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US 2026/0273952 A1Published application
Systems, methods, and kits for use with intermediate transfer members
AssigneeLanda Corporation Ltd.
InventorsEinat TIROSH, Eran ARONOVITCH, Parisa SHRAGA, Yael NEFESH KARUTZERU, Helena CHECHIK
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Kits, methods, and systems for use with, or including, an intermediate transfer member (ITM) of a printing system. The kits, methods, and systems include a liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation, whose dry form is a non-cohesive form of a solid or semisolid material sweated with a non-volatile liquid oil. The kits methods and systems further include a liquid surfactant additive disposed in a second container, separately from the liquid hydrophobic treatment formulation. The liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation is devoid of the liquid surfactant additive.
Claims65
A kit for use with an intermediate transfer member (ITM) of a printing system, the kit comprising:
- a) a liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation disposed in a first container, wherein a dry form of said hydrophilic treatment formulation is a non-cohesive form of a solid or semisolid material sweated with a non-volatile liquid oil;
- b) a liquid surfactant additive disposed in a second container, such that the liquid hydrophobic treatment formulation is separate from the liquid surfactant additive,
- wherein the liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation is devoid of the liquid surfactant additive,
- wherein application of an aqueous ink onto an at least partially dry form of the hydrophilic treatment formulation applied to the ITM forms ink dots having a first diameter,
- wherein application of the aqueous ink onto at least partially dry form of a mixture of a first quantity of the hydrophilic treatment formulation and a second quantity of the surfactant additive, the second quantity being smaller than the first quantity, the mixture applied to the ITM, forms ink dots having a second diameter, smaller than the first diameter, and
- wherein the second diameter is configurable by modification of a ratio between the first quantity of the liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation in the mixture and the second quantity of the liquid surfactant additive in the mixture.
3 more elements
A kit for use with an intermediate transfer member (ITM) of a printing system, the kit comprising:
- a) a liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation disposed in a first container, wherein a dry form of said hydrophilic treatment formulation is a non-cohesive form of a solid or semisolid material sweated with a non-volatile liquid oil;
- b) a liquid surfactant additive disposed in a second container, such that the liquid hydrophobic treatment formulation is separate from the liquid surfactant additive,
- wherein the liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation is devoid of the liquid surfactant additive,
- wherein a mixture of a first quantity of the hydrophilic treatment formulation and a second quantity of the surfactant additive, retains at least one of the following properties of the liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation in the first container:
- solubility;
- clarity;
- color;
- reactivity with an aqueous ink used for printing on the ITM of the printing system;
- ability to be applied to the ITM;
- drying properties;
- ability to form an ink film following deposit of aqueous ink onto a layer of the mixture;
- mechanical properties;
- and
- ability to be covered with a coating layer.
11 more elements
A printing system comprising:
- (a) an intermediate transfer member (ITM) comprising an endless belt;
- (b) a mixing element adapted to form a mixture from a first quantity of a liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation and a second quantity of a liquid surfactant additive, the second quantity being at most 2% of the first quantity;
- (c) a treatment station for applying the mixture to the surface of the ITM to form thereon a wet treatment layer;
- (d) an image forming station at which droplets of an ink are applied to an at least partially dried layer, formed on the ITM of the wet treatment layer, to form an ink image;
- (e) a drying station for drying the ink image to leave an ink residue film;
- and
- (f) an impression station at which the residue film is transferred to a sheet or web substrate sheet.
4 more elements
A printing system comprising:
- (a) an intermediate transfer member (ITM) comprising an endless belt;
- (b) at least one nozzle disposed adjacent the ITM for applying a mixture to the surface of the ITM to form thereon a wet treatment layer, the mixture comprising a first quantity of a liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation and a second quantity of a liquid surfactant additive, the second quantity being at most 2% of the first quantity;
- (c) an image forming station at which droplets of an ink are applied to an at least partially dried form of the mixture layer on the ITM to form an ink image;
- (d) a drying station for drying the ink image to leave an ink residue film;
- and
- (e) an impression station at which the residue film is transferred to a sheet or web substrate sheet.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- (a) obtaining a kit comprising a liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation and a liquid surfactant additive disposed, separate from each other;
- (b) at a first time, forming a first mixture by mixing a given volume of the liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation with a first volume of the liquid surfactant additive;
- (c) at the first time, applying the first mixture onto the surface of an intermediate transfer member (ITM) of a printing system;
- (d) at the first time, printing a first image onto the ITM having the first mixture applied thereon, by jetting droplets of an aqueous ink onto the ITM from at least one nozzle, the droplets having a given volume, to obtain first printed dots having a first diameter;
- (e) at a second time, forming a second mixture by mixing the given volume of the liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation with a second volume of the liquid surfactant additive, the second volume being larger than the first volume;
- (f) at the second time, applying the second mixture onto the surface of the ITM of the printing system;
- (g) at the second time, printing a second image onto the ITM having the second mixture applied thereon, by jetting droplets of the aqueous ink onto the ITM from the at least one nozzle, the droplets having the given volume, to obtain second printed dots having a second diameter, smaller than the first diameter.
4 more elements
A system comprising:
- (a) a printing system comprising:
- i) an intermediate transfer member (ITM) comprising an endless belt;
- ii) a treatment station for applying a mixture, including a given quantity of a liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation and a second quantity of a liquid surfactant additive, to the surface of the ITM to form thereon a wet treatment layer;
- iii) an image forming station at which droplets of an ink are applied to an at least partially dried layer, formed on the ITM of the wet treatment layer, to form an ink image;
- iv) a drying station for drying the ink image to leave an ink residue film;
- and
- v) an impression station at which the residue film is transferred to a sheet or web substrate sheet;
- (b) a first kit including a first container holding the given quantity of the liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation and a second container holding a first volume of the liquid surfactant additive, the first volume usable as the second quantity when printing a first printing job on the printing system;
- and
- (c) a second kit including a third container holding the given quantity of the liquid hydrophilic treatment formulation and a fourth container holding a second volume of the liquid surfactant additive, usable as the second quantity when printing a second printing job on the printing system, the second volume being greater than the first volume.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.