Printing apparatus and printed material manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9623677-B2
Application number	US-201614988394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2016
Priority date	Sep 18, 2012
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a plasma treatment unit that performs plasma treatment on a surface of a treatment object to acidify at least the surface of the treatment object; and a recording unit that performs inkjet recording on the surface of the plasma treatment subjected to the plasma treatment by the plasma treatment unit.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a plasma treatment unit that performs plasma treatment on a surface of a treatment object to acidify at least the surface of the treatment object; and
a recording unit that performs inkjet recording on the surface of the plasma treatment subjected to the plasma treatment by the plasma treatment unit;
wherein an ink attached to the surface of the treatment object by the recording unit is an aqueous ink.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a reading unit configured to read an image that is formed on the treatment object through the inkjet recording; and
a control unit configured to adjust plasma energy of the plasma treatment unit based on the image read by the reading unit.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage unit that stores therein plasma energy for the plasma treatment and a type of the treatment object in an associated manner; and
a control unit configured to adjust plasma energy of the plasma treatment unit based on the type of the treatment object.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage unit unit that stores therein plasma energy for the plasma treatment and a size of an ink droplet for a dot in an associated manner; and
a control unit configured to adjust plasma energy of the plasma treatment unit based on the size of the ink droplet.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage unit that stores therein plasma energy for the plasma treatment and a print mode an associated manner; and
a control unit configured to adjust plasma energy of the plasma treatment unit based on the print mode.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detector configured to detect a pH value of the surface of the treatment object subjected to acidification by the plasma treatment unit; and
a control unit configured to adjust plasma energy of the plasma treatment unit based on a detection result obtained by the detector.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit configured to adjust plasma energy, wherein the plasma treatment unit includes a plurality of discharge electrodes, and the control unit adjusts the plasma energy by adjusting a number of the discharge electrodes to be used for the plasma treatment among all of the discharge electrodes.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit configured to adjust plasma energy, wherein the plasma treatment unit includes a power supply and a discharge electrode, and the control unit adjusts the plasma energy by adjusting at least one of a frequency and a voltage vale of a pulse voltage to be supplied by the power supply to the discharge electrode.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plasma treatment unit is atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasma treatment.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plasma treatment unit performs plasma treatment on the surface of a treatment object to increase a penetration ratio of at least the surface of the treatment object.

11. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the treatment object is coated paper including a coated layer on a surface thereof.

12. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plasma treatment unit includes a discharge electrode, a ground electrode, and a dielectric body disposed between the discharge electrode and the ground electrode, and when the treatment object exists between the discharge electrode and the dielectric body, the plasma treatment unit performs the plasma treatment on the treatment object using dielectric barrier discharge.

13. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein acidifying at least the surface of the treatment object causes a concentration of hydrogen ion on at least the surface of the treatment object to increase depending on a property of ink ejected by the recording unit.

14. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a conveying unit that conveys the treatment object; and
a plasma control unit configured to adjust plasma energy applied to the surface of the treatment object by changing of conveying speed of the treatment object by the conveying unit.

15. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a conveying unit that conveys the treatment object; and
a carriage that moves in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the treatment object, wherein the plasma treatment unit is mounted on the carriage.

16. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an ink attached to the surface of the treatment object by the recording unit is an ink in which negatively-charged pigments are dispersed in a liquid.

17. A printed material manufacturing method comprising:
performing plasma treatment with a plasma treatment unit on a surface of a treatment object to acidify at least the surface of the treatment object; and
performing inkjet recording on the surface of the plasma treatment subjected to the plasma treatment by the plasma treatment unit;
wherein an ink attached to the surface of the treatment object by the recording unit is an aqueous ink.

18. A printing system comprising:
a plasma treatment unit that performs plasma treatment on a surface of a treatment object to acidify at least the surface of the treatment object; and
a recording unit that performs inkjet recording on the surface of the plasma treatment subjected to the plasma treatment by the plasma treatment unit;
wherein an ink attached to the surface of the treatment object by the recording unit is an aqueous ink.

Assignees

• Nakai Junji
• Matsumoto Hiroyoshi
• Yoshida Masakazu
• Nakazawa Souichi
• Watanabe Tatsuro
• Hiratsuka Hiroyuki
• Nagai Koji
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakai Junji
• Matsumoto Hiroyoshi
• Yoshida Masakazu
• Nakazawa Souichi
• Watanabe Tatsuro
• Hiratsuka Hiroyuki
• Nagai Koji

Classifications

• B41J11/0015

  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

• B41J2/07

  characterised by jet control (B41J2/205 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41M5/0011 Primary

  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

• B41M5/0047

  by ink-jet printing · CPC title

• B41J2/01

  Ink jet · CPC title