Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or... – Composite having voids in a component
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-08
2001-02-06
Hess, Bruce H. (Department: 1774)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or...
Composite having voids in a component
C428S195100, C428S328000, C428S329000, C428S331000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06183851
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet image recording medium which gives an excellent image quality and exhibits an excellent light-fastness.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the spread of personal computers, printers such as ink jet printers have rapidly spread. Further, with the spread of photo scanners, photo CDs and digital cameras, the demand for printing system for printing digitized photographic image has been rapidly growing. In particular, the spread of simple inexpensive ink jet printers is remarkable. For these ink jet printers, the demand for better image quality has been growing year by year.
As a recording medium for use in ink jet recording system, there has heretofore been used an ordinary paper or a recording medium comprising an ink-receptive layer provided on a support which is called ink jet recording paper. However, an ink can easily run on such a recording medium. Further, such a recording medium exhibits a low gloss. Thus, such a recording medium cannot be put into practical use in the field of photographic image where a high resolution and gloss are required.
As an approach for solving these problems, a technique for ink jet recording medium using a paper coated with a resin on both sides thereof (i.e., so-called RC (resin-coated) paper) as a support and using gelatin as an ink-receptive layer is disclosed in JP-A-4-216990 and JP-A-6-64306 (The term “JP-A” as used herein means an “unexamined published Japanese patent application”).
As an approach for bringing the appearance and touch of an image output from ink jet printers close to that of conventional photographic image, a recording medium comprising a synthetic hydrophilic resin in an ink-receptive layer and an ink jet recording method using the same are disclosed in JP-A-7-179032.
As an approach for improving the quality and stability of an image output from ink jet printers, a method involving the use of an image recording medium comprising an ink-receptive layer containing gelatin and a basic latex provided on a resin-coated support is disclosed in JP-A-8-244336.
It is certain that the foregoing proposals can give an image having a gloss closer to that of photographic image than with the conventional ink jet recording paper. However, the recording media proposed dry an ink at a low rate. Thus, an image formed on these recording media was not satisfactory in respect to resolution or graininess. For example, the image formed on these recording media shows stain or beading (granular density unevenness) that deteriorates image quality. In particular, a picture having a relatively small area printed on these recording media using a high speed printer shows a deteriorated image quality. Further, when these recording media are used for a printer of the type involving the jetting of a plurality of ink droplets having a low concentration for better image quality, the image thus formed is blurred. Moreover, the image thus formed can be transferred to other papers or objects which are superimposed thereon.
For the purpose of solving these problems, many recording media which can dry an ink at a high rate have been disclosed. For example, JP-A-8-230309 and JP-A-6-183134 disclose a recording medium comprising a silica pigment. For example, JP-A-3-281383, JP-A-4-267180 and JP-A-5-24335 disclose a recording medium comprising an alumina pigment. These recording media comprise a porous recording layer which can fairly absorb an ink and hence dry at a raised rate. However, these recording media are disadvantageous in that since it is arranged to absorb an ink by an inorganic pigment such as silica pigment and alumina pigment, it exhibits a drastically deteriorated light-fastness. It has thus been keenly desired to provide a recording medium which can dry an ink at a high rate, gives an excellent image quality and exhibits an excellent light-fastness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image recording medium which can dry an ink at a higher rate than ever, gives an excellent image quality and exhibits an excellent light-fastness.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image recording medium which can give a high image quality and exhibit a high light-fastness with a printer for printing digital image data, e.g., by ink jet printing process, particularly an ink jet printer which exhibits improved performances and hence a raised printing rate or an ink jet printer which jets a plurality of ink droplets having a low concentration to give an improved image quality.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and examples.
The foregoing objects of the present invention are accomplished with the followings:
(1) An ink jet image recording medium comprising a coating layer provided on a support, wherein said coating layer comprises a dye-receptive polymer comprising a monomer unit represented by the following general formula (I) and one or more inorganic pigments incorporated therein:
wherein R
1
, R
2
, R
3
and R
4
each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group which may be straight-chain or branched; L represents a divalent connecting group; and p represents an integer of 0 or 1.
(2) The ink jet image recording medium as defined in Clause (1), wherein at least one of said inorganic pigments is an alumina pigment.
(3) The ink jet image recording medium as defined in Clause (1) or (2), wherein said alumina pigment is an anhydrous alumina pigment.
(4) The ink jet image recording medium as defined in Clause (1) or (2), wherein said alumina pigment is alumina hydrate.
(5) The ink jet image recording medium as defined in any one of Clauses (1), (2) and (4), wherein said alumina hydrate is pseudoboehmite.
(6) The ink jet image recording medium as defined in Clause (1), wherein at least one of said inorganic pigments is a silica pigment.
(7) The ink jet image recording medium as defined in any one of Clauses (1) to (6), wherein said coating layer consists of two or more layers, the upper layer containing a dye-receptive polymer comprising a monomer unit represented by the general formula (I) and the lower containing one or more inorganic pigments.
(8) The ink jet image recording medium as defined in any one of Clauses (1) to (3), wherein said coating layer consists of two or more layers, the upper layer containing one or more inorganic pigments and the lower containing a dye-receptive polymer comprising a monomer unit represented by the general formula (I).
In the present invention, the combined use of a dye-receptive polymer comprising a monomer unit represented by the general formula (I) and one or more inorganic pigments exerts a synergistic effect for enhancing the ink absorption rate and the dye receptivity to an extent that cannot be expected with the single use of these components, making it possible to provide an image recording medium which gives a very excellent image quality and exhibits an excellent light-fastness.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be further described hereinafter.
In the dye-receptive polymer comprising a monomer unit represented by the general formula (I) of the present invention, R
1
, R
2
, R
3
and R
4
each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group (preferably C
1-10
alkyl groups such as a methyl group, an ethyl group, an n-propyl group, an n-butyl group, an n-amyl group and an n-hexyl group), more preferably, a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an ethyl group.
L represents a divalent connecting group having 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, preferably 1 to 10 carbon atoms, such as an alkylene group, a phenylene group and an arylene group. Specific preferred examples of these divalent groups will be given below.
Specific preferred examples of the monomer unit represented by the general formula (I) which constitutes the dye-receptive polymer of the present invention will be given, but the present invention should not be construed as being limited thereto.
T
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Hess Bruce H.
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