Inkjet Recording Method Using Heated Medium and Controlled Wetting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Resin-containing ink for ink jet recording methods experiences poor evaporation efficiency and image quality degradation due to low spreading efficiency on recording media, making rapid image recording difficult and resulting in poor chromogenic properties.
Innovation Solution
A recording method that uses a heated recording medium with an ink absorption amount per unit mass of 1.0 or less and a wetting index of 46 or more, along with an ink accommodation layer containing urethane, acryl, or polyester, and a solvent like 2-pyrrolidone, to improve ink spreading and drying efficiency, thereby enhancing chromogenic properties and recording speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If resin-containing ink is discharged onto a recording medium, then chromogenic property is improved, but evaporation efficiency of ink solvent deteriorates and image quality degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the recording medium surface by controlling the wetting index (γS) to be 46 or more and the absorption amount of ink per unit mass (y) to satisfy y≧0.002x−0.027. These parameter changes enable the ink to spread properly and evaporate efficiently, resolving the contradiction between achieving good chromogenic property and maintaining image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the porous structure of the recording medium to control ink absorption. By adjusting the absorption amount parameter y to be within a specific range relative to the wetting index x, the recording medium allows controlled penetration of ink, enabling both good chromogenic property through sufficient ink uptake and image quality through controlled evaporation rate.
2Manufacturing precision
If discharging amount of ink per unit time is reduced to allow sufficient drying time, then image quality is improved, but recording speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the evaporation characteristics by controlling the wetting index and absorption amount parameters. This enables fast evaporation of the ink solvent even at higher discharging amounts, allowing rapid recording while maintaining image quality without requiring reduced ink discharge rates.
3Productivity
If discharging amount of ink per unit area is reduced to improve recording speed, then regions with no ink are formed between dots, but chromogenic property deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spreading characteristics of ink by controlling the wetting index (γS≥46) and absorption amount (y≧0.002x−0.027). These parameter changes enable the ink to spread more effectively on the recording medium surface, ensuring sufficient coverage and chromogenic property even when using smaller discharging amounts per unit area for high-speed recording.
4Manufacturing precision
If ink is discharged with large mass per droplet to improve chromogenic property, then image quality degradation (aggregation or overflow) occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the interaction between ink and recording medium by precisely controlling the wetting index and absorption amount parameters. This enables large ink droplets to be discharged with sufficient chromogenic property while the controlled absorption and spreading prevent aggregation and overflow, maintaining image quality.
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 enables rapid high-quality image recording with improved chromogenic properties by controlling ink absorption and wetting, reducing image degradation and increasing resolution to 720x720 dpi, while maintaining efficient ink drying and film formation on the medium.
Implementation Method 1
an absorption amount of the ink per unit mass of the recording medium is equal to or less than 1.0
Implementation Method 2
discharge ink including resin and a solvent to a heated recording medium to record an image
Implementation Method 3
a wetting index of the recording medium measured based on JIS K6768 is equal to or more than 46
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a recording method of discharging ink including resin and a solvent to a heated recording medium to record an image on the recording medium by an ink jet recording apparatus, in which an absorption amount of the ink per unit mass of the recording medium is equal to or less than 1.0, and a wetting index of the recording medium measured based on JIS K6768 is equal to or more than 46, and when the wetting index is set as x, and the absorption amount of the ink per unit mass of the recording medium is set as y, a relationship of y≧0.002x−0.027 is satisfied.