Printing process, apparatus, and materials for the reduction of paper curl

• US 5,764,263 A
• Filed: 02/05/1996
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Lin, John Wei-Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Benjamin R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANNICK, CHRISTINA FRANCIS
• Application Number:
  US08/596,821
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 347/102, 347/101, 347/98, 347/105, 347/100
• US Class Current: 347/101
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0015 for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing selective coating B41J2/2114
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2114 Ejecting specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or processing liquids B41J2/211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0011 Pre-treatment or treatment during printing of the recording material, e.g. heating, irradiating after-treatment of prints B41M7/00; printers for treating or overcoating copy materials before, during or after printing B41J11/0015
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/00 After-treatment of prints, e.g. heating, irradiating, setting of the ink, protection of the printed stock pre-treatment or treatment during printing B41M5/0011; printers for treating or overcoating copy materials before, during or after printing B41J11/0015

Abstract

A paper curl reduction process is conducted by applying an aqueous dye or pigment ink in an image-wise fashion to a side of a substrate and by applying a clear aqueous liquid to the opposite side of the substrate. An ink printing device includes at least one printhead for applying an aqueous ink to one side of a substrate to form visible images and at least one applicator for applying a clear aqueous liquid to the opposite side of the substrate. A paper curl reduction process is also conducted by applying an aqueous dye or pigment ink and an optional clear aqueous liquid in a selected image-wise fashion by a thermal ink jet printing method to both sides of a substrate to achieve duplex ink jet printing with visible images on two sides of the said substrate.

Claims

1. A process for the reduction of curl in duplex ink jet printing comprising the steps of:

(a) applying at least one first aqueous ink in an image-wise fashion to a first side of a substrate to provide a first visible image,

(b) applying at least one first clear aqueous liquid to a second, opposite side of the substrate,

(c) applying at least one second aqueous ink in an image-wise fashion to the second, opposite side of the substrate to provide a second visible image, and

(d) applying at least one second clear aqueous liquid to the first side of the substrate,

wherein the first and second aqueous inks are the same or different and comprise water, a colorant of dye or pigment, and at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of anticurl agent, biocide, pH buffering agent, antioxidant, antikogation agent, anticockling agent, penetrant, bubble nucleation aid, microwave coupling agent or salt, surfactant and dispersing agent, and

wherein the first clear aqueous liquid comprises water and at least one ingredient, the at least one ingredient being the same as the at least one ingredient of the first aqueous ink with the exception that the first clear aqueous liquid does not contain any colorant, and

wherein the second clear aqueous liquid comprises water and at least one ingredient, the at least one ingredient being the same as the at least one ingredient of the second aqueous ink with the exception that the second clear aqueous liquid does not contain any colorant.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the applying of the first or second aqueous ink or the first or second clear aqueous liquid in image-wise fashion is carried out by a thermal ink jet printing method that uses one or more ink jet printhead according to the command of digital signals in a printer to produce patterns.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is at least one member selected from the group consisting of a plain paper, a recycled paper, an ink jet paper, a coated paper, and a plastic sheet in either a cut sheet or a web form.

4. A process according to claim 1, further comprises the steps of providing a single pass printing method or a checkerboard printing method to deliver the first and second aqueous ink and the first and second clear aqueous liquid on said substrate.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein said applying steps of the first and second aqueous ink and the first and second clear aqueous liquid are performed by a continuous ink jet printing method or a drop-on-demand ink jet printing method.

6. A process according to claim 1, further comprises the step of including said biocide comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of propionic acid salts, undecylenic acid salts, sorbic acid salts, Dowicil®

derivatives, Proxel®

Series derivatives, benzoic acid salts, ascorbyl palmitate, and mixtures thereof.

7. A process according to claim 1, further comprises the step of including said surfactant or dispersing agent comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of alkylsulfonate salts and ammonium lauryl sulfonates, alkylphenyl ethers of polyethyleneglycols, Triton®

Series surfactants, alkylphenyl ethers of propylene glycols, alkyl polyethyleneglycols, and condensation products of a naphthalene sulfonate salt and formaldehyde, and mixtures thereof.

8. A process according to claim 1, further comprises the step of including said penetrant comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of alcohol ether derivatives, ethyleneglycol alkyl ethers, propyleneglycol alkylethers, diethyleneglycol alkyl ethers, polyethyleneglycol alkylethers, polypropyleneglycol alkylethers, alkylpyrrolidinone derivatives, alkylamide derivatives and mixtures thereof.

9. A process according to claim 1, further comprises the step of including in said first or second aqueous ink said dye comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of an anionic and a cationic dye and mixtures thereof, and said pigment in said aqueous ink is at least one member selected from the group consisting of carbon black, cyan, magenta, and yellow pigments and mixtures thereof with an average particle size of less than 3.0 microns.

10. A process according to claim 1, wherein the first or second aqueous ink and the first or second clear aqueous liquid includes an anticurl agent comprising glycerine (glycerol) propoxylates, glycerine (glycerol) ethoxylates, glycerine (glycerol) mixed ethoxylates and propoxylates, and alkanediols and alkanetriols with hydroxyl groups at 1 and 3 carbon atom positions.

11. A process according to claim 1, further comprises the steps of applying the first or second clear aqueous liquid using at least one of a single printhead, a partial width array printhead, a full-width array printhead, a roller, a steaming device or a spray applicator or combinations thereof.

12. A process according to claim 1, further comprises the steps of applying the first or second clear aqueous liquid selectively by a thermal ink jet printing method.

13. A process according to claim 1, wherein the steps of applying the first or second aqueous ink is applied on each side of the substrate by a thermal ink jet printing method.

14. A process according to claim 1, wherein steps of applying the first clear aqueous liquid and the second clear aqueous liquid provide complete solid area coverage on respective sides of the substrate to which the first clear aqueous liquid and the second clear aqueous liquid are applied.

15. A process according to claim 1, wherein the process further comprises at any stage before, during or after applying the first or second aqueous ink or applying the first or second clear aqueous liquid.

16. A process according to claim 15, wherein said heating means is at least one member selected from the group consisting of a heated belt, a heated platen or roller, a lamp, a radiant heater, a microwave heater, a hot air dryer and combinations thereof.