A strip diverting mechanism includes a negative pressure unit and an air discharge unit. The negative pressure unit and the air discharge unit are arranged opposite each other, and a gap through which a strip passes is formed between the negative pressure unit and the air discharge unit. The negative pressure unit is configured to provide a suction force to the strip and the air discharge unit is configured to provide a repulsive force to the strip, to prevent the strip from contacting the negative pressure unit and the air discharge unit.

In order to provide web handling which mitigates marking of the web, externally-pressurized porous media gas bearings are used for vacuum rollers, which provide differential tension, and also for air turns, which provide non-contact turning of webs. The porous media gas bearings mitigate three of the biggest issues with the current technology, including cost, high flow rates and low pressure, and web marking. By introducing positive pressure or both, various configurations are presented which allow for improved differential tension, or non-contact conveyance. By also employing externally-pressurized radial bearings, more alternatives are provided, including conveyance and lateral motion of webs without the use of motors. Lastly, employing novel lightweight materials allows for yet other configurations which also employ some of the same aforementioned benefits.

An apparatus for manufacturing an optical fiber including: a drawing portion; a coating portion; and a curing portion, wherein: a direction changer which changes a direction of the bare optical fiber is disposed in any position from the drawing portion to the coating portion; the direction changer includes a guide groove which guides the bare optical fiber; a blowout port of a fluid which floats the bare optical fiber wired along the guide groove is formed along the guide groove in the guide groove; and in the blowout port, the Reynolds number in an inlet wire portion of the bare optical fiber to the guide groove and an outlet wire portion from the guide groove is greater than the Reynolds number in an intermediate portion between the inlet wire portion and the outlet wire portion.

A strip diverting mechanism includes a negative pressure unit and an air discharge unit. The negative pressure unit and the air discharge unit are arranged opposite each other, and a gap through which a strip passes is formed between the negative pressure unit and the air discharge unit. The negative pressure unit is configured to provide a suction force to the strip and the air discharge unit is configured to provide a repulsive force to the strip, to prevent the strip from contacting the negative pressure unit and the air discharge unit. The negative pressure unit comprises two air channels located at two sides of the negative pressure unit and configured to discharge air to a direction away from the negative pressure unit, to generate a negative pressure area at a center of the negative pressure unit.

A web transport system for transporting a web of media along a web transport path in an in-track direction, including a liquid application system for applying a liquid to at least one surface of the web of media. An air skive is positioned along the web transport path downstream of the liquid application system, wherein the air skive directs one or more streams of air onto the web of media thereby removing at least some of the liquid that is being carried along with the web of media. A vapor source adds a vapor into the one or more streams of air provided by the air skive before the one or more streams of air are directed onto the web of media.

A non-contact web guide includes a wall having a curved exterior surface and a hollow interior containing a pressurized liquid. A first row of liquid ejection holes is provided in proximity to the web guide entry position, second and third rows of liquid ejection holes is provided in proximity to the web guide exit position, and an intermediate array of liquid ejection holes is provided between the first and second rows. A total number of liquid ejection holes in the intermediate array is less than a total number of liquid ejection holes in the second row. This configuration of ejection boles provides the advantage that stable web guidance is achieved at low liquid flow rates.

A non-contact web guide includes a wall having a curved exterior surface and a hollow interior containing a pressurized liquid. A first row of liquid ejection holes is provided in proximity to the web guide entry position having axes that are inclined toward a downstream direction, and a second row of liquid ejection holes is provided in proximity to the web guide exit position having axes that are inclined toward an upstream direction. An intermediate array of liquid ejection holes is optionally provided. The pressurized liquid flows through the liquid ejection holes to force the web of media away from the bearing surface of the web guide. This configuration of liquid ejection holes provides the advantage that stable web guidance is achieved at low liquid flow rates.

The present disclosure provides a tension control device including a turn bar which is disposed between an upstream device delivering a belt-shaped web and a downstream device receiving the web and of which a pressing member presses the web and a control unit which feedforward-controls a pressing force applied from the turn bar to the web on the basis of a schedule relating to a conveying speed of the web of any one of the upstream device and the downstream device.

A web tension device includes a pressure source and a stationary housing. A translatable unit is translatable into and out of a cavity of the housing and includes an inlet that is connectable to the pressure source. A distal end of the translatable unit includes a tensioning surface with openings to enable outflow of pressurized fluid to apply a pushing force to a web in a roll-to-roll process. Proximal openings enable outflow of the fluid into a gap between the housing and the translatable unit. When tension of the web is reduced, an outward force that is exerted by pressure in the gap pushes the translatable unit outward, pushing the web outward until an inward force that is exerted by the web balances the outward force. When tension of the web increases, the inward force pushes the translatable unit inward until the inward force is balanced by the outward force.

The present disclosure is a tension control device which includes a pressing member configured to press an object in a noncontact manner by spraying a gas onto the object to which tension is applied, an actuator configured to vary a position of the pressing member, a pressure sensor configured to detect pressure of the gas, a gap sensor configured to detect a floating amount of the object from the pressing member, and a control unit configured to control the actuator based on a detected value of the pressure sensor and a detected value of the gap sensor.