Process for obtaining a diffusion resistant lenticular element

Details Process for obtaining a diffusion resistant lenticular element Process for obtaining a diffusion resistant lenticular element

1999-09-23

2001-05-29

Hess, Bruce H. (Department: 1774)

Record receiver having plural interactive leaves or a colorless

Having a colorless color-former, developer therefor, or...

Method of use, kit, or combined with marking instrument or...

C359S619000, C430S643000, C430S643000, C503S218000, C503S220000, C503S227000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06239068

ABSTRACT:

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Reference is made to commonly-assigned copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/404,564, filed of even date herewith pending, entitled “Diffusion Resistant Lenticular Element”, of Tutt et al; and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/404,062, filed of even date herewith pending, entitled “Diffusion Resistant Lenticular Element”, of Tutt et al; the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the laser printing of stereoscopic, multiple images or motion images which will be used in conjunction with a lenticular element.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Lenticular arrays or overlays are a known means to give images the appearance of depth or motion. A lenticular image is created using a transparent upper layer having narrow parallel lenticules (half cylindrical lenses) on the outer surface and an image containing substrate or lower layer which projects images through the lenticules. The two layers form a lenticular system wherein each image is selectively visible as a function of the angle from which the system is viewed. A depth image is a composite picture made by bringing together into a single composition a number of different parts of a scene viewed from different angles. When the lenticules are vertically oriented, each eye of a viewer will see different elements and the viewer will interpret the net result as depth of field. The viewer may also move his head with respect to the image thereby observing other views with each eye and enhancing the sense of depth. Each lenticule is associated with a plurality of image lines or an image line set and the viewer is supposed to see only one image line (or view slice) of each set with each eye for each lenticule. It is imperative that the line image sets be registered accurately with the lenticules, so that the proper picture is formed when the assembly is viewed.
This process can be used to generate a three-dimensional effect at a proper viewing distance or multiple images by viewing from different angles. When the lenticules are oriented horizontally, each eye receives the same image. In this case, the multiple images upon moving the lenticular can be used to generate the illusion of motion. For whichever orientation the lenticules are oriented, each of the viewed images is generated by lines from an image which has been interlaced substantially at the frequency of the lenticular array, number of lenticules per length and with the desired number of images.
One method of recording of linear images on a lenticular recording material is accomplished with a stereoscopic image recording apparatus (hereunder referred to simply as “a recording apparatus”) that relies upon optical exposure (printing). With this recording apparatus, original transmission images are projected from a light source. The light transmitted through the original images passes through the projection lenses of the recording apparatus to be focused on the lenticular recording material via a lenticular sheet. The original images are thereby exposed as linear images.
Another method of image recording uses scanning exposure which requires comparatively simple optics and yet has great flexibility in adapting to various image-processing operations and to alterations in the specifications of the lenticular sheet.
In the article entitled “Development of Motion Image Printer”, by H. Akahori et al., IS&T 50th Annual Conference Proceedings, page 305, there is a disclosure of a printer for printing stereoscopic images using a thermal head and thermal dye transfer in registration with the lenticular material. The receiver sheet must be heated to achieve the necessary stability for registration of the images with the lenticular material. The resolution is six images on 100 DPI lenticular material with a 300 DPI thermal head. However, there is a problem with this method in that low resolution images are obtained, since heat transferred from the resistive head “spreads” through the support during printing.
EP 0 596 629A2 and EP 0 659 026A2 disclose a method and apparatus for directly printing on lenticular supports using lasers. This method generates an image in contact with the lenticular material. There is a problem with this method, however, in that the dyes can continue to migrate after transfer, resulting in unacceptable image ghosting (adjacent views bleeding through). In addition, if it is desired to add a reflective backing to the element, then trimming or a very accurate alignment is required.
An object of this invention is to provide a process for obtaining a high resolution lenticular image which is resistant to thermal dye diffusion. It is another object of this invention to provide a process for obtaining a high resolution lenticular image which is resistant to abrasion and does not require trimming or accurate alignment. Another object of the invention is to provide a process for obtaining a high resolution lenticular image which has a reflection layer underneath the image.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects of the invention are obtained in accordance with the invention which relates to a process of forming a diffusion resistant lenticular element comprising:
a) contacting at least one dye-donor element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising an image dye in a binder having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith, the image dye comprising a nonionic dye capable of being converted to a cationic dye by means of an acid, with a lenticular element comprising a first support having thereon a lenticular array on the opposite side thereof;
b) imagewise-heating the dye-donor element by means of a laser;
c) transferring a dye image to the first support of the lenticular element;
d) contacting the dye image with a mordanting element comprising a second support having thereon in order, a release layer and an adhesive layer of an acidic polymer having a Tg less than about 80° C., the adhesive layer of the mordanting element being in contact with the side of the first support which contains the dye image, forming a composite laminate;
e) heating the composite laminate to cause the nonionic dye to convert to a cationic dye which is mordanted in the adhesive layer and to cause the adhesive layer to adhere the mordanting element to the lenticular element; and
f) removing the second support from the composite laminate, thus forming a diffusion resistant lenticular element.
By use of the invention, a high resolution lenticular image is generated efficiently which is resistant to thermal dye diffusion, has a high abrasion resistance and does not require trimming.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The support for the mordanting element used in the invention can include polyesters such as poly(ethylene terephthalate); polyamides; polycarbonates; cellulose esters such as cellulose acetate; fluorine polymers such as poly(vinylidene fluoride) or poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene); polyethers such as polyoxymethylene; polyacetals; polyolefins such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or methylpentene polymers; and polyimides such as polyimide-amides and polyether-imides. The support generally has a thickness of from about 5 to about 200 &mgr;m.
As noted above, dyes useful in the invention are nonionic dyes capable of being converted to cationic dyes by means of an acid. A cationic dye diffuses much less readily than a nonionic dye due to electrostatic forces retarding movement. An example of an nonionic dye which converts to a cationic dye in the presence of an acid is the following (Since the chromophore is involved in the reaction, there is a color change indicating the state of the dye molecule):
Examples of such dyes which may be used in the invention are of many classes. For example, the dye may be a deprotonated cationic dye which is capable of being reprotonated to a cationic dye having an N—H group which is part of a conjugated system. Additional examples of such dyes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,5

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