US4337303A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Transfer, encapsulating, and fixing of toner images
Assignee: 3M Co
•
Filing: 1980-08-11
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Granted: 1982-06-29
•
Expires: 2000-08-11
Abstract
Abstract A method of transferring, encapsulating, and fixing dried liquid toner images in electrography is provided. Stable, abrasion-resistant articles exhibiting continuous tone and transmission optical densities within the range of 0 to 4.0 are disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Melville R. V. Sahyun
- 👤 Tsung-I Chen
- 👤 Timothy W. King
- 👤 Valdis Mikelsons
- 👤 Smarajit Mitra
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 19:52
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G7/00; G03G7/0006; G03G7/002; G03G7/0026; G03G7/0046; G03G13/00; G03G13/22; G03G7/004
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
A method of electrography comprising the steps of: (a) providing a substrate carrying a liquid toner image on at least one surface thereof, (b) removing up to 100% of the liquid dispersant from said liquid toner image so that the toner material is converted to a dried toner image composition of submicron size particles comprising at least 50% by weight solids, (c) bringing said dried toner image into contact with a soft or softenable receptor coating in the range of 3 to 100 microns thick on a substrate, applying pressure so that said dried toner image undergoes linear transfer and becomes encapsulated as a homogeneous continuum of particles within the soft or resulting softened receptor coating with at least 75% of the transferred particles not protruding from the surface, the material comprising said soft or softened receptor coating having a Newtonian complex dynamic melt viscosity of less than about 1.7±0.2×10 3 poise and a loss tangent greater than 10 at the temperature of transfer, and (d) hardening the receptor coating.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
170 words
A method of electrography comprising the steps of: (a) providing a substrate carrying a liquid toner image on at least one surface thereof, (b) removing up to 100% of the liquid dispersant from said liquid toner image so that the toner material is converted to a dried toner image composition of submicron size particles comprising at least 50% by weight solids, (c) bringing said dried toner image into contact with a soft or softenable receptor coating in the range of 3 to 100 microns thick on a substrate, applying pressure so that said dried toner image undergoes linear transfer and becomes encapsulated as a homogeneous continuum of particles within the soft or resulting softened receptor coating with at least 75% of the transferred particles not protruding from the surface, the material comprising said soft or softened receptor coating having a Newtonian complex dynamic melt viscosity of less than about 1.7±0.2×10 3 poise and a loss tangent greater than 10 at the temperature of transfer, and (d) hardening the receptor coating.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method of claim 1 wherein said toner image is an electroradiographic image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method of electrography according to claim 1 wherein the liquid toner developed image is formed by development of an electrostatic charge pattern with a finely divided solid opaque charged or polarizable pigment material which is dispersed in a suitable high resistivity organic liquid.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method of electrography according to claim 1 wherein the liquid toner developed image is formed by development of a magnetic pattern with a finely divided opaque magnetic or magnetizable pigment material dispersed in a suitable liquid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the image-carrying substrate is a photoreceptor capable of bearing an electrostatic charge pattern.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the image-carrying substrate is an insulating substrate onto which a charge pattern has been transferred or directly sprayed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the receptor coating is 10 to 50 microns thick.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein the temperature of transfer is between 20° and 130° C.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein the temperature of transfer is between 20° and 70° C.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the receptor coating is radiation curable.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method according to claim 11 wherein the radiation is ultraviolet.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the receptor coating hardens when cooled to room temperature.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the resulting encapsulated image exhibits continuous tone and transmission optical densities within the range of 0 to 4.0.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein the resulting encapsulated image is capable of maximum transmission optical density of at least 3.0.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said substrate and said soft or softenable receptor coating are optically transparent.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said toner developed image exhibits resolution up to about 200 1p/mm.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of electrography according to claim 1 wherein said contact step further comprises applying heat.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the resulting encapsulated image comprises at least some toner particles extending to a depth of 3 microns into the receptor coating.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said toner image is a micro-image.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein at least some of said toner particles become encapsulated in said receptor coating up to a depth of 3 microns.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 20 wherein removal of liquid dispersant renders said dried toner image substantially free of dispersant.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
73 words
A stable, abrasion-resistant electrographic article comprising a substrate bearing a polymeric receptor coating, said receptor coating having encapsulated therein particles of substantially submicron size distributed in image-wise fashion in a homogeneous continuum up to about eight particle-diameters thick and having a resulting transmission optical density range of at least 0 to 4.0, said particles being encapsulated in said coating so that at least 75% are not protruding from the surface of the coating.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
73 words
A stable, abrasion-resistant electrographic article comprising a substrate bearing a polymeric receptor coating, said receptor coating having encapsulated therein particles of substantially submicron size distributed in image-wise fashion in a homogeneous continuum up to about eight particle-diameters thick and having a resulting transmission optical density range of at least 0 to 4.0, said particles being encapsulated in said coating so that at least 75% are not protruding from the surface of the coating.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electrographic article according to claim 22 wherein said receptor coating has a transmission optical density range of at least 0 to 3.0.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electrographic article according to claim 22 wherein said receptor coating has a transmission optical density range of at least 0 to 2.0.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
23 words
An electrographic article according to claim 22 wherein said receptor coating has a transmission optical density range of at least 0 to 1.5.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-06-28 | 1985-12-28 | 1986-06-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-06-28 | 1989-12-28 | 1990-06-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-06-28 | 1993-12-28 | 1994-06-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |