Image forming process

• US 6,367,921 B1
• Filed: 10/27/1998
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Eguchi, Takeo, Kurabayashi, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): EICKHOLT, EUGENE H
• Application Number:
  US09/179,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20020033869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 106/31.86, 106/31.75, 106/31.77, 347/101, 347/105, 347/103, 347/100, 347/213, 428/195
• US Class Current: 347/101
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2107 characterised by the ink properties supplying ink in a solid state B41J2/17593
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0023 Digital printing methods characterised by the inks used inks per se C09D11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0064 on plastics, horn, rubber, or other organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/009 using thermal means, e.g. infrared radiation, heat
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/30 Inkjet printing inks

Abstract

An image forming process capable of forming an image having high fretting resistance and water resistance by an ink-jet ejecting method using an ink containing a pigment which can be dispersed without a dispersant and smoothly transferring into a thermoplastic resin layer.

Claims

1. An image forming process comprising steps of:

(i) providing a recording medium having a substrate and a thermoplastic resin layer which constitutes an outermost layer of said recording medium;

(ii) ejecting an aqueous ink containing a pigment capable of being dispersed in water without a dispersing agent toward an outside surface of the thermoplastic resin layer by employing an ink-jet ejecting method, thereby attaching the pigment onto the outside surface of the thermoplastic resin layer; and

(iii) transferring the pigment from the outside surface of the thermoplastic resin layer into the thermoplastic resin layer by heating the recording medium.

2. The image forming process according to claim 1, wherein said step (iii) is performed after step (ii).

3. The image forming process according to claim 1,

wherein said thermoplastic resin layer is a porous layer.

4. The image forming process according to claim 3,

wherein said thermoplastic resin layer contains thermoplastic resin particles.

5. The image forming process according to claim 1,

wherein said pigment capable of being dispersed in water without said dispersing agent is a carbon black having a modified surface.

6. The image forming process according to claim 5,

wherein the carbon black having a modified surface is a carbon black of which a hydrophilic group is bound for the surface thereof directly or through an atomic group.

7. The image forming process according to claim 6,

wherein said hydrophilic group is at least one group selected from a group consisting of those which are listed below:

 

—

COOM, —

SO₃M, —

PO₃HM, —

PO₃M₂, —

SO₂NH₂, —

SO₂NHCOR, —

NH₃⁺, —

NR₃⁺,

8. The image forming process according to claim 6,

wherein the atomic group is an alkylene group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted phenylene group or a substituted or unsubstituted naphthylene group.