Method and device for ink-jet printing

The present invention relates to compositions and printing methods applicable to jet printing.

(Cross-reference of related applications) This application is filed in US Provisional Application No. 60 / 965,361 filed on August 20, 2007, US Provisional Application No. 60 / 965,634 filed on August 21, 2007, and US Provisional Application No. 60 / 965,634 filed on August 22, 2007. 60 / 965,753, US provisional application 60 / 965,861 filed August 23, 2007, US provisional application 60 / 965,744 filed August 22, 2007, and US provisional application filed August 22, 2007. Claim the interests of provisional application No. 60 / 965,743. The entire contents of all the applications mentioned above are incorporated herein by reference.

The lithographic printing technology and the gravure printing technology have been continuously improved and improved for many years. The basic principle of lithographic printing involves transferring ink from a surface that has both an ink receiving area and an ink repelling area. In offset printing, intermediate transfer of ink is performed. For example, in an offset lithographic printing press, ink is transferred from a plate cylinder to a rubber blanket cylinder, and an image is transferred from the blanket cylinder to a surface (for example, a paper web). In gravure printing, a plate cylinder with a concave recess for ink comes into contact with the paper web, and charging promotes the transfer of ink to paper.

Early lithographic printing techniques used reliefs of images to be printed that were formed on the plate so that the ink adhered only to the raised areas. The current printing process for lithographic printing utilizes the principles of materials science. For example, the printed image is etched onto a hydrophilic plate so that the printed portion is hydrophobic. If the plate is moistened with water prior to ink application, the oil-based ink will adhere only to the hydrophobic portion of the plate (ie, the portion that was not wet in the dampening water process).

<p> Traditionally, all of these printing techniques have similar problems in that the same image is printed over and over again. This is because the plates used in conventional lithographic printing each have a fixed (ie, invariant) image, such as a relief image or an etched hydrophobic image. Also, in gravure printing, a fixed image is used by the concave ink dents engraved on the plate cylinder. It is quite expensive to make a plate used in a lithographic printing press or a plate cylinder or plate cylinder sleeve used in a gravure printing machine. Therefore, it is not cost-effective to perform a job of printing a small number of copies (that is, a short-term job) on a lithographic printing machine or a gravure printing machine. Also, with the exception of high-cost, low-speed but improved printing presses with inkjet heads, conventional lithographic and gravure presses have variable data (eg, invoices, financial statements, targeted advertisements, etc.). Not used for printing. Usually, short-term jobs and / or jobs that require variability are often performed by laser printers (electrostatic toner, etc.) and / or inkjet printers.</p><p> Conventionally, publications such as books and magazines are printed through a printing process including many post-pressing processes (post-processing processes). For example, in a magazine, a page or group of pages is printed 5,000 times. After this, the next page or group of pages is printed 5,000 times. The above process is repeated for each page or group of pages until all pages of the magazine are printed. Then, the printed page or group of pages is sent to a post-process, plate-collected and cut, and becomes a final product.</p><p> Such a conventional work flow is time- and work-intensive. If variable images (ie, images that change from page to page or page group) can be printed with the image quality and speed of lithographic printing, the magazines will be printed in consecutive page (or page group) order, and the completed magazine will be printed as is. It will come out of the plane. This will dramatically increase the speed of magazine printing and significantly reduce the cost of magazine printing.</p><p> Inkjet printing technology gives the printer variable functionality. There are mainly two types of inkjet printing technology: a type including a thermal method (that is, a bubble jet (registered trademark) method) and a piezoelectric method, and a continuous type. In both types, tiny ink droplets are ejected (ie, sprayed) onto the page. In a thermal jet printer, ink is vaporized by a heat source to generate bubbles. A droplet is formed by the expansion of the bubble, and the droplet is ejected (discharged) from the print head. In the piezoelectric method, a piezo crystal element located behind the ink tank is used. The AC potential is used to vibrate the crystal element. A drop of ink is drawn in by the reciprocating motion of the crystal element, and this ink is sprayed onto the paper. In a continuous inkjet system, when the nozzles are not used for printing, the nozzles continue to eject, and the electrodes associated with each nozzle deflect the droplets into gutters (grooves), and It will be collected. On the other hand, when the nozzle is used for printing, the electrodes associated with the nozzle become inactive, and as a result, the droplets are sent to the substrate.</p><p> The quality of high-speed color inkjet printing is usually orders of magnitude lower than the quality of offset lithographic and gravure printing. Moreover, even the fastest inkjet printers are usually much slower than lithographic or gravure printing. In conventional inkjet printing, the effect of applying water-based ink to paper is also a problem. Water-based inks can cause the paper to absorb excessive moisture, causing wrinkles and wrinkles on the printed web, and inadvertent exposure to moisture can easily damage the web. is there. In order to suppress this phenomenon, special papers and coatings are used in inkjet printers. Such papers are often much more expensive than the web papers used in traditional industrial printing.</p><p> Further, when the inkjet technique is used for color printing, the coating area of the ink and the amount of water absorbed are increased. This is because four color processes are used to generate the color image. The four color treatments include coloring the page by adjusting the amount of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (ie, CMYK) inks applied. Therefore, depending on the page portion, the ink layers of all four colors may overlap in order to obtain a desired color. In addition, the dots formed by the inkjet printer may spread, resulting in a blurred image. Moreover, the inks used in inkjet printers are much more expensive than the inks used in conventional lithographic and gravure printing. Due to this economic factor alone, inkjet technology is rarely used for commercial printing applications, especially for long-term applications.</p><p> At present, there is a limit to high-speed variable printing of laser printing. This is because its production rate is still very low compared to offset printing and gravure printing, and its material cost (eg toner, etc.) is very high compared to the price of commercially available offset ink or gravure ink. It is due to its high price. Laser color printing is also difficult to use for magazines and other bookbinding publications, as cracks often occur when the printed page is folded.</p><p> Printing techniques are known to be useful in the manufacture of other products (eg, electrical components including transistors and other devices). Furthermore, markings or other markings are printed on a substrate other than paper (such as a plastic film or metal substrate). Although it is possible to use the above-mentioned technique for printing a paper substrate as this printing technique, this technique still has the same drawbacks. In other cases, flexographic printing, which requires pre-printing of the plate, such as lithographic printing, is used.</p>

<p> In one aspect, the fast variable printing method comprises injecting a gating agent composition onto the substrate so as to form a pattern on the substrate. The gate agent composition contains a blocking agent of about 0.05 to about 10% by weight, a surface tension modifying compound of about 3% by weight or less, and a viscosity of about 1 to about 1 to the viscosity of the gate agent composition. Includes about 8% by weight or less of a viscosity modifier to be within the range of about 14 mPa · s and the balance of the gate agent composition containing the solvent. The gate composition has a static surface tension of less than about 40 dynes / cm (about 0.040 N / m). The method further comprises applying the printing agent to the substrate so as to form a print image in areas not covered by the pattern of the gate agent composition on the substrate.</p><p> In another aspect, the apparatus for high speed variable printing comprises a housing having at least one surface, a series of injection nozzles attached to this one surface, and a source for the gate agent composition communicating with the injection nozzles. To be equipped. Here, each of the injection nozzles ejects droplets as required. The gate agent composition contains a blocking agent of about 0.05 to about 10% by weight, a surface tension adjusting agent of about 3% by weight or less, and a viscosity of the gate agent composition within the range of about 1 to about 14 mPa · s. Includes about 8% by weight or less of the viscosity modifier for, and the balance of the gate agent composition containing the solvent. The gate composition has a static surface tension of less than about 40 dynes / cm (about 0.040 N / m).</p><p> Other aspects of the invention and their advantages will become apparent by considering the following detailed description.</p><p> Further features, properties, and various effects of devices and methods for controlling the application of substances to substrates will be clarified by the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.</p>

<figref num="1">It is a side view of the printing system of the prior art.</figref><figref num="2">It is a side view of the apparatus which controls the material application to the base material in an exemplary embodiment.</figref><figref num="3">It is a side view of the apparatus which controls the material application to the base material in an exemplary embodiment.</figref><figref num="4">It is a figure which shows the example of the output which can be realized according to the apparatus shown in FIG.</figref><figref num="5">It is a figure which shows the outline of the apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="6">It is a partially enlarged view of the apparatus shown in FIG.</figref>

FIG. 1 shows a conventional offset lithographic printing apparatus 100. In the conventional lithographic printing process, the image to be printed is etched on the hydrophilic plate 102 to form a hydrophobic portion to which the ink adheres. The hydrophilic plate 102 is attached to the plate cylinder 104 and rotates to pass through the wetting system 106 and the ink system 108. The wetting system 106 includes a water supply device 107, and the ink system 108 includes an ink supply device 109. The hydrophilic portion of the hydrophilic plate 102 is moistened by the wetting system 106. By using an oil-based ink, the ink adheres only to the hydrophobic portion of the plate 102.

When the blanket cylinder 110 is used, the ink image is transferred from the plate cylinder 104 to the blanket cylinder 110. This ink image is then transferred to the web 112 (eg, paper) between the blanket cylinder 110 and the impression cylinder 114. Image transfer to the web 112 using the impression cylinder 114 is performed by pressing the printed image and the web 112 with substantially equal pressure or force. When a rubber blanket is used as an intermediary between the plate cylinder 104 and the web 112, this process is commonly referred to as "offset printing". Since the plate 102 is etched and attached to the plate cylinder 104, lithographic printing is used when printing the same image many times. Planographic printing is desirable in that it provides high quality output. By arranging four printing devices in succession, magazine-quality four-color image printing becomes possible.

In one embodiment shown in FIG. 2, devices and methods for controlling the application of a substance to a substrate include the use of a gate agent that either blocks the substance from the substrate or attracts the substance to the substrate.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a fast variable printing method using a gate agent that is temporarily applied to a substrate. The method includes supplying a substrate and injecting a jettable gate composition onto the substrate to enable image formation on the substrate. The gate agent composition comprises 0.05 to 3% by weight of the nonionic composition, which has a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of about 15 to about 30. The gate composition also contains 8% by weight or less of a viscosity modifier so as to have a viscosity in the range of 1 to 14 centipores (1 to 14 mPa · s). The rest of the gate composition is composed of water. The gate composition does not contain an identifiable amount of dye, pigment, or other colorant. And the gate agent composition has a surface tension of less than about 40 dynes / cm (about 0.040 N / m).

In yet another embodiment, an apparatus that controls the application of a substance to a substrate comprises the use of a gate agent composition that blocks the substance from the substrate. The apparatus includes a cartridge and a gate agent composition contained within the cartridge. The gate agent composition mainly consists of a nonionic surfactant, a viscosity modifier, and water. Also, the gate composition does not contain an identifiable amount of dye, pigment, or other colorant.

In the devices and methods disclosed herein, injection techniques are used to apply the gate agent directly to the substrate or to the surface of the mediator. If desired, any agent that blocks the adhesion of ink can be used. The embodiments disclosed herein include the use of one (or both) of the block and the transcription aid composition, or the use of one or more compositions having both properties, and thus the principal. A gate agent having either or both of the above functions related to substance) will be described below. Specifically, the gate agent blocks the transcription of all, almost all, or part of the main substance. The gate agent, as an alternative or in addition, promotes transcription of all, almost all, or a portion of the main substance. Alternatively, the gate agent blocks one part of the main substance while promoting transcription of the other part of the main substance. For example, the main substances include lithography inks, dyes, proteins (eg, antibodies, enzymes, prions), nucleic acids (eg, DNA and / or RNA oligonucleotides), small molecules (eg, inorganic and / or organic molecules), Biological samples (eg, cells and / or viral lysates and their distillates), drugs (antibiotics and / or other drugs, salts, precursors, and prodrugs thereof), cells (eg, prokaryotic nuclei). Includes biological cells, eubacterial cells and / or eukaryotic cells), and metals (eg, silicon oxides, conductive metals and oxides of conductive metals). In FIG. 2, the main material is ink, the base material is a paper web, and the selected part of the main material is the image area.

FIG. 2 shows the printing apparatus 200. The printing apparatus 200 includes an ink system 202, a plate 204, a plate cylinder 206, a blanket cylinder 208, and an impression cylinder 210, as is known in the lithographic printing industry. The plate 204 is entirely hydrophilic (eg, a standard aluminum lithographic plate). However, the wetting system 106 of FIG. 1 has been replaced by the cleaning system 212 and the aqueous jet system 214 in FIG.

The aqueous jet system 214 has a series of jet cartridges (eg, bubble jet® cartridges, thermal cartridges, piezoelectric cartridges, continuous inkjet systems, etc.). Bubble Jet (registered trademark) ejects droplets by operating a heater. The piezoelectric system ejects droplets by operating a piezoelectric actuator. The droplets are ejected through a small hole provided in the jet cartridge. The cartridge has a large number of holes. As a general example, jet cartridges have 600 holes and are often arranged in two rows of 300 each. The aqueous solution jet unit may be, for example, a known print cartridge unit manufactured by HP, Lexmark, Spectra, Canon, or the like. Examples of jet cartridges and jet heads are described in US Pat. No. 7,240,998 by Murakami and others and are incorporated herein by reference. The continuous system is available from Kodak under the trade name Versamark.

The aqueous jet system 214 or other jet system disclosed herein is used to inject a gate agent or principal substance from an inkjet cartridge. The gate agent and the main substance can include a water-soluble solution or a water-insoluble solution. Aqueous solutions include water, water-soluble organic compounds, or combinations thereof. Suitable water-soluble organic compounds are alcohols (eg, methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, or tert-butyl alcohol), amides (eg, dimethylformamide, etc.). Or dimethylacetamide), carboxylic acids, esters (eg, ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, and ethylene carbonate), ethers (eg, tetrahydrofuran, or dioxane), glycerin, glycols, glycol esters, glycol ethers, ketones (eg, acetone, dixane). Acelatin alcohol, or methyl ethyl ketone), lactam (eg, N-isopropylcaprolactam, or N-ethylvalerolactam), lactone (eg, butyrolactone), organic sulfide (organic sulfide), sulfone (eg, dimethyl sulfone), organic sulfoxide (eg, dimethyl sulfone) For example, dimethylsulfoxide, or tetramethylenesulfoxide), and derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof.

In the embodiments disclosed herein, the gate agent is 0.05 to 3% by weight of one or more nonionic surfactants (eg, poloxamer, ethoxylated acetylenediol, or other ethoxy). Chemical surfactant) is included. This type of surfactant includes both a hydrophilic group and a lipophilic group, the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of which is about 15 to about 30. The nonionic surfactant preferably contains 10-80% polyoxyethylene. The rest of the gate composition is composed of water. The gate composition is used to block ink or other substances from adhering to the substrate. The gate agent does not contain an identifiable amount of dye, pigment, or other colorant. In the case of printing, if the gate agent contains a colorant, the background cannot be made colorless.

Poloxamer surfactants suitable for use have the chemical formula HO (CH).₂CH₂O)_x(CH₂CHCH₃O)_y(CH₂CH₂O)_zIt can be represented by H. Here, x, y and z represent integers in the range of 2 to 130, and in particular, take values of 15 to 100. Also, x and z have the same value, but are selected independently of y. Among these, poloxamer 188 (x = 75, y = 30, z = 75) is available, which is from BASF, Lutrol® F 68 (or Pluronic® F 68). It is available under the product name. Poloxamer 185 (x = 19, y = 30, z = 19) is also available, which is available from ISP under the trade name Lubrajel® WA. Poloxamer 235 (x = 27, y = 39, z = 27) is also available, which is available from BASF under the trade name Pluronic® F 85. Poloxamer 238 (x = 97, y = 39, z = 97) is also available, which is available from BASF under the trade name Pluronic® F 88. Also, Pluronic® from BASF 123 is available. Poloxamer 407 (x = 106, y = 70, z = 106) is also available, which is available from BASF under the trade name Pluronic® 127. To give a few more examples, poloxamer 101, 108, 124, 181, 182, 184, 217, 231, 234, 237, 282, 288, 331, 333, 334, 335, 338, 401, 402 and 403 also Each can be included in the gate agent.

Ethoxylated acetylene diols suitable for use include Surfynol® 400 series surfactants (Surfynol® 420, 440, 465, and 485), respectively, from Air Products. Surfynol® 400 series surfactants include varying amounts of ethylene oxide and 2,4,7,9-tetra-methyl-5-dicine-4,7-diol (Air Products Surfynol®). ) 104) is a nonionic molecule produced by reacting with and having a hydrophilic part located in the center of two symmetric hydrophobic groups. More suitable surfactants are SILWET (trade name) available from OSi Specialties (Danbury, Connecticut, formerly Union Carbide Organo Silicon Products, Systems and Services). Includes 7200 (siloxane block polymer). Other suitable gate agent components include BASF's Sokalan® (maleic acid / olefin copolymer). Other surfactants include polyethyleneimine (PEI) with a molecular weight of about 1,200, ethoxylated PEI with a molecular weight of about 50,000, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), polyoxyalkylene ether, poly (oxyethylene). Includes cetyl ethers (eg, Brij® 56 or Brij® 58 from Atlas Chemicals).

Also, in the embodiments disclosed herein, the gate agent composition may include a viscosity modifier to keep the viscosity in the range of 1 to 14 centipores (cP) (1 to 14 mPa · s). .. More preferably, the viscosity is set to 2-8 cP (2-8 mPa · s), and most preferably the viscosity is set to 3-5 cP (3-5 mPa · s). To give a few examples, this viscosity modifier includes polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, cellulosic materials (eg CMC), xanthan rubber, or BASF's soluble polymer Joncryl® 60, Joncryl (Trademark). Includes are Registered Trademarks) 52, Joncryl® 61, Joncryl® 678, and Joncryl® 682.

In certain embodiments, the gate agent composition further comprises a surface tension modifier that suppresses diffusion. Preferably, the surface tension is set to less than 40 dynes / cm (0.040 N / m). More preferably, the surface tension is set to less than 35 dynes / cm (0.035 N / m). Examples of this surface tension modifier include poloxamer (for example, Pluronic® manufactured by BASF) or Surfynols® (registered trademark) manufactured by Air Products (for example, Surfynol (registered trademark) 400 series surfactant). included.

In other embodiments, the gate formulation comprises a litho ink modifier. The lithographic ink modifier alters the properties of the underlying blocked ink or other main material. Flat plate ink modifiers include magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate, mineral oil, liquid asphalt, powdered asphalt, baked plate oil, flash oil, cobalt, soybean oil, lump rosin and the like.

In yet another embodiment, the gate agent composition comprises a receiving surface modifier. Receptive surface (eg, paper) modifiers facilitate the transfer of blocked inks or other principal substances to the receptive surface. To give a few examples, the receiving surface modifier includes, for example, surface spraying agents such as metal powder and cork powder. Other examples of receptive surface conditioning compounds include polyethyleneimine and ethoxylated polyethyleneimine (10-80% ethoxylated).

Ingredients that can be added to the gate agent include solvents, preservatives, anti-curl agents, gate agent fixatives, wetting agents (eg, propylene glycol), disinfectants, biocides (biocides), colorants, fragrances, etc. Includes surfactants, polymers, defoamers, salts, inorganic compounds, organic compounds, water, pH regulators, and any combination thereof.

The aqueous jet system 214 is used to "print" or inject all or part of the negative image of the printed image onto the plate barrel 206. For example, an image controller can receive image data from a data system. This image data represents a printed image or a printed negative image. This image data includes variable image data that changes relatively frequently (eg, varies from page to page), semi-fixed image data that changes infrequently (eg, varies from page to page), immutable fixed image data, and , Variable / semi-fixed / fixed image data combinations are included. Part or all of the image data is stored as binary data, bitmap data, page description code, or a combination thereof. For example, in some embodiments, a page description language (PDL) such as PostScript or Printer Command Language (PCL) is used to define and interpret the image data. Then, the data system electronically controls the aqueous solution jet system 214 to print an image (or a negative image thereof) represented by a part or all of various types of image data on the plate cylinder 206 with the aqueous solution. The negative image is an image of each part where ink does not adhere to the paper. Therefore, if a point on the plate barrel 206 passes through the aqueous solution jet system 214 and no aqueous solution droplets are placed at that point, only the ink from the ink system 202 will adhere to that point. .. In certain embodiments, a vacuum or heat source 215 is placed next to or near the aqueous jet system 214. After the plate cylinder 206 makes one revolution and the image is transferred to the blanket cylinder 208, the plate cylinder passes through the cleaning system 212 to remove residual ink and / or aqueous solution, which causes the plate cylinder 206 to make the next rotation. A new image print can be made by the aqueous jet system 214 (or after a predetermined rotation).

In one embodiment, the plate cylinder 206 has all of the fixed data for a particular printing job etched onto the plate 204 by conventional lithographic printing techniques. Then, using the aqueous solution jet system 214, only the variable portion of the job represented by the variable or semi-fixed image data can be imaged on the specific portion of the plate 204. In other embodiments, the plate 204 is not used. Instead, as is known in the art, the surface of the plate barrel 206 is processed, treated or milled to allow the aqueous solution from the aqueous solution jet system 214 to adhere. In addition, the plate cylinder 206 is processed, processed, or milled to include fixed data and to be attached with an aqueous solution so that variable data can be taken in. In these and other embodiments of the present disclosure, the blanket barrel 208 may be completely removed and the image transferred directly to the web 216, if desired.

As mentioned above, the gate agent is applied to the plate cylinder or directly to the blanket cylinder using one or more inkjet heads. The ink is then applied to the plate cylinder or blanket cylinder in a non-selective manner. After this, the ink is transferred from the image area on the plate cylinder or blanket cylinder to the paper web. When the gate agent and ink are applied directly to the blanket cylinder, it is not necessary to use the plate cylinder. Fixed print jobs (especially short-term, but not limited to), or variable or customizable print jobs of any size (eg, target mailing, customer statement, wallpaper, customized packaging). Can be beneficial for specific printing applications, including paper).

The gate agent is selectively sprayed onto the substrate, selectively sprayed onto the surface of the mediator (intermediate), using, for example, an injection device or other precision controllable spraying or coating technique. Or, it is applied in the form of a hydrous liquid by selective direct spraying on the main substance. Hydrous liquids are usually of low viscosity and tend to suppress the formation of obstacles, which is advantageous for use in inkjet heads. However, the gate agent may be applied in a form other than the water-containing liquid by using inkjet technology. Examples include UV curable and non-aqueous siloxanes. Further, the gate agent is not limited to a liquid, and may be used in a solid state (for example, a thin film, a paste, a gel, a foam, or a matrix). The gate agent can be configured to include a powdered solid, which is charged to suppress or assist the application of the main substance, or is held in place by electrostatic charges of opposite polarity.

In one example, a liquid gate agent, which is a solvent, is applied to the plate by one or more jet heads, and then a powder ink colorant dispersible in the solvent is applied over the entire surface of the plate to spray. Liquid ink is formed on the spot in the area. The powder in the non-injection region is removed (eg, by flipping the plate and dropping the powder directly below, or by air pressure, centrifugal force, etc.), which results in an ink region and a non-ink region. .. Further, by spraying the solvent onto the image region, a liquid ink is formed in this region, and by removing the electrostatic charge, the powder in the non-wet region (non-wet region) is removed. In either case, the generated image is then applied to a substrate (eg, a paper web).

Any of the systems of the present disclosure can be modified to form different sized gate agent droplets. Higher resolution grids (ie, grids above 300 dpi) typically improve the block or transfer or recovery of the main material (eg, ink), along with the adapted droplet size. Also, as the grid dpi increases, the most effective droplet size generally decreases. Droplets of relatively large size are relatively susceptible to forced wetting (forced wetting) in the image area. This forced wetting is due to the binding of adjacent ejected droplets as the image is transferred between surfaces (eg, the pressing (nip) region between the plate and blanket) and prints. This causes a decrease in image quality due to a decrease in density. This forced wetting can be minimized by adding or removing one or more components and / or changing or adjusting one or more physical properties of the gate agent. For example, the occurrence of ghosting can be suppressed by slightly reducing the amount of surfactant, while the image quality can also be improved by using, adding, and / or substituting other surfactants. be able to. Alternatively, it is also possible to apply an electrostatic charge to the cylinder having a polarity opposite to that of the gate agent applied to the cylinder. The electrostatic attraction obtained thereby suppresses or eliminates forced wetting.

The gate agent is used to block or assist the application of the main substance, and specifically, removes or blocks the main substance in the image region or the non-image region, or in the image region or the non-image region. Applying the main substance to, removing the auxiliary agent in the non-image area, preventing the application of the main substance in a specific area or all areas, gates to affect the application of the gate agent or the main substance. Application of the main material by varying the physical or chemical properties of the agent or main material (eg, the viscosity or surface tension of the gate agent or main material), by any combination described above, or by any other suitable method. Block or assist.

In still other embodiments, the amount of the main substance applied to the substrate varies with the use of the gate agent in the form of a barrier or blocking agent having barrier properties. In this embodiment, the application of the main material to the substrate is completely or partially blocked so that the main material is the substrate at an intermediate level within the range of the barrier agent or blocking agent having a barrier property. The result is a density gradient of the main material on the substrate according to the main material application at the desired intermediate level.

Another embodiment includes a blocking agent that is selectively applied to the main material on the surface or other substrate before or after the main material is applied to the surface. For example, the blocking agent may contain a substance that is dispersed therein and that blocks an affinity with the main substance used in a particular embodiment. Then, the blocking agent is applied to the surface in the non-image region, and the substance dispersed in the blocking agent is absorbed by the surface or adhered and retained on the surface. After this, the surface passes in the vicinity of the subsequent surface to which the main material is applied, and the main material is transferred to the former surface only in the area containing no blocking agent. This is because the material dispersed in the blocking agent prevents the main substance from being applied to the non-image region.

Protective negative images printed using an aqueous jet system and printing by changing the properties of the gate and printing medium (eg, using bond paper, glossy paper, or using various coating techniques). It is possible to create a favorable interaction with the medium. For example, when sharpness of an image is required, it is advisable to select a gate agent that is not absorbed by the print medium at all. However, even in the part covered with the aqueous solution from the aqueous solution jet system, if a certain amount of ink transfer is desired, a certain amount of ink can be obtained from the covered part by using a printing medium that rapidly absorbs the aqueous solution. Can be transferred. Furthermore, the viscosity of the gate agent and / or the surface tension of the gate agent is increased so that the boundary between the non-image region and the image region is maintained, and the supporting agent (supporting) for each of the non-image region and the image region. Diffusion can be suppressed by using agent) and / or a system, which can improve quality. In particular, flooding, which is forced wetting that causes image loss (including irregular edges and lines) by manipulating the gate agent to a viscosity of 1 to 14 cP (1 to 14 mPa · s). Along with being suppressed, the occurrence of ghosts is minimized. Ghosts occur when the ink moves to the non-image area of the barrel, or when the ink or gate agent remains on the barrel since the last print. It is important to maintain the viscosity of the gate agent at a value of less than 14 cP (14 mPa · s) so that the gate agent can be ejected from the jet head. At least one of the other chemical and material scientific properties can be used to suppress or eliminate this effect. The gate agent also includes a thixotropy solution whose viscosity changes with pressure or stirring. Diffusion can also be suppressed by manipulating the surface tension of the gate agent.

Furthermore, by using a block copolymer surfactant having various properties in an imaging cylinder having various physical characteristics, it becomes possible to selectively form a lipophilic surface and a hydrophilic surface on the imaging cylinder. The physical bond between the surfactant and the surface of the imaging barrel allows the imaging barrel to be used over and over again with the same image, or selectively alters the image at any number of rotations of the imaging barrel. You can also do it. By utilizing the physical characteristics of the imaging cylinder and block copolymer surfactants, it is possible to realize an image system that is durable, variable, and has the quality of known lithographic printing technology.

Another variable treatment is the treatment of the base material itself. In the case of a paper base material, a conventional coated paper having an appropriate size, weight, brightness (whiteness) and the like is used. It is coated with one or more coating agents (eg, clay), which delays or suppresses the absorption of the main substance and / or the gate agent. In the case of other substrates (eg, printing blankets, printing plates, printing cylinders, circuit boards, plastic sheets, films, fabrics or other sheets, flat or curved walls, or other members, etc.), this base. The surface of the part of the material to which the main material is applied is appropriately pre-prepared, physically or chemically treated, machined, roughened, or as required or requested. , It may be modified in another way, thereby assisting or blocking the transfer of a portion of the main substance as desired.

For inks or other major substances, the type, physical properties, and / or chemical composition can be selected or modified to achieve the desired effect. For example, by controlling the surface tension of the ink, it is possible to suppress bleeding between colors and see-through of the back of the paper. In yet another example, one or more inks used for waterless printing are used with the gate agent to be ejected (the latter is water-soluble or water-insoluble), which allows ink transfer from the plate to the paper. Can be blocked or promoted. When a waterless printing ink is used together with a water-soluble gate agent, the composition of the gate agent is adjusted in consideration of the lipophilicity of the ink. As a result, the gate agent has a molecular structure that attracts and / or repels the ink as needed or as desired. Alternatively, the gate agent that is jetted and first applied to the hydrophilic plate includes one or more hydrophilic compositions that bind to the plate and one or more other compositions that bind or repel ink molecules. And are included.

Further, in a further example, at least one phase change of the gate agent and the main substance is used to suppress or promote the blocking, or transcription or recovery of the substance. For example, when the gate agent is selectively sprayed onto the surface of a plate or the like and the main substance is applied to the surface having the coated gate agent, the portion of the main substance that comes into contact with the sprayed gate agent becomes Turns into a gel or solid. Alternatively, the main substance is applied to the plate indiscriminately (in other words, non-selectively), after which the gate agent is selectively applied to the non-imaged portion of the plate (in other words, the non-image area). When (injected), the main substance in the injection region changes to a gel or solid. Furthermore, it is possible to use a gate agent composed of two (or more) components. In this case, these components are individually and selectively applied continuously (injected individually), and when these components are applied in the same position, the reaction is similar to or the same as the epoxy-based reaction. , Other chemical bonds (eg, covalent bonds, ionic bonds, etc.), or physical interactions (eg, hydrogen bonds, van der Waals forces, etc.) that result in beneficial gate properties (gating). characteristic) can be further improved. The main substance (ink, etc.) may be applied before or after the application of one or more components of the gate agent composition. In any of the above examples, the substrate (paper web, etc.) is imaged by the plate.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a lithographic printing apparatus 1000 known in the art (eg, ink system 1002, plate cylinder 1006, blanket cylinder 1008, and impression cylinder 1010). However, a coating system 1016 and an aqueous solution jet system 1014 are provided on the upstream side of the lithographic printing apparatus 1000. In embodiments such as those shown in FIG. 3, standard lithographic plates are capable of etching fixed information for any job or generally adhering ink. In one embodiment, a portion of the plate is reserved for variable information (eg, plate 1100 includes variable image boxes 1102 and 1104, as shown in FIG. 4). The portion of the lithographic plate corresponding to the variable image box is formed so that the ink adheres to the entire variable image box (ie, when the variable image box portion of the lithographic plate passes through the ink system, it covers the entire square portion. Ink adheres). In other embodiments, the ink can adhere to the entire plate and the aqueous jet system can supply the blocking solution over the entire web 1012.

To generate a variable image, a negative image of the variable image is printed directly on the web 1012 by the aqueous jet system 1014. Prior to the web 1012 reaching the aqueous jet system 1014, the web 1012 is, in certain embodiments, coated to prevent absorption of the gate agent. In other embodiments, the web 1012 remains uncoated so that the gate agent applied by the aqueous jet system 1014 produces an image throughout the web 1012. Therefore, when the part of the web 1012 where the variable image is printed comes into contact with the part of the blanket barrel 1008 that transfers the ink for the variable image, the web 1012 will only be on the part that has not been pre-printed by the aqueous jet system 1014. The ink will selectively adhere. On a standard lithographic printer, the same image (for example, a solid square) Rectangle)) is printed repeatedly. However, a negative image is first printed on the web 1012 by the aqueous jet system 1014, and then a variable image is generated on the web 1012 by selectively adhering the square solid ink of the blanket body 1008. The coating system 1016 can be placed anywhere in the printing apparatus to apply the coating. Alternatively, the coating system 1016 may be any suitable alternative for coating the web 1012 to reduce the absorption capacity of the gate agent. For example, the coating system 1016 may include a sprayer that sprays the appropriate solution onto the web 1012. This solution suppresses the absorption of all or part of the gate agent by Web 1012.

In any of the above embodiments, the combination of the blanket barrel and the plate barrel can be replaced with a single imaging barrel, and vice versa. In addition, one or more aqueous jet systems, cleaning systems, stripping systems, and vacuum or heating systems in each embodiment may be electronically controlled via a data system.

Furthermore, the image quality is controlled in the same manner as the compression characteristics of the nip roller by changing the nip pressure of the roller and the compression characteristics of the roller at the position where the main substance is applied to the base material. Further, the application of the main substance to the base material is controlled as desired by using a roll or a body having a rough surface. Further, or additionally, by adjusting the volume amount of the droplets of the gate liquid, the volume amount of the ink contained in each cell can be controlled, whereby the gray scale can be adjusted.

A further addition is to regulate or control the temperature of one or more processing parameters. For example, when the gate agent is applied to the surface, the adhesiveness can be improved and the application can be facilitated by raising the temperature of the gate agent. Alternatively or additionally, the stickiness, droplet shape or size, etc. may be controlled by first heating the surface during gate application. Alternatively, at some point during the process after coating the gate agent, the surface may be cooled to increase the viscosity of the gate agent and prevent the gate agent from diffusing into the non-wet region.

It is possible to further use a plurality of different liquids, each of which is individually applied by a separate injection device. When these liquids are applied together, the device produces a gate agent with improved tackiness, viscosity, or at least one of the other desired properties. This liquid can be applied at different or the same temperature, pressure, flow rate, etc.

In yet another embodiment, the gate agent alone is selectively applied using two or more arrays or inkjet heads, or the gate solution is selectively applied to one or more regions on the surface. Applying, and additionally, applying ink to one or more remaining areas on the surface. In this case, one or more arrays, respectively, are removable or switchable during operation of the printer, or of subsequent jobs (eg, if local customization is required). It is reconfigurable (in terms of positioning).

Since the ink tack changes for each printing unit, the gate agent characteristics can be continuously changed for each unit to effectively optimize the ink transfer by each unit. Yet another modification involves using a phase change of material to form a printed surface.

In yet another embodiment, the gate agent used to control the application of the main substance to the substrate is a combination of a blocking agent and an auxiliary agent. In one example, the main material is placed on the surface and, in the non-image area, is covered with a blocking agent that prevents the main material from being applied to the substrate. In the image area, the main substance is covered with an adjunct. This auxiliary agent tends to bind to the main substance, which assists application on the substrate. Alternatively, the gate agent may be placed on the surface and covered with the main substance. In one example, a lipophilic blocking agent is selectively placed in the non- image area of the surface and a hydrophilic auxiliary agent is selectively placed in the image area of the surface. The main material is then placed on the upper surface of the layer formed by both gate agents. Both layers of gate agent formed at uniform height on the first surface impede movement between the main material and the auxiliary agent. As the surface moves closer to the substrate, the blocking agent prevents the main substance from being applied to the substrate, while the auxiliary agent allows the main substance to be applied to the substrate.

In another embodiment, the surface is a lithographic plate, a plate cylinder, or the like, and a part of these is used to control the application of the main substance to the base material by applying the variable-shaped main substance to the base material. To do. In this embodiment, variable semiotics, coding, addressing, numbering, or any other tagging technique is used on a portion of the first surface reserved for control of the main material application. The main substance is first placed on the first surface without distinction. The blocking agent is selectively applied to the substrate in an area before the substrate passes near the first surface for application of the main material. This coating area is a region corresponding to the secured portion of the first surface that moves later in the vicinity of the base material, and the blocking agent is applied so that the main substance is applied in a desired shape or image. In a more general embodiment, the substrate moves to the vicinity of one or more surfaces on which similar or different principal substances are placed, where the blocking agent and / or auxiliary agent is applied to the surface within the secured portion. Is selectively transferred to the substrate. In certain embodiments, the magnetic ink is transferred from one of these surfaces to a substrate (eg, a paper web). Also, one or more non-magnetic inks may be transferred from the same surface or may be transferred from one or more additional surfaces. When the magnetic ink is applied to the paper web in a desired shape at the secured portion, a gate agent can be used to block or assist the application, which is described above. Any technique for using blocking agents and auxiliaries can be used. As a result, a paper web with magnetic ink markings (eg, MICR markings, or other coded information) that is modified from print to print is printed. In one example, it is applied to an RFID circuit that is encoded as part of a variable printing process. This eliminates the need for post-print programming.

In yet another embodiment, the gate agent is selectively applied to the receiving surface by one or more jet heads and attracts or attracts an intermediate solution (eg, a conventional fountain solution). , Block. This dampening solution is applied indiscriminately to the receiving surface, but is gated by a gate agent. Therefore, the wetting solution selectively adheres to the receiving surface prior to the application of the ink. In this embodiment, the gate solution is formulated to interact with the dampening solution and to control the dampening solution, in this respect as opposed to controlling the ink. There is. In another embodiment, the dampening solution is neutralized or degraded, or the dampening solution can be selectively removed from the receiving surface. More generally, these embodiments include the use of a wetting solution that is applied indiscriminately and a gate agent that is selectively applied with the ink, in which case the area where the wetting solution is retained. Is controlled by a gate agent.

As mentioned above, the gate agent can contain one or more surfactants, and the temperature is such that the droplet size and viscosity properties are favorable to produce a high quality image. Control or vacuum control is performed. However, image quality is affected by a phenomenon known to those of skill in the art as ghosts. The occurrence of ghosts can be a particularly serious problem when different images are consecutive.

The generation of ghosts can be suppressed by reliably cleaning the ink and / or gate agent in the image and non-image areas between successive prints. For any of the cleaning systems described above, cleaning the body after each application of ink, as described above, is one way to keep the body clean. The components of the gate composition may be modified so that the cleaning system promotes more complete cleaning and thus ghosting is suppressed.

As another method for suppressing the generation of ghosts, there is a method for suppressing the movement of ink from the image region on the body to the non-image region. By accurately applying the lipophilic solution to the image region, the ink can be attracted to the image region and the movement of the ink from the image region can be suppressed. By accurately applying the oleophobic solution to the non-image region of the body, either individually or in combination with the lipophilic solution, the movement of ink to the non-image region can be suppressed.

When the concept of performing variable printing job processing and fixed printing job processing is used as in the present disclosure, one of its advantages is the proper velocity associated with the conventional lithographic printing apparatus. .. However, in practice, as compared to conventional lithographic printing equipment, the printing speed is limited by the speed at which the image region can be formed, that is, it depends on the method of forming the image region. This type of method is described herein and also includes gate agent application for the formation of image regions. The gate agent can be a lipophilic solution or a hydrophilic solution, or another solution to which an electrostatic charge has been applied. Further, the gate agent itself may be an electrostatic charge applied to a part of the body. The operating speed of the printing apparatus is limited by the maximum speed at which any of the gate agents described above can be applied to one or more barrels of the printing apparatus.

In normal inkjet printing, droplets from the cartridge are instantaneously ejected so as to correspond to the operating conditions in which the inkjet cartridge is most used, and this ejection forms an ink spot of a predetermined size on the target substrate. To. However, in reality, droplet ejection from an inkjet cartridge is not a momentary event, but is actually a transient event with early, middle, and telophase. When the target substrate is moving at high speed, the ink droplets collide with the substrate, and an ink spot having a tail extending in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the substrate is formed. .. This phenomenon, known as tailing, is a direct result of the transient nature of droplet formation. The tailing that occurs during high-speed printing raises concerns about print quality, which can limit the effective speed of the printing apparatus. However, when a gate agent is used with a particular jet cartridge, it is possible to suppress or mitigate the tailing of the ejected droplets, thereby eliminating this phenomenon, which is a factor limiting the maximum printing speed. It has been found that it will be done.

In another embodiment, the aqueous jet system can print or inject an aqueous solution or other composition having potential polyfunctionality (polyfunctional potential) onto the patterned substrate. In one embodiment, for example, the composition has a potential bifunctionality (bifunctional potential), but in the present disclosure, it may have any number of functionalities (functional groups). For example, a polyfunctional composition comprises having one or more compounds each having a polyfunctional potential, or having a plurality of compounds each having a potential monofunctionality (monofunctional potential). Functional potential (potential functionality) is a functional group moiety (eg, hydrophilicity) of a compound due to a particular chemical and / or structural region of the compound that imparts adhesion and / or resilience to the compound. Regions, lipophilic regions, receptor / recognition sites (eg, antigen binding sites (paratopes)), ionic regions, other sites known in the art, etc.) are included. In the present embodiment, the first functional group imparts adhesive force to the pattern substrate, and the second functional group imparts adhesiveness to one or more main substances applied to the pattern substrate.

In another embodiment, the polyfunctional composition may comprise two or more polyfunctional compounds, in which case the various polyfunctional compounds have at least one functionality in common with the other polyfunctional compounds. It has a group and at least one functional group different from other polyfunctional compounds. In this example, the first polyfunctional compound and the second polyfunctional compound are printed on similar patterned substrates, respectively, but in this case the main substance reacts with only one functional group. Also, the second functional group of the first polyfunctional compound and the second polyfunctional compound differs with respect to whether the main substance can adhere to the first or second polyfunctional compound. Has characteristics. In another embodiment, compounds having a monofunctional potential interact to form a complex with a polyfunctional group that resembles the polyfunctional group of a single polyfunctional compound. In this embodiment, the monofunctional compound may be included in a single composition applied on the pattern substrate in one go, or in a separate composition attached at the same time, or , May be included in the separated composition which is continuously adhered to the pattern substrate.

Examples of polyfunctional compounds intended in the present disclosure include compounds having a first functional group that is hydrophilic and a second functional group that is lipophilic. The polyfunctional composition is sprayed onto a substrate having a hydrophilic or lipophilic surface to form the desired pattern. As a result, functional groups of the same type are bound between the surface and the composition, the composition is attached to the surface, and the opposite functional group of the composition is repelled by the surface, so that the composition adhered to the surface. A pattern is formed.

It has the same kind of functionality (eg, hydrophilic or lipophilic) or is selectively attracted to the second functional group of the polyfunctional composition without being attracted to the surface, and the substrate Second compositions (eg, principal substances) that are repelled by the exposed surface or unable to adhere to the exposed surface of the substrate are sprayed, immersed, sprayed, brushed, rolled, or known to those of skill in the art. Can be applied to the surface using any other method of. The addition of the main substance forms a pattern of the main substance corresponding to the pattern of the polyfunctional composition, so that only the main substance is attached to the surface by the second functional group of the polyfunctional composition. In addition, after application of the main material, one or more additional steps (eg, cleaning steps) are performed to ensure that the main material is site-specific only to the second functional group of the polyfunctional composition. Adhere to. Another step that can be considered similar to the cleaning step includes a sterilization step. After this, the main material is transferred directly to a second substrate (eg, an intermediate (mediating) roller that transfers the image to the print medium) or to the print medium, thereby resulting in a highly accurate and clean desired print image. Can be formed. In this way, with the polyfunctional composition to which the main material is attached later, the selected pattern is sprayed onto the substrate, then transferred and then permanently or temporarily on the print medium. It is fixed.

Examples of polyfunctional compounds intended in the present disclosure include polymeric compounds having at least one hydrophilic moiety and at least one lipophilic moiety (eg, the poloxamer or ethoxylated acetylenediol described above). Additional examples include substances involved in the formation of self-assembled monolayers (eg, alkylsiloxanes, fatty acids on oxide materials, alkanethiolates, alkylcarboxylates, etc.). In the present disclosure, other polyfunctional compounds known to those of skill in the art are intended.

The devices and methods of the present disclosure also relate to other industries and other technologies (eg, textiles, pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, and especially electronics). Variable and customizable graphics or text, or main material with enhanced sealing properties or water or fire resistant main material, is selectively applied to the textile web and used, for example, in the manufacture of clothing or rugs. Be done. In the pharmaceutical industry, the main substance can be a formulation material, a therapeutic substance, a diagnostic substance, or a marking substance other than an ink, or a carrier for any other type of substance. In biomedical applications, for example, the main substance is a biological material or biocompatible polymer. In electronics applications, the main material can be a conductive or electrically insulating material that is applied to one or more layers of the substrate. Other electronics applications include the manufacture of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags that are attached to products. Selective application of the main substance to the substrate can also be beneficial to other industries. For example, the main substance is a thermally conductive or insulating material that is selectively applied to the components of a product (eg, a heat exchanger, a cooking pot, or a highly insulating coffee mug). In addition, the main material may be a material with enhanced absorbency, reflectivity, or radioactivity, and some or all of these properties may be useful for other products. This is the case, for example, when the main substance is selectively applied to a component of an oven, lamp, or sunglasses. Furthermore, the main material can be used in customizable packaging films or holograms (subject to selective filling of bend pits prior to image generation). In addition, the technique is applicable to the manufacture of fuel cells, where the main material may include functional polymers, adhesives, and three-dimensional (3-D) interconnect structures. In the manufacture of micro-optics, the main material is an optical adhesive or UV-curing polymer. can be polymer). A further application is display manufacturing, in which case the main material is a material for polymer light emitting diodes. Further, as a specific application, the apparatus and high speed variable printing method of the present disclosure can be used in many lithographic printing applications. For example, the devices and methods of the present disclosure are ideal for high quality one-to-one marketing applications such as direct mail, advertising, statements, invoices and the like. Other uses suitable for the devices and methods of the present disclosure include printing personalized books, periodicals, publications, posters, displays and the like. The high-speed variable printing system and the high-speed variable printing method in the present disclosure can also speed up the post-pressing process (for example, bookbinding and finishing) of the above-mentioned products.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the gate agent is injected using device 1200. The device 1200 has a housing 1202 with a surface 1204. Surface 1204 has a plurality of injection nozzles 1206 and 1208. Although two rows of nozzles 1206 and 1208 are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the device can include one or more rows of nozzles, depending on the required resolution. Housing 1202 includes a chamber (not shown) that communicates with the nozzle and also with the propellant source 1210 via a tube or other communicating member 1212. Device 1200 is controlled by control device 1214, which is any suitable print controller known to those of skill in the art.

The following examples further illustrate this disclosure, but of course are not construed to limit the scope of this disclosure.

(Example 1) The gate formulations useful in the present disclosure were formulated as follows. 8% by weight Sokalan® Maleic Acid / Olefin Copolymer (95% active) 1% by weight SILWET 7200 siloxane block copolymer 91% by weight water

(Example 2) A second gate formulation useful in the present disclosure was formulated as follows. 30% by weight PEG 200 1% by weight Surfynol® 400 Series 1% by weight Pluronic® 68% by weight water

(Example 3) A third gate formulation useful in the present disclosure was formulated as follows. 15% by weight Joncryl® 50 10% by weight isopropyl alcohol 1% by weight SILWET 7200 siloxane block copolymer 30% by weight PEG 200 44% by weight water

All of the formulations of Examples 1-3 were useful as blocking or gate agents, minimizing ghosting, tailing, flooding, or background color to produce beneficial prints.

The above is merely for exemplifying the principles of the devices and methods of the present disclosure, and it is clear that those skilled in the art can make various modifications without departing from the scope and principles of the devices and methods of the present disclosure. There will be. For example, the order of some steps in the described procedure is not definitive and can be changed as needed. Also, different steps can be performed by different techniques. In addition, one advantage of the described compositions and methods is that they are used in standard lithographic inks to produce variable images. These inks produce higher quality than publications typically produced with inkjet inks. By the time this technology was reached, it was very difficult to achieve true variable lithographic printing.

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein and include the best embodiments known to the inventor for carrying out the present disclosure. Modifications of those preferred embodiments may be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the above description. The present inventor expects those skilled in the art to adopt such modifications as needed, and the present inventor particularly discloses the present disclosure in a form different from the form described in the present specification. Is intended to be implemented. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all variants and all equivalents of the subject matter listed in the claims as attached herein as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above elements in all possible variations is indicated by the present disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or expressly denied by the context.

The present disclosure is not only applicable to printing technology, but may also be useful to other industries. Specifically, the gate agent is applied to the substrate to assist the attachment of the main substance in the imaged or non-imaged region. Gate agents include blocking agents, surface tension adjusting compounds, viscosity adjusting agents, solvents and / or additional components.

Given the above description, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that there may be numerous modifications. Therefore, the description herein should be construed as merely exemplary, and to allow one of ordinary skill in the art to manufacture and use the present invention, and to teach one of ordinary skill in the art the best mode for carrying out the invention as well. It was presented to. Possession rights for all modifications are reserved as long as they do not deviate from the attached claims.