Surface Pre-treatment Atmosphere Control for Ink Dot Size
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for surface pre-treatment of ink-receiving substrates fail to consistently control ink dot size across various substrates due to fluctuations in treatment intensity and surface chemistry, leading to inconsistent color management and image quality.
Innovation Solution
Adjusting the oxygen-to-nitrogen ratio in the controlled atmosphere during surface pre-treatment, in conjunction with treatment energy, allows for precise control of dot size by maintaining a flat dot size curve, independent of substrate type and treatment intensity fluctuations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the intensity of pre-treatment is increased to control dot size on nitrogen atmosphere substrates, then dot size increases and reaches a plateau, but further intensity increase does not improve control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces oxygen content as a new controllable parameter alongside treatment intensity. By varying the oxygen-to-nitrogen ratio in the treatment atmosphere, the system achieves dot size control through multiple independent parameters, preventing the plateau effect observed with intensity alone and enabling precise dot size adjustment across different substrate types.
2Manufacturing precision
If pre-treatment is performed in ambient air, then dot size curve reaches a maximum and decreases due to acidic group formation, but this limits the achievable dot size range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a nitrogen-based atmosphere as the foundation, which is inert and prevents unwanted chemical reactions between the substrate surface and ink components. By controlling oxygen content within this nitrogen-dominated atmosphere, the system avoids the harmful acidic group formation that occurs in ambient air while maintaining effective dot size control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls the oxygen-to-nitrogen ratio as a key parameter to prevent harmful chemical reactions. By maintaining low oxygen content (creating an inert-like environment) while using controlled plasma or corona treatment, the system avoids acid formation that would react with alkaline ink components, thereby preserving dot size and preventing quality degradation.
3Manufacturing precision
If treatment intensity is increased to achieve maximum dot size in ambient air, then spreading speed increases, but chemical reactions reduce spreading and decrease dot size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nitrogen-rich atmosphere that creates an inert environment, preventing chemical reactions between the treated substrate surface and the ink. This inert atmosphere eliminates the formation of reactive acidic groups that would otherwise react with alkaline ink components, thereby maintaining consistent dot size without the harmful side effects observed in ambient air treatment.
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 ensures a consistent dot size across different substrates, optimizing pigment concentration and color gamut, and achieving stable image quality by using the oxygen content as a parameter to maintain the dot size curve at a plateau, reducing sensitivity to treatment intensity variations.
Implementation Method 1
The pre-treatment may for example be a plasma treatment in which a plasma jet is directed onto the surface of the substrate so that ions contained in the plasma will react with the substrate surface
Implementation Method 2
In another embodiment, the pre-treatment may include a corona discharge
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~1C
Figure 2~5
AI summary
A method of surface pre-treatment of a variety of ink-receiving substrates (12, 14, 16) of different types, wherein treatment energy is applied to the surface of the substrates in a controlled atmosphere that contains nitrogen and oxygen, and the amount of energy per surface area is adjusted dependent upon the type of substrate, characterized by a step of adjusting the ratio of oxygen to nitrogen in the controlled atmosphere dependent upon the type of substrate.