US 12,479,213 B2
Ink, ink set and printer
Shuichi Fukuoka, Kirishima (JP); Hisamitsu Sakai, Kyoto (JP); Akihiko Nishimoto, Kirishima (JP); Hitoshi Ookoda, Kirishima (JP); Takashi Miyahara, Kirishima (JP); Atsushi Ishihara, Kirishima (JP); and Chihiro Takeshita, Kirishima (JP)
Assigned to KYOCERA CORPORATION, Kyoto (JP)
Appl. No. 18/043,302
Filed by KYOCERA CORPORATION, Kyoto (JP)
PCT Filed Aug. 25, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/031120
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 27, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/045179, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 3, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-144343 (JP), filed on Aug. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0364922 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. B41J 2/21 (2006.01); B41J 2/01 (2006.01); B41J 2/14 (2006.01); B41J 2/48 (2006.01); B41J 3/407 (2006.01); B41J 11/00 (2006.01); B41M 5/00 (2006.01); C09D 11/101 (2014.01); C09D 11/30 (2014.01); C09D 11/322 (2014.01); C09D 11/326 (2014.01); C09D 11/34 (2014.01); C09D 11/40 (2014.01)
CPC B41J 2/2107 (2013.01) [B41J 2/01 (2013.01); B41J 2/14201 (2013.01); B41J 2/48 (2013.01); B41J 3/407 (2013.01); B41J 11/002 (2013.01); B41J 11/00214 (2021.01); B41M 5/0023 (2013.01); C09D 11/101 (2013.01); C09D 11/30 (2013.01); C09D 11/322 (2013.01); C09D 11/326 (2013.01); C09D 11/34 (2013.01); C09D 11/40 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A printing apparatus comprising:
an ink ejector configured to eject an ink to an object on which a printed record is to be produced;
a dryer; and
a melting device, wherein
the ink comprises:
a medium;
a coloring agent dissolved or dispersed in the medium;
a fixing polymer having a glass-transition temperature higher than room temperature and being dispersed in the medium; and
one or more kinds of polymers other than the fixing polymer, the one or more kinds of polymers each having a glass-transition temperature higher than the room temperature and being dissolved or dispersed in the medium,
a glass-transition temperature of the fixing polymer is higher than the glass-transition temperature of 80 mass % or more of the one or more kinds of polymers contained in the ink,
the dryer is configured to heat the object to expedite evaporation of the medium,
the melting device is configured to subject the ink on the object to heat that causes the fixing polymer to melt and to fix the ink to the object accordingly, and
the melting device irradiates the ink on the object with ultraviolet rays to heat the ink and melt the fixing polymer while the ink is exposed to a surrounding atmosphere.