Patent ID: 7519280

Claim:
A carrier removal station comprising: a heater positioned to direct heat toward an article travel path, the heat having an emission spectrum with a peak emission wavelength, the carrier having an absorption spectrum with a peak absorption wavelength, the peak emission wavelength of the heat substantially corresponding to the peak absorption wavelenth of the carrier, wherein the heater comprises: a first heating element having a length L 1 , the length L 1 extending along a maximum width of the article travel path, the article travel path defining an article travel direction; a second heating element having a length L 2 , the length L 2 being less than the length L 1 , the second heating element being positioned parallel to the first heating element and spaced apart from the first heating element relative to the article travel direction of the article travel path, one end of the second heating element being aligned with one end of the first heating element; and a third heating element having a length L 3 , the length L 3 being substantially equal to the length of the second heating element L 2 , the third heating element being positioned parallel to the first heating element and axially aligned with the second heating element one end of the third heating element being aligned with a second end of the first heating element.