Dual particle inkjet printer
AssigneePalo Alto Research Center Incorporated
InventorsWarren B. Jackson, Robert Street, Steven E. Ready
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing apparatus includes a liquid ejector configured to eject liquid droplets towards a medium. A particle delivery device is configured to deliver particles to the medium. The particles are configured to combine with at least some of the liquid droplets and change at least one property of the liquid droplets. The particle delivery device is configured to deliver the particles after or substantially simultaneously as the liquid droplets are ejected. A curing device is configured to cure the combination of the liquid droplets and the particles onto the medium. A controller is configured to independently control the liquid ejector and the particle delivery device.
Claims20
A printing apparatus comprising:
- a liquid ejector system configured to eject liquid droplets towards a medium;
- a particle delivery system configured to deliver particles to the medium, the particles configured to combine with at least some of the liquid droplets and change at least one property of the liquid droplets, the particle delivery device configured to deliver the particles after or substantially simultaneously as the liquid droplets are ejected;
- a curing device configured to cure the combination of the liquid droplets and the particles onto the medium using a combination of two or more of a ultraviolet (UV) curing process, a thermal curing process, and a solvent evaporation process;
- and
- a controller configured to independently control the liquid ejector system and the particle delivery system.
A method comprising:
- ejecting liquid droplets towards a medium;
- delivering particles to the medium at substantially a same time as or after the liquid droplets are ejected, the particles configured to combine with least some of the liquid droplets on the medium and change at least one property of the liquid droplets;
- independently controlling ejection of the liquid droplets and the delivery of the particles;
- and
- curing the combination of the liquid droplets and the particles onto the medium using a combination of two or more of a ultraviolet (UV) curing process, a thermal curing process, and a solvent evaporation process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.