Decorated natural leather
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for decorating natural leather using inkjet printing face challenges such as labor-intensive screen printing, inferior quality digital printing, and difficulties in handling leather due to its fibrous structure, leading to collisions with print heads and manufacturing waste.
Innovation Solution
A method involving vacuum suction of natural leather onto an air-permeable support with a fibrous layer, allowing for precise holding and printing without collisions, using a polyester felt support that can be reused, and applying a heat-sensitive adhesive for improved adhesion and image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If natural leather is held directly onto the vacuum support of an inkjet printer, then the leather can be positioned for printing, but the fibrous structure causes wrinkles and uncontrolled holding especially at edges, resulting in collisions with print heads
Solution Approach 1:
An air-permeable support layer is introduced as an intermediary between the natural leather and the vacuum support. This mediator allows vacuum suction to hold the leather flat while the air-permeability prevents wrinkle formation by allowing air to pass through, eliminating the direct harmful interaction between the vacuum support and the fibrous leather structure.
2Reliability
If a sticky non-permeable support is used to adhere the natural leather, then the leather can be held in place, but the stickiness makes repositioning difficult and leaves glue contamination that requires extra cleaning steps
Solution Approach 1:
The air-permeable support layer utilizes porous material properties to provide holding force through vacuum suction without requiring sticky adhesives. The porous structure allows air to pass through while maintaining mechanical contact, achieving reliable adhesion without the contamination and repositioning issues associated with sticky non-permeable supports.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the throw distance of the inkjet printer is increased to overcome collisions, then print head collisions are avoided, but the inkjet printed decorative images become blurry
Solution Approach 1:
The air-permeable support layer pre-flattens and secures the natural leather before the inkjet printing process begins, preventing wrinkles and movements that would cause collisions. This preliminary stabilization allows the inkjet print heads to operate at optimal throw distances, maintaining image clarity while preventing collisions through advance preparation rather than compensatory distance increases.
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
This method prevents edge curling and collisions with print heads, enables high-quality inkjet printing, reduces manufacturing waste, and allows for efficient decoration of irregularly shaped leathers with improved image clarity and ease of handling.
Implementation Method 1
holding by vacuum suction the natural leather with its corium side to an air-permeable support onto a vacuum support of an inkjet printer
Data Source
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Figure 3
AI summary
A method for decorating a natural leather comprising the following steps: a) holding by vacuum suction the natural leather with its corium side to an air-permeable support onto a vacuum support of an inkjet printer; and b) inkjet printing a decorative image on the natural leather wherein the air-permeable support is partly covered by said natural leather. The air-permeable support comprises a fibrous layer in contact with the corium side of the natural leather.