35/00; in mines or tunnels E21F5/00 ; for nuclear reactors G21C9/04
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/377 Cooling or ventilating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism

Abstract

Fire control and containment for a production printing system that includes a dryer unit, an air intake fan, and an exhaust fan. A fire control and containment system includes an enclosure surrounding the dryer unit. The enclosure includes controllable doors, a temperature sensor, and an air pressure sensor in the enclosure. The fire containment and control system also includes a controller operable to detect a fire event based on changes in air pressure and air temperature in the enclosure detected by the air pressure and air temperature sensors. In response to detecting the fire event, the controller closes the doors of the enclosure to prevent the print medium from entering, controls the air intake fan and the exhaust fan to reduce the air pressure in the enclosure, and controls the dryer unit to reduce temperature in the enclosure to suppress fire.

Claims

1. A method of controlling and containing fire in a production printing system that comprises a dryer unit, an air intake fan, and an exhaust fan, method comprising:

monitoring air pressure and air temperature sensors to detect temperature and pressure changes in the air within an enclosure surrounding the dryer unit;

detecting a fire event based on the detected air pressure and air temperature changes in the enclosure; and

upon detecting the fire event;

closing doors of the enclosure to prevent the print medium from entering the enclosure;

decreasing a speed of the air intake fan; and

increasing a speed of the exhaust fan to reduce air pressure in the enclosure to a level sufficient to suppress a fire.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating a fire extinguishing unit to dispense a fire retardant within the enclosure during the fire event.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sealing the enclosure from an operating environment of the production printing system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an alarm to alert personnel of the fire event.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

cutting the print medium to prevent additional print medium from entering the enclosure during the fire event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the fire event further comprises detecting humidity outside a predetermined range.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a controller, direct the controller to control and contain fire in a production printing system that comprises a dryer unit, an air intake fan, and an exhaust fan, the instructions further directing the controller to:

monitor air pressure and air temperature sensors to detect temperature and pressure changes in the air within an enclosure surrounding the dryer unit;

detect a fire event based on the detected air pressure and air temperature changes in the enclosure; and

upon detecting the fire event;

close doors of the enclosure to prevent the print medium from entering the enclosure;

decrease a speed of the air intake fan; and

increase a speed of the exhaust fan to reduce air pressure in the enclosure to a level sufficient to suppress a fire.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 the instructions further directing the controller to initiate a fire extinguishing unit to dispense a fire retardant within the enclosure during the fire event.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 the instructions further directing the controller to hermetically seal the enclosure from the controller.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, the instructions further directing the controller to initiate cutting of the print medium to prevent additional print medium from entering the enclosure during the fire event.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, the instructions further directing the controller to determine the fire event based on a detection of humidity outside a predetermined range.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, the instructions further directing the controller to calculate and store optimized set points for control based on system control inputs to adjust for changes in air intake filter restriction and reflector component emissivity.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, the instructions further directing the controller to control speeds of the air intake fan and the exhaust fan to automatically compensate for overdriven building exhaust.