Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Fluid or fluid source handling means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-01
2002-02-19
Vo, Anh T. N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Fluid or fluid source handling means
C428S212000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06347866
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an ink jet printing method. More particularly, this invention relates to an ink jet printing method that uses a recording element containing pigments.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a typical ink jet recording or printing system, ink droplets are ejected from a nozzle at high speed towards a recording element or medium to produce an image on the medium. The ink droplets, or recording liquid, generally comprise a recording agent, such as a dye or pigment, and a large amount of solvent. The solvent, or carrier liquid, typically is made up of water, an organic material such as a monohydric alcohol, a polyhydric alcohol or mixtures thereof.
An ink jet recording element typically comprises a support having on at least one surface thereof an ink-receiving or image-forming layer, and includes those intended for reflection viewing, which have an opaque support, and those intended for viewing by transmitted light, which have a transparent support.
While a wide variety of different types of image-recording elements for use with ink jet devices have been proposed heretofore, there are many unsolved problems in the art and many deficiencies in the known products which have limited their commercial usefulness.
It is well known that in order to achieve and maintain photographic-quality images on such an image-recording element, an ink jet recording element must:
Be readily wetted so there is no puddling, i.e., coalescence of adjacent ink dots, which leads to nonuniform density
Exhibit no image bleeding
Exhibit the ability to absorb high concentrations of ink and dry quickly to avoid elements blocking together when stacked against subsequent prints or other surfaces
Provide a high level of gloss and avoid differential gloss
Exhibit no discontinuities or defects due to interactions between the support and/or layer(s), such as cracking, repellencies, comb lines and the like
Not allow unabsorbed dyes to aggregate at the free surface causing dye crystallization, which results in bloom or bronzing effects in the imaged areas
Have an optimized image fastness to avoid fade from contact with water or radiation by daylight, tungsten light, or fluorescent light
An ink jet recording element that simultaneously provides an almost instantaneous ink dry time and good image quality is desirable. However, given the wide range of ink compositions and ink volumes that a recording element needs to accommodate, these requirements of ink jet recording media are difficult to achieve simultaneously.
Ink jet recording elements are known that employ porous or non-porous single layer or multilayer coatings that act as suitable image receiving layers on one or both sides of a porous or non-porous support. Recording elements that use non-porous coatings typically have good image quality and high gloss but exhibit poor ink dry time. Recording elements that use porous coatings typically have poorer image quality and lower gloss but exhibit superior dry times.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,651 relates to an ink jet recording element comprising a paper substrate with a coating comprising inorganic pigments, thermoplastic polymer particles, and an anionic, organic co-binder system. The co-binder system consists of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or a copolymer of polyvinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate (PVP-VA). However, there is a problem with this element in that less than desirable image quality, as measured by optical density, image bleed, and waterfastness, is obtained.
The above-mentioned U.S. Ser. No. 09/451,786 by Sadasivan et al., entitled “Ink Jet Recording Element”, relates to an ink jet recording element which provides improved image quality through the incorporation of mordants that have a specific and high affinity for dyes used in inkjet inks. While these elements have good image quality, there is a need to improve the gloss of these coatings.
It is an object of this invention to provide an ink jet printing method that uses a recording element that has a fast ink dry time. It is another object of this invention to provide an ink jet printing method that uses a recording element that has good image quality. It is another object of this invention to provide an ink jet printing method that uses a recording element that has high gloss.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention which comprises an ink jet printing method comprising the steps of:
a) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals;
b) loading the printer with an ink jet recording element comprising a substrate having thereon an image-receiving layer comprising an inorganic, anionic pigment, an organic, anionic binder, an organic, cationic mordant and thermoplastic polymer particles;
c) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition; and
d) printing on the recording element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.
The ink jet recording element produced by the method of the invention provides good gloss, good image quality and fast ink dry times.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The inorganic, anionic pigment useful in the recording element employed in the process of the invention may be a kaolin clay, a calcined clay, titanium dioxide, talc or a silicate. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the inorganic, anionic pigment is a kaolin clay sold under the trade name Hydragloss® 92 (J. M. Huber Company). The amount of inorganic, anionic pigment used may range from about 50% to about 95% of the image-receiving layer.
The organic, anionic binder useful in the recording element employed in the process of the invention may be a styrene acrylic latex, a styrene butadiene latex, a poly(vinyl alcohol) or a poly(vinyl acetate). A commercially-available styrene acrylic latex useful in the invention is Acronal® S-728 (BASF Corp.). A commercially-available styrene butadiene latex useful in the invention is Styronal® BN 4606X (BASF Corp.). A commercially-available poly(vinyl alcohol) useful in the invention is Airvol® 21-205 (Air Products Inc.). A commercially-available poly(vinyl acetate) useful in the invention is Vinac® 884 (Air Products Inc.).
The organic, anionic binder may be used in an amount of from about 5% to about 20% of the image-receiving layer. In general, good results are obtained when the ratio of pigment to binder is from about 6:1 to about 8:1.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the thermoplastic polymer particles used in the recording element employed in the process of the invention may be formed from a polymer or copolymer having a glass transition temperature below about 70° C., preferably below about 50° C. Commercially-available thermoplastic polymer particles useful in the invention include styrene acrylic hollow sphere dispersions, such as Ropaque® 543 (Rohm & Haas Co.). Other commercially-available thermoplastic polymer particles useful in the invention include solid sphere styrene acrylic latices, such as Dow Latex® 755 (Dow Chemical Co).
The thermoplastic polymer particles may be used in an amount of from about 2% to about 20% of the image-receiving layer.
The organic, cationic mordant useful in the recording element employed in the process of the invention may be a polymer latex dispersion or a water-soluble polymer solution. Examples of mordants useful in the invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,843. Other useful mordants include cationic urethane dispersions sold under the trade name Witcobond® W-213 and Witcobond®W-215 (Witco Corporation).
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the organic, cationic mordant is:
M1: poly(N-vinyl benzyl-N-benzyl-N,N-dimethyl ammonium chloride-co-styrene-co-divinyl benzene),
M2: poly(N-vinylbenzyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate), or
M3: poly(N-vinylbenzyl-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride-co-divinyl benzene).
In general, good results have been obtained when the mordant polymer is present in an amount of from about 1% to about 75% by weight of the image-receiving layer, prefe
Janssen John W.
Mollon Craig T.
Oakland Michelle M.
Sadasivan Sridhar
Sunderrajan Suresh
Cole Harold E.
Eastman Kodak Company
Vo Anh T. N.
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