Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Discontinuous or differential coating – impregnation or bond
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-27
2003-03-18
Kelly, Cynthia H. (Department: 1774)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond
C524S035000, C524S013000, C524S031000, C524S032000, C524S037000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06534155
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to inkjet printing or more particularly to coating compositions and recording sheets composed of printable coating compositions on substrates which are useful for photographic quality prints by inkjet printing technology, such as thermal and piezo.
2. Description of the Related Art
Imaging techniques using inkjet printing systems are well known in the art. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,954 describes basic inkjet printing techniques. U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,285 describes an inkjet printing method by ejecting ink droplets from a print head through one or more nozzles. Several schemes are utilized to control the deposition of the ink droplets to form desired characters and images. One method comprises deflecting electrically charged droplets by electrostatic means. Another method comprises the ejection of single droplets under the control of a piezoelectric device.
It has been a problem in the art to provide a recording sheet for inkjet printing which is receptive to inks, allows the ink to dry quickly without running or smearing, provides sharp image quality and has very good water and humidity resistance which deters curling. Many attempts have been made produce recording sheets for inkjet printing which have all of these properties simultaneously. In this regard U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,582 describes an inkjet recording sheet containing a basic latex polymer. U.S. Pat. No. 3,158,494 describes a polyurethane ink receptive surface. U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,410 describes an inkjet recording transparencies having two coatings, namely a heat dissipating, fire resistant coating in contact with a substrate and a second ink receiving coating layer on the first layer comprising a hydrophilic binder, an ink spreading agent, a cationic component, a light-fastness inducing agent, a filler and a biocide. JP Pat. 9,202,041 describes inkjet recording media which has good ink drying properties comprising a substrate provided with at least one ink receiving layer which contains a reaction product of polyalkylene oxide with an isocyanate and a water insoluble cellulose compound. While the above inkjet media are suitable for their intended purposes, there remains a need for a universal ink jet media for a dye based ink system as well as a pigment based ink system. Further, there is a need for a universal ink jet media useful for obtaining photographic quality prints by both thermal and piezo inkjet printing technologies. Additionally, there remains a need for coatings for inkjet media which have good water resistance which can counter media curl due to humidity changes.
The present invention provides inkjet printable coated media which overcome the above-noted disadvantages. The invention provides coating compositions, which when applied to suitable substrates such as transparent, translucent or opaque, white plastic films, paper or the like can achieve photographic quality prints by using any of a variety of inkjet printers. The coating composition is compatible with dye based and pigment based ink systems which can be printed both by thermal type inkjet printers and piezo type inkjet printers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a coating composition for producing recording sheet which comprises:
a) either (i) or (ii):
(i) from about 10% to about 90% by weight of the composition of a hydrophilic or amphiphilic polyether polyurethane plus from about 5% to about 85% by weight of one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of cellulose ester polymers, cellulose ether polymers and vinyl polymers;
(ii) from about 30% to about 90% by weight of cellulose acetate trimellitate plus from about 0% to about 50% by weight of one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of cellulose ester polymers, cellulose ether polymers and vinyl polymers;
b) from about 1% to about 8% by weight of a quaternary ammonium compound;
c) from about 0.05 to about 6% by weight of a metal salt;
d) from about 0.05 to about 6% by weight of a filler drying agent.
The invention also provides a recording sheet which comprises a substrate and a dried coating composition on the substrate, which coating composition comprises:
a) either (i) or (ii):
(i) from about 10% to about 90% by weight of the composition of a hydrophilic or amphiphilic polyether polyurethane plus from about 5% to about 85% by weight of one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of cellulose ester polymers, cellulose ether polymers and vinyl polymers;
(ii) from about 30% to about 90% by weight of cellulose acetate trimellitate plus from about 0% to about 50% by weight of one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of cellulose ester polymers, cellulose ether polymers and vinyl polymers;
b) from about 1% to about 8% by weight of a quaternary ammonium compound;
c) from about 0.05 to about 6% by weight of a metal salt;
d) from about 0.05 to about 6% by weight of a filler drying agent.
The invention further provides an imaged article which comprises the above recording sheet and a dry colored image on the recording sheet wherein the dry colored image is on the dried coating composition on the substrate.
The invention still further provides a process for producing an imaged article which comprises providing the above recording sheet and imaging the recording sheet by inkjet spraying and drying one or more colored inks onto the dried coating composition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the practice of the present invention, a composition is prepared which is composed of
a) either (i) or (ii):
(i) a hydrophilic or amphiphilic polyether polyurethane plus one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of cellulose ester polymers, cellulose ether polymers and vinyl polymers;
(ii) cellulose acetate trimellitate plus optionally one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of cellulose ester polymers, cellulose ether polymers and vinyl polymers;
b) a quaternary ammonium compound;
c) a metal salt;
d) a filler drying agent.
A first embodiment of the invention comprises a hydrophilic or amphiphilic polyether polyurethane plus a cellulose ester polymer, a cellulose ether polymer or a vinyl polymer. Suitable hydrophilic or amphiphilic polyether polyurethanes nonexclusively include hydroxy terminated polyether polyurethanes having carboxylate, silicone and/or carbonate functionalities. A preferred material is one which has both carboxylate and silicone functionalities or both carbonate and silicone functionalities which are available from Tindall Plains Hunter of New Jersey. The polyether polyurethane component is preferably present in an amount of from about 10% to about 90% by weight of the composition. A more preferred range is from about 30% to about 80% and most preferably from about 40% to about 70%.
The cellulose ester polymer, cellulose ether polymer or vinyl polymer aids in providing coating toughness and gloss. Preferred cellulosics are cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate phthalate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose phthalate, hydroxy alkyl (C
1
-C
3
) cellulose, alkyl (C
1
-C
3
) cellulose, cellulose hydroxyalkyl phthalate, hydroxy propyl ethyl cellulose phthalate, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose phthalate and mixtures thereof. Preferred vinyl polymers are polyvinyl pyrrolidone, styrenated polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl pyrrolidone/polyvinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene oxide copolymers and mixtures thereof. In this first embodiment, the cellulose ester polymer, cellulose ether polymer or vinyl polymer component is preferably present in an amount of from about 5% to about 85% by weight of the composition. A more preferred range is from about 8% to about 50% and most preferably from about 20% to about 40%.
A second embodiment of the invention comprises cellulose acetate trimellitate plus an optional a cellulose ester, cellulose ether or vinyl polymer such as those described above. In this embodiment, the ce
Gibboni David James
Lanigan Elizabeth Joyce
Sharma Jyoti
Criss Roger H.
Honeywell International , Inc.
Kelly Cynthia H.
Nguyen Kimberly T.
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