Systems and methods for ink-based digital printing using liquid immersion development

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8958723-B2
Application number	US-201213631989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2012
Priority date	Sep 29, 2012
Publication date	Feb 17, 2015
Grant date	Feb 17, 2015

Abstract

Ink-based digital printing systems useful for ink printing include a photoreceptor layer configured to receive a layer of liquid immersion fluid. The liquid immersion fluid includes dampening fluid, dispersed solid particles, and charge directors that impart charge to the solid particles. The photoreceptor surface is charged to a uniform potential, and selectively discharged using an ROS according to image data to form an electrostatic latent image. The charged liquid immersion fluid adheres to portions of the photoreceptor surface according to the electrostatic latent image to form a liquid immersion fluid image. The fluid portion of the liquid immersion fluid image is partially transferred to an imaging member and/or transfer member to form a dampening fluid image, either or both of which may be electrically biased. The dampening fluid image is inked on the transfer member, and the resulting ink image transferred to a recording medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ink-based digital printing system useful for ink printing, comprising:
an imaging member configured for carrying a liquid immersion fluid image on the imaging member;
a transfer member, the imaging member and the transfer member forming a fluid image loading nip, the transfer member being electrically biased to attract or repel a portion of the immersion fluid at the image fluid loading nip during transfer of the immersion fluid from the imaging member to the transfer member;
an immersion metering system comprising a roll for metering a uniform layer of immersion fluid onto a surface of the imaging member to form the immersion fluid image;
an inking system, the inking system being configured to apply ink to the fluid image on the surface of the transfer member for developing the fluid image, wherein the immersion fluid comprises:
a dampening fluid; solid particles dispersed in the dampening fluid; and
a charge director for imparting charge to the solid particles to enable transfer of the immersion fluid image.

2. The system of claim 1 , the liquid immersion fluid of the liquid immersion fluid image having dampening fluid and solid particles, the system comprising the imaging member and the transfer member being configured to transfer at least a portion of the dampening fluid of the liquid immersion fluid image to a surface of the transfer member at the fluid image loading nip to form a dampening fluid image on the transfer member surface.

3. The system of claim 1 , the liquid immersion fluid comprising:
a dampening fluid selected from the group consisting essentially of silicone fluids (including D4, D5, OS20, OS30), Isopar fluids; and
solid silica particles, the solid particles being dispersed in the dampening fluid.

4. The system of claim 1 , the imaging member comprising:
a surface selected from the group consisting essentially of silicone elastomers, fluoro silicone elastomers, and Viton.

5. The system of claim 1 , at least one of the imaging member and the transfer member being electrically biased for retaining the solid particles on the imaging member surface.

6. The system of claim 1 , the imaging member being a photoreceptor, and the immersion fluid image being formed on the imaging member according to an electrostatic latent image formed on the imaging member.

7. The system of claim 6 , comprising:
a raster output scanner imager, the imager being configured to expose a surface of the imaging member to selectively discharge portions of the imaging member according to image data to form an electrostatic latent image.

8. The system of claim 6 , comprising:
a liquid immersion fluid metering system, the liquid immersion fluid system being configured to present a uniform layer of liquid immersion fluid to a surface of the imaging member for causing the fluid to adhere to the imaging member surface according to the latent image to form the immersion fluid image.

9. The system of claim 1 , comprising:
a photoreceptor member, the photoreceptor member being configured for forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of the photoreceptor member, the photoreceptor member and the imaging member being configured to form a solid particle transfer nip for transfer of solid particles from the imaging member to the photoreceptor member according to the electrostatic latent image.

10. The system of claim 9 , comprising:
a liquid immersion fluid metering system for presenting a uniform layer of liquid immersion fluid to a surface of the imaging member, the photoreceptor member removes immersion fluid in selected regions from the imaging member according to the electrostatic latent image, the immersion fluid that remains on the imaging member forms the immersion fluid image on the imaging member.

11. The system of claim 9 , comprising:
a raster output scanner imager, the imager being configured to expose a surface of the photoreceptor to selectively discharge portions of the photoreceptor according to image data to form an electrostatic latent image.

12. A method of ink-based digital printing using liquid immersion fluid, comprising:
forming a liquid immersion fluid image on an imaging member using an imaging fluid metering system, the imaging fluid metering system comprising a roll, the liquid immersion fluid comprising dampening fluid and solid particles dispersed in the dampening fluid;
transferring a portion of a dampening fluid of the immersion fluid image to a transfer member at a fluid image loading nip formed by the transfer member and the imaging member;
forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a photoreceptor forming a solid particle transfer nip with the imaging member; and
transferring at least a portion of the solid particles of the uniform layer to the photoreceptor according to the latent image on the photoreceptor at the solid particle transfer nip to form the liquid immersion fluid image on the imaging member by electrically biasing the imaging member to cause the imaging member to repel or attract a portion of the immersion fluid.

13. An ink-based digital printing system useful for ink printing, comprising:
an imaging member configured for forming a liquid immersion fluid image on the imaging member, the liquid immersion fluid comprising dampening fluid and solid particles dispersed in the dampening fluid, the immersion fluid being metered by a roll of an imaging fluid metering system;
a transfer member configured for transferring the immersion fluid image from the imaging member to the transfer member at a fluid image loading nip formed by the transfer member and the imaging member, the transfer member being electrically biased to facilitate transfer of the immersion fluid image and formation of the immersion fluid image on the transfer member; and
an inking system, the inking system being configured to develop the transferred immersion fluid image on the transfer member by applying ink to the immersion fluid image.

14. The ink-based digital printing system of claim 13 , comprising:
an imager system for forming an electrostatic latent image a surface of the imaging member according to image data; and
a liquid immersion fluid metering system configured for presenting liquid immersion fluid to the imaging member surface to form a fluid image according to the latent image.

15. The system of claim 13 , comprising at least one of the imaging member and the transfer member being electrically biased.

16. The system of claim 13 , comprising:
an imager system for forming an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a photoreceptor according to image data, the photoreceptor forming a solid particle transfer nip with the imaging member; and
a liquid immersion fluid system configured for presenting liquid immersion fluid to the imaging member to form a uniform layer of liquid immersion fluid, wherein the photoreceptor and the imaging member are configured for transferring at least a portion of the solid particles of the uniform layer to the photoreceptor according to the latent image on the photoreceptor at the solid particle transfer nip to form the liquid immersion fluid image on the imaging member.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Liu Chu-Heng

Classifications

• G03G15/104

  Preparing, mixing, transporting or dispensing developer · CPC title

• G03G15/10 Primary

  using a liquid developer · CPC title

• G03G15/101 Primary

  for wetting the recording material · CPC title