Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-27
2003-08-12
Gordon, Raquel Yvette (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C347S101000, C347S095000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06604819
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink jet image recording method which is excellent in quality of recording image, ejection stability and preservability of image formed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With popularization of computers in recent years, an ink jet printers are widely employed not only in offices but also in homes for printing on paper, films and clothes.
The ink jet recording method includes a system wherein a liquid droplet is ejected by applying pressure using a piezoelectric element, a system wherein a liquid droplet is ejected by generating a bubble in ink with heating, a system wherein a liquid droplet is ejected utilizing an ultrasonic wave and a system wherein a liquid droplet is ejected by an electrostatic attractive force. In these ink jet recording methods, an aqueous ink, an oily ink or a solid (melting type) ink is used as an ink jet recording ink. Of these inks, the aqueous ink is mainly used in view of productivity, handling, odor and safety.
It is requested for a coloring agent (e.g., dye and pigment) which is used in the ink jet recording ink to have high solubility to a solvent, to be capable of recoding in high density, to have good hue, to be excellent in fastness to light, heat, air, water and chemicals, to have a good fixing property to an image-receiving material and to be hardly blurred, to have good preservability as an ink, to be nonpoisonous, to have high purity, and to be available inexpensively. However, it is very difficult to obtain a coloring agent which satisfies these requirements in high levels. In particular, a coloring agent having good magenta hue and excellent light-fastness has been eagerly desired.
Various kinds of dyes and pigments have been proposed and practically employed for ink jet recording. However, a coloring agent which satisfies all such requirements has not yet been found. In case of using hitherto well-known dyes and pigments such as those having Colour Index (C.I.) number, the hue and fastness required for the ink jet recording ink are inconsistent.
On the other hand, methods for improving fastness by forming a covering film on the surface of image formed, thereby cutting off contact of the coloring agent with water, oxygen, ozone, NO
x
and the like have been studied.
For example, a method wherein an ink composition containing a latex is ejected from a recording head is described in JP-A-55-18412 (the term “JP-A” as used herein means an “unexamined published Japanese patent application”). According to the method, problems may occur in that ejection property of the ink composition degrades and in that the covering effect obtained is insufficient due to reduction in the coating amount of latex in a low density area.
In JP-A-7-237348 and JP-A-8-2090, there is described a method wherein a latex layer is provided on a hydrated alumina layer, image formation with ink is conducted in the hydrated alumina layer and then the latex layer is subjected to treatment for making a film. However, there is a problem in that if the ink or solvent remains in the latex layer at the time when the latex layer is heated for forming a film according to the method, crack may occur in the film formed and thus weather fastness and waterproofness of the portion degrade.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet image recording method which has high ejection stability and no defects in hue, weather fastness, waterproofness and image quality.
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.
It has been found that these objects of the present invention are accomplished by the ink jet image recording methods described below.
(1) An ink jet image recording method comprising: forming an image by ejecting an ink jet recording ink composition comprising one of a water-soluble dye and an oil-soluble dye onto an image-receiving material; and applying a solution comprising a dispersion of fine polymer particles to the image-receiving material simultaneously with or after the forming of an image.
(2) An ink jet image recording method comprising: applying a solution comprising a dispersion of fine polymer particles to an image-receiving material; and ejecting an ink jet recording ink composition comprising one of a water-soluble dye and 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 jet recording ink composition is able to pass therethrough.
(3) The ink jet image recording method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the dispersion of fine polymer particles is a dispersion of fine polymer particles in which the polymer has an ethylenically unsaturated group in the main chain or side chain thereof.
(4) The ink jet image recording method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein a glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer in the dispersion of fine polymer particles is from −40 to 160° C.
(5) The ink jet image recording method according to (3) or (4) above, wherein the polymer is one of a homopolymer and a copolymer both comprising resin selected from the group consisting of acrylic or methacrylic resin, styrene resin, conjugated diene resin, vinyl acetate resin and polyolefin resin.
(6) The ink jet image recording method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the polymer is a dissociation group-containing polymer selected from the group consisting of a vinyl polymer, polyurethane, polyester, polyamide, polyurea and polycarbonate.
(7) The ink jet image recording method according to (6) 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.
(8) The ink jet image recording method according to (6) above, wherein the content of dissociation groups in the dissociation group-containing polymer is from 0.1 mmol/g to 3.0 mmol/g.
(9) The ink jet image recording method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the recording is conducted up on 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.
(10) The ink jet image recording method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein a glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer in the dispersion of fine polymer particles is from −40 to 160° C.
(11) The ink jet image recording method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein a coating amount of the dispersion of fine polymer particles is from 0.1 to 10 g/m
2
in terms of the solid content.
(12) The ink jet image recording method according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the ink jet recording ink composition comprises a water-soluble dye represented by formula (A-I):
wherein X represents an electron attractive group having a Hammett's substituent constant &sgr;
p
value of not less than 0.20; R
1
, R
2
, R
3
, R
4
, R
5
, R
6
and Y, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, a cyano group, a hydroxyl 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 or an ionic hydrophilic group; R
1
and R
2
, R
1
and R
3
or R
2
and R
5
may combine with each other to form a ring; Z
1
and Z
2
, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrog
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Gordon Raquel Yvette
Shah Manish
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-3101958