Color ribbon for thermo-sublimation print, method for the manufacture of same and its application

• US 6,380,131 B2
• Filed: 03/31/1998
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pelikan Produktions AG
• Original Assignee: Pelikan Produktions AG
• Inventors: Krauter, Henrich, Griebel, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Bruce H.
• Application Number:
  US09/050,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20010016556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 847/1, 428/195, 428/447, 428/913, 428/914, 503/227, 427/152
• US Class Current: 503/227
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 2205/30 Thermal donors, e.g. thermal ribbons
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/395 Macromolecular additives, e.g. binders
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/41 Base layers supports or substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/423 characterised by non-macromolecular compounds, e.g. waxes
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/44 characterised by the macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/443 Silicon-containing polymers, e.g. silicones, siloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/5254 characterised by the use of polymers obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. vinyl polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/5272 Polyesters; Polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/5281 Polyurethanes or polyureas
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/914 Transfer or decalcomania

Abstract

Description of a color ribbon for thermo-sublimation print, comprising a carrier and a color layer formed on the carrier, with a sublimeable coloring substance disperse in a polymer binding agent, whereby a top coat is located on the color layer which contains a water-soluble cellulose ether. The cellulose ether preferably contains C₁-C₄-alkyl- or C₁-C₄-alkyl-hydroxyalkyl remnants and is specifically. Methyl-hydroxy-ethyl cellulose. The color ribbon has the advantage that the transferred color substance volume is selectively reduced with low print energies, that inside the ribbon spool there is no unwelcome color substance transfer onto the neighboring loops and that during the printing procedure there is no agglutination between the color layer of the color ribbon and the color receiving layer of the receiver foil.

Claims

1. Color ribbon for thermo-sublimation print, comprising a carrier and a color layer formed on the carrier, with a sublimeable coloring agent dispersed in a polymer binder selected from the group consisting of cellulose derivatives, polyvinyl acetals and mixtures thereof, wherein on the color layer is located a top coat which contains water-soluble methyl-hydroxyethyl-cellulose and the top coat is approximately 1-50 nm thick and wherein the substitution degree for the alkyl-substitution lies between approximately 1.5 and 2.5 and for the hydroxyalkyl-substitution between 0.05 and 0.5.

2. Color Ribbon according to claim 1, characterized in that the binder for the color layer is chosen from polyvinyl-butyral and/or polyvinyl-alcohol-co-butyral.

3. Color Ribbon according to claim 1, characterized in that a coating of wax, polyurethane and/or silicone is arranged on the reverse-side of the color ribbon.

4. Color Ribbon according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier of the color ribbon has a thickness of approximately 4 to 10 μ

m, specifically approximately 6 to 8 μ

m.

5. Color Ribbon according to claim 1, characterized in that the color layer has a thickness of approximately 0.5 to 3 μ

m, specifically approximately 0.8 to 1.5 μ

m.

7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the top coat is applied in a thickness of from 1-50 nm.

8. A method of imprinting a receiver foil including a color receiver layer of a resin with high resin with high color absorption capability comprising the heating of the ribbon of claim 1 to transfer an image onto the receiver foil.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the resin of the color receiver layer is selected from among polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyester, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylacetate, poly(vinylchloride-co-acetate), styrol-acrylnitirl-copolymer, polycaprolacton or mixtures thereof.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiver foil further comprises an unsupported PVC layer.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiver foil has a color receiving layer formed on a carrier.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the carrier of the receiver foil has air-filled hollow spaces.

13. The color ribbon of claim 1 wherein said polymer binder is selected from cellulose acetate, cellulose-acetopropioniate, cellulose-acetobutryal and mixtures thereof.

14. The color ribbon of claim 1 wherein said polymer binder is selected from polyvinyl-butyral, polyvinyl-alcohol-co-butyral and mixtures thereof.

15. The color ribbon of claim 1 wherein said cellulose ether comprises between 0.01 to 2.5% by weight of said top coat.

6. Method for the manufacture of a Color Ribbon for thermo-sublimation, whereby

a) a color ribbon carrier is coated with a first coating solution, forming a color layer, which first coating solution contains a polymer binder, at least one sublimeable coloring substance and an organic solvent,

b) the organic solvent is evaporated and

c) the color layer is coated with a second coating solution, which second coating solution contains a watery solution of a water-soluble methyl-hydroxyethyl-cellulose.