Printing apparatus and printing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10792937-B2
Application number	US-201916255844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2019
Priority date	Jan 30, 2018
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

To perform high-quality printing more appropriately, a printing apparatus (10) configured to print on a medium (50) by inkjet includes: an inkjet head (102); and a UV light source (104) as an energy ray emitting unit. The UV light source (104) emits the ultraviolet rays to the ink adhered to the medium (50), causing the ink to generate heat to evaporate at least a part of a solvent in the ink. The ink ejected by the inkjet head (102) includes a polymerizing substance that polymerizes when irradiated with the energy rays, and the solvent. The ink on the medium (50) is in a state in which planarization of the ink progresses with a lapse of time at a time point after 100 ms has elapsed since the UV light source (104) emitted the ultraviolet rays.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus configured to print on a medium by inkjet, comprising:
an inkjet head, configured to eject ink to the medium; and
an energy ray emitting unit, configured to emit energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium, wherein
the energy ray emitting unit emits the energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium to cause the ink to generate heat to evaporate at least a part of a solvent in the ink,
the ink ejected by the inkjet head includes a polymerizing substance that polymerizes when irradiated with the energy rays, and the solvent, and
the ink adhered to the medium is in a state in which planarization of the ink progresses with a lapse of time at a time point after 100 ms has elapsed since the energy ray emitting unit emitted the energy rays.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the energy ray emitting unit emits energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium, thereby causing the ink to generate heat to a temperature at which the solvent in the ink boils.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the energy ray emitting unit emits energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium to polymerize the polymerizing substance in the ink such that a viscosity of the ink on the medium increases to 200 mPa sec or more, and
when a time taken for the viscosity of the ink to become 200 mPa·sec or more from when the emission of energy rays to the ink is started is defined as a viscosity-increasing required time, the viscosity-increasing required time is 100 ms or more.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the energy ray emitting unit emits energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium to polymerize the polymerizing substance in the ink such that a viscosity of the ink on the medium increases to 200 mPa·sec or more, and
when a time taken for the viscosity of the ink to become 200 mPa·sec or more from when the emission of energy rays to the ink is started is defined as a viscosity-increasing required time, the viscosity-increasing required time is 100 ms or more.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the ink further includes an energy ray absorbing substance, configured to generate heat by absorbing energy rays, and
the energy ray emitting unit emits the energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium to cause the energy ray absorbing substance to generate heat, thereby causing the ink to generate heat.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the ink further includes an energy ray absorbing substance, configured to generate heat by absorbing energy rays, and
the energy ray emitting unit emits the energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium to cause the energy ray absorbing substance to generate heat, thereby causing the ink to generate heat.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the ink further includes an energy ray absorbing substance, configured to generate heat by absorbing energy rays, and
the energy ray emitting unit emits the energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium to cause the energy ray absorbing substance to generate heat, thereby causing the ink to generate heat.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the ink further includes an energy ray absorbing substance, configured to generate heat by absorbing energy rays, and
the energy ray emitting unit emits the energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium to cause the energy ray absorbing substance to generate heat, thereby causing the ink to generate heat.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the polymerizing substance is a substance that generates heat during polymerization, and
the energy ray emitting unit emits energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium to polymerize the polymerizing substance, causing the ink to generate heat.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the polymerizing substance is a substance that polymerizes when irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and
the energy ray emitting unit emits ultraviolet rays as energy rays.

11. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the polymerizing substance is a cation-polymerizable monomer or oligomer.

12. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the ink contains the solvent at 30 wt % or more.

13. A printing method for printing on a medium by inkjet, comprising:
using an inkjet head configured to eject ink to the medium and an energy ray emitting unit configured to emit energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium; and
emitting, by the energy ray emitting unit, the energy rays to the ink adhered to the medium, causing the ink to generate heat to evaporate at least a part of a solvent in the ink, wherein
the ink ejected by the inkjet head includes a polymerizing substance that polymerizes when irradiated with the energy rays, and the solvent, and
the ink adhered to the medium is in a state in which planarization of the ink progresses with a lapse of time at a time point after 100 ms has elapsed since the energy ray emitting unit emitted the energy rays.

Assignees

• Mimaki Eng Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohnishi Masaru

Classifications

• B41J11/00244

  Means for heating the copy materials before or during printing · CPC title

• B41J11/00218

  Constructional details of the irradiation means, e.g. radiation source attached to reciprocating print head assembly or shutter means provided on the radiation source · CPC title

• B41J11/00214 Primary

  using UV radiation · CPC title

• B41M7/0081

  using electromagnetic radiation or waves, e.g. ultraviolet radiation, electron beams · CPC title

• C09D11/101

  Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing · CPC title