Coating processes – Solid particles or fibers applied – Uniting particles to form continuous coating with...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-18
2001-12-04
Hess, Bruce H. (Department: 1774)
Coating processes
Solid particles or fibers applied
Uniting particles to form continuous coating with...
C428S195100, C503S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06326055
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention generally relates to an image-receiving sheet for recording by use of colorants which contain dye or pigment and a process for the production thereof.
More particularly, the invention relates to an image-receiving sheet which has on a base sheet a dye- or ink-receiving layer for use in a variety of printing or recording processes by use of a variety of dyes or inks, preferably for use in printing or recording processes by thermal transfer of sublimable dyes, thermal transfer of meltable dyes, or in ink jet printing or make-up printing processes, and a process for the production of such image-receiving sheets. The dye- or ink-receiving layer is hereinafter often simply referred to as a receiving layer.
According to one of specific embodiments of the invention, it relates to an image-receiving sheet for use in recording by thermal transfer of dye or ink which has on a base sheet a high performance dye- or ink-receiving layer when dye or ink is transferred onto the layer by heat, and a process for the production of such image-receiving sheets.
BACKGROUND ART
There have been known a variety of recording or printing processes to record or print information such as letters or images with dye or ink on an image-receiving sheet for recording, usually on an image-receiving paper for recording. However, whatever printing process may be employed, the image-receiving sheet for use in such printing processes is in general such that it has a single layer or a plurality of layers on a base sheet formed by coating a solution or dispersion of a suitable substance in a solvent thereon to prevent dye or ink from spreading or to fix dye or ink on the base sheet. Consequently, the conventional image-receiving sheets for such recording processes are expensive on the one hand on account of many steps required for the production, and on the other hand, since any of the printing processes has its own properties, it is needed to use a specially prepared image-receiving sheet for recording to obtain high-quality printing according to the printing process employed.
For instance, for electrophotographic image formation, a method is known for forming multi-color images which comprises selectively exposing a photoreceptor through an original image via a color separator capable of separating the original image into predetermined primary colors, thereby forming a latent image on the photoreceptor, followed by developing the latent image into a visible image corresponding to the primary color with transferring the thus developed visible image on an image-receiving sheet one after another to give a multi-color image on the sheet. For example, with successively transferring the developed visible images of three colors of yellow, magenta and cyan, so-called full-color transfer image duplications can be formed on the image-receiving sheet. This process is a multi-color image-forming process using a so-called, dye-transferring full-color printer.
To such full-color duplication, popularly applied is recording by thermal transfer of sublimable dye, for which, for example, employed is a thermal transfer recording process comprising preparing a thermal transfer sheet that has a sublimable dye layer as formed on a suitable support, such as a polyethylene terephthalate film (this sheet is generally referred to as an ink sheet or an ink film in the art, and will be hereinafter referred to as the former, ink sheet), while, on the other hand, separately preparing a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet having on its surface a receiving layer capable of receiving the sublimed dyes, thereafter laying the ink sheet onto the image-receiving sheet in such a manner that the surface of the dye layer of the former faces the surface of the receiving layer of the latter, then heating the ink sheet with a heating means such as a thermal head in accordance with image information to be transferred onto the image-receiving sheet to thereby thermally transfer the dyes from the ink sheet onto the receiving layer of the image-receiving sheet in accordance with the image information.
The conventional thermal transfer image-receiving sheet for use in such a sublimation thermal transfer recording process is generally produced by lamination through wet-coating of a plurality of resin layers on a base sheet, such as paper, synthetic paper, or suitable synthetic resin sheets, for example, in such a manner that a receiving layer made of resins to which the dyes existing on an ink sheet can be diffused or transferred under heat, and a releasing layer made of resins which acts to prevent the thermal fusion between the receiving layer and the ink sheet are laminated on the base sheet in that order.
Concretely, the conventional thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is produced by applying onto a base sheet a solution comprising resins to constitute a receiving layer on the base sheet, then drying the solution to thereby form the intended receiving layer of the resin on the base sheet, thereafter applying thereonto a solution comprising resins to form a releasing layer, and drying the solution to form the intended releasing layer of the resins on the receiving layer of the resins. Therefore, such a plurality of resin layers each having a different function are laminated on the base sheet. If desired, an undercoat layer or an interlayer may be formed between the base sheet and the receiving layer. Accordingly, the process for producing the conventional thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is complicated, and the production costs are high.
Apart from the recording system of the above-mentioned type, a different, thermal transfer full-color printing process has also been proposed, in which a resin layer is previously laminated on an ink sheet, the resin layer is first thermally transferred from the ink sheet onto an image-receiving sheet to form thereon a receiving layer prior to the transference of yellow, magenta, cyan and black dyes thereonto in that order, and thereafter these dyes are thermally transferred onto the thus formed receiving layer on the image-receiving sheet.
However, this process is problematic in that the first transference of the resin layer takes much time, resulting in the prolongation of the time for the intended full-color printing, that the formation of a uniform receiving layer on common paper is not easy, and that the quality of the transfer image to be finally obtained is poor. In addition, it is further problematic in that the lamination of the resin layer (this layer is, as mentioned above, to be the receiving layer on the image-receiving sheet) on the surface of the ink sheet is technically difficult. At any rate, for the recording process by thermal transfer of sublimable dye, a specially prepared image-receiving sheet for use has has hitherto been needed.
On the other hand, a thermally meltable (i.e., capable of melting) ink transfer printing process is also well known, in which ink on an ink sheet is heated and melted, and is then transferred and fixed on a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet. As seen, the image-receiving sheet for use in thermally meltable ink transfer printing process comprises a base sheet and a microporous resin layer thereon to receive the melted ink. Thus, the thermally meltable ink transfer printing process also needs a specially prepared image-receiving sheet.
An ink jet printing process is also known. This printing process uses aqueous ink jet ink so that it also needs a specially prepared image-receiving sheet for use which comprises a base sheet and a colorant-receiving layer to be dyed and a moisture absorbing layer to absorb excess water in the ink. A typical image-receiving sheet for this ink jet printing process has on a base sheet, for example, a moisture absorbing layer formed of water-soluble resins and a colorant-receiving layer formed of, for example, cationic acrylic resins. Meanwhile, an ink jet printing process in which solid ink is used is also known, in which an image-receiving sheet which has a microporous resin layer on a base sheet
Arai Toshio
Matsui Fumio
Mitsuhata Takanori
Sano Chikashi
Bando Chemical Industries Ltd.
Hess Bruce H.
Wenderoth Lind & Ponack LLP
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