Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11999158-B2
Application number	US-202217699799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Mar 30, 2021
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a liquid discharge head, an irradiation unit, a carriage, and a moving unit. The liquid discharge head discharges a liquid onto a recording medium. The liquid includes a metallic ink and a color ink. The irradiation unit irradiates the liquid on the recording medium with light. The liquid discharge head and the irradiation unit are mounted on the carriage. The moving unit alternately perform a main scanning movement and a sub-scanning movement. The liquid discharge head discharges the metallic ink in a region of the recording medium in a former main scanning movement and discharges the color ink in the region in which the metallic ink has been discharged, in a latter main scanning movement after the former main scanning movement. The irradiation unit irradiates the region in which the color ink has been discharged with the light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a liquid discharge head configured to discharge a liquid onto a recording medium, the liquid including a metallic ink and a color ink;
an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the liquid on the recording medium with light;
a carriage on which the liquid discharge head and the irradiation unit are mounted; and
a moving unit configured to alternately perform a main scanning movement and a sub-scanning movement, the main scanning movement in which the carriage is moved relative to the recording medium in a main scanning direction, the sub-scanning movement in which the carriage is moved relative to the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction,
wherein the liquid discharge head discharges the metallic ink in a region of the recording medium in a former main scanning movement,
wherein the liquid discharge head discharges the color ink in the region in which the metallic ink has been discharged, in a latter main scanning movement after the former main scanning movement,
wherein the irradiation unit irradiates the region in which the color ink has been discharged with the light, and
wherein the irradiation unit irradiates the region in which the metallic ink has been discharged with the light, in an intermediate main scanning movement after the former main scanning movement and before the latter main scanning movement.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the irradiation unit irradiates the region in which the color ink has been discharged with the light, in the latter main scanning movement in which the color ink is discharged.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the metallic ink and the color ink is ultraviolet curable.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the metallic ink or the color ink contains a solvent.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the metallic ink or the color ink contains water.

6. An image forming method comprising:
discharging a liquid onto a recording medium, the liquid including a metallic ink and a color ink;
irradiating the liquid on the recording medium with light;
alternately performing a main scanning movement and a sub-scanning movement, the main scanning movement in which positions where the liquid is discharged and the light is emitted is moved relative to the recording medium in a main scanning direction, the sub-scanning movement in which the positions where the liquid is discharged and the light is emitted is moved relative to the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction;
discharging the metallic ink in a region of the recording medium in a former main scanning movement;
discharging the color ink in the region in which the metallic ink has been discharged, in a latter main scanning movement after the former main scanning movement;
irradiating the region in which the color ink has been discharged with the light; and
irradiating the region in which the metallic ink has been discharged with the light, in an intermediate main scanning movement after the former main scanning movement and before the latter main scanning movement.

7. A non-transitory storage medium storing program codes which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform an image forming method, the method comprising:
discharging a liquid onto a recording medium, the liquid including a metallic ink and a color ink;
irradiating the liquid on the recording medium with light;

alternately performing a main scanning movement and a sub-scanning movement, the main scanning movement in which positions where the liquid is discharged and the light is emitted is moved relative to the recording medium in a main scanning direction, the sub-scanning movement in which the positions where the liquid is discharged and the light is emitted is moved relative to the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction;
discharging the metallic ink in a region of the recording medium in a former main scanning movement;
discharging the color ink in the region in which the metallic ink has been discharged, in a latter main scanning movement after the former main scanning movement;
irradiating the region in which the color ink has been discharged with the light; and
irradiating the region in which the metallic ink has been discharged with the light, in an intermediate main scanning movement after the former main scanning movement and before the latter main scanning movement.

Assignees

• Matsuki Yuusuke
• Mezaki Daisuke
• Tsukamura Kiyoshi
• Tsuchiya Yuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsuki Yuusuke
• Mezaki Daisuke
• Tsukamura Kiyoshi
• Tsuchiya Yuki

Classifications

• B41J11/00214 Primary

  using UV radiation · CPC title

• B41J2/2107

  characterised by the ink properties (supplying ink in a solid state B41J2/17593) · CPC title

• B41J11/22

  Paper-carriage guides or races · CPC title

• B41J11/0021 Primary

  using irradiation · 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