Patent ID: 8408270

Claim:
An apparatus useful in printing, comprising: a first member configured to move about an axis, the first member having a first surface; at least one heating element for heating the first surface of the first member; a second member including a second surface forming a nip with the first surface, the nip including an inlet end at which a substrate enters the nip and an outlet end at which the substrate exits from the nip; and an air knife disposed downstream from the outlet end of the nip and extending along a direction parallel to the axis, the air knife including a first end having a first end opening, a second end opposite the first end having a second end opening opposite to the first end opening, a plenum extending along the direction parallel to the axis between the first end and the second end, and a plurality of nozzles disposed along the direction parallel to the axis between the first end and second end; and at least two gas inlets including gas inlet through which gas is supplied to the first end opening of the air knife and a second gas inlet through which gas is supplied to the second end opening of the air knife, the first gas inlet and the second gas inlet being configured to cause the plenum to have a substantially uniform gas pressure when the gas is supplied to both the first end opening through the first gas inlet and to the second end opening through the second gas inlet to thereby cause substantially identical gas flow characteristics for each of the plurality of nozzles, wherein the nozzles are oriented to eject the gas toward the first surface downstream from the outlet end of the nip to facilitate stripping of the substrate from the first surface; and wherein the air knife has a configuration and is positioned with respect to the outlet end of the nip such that the substrate does not contact the air knife after exiting the outlet end of the nip when the nozzle gas ejection is ON or OFF.