Apparatus and method using ultrasonic energy to fix ink to print media

• US 6,203,151 B1
• Filed: 06/08/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruhe, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUDDING, ALFRED E
• Application Number:
  US09/327,701
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 347/34, 347/102, 347/227
• US Class Current: 347/102
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/002 Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2114 Ejecting transparent or white coloured liquids, e.g. processing liquids B41J2/211 takes precedence

Abstract

An inkjet printing method of fixing ink to a print medium is disclosed. An embodiment of the method comprises depositing ink drops on a print medium with an inkjet printhead, the ink including a solvent and the print medium including a first surface. The method additionally comprises vibrating the print medium by applying ultrasonic energy to displace drops of the solvent to the first surface of the print medium to accelerate evaporation of the drops of solvent. An apparatus for use in an inkjet printing device is also disclosed. An embodiment of the apparatus comprises an ultrasonic source configured to apply ultrasonic energy to a print medium to displace drops of ink solvent to a first surface of the print medium thereby accelerating evaporation of the drops of solvent. An inkjet printing device including the method and apparatus is also disclosed. Further characteristics and features of the method and apparatus are described herein, as are examples of various alternative embodiments.

Claims

1. An inkjet printing method of fixing ink to a print medium, the method comprising:

depositing ink drops on a print medium with an inkjet printhead, the ink including a solvent and the print medium including a first surface;

vibrating the print medium by applying ultrasonic energy to displace drops of the solvent to the first surface of the print medium to accelerate evaporation of the drops of solvent; and

reducing a size of the drops of ink solvent with ultrasonic energy to accelerate evaporation of the drops of solvent.

2. An inkjet printing method of fixing ink to a print medium, the method comprising:

depositing ink drops on a print medium with an inkjet printhead, the ink including a solvent and the print medium including a first surface;

vibrating the print medium by applying ultrasonic energy to displace drops of the solvent to the first surface of the print medium to accelerate evaporation of the drops of solvent; and

heating the drops of ink solvent with ultrasonic energy to accelerate evaporation of the drops of solvent.

3. An inkjet printing method of fixing ink to a print medium, the method comprising:

depositing ink drops on a print medium with an inkjet printhead, the ink including a solvent and the print medium including a first surface; and

vibrating the print medium by applying ultrasonic energy to displace drops of the solvent to the first surface of the print medium to accelerate evaporation of the drops of solvent, wherein vibrating the print medium with ultrasonic energy includes contacting the print medium.

4. An apparatus for use in an inkjet printing device, the inkjet printing device configured to deposit ink on a print medium, the ink including a solvent and the print medium including a first surface, the apparatus comprising an ultrasonic source configured to apply ultrasonic energy to the print medium to displace drops of the solvent to the first surface of the print medium thereby accelerating evaporation of the drops of solvent, wherein the ultrasonic source is further configured to apply ultrasonic energy to the drops of solvent to reduce a size of the drops of solvent thereby accelerating evaporation of the drops of solvent.

5. An apparatus for use in an inkjet printing device, the inkjet printing device configured to deposit ink on a print medium, the ink including a solvent and the print medium including a first surface, the apparatus comprising an ultrasonic source configured to apply ultrasonic energy to the print medium to displace drops of the solvent to the first surface of the print medium thereby accelerating evaporation of the drops of solvent, wherein the ultrasonic source is further configured to apply ultrasonic energy to the drops of solvent to heat the drops of solvent thereby accelerating evaporation of the drops of solvent.

6. An apparatus for use in an inkjet printing device, the inkjet printing device configured to deposit ink on a print medium, the ink including a solvent and the print medium including a first surface, the apparatus comprising an ultrasonic source configured to apply ultrasonic energy to the print medium to displace drops of the solvent to the first surface of the print medium thereby accelerating evaporation of the drops of solvent, wherein the ultrasonic source is positioned to contact the print medium.

7. An apparatus for use in an inkjet printing device, the inkjet printing device configured to deposit ink on a print medium, the ink including a solvent and the print medium including a first surface, the apparatus comprising:

means for fixing ink deposited on the print medium by vibrating the print medium with ultrasonic energy to displace drops of solvent to the first surface of the print medium to accelerate evaporation of the drops of solvent; and

means for controlling the means for fixing to regulate application of the ultrasonic energy, wherein the means for fixing is configured to reduce a size of the drops of solvent to accelerate evaporation of the drops of solvent.

8. An apparatus for use in an inkjet printing device, the inkjet printing device configured to deposit ink on a print medium, the ink including a solvent and the print medium including a first surface, the apparatus comprising:

means for fixing ink deposited on the print medium by vibrating the print medium with ultrasonic energy to displace drops of solvent to the first surface of the print medium to accelerate evaporation of the drops of solvent; and

means for controlling the means for fixing to regulate application of the ultrasonic energy, wherein the means for fixing is configured to heat the drops of solvent to accelerate evaporation of the drops of solvent.