US5570118A — Color ink-jet printing with fast-and-slow-drying …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 128 words

An apparatus for printing a multicolor image on a sheet movable along a sheet path in a process direction, the apparatus comprising: a. a first printhead mounted at a first location along the sheet path and containing a first type ink for printing a first portion of the image on the sheet, said first type ink having a surface tension greater than 40 dynes/cm at room temperature; and b. a set of secondary printheads mounted along the sheet path and separated a small gap from said first printhead, said set of secondary printheads each containing a secondary type ink for printing a secondary portion of the multicolor image on the sheet, and each said secondary type ink having a surface tension less than 40 dynes/cm at room temperature.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 128 words

An apparatus for printing a multicolor image on a sheet movable along a sheet path in a process direction, the apparatus comprising: a. a first printhead mounted at a first location along the sheet path and containing a first type ink for printing a first portion of the image on the sheet, said first type ink having a surface tension greater than 40 dynes/cm at room temperature; and b. a set of secondary printheads mounted along the sheet path and separated a small gap from said first printhead, said set of secondary printheads each containing a secondary type ink for printing a secondary portion of the multicolor image on the sheet, and each said secondary type ink having a surface tension less than 40 dynes/cm at room temperature.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 138 words

An ink jet printer for printing a multicolor image on a sheet movable along a sheet path in a process direction, the ink jet printer comprising: a. a first full-width array printhead mounted at a first location along the sheet path and containing a first type black ink for printing a first portion of the image on the sheet, said first type black ink having a surface tension greater than 40 dynes/cm at room temperature; and b. a set of secondary printheads mounted along the sheet path and separated a small gap from said first full-width array printhead, said set of secondary printheads each containing a secondary type ink for printing a secondary portion of the multicolor image on the sheet, and each said secondary type ink having a surface tension less than 40 dynes/cm at room temperature.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 138 words

An ink jet printer for printing a multicolor image on a sheet movable along a sheet path in a process direction, the ink jet printer comprising: a. a first full-width array printhead mounted at a first location along the sheet path and containing a first type black ink for printing a first portion of the image on the sheet, said first type black ink having a surface tension greater than 40 dynes/cm at room temperature; and b. a set of secondary printheads mounted along the sheet path and separated a small gap from said first full-width array printhead, said set of secondary printheads each containing a secondary type ink for printing a secondary portion of the multicolor image on the sheet, and each said secondary type ink having a surface tension less than 40 dynes/cm at room temperature.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 27 words

The ink jet printer of claim 2, wherein said set of secondary printheads is mounted downstream of said first full-width array printhead relative to the process direction.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 28 words

The ink jet printer of claim 2, wherein said first type ink comprises a slow drying ink having a room temperature drying time of greater than 1.0 second.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 28 words

The ink jet printer of claim 2, wherein each said secondary type ink comprises a fast-drying ink having a room temperature drying time of less than 1.0 second.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 30 words

The ink jet printer of claim 2, wherein each printhead of said set of secondary printheads comprises a full-width array printhead extending across a entire width of the movable sheet.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 20 words

The ink jet printer of claim 2, wherein said set of of secondary printheads comprises a set of four printheads.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 39 words

The ink jet printer of claim 2, including heating means located between said first full-width array printhead and said set of secondary printheads for heating a first black image printed on the sheet by said first full-width array printhead.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 38 words

The ink jet printer of claim 7, wherein said set of four printheads comprises a printhead containing cyan ink, a printhead containing magenta ink, a printhead containing a second type black ink, and a printhead containing yellow ink.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

The ink jet printer of claim 8, wherein said heating means comprises a microwave heating device for stimulating liquid molecules of said first type black ink to cause evaporation thereof.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 36 words

The ink jet printer of claim 8, wherein said first type of ink comprises 6-20% BASF X-34, 30% Concentrated dye liquid, about 2-6% Pure dye mixture, 10-45% ethylene glycol, 1-5% Isopropanol, and 0.01-1.0% polyethyleneoxide by weight.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 35 words

The ink jet printer of claim 8, wherein said first type of ink comprises 2-7% Carbon Black, 1-40% Ethylene glycol, 0-20% N-Methylpyrrolidinone, 0.2-10% Lomar D, 0-1% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, and 0.01-1.0% Dowicil 200 by weight.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 29 words

The ink jet printer of claim 8, wherein said first type of ink comprises 2-7% Carbon Black, 1-45% Ethyleneglycol, 0.2-1% Daxad 19K, and 0-1% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate by weight.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 40 words

The ink jet printer of claim 8, wherein said first type black ink comprises 6-20% BASF X-34, 2-6% dye solids in ink, 0.5° 5% Benzyl Alcohol, 10-45% Ethylene glycol, 0.1-5% Ammonium Chloride, and 0.01-1.0% polyethylene oxide in amounts by weight.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 35 words

The ink jet printer of claim 8, wherein said second type black ink comprises 1.5-8.0 % Food Black #2, 1-20% 60/40 Butyl Carbitol, 5-25% Glycerine, 0.1-4% Cyclohexylpyrrolidinone, and 0.01-1.0% polyethylene oxide in amounts by weight.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 31 words

The ink jet printer of claim 8, wherein said second type cyan ink comprises 0.5-5% Project Cyan, 1-20% 60/40 Butyl Carbitol, 5-25% Glycerine, 0.1-4% Cyclohexylpyrrolidinone, and 0.01-1.0% polyethylene oxide, by weight.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 31 words

The ink jet printer of claim 8, wherein said second type magenta ink comprises 0.5-8.0% Project Magenta, 1-20% 60/40 Butyl Carbitol, 5-25% Glycerine, 0.1-4% Cyclohexylpyrrolidinone, and 0.01-1.0% polyethylene oxide, by weight.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 33 words

The ink jet printer of claim 8, wherein said second type yellow ink comprises 0.5-8.0% Hoechst Yellow, 1-20% 60/40 Butyl Carbitol, 5-25% Glycerine Solution, 0.1-4% Cyclohexyl pyrrolidinone, and 0.01-1.0% polyethylene oxide, by weight.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 18 words

The ink jet printer of claim 8, wherein said first type black ink includes a mild penetrant isopropanol.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 20 words

The ink jet printer of claim 8, wherein said first type black ink includes N-Methylpyrrolidinone for stabilizing ink pigment particles.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 112 words

A method of printing, on an image receiving sheet, a high quality multiple color image having a high quality black ink portion abutting a color ink portion, the printing method comprising the steps of: a. printing the high quality black ink portion of the multiple-color image on a first spot on the receiving sheet using a slow-drying, first black ink; and b. printing the color ink portion of the multiple color image on a second spot on the receiving sheet abutting said first spot, such that said color ink portion is separated by a small gap along a line where said color portion otherwise would abut said high quality black ink portion.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 112 words

A method of printing, on an image receiving sheet, a high quality multiple color image having a high quality black ink portion abutting a color ink portion, the printing method comprising the steps of: a. printing the high quality black ink portion of the multiple-color image on a first spot on the receiving sheet using a slow-drying, first black ink; and b. printing the color ink portion of the multiple color image on a second spot on the receiving sheet abutting said first spot, such that said color ink portion is separated by a small gap along a line where said color portion otherwise would abut said high quality black ink portion.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 21, including a step of applying heat to the printed high quality black ink portion prior to printing the color ink portion of the multiple color image.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method of claim 22, wherein said color portion is printed such that said small gap has a width within a range of 2 mils to 15 mils.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 47 words

The method of claim 22, wherein said printing steps include printing said high quality black ink portion and said color ink portion of the multiple color image pixel by pixel, and such that said small gap has a width within a range of 1 to 5 pixels.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 24, wherein said step of printing said color ink portion comprises printing said color portion such that said small gap has a width of 3 pixels.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 46 words

The method of claim 24, wherein said step of printing said color ink portion gapped from the black ink portion comprises printing said color portion partially and omitting to print pixels of the color ink portion of the multiple color image thereby forming said small gap.

Claim 30

Independent Claim 105 words

A method of printing, on an image receiving sheet, a high quality multiple color image having a high quality black portion abutting a multicolor portion, the printing method comprising the steps of: a. printing the high quality black portion of the multiple color image using a slow-drying, first black ink; b. creating a small gap between the high quality black portion and the multicolor portion by using fast-drying color inks to print the multicolor portion spaced said small gap in the abutting area from the high quality black portion; and c. filling in said small gap by printing therein using a fast-drying second black ink.

Claim 31

Independent Claim 105 words

A method of printing, on an image receiving sheet, a high quality multiple color image having a high quality black portion abutting a multicolor portion, the printing method comprising the steps of: a. printing the high quality black portion of the multiple color image using a slow-drying, first black ink; b. creating a small gap between the high quality black portion and the multicolor portion by using fast-drying color inks to print the multicolor portion spaced said small gap in the abutting area from the high quality black portion; and c. filling in said small gap by printing therein using a fast-drying second black ink.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 27, wherein said step of printing the multicolor portion comprises printing selectively with color inks of cyan, magenta, yellow and said fast-drying, second black ink.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 28, wherein said color ink of yellow is used last in said printing step.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 28, wherein said color ink of magenta is printed before said ink of cyan in said printing step.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-10-29	2000-04-29	2000-10-29	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-10-29	2004-04-29	2004-10-29	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-10-29	2008-04-29	2008-10-29	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Color ink-jet printing with fast-and-slow-drying inks

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