SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMAGE RECEIVING SURFACE TREATMENT IN AN INDIRECT INKJET PRINTER

摘要

An inkjet printer applies a layer of a hydrophilic composition, which includes a liquid carrier, a humectant with a high boiling point, and an absorption agent, to an image receiving surface of an indirect image receiving member. A dryer in the printer removes a portion of the liquid carrier from the layer of hydrophilic composition to form a dried layer of an absorption agent on the image receiving surface and an aqueous ink image is formed on the dried layer. The aqueous ink image and the dried layer are transferred to a surface of a print medium as the aqueous ink image, the dried layer of the hydrophilic composition with the humectant, and print medium move through a transfix nip formed between the indirect image receiving member and a transfix member.

主权项

1. An inkjet printer comprising:
an indirect image receiving member having an image receiving surface configured to move in a process direction in the inkjet printer; a surface maintenance unit configured to apply a layer of a hydrophilic composition comprising a liquid carrier, a humectant, and an absorption agent to the image receiving surface; a dryer positioned and configured to direct air having a temperature that is below a boiling point of the humectant towards the image receiving surface to remove at least a portion of the liquid carrier from the layer of hydrophilic composition after the surface maintenance unit has applied the hydrophilic composition to the image receiving surface to form a dried layer of the absorption agent; a plurality of inkjets configured to eject aqueous ink onto the dried layer to form an aqueous ink image on the image receiving surface; and a transfix member that engages the image receiving member to form a transfix nip, the transfix member being configured to apply pressure to a print medium moving through the transfix nip as the aqueous ink image on the dried layer moves through the transfix nip to transfix the aqueous ink image, the dried layer that receives the aqueous ink, and the dried layer with the humectant to a surface of the print medium.