A transport device includes a transport unit that transports a sheet-like transport material without holding a one-end-side portion of the transport material in a transport direction; and a blowing unit that blows air against a lower surface of the transport material that is transported by the transport unit via multiple blowing holes that open with respect to the lower surface, an arrangement interval of the multiple blowing holes in a direction of intersection with respect to the transport direction being smaller at two end portions than at a central portion of the blowing unit.

An intermediate unit includes a transportation path provided with a drying unit that accelerates the drying of the medium. The transportation path includes an inlet path, an outlet path, a first branch path, a second branch path, a first junction path, a second junction path, a switch-back type inversion path with a first inversion path and a second inversion path. The first branch path and the second branch path which branch off at a branch point from the inlet path. The first junction path and the second junction path and the outlet path join each other at a junction point. The first branch path and the first junction path and the first inversion path join each other at a first connection point. The second branch path and the second junction path and the second inversion path join each other at a second connection point.

A sticky-layer-cleaner for removing residues adhered to a sticky flat layer includes a receptacle for a cleaning-liquid and a cleaning-roll in contact with the sticky flat layer, wherein the cleaning-roll includes an elongated carpet fabric which is helically folded around the cleaning-roll and a pile of which includes yarn tufts in loop and/or cut configuration, and the cleaning-roll further includes a helical channel along the length of the folded carpet fabric for draining the cleaning-liquid from the cleaning-roll and/or for wetting the cleaning-roll with the cleaning-liquid.

A drying device includes: a supporting section that supports a medium on which printing was performed; a conveying section that conveys, along a conveying region, the medium supported by the supporting section; a heat generating section configured to heat, over a width direction, the medium supported by the supporting section; a fix-supporting section configured to support the heat generating section fixing the heat generating section; and free-supporting section configured to support the heat generating section so that the heat generating section can expand and contract, wherein the fix-supporting section is located in a first lateral region that is a region outside the conveying region in the width direction, and the free-supporting section is located in a second lateral region that is a region outside the conveying region in the width direction and different from the first lateral region.

In some examples, a conditioner system for a media printed by a printing system includes a media conditioning assembly comprising a heater, the media conditioning assembly to receive the media printed by the printing system after the media has been heated by a dryer in the printing system after printing has occurred on the media. Responsive to a determined moisture content of the media, the heater of the media conditioning assembly controls a temperature of the media, and the media conditioning assembly controls a speed of the media through the media conditioning assembly.

The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for printing and drying inks on substrates. Printing systems may include a metering device positioned between a printing station and a light source. During operation, the printing station deposits ink onto a substrate to define a printed region. And the light source directs infrared light onto the substrate to define an illumination zone. The printed region is advanced from the printing station to the metering device and from the metering device through the illumination zone, wherein the ink is dried with infrared light traveling from the light source, which also heats the substrate and changes the modulus of elasticity of the substrate. In turn, the metering device isolates the printing station from the change in the modulus of elasticity to help reduce phase shifts caused by changes in the modulus of elasticity resulting from heat in the substrate.

A first unit includes a receiving portion that receives a medium to be processed, a drying unit that processes the medium received from the receiving portion, and an end stitching unit that processes the medium received from the receiving portion or the medium processed by the drying unit. The processing performed by the drying unit is processing of drying the medium, the drying unit is located vertically below the end stitching unit, and the drying unit and the end stitching unit have a portion overlapping when viewed in a vertical direction.

A blower includes a blowout port configured to blow air outside the blower, a channel member connected to the blowout port, the channel member configured to guide the air to the blowout port, a first heat insulation member configured to cover an inner wall of the channel member, and a second heat insulation member configured to cover an outer wall of the channel member.

A vacuum roller system and a method of operating the vacuum roller system can include a group of vacuum rollers operable to move a sheet of media through a dryer. The vacuum rollers do not require a vacuum to be drawn between the vacuum rollers. Each vacuum roller can include a plenum operable to direct the vacuum to a top portion of the vacuum roller to drive the sheet of media from one roller to the next roller. The plenum can engage vacuum holes in a rotating vacuum roller when the vacuum holes in the vacuum roller are aligned with the plenum.

An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a sheet conveyor, a sheet stacker, and circuitry. The sheet conveyor is configured to convey a sheet on which liquid is applied. The sheet stacker is configured to stack the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveyor. The circuitry is configured to control conveyance of the sheet. The circuitry is configured to cause the sheet conveyor to expose the sheet on which the liquid is applied, to an outside of the housing, and convey the sheet to the sheet stacker.