Rachel R Lucas

US Patent:

6513924, Feb 4, 2003

Filed:

Sep 11, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/952614

Inventors:

Ira Goldberg - Thousand Oaks CA
Martin Kendig - Thousand Oaks CA
Rachel Lucas - Thousand Oaks CA
Ted McKinney - Riverside CA
Hong-Son Ryang - Camarillo CA
Leonard Alper - Glendale CA

Assignee:

Innovative Technology Licensing, LLC - Thousand Oaks CA

International Classification:

B41J 201

US Classification:

347106, 347102

Abstract:

An apparatus and method for ink jet printing on textiles is disclosed, wherein the steps of pre-treating, ink jet printing, and post-treating the textile takes place at the ink jet printer. A preferred method includes the steps of applying a pre-treat to the textile, evaporating excess water from the pre-treat, ink jet printing a pattern on the pre-treated textile, evaporating water from the ink in the pattern, applying a binder/post-treat to the pattern and curing the binder. The textile printing apparatus prints on an untreated textile by having a first application device to apply a pre-treat aqueous solution to the textile. A first heating element is arranged to evaporate most or all of the water from the pre-treated textile as it passes. An ink jet printer then accepts the pre-treated textile and prints the desired pattern on it. A second heating element at the output of the printer evaporates water from the ink in the pattern as the printed textile passes.