Method and device for digital printing to a recording medium with liquid ink

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9606481-B2
Application number	US-201615047689-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2016
Priority date	Feb 19, 2015
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

Methods and devices for digital printing to a recording medium are described. The printing can use a liquid print ink that includes a flammable carrier. Print control data can be generated from print data and the print control data can activate one or more print groups to print to the recording medium. An areal coverage can be determined based on the print control data. The areal coverage corresponds to a quantity of color applied onto the recording medium. The determined areal coverage can be limited to a predetermined maximum average areal coverage within a predetermined averaging area. The predetermined maximum average areal coverage can be less than a maximum theoretical areal coverage. The recording medium can be heated in, for example, a heating chamber. The predetermined averaging area can be smaller than an area of the recording medium located within the heating chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for digital printing to a recording medium with liquid print ink that includes a flammable carrier fluid having pigment, a print image that is defined by print data being printed onto the recording medium using print groups via application of multiple different liquid print colors, and after the application of the liquid print colors onto the recording medium, said recording medium being heated to vaporize the carrier fluid, wherein upon heating, air is supplied which mixes with the vapor to form a combustible gas that is supplied to a combustion chamber and converted into waste gas, the method comprising:
generating print control data from the print data, said print control data activating the print groups, wherein an areal coverage determined via the print control data is limited to a predetermined maximum average areal coverage within a predetermined averaging area, the areal coverage describing the quantity of color applied onto the recording medium by a respective one of the liquid print colors, and the predetermined maximum average areal coverage being less than a maximum theoretical areal coverage; and
heating the recording medium in a heating chamber, wherein the predetermined averaging area is smaller than an area of the recording medium located within the heating chamber at a point in time.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the maximum average areal coverage is in a range from 200% to 300% given up to four print groups, wherein an areal coverage of 100% corresponds to a complete printing of the recording medium with a color with maximum saturation on one side, and given more than four print groups, the maximum average areal coverage increases by a minimum application for a fifth and every additional print group, the minimum application being in a range from 30% to 50% per print group and side.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the maximum average areal coverage is in a range 220% to 280%.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the recording medium is printed to on both sides, and the maximum average areal coverage includes the color separation of both sides.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum average areal coverage of 300% to 400% given four print groups is permissible, wherein the areal coverage includes the color separation on one side, and given more than four print groups, the maximum average areal coverage increases by a minimum application in a range from 30% to 50% per print group and side for a fifth and each additional print group.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in response to the areal coverage exceeding a predetermined threshold, the method further comprises at least one of:
suppressing the output of print control data,
reordering of pages, and
reducing the color quantity.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the device for digital printing comprises multiple print groups, and the more print groups that are in operation, the less the average areal coverage.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a liquid print color of the liquid print colors comprises at least one of:
a liquid toner including mineral oil; and
an ink including a flammable solvent.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an executable program stored thereon, when executed, causes a processor to perform the method of claim 1 .

10. A device for digital printing to a recording medium with liquid print color having pigment contained in a flammable carrier fluid, a print image defined by print data being printed onto the recording medium using the liquid print color, the device comprising:
a fixer including:
a heating chamber configured to heat the recording medium to vaporize the flammable carrier fluid after application of the liquid print color onto said recording medium;
a blower configured to supply air into the heating chamber, the air mixing with the vapor to form a combustible gas; and
a combustion chamber configured to burn the combustible gas to form waste gas; and

a controller configured to:
generate print control data based on the print data, the print control data activating print groups; and
limit an areal coverage to a predetermined maximum average areal coverage within a predetermined averaging area, the areal coverage being determined via the print control data and describes a quantity of color applied onto the recording medium by the carrier fluid, and the predetermined maximum average areal coverage being smaller than a maximum theoretical areal coverage, and the recording medium being heated in a heating chamber,

wherein the predetermined averaging area is smaller than an area of the recording medium that is located within the heating chamber at a point in time.

11. The device according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a heat exchanger configured to heat the combustible gas and cool the waste gas to be discharged to an environment.

12. The device according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a waste gas return feed configured to return the waste gas from the combustible gas to the heating chamber.

13. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the print groups are provided for application of the liquid print color to the recording medium.

14. A method for digital printing to a recording medium with liquid print ink that includes a flammable carrier, the method comprising:
generating print control data from print data, said print control data activating one or more print groups to print to the recording medium;
determining an areal coverage based on the print control data, the areal coverage corresponding to a quantity of color applied onto the recording medium;
limiting the determined areal coverage to a predetermined maximum average areal coverage within a predetermined averaging area, the predetermined maximum average areal coverage being less than a maximum theoretical areal coverage; and
heating the recording medium in a heating chamber, wherein the predetermined averaging area is smaller than an area of the recording medium located within the heating chamber.

Assignees

• Oce Printing Systems Gmbh & Co Kg
• Oce Printing Systems Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Dedic Revdin

Classifications

• G03G15/2014 Primary

  using contact heat · CPC title

• G03G15/10 Primary

  using a liquid developer · CPC title

• G03G21/206

  Conducting air through the machine, e.g. for cooling, filtering, removing gases like ozone · CPC title