Platen arrangement for hot melt ink jet apparatus
First Claim
1. Ink jet apparatus comprising an ink jet means for projecting ink at elevated temperature onto a substrate, platen means for supporting the substrate during operation of the ink jet means, and temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the platen means during operation including heat pump means for removing heat from the platen means so as to maintain a desired platen means temperature.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
In the particular embodiment described in the specification, a hot melt ink jet system includes a temperature-controlled platen provided with a heater and a thermoelectric cooler electrically connected to a heat pump and a temperature control unit for controlling the operation of the heater and the heat pump to maintain the platen temperature at a desired level. The apparatus also includes a second thermoelectric cooler to solidify hot melt ink in a selected zone more rapidly to avoid offset by a pinch roll coming in contact with the surface of the substrate to which hot melt ink has been applied. An airtight enclosure surrounding the platen is connected to a vacuum pump and has slits adjacent to the platen to hold the substrate in thermal contact with the platen.
-
Citations
19 Claims
- 1. Ink jet apparatus comprising an ink jet means for projecting ink at elevated temperature onto a substrate, platen means for supporting the substrate during operation of the ink jet means, and temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the platen means during operation including heat pump means for removing heat from the platen means so as to maintain a desired platen means temperature.
- 12. Ink jet apparatus comprising ink jet means for projecting ink at elevated temperature onto a substrate, support means for supporting the substrate during operation of the ink jet means, and heat energy flux control means for controlling the heat energy flux into and out of the substrate so as to control the rate of solidification of ink after it has been projected onto the substrate.
- 16. An ink jet printer system comprising ink jet means for directing drops of molten hot melt ink having a selected melting point toward a recording medium and heater means for heating the recording medium to a selected temperature below the melting point of the hot melt ink.
Specification