Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-04
2002-09-24
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S247000, C156S277000, C156S289000, C427S148000, C428S914000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06454896
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an process for laminating ink jet prints with a porous, fusible, transferable protection layer.
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 a base layer for absorbing fluid and 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.
Ink jet prints prepared by printing onto ink jet recording elements are subject to environmental degradation such as water smearing and light fade. For example, since ink jet dyes are water-soluble, they can migrate from their location in the ink-receiving layer when water comes in contact with the recording element after imaging.
To reduce the vulnerability of prints to degradation and to enhance gloss, ink jet prints are often laminated. Typically, such conventional lamination is a process whereby a continuous polymeric film bearing an adhesive is brought into contact with the surface of the print. Heat and/or pressure is then used to affix the continuous polymeric film to the print surface. The continuous polymeric film then serves as a barrier layer that is impermeable to water and further acts to diminish the fading of the print image caused by light.
However, there is a problem with prior art laminating films since they are typically supplied in roll format and must be cut, or less desirably torn, to separate the laminated print from the continuous roll of laminating film. A requirement to cut adds expense to a laminator design that is required to run in a continuous mode.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,976 discloses an assembly for creating laminated cards which comprises a sheet of card stock with a release coating and a sheet of laminating film adhering to the release coating. A card form is cut into the sheet of card stock, and a lamination strip, which is sufficiently large to fold over so as to laminate both surfaces of the card, is cut into the lamination sheet. After printing, the card and the lamination strip are removed, and the lamination strip folded over to laminate the card. However, there is a problem with this laminating film in that expensive cutting and perforating steps are required to prepare the laminated card.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,573 discloses a dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support and a transferable protection layer wherein the transferable protection layer is less than about 1&mgr; thick and contains particles in an amount of up to about 75% of the transferable protection layer. However, there is no disclosure in this patent that the protection layer can be used with ink jet prints.
It is an object of the invention to provide a process for laminating ink jet prints wherein the protection layer is sufficiently thick to protect ink jet images from degradation by water, and yet can be employed without resort to expensive cutting steps. It is another object to provide a process for laminating an ink jet print of arbitrary geometric shape. It is still another object to provide a process that allows for the direct visual distinction between laminated and unlaminated regions of the print.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects are provided by the present invention which comprises a process for laminating an ink jet print comprising:
a) providing an ink jet print comprising a support having thereon an ink jet image;
b) contacting the imaged surface of the ink jet print with a transfer laminating element to form a composite, the transfer laminating element comprising a flexible, polymeric support having thereon a porous, fusible, transferable protection layer comprising fusible, thermoplastic polymeric particles in a polymeric binder, the protection layer having a thickness of between about 2 and about 100 &mgr;m and a particle-to-binder ratio of between about 95:5 and about 70:30, the thermoplastic polymeric particles having a particle size of less than about 10 &mgr;m and a Tm or softening point of greater than about 50° C. and the polymeric binder having a Tg of less than about 20° C.;
c) applying heat and pressure to the composite to fuse the porous, fusible, transferable protection layer to form a substantially continuous protection layer;
d) allowing the composite to cool; and
e) peeling the flexible, polymeric support of the transfer laminating element from the composite to form the laminated ink jet print.
In using the process of the invention where the transfer laminating element is larger in area than the ink jet print, the area of the transfer laminating element containing unfused, porous, fusible, transferable protection layer can be separated from the area of the fused protection layer protecting the ink jet print without the need for cutting. When the porous, fusible, transferable protection layer fuses, it becomes a substantially continuous film which is optically clear and can be readily distinguished from the unfused area.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As noted above, the particle-to-binder ratio in the protection layer is between about 95:5 and about 70:30. If the particle-to-binder ratio is above the range stated, the layer will not have any cohesive strength. If the particle-to-binder ratio is below the range stated, the layer will not be porous, and on peeling the support away from the cooled composite after laminating, a continuous film is present which must be cut.
It is believed that when a fusible, transferable protection layer is used which is porous, cutting is obviated by the weak cohesive strength at the interface between the area of the substantially continuous film formed on fusing and the unfused, porous area. Thus, the interface acts as a micro-perforated edge of the film that facilitates a clean rupture. Further, during the fusing step, otherwise entrained air escapes via the interface between the substantially continuous film and the unfused, porous area.
The polymer used to make the fusible, thermoplastic polymeric particles employed in the invention may be an amorphous polymer which has softening point greater than about 50° C., such as an amorphous polyester, e.g., Kao C® (Kao Corp.) or an acrylic polymer such as Carboset 526® (B F Goodrich Specialy Chemicals); or a partially crystalline polymer having a Tm greater than about 50° C., such as a partially crystalline polyester, e.g., Griltex Polyester® (EMS American Grilon Corp) or an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer such as Elvax® (DuPont Corp.); or a thermoplastic, modified cellulose such as Ethocel® (Dow Chemical Co.), etc. In a preferred embodiment, the fusible, thermoplastic polymeric particles are made from an amorphous polyester having a silica shell. In another preferred embodiment, the fusible, thermoplastic polymeric particles contain a UV-absorber.
The fusible, thermoplastic polymeric particles used in the invention may be made using various techniques, such as, for example, evaporative limited coalescence as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,060, limited coalescence as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,799, grinding as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,360, or cryogenic grinding as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,294.
As noted above, the polymer used to make the fusible, thermoplastic particles will have a Tm or softening point greater than about 50° C., preferably between about 60° C. and 150° C. The Tm is measured using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). In a preferred embodiment, the Tm is between about 60° C. and 120° C. A softening point of a polyme
Cole Harold E.
Crispino Richard
Eastman Kodak Company
Shortsle Kevin P.
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