Inkjet printing system with an intermediate transfer member between the print engine and print medium
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorBruce G. Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an inkjet printer, the print head does not print images directly to the print medium. Rather, the print head prints the image to an intermediate transfer member, for example a transfer belt or drum. The transfer member then transfers the image to the print medium to produce the desired hard copy document. By printing to an intermediate transfer member and then transferring the image to the print medium, additional time is provided for the carrier fluid of the ink to evaporate or be absorbed by the transfer member before the image is transferred to the print medium. In this way, less carrier fluid is eventually deposited to the print medium than if the image had been printed directly on the print medium. Consequently, cockle formation is decreased.
Claims10
A method of printing with an inkjet printing system, said method comprising:
- establishing a required output speed for said printing system;
- printing an image with an inkjet print head on a transfer member that is adjacent to said print head and moveable with respect to said print head;
- moving said transfer member so as to move said image from said print head to a transfer position at which said image is transferred from said transfer member to a sheet of print medium;
- evaporating some of a carrier fluid from said image as said transfer member moves between said inkjet print head and said transfer position;
- and
- transferring said image from said transfer member to a sheet of print medium;
- wherein a speed of movement of said transfer member is controlled in response to said required output speed to allow for maximum evaporation of said carrier fluid consistent with said required output speed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.