Liquid discharge apparatus, printer, and liquid discharge method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897254-B2
Application number	US-202217681844-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2022
Priority date	Mar 2, 2021
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a first liquid that generates heat in an absorption wavelength region of an active energy ray, a first discharger configured to discharge the first liquid, a second liquid that starts polymerization in the absorption wavelength region of the active energy ray, a second discharger configured to discharge the second liquid, and an irradiator configured to irradiate the first liquid and the second liquid with the active energy ray.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:
a first liquid that generates heat in an absorption wavelength region of an active energy ray;
a first discharger to discharge the first liquid;
a second liquid that starts polymerization in the absorption wavelength region of the active energy ray;
a second discharger to discharge the second liquid; and
an irradiator to irradiate the first liquid and the second liquid with the active energy ray,
wherein another irradiator irradiates the first liquid and the second liquid with an infrared ray before the irradiator irradiates the first liquid and the second liquid with the active energy ray,
the first liquid includes a pigment as a colorant,
the second liquid is a white ink including a photopolymerization initiator in a content of less than 0.1% by mass,
the first liquid is a non-white ink,
the first liquid includes multiple types of colors of inks,
the first discharger comprises multiple first dischargers configured to respectively discharge the multiple types of colors of inks, and
the first liquid is discharged for printing after the second liquid is discharged for printing.

2. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the active energy ray is an ultraviolet ray.

3. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first liquid is a water-based pigment ink.

4. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second liquid is an ultraviolet curable ink.

5. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the irradiator includes a light emitting diode configured to emit an ultraviolet ray.

6. A printer comprising:
a first liquid that generates heat in an absorption wavelength region of an active energy ray;
a first discharger configured to discharge the first liquid;
a second liquid that starts polymerization in the absorption wavelength region of the active energy ray;
a second discharger configured to discharge the second liquid; and
an irradiator configured to irradiate the first liquid and the second liquid with the active energy ray,
wherein another irradiator irradiates the first liquid and the second liquid with an infrared ray before the irradiator irradiates the first liquid and the second liquid with the active energy ray,
the first liquid includes a pigment as a colorant,
the second liquid is a white ink including a photopolymerization initiator in a content of less than 0.1% by mass,
the first liquid is a non-white ink,
the first liquid includes multiple types of colors of inks,
the first discharger comprises multiple first dischargers configured to respectively discharge the multiple types of colors of inks, and
the first liquid is discharged for printing after the second liquid is discharged for printing.

7. A liquid discharging method comprising:
discharging a first liquid that generates heat in an absorption wavelength region of an active energy ray;
discharging a second liquid that starts polymerization in the absorption wavelength region of the active energy ray;
irradiating the first liquid and the second liquid with an infrared ray; and
irradiating the first liquid and the second liquid with the active energy ray,
wherein the first liquid includes a pigment as a colorant,
the second liquid is a white ink including a photopolymerization initiator in a content of less than 0.1% by mass,
the first liquid is a non-white ink,
the first liquid includes multiple types of colors of inks,
the discharging the first liquid respectively discharging the multiple types of colors of inks, and
the first liquid is discharged for printing after the second liquid is discharged for printing.

8. The liquid discharge method according to claim 7 ,
wherein the active energy ray is an ultraviolet ray.

9. The liquid discharge method according to claim 7 ,
wherein the first liquid is a water-based pigment ink.

10. The liquid discharge method according to claim 7 ,
wherein the second liquid is an ultraviolet curable ink.

11. The liquid discharge method according to claim 7 ,
wherein the irradiating includes emitting an ultraviolet ray to the first liquid and the second liquid.

Assignees

• Sawase Hiroshi
• Kamihara Kazuaki
• Asada Kohki
• HIDA Ryusaku
• Takahashi Yoshihiro
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sawase Hiroshi
• Kamihara Kazuaki
• Asada Kohki
• HIDA Ryusaku
• Takahashi Yoshihiro

Classifications

• B41J11/00214 Primary

  using UV radiation · CPC title

• B41J2/525

  Arrangement for multi-colour printing, not covered by group B41J2/21, e.g. applicable to two or more kinds of printing or marking process · 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

• B41J2/2117

  Ejecting white liquids · CPC title

• B41J11/0005

  Curl smoothing, i.e. smoothing down corrugated printing material, e.g. by pressing means acting on wrinkled printing material · CPC title