Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-26
2004-03-02
Brooke, Michael S (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S101000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06698874
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to ink-jet printing on cloth and more particularly to an ink acceptor solution for pretreatment of cloth for ink-jet printing, a cloth pretreated with the same for ink-jet printing and an ink-jet printing process for cloth comprising such pretreatment of the cloth.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, ink-jet printing has made such great progress that it is on the road to establishing its important position in the industrial field. Especially in the textile industry, ink-jet printing has attracted attention as a technology for high value added products as it can dye cloth in full color without any loss in its inherent characteristic tactile properties, allowing easy recording of photographic sharp images on cloth that has been impossible to realize with any conventional printing process.
In addition, ink-jet printing can meet requirements for production in small lot sizes, short delivery times and other such styles as demand waste-minimized efficient processes, as well as can avoid any excessive use of dyes and water, allowing it to be not only environmentally friendly, but also advantageous in sharp cost reduction, all of which facts combined have contributed to a growing increase in its needs as a next-generation printing system.
Notwithstanding the above, however, ink-jet printing for cloth, which normally involves its pretreatment with an ink acceptor for formation of an ink accepting layer on its surface to prevent the bleeding of the ink thereafter applied onto it that may otherwise occur, has now suffered from environmentally-related concern because of this ink accepting layer asserted as a structure causing environmental pollution.
As evidence of such assertion, for example, Japanese Patent JP-A-05-179577 proposes the use of water-absorptive resin as an ink acceptor to be applied to cloth for formation of an ink accepting layer on it before its ink-jet printing, presenting exclusively PVA and other similar synthetic polymers as examples of such water-absorptive resin, which, although advantageous due to their low prices, are hard to degrade, presenting a problem of environmental pollution.
As another such example, Japanese Patent JP-A-06-146178 has discloses the use of carboxymethylcellulose or sodium alginate as an ink acceptor to form an ink accepting layer on cloth for ink-jet printing, the former of which is a natural cellulose processed to become water-soluble, performing excellently for such a purpose, although still hardly degradable, posing an environmental pollution problem. The latter, on the other hand, is a naturally occurring substance, which, for that very reason, is easily degradable and poorly heat-resistant, failing to achieve its stability over time when exposed to temperature change.
As a further example in this connection, Japanese Patent JP-A-07-252785, in addition to the above polymers, discloses starch oxide, methylcellulose and hydroxyethylcellulose for use as ink acceptors, all of which, however, are also hardly degradable substances causing environmental pollution.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the problems involved in the relevant prior proposals as mentioned above. More particularly, the objects of the present invention are to provide (i) an ink acceptor solution for pretreatment of cloth for ink-jet printing, which is excellent in stability over time and ease of handling, (ii) a cloth pretreated with the same, which is environmentally friendly, but not less inferior in ink acceptability to its conventional counterpart, capable of being ink-jet printed with good quality color image rendition, and (iii) an ink-jet printing process for cloth comprising application of such pretreatment solution to the cloth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As a result of their earnest efforts to solve the above-mentioned problems involved in the relevant prior proposals, the inventors of the present invention discovered that the combination of a highly biodegradable naturally occurring polymeric thickening agent as an ink acceptor and a thermally decomposable antiseptic agent provides (i) an ink acceptor solution for pretreatment of cloth for ink-jet printing, which is excellent in storage stability, as well as environmentally friendly when disposed of after completion of its function for such pretreatment, (ii) a cloth pretreated with the same for ink-jet printing, and (iii) an ink-jet printing process for cloth comprising pretreatment of the cloth with such ink acceptor solution, designed in consideration of both technological and environmental perspectives. The discovery of the above has led to the completion of the present invention.
The present invention is summerized as follows:
1. An ink acceptor solution for pretreatment of cloth for ink-jet printing, which is comprises a naturally occurring polymeric thickening agent dissolved in water as an ink acceptor and an antiseptic agent thermally decomposable at a temperature of 50 to 200° C.;
2. An ink acceptor solution for pretreatment of cloth for ink-jet printing as specified in aspect 1, the BOD/COD value of which ranges from 0.3 to 3;
3. An ink acceptor solution for pretreatment of cloth for ink-jet printing as specified in aspect 1 or 2, which further contains a semi-synthetic polymeric thickening agent;
4. An ink acceptor solution for pretreatment of cloth for ink-jet printing as specified in aspect 3, in which said semi-synthetic polymeric thickening agent is contained at a concentration of 5 to 40% by weight relative to said naturally occurring polymeric thickening agent;
5. An ink acceptor solution for pretreatment of cloth for ink-jet printing as specified in aspect 3 or 4, in which said semi-synthetic polymeric thickening agent is a carboxymethylated water-soluble polysaccharide;
6. An ink acceptor solution for pretreatment of cloth for ink-jet printing as specified in any one of aspects 1 to 5, the PVI value of which ranges from 0.3 to 1.0;
7. A cloth for ink-jet printing, which has an ink accepting layer comprising a naturally occurring polymeric thickening agent as an ink acceptor and an antiseptic agent, which is thermally decomposable at a temperature of 50 to 200° C.;
8. A cloth for ink-jet printing as specified in aspect 7, in which said ink accepting layer further contains a semi-synthetic polymeric thickening agent;
9. A cloth for ink-jet printing as specified in aspect 8, in which said semi-synthetic polymeric thickening agent is contained at a concentration of 5 to 40% by weight relative to said naturally occurring polymeric thickening agent;
10. A cloth for ink-jet printing as specified in aspect 8 or 9, in which said semi-synthetic polymeric thickening agent is a carboxymethylated water-soluble polysaccharide;
11. An ink-jet printing process, which comprises (1) pretreating cloth with an ink acceptor solution comprising an naturally occurring polymeric thickening agent dissolved in water as an ink acceptor and an antiseptic agent thermally decomposable at a temperature of 50 to 200° C., to form an ink accepting layer on the cloth, (2) ink-jet printing onto the pretreated cloth, (3) thermally treating the ink-jet printed cloth to decompose the antiseptic agent contained in the ink accepting layer, and (4) washing the thermally-treated cloth to remove the ink accepting layer from it;
12. An ink-jet printing process as specified in aspect 11, in which the BOD/COD value of said pretreatment solution ranges from 0.3 to 3;
13. An ink-jet printing process as specified in aspect 11 or 12, in which said pretreatment solution further contains a semi-synthetic polymeric thickening agent;
14. An ink-jet printing process as specified in aspect 13, in which said semi-synthetic polymeric thickening agent is contained in said pretreatment solution at a concentration of 5 to 40% by weight relative to the naturally occurring polymeric thickening agent;
15. An ink-jet printing process as specified in aspect 13 or 14, in which said semi-synthetic polymeric thickening agent contained in said pretrea
Brooke Michael S
Dilworth & Barrese LLP.
Seiren Co. LTD
LandOfFree
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