Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
  • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
  • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
  • B41M5/26—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used
  • B41M5/382—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes
  • B41M5/38278—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes using ink-containing structures, e.g. porous or microporous layers, alveoles or cellules

Definitions

• This invention relates to a binder-less porous donor for producing a dye diffusion thermal transfer image.
• a dye diffusion thermal transfer system is broadly used because it can produce an image in a completely dry process with a non-impact system using digitalized image information, the produced image having a high continuous gradation.
• Such systems are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) Nos. 3- 13386, 3-65394, 3-65395, and 3-86589.
• a high affinity between the dyes and the binder is required in order to sufficiently diffuse the dyes in the donor layer. If the affinity is high, a high thermal energy is required for diffusing the dyes into the receptor layer. An energy threshold of diffusion of the dyes also exists. Thus, it is difficult to form an image having both a high continuous gradation and a high optical density at a low thermal energy.
• a novel donor layer is formed by physically locating diffusible dyes in the pores of a porous film having a pore size between 20 and 400 Gurlex.
• the porous film of the present invention allows the dyes contained therein to be diffused onto the receptor layer at a low thermal energy without entailing any thermal threshold.
• the present invention provides a film for producing a dye diffusion thermal transfer image comprising diffusible dyes physically located in the pores of a porous film having a pore size between 20 and 400 Gurlex.
• the porous film contains no binder.
• the present invention further provides a process for the thermal diffusion transfer of a color image, comprising placing a color thermal diffusion dye donor sheet in intimate association with a receptor sheet, and heating said donor sheet in a desired pattern at a sufficient temperature and/or pressure to transfer the dyes from the donor sheet to the receptor sheet.
• the donor sheet comprises a porous polymeric material having a thermally diffusible dye located within the pores of the said porous material.
• the donor sheet contains no binder.
• Fig. 2 shown the lamination condition of the type 1 laminated film of this invention during the course of production.
• Fig. 3 shows one embodiment of the image forming system to which the donor film of this invention is applied.
• Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of the image forming system to which the donor film of this invention is applied.
• Fig. 5 shows a relation between burn time and the image density obtained in.Example 1.
• Fig. 6 shows a relation-between burn time and the image density obtained in Comparative Example 1.
• Fig. 8 shows a relation between burn time and the image density obtained in Example 2.
• Fig. 9 shows a relation between burn time and the image density obtained in Comparative Example 3.
• Fig. 10 shows a relation between burn time and the image density obtained in Comparative Example 4.
• Fig. 13 shows a relation between burn time and the image density obtained in Example 3.
• Fig. 14 shows a relation between burn time and the image density obtained in Example 4.
• Fig. 15 shows a relation between burn time and the image density obtained in Example 5.
• Fig. 20 shows a relation between burn time and the image density obtained in Example 10.
• a protective layer is placed on the surface of the above-mentioned porous film opposite the surface on which the donor layer is placed (in the case where the donor-layer is formed on only one of the surfaces of the porous film) .
• the protective layer may be very thin, and have a thickness in the range of 1 ⁇ m to 10 ⁇ m, preferably 1 ⁇ m to 3 ⁇ m.
• the protective layer serves to prevent thermal influences from thermal head, i.e., to prevent the thermal fusion of the porous film, and can be formed by applying a solution of polymer having a high glass transition temperature on the surface of the porous film opposite the surface having the donor layer placed thereon, followed by drying.
• the polymers that can be used for this purpose are polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and the like. Any solvent can be used for this purpose as long as it can dissolve the polymer to be used. For example, water, a mixture of water with a hydrophilic organic solvent, or the like can be used.
• the concentration of the polymer in the solvent is 1-10% by weight, preferably 3-5% by weight.
• the porous donor film of the present invention allows the diffusion of dyes to be carried out at a low thermal energy.
• an image with a high continuous gradation, even in the case of a low optical density, can be formed.
• the service life of the thermal head can be extended.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Thermal Transfer Or Thermal Recording In General (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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ID=16587246

Family Applications (1)

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• 1992
  • 1992-08-06 JP JP4210307A patent/JPH0699668A/ja active Pending
• 1993
  • 1993-08-06 EP EP93918687A patent/EP0653985B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-08-06 DE DE69305354T patent/DE69305354T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1993-08-06 WO PCT/US1993/007418 patent/WO1994003334A1/en active IP Right Grant

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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