Patents by Inventor Thomas Nathaniel Tombs

Thomas Nathaniel Tombs has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8567938
    Abstract: A print is produced on a semiporous recording medium. The semiporous recording medium is dried to an equilibrated 20% RH. Hydrophilic liquid is deposited on the medium in a selected fluid pattern within 15 seconds after the completion of drying. The recording medium is charged so that a charge pattern of charged and discharged areas is formed on the recording medium and the discharged areas correspond to the fluid pattern. Charged dry ink having charge of the same sign as the charge in the charged areas on the recording medium is deposited on the medium in a pattern corresponding to the selected fluid pattern. The dry ink is at least in part hydrophilic, so the dry ink adheres to the hydrophilic liquid, and at least some of the liquid is drawn into or around the deposited dry ink particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130164061
    Abstract: Printing methods are provided. In one method, an inkjet image is printed on a receiver using an inkjet ink having a liquid with a boiling point and a toner image conforming to the ink jet image is generated using toner particles with a glass transition temperature that is below the boiling point and the toner image is transferred into an unabsorbed volume of liquid ink of the inkjet image on the receiver. A first energy is applied to the toner and the liquid sufficient to bring the liquid to the boiling point without bringing a heated surface into contact therewith. The toner particles are heated above the glass transition temperature by the combination of heat from the liquid and heating of the toner particles by the radiant energy without requiring that the receiver is heated to the glass transition temperature of the toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130162741
    Abstract: Printing methods are provided. In one method an inkjet image is printed using an ink having a colorant with an electrical charge of a first polarity dispersed in a hydrophilic liquid carrier fluid with an electrical charge of a second polarity that is the opposite polarity of the first polarity. A colorant attracting toner image conforming to the inkjet image is generated using toner particles of the second polarity. The colorant attracting toner image is transferred in registration with an unabsorbed volume of the ink jet image on the receiver. The difference in polarity between the toner particles and the colorant attracts the colorant and the toner particles. The toner particles are fixed to the receiver. After fixing colorant attracted to the toner particles is bound to the toner particles so that removal of the toner from the receiver also removes any colorant attached to the toner from the receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130162706
    Abstract: Inkjet printers are provided, in one aspect, an inkjet printer has an inkjet print engine that prints an image by jetting drops of hydrophilic liquid to form an inkjet image on a surface of at least one of a semi-absorbent recording medium or a non-absorbent recording medium; a transport system to transport the printed surface to a toner printer having a toner print engine to generate a liquid management toner image with toner particles that are at least in part hydrophilic and to transfer the toner image onto the recording medium where an unabsorbed volume of the inkjet ink will be present on the recording medium. A control system causes the inkjet printer to generate the inkjet image on the surface and causes the toner printer to generate a liquid management toner image that provides toner particles to manage an unabsorbed volume of the liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130162705
    Abstract: Printers are provided. In one printer, an inkjet image is printed on a receiver using a hydrophilic ink capturing an image of the first print after a predetermined period of absorption and local areas the receiver that have reached a threshold level of non-uniform distortion and where additional ink remains for absorption are identified. A liquid management toner image is generated that provides toner particles for transfer onto the receiver in the identified areas in register with the inkjet print as non-uniformly distorted; and transferring the liquid management toner image onto the receiver. The liquid management toner image reduces absorption of ink in the receiver in the identified areas control the extent of distortion in the area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai, Roland Robert Schindler, II
  • Publication number: 20130162703
    Abstract: A method of printing an image on a receiver includes receiving image data for the image. A processor automatically produces data for a polymer pattern and a salt pattern using the image data. A polymer is deposited on the receiver according to the polymer pattern using a polymer-deposition unit. A salt is deposited on the receiver according to the salt pattern using a salt-deposition unit different from the polymer-deposition unit. Liquid ink is deposited on the receiver according to the image data using an inkjet print engine, and at least some of the ink is deposited over the deposited polymer or the deposited salt.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventor: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs
  • Publication number: 20130162702
    Abstract: Printing methods are provided. In one method, printing an inkjet image using a liquid hydrophilic inkjet ink onto a surface of a semi-absorbent recording medium generating a toner image having toner particles arranged conforming to the inkjet image and transferring the toner image onto the recording medium where an unabsorbed volume of the inkjet ink is present on the recording medium. The toner particles manage unabsorbed volumes of the inkjet ink to protect the recording medium from image artifacts that can be created by an unabsorbed volume of the inkjet ink on the surface without a liquid management toner image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel TOMBS, Donald Saul RIMAI
  • Publication number: 20130162704
    Abstract: Printing methods are provided. In one method, printing an inkjet image using a liquid hydrophilic inkjet ink onto a surface of a semi-absorbent recording medium generating a toner image having toner particles arranged conforming to the inkjet image and transferring the toner image onto the recording medium where an unabsorbed volume of the inkjet ink is present on the recording medium. The toner particles manage unabsorbed volumes of the inkjet ink to protect the recording medium from image artifacts that can be created by an unabsorbed volume of the inkjet ink on the surface without a liquid management toner image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai, Roland Robert Schindler, II
  • Publication number: 20130162715
    Abstract: Printers are provided. One print has an inkjet printer to print an inkjet image on a receiver using a hydrophilic ink, a sensor for capturing an image of the receiver after predetermined period of absorption and a control system and a second printer. The control system identifies local areas of the image of the inkjet print on the that have reached a threshold level of non-uniform distortion and where additional ink remains for absorption, determining a distortion estimate for distortion of the receiver at a time when a second image will be printed on the receiver based upon information from the identified areas and generating a second print image based on the distortion estimate. The second printer prints the second print image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130164062
    Abstract: Printers are provided. One printer has an ink jet printer with an inkjet printhead to print an inkjet image on a receiver using an inkjet ink having a liquid with a boiling point a toner print engine to generate a toner image conforming to the ink jet image using toner particles with a glass transition temperature that is below the boiling point and to transfer the toner image into an unabsorbed volume of liquid ink of the inkjet image on the receiver and a fixing system having a first energy source to apply a first energy to the toner and the liquid sufficient to bring the liquid to the boiling point without bringing a heated surface into contact therewith. The toner particles are heated above the glass transition temperature by the combination of heat from the liquid and heating of the toner particles by the first energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Donald Saul Rimai, Thomas Nathaniel Tombs
  • Publication number: 20130162709
    Abstract: Methods for operating a printing system are provided. In one method, an inkjet image is printed on a receiver using a hydrophilic ink and an image of the receiver is captured after predetermined period of absorption. Local areas of the image of the inkjet print that have reached a threshold level of non-uniform distortion and where additional ink remains for absorption are identified. A distortion estimate is determined for distortion of the receiver at a time when a second image will be printed on the receiver based upon information from the identified areas. A second print image is printed based on the distortion estimate; and, the second image is printed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130162711
    Abstract: In a system having an inkjet printer and a toner printer, the ink jet printer forms an ink jet image and the toner printer forms a toner image conforming to the inkjet image and transfers the toner image onto the inkjet image. Colorant in the ink is electrostatically attracted to the toner. The toner is fixed. After fixing the colorant attracted to the toner is bound to the toner so that removal of the toner from the receiver also removes any colorant attached to the toner from the receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130127964
    Abstract: A method of producing a deinkable print on an image-bearing member includes transferring a toner image onto the image-bearing member to form a continuous or discontinuous toner image layer, wherein toner in the toner image is soluble in a hydrophobic or oliophilic organic solvent. An ink image corresponding to the toner image is printed onto the toner image on the image-bearing member, the ink including colorant in a hydrophilic carrier fluid, so that the colorant is disposed over the toner image layer. The toner image and ink image are fixed to the receiver. The image-bearing member has an unprinted reflection density and has a deinked reflection density at most 0.15 above the unprinted reflection density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130130172
    Abstract: A method of deinking an image-bearing member using an organic solvent includes receiving the image-bearing member. The member has thereon a continuous or discontinuous image layer formed of toner particles that do not include colorant, and colorant particles or molecules. The colorant particles or molecules are arranged in a pattern corresponding to the arrangement of the toner particles. The organic solvent is hydrophobic or oliophilic and the colorant is insoluble in the organic solvent. The hydrophobic or oliophilic organic solvent is applied to the image-bearing member, so that a majority of the toner image layer is dissolved off the image-bearing member and the colorant is removed from the image-bearing member. A deinked reflection density of the image-bearing member in a selected test area from which the toner image layer was dissolved is within 0.15 of an imprinted reflection density of the image-bearing member before deinking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130127149
    Abstract: A printed article includes a receiver having an image-bearing surface, the image-bearing surface having substantially no human-visible colorant thereon. A pattern of toner is deposited on the image-bearing surface and covers less than 100% of the image-bearing surface. Colorant is absorbed into or adsorbed onto the toner to provide a human-visible image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130129393
    Abstract: A method of printing an image includes transferring a toner image onto an image-bearing side of a receiver to form a continuous or discontinuous toner image layer having a continuous or discontinuous visible surface. An ink image is printed onto the toner visible image, the ink including colorant or a functional component suspended or dissolved in a carrier fluid. As a result, at least 50% of the colorant or the functional component is absorbed into or adsorbed onto the toner. The toner visible image and ink image are then fixed to the receiver. The functional component is selected from the group consisting of a colorant, a humectant, a surfactant, a security material, a fungicide, and a biocide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130076843
    Abstract: A printer includes a dryer, a liquid-deposition unit, a charging member, a development station, and a fixer arranged in that order along the paper path. The dryer dries a selected region of the paper on the transport to a moisture content not to exceed that of the paper equilibrated to 20% RH. The liquid-deposition unit deposits hydrophilic liquid in a selected fluid pattern on the paper within 15 seconds of the completion of drying. The charging member selectively charges the paper so that a charge pattern of charged and discharged areas is formed on the paper and the charged areas have a potential of at least 100 V. The development station deposits dry ink on the charged paper in a dry ink pattern corresponding to the selected fluid pattern. The fixer permanently fixes the dry ink to the paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130077999
    Abstract: Electrographic printing apparatus for producing a toner image on paper includes a dryer adapted to dry a selected region of the paper to a moisture content not to exceed that of the paper equilibrated to 20% RH. A liquid-deposition unit wets selected portions of the selected region of the paper within 15 seconds after the completion of drying to provide a latent fluid image corresponding to the wetted portions of the paper. A dry area is thereby defined in the selected region outside the latent fluid image. A charging member charges the paper so that the paper in the dry area has a selected potential. A development station deposits charged dry toner in the selected region, the toner having charge of the same sign as the selected potential, so that the toner adheres to paper in the area of the latent fluid image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130076847
    Abstract: A printer for printing on a semiporous recording medium includes a dryer adapted to dry the semiporous recording medium to a moisture content not to exceed that of the recording medium equilibrated to 20% RH. A liquid-deposition unit deposits hydrophilic liquid in a selected fluid pattern on the recording medium within 15 seconds after the completion of drying. A charging member charges the recording medium so that a charge pattern of charged and discharged areas is formed on the recording medium and the charged areas have a potential of at least 100 V. A development station deposits charged dry ink on the medium, the dry ink having charge of the same sign as the charged areas, so that the charged dry ink is deposited on the paper in a dry ink pattern corresponding to the selected fluid pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai
  • Publication number: 20130076844
    Abstract: A print is produced on a semiporous recording medium. The semiporous recording medium is dried to an equilibrated 20% RH. Hydrophilic liquid is deposited on the medium in a selected fluid pattern within 15 seconds after the completion of drying. The recording medium is charged so that a charge pattern of charged and discharged areas is formed on the recording medium and the discharged areas correspond to the fluid pattern. Charged dry ink having charge of the same sign as the charge in the charged areas on the recording medium is deposited on the medium in a pattern corresponding to the selected fluid pattern. The dry ink is at least in part hydrophilic, so the dry ink adheres to the hydrophilic liquid, and at least some of the liquid is drawn into or around the deposited dry ink particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Inventors: Thomas Nathaniel Tombs, Donald Saul Rimai