Conductive foam core imaging member

• US 6,566,033 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Robinson, Kelly S., Kestner, Melvin M., Majumdar, Debasis, Dontula, Narasimharao, Sunderrajan, Suresh, Aylward, Peter T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schilling, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US10/176,012
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: 430/527, 430/536, 430/496, 430/529, 430/530, 430/538, 430/201, 430/502, 347/106
• US Class Current: 430/201
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/41 Base layers supports or substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/502 characterised by structural details, e.g. multilayer materials supports, backcoats or intermediate layers for thermal dye transfer donor and receiver sheets B41M5/41, B41M5/42
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 1/795 the base being of macromolecular substances G03C1/775 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 5/10 Bases for charge-receiving or other layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/742 Carbon nanotubes, CNTs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/842 for carbon nanotubes or fullerenes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/902 Specified use of nanostructure

Abstract

The invention relates to an imaging member and a method for use therewith comprising an imaging layer and a base wherein said base comprises a closed cell foam core sheet and adhered thereto an upper and lower flange sheet, and wherein said imaging member has a stiffness of between 50 and 250 millinewtons and is conductive.

Claims

1. An imaging member comprising at least one imaging layer, a base wherein said base comprises a closed cell foam core sheet and an upper and a lower polymer flange sheet adhered thereto, wherein said closed cell foam core sheet comprises a polymer that has been expanded through the use of a blowing agent, wherein said imaging member has a stiffness of between 50 and 250 millinewtons, and is conductive.

2. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said upper and lower flange sheets each have a modulus greater than the modulus of the closed cell foam core sheet.

3. The imaging member of claim 2 wherein said upper flange sheet and said lower flange sheet each have a modulus between 700 MPa to 10500 Mpa.

4. The imaging member of claim 1 having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein at least one of said upper surface or lower surface of said base has an average roughness of between 0.1 μ

m and 1.1 μ

m.

5. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said foam core sheet has a thickness of between 25 and 350 μ

m.

6. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said foam core sheet comprises polyolefin.

7. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said base has opacity between 80% and 99%.

8. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said base has a thickness of between 100 and 400 μ

m.

9. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said imaging layer comprises at least one layer comprising photosensitive silver halide.

10. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said imaging layer comprises an ink jet receiving layer.

11. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said imaging layer comprises a thermal dye receiving layer.

12. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said imaging member is charge balanced.

13. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said imaging member has a surface or internal electrical resistivity less that 13 log ohms/square.

14. The imaging member of claim 13 wherein said imaging member comprises an ionic conductor.

15. The imaging member of claim 14 wherein said ionic conductor is an inorganic salt.

16. The imaging member of claim 15 wherein said ionic conductor is an alkali metal salt.

17. The imaging member of claim 16 wherein said alkali metal salt is at least one alkali metal salt selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium and potassium.

18. The imaging member of claim 14 wherein said ionic conductor is a surfactant.

19. The imaging member of claim 18 wherein said surfactant is anionic.

20. The imaging member of claim 18 wherein said surfactant is cationic.

21. The imaging member of claim 14 wherein said ionic conductor is a polymeric salt.

22. The imaging member of claim 21 wherein said polymeric salt is at least one member selected from the group consisting of polystyrene sulfonic acid, napthalene sulfonic acid and alkali cellulose sulfate.

23. The imaging member of claim 14 wherein said ionic conductor further comprises an alkylene oxide.

24. The imaging member of claim 23 wherein said alkylene oxide comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, polyethylene oxide, and interpolymers of polyethylene oxide.

25. The imaging member of claim 14 wherein said ionic conductor is a thermally processable conducting polymer.

26. The imaging member of claim 25 wherein said thermally processable conducting polymer is polyether-block polyamide.

27. The imaging member of claim 13 wherein said imaging member comprises and electronic conductor.

28. The imaging member of claim 27 wherein said electronic conducing means comprises metal-containing particles.

29. The imaging member of claim 28 wherein said metal containing particles are selected from the group consisting of tin oxide, vanadium oxide, zinc antimonate, and indium antimonate.

30. The imaging member of claim 27 wherein said electronic conductor comprises electronically conducting polymers.

31. The imaging member of claim 30 wherein said electronically conducting polymers are selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted thiophene containing polymers, substituted and unsubstituted pyrrole containing polymers, and substituted and unsubstituted aniline containing polymers.

32. The imaging member of claim 30 wherein said electronically conducting polymer is poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene styrene sulfonate).

33. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein at least one imaging layer comprises a conductor.

34. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said base comprises a conductor.

35. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein at least one of said upper flange and said lower flange comprises a conductor.

36. The imaging member of claim 1 wherein said closed cell foam core sheet comprises a conductor.

37. The imaging member of claim 1 further comprising at least one layer containing a conductor.

38. The imaging member of claim 37 wherein said at least one layer containing a conductor is between said closed cell foam core sheet and at least one of said upper flange and said lower flange.

39. The imaging member of claim 37 wherein said at least one layer containing a conductor is between said at least one imaging layer and said upper flange.

40. The imaging member of claim 37 wherein said lower flange is between said at least one layer containing a conductor and said closed cell foam core sheet.

41. The imaging member of claim 37 wherein said at least one layer containing a conductor is between two of said at least one imaging layers.

42. A method of forming a conductive imaging member comprising supplying a base wherein said base comprises a closed cell foam core sheet having a thickness of between 25 and 175 μ

m, wherein said closed cell foam core sheet comprises a polymer that has been expanded through the use of a blowing agent, adhering a polymer flange material to each side of said foam core sheet, and adding at least one imaging layer, wherein said imaging member has a stiffness of between 50 and 250 millinewtons and is conductive.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said upper and lower flange sheets have a modulus greater than the modulus of the closed cell foam core sheet.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said upper and lower flange sheet modulus is between 700 MPa to 10500 Mpa.

45. The method of claim 42 wherein said imaging member has a surface or internal electrical resistivity less that 13 log ohms/square.

46. The method of claim 42 wherein said at least one imaging layer comprises a conductor.

47. The method of claim 42 wherein said base comprises a conductor.

48. The method of claim 42 wherein at least one of said upper flange and said lower flange comprises a conductor.

49. The method of claim 42 wherein said closed cell foam core sheet comprises a conductor.