Method and apparatus for the application of multipart ink-jet ink chemistry
OwnerRoss R. Alleninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-color ink-jet printing system includes a printing element for applying a precisely metered quantity of a colorless precursor in a binary or ternary chemical reaction to a precisely defined printing location on a recording medium surface. The precursor conditions the medium surface prior to application of one or more colorants to the recording medium surface to prevent recording medium cockle and curl, and to reduce dry time, while conditioning the recording medium surface for uniform dot gain independent of media composition. The precursor also immobilizes the colorants on the recording medium surface to enable one-pass, multi-color printing, while eliminating color bleed.
Claims19
In an ink jet printer, a method for applying ink to a plurality of pixel locations on a recording medium, comprising the steps of:
- applying a precisely metered, precisely-positioned ink precursor to said recording medium from at least one precursor printhead to condition the recording medium at each pixel location on said medium;
- applying at least one ink to each conditioned pixel location on said recording medium from at least one ink printhead;
- detecting how much of said precursor is available for conditioning the recording medium;
- and
- switching said printer into a multipass printing mode when an insufficient quantity of said precursor remains to condition said recording medium surface;
- wherein the quantity of said ink precursor applied is minimized because the quantity of said ink precursor applied to said recording medium is precisely controlled and the size of said resulting conditioned area on said recording medium is precisely controlled, such that said ink precursor is delivered only to those areas of said recording medium where they are used;
- wherein the precursor immobilizes the ink on the recording medium surface within an area bounded by the pixel location to which the precursor has been applied.
In a multi-color ink jet printer having a separate ink printhead for applying each of a multiple of color inks, a method for applying binary or ternary ink jet ink chemistry to a plurality of pixel locations on a recording medium surface, comprising the steps of:
- applying a colorless precursor to said recording medium surface at each pixel location on said recording medium surface using at least one separate ink printhead to condition the recording medium surface at each pixel location prior to application of colored ink to said pixel location;
- applying a colored ink to each of said conditioned pixel locations;
- detecting how much of said precursor is available for conditioning the recording medium;
- and
- switching said printer into a multipass printing mode when an insufficient quantity of said precursor remains to condition said recording medium surface;
- wherein the quantity of said ink precursor applied is minimized because the quantity of said ink precursor applied to said recording medium is precisely controlled and the size of said resulting conditioned area on said recording medium is precisely controlled, such that said ink precursor is delivered only to those areas of said recording medium where they are used;
- wherein said precursor and said colored ink react, thereby confining the ink to the pixel location defined by said precursor and thereby immediately immobilizing said colored ink at said pixel location.
In an ink jet printer, an apparatus for applying ink to a plurality of pixel locations on a recording medium having a recording medium surface, comprising:
- at least one precursor printhead for applying a precisely metered, precisely-positioned ink precursor to said recording medium to condition the recording medium at each pixel location on said medium;
- at least one ink printhead for applying at least one ink to each conditioned pixel location on said recording medium;
- a sensor coupled to said at least one precursor printhead and adapted to detect how much of said precursor is available for conditioning the recording medium, said sensor coupled to switch said printer into a multipass printing mode when said sensor detects that an insufficient quantity of said precursor remains to condition said recording medium surface;
- wherein the precursor immobilizes the ink on the recording medium surface within an area bounded by the pixel location to which the precursor has been applied.
In a multi-color ink jet printer having a separate printhead for applying each ink color, an apparatus for applying binary or ternary ink jet chemistry to a plurality of pixel locations on a recording medium surface, comprising:
- a first printhead for applying a colorless precursor to said recording medium surface at each pixel location on said recording medium surface to condition the recording medium surface prior to application of colored ink to said pixel location;
- at least a second printhead for applying a colored ink to each conditioned pixel location;
- a precursor reservoir coupled to said first printhead and adapted to supply ink thereto;
- and
- a sensor coupled to said first printhead and adapted to sense how much of said precursor is available in said precursor reservoir for conditioning said recording medium;
- said sensor coupled to switch said printer into a multipass printing mode when said sensor senses that there is not enough of said precursor in said precursor reservoir to condition said recording medium;
- wherein the quantity of said ink precursor applied is minimized because the quantity of said ink precursor applied to said recording medium is precisely controlled and the size of said resulting conditioned area on said recording medium is precisely controlled, such that said ink precursor is delivered only to those areas of said recording medium where they are used;
- wherein said precursor and said colored ink react, thereby confining the ink to the pixel location defined by said precursor and thereby immediately immobilizing said colored ink at said pixel location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.