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US4617224A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Thermal transfer recording medium

Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc
•
Filing: 1984-10-15
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Granted: 1986-10-14
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Expires: 2004-10-15
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Abstract

Abstract A thermal transfer recording medium having a support and two coloring agent layers provided on the same side thereof, in which the first coloring agent layer is a layer containing a resin and a coloring agent coated on the support and the second layer is a layer containing a heat-fusible material and a coloring agent coated on the first layer, and the respective coloring agents in the two layers have isochromatic color tone. The thermal transfer recording medium provides low energy printing at high speed with little decrease in its density even after being used for many copies, thus permitting high density dye transfer images to be obtained over very many times.

Inventors

  • 👤 Yuji Hotta
  • 👤 Takao Abe
  • 👤 Fumio Ishii
  • 👤 Shigehiro Kitamura
  • 👤 Kunihiro Koshizuka
  • 👤 Masaki Nakamura

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 13:46
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41M; B41M5/00; B41M5/26; B41M5/382; B41M5/392; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/913; Y10S428/914; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24942; Y10T428/2495; Y10T428/24967; Y10T428/24975; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249994; Y10T428/249995; Y10T428/249996

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim 80 words
A thermal transfer recording medium comprising a support, a first coloring agent layer containing a coloring agent and a resin having a softening point of 120° C. or more coated on said support, and a second coloring agent layer containing a coloring agent and a heat-fusible substance having a melting point in the range of from 40° C. to 120° C. coated on said first layer, said coloring agents contained in said first and second layers having substantially isochromatic tone.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 80 words
A thermal transfer recording medium comprising a support, a first coloring agent layer containing a coloring agent and a resin having a softening point of 120° C. or more coated on said support, and a second coloring agent layer containing a coloring agent and a heat-fusible substance having a melting point in the range of from 40° C. to 120° C. coated on said first layer, said coloring agents contained in said first and second layers having substantially isochromatic tone.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 1, wherein the difference between the dominant absorption wavelengths of said coloring agents is within the range of 10 nm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 27 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 2, wherein the difference between the dominant absorption wavelengths of said coloring agents is within the range of 5 nm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 34 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 2, wherein said coloring agent in said first coloring agent layer if C.I. Solvent Black 7 and said coloring agent insaid second coloring agent is carbon black.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 35 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 1, wherein the coloring agent of said second layer is selected from the group consisting of direct dyes, basic dyes, disperse dyes, acid dyes, oil-soluble dyes, and pigments.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 34 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 5, wherein the amount of the coloring agent of said second layer is within the range of from 5% to 80% by weight of the heat-fusible substance.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 34 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 6, wherein the amount of the coloring agent of said second layer is within the range of from 10% to 30% by weight of the heat-fusible substance.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 28 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 1, wherein the coloring agent of said first layer is selected from the group consisting of basic dyes and oil-soluble dyes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 33 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 8, wherein the amount of the coloring agent of said first layer is within the range of from 30% to 120% by weight of the resin.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 33 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 9, wherein the amount of the coloring agent of said first layer is within the range of from 80% to 100% by weight of the resin.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 25 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 1, wherein said first layer has a thickness in the range of from 0.5 μm to 5 μm.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 25 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 1, wherein said second layer has a thickness in the range of from 0.5 μm to 5 μm.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 24 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 1, wherein the support has a thickness in the range of from 3 μm to 2 μm.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 28 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 1 having an additional layer selected from the group consisting of a subbing layer, an intermediate layer and an over-coat layer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 30 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 1, wherein said resin in said first coloring agent layer is a hydrophilic transparent or translucent colloid polymer or a hydrophobic transparent polymer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 16 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 15, wherein said resin is polyvinyl butyral hydrophobic polymer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 22 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 1, wherein said heat fusible substance in said second coloring agent layer is a wax.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 13 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 17, wherein said resin is stearamide.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 18 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 1, wherein said support is heat-resistant, dimensionally stable and smooth surfaced.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 13 words
The thermal transfer recording medium of claim 19, wherein said support is paper.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

JPS57182492A Cited
JPS58217392A Cited
JPS5964389A Cited
JPS5973995A Cited
US4500896A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1989-10-13 1990-04-14 1990-10-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1993-10-13 1994-04-14 1994-10-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1997-10-13 1998-04-14 1998-10-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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