Intermediate transfer member
AssigneeLanda Corporation Ltd.
InventorsBenzion LANDA, Sagi ABRAMOVICH, Moshe LEVANON, Helena CHECHIK, Tatiana KURTSER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An intermediate transfer member (ITM) for use with a printing system, the ITM having (a) a support layer; and (b) a release layer having an ink reception surface and a second surface opposing the ink reception surface, the second surface attached to the support layer, the release layer formed of an addition-cured, hydrophobic silicone material, wherein the release surface of the release layer has relatively hydrophilic properties with respect to the addition-cured, hydrophobic silicone material.
Claims23
An indirect printing system comprising:
- (a) an intermediate transfer member (ITM) having a release layer having an ink reception surface;
- (b) a plurality of printing heads configured to applu an ink image to the ink reception surface of the ITM, wherein:
- I. the release layer is formed of a silicone material;
- II. the ink reception surface of the release layer is adapted to satisfy at least one of the following structural properties:
- (i) a receding contact angle of a droplet of distilled water on said ink reception surface is at most 60°;
- and
- (ii) for a droplet of distilled water deposited on said ink reception surface, a 10 second dynamic contact angle (DCA) is at most 108°;
- and
- III. the release layer has at least one of the following structural properties:
- (1) said silicone material consisting essentially of a silicone, or containing, by weight, at least 95% of said silicone;
- and
- (2) functional groups make up at most 5%, by weight, of said silicone material.
5-8. (canceled)
12-15. (canceled)
18-30. (canceled)
An indirect printing system comprising:
- (a) an intermediate transfer member (ITM) having a release layer having an ink reception surface, the ITM mounted on a drum or mounted over a plurality of rollers as a belt-like structure;
- and
- (b) a printing station configured to form an ink image, from ink droplets, on the ink reception surface of the ITM, wherein:
- I. the release layer is formed of a silicone material;
- II. the ink reception surface of the release layer is adapted to satisfy at least one of the following structural properties:
- (i) a receding contact angle of a droplet of distilled water on said ink reception surface is at most 60°;
- and
- (ii) for a droplet of distilled water deposited on said ink reception surface, a 10 second dynamic contact angle (DCA) is at most 108°;
- and
- III. the release layer has at least one of the following structural properties:
- (1) said silicone material consisting essentially of a silicone, or containing, by weight, at least 95% of said silicone;
- and
- (2) functional groups make up at most 5%, by weight, of said silicone material.
A mounted-ITM system for use in indirect printing, the mounted-ITM comprising:
- (a) an intermediate transfer member (ITM) having a release layer having an ink reception surface;
- and
- (b) a support structure selected from the group consisting of:
- (i) a drum and (ii) a plurality of rollers, said ITM being mounted over the support structure, wherein:
- I. the release layer is formed of a silicone material;
- II. the ink reception surface of the release layer is adapted to satisfy at least one of the following structural properties:
- (i) a receding contact angle of a droplet of distilled water on said ink reception surface is at most 60°;
- and
- (ii) for a droplet of distilled water deposited on said ink reception surface, a 10 second dynamic contact angle (DCA) is at most 108°;
- and
- III. the release layer has at least one of the following structural properties:
- (1) said silicone material consisting essentially of a silicone, or containing, by weight, at least 95% of said silicone;
- and
- (2) functional groups make up at most 5%, by weight, of said silicone material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.