Printer, heating device, and printing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12208633-B2
Application number	US-202217985135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2022
Priority date	Jan 12, 2022
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

A printer includes: a print engine configured to discharge ink onto a fabric to print the fabric; a heating device configured to heat the fabric under a prescribed treatment condition; and circuitry configured to: set a type of the fabric; and acquire the prescribed treatment condition from an external device connected to the printer. The prescribed treatment condition includes: a temperature at which the heating device heats the fabric; and a duration of time during which the heating device heats the fabric, and the prescribed treatment condition is set for each types of fabrics.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a print engine configured to discharge ink onto a fabric to print the fabric;
a heating device configured to heat the fabric under a prescribed treatment condition; and
circuitry configured to:
set a type of the fabric; and
acquire the prescribed treatment condition from a first external device connected to the printer, wherein the prescribed treatment condition includes:
a temperature at which the heating device heats the fabric; and
a duration of time during which the heating device heats the fabric,

the prescribed treatment condition is set for each of a number of types of fabrics,
the first external device is a cloud to which the prescribed treatment condition is uploaded from a second external device connected to the cloud, and
the circuitry is configured to acquire the prescribed treatment condition from the cloud.

2. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to:
acquire a result of a setting of the types of fabrics from a third external device connected to the printer; and
set the types of fabrics to the heating device based on the result of the setting.

3. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the heating device includes a heater and performs any one of:
a non-contact heating to heat the fabric while the heater is separated from the fabric;
a contact heating to heat the fabric while the heater contacts the fabric; or
a combination of the non-contact heating and the contact heating.

4. The system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the heating device heats the fabric before or after printing the fabric, and wherein the circuitry is configured to:
acquire data including the prescribed treatment condition from the cloud, and
cause the heating device to heat the fabric under the prescribed treatment condition in which the temperature and the duration of time suitable for the types of fabrics are defined.

5. The system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the data includes a garment catalog indicating the prescribed treatment condition for each of the types of fabrics.

6. A printing method comprising:
discharging ink onto a fabric with a printer;
heating the fabric under a prescribed treatment condition with the printer;
setting a type of the fabric to the printer; and
acquiring the prescribed treatment condition from a first external device connected to the printer, wherein
the prescribed treatment condition includes:
a temperature at which the heating heats the fabric; and
a duration of time during which the heating heats the fabric,

the prescribed treatment condition is set for each of a number of types of fabrics,
the first external device is a cloud to which the prescribed treatment condition is uploaded from a second external device connected to the cloud, and
the acquiring comprises acquiring the prescribed treatment condition from the cloud.

7. The printing method according to claim 6 ,
wherein the heating device includes a heater and performs any one of:
a non-contact heating to heat the fabric while the heater is separated from the fabric;
a contact heating to heat the fabric while the heater contacts the fabric; or
a combination of the non-contact heating and the contact heating.

8. A system comprising:
a heating device configured to heat a fabric onto which ink is discharged under a prescribed treatment condition; and
circuitry configured to:
set a type of the fabric; and
acquire the prescribed treatment condition from a first external device connected to the heating device, wherein

the prescribed treatment condition includes:
a temperature at which the heating device heats the fabric; and
a duration of time during which the heating device heats the fabric,

the prescribed treatment condition is set for each of a number of types of fabrics,
the first external device is a cloud to which the prescribed treatment condition is uploaded from a second external device connected to the cloud, and
the circuitry is configured to acquire the prescribed treatment condition from the cloud.

9. The system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the system includes a heater and performs any one of:
a non-contact heating to heat the fabric while the heater is separated from the fabric;
a contact heating to heat the fabric while the heater contacts the fabric; or
a combination of the non-contact heating and the contact heating.

10. The system according to claim 9 ,
wherein the system heats the fabric before or after printing the fabric, and
wherein the circuitry is configured to:
acquire data including the prescribed treatment condition from the cloud, and
cause the system to heat the fabric under the prescribed treatment condition in which the temperature and the duration of time suitable for the types of fabrics are defined.

11. The system according to claim 10 ,
wherein the data includes a garment catalog indicating the prescribed treatment condition for each of the types of fabrics.

12. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to receive a selection of the type of the fabric from a user through an operation screen.

13. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to determine the type of the fabric.

14. The system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to use artificial intelligence to determine the type of the fabric.

15. The printing method according to claim 6 ,
wherein the heating is performed before or after discharging the ink onto the fabric with the printer.

16. A system comprising:
a cloud; and
a printer comprising:
a print engine configured to discharge ink onto a fabric to print the fabric;
a heating device configured to heat the fabric under a prescribed treatment condition; and
circuitry configured to:
set a type of the fabric; and
acquire the prescribed treatment condition from the cloud connected to the printer, wherein

the prescribed treatment condition includes:
a temperature at which the heating device heats the fabric; and
a duration of time during which the heating device heats the fabric,

the prescribed treatment condition is set for each of a number of fabrics, and
the prescribed treatment condition is uploaded from an external device connected to the cloud.

17. The system according to claim 16 ,
wherein the heating device includes a heater and performs any one of:
a non-contact heating to heat the fabric while the heater is separated from the fabric;
a contact heating to heat the fabric while the heater contacts the fabric; or
a combination of the non-contact heating and the contact heating.

18. The system according to claim 17 ,
wherein the heating device heats the fabric before or after printing the fabric, and
wherein the circuitry is configured to:
acquire data including the prescribed treatment condition from the cloud, and
cause the heating device to heat the fabric under the prescribed treatment condition in which the temperature and the duration of time suitable for the types of fabrics are defined.

19. The system according to claim 18 ,
wherein the data includes a garment catalog indicating the prescribed treatment condition for each of the types of fabrics.

20. The system according to claim 16 ,
wherein the printer comprises a garment printer.

Assignees

• Imai Hiroyuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Imai Hiroyuki

Classifications

• D06P5/2072

  before dyeing · CPC title

• D06P5/2077

  after dyeing · CPC title

• D06P5/30

  Ink jet printing · CPC title

• B41J11/00244

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

• B41J11/00216

  using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves · CPC title