Image forming device and image forming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12286491-B2
Application number	US-202217669404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2022
Priority date	Feb 18, 2021
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

An image forming device includes a first discharging device configured to discharge a first active energy curing composition (1) containing a first (meth)acrylic amide compound (A) having a (meth)acrylic group and a first polymerization initiator (C) to a medium, a first exposing device configured to expose the first active energy curing composition (1) applied to the medium to first active energy, and a second discharging device configured to discharge an ink (2) containing a coloring material, a water-soluble organic solvent, and water to the first active energy curing composition (1) exposed to the first active energy.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming device, comprising:
a first discharging device containing a first active energy curing composition (1) containing a first (meth)acrylic amide compound (A) having a (meth)acrylic group and a first polymerization initiator (C), the first discharging device configured to discharge the first active energy curing composition (1) to a medium;
a first exposing device configured to expose the first active energy curing composition (1) applied to the medium to first active energy; and
a second discharging device containing an ink (2) containing a coloring material, a water-soluble organic solvent, and water, the second discharging device configured to discharge the ink (2) to the first active energy curing composition (1) exposed to the first active energy;
wherein the first (meth)acrylamide compound (A) comprises an acrylic amide compound (A1) represented by the following Chemical Formula (1) or Chemical Formula (2),
CH 2 ═CH—CO—N(R 1 )—R 2 —CO—O—R 3   (1)

wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R 2 represents a linear or branched alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R 3 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, where a number of the carbon atoms in R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is 2 to 6 in total,

wherein, the ring X represents a ring structure having a nitrogen atom and two to five carbon atoms, R 4 represents a single bond or a linear or branched alkylene group having one to three carbon atoms, and R 5 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having one to three carbon atoms, where a number of the carbon atoms in the ring X, R 4 , and R 5 is 3 to 6 in total.

2. The image forming device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first active energy curing composition (1) further comprises a first polyfunctional polymerizable compound or polymerizable oligomer (B).

3. The image forming device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third discharging device containing a second active energy curing composition (3) containing a second (meth)acrylamide compound (A), a second polyfunctional polymerizable compound or polymerizable oligomer (B), and a second polymerization initiator (C), the third discharging device configured to discharge the second active energy curing composition (3) onto the ink (2) discharged; and
a second exposing device configured to expose the second active energy curing composition (3) discharged to second active energy.

4. The image forming device according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a conveying device configured to convey the medium in a conveyance direction,
wherein the first discharging device, the first exposing device, and the second discharging device are disposed in this order from upstream to downstream along the conveyance direction of the medium.

5. The image forming device according to claim 3 ,
further comprising a conveying device configured to convey the medium in a conveyance direction,
wherein the first discharging device, the first exposing device, the second discharging device, the third discharging device, and the second exposing device are disposed in this order from upstream to downstream along the conveyance direction of the medium.

6. The image forming device according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a carriage member configured to scan the medium, the carriage member carrying the first discharging device, the first exposing device, and the second discharging device.

7. The image forming device according to claim 6 ,
further comprising a third discharging device containing a second active energy curing composition (3) containing a second (meth)acrylamide compound (A), a second polyfunctional polymerizable compound or polymerizable oligomer (B), and a second polymerization initiator (C), the third discharging device configured to discharge the second active energy curing composition (3),
wherein the carriage member carries the third discharging device.

8. The image forming device according to claim 6 ,
further comprising a jig configured to fix a finger having a nail, wherein the medium is the nail.

9. The image forming device according to claim 6 ,
further comprising a polishing device configured to polish a surface of the medium.

10. The image forming device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the first discharging device discharges the first active energy curing composition (1) to the medium when a surface of the medium has a smoothness of a threshold or greater or after the polishing device polishes the surface to the threshold or greater when the surface of the medium has a smoothness less than the threshold.

11. The image forming device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first discharging device and the first exposing device respectively repeat discharging the first active energy curing composition (1) and exposing the first active energy curing composition (1) to the first active energy until the surface has a smoothness of the threshold or greater.

12. The image forming device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an imaging device configured to detect the smoothness of the surface of the medium.

13. The image forming device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
an image acquisition device configured to acquire an image of the first active energy curing composition (1) exposed to the first active energy to obtain information on the image; and
a temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the image in a non-contact manner,
wherein whether the second discharging device discharges the ink (2) is determined depending on at least one of the information or the temperature.

14. The image forming device according to claim 3 ,
wherein at least one of the first active energy curing composition (1) or the second active energy curing composition (3) further respectively comprises a first hydrogen donor (D) or a second hydrogen donor (D).

15. The image forming device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first active energy comprises ultraviolet having a peak in a range of wavelength of from 365 to 405 nm.

16. The image forming device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first active energy has a quantity of exposure light of from 10 to 500 mJ/cm 2 .

17. An image forming method, comprising:
discharging a first active energy curing composition (1) containing a first (meth)acrylic amide compound (A) having a (meth)acrylic group and a first polymerization initiator (C) to a medium;
exposing the first active energy curing composition (1) applied to the medium to first active energy; and
discharging an ink (2) containing a coloring material, a water-soluble organic solvent, and water to the first active energy curing composition (1) exposed to the first active energy;
wherein the first (meth)acrylamide compound (A) comprises an acrylic amide compound (A1) represented by the following Chemical Formula (1) or Chemical Formula (2),
CH 2 ═CH—CO—N(R 1 )—R 2 —CO—O—R 3   (1)

wherein R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R 2 represents a linear or branched alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and R 3 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, where a number of the carbon atoms in R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is 2 to 6 in total,

wherein

Assignees

• Kobayashi Masahide
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kobayashi Masahide

Classifications

• B41J2/2114

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

• B41J2/2117

  Ejecting white liquids · CPC title

• B41J11/009

  Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper · CPC title

• B41J11/007

  Conveyor belts or like feeding devices · CPC title

• B41J3/543

  with multiple inkjet print heads (B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence) · CPC title