Patent Grant
9138985
This disclosure relates generally to indirect inkjet printers, and in particular, to an indirect printing apparatus and indirect printing method for depositing a sacrificial coating employed on an intermediate transfer member of an inkjet printer.
In aqueous ink indirect printing, an aqueous ink is jetted on to an intermediate imaging surface, which can be in the form of a blanket. The ink is partially dried on the blanket prior to transfixing the image to a media substrate, such as a sheet of paper. To ensure excellent print quality it is desirable that the ink drops jetted onto the blanket spread and become well-coalesced prior to drying. Otherwise, the ink images appear grainy and have deletions. Lack of spreading can also cause missing or failed inkjets in the printheads to produce streaks in the ink image. Spreading of aqueous ink is facilitated by materials having a high energy surface.
However, in order to facilitate transfer of the ink image from the blanket to the media substrate after the ink is dried on the intermediate imaging surface, a blanket having a surface with a relatively low surface energy is preferred. Rather than providing the desired spreading of ink, low surface energy materials tend to promote “beading” of individual ink drops on the image receiving surface.
Thus, an optimum blanket for an indirect image transfer process must tackle both the challenges of wet image quality, including desired spreading and coalescing of the wet ink; and the image transfer of the dried ink. The first challenge—wet image quality—prefers a high surface energy blanket that causes the aqueous ink to spread and wet the surface. The second challenge—image transfer—prefers a low surface energy blanket so that the ink, once partially dried, has minimal attraction to the blanket surface and can be transferred to the media substrate.
Various approaches have been investigated to provide a solution that balances the above challenges. These approaches include blanket material selection, ink design and auxiliary fluid methods. With respect to material selection, materials that are known to provide optimum release properties include the classes of silicone, fluorosilicone, a fluoropolymer, such as TEFLON or VITON, and certain hybrid materials. These materials have low surface energy, but provide poor wetting. Alternatively, polyurethane and polyimide have been used to improve wetting, but at the cost of ink release properties. Tuning ink compositions to address these challenges has proven to be very difficult since the primary performance attribute of the ink is the performance in the print head. For instance, if the ink surface tension is too high it will not jet properly and it if is too low it will drool out of the face plate of the print head.
Additional attempts at solving the above challenges have included applying a sacrificial wetting enhancement composition to form a sacrificial coating (also known as “skin”) onto the blanket to improve wetting and spread of ink while maintaining transfer capabilities. Much focus has been placed on developing formulations for the sacrificial wetting enhancement coating to improve shelf life and mechanical properties thereof. Despite the progress in developing new sacrificial wetting enhancement coating formulations, the conventional method of applying the skin formulation is via a surface maintenance unit that utilizes a coating application, such as a donor roller. The donor roller can be, for example, an anilox roller or elastomeric roller made of a material, such as rubber, and is partially submerged in a reservoir that holds a sacrificial coating composition. The donor rotates in response to movement of an image receiving surface and draws liquid sacrificial coating composition from the reservoir and deposits a layer of the composition on the image receiving surface. Unfortunately, such a nonselective coating method for applying the sacrificial coating composition results in flooding the whole print medium, for example, a whole sheet of paper. This results in waste as the same amount of sacrificial coating composition is applied for both low and high coverage prints, even though only the imaging area requires the skin. Accordingly, excess skin can cause many issues for cleaning during each imaging cycle, and the waste results in higher cost.
Identifying and developing new methods for applying such sacrificial coating compositions to overcome and embodying such methods in new printing apparatuses would be considered a welcome advance in the art.
In an embodiment there is an indirect printing apparatus. The indirect printing apparatus can include an intermediate transfer member, at least one jetting nozzle of a printhead positioned proximate the intermediate transfer member, a drying station, at least one ink jet nozzle positioned proximate the intermediate transfer member, an ink processing station, and a substrate transfer mechanism. The at least one jetting nozzle can be configured for jetting sacrificial coating composition droplets imagewise onto the intermediate transfer member. The drying station can be configured for drying the sacrificial coating composition to form a sacrificial coating pattern on the intermediate transfer member. The at least one ink jet nozzle can be configured for jetting ink droplets onto the sacrificial coating formed on the intermediate transfer member. The ink processing station can be configured to at least partially dry the ink on the sacrificial coating formed on the intermediate transfer member. The substrate transfer mechanism can be configured for moving a substrate into contact with the intermediate transfer member.
In yet another embodiment there is an indirect printing process. The indirect printing process can include applying, in an imagewise pattern, a liquid sacrificial coating composition onto an intermediate transfer member of an inkjet printing apparatus, drying the liquid sacrificial coating composition to form a sacrificial coating pattern, ejecting droplets of ink in an imagewise pattern onto the sacrificial coating pattern, at least partially drying the ink to form a substantially dry ink pattern on the intermediate transfer member, and transferring both the substantially dry ink pattern and the sacrificial coating pattern from the intermediate transfer member to a final substrate.
The indirect printing apparatus and process of the present disclosure can provide one or more of the following advantages: reduced usage of sacrificial coating composition to reduce cost, enabling better and/or easier cleaning along with minimizing issues of excess sacrificial coating on non-imaging areas.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present teachings, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present teachings and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present teachings.
It should be noted that some details of the figure have been simplified and are drawn to facilitate understanding of the embodiments rather than to maintain strict structural accuracy, detail, and scale.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present teachings, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals have been used throughout to designate identical elements. In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawing that forms a part thereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific exemplary embodiment in which the present teachings may be practiced. The following description is, therefore, merely exemplary.
As used herein, the terms “printer,” “printing device,” or “imaging device” generally refer to a device that produces an image on print media with aqueous ink and may encompass any such apparatus, such as a digital copier, bookmaking machine, facsimile machine, multi-function machine, or the like, which generates printed images for any purpose. Image data generally include information in electronic form which are rendered and used to operate the inkjet ejectors to form an ink image on the print media. These data can include text, graphics, pictures, and the like. The operation of producing images with colorants on print media, for example, graphics, text, photographs, and the like, is generally referred to herein as printing or marking. Aqueous inkjet printers use inks that have a high percentage of water relative to the amount of colorant and/or solvent in the ink.
The term “printhead” as used herein refers to a component in the printer that is configured with inkjet ejectors to eject drops of liquid, for example ink drops or drops of sacrificial coating composition onto an image receiving surface. A typical printhead may include a plurality of nozzles through which ejectors that eject the drops of, for example, one or more ink colors and/or sacrificial coating composition, onto the image receiving surface in response to firing signals that operate actuators in the ejectors. This process by which a printhead in a printer applies liquid onto a surface can also be referred to as “digitally applying” the liquid ink and/or sacrificial coating composition in an imagewise pattern onto an image receiving surface. The nozzles of a printhead may be arranged in an array of one or more rows and columns. In some embodiments, the nozzles may be arranged in staggered diagonal rows across a face of the printhead. Various printer embodiments include one or more printheads that can eject liquid in imagewise patterns on an image receiving surface. Some printer embodiments include a plurality of printheads arranged in a print zone, but the printheads can be arranged in any configuration. An image receiving surface, such as an intermediate imaging surface, moves past the printheads in a process direction through the print zone. In an embodiment, the intermediate imaging surface moves past at least one printhead that ejects drops of sacrificial coating composition onto the intermediate imaging surface in an imagewise pattern, or only on locations of the intermediate imaging surface on which printheads that the intermediate imaging surface subsequently moves past jet ink in to form an ink image in the same imagewise pattern over the sacrificial coating composition. The inkjet printheads eject the drops in rows in a cross-process direction, which is perpendicular to the process direction across the image receiving surface.
As used herein, the term “aqueous ink” includes liquid inks in which colorant is in a solution, suspension or dispersion with a liquid solvent that includes water and/or one or more liquid solvents. The terms “liquid solvent” or more simply “solvent” are used broadly to include compounds that may dissolve colorants into a solution, or that may be a liquid that holds particles of colorant in a suspension or dispersion without dissolving the colorant.
As used herein, the term “hydrophilic” refers to any composition or compound that attracts water molecules or other solvents used in aqueous ink. As used herein, a reference to a hydrophilic composition refers to a liquid carrier that carries a hydrophilic agent. Examples of liquid carriers include, but are not limited to, a liquid, such as water or alcohol, that carries a dispersion, suspension, or solution.
As used herein, a reference to a dried layer or dried coating, such as a dried sacrificial layer or dried sacrificial coating, respectively, refers to an arrangement of a hydrophilic compound after all or a substantial portion of the liquid carrier has been removed from the composition through a drying process. As described in more detail below, an indirect inkjet printer forms a layer of a sacrificial coating composition on a surface of an intermediate transfer member using a liquid carrier, such as water. The layer of the hydrophilic sacrificial coating composition can be delivered onto the intermediate transfer member in an imagewise pattern. The liquid carrier is used as a mechanism to convey, via for example, the sacrificial coating composition through an inkjet-type printhead dropwise onto an image receiving surface and can form a uniform layer of the sacrificial coating composition on the image receiving surface in an imagewise pattern. Upon drying, the sacrificial coating composition is a dried sacrificial coating, such as a sacrificial coating pattern.
Described herein are embodiments for an indirect printing apparatus and an indirect printing process. The indirect printing apparatus can include an intermediate transfer member and at least one jetting nozzle of a printhead positioned proximate the intermediate transfer member that can be configured for jetting sacrificial coating composition droplets imagewise onto the intermediate transfer member. The indirect printing process can include applying, in an imagewise pattern, a liquid sacrificial coating composition onto an intermediate transfer member of an inkjet printing apparatus and drying the liquid coating composition to form a sacrificial coating pattern. In other words, sacrificial coating composition can be delivered in a similar fashion as ink is delivered via inkjetting. To provide a sacrificial coating composition that can be ejected through nozzles of a printhead, the composition must comprise properties that are suited for jetting such as good latency, low viscosity, and appropriate surface tension, while also not being corrosive to conventional printheads and printhead components with which the composition comes into contact. Such features are described in more detail below with respect to sacrificial coating compositions of the present embodiments.
In an embodiment, the sacrificial coating composition can comprise at least one of a hygroscopic plasticizer, at least one surfactant and at least one of a solution comprising at least hydrophilic polymer or a polymer emulsion.
The at least one hydrophilic polymer can act as a binder in the compositions of the present disclosure. Examples of the at least one hydrophilic polymer include starch, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), copolymers of (PVOH), poly(vinylpyrrolidinone) (PVP), copolymers of PVP, poly(ethylene oxide), hydroxyethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, poly(ethylene glycol), copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol), diblock copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol), triblock copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol), polyacrylamide (PAM), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), poly(acrylic acid), polymethacrylate, acrylic polymers, maleic anhydride copolymers, sulfonated polyesters, and mixtures thereof.
Examples of the polymer emulsion can include one or more repeating polymeric units selected from the group consisting of alkyl acrylate, styrene and butadiene, isoprene, methacrylonitrile, acrylonitrile, vinyl ethers, vinyl esters; vinyl ketones, vinylidene halide, N-vinyl indole, N-vinyl pyrrolidene, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylamide, methacrylamide, vinylpyridine, vinylpyrrolidone, vinyl-N-methylpyridinium chloride, vinyl naphthalene, p-chlorostyrene, vinyl chloride, vinyl bromide, vinyl fluoride, ethylene, propylene, butylene, isobutylene, and mixtures thereof.
The sacrificial coating composition can be tailored to fine-tune the wettability and release characteristics of the sacrificial coating from the underlying ITM surface. This can be accomplished, in part, by employing one or more hygroscopic materials and one or more surfactants in the sacrificial coating composition. Any suitable hygroscopic material can be employed. The hygroscopic material can be functionalized as a plasticizer. Accordingly, as used herein, the term “hygroscopic plasticizer” refers to a hygroscopic material that has been functionalized and can be characterized as a plasticizer. In an embodiment, the at least one hygroscopic material is selected from the group consisting of glycerol/glycerin, sorbitol, xylitol, maltito, polymeric polyols such as polydextrose, glyceryl triacetate, vinyl alcohol, glycols such as propylene glycol, hexylene glycol, butylene glycol, urea, alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA's). A single hygroscopic material can be used. Alternatively, multiple hygroscopic materials, such as two, three or more hygroscopic materials, can be used.
Any suitable surfactants can be employed. Examples of suitable surfactants include anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants and mixtures thereof. The non-ionic surfactants can have an HLB value ranging from about 4 to about 14. A single surfactant can be used. Alternatively, multiple surfactants, such as two, three or more surfactants, can be used. For example, the mixture of a low HLB non-ionic surfactant with a value from about 4 to about 8 and a high HLB non-ionic surfactant with value from about 10 to about 14 demonstrates good wetting performance.
The components of the sacrificial coating composition described above can be mixed in any suitable manner to form a sacrificial coating composition that can be coated onto the intermediate transfer member. In addition to the ingredients discussed above, the mixture can include other ingredients, such as solvents and biocides. Example biocides include ACTICIDES® CT, ACTICIDES® LA 1209 and ACTICIDES® MBS in any suitable concentration, such as from about 0.1 weight percent to about 2 weight percent. Examples of suitable solvents include water, isopropanol, MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) and mixtures thereof.
The components for the sacrificial coating composition solution can be mixed in any suitable amounts. For example, the at least one hydrophilic polymer can be added in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 30, or from about 1 to about 10, or from about 1.5 to about 5 weight percent based upon the total weight of the coating mixture. The at least one surfactant can be present in an amount of from about 0.1 to about 4, or from about 0.3 to about 2, or from about 0.5 to about 1 weight percent, based upon the total weight of the coating mixture. The at least one hygroscopic plasticizer can be present in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 30, or from about 5 to about 20, or from about 10 to about 15 weight percent, based upon the total weight of the coating mixture. Solids in the sacrificial coating composition solution can comprise a range of from about 0.5% to about 10% by total weight. Additionally, a loading level of the at least one hygroscopic plasticizer is in the range of from about 3% to about 7% by total weight.
In an example, a viscosity of the sacrificial coating composition solution at 25° C. is less than 10 cps such as from 3 cp to 8 cp, or from 4 cp to 6 cp. In an example, a surface tension of the sacrificial coating composition solution solution at 25° C. is about 18 mN/m to about 35 mN/m such as from 20 mN/m to 30 mN/m or from 22 mN/m to 26 mN/m. In an example, a pH of the sacrificial coating composition solution is in the range of about 3 pH to about 10 pH, from 5 pH to 9 pH or from 6 pH to 8 pH.
A print cycle is now described with reference to the printer 10. As used in this document, “print cycle” refers to the operations of a printer to prepare an imaging surface for printing, ejection of the ink onto the prepared surface, treatment of the ink on the imaging surface to stabilize and prepare the image for transfer to media, and transfer of the image from the imaging surface to the media.
The printer 10 includes a frame 11 that supports directly or indirectly operating subsystems and components, which are described below. The printer 10 includes an intermediate transfer member, which is illustrated as rotating imaging drum 12 in
The blanket is formed of a material having a relatively low surface energy to facilitate transfer of the ink image from the surface of the blanket 21 to the print medium 49 in the nip 18. Such materials include polysiloxanes, fluoro-silicones, fluoropolymers such as VITON or TEFLON and the like. A surface maintenance unit (SMU) 92 removes residual ink left on the surface of the blanket 21 after ink images are transferred to the print medium 49 in a previous print cycle to provide a newly cleaned imaging surface 14 on the blanket 21 for a subsequent print cycle. The low energy surface of the blanket does not aid in the formation of good quality ink images because such surfaces do not spread ink drops as well as high energy surfaces. Consequently, the SMU 92 also applies a sacrificial coating composition to the newly cleaned image receiving surface 14 on the blanket 21.
In an embodiment more clearly depicted in
The sacrificial coating composition can be deposited dropwise, for example, via jetting from a nozzle associated with printhead 404, and in an imagewise pattern. The deposited sacrificial coating can have any desired thickness. Examples include thicknesses ranging from about 0.1 μm to about 10 μm. Returning to
In some illustrative embodiments, the SMU 92 can be operatively connected to a controller 80, described in more detail below, to enable the controller to operate the sacrificial coating composition-jetting printhead, to selectively deposit and distribute the sacrificial coating composition material onto the surface of the blanket, and a cleaning blade to remove un-transferred ink and any sacrificial coating residue from the surface of the blanket 21 remaining from a previous print cycle.
The printer 10 also includes a dryer 96 that emits heat and optionally directs an air flow toward the sacrificial coating composition that is applied to the image receiving surface 14. The dryer 96 facilitates the evaporation of at least a portion of the liquid carrier from the sacrificial coating composition to leave a dried/cured layer (i.e., sacrificial coating pattern) on the image receiving surface 14 before the intermediate transfer member passes the printhead modules 34A-34D to receive the aqueous printed image. In embodiments, the wet sacrificial coating composition can be heated at an appropriate temperature for the drying and curing, depending on the material or process used. For example, the wet coating can be heated to a temperature ranging from about 30° C. to about 200° C. for about 0.01 to about 100 seconds or from about 0.01 second to about 30 seconds. In other words, the indirect printing apparatus can include a drying station, which can include dryer 96, for drying the sacrificial coating composition to form a sacrificial coating pattern on the intermediate transfer member. In an embodiment, the drying station can be positioned between a first printhead and a second printhead. The first printhead can be printhead 404 that delivers the sacrificial coating composition droplets onto the image receiving surface 14. The second printhead can be an inkjet printhead that delivers ink over the dried sacrificial coating pattern. In embodiments, after the drying and curing process, the sacrificial coating can have a thickness ranging from about 0.02 micrometer to about 10 micrometers, or from about 0.02 micrometer to about 5 micrometers, or from about 0.05 micrometer to about 1 micrometers.
The printer 10 can include an optical sensor 94A, also known as an image-on-drum (“IOD”) sensor, which is configured to detect light reflected from the blanket surface 14 and the sacrificial coating applied to the blanket surface as the member 12 rotates past the sensor. The optical sensor 94A includes a linear array of individual optical detectors that are arranged in the cross-process direction across the blanket 21. The optical sensor 94A generates digital image data corresponding to light that is reflected from the blanket surface 14 and the sacrificial coating. The optical sensor 94A generates a series of rows of image data, which are referred to as “scanlines,” as the intermediate transfer member 12 rotates the blanket 21 in the direction 16 past the optical sensor 94A. In one embodiment, each optical detector in the optical sensor 94A further comprises three sensing elements that are sensitive to wavelengths of light corresponding to red, green, and blue (RGB) reflected light colors. Alternatively, the optical sensor 94A includes illumination sources that shine red, green, and blue light or, in another embodiment, the sensor 94A has an illumination source that shines white light onto the surface of blanket 21 and white light detectors are used. The optical sensor 94A shines complementary colors of light onto the image receiving surface to enable detection of the sacrificial layer using the photodetectors. The image data generated by the optical sensor 94A can be analyzed by the controller 80 or other processor in the printer 10 to identify the thickness of the sacrificial coating on the blanket and the area coverage. The thickness and coverage can be identified from either specular or diffuse light reflection from the blanket surface and/or coating. Other optical sensors, such as 94B, 94C, and 94D, are similarly configured and can be located in different locations around the blanket 21 to identify and evaluate other parameters in the printing process, such as missing or inoperative inkjets and ink image formation prior to image drying (94B), ink image treatment for image transfer (94C), and the efficiency of the ink image transfer (94D). Alternatively, some embodiments can include an optical sensor to generate additional data that can be used for evaluation of the image quality on the media (94E).
The printer 10 includes an airflow management system 100, which generates and controls a flow of air through the print zone. The airflow management system 100 includes a printhead air supply 104 and a printhead air return 108. The printhead air supply 104 and return 108 are operatively connected to the controller 80 or some other processor in the printer 10 to enable the controller to manage the air flowing through the print zone. This regulation of the air flow can be through the print zone as a whole or about one or more printhead arrays. The regulation of the air flow helps prevent evaporated solvents and water in the ink from condensing on the printhead and helps attenuate heat in the print zone to reduce the likelihood that ink dries in the inkjets, which can clog the inkjets. The airflow management system 100 can also include sensors to detect humidity and temperature in the print zone to enable more precise control of the temperature, flow, and humidity of the air supply 104 and return 108 to ensure optimum conditions within the print zone. Controller 80 or some other processor in the printer 10 can also enable control of the system 100 with reference to ink coverage in an image area or even to time the operation of the system 100 so air only flows through the print zone when an image is not being printed.
The high-speed aqueous ink printer 10 also includes an aqueous ink supply and delivery subsystem 20 that has at least one source 22 of one color of aqueous ink. Since the illustrated printer 10 is a multicolor image producing machine, the ink delivery system 20 includes, for example, four (4) sources 22, 24, 26, 28, representing four (4) different colors CYMK (cyan, yellow, magenta, black) of aqueous inks. In the embodiment of
In an embodiment, printhead 404 can be associated with the printhead modules 34A-34D to provide, for example, a fifth set of nozzles in printhead system 30 in addition to the set of nozzles associated with the printheads of printhead modules 34A-34D. Accordingly, in addition to sources 22, 24, 26 and 28, source 93 can be included with delivery subsystem 20, but instead of storing ink, source 93 can store sacrificial coating composition.
After the printed image on the blanket surface 14 exits the print zone, the image passes under an image dryer 130. The image dryer 130 includes a heater, such as a radiant infrared, radiant near infrared and/or a forced hot air convection heater 134, a dryer 136, which is illustrated as a heated air source 136, and air returns 138A and 138B. The infrared heater 134 applies infrared heat to the printed image on the surface 14 of the blanket 21 to evaporate water or solvent in the ink. The heated air source 136 directs heated air over the ink to supplement the evaporation of the water or solvent from the ink. In one embodiment, the dryer 136 is a heated air source with the same design as the dryer 96. While the dryer 96 is positioned along the process direction to dry the hydrophilic composition, the dryer 136 is positioned along the process direction after the printhead modules 34A-34D to at least partially dry the aqueous ink on the image receiving surface 14. The air is then collected and evacuated by air returns 138A and 138B to reduce the interference of the air flow with other components in the printing area.
As further shown, the printer 10 includes a print medium supply and handling system 40 that stores, for example, one or more stacks of paper print mediums of various sizes. The print medium supply and handling system 40, for example, includes sheet or substrate supply sources 42, 44, 46, and 48. In the embodiment of printer 10, the supply source 48 is a high capacity paper supply or feeder for storing and supplying image receiving substrates in the form of cut print mediums 49, for example. The print medium supply and handling system 40 also includes a substrate handling and transport system 50 that has a media pre-conditioner assembly 52 and a media post-conditioner assembly 54. The printer 10 includes an optional fusing device 60 to apply additional heat and pressure to the print medium after the print medium passes through the transfix nip 18. In the embodiment of
Operation and control of the various subsystems, components and functions of the machine or printer 10 are performed with the aid of a controller or electronic subsystem (ESS) 80. The ESS or controller 80 is operably connected to the intermediate transfer member 12, the printhead modules 34A-34D (and thus the printheads), the substrate supply and handling system 40, the substrate handling and transport system 50, and, in some embodiments, the one or more optical sensors 94A-94E. The ESS or controller 80, for example, is a self-contained, dedicated mini-computer having a central processor unit (CPU) 82 with electronic storage 84, and a display or user interface (UI) 86. The ESS or controller 80, for example, includes a sensor input and control circuit 88 as well as a pixel placement and control circuit 89. In addition, the CPU 82 reads, captures, prepares and manages the image data flow between image input sources, such as the scanning system 76, or an online or a work station connection 90, and the printhead modules 34A-34D. As such, the ESS or controller 80 is the main multi-tasking processor for operating and controlling all of the other machine subsystems and functions, including the printing process discussed below.
The controller 80 can be implemented with general or specialized programmable processors that execute programmed instructions. The instructions and data required to perform the programmed functions can be stored in memory associated with the processors or controllers. The processors, their memories, and interface circuitry configure the controllers to perform the operations described below. These components can be provided on a printed circuit card or provided as a circuit in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Each of the circuits can be implemented with a separate processor or multiple circuits can be implemented on the same processor. Alternatively, the circuits can be implemented with discrete components or circuits provided in very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits. Also, the circuits described herein can be implemented with a combination of processors, ASICs, discrete components, or VLSI circuits.
Although the printer 10 in
Once an image or images have been formed on the blanket and coating under control of the controller 80, the illustrated inkjet printer 10 operates components within the printer to perform a process for transferring and fixing the image or images from the blanket surface 14 to media. In the printer 10, the controller 80 operates actuators to drive one or more of the rollers 64 in the media transport system 50 to move the print medium 49 in the process direction P to a position adjacent the transfix roller 19 and then through the transfix nip 18 between the transfix roller 19 and the blanket 21. The transfix roller 19 applies pressure against the back side of the print medium 49 in order to press the front side of the print medium 49 against the blanket 21 and the intermediate transfer member 12. Although the transfix roller 19 can also be heated, in the exemplary embodiment of
After the intermediate transfer member moves through the transfix nip 18, the image receiving surface passes a cleaning unit that removes residual portions of the sacrificial coating and small amounts of residual ink from the image receiving surface 14. In the printer 10, the cleaning unit is embodied as a cleaning blade 95 that engages the image receiving surface 14. The blade 95 is formed from a material that wipes the image receiving surface 14 without causing damage to the blanket 21. For example, the cleaning blade 95 is formed from a flexible polymer material in the printer 10. As depicted below in
Process 700 begins as the printer applies a layer of a sacrificial coating composition with a liquid carrier to the image receiving surface of the intermediate transfer member (block 704). In the printer 10, the drum 12 and blanket 21 move in the process direction along the indicated circular direction 16 during the process 700 to receive the sacrificial coating composition droplets from printhead 404 as shown in
In another embodiment, rather than being applied via ejecting sacrificial coating composition droplets from an inkjet-type printhead, the sacrificial coating composition can be aerosolized and applied as aerosolized droplets such according to the device and method described in Kahn, B., “The M3D Aerosol Jet System, an Alternative To Inkjet Printing For Printed Electronics,” www.OrganicAndPrintedElectronics.com, Winter 2007, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Accordingly, printhead 404 can be an aerosol jet printhead that can apply the sacrificial coating composition at line widths and pattern features ranging from tens of microns to centimeters.
In an embodiment, the liquid carrier is water or another liquid, such as alcohol, which partially evaporates from the image receiving surface and leaves behind a dried layer on the image receiving surface to form a sacrificial coating pattern. In
Process 700 continues as a dryer in the printer dries the sacrificial coating composition to remove at least a portion of the liquid carrier and to form a dried layer (a sacrificial coating pattern) on the image receiving surface (block 708). Said another way, block 708 describes a step of drying the liquid sacrificial coating composition to form a sacrificial coating pattern.
In the printer 10 the dryer 96 applies radiant heat and optionally includes a fan to circulate air onto the image receiving surface of the drum 12 or belt 13.
The dried sacrificial coating 512 is also referred to as a “skin” layer. The dried sacrificial coating 512 has a uniform thickness that covers only an imaging area portion of the image receiving surface. That is, the dried sacrificial coating pattern covers only the surface portion of the image receiving surface over which aqueous ink is deposited during a subsequent printing process. Thus, the dried sacrificial coating 512 covers the image receiving surface of intermediate transfer member 504 only at those areas over which ink is deposited to form an image. The dried sacrificial coating 512 has a comparatively high level of adhesion to the image receiving surface of intermediate transfer member 504, and a comparatively low level of adhesion to a print medium that contacts the dried layer 512. As described in more detail below, when aqueous ink drops are ejected onto the dried sacrificial coating pattern 512, a portion of the water and other solvents in the aqueous ink permeates the dried coating 512.
Process 700 continues as the image receiving surface with the hydrophilic skin layer moves past one or more printheads that eject aqueous ink drops onto the dried layer and the image receiving surface to form a latent aqueous printed image (block 712). The printhead modules 34A-34D in the printer 10 eject ink drops in the CMYK colors to form the printed image. Said another way, block 712 describes a step of ejecting droplets of ink in an imagewise pattern onto the sacrificial coating pattern.
The sacrificial coating 512 is substantially impermeable to the colorants in the ink 524, and the colorants remain on the surface of the dried layer 512 where the aqueous ink spreads. The spread of the liquid ink enables neighboring aqueous ink drops to merge together on the image receiving surface instead of beading into individual droplets as occurs in traditional low-surface energy image receiving surfaces.
Referring again to
The drying process removes a portion of the water from the aqueous ink and the sacrificial coating, also referred to as the skin layer, on the intermediate transfer member so that the amount of water that is transferred to a print medium in the printer does not produce cockling or other deformations of the print medium. In the printer 10, the heated air source 136 directs heated air toward the image receiving surface 14 to dry the printed aqueous ink image. In some embodiments, the intermediate transfer member and blanket are heated to an elevated temperature to promote evaporation of liquid from the ink. For example, in the printer 10, the imaging drum 12 and blanket 21 are heated to a temperature of 50° C. to 70° C. to enable partial drying of the ink in the dried layer during the printing process. As depicted in
The drying process increases the viscosity of the aqueous ink, which changes the consistency of the aqueous ink from a low-viscosity liquid to a higher viscosity tacky material. The drying process also reduces the thickness of the ink 532. In an embodiment, the drying process removes sufficient water so that the ink contains less than 5% water or other solvent by weight, such as less than 2% water, or even less than 1% water or other solvent, by weight of the ink.
Process 700 continues as the printer transfixes the latent aqueous ink image from the image receiving surface to a print medium, such as a sheet of paper (block 720). Said another way, block 720 describes a step of transferring both the substantially dry ink pattern and the sacrificial coating pattern from the intermediate transfer member to a final substrate.
In the printer 10, the image receiving surface 14 of the drum 12 engages the transfix roller 19 to form a nip 18. A print medium, such as a sheet of paper, moves through the nip between the drum 12 and the transfix roller 19. The pressure in the nip transfers the latent aqueous ink image and a portion of the dried layer to the print medium. After passing through the transfix nip 18, the print medium carries the printed aqueous ink image. As depicted in
During process 700, the printer cleans any residual portions of the sacrificial coating 512 that may remain on the image receiving surface after the transfixing operation (block 724). In one embodiment, a fluid cleaning system 395 uses, for example, a combination of water and a detergent with mechanical agitation on the image receiving surface to remove the residual portions of the sacrificial coating 512 from the surface of the belt 13. In the printer 10, a cleaning blade 95, which can be used in conjunction with water, engages the blanket 21 to remove any residual sacrificial coating 512 from the image receiving surface 14. The cleaning blade 95 is, for example, a polymer blade that wipes residual portions of the sacrificial coating 512 from the blanket 21.
During a printing operation, process 700 returns to the processing described above with reference to block 704 to apply the hydrophilic composition to the image receiving surface, print additional aqueous ink images, and transfix the aqueous ink images to print media for additional printed pages in the print process. The illustrative embodiment of the printer 10 operates in a “single pass” mode that forms the dried layer, prints the aqueous ink image and transfixes the aqueous ink image to a print medium in a single rotation or circuit of the intermediate transfer member. In alternative embodiments, an inkjet employs a multi-pass configuration where the image receiving surface completes two or more rotations or circuits to form the dried layer and receive the aqueous ink image prior to transfixing the printed image to the print medium.
In some embodiments of the process 700, the printer forms printed images using a single layer of ink such as the ink that is depicted in
Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the disclosure are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Moreover, all ranges disclosed herein are to be understood to encompass any and all sub-ranges subsumed therein.
While the present teachings have been illustrated with respect to one or more implementations, alterations and/or modifications can be made to the illustrated examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. In addition, while a particular feature of the present teachings may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular function. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms “including,” “includes,” “having,” “has,” “with,” or variants thereof are used in either the detailed description and the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Further, in the discussion and claims herein, the term “about” indicates that the value listed may be somewhat altered, as long as the alteration does not result in nonconformance of the process or structure to the illustrated embodiment. Finally, “exemplary” indicates the description is used as an example, rather than implying that it is an ideal.
It will be appreciated that variants of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompasses by the following claims.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7780286 | Yahiro | Aug 2010 | B2 |
| 8215762 | Ageishi | Jul 2012 | B2 |
| 8919252 | Lestrange et al. | Dec 2014 | B2 |
| 20080032072 | Taniuchi et al. | Feb 2008 | A1 |
| Entry |
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