Method and apparatus for ink jet printing

• US 7,073,902 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Inventors: Quattrociocchi, Angelo, Comerford, Robert B., Badovinac, Milan, Collan, William W., Codos, Richard N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Manish S.
• Application Number:
  US10/675,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20050174412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 347/100, 347/101, 347/104, 347/105, 347/103, 347/102, 400/1, 101/1, 34/1
• US Class Current: 347/102
• 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 11/00214 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0022 using convection means, e.g. by using a fan for blowing or sucking air
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0024 using conduction means, e.g. by using a heated platen
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/02 Platens
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/202 Drive control means for carriage movement
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1652 by driving a fluid through the nozzles to the outside thereof, e.g. by applying pressure to the inside or vacuum at the outside of the print head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2107 characterised by the ink properties supplying ink in a solid state B41J2/17593
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4078 Printing on textile
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0047 by ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0064 on plastics, horn, rubber, or other organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/0072 using mechanical wave energy, e.g. ultrasonics; using magnetic or electric fields, e.g. electric discharge, plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/0081 using electromagnetic radiation or waves, e.g. ultraviolet radiation, electron beams
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/009 using thermal means, e.g. infrared radiation, heat
• CPC Class Codes: D05B 11/00 Machines for sewing quilts or mattresses control of workpiece-holding frames, or of sewing machines, in order to obtain particular seam configuration D05B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/2005 Treatments with alpha, beta, gamma or other rays, e.g. stimulated rays
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/2011 Application of vibrations, pulses or waves for non-thermic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: D06P 5/30 Ink jet printing

Abstract

An ink jet printing is provided on large area such as wide textile webs, having such pores or other opening therethrough such that, when ink is jetted from a print head onto the web, some of the ink jets through the opening to a side of the web opposite the print head. At the printing station, maintaining a space between the web and the surface such that the web is out of contact with the surface at the printing station so that when ink jetted through the web and onto the surface it does not contaminate the web.

Claims

1. A method of ink jet printing onto a web having such pores or other openings therethrough such that, when ink is jetted from a printhead onto the web, some of the ink jets through the openings to a side of the web opposite the printhead, the method comprising:

providing a surface on the opposite side of the web from the printhead;

stretching the web through a printing station by applying tension to the web;

moving the web longitudinally through the printing station;

at the printing station, maintaining a space between the web and the surface such that the web is out of contact with the surface at the printing station so that when ink is jetted through the web and onto the surface it does not contaminate the web;

jetting ink from the printhead onto the web while imparting relative movement between the web and the printing station, with some of the ink jetting through the web, across the space and onto said surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the jetted ink is UV curable ink; and

the method further comprises exposing to UV energy, at least some of the ink jetted through the openings in the web and onto the surface, to at least partially cure UV ink jetted onto the surface.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

covering the surface with a layer of protective material.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wiping from the surface ink jetted through the openings in the web.

5. An ink jet printing apparatus for printing onto a porous web having such pores or other openings therethrough such that, when ink is jetted from a printhead onto the web, some of the ink jets through the openings to a side of the web opposite the printhead, the apparatus comprising:

a table having an upwardly facing surface over which a web is supported for printing;

a printing station having an ink jet printhead thereat directed toward a web supported over the surface; and

means for supporting a web over the surface so that the web is out of contact with the surface at the printing station with a space between the web and the surface, so that when ink is jetted from the printhead onto the web, liquid ink that passes through the web and onto the surface is kept from contact with the web.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

the means for supporting the web includes tension rollers for stretching the web through a printing station such that a space is maintained between the web and the surface at the printing station.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

the printhead is configured to jet UV curable ink; and

the apparatus further comprises a UV curing lamp configured to expose ink jetted onto the web.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

the printhead is configured to jet UV curable ink; and

the apparatus further comprises a UV curing lamp configured to expose to UV energy, at least some of the ink jetted through the web and onto the surface, to at least partially cure UV ink jetted onto the surface.

9. An ink jet printing apparatus for printing onto a porous web having such pores or other openings therethrough through which some of the ink jetted from a printhead toward the web passes through the openings to a side of the web opposite the printhead, the apparatus comprising:

a table over which a web is supported for printing;

a printing station having an ink jet printhead configured to jet UV curable ink toward the table;

a set of rollers configured to support a web in tension over the surface so that the web is out of contact with the surface at the printing station; and

a UV curing lamp configured to expose ink jetted onto the web.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:

the UV curing lamp is configured to expose to UV energy, ink jetted through the web and onto the surface, to at least partially cure UV ink jetted onto the surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a non-stick protective coating on said surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a non-stick protective coating on said surface.