Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Discontinuous or differential coating – impregnation or bond
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-21
2001-08-28
Hess, Bruce H. (Department: 1774)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond
C428S421000, C428S422000, C428S354000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280827
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sheet for printing and an ink, which can form a printed sheet having excellent weatherability by thermal transfer printing, and a printed sheet comprising those.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional identification labels usable for the management of, for example, products and parts both for long-term outdoor use include metallic nameplates bearing carved information and labels bearing ink information protected and covered with a weather-resistant plastic film. However, with shifting to a production system in which many kinds of products are produced in small quantities, it has become difficult to issue labels according to circumstances. There has hence been a problem that label issuance cannot cope with the production system in which many kinds of products are produced in small quantities.
On the other hand, still another kind of conventional label comprises a paper or plastic film bearing a wax- or resin-based ink deposited thereon according to circumstances by thermal transfer printing. However, this label has a problem that the ink information has so poor weatherability that it disappears upon long-term outdoor weathering and the label is thus deprived of its function.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to develop a sheet for printing and an ink with both of which a printed sheet having so high weatherability that the ink information, even upon outdoor weathering, does not disappear and retains satisfactory readability over long period of time without the necessity of forming a coating layer thereon can be formed by imparting ink information in situ, etc. by thermal transfer printing according to circumstances.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a sheet for printing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a printed sheet using the sheet for printing and the ink.
The sheet for printing according to the present invention comprises an ink-receiving layer comprising a fluoropolymer film.
The ink according to the present invention comprises a fluoropolymer and a colorant.
The printed sheet according to the present invention comprises the sheet for printing and an information comprising the ink, formed on the ink-receiving layer of the sheet by thermal transfer printing.
According to the present invention, due to the combined use of an ink-receiving layer and an ink both comprising a fluoropolymer, it is possible to impart ink information according to circumstances even with a commercially available thermal transfer printer. The ink information formed is excellent in fixability and weatherability because the ink, during the thermal transfer, was satisfactorily fused and contact-bonded to the ink-receiving layer through the fluoropolymers. Hence the ink information does not disappear even when exposed outdoors without forming a coating layer thereon. Consequently, a printed sheet having long-lasting satisfactory readability can be issued at any time. In the case where either the ink-receiving layer or a reinforcement on which the layer is supported is made to have the property of absorbing or scattering ultraviolet rays, underlying layers such as a coloring layer and an adhesive layer can be protected against ultraviolet rays and thus prevented from deterioration, whereby a further improvement in weatherability can be attained.
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European Search Report dated Jun. 15, 1999.
Kume Katsuya
Okazaki Katsuyuki
Hess Bruce H.
McGuireWoods LLP
Nitto Denko Corporation
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