Treated object modifying apparatus, printing apparatus, printing system, and method for manufacturing printout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9566802-B2
Application number	US-201514656552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2015
Priority date	Mar 17, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A treated object modifying apparatus includes a plasma-treating unit that includes a first electrode unit, a second electrode unit, and a dielectric that is interposed between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit, and that plasma-treats a treated object positioned between the first electrode unit and the dielectric; and a controlling unit that controls the plasma-treating unit so that the amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of sides of the treated object in a duplex treatment that are performed with the one side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit and with the other side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit is different from the amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of the sides of the treated object in a simplex treatment that is performed with the one side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A treated object modifying apparatus comprising:
a plasma-treating unit that comprises a first electrode unit, a second electrode unit, and a dielectric that is interposed between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit, and that plasma-treats a treated object positioned between the first electrode unit and the dielectric by applying a voltage to one of the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit; and
a controlling unit that controls the plasma-treating unit so that an amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of sides of the treated object in a duplex treatment is different from an amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of the sides of the treated object in a simplex treatment, wherein the duplex treatment is a plasma treatment performed with one side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit, and another plasma treatment performed with the other side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit, and the simplex treatment is a plasma treatment performed with one side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit.

2. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controlling unit controls the plasma-treating unit in such a manner that an amount of plasma energy delivered to the one or the other side in the duplex treatment is smaller than an amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of the sides in the simplex treatment.

3. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plasma-treating unit acidifies at least a front side of the treated object.

4. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a power source that applies a voltage to the first electrode unit or the second electrode unit, wherein
the controlling unit controls the amount of plasma energy by controlling the voltage applied by the power source.

5. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first electrode unit or the second electrode unit includes a plurality of electrodes, and
the controlling unit controls the amount of plasma energy by controlling a power source applying a voltage to the electrodes.

6. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a conveying unit that conveys the treated object, wherein
the controlling unit controls the amount of plasma energy by controlling a conveying speed of the treated object conveyed by the conveying unit.

7. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a moving mechanism that changes a distance between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit, wherein
the controlling unit controls the amount of plasma energy by controlling the distance using the moving mechanism.

8. A printing apparatus comprising:
the treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
an inkjet recording unit that forms an image by ejecting ink to the treated object, wherein
the inkjet recording unit forms an image by ejecting ink to the treated object applied with the plasma treatment.

9. A printing system comprising:
the treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
an inkjet recording apparatus that forms an image by ejecting ink to the treated object, wherein
the inkjet recording apparatus forms an image by ejecting ink to the treated object applied with the plasma treatment.

10. A treated object modifying apparatus comprising:
a first plasma-treating unit that comprises a first electrode unit, a second electrode unit, and a dielectric that is interposed between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit, and that plasma-treats a treated object positioned between the first electrode unit and the dielectric by applying a voltage to one of the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit;
a second plasma-treating unit that comprises a third electrode unit, a fourth electrode unit, and a dielectric that is interposed between the third electrode unit and the fourth electrode unit, and that plasma-treats the treated object positioned between the third electrode unit and the dielectric by applying a voltage to one of the third electrode unit and the fourth electrode unit; and
a controlling unit that controls the plasma-treating units so that an amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of sides of the treated object in a duplex treatment is different from an amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of the sides of the treated object in a simplex treatment, wherein the duplex treatment is a plasma treatment performed with one side of the treated object facing the first electrode unit, and another plasma treatment performed with the other side of the treated object facing the third electrode unit, and the simplex treatment is a plasma treatment performed with one side of the treated object facing the first or the third electrode unit.

11. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the controlling unit controls the plasma-treating unit in such a manner that an amount of plasma energy delivered to the one or the other side in the duplex treatment is smaller than an amount of plasma energy delivered to any one of the sides in the simplex treatment.

12. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the plasma-treating unit acidifies at least a front side of the treated object.

13. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a first power source that applies a voltage to the first electrode unit or the second electrode unit; and
a second power source that applies a voltage to the third electrode unit or the fourth electrode unit, wherein
the controlling unit controls the amount of plasma energy by controlling at least one of the first power source and the second power source.

14. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the first electrode unit or the second electrode unit is configured as a first electrode group including a plurality of electrodes,
the third electrode unit or the fourth electrode unit is configured as a second electrode group including a plurality of electrodes, and
the controlling unit controls the amount of plasma energy by controlling a power source applying a voltage to at least one of the first electrode group and the second electrode group.

15. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a conveying unit that conveys the treated object, wherein
the controlling unit controls the amount of plasma energy by controlling a conveying speed of the treated object conveyed by the conveying unit.

16. The treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a first moving mechanism that changes a distance between the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit; and
a second moving mechanism that changes a distance between the third electrode unit and the fourth electrode unit, wherein
the controlling unit controls the amount of plasma energy by controlling at least one of the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism.

17. A printing apparatus comprising:
the treated object modifying apparatus according to claim 10 ; and
an inkjet recording unit that forms an image by ejecting ink to the treated object, wherein
the inkjet recording unit forms an image by ejecting ink to the treated object applied with the plasma treatment.

18. A printing system comprising:
the treated object modifying apparatus acc

Assignees

• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tsubaki Kengo
• Katoh Satoshi

Classifications

• B41M5/0011

  Pre-treatment or treatment during printing of the recording material, e.g. heating, irradiating (after-treatment of prints B41M7/00; printers for treating or overcoating copy materials before, during or after printing B41J11/0015) · CPC title

• B41J11/0015 Primary

  for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing (selective coating B41J2/2114) · CPC title

• B41M1/36

  on pretreated paper, e.g. parchment, oiled paper, paper for registration purposes {(B41M5/50 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B41J3/60

  for printing on both faces of the printing material · CPC title

• H01J2237/338

  Changing chemical properties of treated surfaces · CPC title