Self-contained imaging media comprising opaque laminated support

• US 6,365,319 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2000
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Heath, Terry A., Wang, Yongcai, Anderson, Charles C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baxter, Janet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Sin J.
• Application Number:
  US09/557,027
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 430/138, 430/272.1, 430/273.1, 430/275.1, 430/276.1, 430/278.1, 430/293
• US Class Current: 430/138
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/002 using materials containing microcapsules; Preparing or processing such materials, e.g. by pressure; Devices or apparatus specially designed therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/11 having cover layers or intermediate layers, e.g. subbing layers G03F7/091 - G03F7/093, B41N3/03 take precedence

Abstract

A self-contained photohardenable imaging assembly comprising in order: a first transparent support; an imaging layer comprising a developer material and a plurality of photohardenable microcapsules encapsulating a color precursor, and a second opaque support, wherein the opaque support comprises a barrier layer that exhibits a low water vapor transmission rate, which barrier layer comprises a metallic material. The imaging assembly has been found to provide better image quality and more consistence sensitometric response to pressure development.

Claims

1. A self-contained photohardenable imaging assembly comprising in order from front to back the following:

a transparent first support that is 10 to 250 microns in thickness and has a light transmission of at least about 80% at a wavelength at 550 nm;

at least one imaging layer comprising a plurality of photohardenable microcapsules encapsulating a color precursor which can react with a developer material in the same or an adjacent imaging layer;

an opaque second support that is 10 to 250 microns thick and has a water vapor transmission rate of less than 0.77 g/m2/day (0.05 g/100 in²/day) and a light reflectance of greater than 80%, said second support comprising, also in order, one or more image-background layers comprising an effective amount of a white pigment for producing photographic quality whiteness in front of a metallic barrier layer.

2. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the metallic barrier layer comprises a metal foil.

3. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the metallic barrier layer is coated on a plastic film.

4. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the image-background layers comprise a microvoided polymer layer.

5. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the image-background layers comprise a polyolefinic sheet overlying cellulosic paper or microvoided or non-microvoided polyester.

6. The imaging assembly of claim 4, wherein the microvoided polymer layer is a microvoided polyester.

7. The imaging assembly of claim 4, wherein the microvoided polymer layer is a biaxially oriented microvoided polyolefin.

8. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the metallic barrier layer comprises aluminum metal.

9. The imaging assembly of claim 7, wherein the polyolefin is polypropylene.

10. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the metallic barrier layer comprises part of a sheet that is laminated or coated with a pigmented layer to substantially reduce the metallic color of the metallic barrier layer when viewing the imaging assembly from the back.

11. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the barrier sheet has an WVTR value of less than 0.77 g/m2/day (0.05 g/100 in²/day) per 25 micron of thickness.

12. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein an adhesive layer is disposed between said second support and said at least one imaging layer.

13. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the front side of the transparent support and the back side of the opaque support has a coefficient of friction of less than 0.4.

14. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the imaging assembly is sealed between the transparent support and the opaque support.

15. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein said transparent support comprises a barrier layer selected from the group consisting of fluorinated polymers, inorganic oxides, and inorganic nitrides.

16. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein said pigment is titanium dioxide.

17. The imaging assembly of claim 1, wherein said microcapsules are melamine-formaldehyde microcapsules and said developer is a phenolic resin.

18. A sealed self-contained photohardenable imaging assembly comprising in order from front to back:

a first transparent support that is 10 to 250 microns in thickness and has a light transmission of at least about 80% at a wavelength of 450 to 800 nm and a water vapor transmission rate of less than 0.77 g/m²/day (0.05 g/100 in²/day);

one or more imaging layers comprising a plurality of photohardenable microcapsules encapsulating a color precursor which can react with a developer material in the same or an adjacent imaging layer;

a second support which is opaque, 10 to 250 microns thick, having a water vapor transmission rate of less than 0.77 g/m²/day (0.05 g/100 in²/day), said second support comprising in order starting from the outside of the assembly;

a metallic barrier layer;

one or more image-background layers comprising a polyolefin sheet overlying a paper and/or polyester material having a thickness of 10 to 250 microns and an effective amount of a white pigment for producing photographic quality whiteness in front of the metallic barrier layer;

wherein the opaque support has a reflection value of greater than 90% at its front side.

19. The imaging assembly of claim 18, wherein the image-background layers comprises a biaxially oriented microvoided polyolefin.

20. The imaging assembly of claim 19, wherein said biaxially oriented sheet microvoided polyolefin comprises polypropylene.

21. The imaging assembly of claim 18, wherein the metallic barrier layer is laminated or coated with a pigmented layer to reduce the metallic color of the barrier layer when viewed from the outside of the imaging assembly.

22. The imaging assembly of claim 18, wherein the front of the image-background layers have a light reflectance of greater than 95%.

23. The imaging assembly of claim 18, wherein the metallic barrier layer has WVTR value of less than 0.77 g/m2/day (0.05 g/100 in²/day) per 25 micron of thickness.

24. The imaging assembly of claim 18, wherein said image-background layers comprise, from front to back, a polyolefinic layer and a cellulose fiber paper layer.

25. A self-contained photohardenable imaging assembly comprising in order from front to back the following:

a transparent first support that is 10 to 250 microns in thickness and has a light transmission of at least about 80% at a wavelength at 550 nm, which transparent support comprises a barrier layer selected from the group consisting of fluorinated polymers, inorganic oxides, and inorganic nitrides;

at least one imaging layer comprising a plurality of photohardenable microcapsules encapsulating a color precursor which can react with a developer material in the same or an adjacent imaging layer;

an opaque second support that is 10 to 250 microns thick and has a water vapor transmission rate of less than 0.77 g/m2/day (0.05 g/100 in²/day) and a light reflectance of greater than 80%, said second support comprising, also in order, one or more image-background layers comprising an effective amount of a white pigment for producing photographic quality whiteness in front of a metallic barrier layer.