Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
A stable colored liquid developer comprising an insulating liquid dispersion medium having dispersed therein a marking particle comprising a thermoplastic resin core substantially insoluble in said dispersion medium, an amphipathic block or graft copolymeric steric stabilizer irreversibly chemically or physically anchored to said thermoplastic resin core, said steric stabilizer being soluble in said dispersion medium and a colored dye imbibed in the thermoplastic resin core, said dye being soluble in said thermoplastic resin core and insoluble in said dispersion medium.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
A stable colored liquid developer comprising an insulating liquid dispersion medium having dispersed therein a marking particle comprising a thermoplastic resin core substantially insoluble in said dispersion medium, an amphipathic block or graft copolymeric steric stabilizer irreversibly chemically or physically anchored to said thermoplastic resin core, said steric stabilizer being soluble in said dispersion medium and a colored dye imbibed in the thermoplastic resin core, said dye being soluble in said thermoplastic resin core and insoluble in said dispersion medium.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The stable liquid developer according to claim 1, wherein said insulating liquid dispersion medium comprises an aliphatic hydrocarbon having a resistivity greater than about 10 9 ohm cm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The stable liquid developer according to claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic resin cores are substantially monodispersed particles having a diameter from about 0.1 micron to about 1.0 micron.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The stable liquid developer according to claim 1, wherein said colored dye is substantially insoluble in water, soluble in a polar solvent and substantially insoluble in the aliphatic dispersion medium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The stable liquid developer according to claim 1, further including a charge control agent soluble in said liquid dispersion medium.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The stable liquid developer according to claim 1, wherein said core comprises a homopolymer of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, vinyl acetate or ethyl acrylate monomer or a copolymer of said monomers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
The stable liquid developer of claim 1, wherein said amphipathic steric stabilizer comprises a graft copolymer which has a backbone portion soluble in said dispersion medium and a portion insoluble in said dispersion medium which has an affinity for the resin core.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The stable liquid developer of claim 1, wherein said soluble backbone portion is a poly(alkyl acrylate) or a poly(alkyl methacrylate), the alkyl group having at least three carbons.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The stable liquid developer of claim 8, wherein said amphipathic steric stabilizer is a graft copolymer of poly(2-ethylhexyl methacrylate) or poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate) solution grafted with N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, vinyl acetate or ethyl acrylate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
The stable liquid developer of claim 1, wherein said dye is Orasol Blue GN, Orasol Blue 2GLN, Orasol Yellow 2GLN, Orasol Red G, Morfast Blue 100, Morfast Red 101, Morfast Red 104, Morfast Yellow 102, Savinyl Yellow RLS, Savinyl Black RLS, Savinyl Red 3 GLS or Savinyl Pink 6 BLS.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
The stable liquid developer of claim 1, wherein said core is poly(vinyl acetate), poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone), poly(ethyl acrylate) or a copolymer of poly(ethyl acrylate-co-N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) and said steric stabilizer is a graft copolymer comprising a poly(2-ethylhexyl methacrylate), or poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate) backbone with poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone), poly(ethyl acrylate), or poly(vinyl acetate) grafted onto it.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
114 words
The method of making a stable colored liquid developer comprising providing a dispersion in an insulating dispersion medium of a marking particle comprising a thermoplastic resin core substantially insoluble in said dispersion medium, an amphipathic block or graft copolymer steric stabilizer irreversibly chemically or physically anchored to said resin core, said steric stabilizer being soluble in said dispersion medium; adding to said dispersion medium a solution of a dye dissolved in a polar solvent, said dye being substantially insoluble in said dispersion medium and dispersible at the molecular level in said thermoplastic resin core to enable said dye to be imbibed in said thermoplastic resin, said thermoplastic resin being soluble in said polar solvent.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
114 words
The method of making a stable colored liquid developer comprising providing a dispersion in an insulating dispersion medium of a marking particle comprising a thermoplastic resin core substantially insoluble in said dispersion medium, an amphipathic block or graft copolymer steric stabilizer irreversibly chemically or physically anchored to said resin core, said steric stabilizer being soluble in said dispersion medium; adding to said dispersion medium a solution of a dye dissolved in a polar solvent, said dye being substantially insoluble in said dispersion medium and dispersible at the molecular level in said thermoplastic resin core to enable said dye to be imbibed in said thermoplastic resin, said thermoplastic resin being soluble in said polar solvent.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of making a stable colored liquid developer according to claim 12, wherein said polar solvent is methanol, glacial acetic acid, ethylene glycol, dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N dimethyl formamide and mixtures of these solvents.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of making a stable colored liquid developer according to claim 13, wherein said polar solvent is methanol.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of making a stable colored liquid developer according to claim 12, wherein said amphipathic steric stabilizer comprises a graft copolymer which has a backbone portion soluble in said dispersion medium and a portion insoluble in said dispersion medium which has an affinity for the resin core.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of making a stable colored liquid developer according to claim 15, wherein said soluble backbone portion is a poly(alkyl acrylate) or a poly(alkyl methacrylate) the alkyl group having at least three carbons.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of making a stable colored liquid developer according to claim 12, wherein said polar solvent is removed after said dye has been imbibed in said thermoplastic resin core.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
139 words
The method of making a stable colored liquid developer according to claim 12, wherein said dispersion is provided by dispersing a polymer backbone in an aliphatic dispersion medium, in the presence of a free radical initiator, adding a monomer of vinyl acetate, vinyl pyrrolidone, or ethyl acrylate to said polymer to solution graft a homopolymer of one of said monomers or a copolymer of two of said monomers onto said polymer backbone thereby providing an amphipathic steric stabilizer for the subsequently formed polymer particles, in the presence of a free radical initiator adding an excess of vinyl acetate, vinyl pyrrolidone or 2-ethyl acrylate monomer or mixtures thereof to the solution of the amphipathic copolymer in the aliphatic dispersion medium to produce a homopolymer or copolymer core of the added monomer having irreversibly anchored thereto the steric stabilizer previously prepared.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of making a stable colored liquid developer according to claim 18, including the step of adding a charge control agent to the dispersion medium after the dye has been imbibed in said thermoplastic resin.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
106 words
The method of making a stable colored liquid developer according to claim 12, wherein said dispersion is provided by preparing an amphipathic block or graft copolymer steric stabilizer in an aliphatic dispersion medium, adding to said stabilizer solution in the presence of a free radical initiator a monomer or mixture of monomers which when polymerized will provide a thermoplastic resin core insoluble in the dispersion medium, polymerizing said monomer or mixture of monomers in said aliphatic dispersion medium to provide a particle comprising a thermoplastic resin core substantially insoluble in said dispersion medium with the amphipathic steric stabilizer irreversibly chemically or physically anchored to said core.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said colored dye is substantially insoluble in water and soluble in a polar solvent.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said dye is Orasol Blue GN, Orasol Blue 2GLN, Orasol Yellow 2GLN, Orasol Red G, Morfast Blue 100, Morfast Red 101, Morfast Red 104, Morfast Yellow 102.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said aliphatic hydrocarbon has a resistivity greater than about 10 9 ohm cm.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said thermoplastic resin cores are substantially monodispersed particles having a diameter from about 0.1 microns to about 1.0 microns.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
The stable liquid developer according to claim 5, wherein said charge control agent is zirconuium octoate.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of making a stable colored liquid developer according to claim 19, wherein said charge control agent is zirconuium octoate.