In ink jet printing, a relatively large quantity of ink is deposited onto the print medium in a relatively short period of time. Often, there is a time lapse between the completion of printing a portion of an image and ink drying in that portion. This phenomenon can be problematic in humid environments, where ink drying times are extended. Furthermore, heat dissipated in parts of the printer, other than in the ink itself, incurs higher power consumption than is minimally necessary for ink drying.
Although ink jet printers are generally suitable for their intended purpose, ink jet printing processes with rapid output rates (i.e. reduced ink drying times) are desirable. Various methods of drying the ink to meet the rapid output rate have been developed but these methods can be rather inefficient at coupling heat to the ink jetted material.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds