COLOR RIBBON FOR THERMO-SUBLIMATION PRINT, METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SAME AND ITS APPLICATION

• US 20010016556A1
• Filed: 03/31/1998
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pelikan Produktions AG
• Original Assignee: Pelikan Produktions AG
• Inventors: KRAUTER, HENRICH, GRIEBEL, THOMAS
• Granted Patent: US 6,380,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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, characterized in that on the color layer is located a top coat which contains water-soluble cellulose ether.

2. Color Ribbon according to

claim 1

, characterized in that the cellulose-ether contains C₁-C₄-alkyl- and/or C₁-C₄-hydroxyalkyl remnants.

3. Color Ribbon according to

claim 2

, characterized in that the cellulose-ether is methyl-hydroxy-ethyl-cellulose.

4. Color Ribbon according to one of

claims 1

to

3

, characterized in that the top coat is approximately 1 to 50 nm thick.

5. Color Ribbon according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the binder for the color layer is chosen from polyvinyl-butyral and/or polyvinyl-alcohol-co-butyral.

6. Color Ribbon according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a coating of wax, polyurethane and/or silicone is arranged on the reverse-side of the color ribbon.

7. Color Ribbon according to one of the preceding claims, 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.

8. Color Ribbon according to one of the preceding claims, 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.

12. Method according to one of

claims 1

to

11

, characterized in that the top coat is applied in a thickness of from 1 to 50 nm.

13. Employment of Color Ribbon according to one of

claims 1

to

8

for imprinting a receiver leaf, which has or consists of a color receiver layer of a resin with high color absorption capability.

14. Use according to

claim 13

, characterized in that the resin of the color acceptance layer is selected from among polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyester, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylacetate, poly(vinylchloride-co-acetate), styrol-acrylnitirl-copolymer, polycaprolacton or mixtures thereof.

15. Use according to

claim 13

, characterized in that the receiver foil is an unsupported PVC layer.

16. Use according to

claim 13

or

14

, characterized in that the receiver foil has a color receiving layer formed on a carrier.

17. Use according to

claim 16

, characterized in that the carrier of the receiver foil has air-filled hollow spaces.

9. 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 cellulose-ether.

10. Method according to

claim 9

, characterized in that the cellulose-ether contains C₁-C₄-alkyl- and/or C₁-C₄-hydroxyalkyl remnants.

11. Method according to

claim 10

, characterized in that the cellulose-ether is methyl-hydroxyethyl-cellulose.