Patent ID: 7832852

Claim:
A solid ink imaging device comprising: a continuous media web; a media handling system configured to transport the continuous media web along a media pathway through the imaging device; a solid ink printing system positioned along the media pathway, the solid ink printing system being configured to print images on the continuous media web; a web heating system positioned along the media pathway at a location that enables the web heating system to heat the continuous media web after the solid ink printing system has printed an image on the continuous media web, the web heating system being configured to heat the continuous media web to a web heating temperature, the web heating system comprising: at least one radiant heating unit positioned adjacent the media pathway, the at least one radiant heating unit including: a housing adjacent to the media pathway; a pair of radiant heating panels configured within the housing to emit thermal radiation in accordance with a variable thermal output signal, the pair of radiant heating panels being configured to be positioned selectively in the housing to any one of a plurality of positions between and including a fully open position in which the pair of radiant heating panels are positioned side by side in the opening of the housing to direct thermal radiation towards the continuous media web and a retracted position in which the pair of radiant heating panels are positioned inside the housing and facing each other, a view factor of the pair of radiant heating panels with respect to the continuous media web being different for each position in the plurality of positions; and a panel driver operatively connected to the pair of radiant heating panels to enable the pair of radiant heating panels to be positioned at least one of the plurality of positions in response to a variable view factor signal; at least one temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the continuous media web and to generate a temperature signal indicative of the detected temperature of the continuous media web; and a web heating controller operatively connected to the panel driver and configured to generate selectively a thermal output signal and the variable view factor signal for operation of the panel driver to position at least one radiant heating unit to heat the continuous media web to the web heating temperature, the web heating controller being configured to generate at least one of the thermal output signals and the variable view factor signals in accordance with the temperature signal generated by the at least one temperature sensor.