Ink jet printing system for high speed/high quality printing

• US 20070279467A1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Brick, Mary Christine, Gelbart, Daniel, Yacobucci, Paul D., Regan, Michael Thomas, Garbacz, Gregory James
• Application Number:
  US11/445,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20070279467A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/100
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/101 Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/30 Inkjet printing inks

Abstract

In an ink jet printing apparatus for high speed/high quality printing, an ink jet ink having a high concentration of solids the range of about 20-70 wt. %, and exhibiting shear-thinning characteristics.

Claims

1. In an ink jet printing apparatus for high speed/high quality printing, an ink jet ink comprising:

a high concentration of solids in the range of about 20-70 wt. %, and exhibiting shear-thinning characteristics.

2. The ink jet ink according to claim 1, wherein such ink has a viscosity between 50 and 200 mPa-s, at a shear rate of about 0.1/s, and a viscosity less than 20 mPa-s at a shear rate of about 1,000/s.

3. The ink jet ink according to claim 1, wherein such ink has high solids concentration in the range of about 30-40 wt. %, a viscosity between 30 and 100 mPa-s, at a shear rate of about 0.1/s, and a viscosity less than 10 mPa-s, at a shear rate of about 1,000/s.

4. The ink jet ink according to claim 1, wherein the ink is utilized in an apparatus including a continuous ink jet printhead.

5. The ink jet ink according to claim 1, wherein the ink is utilized in an apparatus including a drop-on-demand ink jet printhead.

6. The ink jet ink according to claim 1, wherein the ink includes shear-thinning aqueous based inks using pigments or dyes as the colorant.

7. The ink jet ink according to claim 1, wherein the ink includes shear-thinning solvent based inks using pigments or dyes as the colorant.

8. The ink jet ink according to claim 1, wherein the ink includes shear-thinning UV curable inks.

9. The ink jet ink according to claim 1, wherein the equilibrium ink temperature is controlled to adjust ink viscosity.

10. The ink jet ink according to claim 1, wherein shear-thinning of the ink is accomplished by a continuous ink flow within the printhead device.

11. The ink jet ink according to claim 1, wherein shear-thinning of the ink is accomplished by ultrasonic agitation within the printhead device.