Intermediate Transfer Member for Digital Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital printing techniques, such as inkjet and color laser printers, face challenges in achieving high-quality images due to substrate wetting issues, ink bleeding, and image quality degradation, especially when printing on fibrous materials like paper, which requires specialized coatings and leads to costly and time-consuming drying processes.
Innovation Solution
A printing system utilizing a loop-shaped, flexible intermediate transfer member with a hydrophobic surface, where ink droplets are deposited and dried before transfer to a substrate, using intermolecular forces to maintain a flat droplet shape and prevent beading, and a conditioning solution is applied to reverse the surface tension, allowing for efficient image transfer without substrate wetting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If inkjet printing is used to print directly onto fibrous substrates like paper, then the printing process is simple and direct, but the substrate becomes wet causing cockling, ink bleeding, and poor image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate transfer member (ITM) as a mediator between the inkjet print head and the substrate. The ITM receives ink droplets, allows them to dry, and then transfers the dried image to the substrate. This intermediary approach prevents direct wetting of the substrate while maintaining printing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary drying action by allowing ink droplets to dry on the intermediate transfer member before transfer to the substrate. This preliminary evaporation of solvent prevents substrate wetting and cockling, while maintaining simple printing processes.
2Manufacturing precision
If specialized coatings are applied to substrates to control ink absorption, then image quality improves, but the process becomes costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate transfer member serves as a mediator that eliminates the need for specialized substrate coatings. By controlling the drying and transfer process on the ITM, high image quality is achieved without requiring complex substrate preparation or specialized coatings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the image on the intermediate transfer member, dries it, and then transfers this dried copy to the substrate. This copying approach achieves high image quality without modifying the substrate itself, avoiding costly and complex coating processes.
3Productivity
If the substrate is printed while wet, then the printing process is fast, but additional drying steps are needed preventing smearing during handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary drying on the intermediate transfer member before substrate transfer. This preliminary action ensures the image is completely dry and stable, eliminating the need for post-printing drying steps and preventing smearing during handling, thus maintaining productivity without time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate transfer member acts as a drying chamber mediator, allowing ink droplets to evaporate completely before substrate contact. This separates the printing and drying functions in time and space, achieving fast printing speed without compromising image stability.
4Quantity of substance
If excessive wetting of the substrate occurs, then ink coverage is achieved, but cockling prevents duplex printing
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate transfer member serves as a mediator that allows complete ink coverage to be achieved on the ITM surface, then transfers this coverage to the substrate in a dry state. This prevents substrate cockling while maintaining full ink coverage, enabling duplex printing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary drying action on the intermediate transfer member, allowing the ink film to form and dry completely before substrate transfer. This preliminary formation of the dried ink film ensures full coverage without substrate wetting, maintaining substrate flatness and enabling duplex printing.
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 high-quality, thin, and vivid ink images with improved coverage and resolution, reducing substrate wetting and cockling, and allowing for efficient duplex printing without the need for specialized coatings or extensive drying processes.
Implementation Method 1
using intermolecular forces to maintain a flat droplet shape and prevent beading
Implementation Method 2
a conditioning solution is applied to reverse the surface tension
Implementation Method 3
where ink droplets are deposited and dried before transfer to a substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A printing system is disclosed which includes a plurality of rollers configured to support and move a loop-shaped, flexible intermediate transfer member of at least 10 meters in length along a printing system path. The printing system further includes an image forming station configured to form an image on a portion of the intermediate transfer member, and an impression station configured to enable substantial transfer of the deposited image to a substrate. The printing system also includes at least one high-speed motor associated with the plurality of rollers and configured to move the loop-shaped flexible intermediate transfer member at a speed of at least about one meter per second. Moreover, the printing system includes guiding channels configured for exerting a lateral tensioning force on the loop-shaped intermediate transfer member as it is received within the guiding channels and circulates at the speed of at least about one meter per second.