EP 1381515 A4 20060517 - METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INK JET PRINTING

Title (en)

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INK JET PRINTING

Title (de)

VERFAHREN UND VORRICHTUNG ZUM TINTENSTRAHLDRUCKEN

Title (fr)

PROCEDE ET APPAREIL D'IMPRESSION A JET D'ENCRE

Publication

EP 1381515 A4 20060517 (EN)

Application

EP 02719393 A 20020328

Priority

US 0209963 W 20020328
US 82326801 A 20010330
US 82451701 A 20010402
US 93242701 A 20010817
US 32762201 P 20011005
US 33331901 P 20011126

Abstract (en)

[origin: WO02078958A1] Ink jet printing is provided on large area substrates such as wide width textile webs. The printheads are driven by linear servo motors (633) across a bridge (630) that extends across the substrate. The timing of the jetting of the ink is coordinated with the motion of the printheads (640, 641), so that the heads can be rapidly moved and the ink can be jetted while the printheads are accelerating or decelerating as they move on the bridge. Preferably, ultraviolet (UV) light curable ink is jetted and first partially cured with UV light (645, 646) and then subjected to heating to more completely reduce uncured monomers of the ink on the substrate. Preferably, the heat is applied by contacting the substrate with a heated plate (661, 662). Ink jet printing is provided using ultraviolet (UV) light curable or other curable composition or stable or other printable substance. In certain embodiments the UV ink has a dye-component therein. The ink is jetted onto a substrate, the composition is cured, then heated to set the dye. Sublimation dye-based UV ink printing onto polyester is preferred. A release layer of protective material (702, 704) such as a TEFLON film or sheet, covers a substrate support (705, 706). A porous substrate to be printed, such as a textile material (711), is supported on or above the support. Ink is jetted onto the substrate, with some of the ink passing through pores in the substrate and landing on the protective material. UV curable ink is preferably used and is exposed by UV light from a UV light curing head, which solidifies the ink on the substrate. The UV curing light has a long enough focal length to focus on the surface of the substrate and also, where it passes through pores in the substrate, on ink on the protective material, thereby solidifying the ink on the protective material. When the substrate is removed from the support, the solidified ink on the protective material may be wiped from the protective material. The protective material may be a coating on the support over which the substrate slides or a belt that moves with the substrate. A textile substrate may be preconditioned by singeing or shaving to remove fuzz from the fabric that could clog the printheads. A printhead cleaning station is also provided.

IPC 8 full level

B41J 2/01 (2006.01); B41J 2/165 (2006.01); B41J 2/21 (2006.01); B41J 3/407 (2006.01); B41J 11/00 (2006.01); B41J 11/02 (2006.01); B41J 19/30 (2006.01); B65H 5/00 (2006.01); B65H 5/36 (2006.01); C08J 7/04 (2006.01); D06P 5/00 (2006.01); D06P 5/20 (2006.01); D06P 5/30 (2006.01)

CPC (source: EP US)

B41J 2/01 (2013.01 - EP US); B41J 2/1652 (2013.01 - EP); B41J 2/2107 (2013.01 - EP); B41J 3/4078 (2013.01 - EP); B41J 11/0015 (2013.01 - EP); B41J 11/00214 (2021.01 - EP US); B41J 11/0024 (2021.01 - EP US); B41J 11/02 (2013.01 - EP); B41J 19/202 (2013.01 - EP); B41J 29/13 (2013.01 - EP); B41J 29/377 (2013.01 - EP); B41M 7/0081 (2013.01 - EP); B41M 7/009 (2013.01 - EP); D06P 5/2011 (2013.01 - EP); D06P 5/30 (2013.01 - EP); B41M 5/0047 (2013.01 - EP); B41M 5/0064 (2013.01 - EP); B41M 7/0072 (2013.01 - EP)

Citation (search report)

[XAY] DE 19930858 A1 20000203 - CIBA SC HOLDING AG [CH]
[XA] WO 0117780 A1 20010315 - L & P PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO [US], et al
[Y] WO 9803724 A1 19980129 - THERMOPATCH BV [NL], et al
[XY] US 4580150 A 19860401 - TAZAKI SHIGEMITSU [JP]
[XY] DE 19614185 A1 19971016 - LASER SORTER GMBH [DE]
[Y] US 5873663 A 19990223 - YOKOI KATSUYUKI [JP], et al
[X] US 4854756 A 19890808 - MCCRIMMON JR KENNETH A [US], et al
[A] US 6151055 A 20001121 - ACKLEY H SPRAGUE [US], et al
[A] EP 0825030 A2 19980225 - EASTMAN KODAK CO [US]
[Y] PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 018, no. 012 (C - 1150) 11 January 1994 (1994-01-11)
[A] PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 010, no. 372 (M - 544) 11 December 1986 (1986-12-11)
See references of WO 02078958A1

Designated contracting state (EPC)

AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR

DOCDB simple family (publication)

WO 02078958 A1 20021010; CA 2442429 A1 20021010; CN 100354134 C 20071212; CN 1678458 A 20051005; EP 1381515 A1 20040121; EP 1381515 A4 20060517; IL 158123 A 20060410; JP 2004532750 A 20041028

DOCDB simple family (application)

US 0209963 W 20020328; CA 2442429 A 20020328; CN 02810695 A 20020328; EP 02719393 A 20020328; IL 15812303 A 20030925; JP 2002577201 A 20020328