Patent Application
20090115804
None.
None.
None.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ink printing systems, and, more particularly, to an ink identification and detection system, with ink for use therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ink jet imaging apparatus, such as an ink jet printer, forms an image on a print medium, such as paper, by ejecting ink onto the print medium. Such an ink jet printer may include a reciprocating printhead carrier that transports one or more printheads across the print medium along a bi-directional scanning path defining a print zone of the printer. Each printhead includes a nozzle array having a plurality of ink jetting nozzles, with at least one micro-fluid ejection device (resistive heater, piezoelectric device, etc.) associated with each nozzle. Each printhead is in fluid communication with an ink tank containing ink.
In some printing systems, the ink tank is integrated with at least one printhead to form an ink jet printhead cartridge. In other printing systems, the ink tank is separate from, or separable from, the printhead, wherein the ink tank may be carried by the printhead carrier, or alternatively, the ink tank is located off-carrier.
A color printhead, for example, may include multiple nozzle arrays, with each nozzle array configured to selectively eject ink of a particular color of a plurality of colors of ink, e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow, and/or diluted forms thereof. Each color of ink is contained in an ink tank containing ink of the particular color.
A monochrome printhead, for example, may include one or more nozzle arrays configured to selectively eject monochrome ink, e.g., black ink. The monochrome ink is contained in an ink tank containing the monochrome ink.
What is needed in the art is an ink identification and detection system, with ink for use therewith.
The present invention provides an ink identification and detection system, with ink for use therewith.
The invention, in one form thereof, is directed to an ink identification and detection system. The system includes an imaging apparatus. An ink tank is mounted to the imaging apparatus. The ink tank has a transparent portion. An ink is contained in the ink tank. The ink includes a fluorescing material. An ink detection device is communicatively coupled to a controller. The ink detection device is configured to emit light in a non-visible spectrum of light through the transparent portion to the ink, and is configured to detect light in a visible or near-infrared spectrum of light emitted through the transparent portion by the fluorescing material in the ink. The ink detection device supplies a signal representing the detected light to the controller for identifying the ink.
The invention, in another form thereof, is directed to an ink for use in printing with an imaging apparatus. The ink includes an ink selected from a group consisting of a pigment ink and a dye ink. A fluorescing material is contained in the ink, which when exposed to ultraviolet light emits light in a visible or near-infrared spectrum of light.
The invention, in another form thereof, is directed to an imaging apparatus. The imaging apparatus includes a print engine configured to mount at least one ink tank. A controller is communicatively coupled to the print engine. An ink detection device is communicatively coupled to the controller. The ink detection device is configured to detect light in a visible or near-infrared spectrum of light emitted by a fluorescing material in ink. The ink detection device supplies a signal representing the detected light to the controller for identifying the ink.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
Referring to
Alternatively, imaging apparatus 14 may be a standalone unit that is not communicatively linked to a host, such as host 12. For example, imaging apparatus 14 may take the form of an all-in-one, i.e., multifunction, machine that includes standalone copying and facsimile capabilities, in addition to optionally serving as a printer when attached to a host, such as host 12.
Host 12 may be, for example, a personal computer including an input/output (I/O) device, such as keyboard and display monitor. Host 12 further includes a processor, input/output (I/O) interfaces, memory, such as RAM, ROM, NVRAM, and a mass data storage device, such as a hard drive, CD-ROM and/or DVD units. During operation, host 12 may include in its memory a software program including program instructions that function as an imaging driver, e.g., printer driver software, for imaging apparatus 14. Alternatively, the imaging driver may be incorporated, in whole or in part, in imaging apparatus 14.
In the embodiment of
Controller 18 includes a processor unit and associated memory, and may be formed as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Controller 18 communicates with print engine 20 via a communications link 24. Controller 18 communicates with user interface 22 via a communications link 26. Communications links 24 and 26 may be established, for example, by using standard electrical cabling or bus structures, or by wireless connection.
Print engine 20 may be, for example, an ink jet print engine configured for forming an image on a sheet of print media 28, such as a sheet of paper, transparency or fabric. Print engine 20 may include, for example, a reciprocating printhead carrier 30 and an ink detection device 32.
In the present embodiment, printhead carrier 30 is configured to mount a plurality of removable ink tanks 34. Printhead carrier 30 is mechanically and electrically configured to mount and carry at least one printhead 36 that includes at least one ink jet micro-fluid ejection device. Printhead carrier 30 transports removable ink tanks 34 and printhead 36 in a reciprocating manner in a bi-directional main scan direction, i.e., axis, 38 over an image surface of the sheet of print media 28 during a printing operation. Alternatively, the removable ink tanks 34 may be located off-carrier, i.e., remote from printhead carrier 30, and connected to printhead 36 by a fluid conduit system.
The plurality of removable ink tanks 34 may be made, for example, from plastic. The plurality of ink tanks 34 are individually identified as ink tanks 34-1, 34-2, 34-3 and 34-4, and may include a monochrome ink tank 34-1 containing black ink, and three color ink tanks 34-2, 34-3, and 34-4 containing cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, respectively. In accordance with the present invention, each of the monochrome and color inks include a fluorescing material that is exposed to and absorbs light in the non-visible spectrum of light (e.g., ultraviolet (UV), i.e., below about 400 nanometers (nm) wavelength) and based on an excitation by the absorbed light, emits light in the visible or near-infrared (IR) spectrum of light (i.e., about 400 nm to 1000 nm), which will be described in more detail below. Here, the term “about” means plus or minus five percent. In general, in accordance with the present invention the quantity and/or type of fluorescing material contained in each of the inks may be used for ink identification.
Referring to
In the example shown in
Each of the detection units 50 includes a light source 56 and a sensor 58. The respective light sources 56 generates UV light 46-1, 46-2, 46-3, 46-4, respectively, e.g., in a wavelength range of 300 nm to 400 nm, inclusive, and may be, for example, a UV light emitting diode (UV LED). In one embodiment, for example, each light source 56 is a 365 nm UV LED. Each sensor 58 may be, for example, a photo detector diode. Monochrome detection unit 50-1 includes a light filter 60-1 for filtering light 48-1 emitted by the fluorescing material in the ink 52-1 contained in ink tank 34-1. Cyan detection unit 50-2 includes a light filter 60-2 for filtering light 48-2 emitted by the fluorescing material in the cyan ink 52-2 contained in ink tank 34-2. Magenta detection unit 50-3 includes a light filter 60-3 for filtering light 48-3 emitted by the fluorescing material in the magenta ink 52-3 contained in ink tank 34-3. Yellow detection unit 50-4 includes a light filter 60-4 for filtering light 48-4 emitted by the fluorescing material in the yellow ink 52-4 contained in ink tank 34-4. The color of each of the light filters 60-1, 60-2, 60-3 and 60-4 may be selected, for example, based on the color of light emitted (i.e., the fluorescent emission) from the respective fluorescing material in the respective inks contained in respective ink tanks 34-1, 34-2, 34-3, and 34-4. Exemplary colors for light filters 60-1, 60-2, 60-3 and 60-4, include, for example, green, red, yellow, and blue.
The embodiment of
The fluorescing material in monochrome ink 52-1 may be an invisible UV fluorescent dye or pigment colorant processed as wax emulsion, latex emulsion, or dispersion, and added to the respective ink as an additive. Alternatively, the fluorescing material in monochrome ink 52-1 may be one or more UV fluorescent colorants directly added to the ink. In one embodiment, for example, the UV fluorescing material in monochrome ink 52-1 absorbs UV light from light source (UV LED) 56 of monochrome detection unit 50-1 in the wavelengths between 250 nm to 400 nm and emits in the visible range between 500 nm to 700 nm, which may be detected by sensor 58, e.g., a clear sensor, of monochrome detection unit 50-1.
Suitable invisible UV fluorescent colorants for use as the fluorescing material in monochrome ink 52-1 and/or color inks 52-2, 52-3 and 52-4 include organic fluorescent dyes or pigments, such as derivatives of benzoxazine and benzoxazinone or complexes of rare earth elements with ligands containing beta, Diketones. Other invisible UV fluorescent colorants, such as fluorescent derivatives of dansyl chloride, coumarin, carbocyanine, naphthalamide, stilbene, squarine, perylene, xanthene, thioxanthene, thioindigoid, acridine, and anthrapyridone dyes and pigments may also be included for use as the fluorescing material in monochrome ink 52-1 and/or color inks 52-2, 52-3 and 52-4.
In this example, with reference to
Monochrome ink (MCOMP1) as monochrome ink 52-1 is a Lexmark standard pigment black ink containing 0.25% Fluo-Green001 (Keyfluor Green OB-505, invisible fluorescent green dye from Keystone Aniline Corp. of Chicago, Ill., processed in Lexmark as a stable dispersion). Monochrome ink (MCOMP2) as monochrome ink 52-1 is a Lexmark standard pigment black ink containing 0.5% Fluo-Green001 (Keyfluor Green OB-505, invisible fluorescent green dye from Keystone Aniline Corp., processed in Lexmark as a stable dispersion).
Referring to
As shown in
In this example, with reference to
Standard color ink set (CSTD) includes a standard pigment cyan ink, a standard pigment magenta ink, and a standard pigment yellow ink.
Comparison color ink set (CCOMP1) includes the standard pigment cyan ink containing 0.1% invisible fluorescent red dispersion (Keyfluor Red OB-615, from Keystone Aniline Corp. processed in Lexmark as a stable dispersion); the standard pigment magenta ink containing 0.1% invisible fluorescent red dispersion (Keyfluor Red OB-615, from Keystone Aniline Corp., processed in Lexmark as a stable dispersion); and the standard pigment yellow ink containing 0.1% invisible fluorescent red dispersion (Keyfluor Red OB-615, from Keystone Aniline Corp., processed in Lexmark as a stable dispersion).
Comparison color ink set (CCOMP2) includes the standard pigment cyan ink containing 0.2% invisible fluorescent red dispersion (Keyfluor Red OB-615, from Keystone Aniline Corp. , processed in Lexmark as a stable dispersion); the standard pigment magenta ink containing 0.2% invisible fluorescent red dispersion (Keyfluor Red OB-615, from Keystone Aniline Corp., processed in Lexmark as a stable dispersion); and the standard pigment yellow ink containing 0.2% invisible fluorescent red dispersion (Keyfluor Red OB-615, from Keystone Aniline Corp., processed in Lexmark as a stable dispersion).
Comparison color ink set (CCOMP3) includes the standard pigment cyan ink containing 0.5% invisible fluorescent red dispersion (Keyfluor Red OB-615, from Keystone Aniline Corp., processed in Lexmark as a stable dispersion); the standard pigment magenta ink containing 0.5% invisible fluorescent red dispersion (Keyfluor Red OB-615, from Keystone Aniline Corp., processed in Lexmark as a stable dispersion); and the standard pigment yellow ink containing 0.5% invisible fluorescent red dispersion (Keyfluor Red OB-615, from Keystone Aniline Corp., processed in Lexmark as a stable dispersion).
Referring to
As such, with the present invention, an ink may be identified by including a fluorescent material in the ink. Also, ink discrimination between inks of the same color, or as between inks of different color, may be made by varying the amount of fluorescent material added to the ink.
Example 3 uses the same ink set formulations as Example 2, and thus for brevity will not repeated here. In Example 3, however, the respective ink tanks 34-2, 34-3 and 34-4 contain an ink suspension foam material, whereas in Example 2, the respective ink tanks 34-2, 34-3 and 34-4 did not contain the ink suspension foam material.
Referring to
As such, with the present invention, an ink may be identified by including a fluorescent material in the ink. Also, ink discrimination between inks of the same color, or as between inks of different color, may be made by varying the amount of fluorescent material added to the ink.
While this invention has been described with respect to embodiments of the invention, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
