Point-of-incidence ink-curing mechanism for radial printing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for curing or drying of individual ink objects, dynamically during the radial printing process, at the ink object's point of incidence are described. Mechanisms for curing or drying ink objects, dynamically during the radial printing process, at the ink object's point of incidence, reducing ink object migration while the ink is wet, caused from inherent centrifugal forces and secondary air turbulence during the radial printing process, reducing image distortion, resulting in a more clearly printed image, such as on a spinning CD, are disclosed.

1 . A printing system for radially printing onto a rotating media, comprising: 
 a dispensement mechanism for dispensing an ink object onto a media while the media is rotating under the dispensement mechanism;    a curing mechanism for drying or curing at least a portion of the dispensed ink object while the media is rotating under the dispensement mechanism; and    a controller for synchronizing the dispensement mechanism to dispense the ink object onto the media with the curing mechanism to dry or cure at least a portion of the dispensed ink while the media is rotating.    
   
   
       2 . A printing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the curing mechanism comprises a laser device or laser diode.  
   
   
       3 . A printing system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the laser device or laser diode has an energy selected to dry or cure at least a portion of the ink object substantially instantaneously when the ink object hits a point-of-incidence.  
   
   
       4 . A printing system as recited in  claim 3 , the curing mechanism further comprising a lens for focusing energy from the laser device or laser diode at the point-of-incidence.  
   
   
       5 . A printing system as recited in  claim 3 , the curing mechanism further comprising a light pipe or channel for directing the energy from the laser device or laser diode at the point-of-incidence.  
   
   
       6 . A printing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the curing mechanism comprises a radiant energy source having an infrared wavelength selected to dry or cure at least a portion of the ink object substantially instantaneously at the point-of-incidence.  
   
   
       7 . A printing system as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the curing mechanism comprises an incandescent or halogen light source.  
   
   
       8 . A printing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises: 
 an encoder for determining a position of the media;    a rotation motor for rotating the media;    a synchronization system for receiving the position of the media from the encoder and sending control signals to the rotation motor to thereby control the rotation motor based on the position of the rotating media;    an imaging system for receiving an image source and the control signals from the synchronization system to thereby determine ink dispensement signals; and    a pen control system for receiving the ink dispensement signals from the imaging system to thereby control ink dispensement by the dispensement mechanism and for synchronizing the curing mechanism to cure or dry at least a portion of the ink object at the point-of-incidence.    
   
   
       9 . A printing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ink object is a substantially singular drop of ink.  
   
   
       10 . A printing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the ink dispensement mechanism is arranged to dispense the ink object onto an area that includes a radius of the rotating media.  
   
   
       11 . A printing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the curing mechanism comprises a UV laser-diode having an ultraviolet wavelength selected to dry or cure at least a portion of the ink object substantially instantaneously at the point-of-incidence.  
   
   
       12 . A printing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the synchronizing comprises issuing commands to both the dispensement mechanism and the curing mechanism to timely dry or cure at least a portion of the ink object as it impinges on the media.  
   
   
       13 . A printing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the synchronizing comprises predicting when the dispensement mechanism dispenses the ink object onto the rotating media so that the curing mechanism can dry or cure at least a portion of the dispensed ink while the media is rotating.  
   
   
       14 . A printing system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the synchronizing comprises timing the dispensement mechanism and the curing mechanism to account for centrifugal forces generated by the rotating media.  
   
   
       15 . A printing system for radially printing onto a rotating media, comprising: 
 a dispensement mechanism having a first nozzle for dispensing an ink object onto a media while the media is rotating under the dispensement mechanism and a second nozzle for dispensing a chemically reactive curing object, wherein the ink object is uncured and chemically reactive to the curing object; and    a controller for causing the dispensement mechanism to synchronously dispense the ink object and the curing object onto the rotating media such that the curing object mixes and chemically reacts with the ink object to thereby dry or cure at least a portion of the dispensed ink object while the media is rotating under the dispensement mechanism.    
   
   
       16 . A printing system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the dispensement mechanism comprises a first pen having the first nozzle and a second pen having the second nozzle.  
   
   
       17 . A printing system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the dispensement mechanism comprises a single printing pen having the first nozzle and the second nozzle.  
   
   
       18 . A printing system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the dispensement mechanism is arranged to dispense the ink object substantially simultaneously with the chemically reactive curing object.  
   
   
       19 . A printing system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the controller comprises: 
 an encoder for determining a position of the media;    a rotation motor for rotating the media;    a synchronization system for receiving the position of the media from the encoder and sending control signals to the rotation motor to thereby control the rotation motor based on the position of the rotating media;    an imaging system for receiving an image source and the control signals from the synchronization system to thereby determine ink dispensement signals; and    a pen control system for receiving the ink dispensement signals from the imaging system to thereby control ink dispensement by the dispensement mechanism.    
   
   
       20 . A printing system for radially printing onto a rotating media, comprising: 
 a dispensement mechanism for dispensing an ink object onto a media at a point-of-incidence while the media is rotating under the dispensement mechanism;    a curing mechanism for drying or curing at least a portion of the dispensed ink object directly at the point-of-incidence of the ink object while the media is rotating under the dispensement mechanism;    a controller for synchronizing the dispensement mechanism to dispense the ink object at the point-of-incidence with the curing mechanism to dry or cure at least a portion of the dispensed ink directly at the point-of-incidence while the media is rotating; and    the curing mechanism comprising a light pipe or fiber optic channel for directing energy for drying or curing at least a portion of the dispensed ink.