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

• US 6,431,702 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• 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:
  US09/739,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20010001560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 347/34, 347/102
• 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 specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or 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 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.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for sensing an ambient condition and transmitting data representative of this sensed ambient condition to the means for controlling, wherein the means for controlling is configured to utilize this data to regulate the means for fixing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for sensing print medium type and transmitting data representative of this sensed print medium type to the means for controlling, wherein the means for controlling is configured to utilize this data to regulate the means for fixing.

4. A printing device comprising the apparatus as recited in claim 1.

5. 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 the ultrasonic energy is applied over a predefined period of time.

6. A 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 a predetermined quantity of ultrasonic energy is applied.

7. 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 a variable quantity of ultrasonic energy is applied.

8. 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

adjusting a quantity of ultrasonic energy applied based on at least one of the following;

ambient temperature, ambient humidity, print medium type, ink dry time, and an amount of ink deposited on the print medium.

9. 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 and a controller coupled to the ultrasonic source and configured to regulate the ultrasonic source thereby controlling application of the ultrasonic energy.

10. 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 and a controller coupled to the ultrasonic source and configured to regulate the ultrasonic source thereby controlling application of the ultrasonic energy, wherein the controller is configured to regulate the ultrasonic source to apply ultrasonic energy over a predefined period of time.

11. 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 and a controller coupled to the ultrasonic source and configured to regulate the ultrasonic source thereby controlling application of the ultrasonic energy, wherein the controller is configured to regulate the ultrasonic source to apply a fixed intensity of ultrasonic energy.

12. 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 and a controller coupled to the ultrasonic source and configured to regulate the ultrasonic source thereby controlling application of the ultrasonic energy, wherein the controller is configured to regulate the ultrasonic source to apply a predetermined quantity of ultrasonic energy.

13. 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 and a controller coupled to the ultrasonic source and configured to regulate an ultrasonic source thereby controlling application of the ultrasonic energy, wherein the controller is configured to regulate the ultrasonic source to apply a variable quantity of ultrasonic energy.

14. 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, a controller coupled to the ultrasonic source and configured to regulate the ultrasonic source thereby controlling application of the ultrasonic energy, and an ambient sensor coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to utilize data from the ambient sensor to regulate the ultrasonic source.

15. 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, a controller coupled to the ultrasonic source and configured to regulate the ultrasonic source thereby controlling application of the ultrasonic energy, and a print medium sensor coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to utilize data from the print medium sensor to regulate the ultrasonic source.

16. 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, a controller coupled to the ultrasonic source and configured to regulate the ultrasonic source thereby controlling application of the ultrasonic energy, and an ink dry-time sensor coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to utilize data from the ink dry-time sensor to regulate the ultrasonic source.