Leather Printing Ink Acceptors for Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Leather printing faces challenges due to the non-uniform, organic nature of the substrate, leading to weak ink bonding, uneven printing, and durability issues, with existing methods often impairing leather properties like flexibility and breathability.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an ink acceptor base coat, additive, and heat press to penetrate ink into the leather using capillary action, with a polyamide-based system that forms a protective coating, ensuring deep penetration and durability while maintaining leather characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional printing techniques are used on leather, then printing can be performed on the leather surface, but ink bonding is weak and printing durability is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance (ink acceptor or receiving layer) that mediates between the ink and the leather substrate. This intermediary layer is applied to the leather surface before printing, providing chemical or physical groups that strongly bond with ink molecules, thereby significantly improving ink bonding strength and print durability without complicating the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the ink acceptor layer in advance before the actual printing process. This preliminary action prepares the leather surface by creating a receptive layer that enhances ink adhesion, ensuring that when ink is applied, it bonds strongly and uniformly. This approach resolves the bonding issue while maintaining process simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If ink is printed onto the surface of leather, then coloring/patterning can be achieved, but the print cracks when flexed and flexibility is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The ink acceptor layer acts as a flexible intermediary between the ink and the leather. This layer has sufficient flexibility to move with the leather when flexed, preventing the ink from cracking. Meanwhile, it provides a stable bonding surface for the ink, ensuring high-definition coloring that remains intact during flexing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a thin film structure (ink acceptor layer) that is inherently flexible and can conform to the leather's movements. This thin film encapsulates the ink, allowing it to maintain high definition while flexing with the leather substrate, thus preserving both coloring quality and leather flexibility.
3Stability of the object's composition
If printing is performed on non-uniform leather surfaces, then leather characteristics are maintained, but printing uniformity and definition are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the ink acceptor layer uniformly across the entire leather surface, creating a consistent local property that compensates for the leather's natural non-uniformity. This receiving layer provides uniform ink reception and bonding characteristics across different regions of the leather, ensuring consistent printing definition while preserving the underlying leather characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The ink acceptor layer creates a homogeneous surface for ink application. By providing a uniform layer with consistent chemical or physical properties across the entire leather surface, it ensures that ink is received and bonded uniformly, overcoming the leather's inherent non-uniformity in pore concentration, surface roughness, and other properties.
4Manufacturing precision
If ink is applied to leather surface, then coloring can be achieved, but color transfer occurs in wet conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The ink acceptor layer serves as a protective intermediary between the ink and the external environment. This layer strongly binds the ink molecules to the leather substrate, preventing them from transferring to other surfaces during wet conditions. The intermediary layer acts as a barrier that maintains coloring intensity while ensuring color fastness against water and moisture.
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 achieves high-definition, durable printing with resistance to heat and strain-induced damage, low color transfer in wet conditions, and cost-effectiveness, suitable for industrial use in tanneries.
Implementation Method 1
heating a barrier to a predetermined temperature or a temperature within a predetermined temperature range; the additive configured to contact the ink on the surface directly to soften and coat the leather such that the applied acceptor and additive-coated ink penetrates into the leather
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus for printing leather including an ink acceptor applicator that applies ink directly onto a surface of the leather; an ink applicator that applies ink to the ink acceptor and/or the leather surface; an additive applicator that applies additive onto the ink acceptor, the ink and/or the leather surface; a barrier having a surface configured to contact the acceptor, ink and additive on the leather surface; and a heater that heats the surface of the barrier to a predetermined temperature or a temperature within a selected temperature range such that the barrier, which is substantially impervious to the ink and has a melting point higher than the select temperature range, contacts at least the acceptor ink and additive on the surface directly to liquify the acceptor ink and additive into the leather and the acceptor, ink and additive fuses and penetrates into the leather.