Inkjet Printer Dual-Mode Ink Formulation for Fabric
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inkjet printers require separate devices for printing on paper and fabric, leading to increased costs and reduced convenience due to differences in ink absorption and image quality issues on various fabrics, such as ink permeation, blurring, and condensation.
Innovation Solution
A printing device with a paper medium print mode and a textile print mode that uses a greater number of ink types, avoids light color inks, adjusts solvent weight ratios, and reduces print resolution and ink weight to improve image quality on fabrics by minimizing ink absorption and diffusion issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional inkjet printers use the same printing system for both paper and fabric, then device complexity is reduced and versatility is improved, but image quality deteriorates due to ink absorption and diffusion issues on fabric
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using different ink types for different media: light color inks (with higher solvent content) are used for paper medium printing, while dark color inks (with lower solvent content) are used for fabric printing. This allows the same printing device to achieve high image quality on both paper and fabric by adapting the ink properties to the specific medium being printed on.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the ink being used based on the medium type. Specifically, it adjusts the solvent weight ratio in the ink: using inks with higher solvent content (light color inks) for paper and inks with lower solvent content (dark color inks) for fabric. This parameter change prevents ink diffusion and blurring on fabric while maintaining good color reproduction.
2Manufacturing precision
If light color inks with high solvent content are used for fabric printing, then color reproducibility is improved, but ink diffusion and blurring along fabric fibers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the solvent weight ratio parameter of the ink based on the medium type. For fabric printing, it uses dark color inks with lower solvent content (weight ratio of 0.3-0.7), which reduces ink diffusion and blurring along fabric fibers while still achieving acceptable color reproducibility. For paper printing, it uses light color inks with higher solvent content (weight ratio of 0.7-0.95) for better color reproduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by selecting different ink formulations (light color vs. dark color inks) based on the specific medium being printed on. This ensures that each medium receives the appropriate ink properties: high solvent content for paper to achieve vibrant colors, and low solvent content for fabric to prevent diffusion and blurring.
3Device complexity
If a single printing device is used for both paper and fabric, then device complexity and cost are reduced, but printing optimization for each medium becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by designing a single inkjet printing device that can handle both paper and fabric media. The device is equipped with multiple ink cartridges containing different ink types (light color inks for paper, dark color inks for fabric), allowing it to adapt to different medium requirements without requiring separate specialized printers for each medium type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by enabling the printing device to select different ink formulations based on the medium type being printed on. The control unit identifies whether the medium is paper or fabric and automatically selects the appropriate ink type, ensuring optimal printing quality for each medium while using a single unified device.
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
The solution enables printing on both paper and fabric with improved image quality by reducing ink absorption, blurring, and condensation, while maintaining excellent color reproducibility and gradation without the need for separate devices.
Implementation Method 1
a paper medium which is a printing target of an inkjet printer for paper medium printing is a medium developed to enable visualization of characters and/or images by making a solid substance, such as, tonner, gel, etc., as well as liquid, such as, ink, black writing fluid, etc., adhere to, fix to, or permeate in a paper medium
Implementation Method 2
when ink lands on the fabric, the ink diffuses along the fibers of the fabric
Data Source
AI summary
A printing device includes a paper medium print mode configured to execute printing on a paper medium; and a textile print mode configured to execute printing on a fabric medium, types of inks used in the textile print mode being greater in number than types of inks used in the paper medium print mode.