Ink jet printer and printing method

• US 9,475,312 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Kitada, Kenji, Miyakawa, Takuya, Saiba, Takashi, Kitawada, Kiyofumi, Denda, Atsushi, Nariai, Maki
• Primary Examiner(s): Huffman, Julian
• Assistant Examiner(s): KONCZAL, MICHAEL THOMAS
• Application Number:
  US14/601,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20150202894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 347/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0021 using irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00218 Constructional details of the irradiation means, e.g. radiation source attached to reciprocating print head assembly or shutter means provided on the radiation source
• 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: D06P 5/30 Ink jet printing

Abstract

An ink jet printer includes a transport mechanism that transports a medium in a first direction; and a carriage that includes a plasma irradiation mechanism, which emits plasma generated in a discharge portion from a plasma irradiation port and then irradiates at least a part of the medium with the plasma, and a head which ejects ink onto the part of the medium which is irradiated with the plasma, and that moves in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, in which the plasma irradiation mechanism is provided on one side of the head in the second direction, and the discharge portion of the plasma irradiation mechanism is disposed so as not to come in contact with the medium.

Claims

1. An ink jet printer comprising:

a transport mechanism that transports a medium in a first direction; and

a carriage that includes;

a plasma irradiation mechanism, which emits plasma generated by applying a voltage to a gas in a discharge portion from a plasma irradiation port and then irradiates at least a part of the medium with the plasma;

a gas supply chamber that is in a longitudinal shape extending in an extending direction, the discharge portion being provided at an inside of the gas supply chamber, the gas being supplied into the inside of the gas supply chamber;

an exhaust member that exhausts and discharges the gas, the exhaust member being located on an outer surface of the gas supply chamber and extending along the outer surface of the gas supply chamber in the extending direction; and

a head which ejects ink to the part of the medium which is irradiated with the plasma, and that moves in a second direction intersecting with the first direction,

wherein the plasma irradiation mechanism is provided on one side of the head in the second direction, and

wherein the discharge portion of the plasma irradiation mechanism is disposed so as not to come in contact with the medium.

2. The ink jet printer according to claim 1,

wherein a distance between the medium and the plasma irradiation port of the plasma irradiation mechanism is 1 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

3. The ink jet printer according to claim 2,

wherein the distance between the medium and the plasma irradiation port of the plasma irradiation mechanism is 3 mm or more and 7 mm or less.

4. The ink jet printer according to claim 1,

wherein the carriage is configured so that one portion on the medium is irradiated with the plasma at least twice before the ink is attached to the medium.

5. An ink jet printer comprising:

a transport mechanism that transports a medium in a first direction; and

a carriage that includes;

first and second irradiation mechanisms, each of the first and second irradiation mechanisms emitting plasma generated by applying a voltage to a gas in a discharge portion from a plasma irradiation port and then irradiates at least a part of the medium with the plasma;

first and second gas supply chambers, each of the first and second gas supply chambers being in a longitudinal shape extending in an extending direction, the discharge portion being provided at an inside of each of the first and second gas supply chambers, the gas being supplied into the inside of each of the first and second gas supply chambers;

first and second exhaust members that are respectively located on first and second outer surfaces of the first and second gas supply chambers and that extend along the first and second outer surfaces of the first and second gas supply chambers in the extending direction, each of the first and second exhaust members exhausting and discharging the gas; and

a head which ejects ink to the part of the medium which is irradiated with the plasma, and that moves in a second direction intersecting with the first direction,

wherein the first and second plasma irradiation mechanisms are provided on both sides of the head in the second direction, and

wherein the discharge portion of each of the first and second plasma irradiation mechanisms is disposed so as not to come in contact with the medium.

6. The ink jet printer according to claim 5,

wherein a distance between the medium and the plasma irradiation port of each of the first and second plasma irradiation mechanisms is 1 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

7. The ink jet printer according to claim 6,

wherein the distance between the medium and the plasma irradiation port of each of the first and second plasma irradiation mechanisms is 3 mm or more and 7 mm or less.

8. The ink jet printer according to claim 5,

wherein the carriage is configured so that one portion on the medium is irradiated with the plasma at least twice before the ink is attached to the medium.

9. A printing method of performing printing on a medium which is transported in a first direction by using a carriage which includes a plasma irradiation mechanism emitting plasma generated by applying a voltage to a gas in a discharge portion from a plasma irradiation port, a gas supply chamber that is in a longitudinal shape extending in an extending direction an exhaust member exhausting and discharging the gas, and a head ejecting ink,

wherein the discharge portion is provided at an inside of the gas supply chamber, the gas is supplied into the inside of the gas supply chamber, the exhaust member is located on an outer surface of the gas supply chamber and extends along the outer surface of the gas supply chamber in the extending direction, the method comprising:

emitting the plasma, which is generated in the discharge portion of the plasma irradiation mechanism, from the plasma irradiation port so as to irradiate at least a part of the medium with the plasma;

exhausting and discharging the gas by the exhaust member; and

ejecting the ink from the head to the part of the medium which is irradiated with the plasma,

wherein in the emitting of the plasma and the ejecting of the ink, the printing is performed by transporting the carriage in a second direction intersecting with the first direction,

wherein in the emitting of the plasma, due to the plasma irradiation mechanism which is provided on one side of the head in the second direction, the plasma is emitted in a state where the discharge portion does not come in contact with the medium.

10. The printing method according to claim 9,

wherein a distance between the medium and the plasma irradiation port of the plasma irradiation mechanism is 1 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

11. The printing method according to claim 10,

wherein a distance between the medium and the plasma irradiation port of the plasma irradiation mechanism is 3 mm or more and 7 mm or less.

12. The printing method according to claim 9,

wherein one portion on the medium is irradiated with the plasma at least twice before the ink is attached to the medium.

13. A printing method of performing printing on a medium which is transported in a first direction by using a carriage, the carriage includes:

first and second irradiation mechanisms, each of the first and second irradiation mechanisms emitting plasma generated by applying a voltage to a gas in a discharge portion from a plasma irradiation port;

first and second gas supply chambers, each of the first and second gas supply chambers being in a longitudinal shape extending in an extending direction, the discharge portion being provided at an inside of each of the first and second gas supply chambers, the gas being supplied into the inside of each of the first and second gas supply chambers;

first and second exhaust members that are respectively located on first and second outer surfaces of the first and second gas supply chambers and that extend along the first and second outer surfaces of the first and second gas supply chambers in the extending direction, each of the first and second exhaust members exhausting and discharging the gas; and

a head which ejects ink, the method comprising;

transporting the medium in the first direction;

emitting the plasma, which is generated in the discharge portion of each of the first and second plasma irradiation mechanisms, from the plasma irradiation port so as to irradiate at least a part of the medium with the plasma;

exhausting and discharging the gas by the first and second exhaust members; and

ejecting the ink from the head to the part of the medium which is irradiated with the plasma,

wherein during the emitting of the plasma and the ejecting of the ink, the printing is performed by transporting the carriage in a second direction intersecting with the first direction,

wherein during the emitting of the plasma, due to the first and second plasma irradiation mechanisms which are provided on both sides of the head in the second direction, the plasma is emitted in a state where the discharge portion does not come in contact with the medium,

when the carriage moves in a first way in the second direction, the plasma is emitted only from the first plasma irradiation mechanism so that the ink is ejected from the head after the plasma is emitted from the first plasma irradiation mechanism, and

when the carriage moves in a second way opposite to the first way in the second direction, the plasma is emitted only from the second plasma irradiation mechanism so that the ink is ejected from the head after the plasma is emitted from the second plasma irradiation mechanism.

14. The printing method according to claim 13,

wherein a distance between the medium and the plasma irradiation port of each of the first and second plasma irradiation mechanisms is 1 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

15. The printing method according to claim 14,

wherein the distance between the medium and the plasma irradiation port of each of the first and second plasma irradiation mechanisms is 3 mm or more and 7 mm or less.

16. The printing method according to claim 13,

wherein one portion on the medium is irradiated with the plasma at least twice before the ink is attached to the medium.