Electrophotography – Image formation – Transfer
Patent
1996-03-01
1998-11-24
Pendegrass, Joan M.
Electrophotography
Image formation
Transfer
156240, 430126, G03G 1516, G03G 1501
Patent
active
058420967
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to the formation by printing of images on diverse media, including paper, card, cardboard, glass, wood, metal, metallised materials, plastics materials, film form materials and fabrics and textile materials including closely-woven and knitted materials whether or not the surfaces of those materials are plain or have existing artwork thereon.
Attempts to transfer and so print images have been made previously but until now there has not been a successful attempt to transfer full colour images from one surface to another without the use of intermediate means such as adhesive materials and without loss of definition or colour tones or image quality.
UK patent specification no. 1215599 discloses a method of reproducing images on objects unsuitable for passage through an electrostatic copying machine, comprising: passing a sheet of material through a xerographic copying machine so that charged particles are distributed over the sheet of material in a pattern corresponding to the image to be reproduced; heating the sheet to cause the particles to adhere to the sheet; and subsequently placing the image-bearing surface of the sheet in contact with a further surface on which the image is required to be reproduced and applying heat and pressure to the said contacting surfaces until the particles transfer from the said sheet to the said further surface and fuse to the latter whereby on separation of the surfaces the fused pattern of particles is exposed on the said further surface. The method is said to be useful in forming images on surfaces of metal, glass, tiles, wood and fabric, and for forming transparencies such as overhead projection (OHP) foils.
The specific description refers to the use of a film material which may be a triacetate film or a proprietary film known as `Melinex` film (MELINEX is a Registered Trade Mark of ICI Ltd.), heated during image transfer to a temperature between 80.degree. C. and 100.degree. C.
On page 2 at lines 4 to 8 of the aforesaid UK patent specification, it is stated that `It is of course unnecessary for all the particles on the sheet to transfer to the surface on which the image is to be reproduced; it is sufficient if a substantial proportion of the particles is transferred`, which is, of course, suitable for the purposes for which the invention was intended, namely the production of acceptable monochrome images in cases where the precision of image is not critical, but not for the clarity and definition of full color images such as can be achieved by the present invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4006267, the invention is concerned with a method of color highlighting an image on a xerographically produced copy by superimposing a colorant layer onto a monochrome image from a transfer donor, of Mylar film (MYLAR is a Registered Trade Mark of du Pont Corporation) or Lexan film (LEXAN is a trade mark of General Electric Company).
This disclosure describes the addition of color to an existing monochrome image to provide background color only. It does not teach the transfer of full color images such as can be achieved by the present invention.
European patent application no. 191592 discloses a process of transferring metallic foils onto xerographic images which comprises a selective transfer process characterized by the steps of: providing a receiving substrate comprising xerographic images and a foil transfer sheet; placing the receiving substrate comprising xerographic images in face-to-face contact with the foil transfer sheet, to form a sandwich with the xerographic images on the inside; applying heat and pressure to at least one of the receiving substrate and the foil transfer sheet to cause the xerographic image to become tacky and the foil to selectively adhere to the images, resulting in a decorated receiving substrate; and stripping the foil transfer sheet away from the decorated receiving substrate.
In carrying out a process according to the invention disclosed in this European pat
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patent: 3698314 (1972-10-01), Grier
patent: 4014027 (1977-03-01), Buchan et al.
patent: 4533611 (1985-08-01), Winkelmann et al.
patent: 5253021 (1993-10-01), Aslam et al.
patent: 5392096 (1995-02-01), Deets II
Copy of International Search Report dated May 4, 1994, in PCT/GB93/02591.
Article entitled "Minolta System Transfers Color Prints onto T-Shirts," source unknown.
Article entitled "Warner goes indirect to plate," source unknown.
ISO Developments Limited
Pendegrass Joan M.
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