Direct thermal and inkjet dual-sided printing

p00001Direct thermal and inkjet double-sided printing

p00002This description refers to double-sided printing. More particularly, the present description includes examples of embodiments directed to a direct thermal and double-sided inkjet printer, double-sided printing materials therefor and a method for printing a material.

p00003In many industries and applications there has been a shift in the printing of documents, including transaction documents (for example, receipts, tickets, gift certificates, raffles and the like) using bond paper, towards printing these documents using paper or materials thermal in direct thermal printers. In direct thermal printing, a thermal printhead selectively applies heat to thermal paper or other sheet materials, which includes a substrate with one or more thermally sensitive coatings that change color when heat is applied, thereby providing "printing. "on the coated substrate.

p00004Direct thermal printing includes a direct thermal printing face for thermal printing of one side of the thermal printing material, and double-sided direct thermal printing for thermal printing of both sides of the thermal materials. In direct double-sided thermal printing, a thermal printer is configured to allow concurrent printing on both sides of the thermal transfer material that travel along a feed path through the thermal printer, as described in the US Patent No. 6,784,906 and 6,759,366. In said direct double-sided thermal printer, a thermal printhead is disposed on each side of the two thermal print faces comprising, inter alia, a substrate with a thermally sensitive coating on each of the two opposite surfaces thereof. . Each thermal printhead faces an opposite platen through the thermal print papers of the respective printhead. During printing, the thermally opposed printheads selectively apply heat to the opposite sides of the double-sided thermal printing papers, such that printing is provided on both sides thereof.

p00005Single or double-sided direct thermal printing is typically provided in one color (for example, black, blue

p00006or red) on one or both printable faces of the respective single or double-sided direct thermal printing. For direct double-sided thermal printing, a different color (for example, black, red or blue) can be provided on each of the two opposite sides of the material. Printing one side of a document in one color (for example, black, blue or red), such as for printing transaction details and, simultaneously, printing the other side of the document in full color (for for example, CMYK), such as for the printing of an advertisement or a coupon, which can be advantageous for point-of-sale applications, among others, is known from JP-A-2003 251 595. Although a single-sided direct thermal color printing has been developed and a double-sided direct thermal color printing is under development, they remain prohibitive for many applications, especially in the printing of transaction documents containing multicolored images, such such as advertising at the point of sale. However, inkjet color printing is less expensive and is used in double-sided applications, as illustrated in JP-A-2003 251 595.

p00007According to a first aspect of the invention, a double-sided printer according to claim 1 is provided.

p00008According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of imaging in a printing material according to claim 8. The various concomitant features and advantages of the embodiments will be more fully appreciated when it is better understood when be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views, and where:

p00009Figure 1 illustrates a diagram of an example of a direct thermal printer and double-sided inkjet for direct thermal double-sided printing and inkjet printing, and

p00010Figure 2 illustrates a cross section of an example of a combination of direct thermal and inkjet printing materials for use in a printer according to Figure 1.

p00011Figure 1 illustrates a diagram of an example of direct thermal printer and double-sided inkjet 100 for double-sided printing of printing material 102 such as that described below with reference to Figure 2. A variety of Printing materials 102 can be used to print various documents, such as receipts, tickets, gift certificates, raffles, coupons, vouchers, as well as many other documents not listed in this document. As will be described in greater detail below with reference to Figure 2, of the printing material 102 includes a thermally sensitive coating and, possibly, one or more bases and / or layers of top coating on at least a first face thereof. Similarly, the printing materials 102 may further comprise an inkjet receptive coating and possibly one or more bases and / or

p00013upper coating layers, on a second side thereof to facilitate thermal and inkjet printing through the double-sided printer 100. Thermal printing can be of a single color (eg, black, blue or red) , while inkjet printing can be in any variety of colors including full printing or color process (for example, cyan, magenta, yellow and black: CMYK).

p00014Also with reference to Figure 1, a double-sided printer 100 may also include first and second support arms 118 and 120. The second support arm 120 may be articulated on an axis of the arm 124 to allow the second support arm 120 pivot or rotate in relation to the first support arm 118 to, for example, facilitate access to, and maintenance of the double-sided printer 100. The support arms 118 and 120 can also be in a fixed relationship with each other. The double-sided printer 100 may further include plates 104 and 106 and the opposite print heads 108 and 110 on opposite sides of the print material

p00015102 More specifically, the first support arm 118 may include a first platen 104 and one or more direct thermal print heads 110, and the second support arm 120 may include a second platen 106 and one or more inkjet print heads 108. Alternatively, the first or second support arm 118 or 120 may include the first platen 104, the one or more direct thermal print heads 110, the second platen 106 and the one or more inkjet heads 108. In addition, the first Support arm 118 may include the first platen 104 and one or more inkjet printheads 110, and the second support arm 120 may include a second roller 106 and one or more direct thermal printheads 108.

p00016In further reference to Figure 1, the one or more thermal printheads 110 and inkjet 108 will be discussed in the singular. However, it should be understood that more than one thermal and / or inkjet printheads are possible such as, for example, an inkjet printhead for each of the colors (e.g. CMYK) in A full color application or in process.

p00017As illustrated in Figure 1, the plates 104 and 106 are substantially cylindrical in shape, although other shapes, including flat surfaces, such as plates, are possible. The first stage 104 may be articulated on a first axis 114 and the second stage 106 may be articulated on a second axis 116. The axes 114 and 116 may be coupled to the support arms 118 and 120, respectively. Alternatively, axes 114 and 116 may be coupled to a single support arm, such as support arm 118 or 120.

p00018With further reference to Figure 1, it is noted that printheads 108 and 110 are substantially in line and face substantially opposite directions. As a result, the feed path of the material of the print material 102 may be substantially a straight line path given the substantially in-line orientation of the print heads 108 and 110. This configuration makes it easy to feed online and output print media 102 to and from the double-sided printer 100. The in-line feed path also facilitates the automation of the replacement and feeding of the print material 102, allowing the print material 102 to be automatically extracted from the print head 110 and the platen 106 through the print head 108 and the plate 104, or vice versa, and accommodates elements of thick or rigid materials that can withstand bending or otherwise undesirable to bend. It is also noted that the position of the printhead 108 / platen 104 can be interchanged with that of the printhead 110 / platen 106, or other possible variations that may be desired.

p00019Still with reference to Figure 1, a double-sided printer 100 may include a drive assembly

p00020122. The drive assembly 122 may comprise one or more motors (not shown) for feeding a system of gears, couplings, cams, and combinations thereof for the operation of the double-sided printer 100. More specifically, the plates 104 and 106 may rotate through drive assembly 122 about axes 114 and 116, respectively, to move print material 102 through double-sided printer 100. In addition, a thermal printhead 110 and an inkjet printhead 108 may be stationary or fixed on the double-sided printer 100 in relation to the print material 102 as it travels through the drive assembly 122 for the printing by printheads 108, 110. More specifically, the print heads 108 and 110 may be wide enough (for example, almost as wide or wider than the width of the print material 102) to print the print material 102. Alternatively, one or both inkjet printheads 108 and the direct thermal printhead 110 may be narrower than the width of the print material 102 and may be stationary or laterally movable, for example, perpendicular to the movement of the material. print 102, through a lateral movement assembly (not shown) that can also be operated by the drive assembly 122 to print across the width of the print material 102. The direct thermal print head 110 can be any print head suitable for direct thermal printing by forming images on one side of one of the printing materials 102, such as those described in US Patent Nos. 3,947,854, 4,708,500 and 5,964,541. The inkjet printhead 108 may be any printhead suitable for inkjet printing of the other part of printing material 102, and may include one or more nozzles for depositing a plurality of colors on the printing material. print 102.

p00022In addition, with reference to Figure 1, the double-sided printer 100 may further include one or more sensors 112 to determine various conditions for controlling the operation of the printer 100, such as a paper sensor for detecting a low paper and / or a paper in input / output condition, a material type sensor to detect a type of material (for example, non-thermal, single-sided thermal, bright double-sided thermal, inkjet receptive, high and low brightness, etc.) installed in the printer 100, and a material size sensor to detect a material size (eg, width, length, thickness, shape, etc.) installed in the printer 100.

p00023However, with reference to FIG. 1, the double-sided printer 100 operates on printing material 102, which can be supplied in the form of a continuous paper roll, a folded continuous stack or a stock of loose sheets, and in the that features such as graphics or text, and combinations thereof, can be printed on one or both sides thereof through the respective printheads 108, 110, to provide a printed document that has a face formed with images through direct thermal printing of a single color, and another side printed through inkjet printing in one or more colors. Although a variety of documents can be printed, documents such as receipts, tickets and coupons may be especially suitable, in which details of the transaction in one color may form images on one side by the direct thermal print head 110 and the advertising or Another material that can benefit from the use of color can be printed in a variety of colors, including the full color, on the other side by the inkjet printhead 108. In some applications, such as tickets, it may be desirable to include transaction information (for example, date, time, price, buyer, means of payment, origin, destination, events and the like) on a face where they thermally form images of printed materials 102, and a full color image of a buyer and / or the designated assistant on an inkjet printing face. When applied to receipts, such application can be used to minimize the risk of receipt fraud, linking the purchase of one or more items, and the subsequent return thereof, to a particular person.

p00024Also with reference to FIG. 1, two-sided printing can be facilitated by, for example, the printing material 102 which includes a thermal layer comprising a thermal imaging component on one side of the printing material 102 and a receptive coating of inkjet on the other side of the print material

p00025102 The printing material 102 may also include a substrate sufficiently thermally resistant to inhibit thermal printing on the face of one of the printing materials 102 from affecting the inkjet printing on the opposite side of the printing material 102. The substrate may also be sufficiently resistant to ink (eg, hydrophobic, non-porous, etc.) to inhibit inkjet printing on the face of one of the printing materials 102 from affecting thermal printing on the face. opposite of print media 102. The substrate can be a cellulosic sheet or a polymer substrate coated with a thermal coating having a heat sensitive dye on one side and an inkjet receptive coating on the other side.

p00026With additional reference to Figure 1, double-sided printing of print material 102 can be performed in a single step process. Alternatively, two-sided printing can be performed in a process where the material 102 can be printed by one or both of the printheads 108 and 110 when moving in a first direction, and then retracted for additional printing by one or both printheads 108 and 110 with the materials moving, either in the first or second direction, of retraction. Once the printing is finished, the printing material 102 can be manually or automatically cut or separated through a cutting device (not shown), where the printing material 102 leaves the double-sided printer 100, to form a document that has, inter alia, a single-color thermal print on one side and the single or complete inkjet color print on the other side of it.

p00027Still with additional reference to Figure 1, the double printer 100 also includes control electronics to control the operation of the double-sided printer 100. The control electronics may include a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU) 126, and a memory 128, such as one or more dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) printing buffer elements. The control electronics may also include a communications controller 130 for communication with one or more host or auxiliary systems, such as a point of sale (POS) terminal or a computer, for data entry and data output to from the double-sided printer 100. The communication controller 130 can support a universal serial bus (USB), Ethernet and / or wireless communications, among others. The data for printing would typically be supplied by the POS terminal or the computer in communication with the double-sided printer 100 through the communication controller 130.

p00028As illustrated in Figure 1, the printer 100 may further include a print function switch 132, implemented in the hardware or software, to control, among other things, the operation of one or more duplex printing modes or functions including the operation of a first and a second printhead 108, 110. The double-sided functionality of the printer can be controlled by commands executed with, for example, configuration settings in hardware or software, escape sequences, real-time printer commands, and the like. The print function switch 132 can buffer the print data received in the memory 128 and can also determine how the print data

p00030Printing received or cushioned will be delineated between a first and a second side of the print material 102. For example, the print function switch 132 can automatically designate received transaction details to form single-color images through the thermal print head 110 on a first face of the print material 102, while the designation of details of advertising received for printing in one or more colors, up to and including full color, through the inkjet printhead 108 on a second side of the print material 102.

p00031In one embodiment, the print function switch 132 may designate details of the transaction received for printing on a first side of the material 102 by storing the detail of the transaction received in a first portion of the memory 128. Similarly, the print function switch can designate the detail of the advertising received for printing in one or more colors, up to and including in full color, on a second side of the material 102 by storing the advertising details received in a second portion of memory 128. The data recovered from the first memory part can be printed on the first side of the print material 102, while the data recovered from the second memory portion can be printed on the second side of the material 102. This data can be recovered and / or subsequently treated for printing by the CPU 126.

p00032In operation, advertising detail data can be received simultaneously with transaction detail data from a host terminal or a computer such as a POS terminal. Alternatively, details of the advertising comprising one or more advertisements, coupons, vouchers, rebates and the like, can be received and stored in advance of details of the transaction, and selected for printing with details of the particular transaction by the power switch. print function 132. This selection can be made on the basis of, inter alia, the detail of the transaction includes goods or services purchased, time of day, day of the week, one week, month or season of the year of the transaction, the total price of the transaction , the means of payment (for example, credit, debit, check, automatic transfer of funds, etc.), the identity of the buyer, purchase history, a loyalty program, etc. Alternatively, said selection may be random according to one or more algorithms.

p00033In one embodiment, with reference to Figure 1, the memory 128 of the double-sided printer 100 may have a predefined print data storage area for storing one or more predefined print data blocks to be repetitively printed on one or more both sides of the print material 102. Predefined printing data blocks may include, for example, one or more of a store or other location identifier, a logo, advertising, promotional information, legal information including guarantees and limitations of liability, and the like. Additional information not expressly listed may also be included in the predefined print data blocks. The predefined print data can be printed together with the received print data provided by the POS terminal or computer on one or both sides of the print material 102. Such printing can be automatic, which occurs every time without further intervention or control, and / or can be selectable and / or controllable, for example, the print function switch 132. When multiple data blocks are stored in the predefined print data storage area, or received from the POS terminal through the communication controller 130, the blocks may alternatively be selected to be printed on one or both sides of the print material 102 by the print function switch 132. In addition to being selected for printing as part of each print job, such predefined print data can be selected for printing based on, for example, received transaction details or a random algorithm as described above.

p00034In addition to the use of a print function switch 132, the double-sided printer 100 can support different mechanisms for delineating the received print data for printing on the print material 102. For example, the CPU 126 can receive data delineated for printing by the respective printheads 108 and 110 directly from the communication controller 130, and the CPU 126 can then control the activation of the respective printheads 108 and 110 for the printing of the print data received on the respective faces of the print material 102.

p00035Figure 2 illustrates a cross section 200 of an example of a combination of direct thermal and inkjet printing materials 102 for use in a printer 100 according to Figure 1. As depicted in cross section 200, the material Print 102 may include a substrate 202 having a first surface 212 and a second surface 214. The first surface 212 may also be coated with a first primer 204, and the second surface 214 may also be coated with a second primer 208. In addition, the print material 102 may further comprise an inkjet receptive coating 206, such as one or more layers of ceramic particles arranged in a pore pattern, and a thermal functional coating 210, such as one or more leuco dyes, promoters and / or sensitizers. The substrate 202 may generally be opaque to inhibit that direct thermal printing on one side of the printing material 102 is visible on the other side of the printing material 102, as well as the inhibition of color injection printing on one side of the printing material. print 102 that is visible on the other side of print material 102. The substrate 202 may also be thermally resistant enough to inhibit that thermal printing on the face of one of the printing materials 102 affects the inkjet printing

p00037on the opposite side of the printing material 102. Moreover, the substrate 202 may also be sufficiently resistant to ink to inhibit inkjet printing on one side of the printing materials 102 that affects thermal printing on the face opposite of print media 102.

p00038Also with reference to Figure 2, the first primer 204 can be applied to the first surface 212 and the second primer 208 can be applied to the second surface 214 using any suitable process, such as flooding and dosing, followed by drying. Generally, by flooding with a mixture of aqueous coating and then measuring the excess, the application of primers 204 and 208 to substrate 202 is achieved. The inkjet receiver coating 206 and the functional thermal layer 210 can be applied, respectively, to the substrate 202 or the first and second primers 204 and 208 using any suitable process, such as flooding and dosing, followed by drying. Alternatively, spraying, immersion or etch coating can be used instead of flooding and dosing, with respect to the application of the first and second primers 204 and 208, as well as the inkjet receiver coating 206 and the functional thermal layer 210. An upper coating 216, 218, as well as additional coatings (not shown), can also be applied to the respective inkjet receptive layer 206 and / or the functional thermal coating 210 using any suitable process, such as flooding and dosing, followed drying, or, alternatively, by spraying, immersion or coating by etching. Superior and / or additional coatings can provide benefits in terms of image quality, permanence and resistance to a wide range of harmful or harmful effects (eg, scratches, water, ultraviolet light and the like), desired by various printing applications. It is noted that the first and second primers 204 and 208, and the first and second top coatings 216 and 218, can be omitted, with the print material 102 including only the inkjet receiving coating 206 and the thermal functional coatings 210 applied directly to the respective first and second surfaces 212 and 214 of the substrate 202 using any suitable process as described above.

p00039However, further with reference to Figure 2, the substrate 202 may include a cellulosic material. Suitable cellulosic materials include pulp-based nonwoven materials. Alternatively, the substrate 202 may include a polymeric material, such as polypropylene or polyethylene, which may be in the form of a film. The first and second primers 204 and 208 may be of any suitable material to facilitate adhesion of the inkjet receiving coating 206 and functional thermal coatings 210, respectively, to the first and second surfaces 212 and 214 of the substrate 202. For example, the first and second primers 204 and 208 may be of a water-based mixture including clay materials primarily, which may be spread on the substrate 202 and then dried. The first and second primers 204 and 208 can be used to cushion the inkjet receiver coating 206 and the thermal functional coating 210 from the active residue in the substrate 202.

p00040Even more with reference to Figure 2, the inkjet receptive liner 206 may include one or more layers for printing one side of the full-color print material 102, as described above in reference to Figure 1. In addition, coating 206 may provide advantages such as improved ink drying capabilities, as well as improved image stability. The functional thermal coating 210 may include any single color thermal image component to form images on a thermal side of the print material 102 in a single color, as described above in reference to Figure 1. The image forming component Thermal may be a heat sensitive dye or dye precursor. In addition, the thermal imaging component may be mixed with appropriate binders, additives, solvents and reagents (eg activators) as desired to allow ease of coating when the functional thermal coating 210 is applied to the substrate 202 and the appropriate Functional thermal layer 210 operation when imaging with double-sided printer 100.

p00041In the operation of the double-sided printer 100, and according to Figures 1-2, the double-sided printing material 102 can be unwound from a roll of printing material, taken from a stack of folded printing materials, or obtained as stock of loose sheets of a paper tray, and can be moved along a material feed path through printheads 110 and 108 for double-sided inkjet / thermal printing, after which it can be output out of the printer double-sided 100.

p00042In operation, the printer 100 can receive, through the communication of the controller 130, delineated print data (including color information for inkjet printhead 108) for printing via the respective printheads 108 and 110. Such printing data can be stored in a memory 128 of the printer or sent directly to the CPU 126 for processing and printing by the respective printheads 108 and 110 on respective faces of the printing materials 102 according to Figures 1- two. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the operation of the printer 100, including the selection of data for, and / or enabling printing by, one or both of the printheads 108 and 110, can be controlled by a power switch. print function 132 as described above. Such control may comprise delineating data received and / or stored for printing by the respective printheads 108 and 110, including the determination of one or more colors for printing by

p00044the inkjet printhead 108.

p00045In addition, in some embodiments, the printer control may be limited based on one or more signals from one or more print sensors 112. Such sensors 112 may include (i) a paper quantity sensor to produce a signal indicative of a quantity of paper (for example, full, low and / or outside) installed on or 5 associated with a printer 100, (ii) a print media type sensor to produce a signal indicative of a type of material (for example, non-thermal, single-sided thermal, double-sided thermal, inkjet receptive, thermal inkjet receptive, and the like) installed in or associated with a printer 100, and / or (iii) a print material size sensor to produce a signal indicative of a size (eg, length, width and / or thickness) of the materials of communication installed in or associated with the printer 100. One or more 10 signals from the one or more installed print sensors 112 may be used to control a

p00046or more functions or operations of the printer 100 such as enabling and / or disabling printing by one or more printheads 108 and 110, a location for printing on one or both sides of the material 102 by one or more printheads 108 and 110 , a printing speed, an amount of ink dispersed by an inkjet printhead 108, an amount of heat applied by one or more printheads

p00047fifteen thermal 110, and the like.

p00048When enabled, and as described hereinbefore, the inkjet printhead 108 may print the print data first in one or more colors, including full color, to one side of the print material 102 and The direct thermal print head 110 can be formed with second print data, which can be the same as or different from the first print data, in a

p00049twenty single color (for example, black, blue or red) on the other side of the print material 102.