Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Medium and processing means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-08
2002-06-25
Barlow, John (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Medium and processing means
C347S101000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06409330
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sublimation transfer ink jet recording method and an ink composition for the same.
2. Background Art
Ink jet recording is a method wherein ink droplets are ejected through fine nozzles to record letters or figures onto the surface of a recording medium. Ink jet recording methods are roughly classified into two types. The first type is a continuous type wherein a strong electric field is applied between a nozzle and an electrode provided ahead of the nozzle to regulate the impact position of the ink. This type has been mainly used in industrial applications. The second type is a drop-on-demand type which, in recent years, has become extensively used in ink jet printers. This type has been put to practical use as a method wherein an electric signal is converted by means of an electrostriction element to a mechanical signal which selectively ejects ink reservoired in a nozzle head portion to record letters or symbols on the surface of a recording medium and a method wherein ink, reservoired in the nozzle head, in its portion very close to the ejection portion is rapidly heated to evolve bubbles and, by taking advantage of volume expansion of the bubbles, the ink is intermittently ejected to record letters or symbols onto the surface of the recording medium.
Application of this ink jet recording method to sublimation textile printing or sublimation transfer printing has been proposed in the art.
For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 42317/1985 discloses a method wherein an ink containing a sublimation dye and triethylene glycol is printed by ink jet recording onto a support having thereon an ink penetration preventive layer to form a transfer image which is then put on a receptor object, such as a polyester fiber, followed by heat treatment to transfer the image onto the receptor object.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,907 discloses a method wherein an ink comprising a heat-active dye, at least one emulsifying enforcing agent for shielding the dye, and at least one solvent is printed onto a recording medium by ink jet recording to form thereon an image which is then heated to the activation temperature of the heat-active dye or above to transfer the image onto an object.
In recent years, there has been remarkable technical innovation in ink jet recording, particularly drop-on-demand type ink jet recording. For example, an increase in resolution of printed images by increasing the density of ink ejection head nozzles and an increase in image writing speed by adopting a multi-nozzle system or by increasing the ink ejection frequency have been attempted. Therefore, ink compositions, which can cope with increased resolution and increased speed, are also required of the sublimation transfer ink jet recording method.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present inventors have now found that an ink composition having a specific composition, when used with sublimation transfer ink jet recording, can realize the formation of high-quality images on receptor objects. More specifically, the present inventors have found an ink composition which has good ejection stability and, at the same time, can realize good dye transferred images.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink composition which can satisfy, on a high level, various property requirements required of ink compositions for ink jet recording (for example, properties such as excellent ejection stability and capability of realizing images free from feathering or color-to-color bleeding) and, at the same time, upon sublimation transfer of the image yielded by the ink composition, can realize good dye transferred images.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sublimation transfer ink jet recording method which can realize good images.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink composition for use in a sublimation transfer ink jet recording method, comprising at least a heat transferable dye, a glycol ether, an acetylene glycol surfactant, and water.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sublimation transfer ink jet recording method comprising the steps of: printing an ink composition containing a heat transferable dye by ink jet recording onto an intermediate transfer medium to form a latent image on the intermediate transfer medium; putting the intermediate transfer medium on the surface of a receptor object; and heating the intermediate transfer medium at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to sublimate the heat transferable dye and to deposit the sublimated dye onto the surface of the receptor object, the ink composition being the above ink composition of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Ink Composition
The ink composition of the present invention comprises at least a heat transferable dye, a glycol ether, an acetylene glycol surfactant, and water.
Heat Transferable Dye
The details of a sublimation transfer method using the ink composition according to the present invention are as described below. This method is the application of a carrier dyeing method using a disperse dye, wherein molecular gaps of fibers are increased and the fibers are colored with a dye by utilizing van der Waals force or hydrogen bond force. Therefore, according to the present invention, the heat transferable dye is preferably a disperse dye. In addition to disperse dyes, some of azoic dyes, vat dyes, or cationic dyes can be utilized in the present invention so far as sublimation transfer can be carried out in a proper temperature range.
Examples of preferred heat transferable dyes include disperse dyes, such as (1) C.I. Disperse Yellow 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 31, 33, 39, 42, 54, 60, 61, 64, 83, and 124, (2) C.I. Disperse Red 1, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 52, 54, 55, 56, 58, 60, 72, 73, 76, 80, 84, 88, 91, 92, 93, 99, 111, 113, 135, 204, 205, 206, 207, 224, 225, 227, 239, and 240, and (3) C.I. Disperse Blue 20, 26, 54, 55, 56, 58, 60, 61, 62, 64, 72, 79, 81, 85, 87, 90, 91, 92, 94, 97, 98, 99, 103, 104, 105, 106, 108, 128, 148, 149, 176, 186, 187, 193, 194, 195, 197, 201, 205, 207, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, and 227. Vat dyes as other examples of dyes include C.I. Vat Red 41.
As the heat transferable black dye, a mixed disperse dye is preferred.
The ink composition according to the present invention contains an acetylene glycol surfactant. The addition of the acetylene glycol surfactant has the effect of reducing the foaming of the ink. Therefore, according to the present invention, the use of the acetylene glycol surfactant can reduce a failure, of the ink ejection head to eject ink, derived from the occurrence of foams within the head. Further, the acetylene glycol surfactant, in combination with a glycol ether solvent described below, can enhance the penetration of the ink into recording paper and, at the same time, can prevent uneven bleeding of images (color-to-color bleeding).
Examples of preferred acetylene glycol surfactants include Surfynol 104, 420, 440, 465, 485, 504, 61, DF-110D, DF-210, DF-37, DF-58, DF-75, SF-F, TG, GA, CT-111, CT-136, CT-151, PSA-204, PSA-216, PSA-336, OP-340, OP-350, 104S, and DF-110S (all the above products being manufactured by Air Products and Chemicals Inc.). Various types of Surfynol ranging from water-soluble types to oleaginous types are available. According to the present invention, preferably, the type of Surfynol and the amount thereof added are properly determined from the viewpoints of regulating the penetration of the ink into the paper, the wettability of the ink ejection head in its nozzle face, and stable dissolution of Surfynol in the ink. The amount of Surfynol added is generally about 0.01 to 5% by weight, preferably about 0.1 to 3% by weight.
The ink composition according to the present invention contains a glycol ether. The glycol ether, in combination with the acetylene glycol surfactant, can enhance
Komatsu Hidehiko
Nakamura Hiroto
Owatari Akio
Barlow John
Ladas & Parry
Shah Manish
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