High quality jet printer and method.

The invention relates to a printer suitable for producing multi-­colour and monochrome images employing an ink jet print head in which a printing fluid is selectively ejected from a nozzle.

Printers of various kinds have been developed which employ droplets for printing by depositing discrete drops of printing fluid such as ink on a recording medium such as a paper sheet in a predetermined pattern. Some of these printers have used static pressure to expel the ink through an orifice to produce a stream of droplets, and others of these printers, known as ink jet drop-on-demand printers, have been developed which eject a small quantity of ink only upon electrical command.

While printers of the type described have experienced significant improvement and development over the years, such printers suffer from a number of serious limitations, particularly with respect to the trade-offs that must be made in formulating suitable printing inks. For example, for short drying time a rapidly drying ink would be desirable, but such an ink dries in the nozzle during the dormancy time of the printhead which creates a maintenance problem. Should one try to solve the problem by including a print sheet penetrant in the ink, then drying time and maintenance are acceptable, but the ink may spread in the print sheet which lowers print quality.

To maintain high print quality and low printhead maintenance, the present state of the art uses high water content inks containing highly water soluble dyes with low levels of ionic salt impurities which are likely to precipitate from the ink on evaporation of the water at the nozzle surface. These dyes generally suffer the disadvantage of poor waterfastness and poor archivality.

Additional concerns regarding ink jet printing are printhead lifetime and reliability. Often printhead lifetime is limited by corrosion resulting from ink components required for a good ink formulation. It has been shown in the art that the dye and the ions present in inks are the major culprit causing printhead lifetime failures. If the pH is too high or too low these additives can readily corrode the electrical contacts through defects or pinholes in the protective layers. Other common ions, for example, chloride ions, even at low levels can cause corrosive failure over long periods of time.

While many of the cited problems have been solved for low usage, low throughput serial printers, with 50 to several hundred nozzles per printhead, the printhead lifetime reliability problem becomes formidable when contemplating page-wide printing with ink jet printing technology. In this case one would require arrays of as many as 2,400 nozzles or more. Furthermore, to print a colour image would require three colour nozzle arrays and in some cases one black nozzle array. It is clear, therefore, that the reliability problem for colour page printing is formidable.

A printer, according to the present invention comprises means for feeding a print receiving medium in a print path cycle successively through a printing station, a developing station, and fixing station of the printer, control means for controlling an ink jet print head at the print station to selectively eject a dyeless marking fluid to produce a fluid latent image of a desired pattern on a medium located at the print station, and developing means and fixing means respectively at the developing and fixing station subsequently to develop and fix the latent image so formed on the medium.

According to a feature of thee invention, the printer further includes deflection means operable on completion of a print path cycle for selectively deflecting the print receiving medium from the print path to an output station.

According to a further feature of the invention, the control means is operable in response to data supplied thereto defining a composite image comprising more than one colour image component to be printed on the medium, to control feeding of the medium through the printer in a succession of print cycles equal in number to the number of colour components of the composite image and to control the print head to generate a latent image of a different colour component in each print cycle, and in which the developer station includes a plurality of developer means each individually adapted to develop a fluid latent image in a colour different from that of the remaining developers of the plurality, the control means being further operable during each print cycle to select a developer of appropriate colour to develop the image component generated on he medium during that cycle.

Marking fluids suitable for use with the present invention comprise mixtures of various polyhydric alcohols and water.

The present invention also encompasses a method of multi-colour printing on a printer receiving medium comprising the steps of: controlling an ink jet printhead to eject a dyeless making fluid so as to produce a fluid latent image of a single colour component of the multi-colour image medium, developing and fixing the colour component image so produced; and repeating the process for each other single colour component image until the full multi-colour image is developed and fixed on the medium.

Prior art imaging processes are known in which an existing image is reproduced using colourless marking fluid to generate a latent image which is developed in a subsequent operation. For example, U.S. patent 3,265,522 discloses a copying process in which an original to be copied is heated while in contact with an oil so that the oil evaporates from the surface of the original and condenses on a copy surface to form a latent image which is then developed with a coloured powder.

U.S. patent 3,444,809, discloses a similar reproduction process in which an oil latent image is formed on a support. The oil latent image is developed with a thermoadhesive powder. The thermoadhesive powder image is then heated and transferred to an image receiving sheet where it is developed by a developing powder.

U.S. patent 4,683,191 discloses an imaging system in which a latent liquid image is formed on a substrate and contacted with toner powder which can exist as a supercooled liquid. The toner powder is then allowed to solidify.

All of these cited references refer to the reproduction of existing images by generating a latent liquid image of the existing image. None suggest the direct creation of a latent image on a print receiving medium by an ink jet printhead projecting a dyeless marking fluid which is then subsequently developed and fixed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>Fig. 1 is a side view of the printer according to the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 2 is a front view of a printhead with some parts cut away;</li><li>Fig. 3 is a section view taken along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;</li><li>Fig. 4 is a side view showing one developer suitable for use in the present invention; and</li><li>Fig. 5 is a side view of another developer suitable for use in the present invention.</li></ul>

The printer, according to the present invention, uses an ink jet printhead in which the marking fluid contains no dye or other additives so that a latent image of the desired print pattern is produced in the form of moistened spots of fluid directly on the print medium. The latent image is then developed by applying some coloured powder to the print medium to produce a developed image, and the developed image is then fixed to the print medium to produce the desired pattern. This printing apparatus is suitable for monochrome printing or, by making several passes through the printer using different colours (including black) each time, full colour printing. An advantage of the printer according to the present invention derives from the use of a single print head using a dyeless ink for all printing operations. By this means the lifetime and maintenance problems associated with conventional ink jet printers is alleviated.

Fig. 1 shows details of a printer, according to the present invention, comprising a rotatable print drum 10 having a plurality of stations around the periphery of the drum 10 suitable for producing a desired image on a print receiving medium such as a paper sheet 12 fed from sheet feeder 14. The sheet 12, carried by the drum 10, is fed through a print station 15 past a printhead 16 operable to generate a latent image of the desired pattern on the paper using a dyeless fluid. The print sheet 12 is then further transported to a developer station 18 where the latent image is developed into a visible image using suitable toner material or other powder or dye. Finally, the sheet is transported to a fixing station 19 where the developed latent image is made permanent. By operation of a picker mechanism 62, print sheet 12 may then either be transported out of the printer to a sheet output station 22 or maintained on print drum 10 for a further cycle of image production on print sheet 12. By this means, multiple colour images can be produced by combining successive cycles of image production through the printer with each pass generating a component image in a different colour (including black).

Control of the printer in producing the various cycles of image production is provided by a control unit 24 which preferably includes a microprocessor. Control unit 24 stores the data corresponding to the image pattern to be printed which may be communicated to the printer from an associated data processing unit, a scanner, facsimile transmission, or other suitable data source. In response to the stored data, control unit 24 generates signals to control the various components of the imaging apparatus, and executes control over the imaging apparatus to effect printing of the image pattern.

Synchronism with movement of the print sheet as it is transported by print drum 10 is provided by an emitter 60 which is mounted on the same shaft as print drum 10. By sensing the signals from emitter 10 relative to a reference or home position, control unit 24 can synchronize signals to the various stations with movement of the print sheet along with the print drum. Once the desired image is produced on the sheet 12, either after one pass for a monochrome image or several passes for a multicolour image, a signal from control unit 24 actuates picker mechanism 62 to divert the print sheet from the print drum 10 to the sheet path to sheet output station 22.

The printhead 16 in this embodiment of the invention comprises a thermal ink jet drop-on-demand printing apparatus. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, printhead 16 comprises an array of heating elements 26 on one surface of an electrically insulating substrate 28. A nozzle plate 30 is mounted adjacent to the substrate member 28 with a nozzle 32 adjacent to each of the heating elements 26. The nozzle plate 30 also includes a channel 34 which leads from an ink manifold 36 to each of the nozzles 32. Ink manifold 36 is positioned to receive ink from ink supply openings 38. In operation, heating elements 26 are selectively energized to form a "bubble" in the adjacent ink. The rapid growth of the bubble causes an ink drop to be ejected from the associated nozzle 32. Printing is accomplished by energizing the heating element 26 each time a drop is required at that nozzle position to produce the desired print image.

In Figs 2 and 3, the resistive heater elements 26 are arranged in four spaced rows, and the heater elements 26 in one row are preferably staggered with respect to the heater elements in the other rows. Any desired print placement can be achieved by selecting the number of rows and the offset between corresponding heater elements in adjacent rows.

Energizing a selected heating element 26 causes a drop of ink to be ejected from the corresponding nozzle. By the appropriate timing of the energization of the rows of heating elements 26, a line of drops can be printed which extends across the entire print sheet 12. This mode of operation can be achieved by a single printhead which extends across the width of the print sheet 12, or, alternatively, by the use of a plurality of modular printheads each of which extends partially across the print sheet and mounting the plurality of the modular units aligned to extend across the print sheet. One suitable printhead arrangement is that described in greater detail and claimed in U.S. patent 4,791,440.

The marking fluid or ink that is ejected in the desired image pattern by printhead 16 comprises a dyeless marking fluid so that no visible image, or clearly visible image, is produced by the marking fluid on print sheet 12.

The 'latent' image of dyeless fluid deposited directly on the paper by the ink jet printhead can be used to develop a visible image because of general surface tension forces which increases the adhesion of a dry powder to the wetted drop area on the substrate. Because of the short range of the adhesive forces of the liquid droplet only that portion of the droplet that has not penetrated or feathered into the paper is available for attracting toner powder. Consider, then, a roller coated with a uniform layer of powder brought into proximity with the paper containing the 'latent' droplet image. wherever there is a 'latent' droplet 'on' (but not 'in') the paper, powder adheres. If the powder is a dye soluble in the fluid it dissolves in the 'latent' image. If the powder is a thermoplastic toner particle, such as used in electrophotography, then it adheres to the droplet. The toner is then subsequently fixed to the paper at the fixing station 19.

One advantage of the disclosed process is that it produces print with high print quality on office bond paper and without the usual trade-off in ink jet printing between drying time and print quality. Another advantage of using a dyeless fluid in the printhead is that colour printing can be achieved with only one nozzle array rather than four arrays (one for each of the three primary colours, the primary colours being magenta, cyan and yellow, plus one for black). By this process the throughput for an all-black image is not compromised as in the present state of the art (for the same number of nozzles and the same drop rate) and only for colour images does one have the trade-off of a factor of four reduction in throughput but with a corresponding fourfold reduction in printhead cost and an increase in printhead lifetime and reliability. The marking fluid is chosen as one having a high surface energy, which is relatively non-wetting to conventional bond paper, and which is compatible with the jetting requirements of the ink jet printhead. The marking fluid specifically should not have any salts or soluble solid material since these materials are known to cause potential maintenance problems in ink jet printers. The preferred components of the marking fluid are miscible with water and have a boiling point higher than water so that the marking fluid is non-volatile at ambient conditions.

A number of dyeless fluids may be used to practice the present invention, however they should meet several criteria. Thus, preferred fluids are those which are not corrosive and do not react with any component of the printhead and ink system and do not contain impurities which are similarly detrimental. Fluid viscosity should be adjustable for the given ink jet configuration for optimum jettability. Generally, this means that the viscosity should be in the range of a few to as much as 2.5 Kg⁻¹ s⁻¹ (25 centipoise (Cp)). In addition, the fluid should preferably be thermally and environmentally stable over long periods of time. Finally, the preferred dyeless fluid should not wet and penetrate into the paper in the time between its deposition and development at the developer station because it is the drop 'on' and not 'in' the paper to which the developer powder adheres. Accordingly, the surface tension of the preferred fluid should be above 40 Newtons/Meter (4.0x10⁴ dynes/cm)

Dyeless fluids that meet the above criteria include mixtures of water with polyhydric alcohols. Polyhydric alcohols and their sub-set of glycol ethers are aliphatic compounds containing more than one hydroxylic group. Typical examples of polyhydric alcohols are ethylene glycol, glycerol and the glycol ethers, the latter including, diethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol. The advantages of these materials are that they are nonionic, are thermally stable, and are completely miscible with water. The preferred marking fluid comprises 50% by weight of water, and the balance ethylene glycol.

The developer station 18 comprises any suitable apparatus, such as roll developer apparatus or cascade developer apparatus, for applying a coloured powder or toner to the marking fluid image produced on print sheet 12 to produce a corresponding visible image. The roll developer station may comprise so called impression developer apparatus or jump developer apparatus.

In the impression developer shown in Fig. 4 the roll developer apparatus 40a (shown schematically) is moved from the full line (inactive) position to the dashed line (active) position under control of a signal from control unit 24 to activate a solenoid. In the active position toner carried by a development roller of the apparatus 40a is directly transferred from the roller to the latent image on the paper. Impression developer apparatus is described in great detail and claimed in U.S. patents 3,731,146 and 3,754,963.

In the jump developer shown in Fig. 5, jump developer apparatus 40b (shown schematically) remains in a fixed position adjacent to the print drum. The jump developer apparatus is activated by a signal from control unit 24 which turns on a voltage source connected to the developer apparatus and the field produced by this voltage causes the toner powder to "jump" across the small gap between the grounded print drum and the roll developer apparatus to produce a visible image of the latent image produced by printhead 16. Jump developer apparatus is described in greater detail in U.S. patent 3,232,190.

Cascade developer apparatus as its name implies, simply drops or cascades powder onto the latent image and is extensively used to apply toner in conventional xerographic copier machines.

In the specific embodiment shown in Fig. 1, developer station 18 comprises a plurality of separate developer apparatus 40. Each developer apparatus 40 comprises an impress ion developer apparatus in which the powder, is brought into direct contact with the image.

For multicolour images, each of the developer apparatus 40 has a different colour powder so that full colour images can be produced by generating a sequentially selected image for each colour, magenta, cyan and yellow and, if necessary, black. One colour image is produced for each cycle around the print drum under control of the unit 24. On each pass through the printer the paper, having left the developer station 18, is transported through fixing station 19 where the developed image is made permanent. The nature of the fixing process depends upon the nature of the developed image to be fixed but may for example comprise a hot roll fuser 20. The print sheet 12 is transported for further cycles around print drum 10 as required until all parts of the image have been developed and fixed with the appropriate image content and colour.

In practise the contact of a developer roll to the paper not only transfers toner powder to the 'latent' droplet image but also to a lesser extent to the paper where it creates unwanted background. To reduce general background, bias voltages are applied to the roller during development to reduce image background. Both image and background density are raised or lowered by application of a bias voltage. Toner is applied across the surface of the paper and a voltage is applied during this development. the voltage is then reversed to remove the toner from the background areas. The developer roll is preferably connected to an AC power supply generator.

An alternative method of reducing the image background entails mixing the toner with a silica aerogel to neutralise any triboelectric charges.

A variety of toner powders currently used in the photocopier industry including the Ricoh toner used in the Oki laser printer, the Xerox developer (1065) and the IBM Series III toner are suitable for developing the latent images. Selection of the appropriate toner, powder, dye or pigment will depend upon the nature of the image to be developed.

Fixing is achieved by means of conventional copier fusing or other known fixing techniques.