Radiation Curable Ink Dot Arrangement for Oxygen Barrier

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Solution Overview

Problem

Radiation curable ink used in image forming apparatuses is difficult to cure when the amount of discharge per unit area is small, as it is affected by oxygen, leading to incomplete curing and potential removal issues.

Innovation Solution

An image forming apparatus that discharges both colored and colorless radiation curable ink, with a controller ensuring that the colorless ink is applied in a manner that densely arranges dots with the colored ink, either on top of, adjacent to, or between them, to minimize oxygen exposure and ensure complete curing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If the amount of discharge of colored radiation curable ink per unit area is small, then the ink consumption is reduced and printing cost is lowered, but the ink is affected by oxygen and cannot be cured properly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveink consumptionVSAvoidcuring completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Colorless radiation curable ink is used as an intermediary substance to displace oxygen from the discharge area. The colorless ink is discharged to form dots that are adjacent to or overlap with colored ink dots, creating an oxygen barrier that enables proper curing of the colored ink while maintaining low colored ink consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the printing system by introducing a second ink type (colorless radiation curable ink) with different properties than the colored ink. This allows modification of the discharge amount, dot arrangement density, and oxygen concentration parameters to achieve both low ink consumption and complete curing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If dots of colored radiation curable ink are densely arranged to prevent oxygen exposure, then curing is improved, but the amount of ink discharge increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecuring completenessVSAvoidink discharge amount

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The colorless radiation curable ink is discharged selectively in specific locations - adjacent to or overlapping only with colored ink dots - rather than uniformly across the entire printing area. This localized discharge approach creates oxygen barriers exactly where needed for curing while minimizing overall ink consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The printing process is segmented into two distinct ink discharge operations: colored radiation curable ink for image formation and colorless radiation curable ink for oxygen displacement. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each ink type's discharge characteristics to achieve both low consumption and complete curing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 approach effectively cures the radiation curable ink even at low discharge amounts, preventing incomplete curing and reducing the need for additional ink consumption while simplifying printing control.

Implementation Method 1

radiation curable ink that is cured upon irradiation with electromagnetic waves such as ultraviolet rays

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRadiation curing: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentUS8894172B2Image forming apparatus and program using radiation curable ink

Publication Date: 2014.11.25 SEIKO EPSON CORP

AI summary

An image forming apparatus which includes a head for discharging colored radiation curable ink and colorless radiation curable ink that are cured upon irradiation with electromagnetic waves onto a medium, and a controller for causing dots of the colored radiation curable ink and dots of the colorless radiation curable ink to be densely arranged.