Printing device
AssigneeKYOCERA Corporation
InventorsShuichi Fukuoka, Hisamitsu Sakai, Akihiko Nishimoto, Hitoshi Ookoda, Takashi Miyahara, Atsushi Ishihara, Chihiro Takeshita
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printing apparatus includes an ink ejector, a dryer, and a melting device. The ink ejector ejects an ink to an object on which a printed record is to be produced. The ink contains a medium and a fixing polymer. The dryer heats the object to expedite evaporation of the medium. The melting device is configured to irradiate the ink on the object with ultraviolet rays to subject the ink to heat that causes the fixing polymer to melt and to fix the ink to the object accordingly.
Claims18
A printing apparatus, comprising:
- an ink ejector configured to eject an ink to an object on which a printed record is to be produced, the ink containing a medium and a fixing polymer;
- a dryer configured to heat the object to expedite evaporation of the medium;
- and
- a melting device configured to irradiate the ink on the object with ultraviolet rays to subject the ink to heat that causes the fixing polymer to melt and to fix the ink to the object accordingly, wherein
- the dryer heats the object to a temperature below a glass-transition temperature of the fixing polymer,
- the melting device heats the ink on the object to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass-transition temperature of the fixing polymer,
- the ink contains a first polymer different from the fixing polymer, and
- the dryer heats the object to a temperature equal to or higher than a glass-transition temperature of the first polymer and lower than the glass-transition temperature of the fixing polymer.
A printing method, comprising:
- ejecting, through an ink ejector, an ink to an object on which a printed record is to be produced, the ink containing a medium and a fixing polymer;
- heating, through a dryer, the object to expedite evaporation of the medium;
- and
- irradiating, through a melting device, the ink on the object with ultraviolet rays to subject the ink to heat that causes the fixing polymer to melt and to fix the ink to the object accordingly, wherein
- in the heating of the object, the dryer heats the object to a temperature below a glass-transition temperature of the fixing polymer,
- in the irradiating of the ink, the melting device heats the ink on the object to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass-transition temperature of the fixing polymer,
- the ink contains a first polymer different from the fixing polymer, and
- in the heating of the object, the dryer heats the object to a temperature equal to or higher than a glass-transition temperature of the first polymer and lower than the glass-transition temperature of the fixing polymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.