# US 11,077,677 B2 · Ink jet recording method, ultraviolet-ray curable ink, and ink jet recording apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,677 B2 - Document ID: US11077677B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/822,986 - Filed: 2020-03-18 - Published: 2020-08-06 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-25 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Yoshihiro Kobayashi; Yusuke Mizutaki; Toshio Kumagai; Masaaki Ando; Hiroaki Kida; Kaoru Koike; Mitsuaki Yoshizawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077677B2 ## CPC - B41J 11/00214: {using UV radiation} - B41J 2/17509: {Whilst mounted in the printer} - B41J 2/2107: {characterised by the ink properties (supplying ink in a solid state B41J2/17593)} - B41M 7/0081: {using electromagnetic radiation or waves, e.g. ultraviolet radiation, electron beams} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - B41M: PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING, (correction of typographical errors B41J; processes for applying transfer pictures or the like B44C1/16; fluid media for correction of typographical errors by coating C09D10/00; printing textiles D06P) ## Abstract An ink jet recording method includes ejecting an ultraviolet-ray curable ink of which a viscosity at 28° C. is 8 mPa·s or more from a head to a recording medium, and curing the ultraviolet-ray curable ink attached to the recording medium, wherein, in the ejecting of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink, the ultraviolet-ray curable ink is heated such that a temperature of the ejected ultraviolet-ray curable ink becomes 28° C. to 40° C., and a viscosity of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink at the temperature is 15 mPa·s or less. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ink jet recording method comprising: ejecting an ultraviolet-ray curable ink of which a viscosity at 28° C. is 8 mPa·s or more from a head to a recording medium; and curing the ultraviolet-ray curable ink attached to the recording medium, wherein the ultraviolet-ray curable ink is heated such that a temperature of the ejected ultraviolet-ray curable ink is in a range of 28° C. to 39° C., and a viscosity of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink at the heated temperature of the ejected ultraviolet-ray curable ink is in a range of 15 mPa·s or less, wherein a light source used for the curing of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink is a light emitting diode, and wherein the light emitting diode applies ultraviolet rays which have a peak intensity of 800 mW/cm2 or more. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein recording is performed using a line type ink jet recording apparatus which includes a line head with a length equal to or more than a length corresponding to a width of a recording medium as the head. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein recording is performed using an ink jet recording apparatus in which at least a part of an ink path for supplying the ultraviolet-ray curable ink from an ink container to the head is an ink circulation path for circulating the ultraviolet-ray curable ink. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The ink jet recording method according to claim 3, wherein an ink inflow amount of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink which is supplied from the ink circulation path to the head is twice or more the maximum ink ejection amount in which the ultraviolet-ray curable ink is ejected from the head. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The ink jet recording method according to claim 3, wherein a heating mechanism which heats the ultraviolet-ray curable ink is provided at a position other than a position which is connected to at least the head in the ink circulation path. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The ink jet recording method according to claim 3, wherein there are a plurality of heads to which the ultraviolet-ray curable ink is supplied from the ink circulation path, and the ultraviolet-ray curable ink is ejected from the plurality of heads. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet-ray curable ink includes (meth)acrylic acid esters containing a vinyl ether group expressed in the following Formula (I): CH2═CR1—COOR2—O—CH═CH—R3 (I) wherein R1 indicates a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R2 indicates a divalent organic residue having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, and R3 indicates a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic residue having 1 to 11 carbon atoms. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The ink jet recording method according to claim 7, wherein the ultraviolet-ray curable ink further includes a monofunctional (meth)acrylate (here, excluding (meth)acrylic acid esters containing a vinyl ether group expressed in Formula (I)). ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode applies ultraviolet rays which have a peak intensity of 1000 mW/cm2 or more. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein an epoxy resin is used for the head. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode applies ultraviolet rays which have a peak intensity of 800 to 3000 mW/cm2. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode applies ultraviolet rays which have an irradiation energy of 200 mJ/cm2 or more. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the ejecting ink is in a range of 34° C. to 39° C. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet-ray curable ink includes an acylphosphine oxide compound as a photopolymerization initiator. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The ink jet recording method according to claim 14, wherein a content of the acylphosphine oxide compound is 5 to 15 mass % with respect to a total mass of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The ink jet recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet-ray curable ink includes a monofunctional (meth) acrylate and a bifunctional or higher (meth) acrylate. ### Claim 17 An ink jet recording method comprising: ejecting an ultraviolet-ray curable ink of which a viscosity at 28° C. is 8 mPa·s or more from a head to a recording medium; and curing the ultraviolet-ray curable ink attached to the recording medium, wherein the ultraviolet-ray curable ink is heated such that a temperature of the ejected ultraviolet-ray curable ink is in a range of 28° C. to 39° C., and a viscosity of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink at the heated temperature of the ejected ultraviolet-ray curable ink is in a range of 15 mPa·s or less, wherein the ultraviolet-ray curable ink includes (meth)acrylic acid esters containing a vinyl ether group expressed in a following Formula (I): CH2═CR1—COOR2—O—CH═CH—R3 (I) wherein R1 indicates a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R2 indicates a divalent organic residue having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, and R3 indicates a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic residue having 1 to 11 carbon atoms. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The ink jet recording method according to claim 17, wherein a content of the (meth)acrylate acid esters containing a vinyl ether group expressed in the Formula (I) is 10 to 70 mass % with respect to the total mass of the ultraviolet-ray curable ink. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The ink jet recording method according to claim 17, wherein the ultraviolet-ray curable ink includes monofunctional (meth)acrylate other than the (meth)acrylate acid esters containing a vinyl ether group expressed in the Formula (I). ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The ink jet recording method according to claim 17, wherein the ultraviolet-ray curable ink includes bifunctional (meth)acrylate, or trifunctional or higher (meth)acrylate.