Support for printing plate and printing plate

• US 6,399,270 B1
• Filed: 12/01/1999
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Mizushima, Io, Nishio, Kazuyuki, Mori, Takahiro, Hirai, Katsura
• Primary Examiner(s): Baxter, Janet
• Assistant Examiner(s): GILLIAM, BARBARA LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/452,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20020051931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 430/270.1, 430/302, 430/138, 101/453, 101/455, 101/456, 101/457, 101/458, 101/459, 101/463.1, 101/467
• US Class Current: 430/270.1
• CPC Class Codes: B41C 1/10 for lithographic printing; Master sheets for transferring a lithographic image to the forme chemical or electrical pretreatment B41N3/03neutralising or similar differentiation treatments of lithographic printing formes B41N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: B41C 1/1008 by removal or destruction of lithographic material on the lithographic support, e.g. by laser or spark ablation; by the use of materials rendered soluble or insoluble by heat exposure, e.g. by heat produced from a light to heat transforming system; by on-the-press exposure or on-the-press development, e.g. by the fountain of photolithographic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B41C 1/1025 using materials comprising a polymeric matrix containing a polymeric particulate material, e.g. hydrophobic heat coalescing particles
• CPC Class Codes: B41C 1/1066 by spraying with powders, by using a nozzle, e.g. an ink jet system, by fusing a previously coated powder, e.g. with a laser
• CPC Class Codes: B41C 1/1091 by physical transfer from a donor sheet having an uniform coating of lithographic material using thermal means as provided by a thermal head or a laser; by mechanical pressure, e.g. from a typewriter by electrical recording ribbon therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B41C 2210/04 Negative working, i.e. the non-exposed (non-imaged) areas are removed
• CPC Class Codes: B41C 2210/06 Developable by an alkaline solution
• CPC Class Codes: B41C 2210/22 characterised by organic non-macromolecular additives, e.g. dyes, UV-absorbers, plasticisers
• CPC Class Codes: B41C 2210/24 characterised by a macromolecular compound or binder obtained by reactions involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. acrylics, vinyl polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B41C 2210/262 Phenolic condensation polymers, e.g. novolacs, resols

Abstract

A support for a printing plate is disclosed, comprising a substrate having thereon at least one component layer contains porous particles. The component layer further contains a flaky inorganic particles or a material having the function of converting light to heat. A printing plate comprising the support is also disclosed, having on the support an image forming layer containing a thermally fusible particles.

Claims

1. A printing plate comprising a substrate and at least one component layer, wherein said component layer contains porous particles having a pore volume of not less than 0.5 ml/g and said printing plate contains a thermally fusible material which is ink-receptive and has a melting point of 50 to 200°

C. and wherein said thermally fusible material of exposed area fuses and surface of said printing plate of said exposed area varies from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity.

2. The printing plate of claim 1, wherein said porous particles are porous inorganic particles.

3. The printing plate of claim 2, wherein said porous inorganic particles comprise porous silica particles or porous aluminosilicate particles.

4. The printing plate of claim 1, wherein said component layer is an image recording layer.

5. The printing plate of claim 4, wherein said thermally fusible material is a thermally fusible particle and said component layer contains said thermally fusible particles.

6. The printing plate of claim 5, wherein the surface of said thermally fusible particles is covered with a material exhibiting a thermal conductivity of 0.10 to 70 Wm⁻

1K<sup>−

1</sup> at 300 K.

7. The printing plate of claim 1, wherein the printing plate further has an image recording layer.

8. The printing plate of claim 7, wherein said thermally fusible material is thermally fusible particle and said image recording layer contains said thermally fusible particles.

9. The printing plate of claim 8, wherein the surface of said thermally fusible particles is covered with a material exhibiting a thermal conductivity of 0.10 to 70 Wm⁻

1K<sup>−

1</sup> at 300 K.

10. The printing plate of claim 8 wherein said component layer is a hydrophilic layer and said component layer is nearer to said substrate than said image recording layer and said component layer contains light-to-heat converting material.

11. The printing plate of claim 1 wherein said component layer is a hydrophilic layer.

12. The printing plate of claim 1 wherein said porous particles have an average particle size of not more than 1 μ

m.

13. The printing plate of claim 1, wherein said component layer contains metal oxide particles having an average particle size of not more than 100 nm.

14. The printing plate of claim 13, wherein said metal oxide particles are colloidal silica.

15. The printing plate of claim 1, wherein the melting point is 80°

to 150°

C.