Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-15
2003-04-08
Vo, Anh T.N. (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S102000, C347S100000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06543888
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink-jet image recording method high in quality of recorded images, excellent in ejecting stability, and moreover, excellent in keeping quality of images obtained.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the recent spread of computers, ink-jet printers have been widely utilized for printing paper, film, cloth and the like, not only in offices, but also in homes.
Ink-jet recording methods include a system of ejecting ink droplets by the application of pressure using piezoelectric elements, a system of generating air bubbles in ink by heat to eject ink droplets, a system using ultrasonic waves and a system of attracting ink droplets by electrostatic force to eject them. Ink-jet recording ink used in these systems includes water-based ink, oil-based ink and solid (melt type) ink.
Of the ink described above, the water-based ink is mainly used in terms of production, handling, odors and safety.
High solubility in solvents, possibility of high-density recording, good hues, excellent fastness to light, heat, air, water and chemicals, good fixing properties to image-receiving materials and difficulty to blurring, excellent keeping quality as ink, no toxicity, high purity and availability at low cost have been required fro colorants (dyes and pigments) used in such ink-jet recording ink. It is however extremely difficult to search for colorants satisfying these requirements at high level. In particular, colorants having a good magenta hue and excellent in light fastness have been eagerly desired.
As the ink-jet colorants, various dyes and pigments have already been proposed and actually used. However, no colorant satisfying all requirements has been discovered yet. In the conventional well-known dyes and pigments such as ones having color index (C.I.) numbers, the hues and fastness required for the ink-jet recording ink are difficult to be compatible with each other.
On the other hand, methods have been studied in which coating films are formed on image faces to break off the contact of the colorants with water, oxygen, ozone, NO
2
and the like, thereby improving the fastness.
JP-A-55-18412 (the term “JP-A” as used herein means an “unexamined published Japanese patent application”) discloses a method of ejecting a latex-containing ink composition through a recording head. This method suffers from the problem of insufficient coating film effect, because the ejecting properties are deteriorated and the amount of the latex coated is decreased at low concentration portions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an ink-jet recording method high in ejecting stability and having no disadvantages in respect to hues, weather resistance, water resistance and image quality.
The above-mentioned object has been attained by the following claimed inventions:
(1) An ink-jet image recording method comprising: forming an image by ejecting an ink composition for ink-jet recording comprising an oil-soluble dye onto an image-receiving material; applying a solution comprising a dispersion of fine polymer particles to the image-receiving material simultaneously with or after the forming of an image; and forming a coating film comprising the dispersion of fine polymer particles by heating the image-receiving material after the applying of a solution.
(2) An ink-jet image recording method comprising: applying a solution comprising a dispersion of fine polymer particles to an image-receiving material; ejecting an ink composition for ink-jet recording comprising an oil-soluble dye onto the image-receiving material for formation of an image, while the dispersion of fine polymer particles on the image-receiving material maintains a condition in which the ink composition for ink-jet recording is able to pass therethrough; and forming a coating film comprising the dispersion of fine polymer particles by heating the image-receiving material after the ejecting of an ink composition.
(3) The ink-jet image recording method set forth in (1) or (2) above, wherein the ink composition comprises a dye dispersion comprising an aqueous medium dispersed therein a high-boiling point organic solvent comprising an oil-soluble dye represented by formula (B-I) or (B-II) dissolved therein:
wherein R
1
, R
2
, R
3
and R
4
each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group, a heterocyclic group, a cyano group, a hydroxy group, a nitro group, an amino group, an alkylamino group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an amido group, an arylamino group, a ureido group, a sulfamoylamino group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an alkoxycarbonylamino group, a sulfonamido group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, a sulfonyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a heterocyclicoxy group, an azo group, an acyloxy group, a carbamoyloxy group, a silyloxy group, an aryloxycarbonyl group, an aryloxycarbonylamino group, an imido group, a heterocyclicthio group, sulfinyl group, a phosphoryl group, an acyl group, a carboxyl group or a sulfo group; A represents —NR
5
R
6
or a hydroxy group; R
5
and R
6
each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic group or a heterocyclic group; R
5
and R
6
may combine with each other to form a ring; B
1
represents═C(R
3
)— or ═N—; B
2
represents —C(R
4
)═ or —N═; R
1
and R
5
, R
3
and R
6
and/or R
1
and R
2
may combine with each other to form an aromatic ring or a heterocyclic ring; X represents a photographic color coupler residue; and Y represents an unsaturated heterocyclic group.
(4) The ink-jet image recording method set forth in (1) to (3) above, wherein a glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer in the dispersion of fine polymer particles is from 40° C. to 160° C.
(5) The ink-jet image recording method set forth in (1) to (4) above, wherein a coating amount of the dispersion of fine polymer particles is from 0.1 g/m
2
to 10 g/m
2
in terms of the solid content.
(6) The ink-jet image recording method set forth in (1) to (5) above, wherein the polymer in the dispersion of fine polymer is one of a homopolymer and a copolymer both comprising more than 50% by weight of at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene, alkyl acrylate, aryl acrylate, acrylamide and methacrylamide.
(7) The ink jet image recording method set forth in (1) to (6) above, wherein the polymer in the dispersion of fine polymer particles is a dissociation group-containing polymer selected from the group consisting of a vinyl polymer, polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, polyurea and polycarbonate.
(8) The ink jet image recording method set forth in (7) above, wherein the dissociation group-containing polymer is a dissociation group-containing polymer comprising a group selected from the group consisting of a cationic dissociation group and an anionic dissociation group.
(9) The ink jet image recording method according set forth in (7) or (8) above, wherein the content of dissociation groups in the dissociation group-containing polymer is from 0.1 mmol/g to 3.0 mmol/g.
(10) The ink jet image recording method set forth in (1) to (9) above, wherein the recording is conducted upon an image-receiving material, the image-receiving material comprising an ink receiving layer disposed on a support, with the ink receiving layer including a porous inorganic pigment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention will be described in detail below.
In the ink-jet image recording method of the invention, the oil-soluble dye-containing ink composition and the dispersion of fine polymer particles-containing solution are separately prepared, separately applied onto the image-receiving material, and heated after image formation, thereby turning the dispersion of fine polymer particles into the coating film on the image-receiving material. The weather resistance and water resistance of the image are improved by turning the dispersion of fine polymer particles into the coating film. The dispersion of fine polymer particles can
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Shah Manish S.
Vo Anh T.N.
LandOfFree
Ink-jet image recording method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Ink-jet image recording method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Ink-jet image recording method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3044410