Method of printing a receiving material with hot melt ink and an inkjet printer suitable for applying such a method
AssigneeOce-Technologies B.V.
InventorsMartinus Antonius Kremers, Maurice Hendrikus Hubertinus Thijssen, Berby Marga Gerarda Weitenauer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of printing a receiving material with hot melt ink using an intermediate element having a surface containing an elastomer with a surface tension in which the polar part thereof is less than or equal to 20 mN/m, wherein the receiving material is brought into contact with the intermeiate element in such manner that the ink transfers from the intermediate element to the receiving material, and wherein the elastomer has a hardness of less than 80 Shore A, a thermal conductivity coefficient greater than 0.15 W/mK, and in absorption of less than 10%, and a tanδ of less than 0.3.
Claims8
A method of printing a receiving material with hot melt ink comprising:
- heating the ink to above a temperature at which it is liquid,
- transferring the liquid ink to an intermediate element, said intermediate element having a surface containing an elastomer, with a surface tension in which the polar part thereof is 20 mN/m or less,
- bringing the receiving material into contact with the intermediate element in such a manner that the ink transfers from the intermediate element to the receiving material,
- wherein the elastomer has a hardness less than 80 Shore A, a thermal conductivity coefficient greater than 0.15 W/mK, an ink absorption of less than 10%, and a tanδ of less than 0.3.
An inkjet printer for printing a receiving material with hot melt ink which comprises,
- an inkjet printhead suitable for image-wise printing of hot melt ink,
- an intermediate element for receiving hot melt ink printed by the printhead, said intermediate element having a surface containing an elastomer with a surface tension in which the polar part is equal to or less than 20 mN/m, and
- means for bringing the receiving material into contact with the intermediate element in order to transfer the ink to the receiving material,
- wherein the elastomer has a hardness less than 80 Shore A, a thermal conductivity coefficient greater than 0.15 W/mK, an ink absorption of less than 10% and a tanδ of less than 0.3.
A method of selecting an elastomer suitable for use in a printing method which comprises,
- determining the polar part of the surface tension of the elastomer,
- determining the hardness of the elastomer,
- determining the thermal conductivity coefficient of the elastomer,
- determining the ink absorption of the elastomer, and
- determining the tanδ of the elastomer,
- wherein the elastomer is selected if
- the polar part of the surface tension is less than or equal to 20 mN/m,
- the hardness is less than 80 Shore A,
- the thermal conductivity coefficient is greater than 0.15 W/mK,
- the ink absorption is less than 10%,
- and the tanδ is less than 0.3.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.