1. An ink-jet ink composition comprising: a pigment, a polymer pigment dispersant, polymer particles, a hydrophilic organic solvent, water, and at least one of a water-soluble acidic compound having a molecular weight of 200 or less or a salt thereof in an amount of from 50 ppm to 1,000 ppm, wherein a hydrophobic structural unit incorporated in a polymer that forms the polymer particles comprises at least one structural unit derived from a (meth)acrylic monomer having a cyclic aliphatic group.
2. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble acidic compound is a compound having a carboxy group.
3. The ink-jet ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the polymer particles are self-dispersing polymer particles.
4. The ink jet ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the polymer particles have a carboxy group.
5. The ink-jet ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the glass transition temperature of the polymer particles is from 40\xb0 C. to 180\xb0 C.
6. The ink-jet ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the polymer pigment dispersant contains a carboxy group.
7. The ink-jet ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic organic solvent is an (alkyleneoxy)alcohol or an (alkyleneoxy)alkyl ether.
8. An ink set comprising: the ink jet ink composition according to claim 1 and a treatment liquid that forms an aggregate when contacted with the ink-jet ink composition.
9. The ink set according to claim 8, wherein the treatment liquid contains a compound having a carboxy group.
10. An image forming method comprising: applying, onto a recording medium, a treatment liquid that forms an aggregate when contacted with the ink jet ink composition according to claim 1; and applying the ink jet ink composition onto the recording medium so as to form an image.
11. The ink-jet ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of a water-soluble acidic compound having a molecular weight of 200 or less or a salt thereof is at least one selected from the group consisting of water-soluble acidic compounds having a molecular weight of 150 or less, and salts thereof.
12. The ink-jet ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of a water-soluble acidic compound having a molecular weight of 200 or less or a salt thereof is at least one selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, butanoic acid, acetic acid, methane sulfonic acid, p-toluene sulfonic acid, and salts thereof.
13. The ink-jet composition according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of a water-soluble acidic compound having a molecular weight of 200 or less or a salt thereof is at least one selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, acetic acid, butanoic acid, and alkali metal salts thereof.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A detergent pourer sterilizer including a housing including a hollow portion having an open side; a detergent pourer configured to be detachably attached to the housing; and a cover member configured to open or close the open side of the hollow portion,
wherein the sterilizer comprises at least one ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV LED) configured to emit ultraviolet light toward the detergent pourer positioned in the hollow portion.
2. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the UV LED is installed on at least one of inner surfaces of the housing to emit ultraviolet light toward the detergent pourer.
3. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the UV LED is installed on an inner surface of the cover member to emit ultraviolet light toward the detergent pourer.
4. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 3, further comprising: a power supply disposed near the housing to supply power to the UV LED,
wherein electrical contacts are installed at parts of the cover member and the housing, the parts not contacting each other when the cover member opens the hollow portion and contacting each other when the cover member closes the hollow portion,
wherein the contact of the cover member is connected to the UV LED, and the contact of the housing is connected to the power supply,
wherein the contacts of the cover member and the housing are electrically connected to each other to supply power to the UV LED only when the cover member closes the hollow portion.
5. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 4, wherein the UV LED is installed on at least one of inner surfaces of the housing to emit ultraviolet light toward the detergent pourer, wherein the UV LED installed on the housing is connected to the UV LED installed on the cover member in series.
6. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 1, further comprising: a switch installed at a part of the cover member, the part not contacting the housing when the cover member opens the hollow portion and contacting the housing when the cover member closes the hollow portion, wherein the switch operates to supply power to the UV LED only when the cover member closes the hollow portion.
7. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 1, further comprising a nozzle installed on the housing for spraying high-pressure water toward the detergent pourer.
8. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an air injection hole for injecting air toward the hollow portion therethrough and an air discharge hole for discharging the injected air.
9. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 8, further comprising: a water discharge hole formed in the housing and operating as the air discharge hole.
10. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the detergent pourer includes a material allowing ultraviolet light to be transmitted therethrough.
11. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the detergent pourer or the housing has at least one region of an inner surface coated with photocatalytic material such that photocatalytic material causes photocatalytic reaction with ultraviolet light.
12. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 1, further comprising: a reflector installed on an inner surface of the housing.
13. The detergent pourer sterilizer according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm means to alarm an open state of the cover member when the cover member is opened as power is supplied to the UV LED.
14. A method of sterilizing a detergent pourer of a washing machine including a housing including a hollow portion having an open side, a detergent pourer configured to be detachably attached to the housing, and a cover member configured to open or close the open side of the hollow portion, and a ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV LED) configure ultraviolet light toward the hollow portionNN1, the method comprising:
performing sterilizing of the detergent pourer when an operation of the washing machine is completed or an instruction from user to start the sterilization is received,
wherein the sterilizing of the detergent pourer comprises:
checking if there is no laundry in a washing tub; and
supplying power to the UV LED and turning on the UV LED only when the cover member is closed after checking that there is no laundry in the washing tub.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the housing comprises a nozzle for spraying high-pressure water toward the detergent pourer,
wherein the sterilizing of the detergent pourer further comprises:
spraying the high-pressure water the washing tub only when the cover member is closed after checking that there is no laundry in the washing tub,
wherein the spraying is performed before the turning on of the UV LED.
16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the housing comprises an air injection hole for injecting air toward the hollow portion and an air discharge hole for discharging the injected air,
wherein the sterilizing of the detergent pourer further comprises:
injecting the air only when the cover member is closed after checking that there is no laundry in the washing tub,
wherein the injecting of the air is performed before the turning on of the UV LED.
17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the housing comprises an air injection hole for injecting air toward the hollow portion and an air discharge hole for discharging the injected air,
wherein the sterilizing of the detergent pourer further comprises:
injecting the air only when the cover member is closed after checking that there is no laundry in the washing tub,
wherein the injecting of the air is performed after the spraying of the high-pressure water is performed and before the turning on of the UV LED.
18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the sterilizing of the detergent pourer starts automatically only when an accumulated number of uses of the washing machine after a most recent execution of the sterilizing is greater than or equal to 2.