Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Discontinuous or differential coating – impregnation or bond
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-09
2003-06-24
Hess, Bruce H. (Department: 1774)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond
C428S914000, C156S235000, C156S240000, C156S277000, C156S289000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06582803
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ink-jet transfer media that can be printed with images using ink-jet printers. The printed image can be thermally transferred to fabric materials such as such as black or white colored T-shirts. The ink-jet transfer media of this invention comprise a support paper containing independently removable panels divided by means of a peel line.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
There is growing interest in producing customized images (i.e., photos, messages, illustrations, and the like) on T-shirts, sweatshirts, and other fabric materials using home computers. Generally, such processes involve generating a computerized image and sending it to an ink-jet printer that prints the image on an ink-jet printable thermal-transfer medium. Typically, a commercially available ink-jet transfer medium comprises a support paper coated with a series of layers including an “ink-receptive” layer that overlays a “hot-melt” layer.
A variety of methods are used to thermally transfer the image to the fabric. In one method, a person places the imaged medium over the fabric so that the image faces down and is in direct contact with the fabric. Then, the person irons the back surface of the support paper with a hand iron to transfer the image to the fabric. The person peels-off the paper after completely transferring the image to the fabric. The support paper can be removed while the paper is still hot or subsequent to cooling.
An alternative method comprises the steps of: 1) printing an image on the coated surface of the support paper, 2) removing the entire support paper from the imaged coating, 3) placing the imaged coating on a fabric material, 4) placing a silicone-coated paper over the imaged coating, and 5) ironing the silicone-coated paper, whereby the image is transferred to the fabric.
Hare et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,087,061, 6,083,656, and 5,948,586, disclose a method for applying an image to a fabric employing a “cold peel” transfer sheet. The patents disclose that the method involves providing a base paper for the coatings, wherein the inside of the base paper is of an easy release such as silicone. After the coatings with the support sheet have passed through the copier, the silicone support is peeled from the coatings. The coatings are placed on top of the fabric, and a silicone paper is placed directly over the coatings. The silicone paper is hand-ironed to press the coating into the fabric.
In practice, consumers may experience difficulty using commercially available ink-jet transfer media. Particularly, consumers may find it difficult to separate the support paper from the film coating that is applied to the surface of the paper. Further, as described above, the film coating comprises a series of layers including hot melt and ink-receptive layers, and these coating layers tend to be fragile. The coating layers may rip when the support paper is separated from the coating layers. Rips and tears in the coating layers may result in visible image defects on the fabric. In view of such problems, it would be desirable to have an ink-jet printable transfer medium containing a support paper that consumers could easily remove. Further, it would be desirable to have a transfer medium containing a support paper having removable sections that could be removed piece-by-piece. A consumer would be able to better position and align images on the fabric using such a support paper as described further below. The present invention provides such improved ink-jet printable transfer media.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ink-jet printable transfer medium comprising a support paper having a surface coated with an ink-receptive film coating, said support paper comprising at least two independently removable panels divided by means of a peel line, wherein each panel is capable of being peeled away from the film coating.
In one embodiment, the peel line is a scored line extending from one edge to the opposite edge of the paper. The paper can contain multiple peel lines and more than two removable panels.
Preferably, the ink-receptive film coating comprises a resin selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, polyamides, polyacrylates, polyolefins, polyesters, poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), polyvinyl chloride, cellulose, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, and mixtures and copolymers thereof. The ink-receptive film coating can further comprise particles selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyolefins, polyesters, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers.
The support paper can be coated first with a silicone coating and/or a hot-melt film coating. Preferably, the hot-melt coating comprises a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of waxes, polyamides, polyolefins, polyesters, poly(vinyl chloride), poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl alcohol), polyacrylates, polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid), poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid), poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) polymers and the ionomers, salts, copolymers, and mixtures of these materials.
In one embodiment, the support paper can be coated with film coating (a) comprising a polyurethane binder and inorganic pigment, and ink-receptive film coating (b) comprising a polyurethane binder and organic polymeric particles. Suitable inorganic pigments include those selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, titanium dioxide, zinc sulfide, zinc oxide, antimony oxide, barium sulfate, and calcium carbonate. Suitable organic polymeric particles include those selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyolefins, and polyesters.
In another embodiment, the support paper can be coated with a) a hot-melt film coating comprising an ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer, and b) an ink-receptive film coating overlaying the hot-melt coating. The ink-receptive film coating comprises a polyamide resin and polyamide particles.
Typically, the total weight of the coating is in the range of about 30 to about 70 grams per square meter, and the thickness of the support paper is in the range of about 2 mils to about 10 mils.
Also, the present invention encompasses a method for applying an image to a fabric material, for example, black or white colored T-shirts, using the above-described ink-jet printable transfer medium. The method comprises the following steps:
a) printing an image on the ink-receptive film coating with an ink-jet printer,
b) peeling away at least one removable panel of the support paper from the imaged film coating,
c) placing the imaged film coating on a fabric material,
d) placing a protective paper (e.g., a silicone-coated transparent paper) over the imaged film coating,
e) hand-ironing the protective paper so that the imaged film coating is pressed into the fabric and the image is transferred to the fabric; and
f) removing the protective paper from the fabric.
Referring to above step (b), each removable panel of the support paper can be removed prior to placing the imaged film coating on the fabric. The imaged film coating can be positioned on the fabric in step (c) such that the image faces upwards or downwards.
The protective paper can comprise time/temperature indicators. In one embodiment, the paper can be printed with a symbol using thermal chromatic ink that changes color when heated to a specific temperature over time. In other embodiments, the time/temperature indicator can be incorporated into a coating that is applied to the protective paper, or a time/temperature indicator adhesive strip can be applied to the protective paper. Further, the protective paper can comprise thermal-activating color additives, fragrance additives, and insect-repellent additives, and the like that release from the paper when the paper is heated to a specific temperature. The removable panels of the support paper can also comprise such time/temperature indicators and thermal-activating additives.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The ink-jet printable transf
Cole Robert
Wheeler Phillip
Xu Zhong
Yuan Shengmei
Arkwright Incorporated
Barlow Josephs & Holmes, Ltd.
Hess Bruce H.
Shewareged B.
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