Inkjet printer with in-built drying compartment

1. An inkjet printer comprising:

a printhead;

a drying compartment with a top opening for receiving a media web fed from the printhead, the top opening being configured so that the media web is received as a suspended partial loop within the compartment; and

a source of heated air located above the top opening for blowing heated air into the compartment through the top opening to dry printing on the suspended partial loop of the media web,

wherein a door covers the entire top opening and acts to support the web when the door is closed.

2. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the door pivots along an axis transverse to the path to reveal the opening.

3. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the door is operated by a motor that operates a spool for winding and releasing a cord to operate the door.

4. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a preheater located prior to the opening with respect to the media web feed path direction.

5. An inkjet printer according to claim 4 , wherein the preheater is in the same plane as the door.

6. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the source of heated air comprises a blower which feeds a stream of air into a plenum.

7. An inkjet printer according to claim 6 , further comprising a temperature sensor in the plenum.

8. An inkjet printer according to claim 6 , wherein the source of heated air further comprises a second blower which feeds a stream of air into the plenum.

9. An inkjet printer according to claim 6 , wherein the plenum has a heating element within it.

10. An inkjet printer according to claim 6 further comprising a processor wherein the printer is an on-demand wallpaper printer and is controlled by the processor.

11. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the compartment has an air vent which supplies a recirculation duct.

12. An inkjet printer according to claim 11 , wherein the recirculation duct extends from the compartment to an intake of an air supply that feeds the compartment.

13. An inkjet printer according to claim 12 , wherein the recirculation duct is a tube which extends upwardly from the compartment and includes an exhaust vent at an upper extremity.

14. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 , wherein the compartment has two vents, each one supplying vented air to a separate recirculation duct, the ducts located on opposite sides of the compartment, each duct supplying recirculated air to a source of heated air.

15. An inkjet printer according to claim 14 , wherein the source of heated air is a pair of blowers which direct air into a plenum.

16. An inkjet printer according to claim 15 wherein the blowers are located above the plenum.

17. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein the printhead is a full width digital color printhead located in the path followed by the web such that the media is printed by the printhead at a rate exceeding 0.02 square meters per second (775 square feet per hour).

18. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein the printhead is a full width digital color printhead located in the path followed by the web such that the media is printed by the printhead at a rate exceeding 0.1 square meters per second (3875 square feet per hour).

19. An inkjet printer according to claim 1 wherein the printhead is a full width digital color printhead located in the path followed by the web such that the media is printed by the printhead at a rate exceeding 0.2 square meters per second (7750 square feet per hour).