Curable Dry Toner Printing With Lamination-Assisted Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital printing technologies using curable dry toner require separate coating stations to enhance print durability and gloss, which increases complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that integrates substrate bonding with curing, using heat, pressure, and actinic radiation to seal toner between substrates, ensuring oxygen-free curing and improved gloss without additional coating steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate coating station is added to improve print durability and gloss, then the printing quality is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the coating function with the existing substrate application unit by applying a second substrate that serves dual purposes: as the final packaging substrate and as a coating layer. This eliminates the need for a separate coating station while achieving improved print durability, gloss, and protection against rubbing and solvents.
Solution Approach 2:
The second substrate applied in the substrate application unit performs multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the final packaging material, provides a protective coating over the printed image, enhances gloss, and offers resistance to rubbing and solvents. This multi-functionality replaces what would traditionally require separate coating and lamination operations.
2Strength
If curable dry toner is used to improve internal cohesion, then the toner strength is improved, but oxygen interference during curing reduces curing quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an oxygen-free environment by applying the second substrate immediately after printing, which seals the curable dry toner between the first substrate and the second substrate. This physical barrier excludes oxygen and moisture from the curing process, enabling complete and high-quality curing that maximizes internal cohesion and strength of the toner layer.
3Reliability
If the second substrate is applied before curing, then the curing environment is improved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the substrate application process with the coating and sealing process by applying the second substrate immediately after printing and before curing. This integrated approach uses the same substrate application unit for both substrate application and creating the oxygen-free curing environment, eliminating the need for separate coating and sealing operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Achieves enhanced print durability, reduced sensitivity to rubbing and solvents, and improved gloss in a single integrated step, suitable for flexible substrates like pouches and labels in food packaging.
Implementation Method 1
a curing means configured to irradiate the transferred dry toner with actinic radiation in order to cure the transferred dry toner
Implementation Method 2
a fusing means configured to fuse the transferred dry toner
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A digital printing process for xerography printing with curable dry toner, wherein said process comprises: forming a latent image as a pattern of electric charge on a surface of an imaging member; transferring dry toner onto a development member; developing the latent image by transferring dry toner from the development member onto the imaging member in accordance with the pattern; transferring the dry toner from the imaging member to a first substrate; applying a second substrate on the transferred dry toner, fusing the transferred dry toner, and bonding the second substrate to the first substrate; wherein the fusing is done before and/or during and/or after the applying of the second substrate; after application of the second substrate, irradiating the dry toner with actinic radiation or particle beams to cure at least the fused transferred dry toner; wherein the irradiating is done after and/or during the fusing.