Patent ID: 6761446
Filing Date: 2004-07-13
Classification: B41J,B41M

Abstract:
A digital imaging machine for generating a multicolor ink-jet-ink-derived material image, said digital imaging machine including a plurality of modules arranged sequentially, each module respectively comprising:an ink jet device for imagewise jetting, on to an operational surface of an intermediate member, droplets of an ink made of particles dispersed in a carrier liquid, said ink jet device thereby forming on said operational surface of said intermediate member a primary image, said primary image including said particles and said carrier fluid; a plurality of process zones associated with said operational surface of said intermediate member, said plurality of process zones located sequentially in proximity with said operational surface, said plurality of process zones including an image concentrating process zone, an excess liquid removal process zone, and a transfer process zone; a mechanism for concentrating in said image concentrating process zone said respective particles of said primary image so as to form on said operational surface a concentrated image from said primary image, said mechanism for concentrating said particles causing said particles to become concentrated adjacent said operational surface; a mechanism for removing in said excess liquid removal process zone a portion of said respective carrier liquid from said concentrated image so as to form on said operational surface a liquid-depleted image; a transport by which a receiver is moved sequentially through said each module; a mechanism for transferring to said receiver, from said operational surface in said transfer process zone, said respective liquid-depleted image; a mechanism for forming on each said operational surface a regenerated operational surface for a subsequent formation thereon, by said ink jet device, of a new primary image, said regeneration process zone associated in proximity with said intermediate member at a location between said transfer process zone and said ink jet device; wherein said intermediate member includes one of a rotatable member or a linearly-movable member; wherein said primary image includes a plurality of smallest resolved imaging areas and each of said plurality of smallest resolved imaging areas receives from said ink jet device a preselected number of droplets of said ink, said preselected number including zero; wherein said primary image, formed on said operational surface of said intermediate member, is formed as one of a continuous tone primary image or a half-tone primary image; and wherein a color ink-jet-ink-derived material image is successively transferred in registry to said receiver in each of said modules included in said plurality of modules, thereby creating said ink-jet-ink-derived material multicolor image on said receiver.