Thermographic recording process wherein the heat-sensitive sheet is used in plural processes

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A SUCCESSION OF TRNSFER PRINTS EMPLOYING A SINGLE MATRIX WHICH COMPRISES A SUPPORT AND COATED THEREON A HEAT-SENSITIVE LAYER OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL IN A NORMALLY NON-TACKY STATE OF AT LEAST PARTIAL CRYSTALLIZATION, SAID THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING THE PROPERTY OF UNDERGOING TRANSITION TO AN AMORPHOUS STATE AT AN ORIGINAL TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM 50 TO 200*C. AND OF REMAINING IN A STATE HAVING A TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID ORIGINAL TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AT LEAST LONG ENOUGH TO PERMIT TRANSFER OF TACKIFIED MATERIAL TO A RECEIVING SURFACE AT A SELECTED TRANSFER TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID ORIGINAL TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE, AND SAID MATERIAL FURTHER HAVING THE PROPERTY OF RECRYSTALLIZING A TEMPERATURES IN THE RANGE FROM 15 TO 35*C. FROM SAID AMORPHOUS STATE TO A STATE HAVING A TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN SAID SELECTED TRANSFER TEMPERATURE, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: A. PREFERENTIALLY HEATING SELECTED IMAGE AREA ON THE MATRIX TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE SAID ORIGINAL TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE TO ACTIVE HEAT-SENSITIVE MATERIAL IN THOSE AREAS; AND B. DURING THE PERIOD AFTER SAID PREFERENTIAL HEATING STEP WHILE THE TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE OF THE ACTIVATED MATERIAL IS BELOW SAID SELECTED TRANSFER TEMPERATURE PRESSING THE HEAT-SENSITIVE LAYER OF THE MATRIX IN CONTACT WITH A RECEIVING SURFACE AT SAID SELECTED TRANSFER TEMPERATURE WITH SUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO TRANSFER TACKIFIED MATERIAL FROM THE MATRIX TO THE RECEIVING SURFACE; AND C. AFTER ACTIVATED MATERIAL ON THE MATRIX HAS RECRYSTALLIZED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AT A STATE HAVING A TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE ABOVE SAID SELECTED TRANSFER TEMPERATURE, REPEATING THE STEPS A AND B USING THE SAME MATRIX.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING A SUCCESSION OF TRNSFER PRINTS EMPLOYING A SINGLE MATRIX WHICH COMPRISES A SUPPORT AND COATED THEREON A HEAT-SENSITIVE LAYER OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL IN A NORMALLY NON-TACKY STATE OF AT LEAST PARTIAL CRYSTALLIZATION, SAID THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING THE PROPERTY OF UNDERGOING TRANSITION TO AN AMORPHOUS STATE AT AN ORIGINAL TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM 50 TO 200*C. AND OF REMAINING IN A STATE HAVING A TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID ORIGINAL TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AT LEAST LONG ENOUGH TO PERMIT TRANSFER OF TACKIFIED MATERIAL TO A RECEIVING SURFACE AT A SELECTED TRANSFER TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW SAID ORIGINAL TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE, AND SAID MATERIAL FURTHER HAVING THE PROPERTY OF RECRYSTALLIZING A TEMPERATURES IN THE RANGE FROM 15 TO 35*C. FROM SAID AMORPHOUS STATE TO A STATE HAVING A TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN SAID SELECTED TRANSFER TEMPERATURE, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: A. PREFERENTIALLY HEATING SELECTED IMAGE AREA ON THE MATRIX TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE SAID ORIGINAL TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE TO ACTIVE HEAT-SENSITIVE MATERIAL IN THOSE AREAS; AND B. DURING THE PERIOD AFTER SAID PREFERENTIAL HEATING STEP WHILE THE TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE OF THE ACTIVATED MATERIAL IS BELOW SAID SELECTED TRANSFER TEMPERATURE PRESSING THE HEAT-SENSITIVE LAYER OF THE MATRIX IN CONTACT WITH A RECEIVING SURFACE AT SAID SELECTED TRANSFER TEMPERATURE WITH SUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO TRANSFER TACKIFIED MATERIAL FROM THE MATRIX TO THE RECEIVING SURFACE; AND C. AFTER ACTIVATED MATERIAL ON THE MATRIX HAS RECRYSTALLIZED AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AT A STATE HAVING A TACKIFYING TEMPERATURE ABOVE SAID SELECTED TRANSFER TEMPERATURE, REPEATING THE STEPS A AND B USING THE SAME MATRIX.