Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-03
2001-02-27
Eickholt, Eugene (Department: 2854)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S096000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193361
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the formation of textured layers over images.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Ink jet printing has become a prominent contender in the digital output arena because of its non-impact, low-noise characteristics, and its compatibility with plain paper. Ink jet printing avoids the complications of toner transfers and fixing as in electrophotography, and the pressure contact at the printing interface as in thermal resistive printing technologies. Ink jet printing mechanisms include continuous ink jet or drop-on-demand ink jet. U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,398, which issued to Kyser et al. in 1970, discloses a drop-on-demand ink jet printer which applies a high voltage to a piezoelectric crystal, causing the crystal to bend, applying pressure on an ink reservoir and jetting drops on demand. Piezoelectric ink jet printers can also utilize piezoelectric crystals in push mode, shear mode, and squeeze mode. EP 827 833 A2 and WO 98/08687 disclose a piezoelectric ink jet print head apparatus with reduced crosstalk between channels, improved ink protection, and capability of ejecting variable ink drop size.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,129, issued to Endo et al, discloses an electrothermal drop-on-demand ink jet printer which applies a power pulse to an electrothermal heater which is in thermal contact with water based ink in a nozzle. The heat from the electrothermal heater produces vapor bubble in the ink, which causes an ink drop to be ejected from a small aperture along the edge of the heater substrate. This technology is known as Bubblejet™ (trademark of Canon K.K. of Japan).
Recently, the ink jet printing technologies have advanced significantly so that the ink jet printers can provide images that are close to the silver halide photographic prints. One key requirement for photographs is the surface texture properties. The silver halide photographs have two common types of surface textures: glossy surface and matte surface. Different users tend to have their personal preferences in the type of the surface texture. Gloss refers to the luster and brightness associated with the surface, which is appealing to some users. A gloss surface is usually produced by a smooth surface. One property or shortcoming of the gloss surface is that the viewing of an image is dependent on the illumination and the viewing angles. This is why some users prefer a matte surface that is less dependent on illumination and view directions. A matte surface is often provided by some surface textures, for example, a rough or granular surface, that can scatter light in different directions. The scattering of light decreases gloss and can keep the viewing of an image more or less constant under various observation directions. Sometimes, a mildly matte surface is also called a satin surface. There is a need to conveniently provide ink images with both glossy and matte textures so that the ink images can mimic silver halide photographs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide for different surface textures over images.
Another object of this invention is to provide ink images with variable surface textures using an ink jet apparatus.
A further object of this invention is to provide variable gloss levels for different areas of an image.
These objects are achieved by apparatus for forming a layer having a surface texture in response to a surface texture signal, comprising:
a) a fluid ejection head adapted to deliver polymer fluid;
b) means for positioning a receiver relative to the fluid ejection head and such receiver having a preformed image; and
c) means for causing the fluid ejection head to deliver polymer fluid over the image in accordance with the surface texture signal so that a solid polymer layer having a desired surface texture is formed over the image.
A feature of the present invention is that a textured surface can be produced on an image such as an ink image so that the glossiness of the image can be varied from glossy to matte texture according to user preference.
Another feature of the present invention is that the texture surface is produced by ejecting polymer fluid using a fluid ejection print head and the subsequent polymerization of the polymer fluid on the ink image.
A further feature of the present invention is that a surface texture digital signal defines a frame for an image and the frame has a different surface texture from the surface texture of the adjacent areas over the image.
An advantage of the present invention is that a matte surface texture can be produced on a glossy ink receiver after the ink image is produced so that a user can choose either glossy or matte texture according to user preference.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the textured surface can be varied so that ink images mimic surface textures of silver halide photographic prints without changing the receiver stock.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the surface topology of the matte surface can be controlled fluid drive electronics according to an input surface topology digital image so that according to user preference. Different topologies can be produced for different applications.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3946398 (1976-03-01), Kyser et al.
patent: 4723129 (1988-02-01), Endo et al.
patent: 5260009 (1993-11-01), Penn
patent: 5312654 (1994-05-01), Arimatsu et al.
patent: 5627578 (1997-05-01), Weintraub
patent: 5656378 (1997-08-01), Lambert
patent: 6013123 (2000-01-01), Scarpetti
patent: 6045219 (2000-04-01), Erdtmann et al.
patent: 0827833 (1998-03-01), None
patent: 98/08687 (1998-03-01), None
Eastman Kodak Company
Eickholt Eugene
Owens Raymond L.
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