High elongation vacuum formable digital ink
AssigneePolymeric Imaging Inc.
InventorDonald Sloan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention includes a curable ink composition for digitally printing onto plastic substrates and three dimensional objects comprising an ink composition comprising a pigment, an oligomeric component, a diluent, additives and a mono-functional monomer having a molecular weight of 10 g/mole to 600 g/mole. The curable ink composition adheres to the plastic substrate to thereby allow elongation of 100% to 900% of the printed ink image during thermal processing of the plastic substrate.
Claims24
A curable ink composition for printing an ink image onto a plastic substrate comprising:
- a pigment, a diluent, a mono-functional monomer having a molecular;
- weight that ranges from about 100 to about 600 g/mole, and a solvent;
- and
- wherein the mono-functional monomer is capable of adhering the ink composition to a surface of a plastic substrate.
A method of forming an ink image on a plastic substrate comprising:
- depositing a curable ink composition onto a surface of the plastic substrate, the ink composition comprising a pigment, a mono-functional monomer having a molecular weight that is less than about 600 g/mole, a diluent and a solvent;
- curing the ink composition on the plastic substrate to form a cured ink composition, wherein curing bonds the ink composition to the plastic substrate;
- and
- thermally forming the plastic substrate to form an ink image bonded onto the plastic substrate.
A method of printing an ink image onto a plastic substrate comprising:
- printing an ink composition onto a surface of a plastic substrate, the ink composition comprising a pigment, a mono-functional acrylate having a molecular weight from 100 to about 600 g/mole, a diluent, and a photoinitiator;
- curing the ink composition on the plastic substrate, wherein curing bonds the ink composition to the plastic substrate;
- and
- vacuum forming the plastic substrate to form an ink image bonded to the surface of the plastic substrate.
A curable ink composition for digital printing onto a plastic substrate comprising:
- a diluent, an oligomer, a pigment, a photoinitiator, and a mono-functional acrylate;
- and
- wherein the mono-functional acrylate is capable of adhering the ink composition to a plastic substrate when cured.
An ink jet printing system for digital printing onto plastic surfaces comprising:
- an inkjet printer and a curable ink composition comprising a solvent or a diluent, a pigment, a mono-functional monomer having a molecular weight that ranges from about 100 g/mole to about 600 g/mole, and an oligomer;
- wherein the mono-functional monomer is capable of adhering the ink composition to the surface of a plastic substrate when cured;
- and
- wherein the ink composition is capable of continuous elongation by about 100% to about 900% during thermal processing of the substrate.
A method of forming a curable ink composition for use in digital printing onto a surface of a plastic substrate, the method comprising:
- blending a solvent or a diluent, a mono-functional monomer having a molecular weight that ranges from about 100 g/mole to about 600 g/mole, and an oligomer to form an uncolored mixture;
- mixing the uncolored mixture with a pigment, to form the curable ink composition;
- wherein the mono-functional monomer adheres the ink composition to the surface of the plastic substrate when cured;
- and
- wherein the ink composition is capable of continuous elongation by about 100% to about 900%.
A digitally printed ink image comprising:
- an ink image deposited onto a surface of a plastic substrate, the ink image comprising a reaction product of an ink composition comprising a pigment, a diluent, an oligomer, a mono-functional monomer having a molecular weight of less than about 60 g/mole and a solvent;
- and
- wherein the mono-functional monomer adheres the ink image to the plastic substrate after curing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.