Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Electric or magnetic imagery – e.g. – xerography,... – Post imaging process – finishing – or perfecting composition...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-21
2002-03-19
Schilling, Richard L. (Department: 1752)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Electric or magnetic imagery, e.g., xerography,...
Post imaging process, finishing, or perfecting composition...
C430S104000, C430S138000, C430S256000, C430S259000, C430S262000, C430S263000, C156S240000, C428S041800, C428S195100, C428S200000, C428S914000, C347S105000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06358660
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transfer sheet comprising a barrier layer and a release layer. Further, the present invention relates to a method of transferring image areas and non-image areas of said transfer sheet to a receptor element. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image transfer paper which can be imaged in electrostatic printers and copiers or other devices in which colorant or pigment particles are imagewise applied to a substrate or which are imaged with other image marking techniques such as imaging with ink jet, conventional printing inks, thermal wax and craft-type markers, and having images which are capable of being directly transferred to, for instance, a receiver such as a textile (e.g., a shirt or the like).
Textiles such as shirts (e.g., tee shirts) having a variety of designs thereon have become very popular in recent years. Many shirts are sold with pre-printed designs to suit the tastes of consumers. In addition, many customized tee shirt stores are in the business of permitting customers to select designs or decals of their choice. Processes have also been proposed which permit customers to create their own designs on transfer sheets for application to tee shirts by use of a conventional hand iron, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,358 issued Sep. 23, 1980. Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,953 issued Sep. 27, 1988, is directed to a method for utilizing a personal computer, a video camera or the like to create graphics, images, or creative designs on a fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,548 is directed to a silver halide photographic transfer element and to a method for transferring an image from the transfer element to a receptor surface. Provisional application No. 60/029,917 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,824 issued Mar. 7, 2000) discloses that the silver halide light sensitive grains be dispersed within a carrier that functions as a transfer layer, and does not have a separate transfer layer. Provisional application No. 60/056,446 (now U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/138,553) discloses that the silver halide transfer element has a separate transfer layer. Provisional Application No. 60/065,806 (now U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/191,373) relates to a transfer element using CYCOLOR technology, and has a separate transfer layer. Provisional Application No. 60/065,804 (now U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/191,369) relates to a transfer element using thermo-autochrome technology, and has a separate transfer layer. Provisional application No. 60/030,933 (now U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/970,424) relates to a transfer element using CYCOLOR and thermo-autochrome technology, but having no separate transfer layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,179 is directed to a printable heat transfer material using a thermoplastic polymer such as a hard acrylic polymer or poly(vinyl acetate) as a barrier layer, and has a separate film-forming binder layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,990 relates to an image-receptive heat transfer paper which includes an image-receptive melt-transfer film layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer overlaying the top surface of a base sheet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,902 relates to a printable material comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a film-forming binder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,345 relates to a paper for thermal image transfer to flat porous surfaces which contains an ethylene copolymer or a ethylene copolymer mixture and a dye-receiving layer.
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/127,625 and U.S. application Ser. No. 09/541,083 filed Mar. 31, 2000 relate to a transfer sheet comprising a polymeric composition which in turn comprises an acrylic dispersion, an elastomeric emulsion, a plasticizer, and a water repellant. Preferably, the Barrier Layer in Ser. No. 09/541,083 is any vinyl acetate with a Tg in the range of from 0° C. to 100° C. Alternatively, the barrier layer in Ser. No. 09/541,083 is EVERFLEX G, as discussed in the preferred embodiment, with a Tg of about −7°, may be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,657 relates to a melt transfer web for transferring pre-printed inked graphic patterns onto natural or synthetic base fabric sheets comprising a crosslinking polymer-containing barrier layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,996 relates to a coated substrate sheet material for use in making containers that comprises a barrier layer that in turn comprises a cross-linkable polymer.
One problem with many known transfer sheets is that when conventional transfer materials travel through laser printers or copiers, the high temperature in the printers and copiers partially melts some polymer materials, such as a wax, present in the transfer material. As a result, the laser printer or copier must be frequently cleaned. The present invention solves this problem in the art. However, the present invention is not limited to use in laser printers and copiers.
Therefore, in order to attract the interest of consumer groups that are already captivated by the tee shirt rage described above, the present inventors provide, in one embodiment of the invention, the capability of transferring images directly to a receiver element using a material capable of holding and transferring an image. A unique advantage of the invention is to enable all consumers to wear and display apparel carrying designs that were formed on the substrate of the present invention by, for example, a photocopier, a computer printer, or by hand application (i.e., painting) in a timely and cost efficient means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transfer sheet comprising a barrier layer and a (e.g. conventional) release layer. In one preferred embodiment, the release layer comprises a polymeric composition comprising an acrylic dispersion, an elastomeric emulsion, a plasticizer, and a water repellant. The polymeric composition of the present invention may comprise an acrylic dispersion which is an ethylene acrylic acid dispersion, the plasticizer is a polyethylene glycol, and the water repellant is polyurethane dispersion. The ethylene acrylic acid preferably melts in the range of from 65° C. to about 180° C. The elastomeric emulsion and the polyurethane dispersion have a Tg in the range of from about −50° C. to about 25° C.
The elastomeric emulsion may be selected from, for example, polybutadiene, polybutadiene derivatives, polyurethane, polyurethane derivatives, styrene-butadiene, styrene-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-butadiene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, acrylonitrile-ethylene-styrene, polyacrylates, polychloroprene, ethylene-vinyl acetate and poly (vinyl chloride).
The addition of elastomeric polymers and polyurethane polymers also help provide wash stability and chemical stability.
The above-described polymeric composition is useful as a release layer (i.e., transfer layer) in an imaging material.
The barrier layer of the present invention provides “cold peel,” “warm peel” and “hot peel” features to the present invention. That is, the transfer material of the present invention is optionally allowed to cool after transfer to the substrate. The barrier layer of the present invention comprises thermosetting and/or ultraviolet (UV) curable polymers. The thermosetting polymers of the barrier layer set upon the addition of heat energy. UV curable polymers are typically cured initially by ultraviolet activation, then further cured by exposure to a heat source.
The imaging material of one embodiment of the present invention comprises a substrate, a barrier layer, a release layer and an optional image-receiving layer.
The imaging material of the present invention can be imaged upon using electronic means or craft-type marking. The electronic means may be, for example, electrostatic printers including but not limited to laser printers or laser copiers (color or monochromatic). In another embodiment, the invention may also be practiced with ink jet or thermal transfer printers. The present invention may also be practiced with offset printing (conventional printing) or screen printing. Further, the present invention may b
Agler Anne Hermetet
Reid Heather
Williams Scott
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Foto-Wear !, Inc.
Schilling Richard L.
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