# US 8,770,701 B2 · Inkjet printer with enhanced deinkability > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,770,701 B2 - Document ID: US8770701B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/334,661 - Filed: 2011-12-22 - Published: 2013-06-27 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-22 - Assignees: Eastman Kodak Company - Applicants: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs; Donald Saul Rimai - Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs; Donald Saul Rimai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770701B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/221: {Machines other than electrographic copiers, e.g. electrophotographic cameras, electrostatic typewriters} - G03G 9/0819: {characterised by the dimensions of the particles} - G03G 9/0821: {characterised by physical parameters (magnetic parameters G03G9/083)} - G03G 9/0926: {characterised by physical or chemical properties} - G03G 9/0928: {Compounds capable to generate colouring agents by chemical reaction} - G03G 15/0142: {Structure of complete machines} - G03G 15/043: with means for controlling illumination or exposure (G03G15/041 takes precedence) - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract In a system having an inkjet printer and a toner printer, the ink jet printer forms an ink jet image and the toner printer forms a toner image conforming to the inkjet image and transfers the toner image onto the inkjet image. Colorant in the ink is electrostatically attracted to the toner. The toner is fixed. After fixing the colorant attracted to the toner is bound to the toner so that removal of the toner from the receiver also removes any colorant attached to the toner from the receiver. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printer comprising: an inkjet printer having a printhead to print an inkjet image on a receiver using ink having a colorant dispersed in hydrophilic liquid carrier fluid with an electrical charge of a first polarity and a solvent with an electrical charge of a second polarity that is the opposite polarity of the first polarity; a toner printer having a toner printing module to generate a colorant attracting toner image conforming to the inkjet image using toner particles of the second polarity and to transfer the colorant attracting toner image in registration with an unabsorbed volume of the inkjet image on the receiver so that the difference in polarity between the toner particles and the colorant attracts the colorant to the toner particles; a fixing system that applies energy to the toner image to fix the toner image to the receiver; a transport system to transport the receiver from the inkjet printer to the toner printer and to the fixing system; and a control system that causes the inkjet printer to print the ink jet image on the receiver, and the transport system and toner printer to cooperate to cause the toner image conforming to the inkjet image to be transferred to the receiver so that the colorant attracting toner image is introduced into the unabsorbed volume of the inkjet image to attract colorant onto the toner particles, and causes the transport system and the fixing system to cooperate to fix the colorant attracting toner image to the receiver; wherein after fixing the colorant attracted to the toner particles are bound to the toner particles so that removal of the toner particles from the receiver also removes any colorant attached to the toner particles from the receiver. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The printer of claim 1, wherein the colorant is a pigment having a boundary that has a surface charge of the first polarity formed by a counter charge of the second polarity formed during dispersion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The printer of claim 1, wherein the electrical charge on the toner particles creates a difference of potential relative to the electrical charge on the colorant that attracts colorant to the toner particles. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The printer of claim 1, further comprising a voltage source that controls a transfer electrostatic field and that is operated by the control system to provide an electrostatic field to the colorant attracting toner image to transfer the toner particles into the inkjet ink. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The printer of claim 1, wherein the toner particles have an open cell structure to provide more surface area over that available on a solid toner particle of comparable diameter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The printer according to claim 4, wherein the toner particles have addenda inside the open cells, with the addenda being electrically charged to the second polarity to attract the colorant into the open cells. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The printer of claim 1, wherein the receiver is absorbs ink at a rate that is less than 1/10 of a rate at which the toner particles absorb the ink. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The printer of claim 7, wherein the receiver is at least one of a clay coated paper, a non-absorbent paper, a vinyl. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The printer of claim 1, wherein the toner particles have a binder that is a thermoplastic that is soluble in a non-polar organic solvent. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The printer of claim 1, wherein the toner particles include addenda that causes colorant particles to come out of solution or suspension in the carrier fluids so that colorant particles separate more rapidly or completely from the carrier fluid. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The printer of claim 10 wherein the addenda is a salt. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, further comprising moving a gas across or through the toner image after printing the ink image, so that at least some of the carrier fluid evaporates in the gas. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The printer of claim 1, wherein the colorant is a pigment suspended in the carrier fluid, the method further comprising causing the pigment to come out of suspension in the carrier fluid after printing the ink image and before fusing the toner image to the receiver. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The printer of claim 1, wherein the receiver is an uncoated paper. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The printer of claim 1, wherein the liquid carrier is water or an alcohol. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The printer of claim 13, wherein the colorant attracting toner particles are stained by the colorant. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The printer according to claim 13 wherein the colorant is a dye or a pigment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The printer of claim 1, wherein the toner printer is a modular attachment to the inkjet printer and wherein the inkjet printer controls operations of the toner printer.