Image forming apparatus, ink set, and image forming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12049094-B2
Application number	US-202217708236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2022
Priority date	Jul 30, 2020
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an image forming apparatus that improves washing fastness of an image forming portion of a fabric on which a discharge printing ink and a color ink are ejected. An image forming apparatus of the present disclosure includes: a color ink ejector; a discharge printing ink ejector; and a controller, wherein the color ink ejector is configured to eject a color ink containing an aqueous resin emulsion on a fabric, the discharge printing ink ejector is configured to eject a discharge printing ink containing a reducing agent on the fabric, and the controller is configured to control the color ink ejector and the discharge printing ink ejector to eject the color ink on the fabric in a first step, and after the first step, to eject the discharge printing ink on the fabric in a second step.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a color ink ejector;
a discharge printing ink ejector; and
a controller, wherein
the color ink ejector is configured to eject a color ink containing an aqueous resin emulsion on a fabric,
the discharge printing ink ejector is configured to eject a discharge printing ink containing a reducing agent on the fabric, and
the controller is configured to control the color ink ejector and the discharge printing ink ejector to eject the color ink on the fabric in a first step, and after the first step, to eject the discharge printing ink on the fabric in a second step.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to control the discharge printing ink ejector to eject the discharge printing ink on an area of the fabric on which the color ink is ejected in the second step.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the color ink ejector is configured to eject the color ink containing the aqueous resin emulsion, the aqueous resin emulsion of the color ink being at least one selected from the group consisting of an acrylic resin emulsion, a urethane resin emulsion, a polyester resin emulsion, and a polystyrene resin emulsion.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the color ink ejector is configured to eject the color ink containing the aqueous resin emulsion, the aqueous resin emulsion being a urethane resin emulsion.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the color ink ejector is configured to eject the color ink containing the urethane resin emulsion, the urethane resin emulsion being at least one selected from the group consisting of a polycarbonate-based urethane resin emulsion, a polyester-based urethane resin emulsion, and a polyether-based urethane resin emulsion.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the color ink ejector is configured to eject the color ink containing the urethane resin emulsion, the urethane resin emulsion being at least one of a polycarbonate-based urethane resin emulsion or a polyester-based urethane resin emulsion.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the color ink ejector is configured to eject the color ink containing the urethane resin emulsion, the urethane resin emulsion being a polycarbonate-based urethane resin emulsion.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the color ink ejector is configured to eject the color ink containing the urethane resin emulsion, the urethane resin emulsion being a polyether-based urethane resin emulsion.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the color ink ejector is configured to eject the color ink containing the aqueous resin emulsion, the color ink being an ink that is aggregated by the discharge printing ink.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the color ink ejector is configured to eject the color ink containing the aqueous resin emulsion, the color ink containing a pigment.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the discharge printing ink ejector is configured to eject the discharge printing ink containing the reducing agent on the fabric, the reducing agent of the discharge printing ink being at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium hydrosulfite, thiourea dioxide, rongalite, sodium nitrite, sodium bisulfite, sodium thiosulfate, and sodium pyrosulfite.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the discharge printing ink ejector is configured to eject the discharge printing ink containing the reducing agent on the fabric, the reducing agent of the discharge printing ink being at least one of thiourea dioxide or rongalite.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the discharge printing ink ejector is configured to eject the discharge printing ink containing the reducing agent on the fabric, the reducing agent of the discharge printing ink being thiourea dioxide.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the color ink ejector is configured to eject the color ink containing the aqueous resin emulsion, the aqueous resin emulsion being a urethane resin emulsion, and
the reducing agent of the discharge printing ink being thiourea dioxide.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an ink set storage configured to store an ink set, wherein
the ink set includes the color ink and the discharge printing ink.

16. An ink set stored in the ink set storage of the image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , comprising:
a color ink; and
a discharge printing ink, wherein
the color ink contains an aqueous resin emulsion, and
the discharge printing ink contains a reducing agent.

17. An image forming method, comprising:
a first step of ejecting a color ink containing an aqueous resin emulsion on a fabric; and
a second step of ejecting a discharge printing ink containing a reducing agent on the fabric, wherein
the second step is performed after performing the first step.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• MURASE Mami

Classifications

• B41J2/2114

  Ejecting specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or processing liquids (B41J2/211 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06P5/30

  Ink jet printing · CPC title

• D06P1/5285

  Polyurethanes; Polyurea; Polyguanides · CPC title

• D06P1/525

  Polymers of unsaturated carboxylic acids or functional derivatives thereof · CPC title

• C09D11/40 Primary

  Ink-sets specially adapted for multi-colour inkjet printing · CPC title