Imaging sheet having an open porous matrix containing a photohardenable composition, and a method for use of such a sheet

Claim 2

A transfer sheet comprising: a first region having an open porous matrix and a first photohardenable composition contained within said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a first wavelength of actinic radiation and undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to said first wavelength of actinic radiation; a second region having an open porous matrix and a second photohardenable composition contained within said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a second wavelength of actinic radiation different from said first wavelength of actinic radiation and undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to said second wavelength of actinic radiation; and a third region having an open porous matrix and a third photohardenable undergoes composition contained within said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a third wavelength of actinic radiation different from said first and second wavelengths of actinic radiation and undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to said third wavelength of actinic radiation; said first, second and third regions having approximately the same area and being located separately on said sheet; said transfer sheet being used in a process wherein said first, second and third regions are sequentially image-wise exposed to actinic radiation and are sequentially brought into pressure contact with a receiver sheet such that the nonhardened composition from each of said first, second and third regions image-wise transfers from said imaging sheet to said receiver sheet.

Claim 3

The sheet according to claim 1 further comprising a first image-forming agent associated with said first photohardenable, a second image-forming agent associated with said second photohardenable composition, and a third image-forming agent associated with said third photohardenable composition.

Claim 4

The sheet according to claim 2 wherein said first image-forming agent is located in the open porous matrix of said first region, said second image-forming agent is located in the open porous matrix of said second region and said third image-forming agent is located in the open porous matrix of said third region.

Claim 5

The sheet according to claim 2 wherein said first, second and third image-forming agents respectively comprise cyan, magenta and yellow image-forming agents.

Claim 6

The sheet according to claim 4 wherein each of said first, second and third image-forming agents comprise colorless color-forming agents.

Claim 7

The sheet according to claim 2 wherein said first photohardenable comprises a photopolymerizable or photocrosslinkable monomer and a photoinitiator, said second photohardenable comprises a photopolymerizable or photocrosslinkable monomer and a photoinitiator, and said third photohardenable comprises a photopolymerizable or photocrosslinkable monomer and a photoinitiator.

Claim 8

The sheet according to claim 6 wherein said sheet further comprises cover sheets which surround said imaging, sheet to protect said photohardenable composition from oxygen.

Claim 9

The sheet according to claim 6 wherein said sheet further comprises a material coated onto the upper and lower surfaces of said imaging sheet wherein said material protects said photohardenable material from oxygen and wherein said material is selected from the group consisting of heat meltable materials, peelable polymeric films, solvent cast films and aerosol applied film materials.

Claim 10

A system for forming full color images comprising: the imaging sheet according to claim 2; and a receiver sheet for receiving said image-forming agents when said imaging sheet is sequentially subjected to pressure to cause said image-forming agents to image-wise exude from said porous matrices of said first, second and third regions and contact said receiver sheet.

Claim 11

The system according to claim 9 wherein said image-forming agents comprise colorless color-forming agents which form an image upon reaction with a developer material and wherein said receiver sheet has coated on one of its surfaces a layer of the developer material capable of reacting with aid colorless color-forming agents.

Claim 12

A transfer sheet comprising: a first region having an open porous matrix and a first photohardenable composition contained within said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a first wavelength of actinic radiation and undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to said first wavelength of actinic radiation; and a second region having an open porous matrix and a second photohardenable composition contained within said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a second wavelength of actinic radiation different from said first wavelength of actinic radiation and undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to said second wavelength of actinic radiation; said first and second regions having approximately the same area and being located separately on said sheet; said transfer sheet being used in a process wherein said first and second regions are sequentially image-wise exposed to actinic radiation and are sequentially brought into pressure contact with a receiver sheet such that the nonhardened composition from each of said first and second regions image-wise transfers from said imaging sheet to said receiver sheet.

Claim 13

A transfer sheet comprising: a first region having an open porous matrix and a first photohardenable composition contained within said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a first wavelength of actinic radiation and undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to said first wavelength of actinic radiation; and a second region having an open porous matrix and a second photohardenable composition contained within said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a second wavelength of actinic radiation different from said first wavelength of actinic radiation and undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to said second wavelength of actinic radiation; said first and second regions having approximately the same area and being located separately on said sheet; said transfer sheet being used in a process wherein said first and second regions are sequentially image-wise exposed to actinic radiation and are sequentially brought into pressure contact with a receiver sheet such that the nonhardened composition from each of said first and second regions image-wise transfers from said imaging sheet to said receiver sheet.

Claim 14

The sheet according to claim 11 further comprising a first image-forming agent associated with said first photohardenable composition and a second image-forming agent associated with said second photohardenable composition.

Claim 15

The sheet according to claim 12 wherein said first image-forming agent is located in the open porous matrix of said first region and wherein said second image-forming agent is located in the open porous matrix of said second region.

Claim 16

The sheet according to claim 12 wherein said first and second image-forming agents are colorless color-forming agents.

Claim 17

The sheet according to claim 12 wherein said first photohardenable a photopolymerizable or photocrosslinkable monomer and a photoinitiator; and wherein said second photohardenable or photosoftenable composition comprises a photohardenable composition including a photopolymerizable or photocrosslinkable monomer and a photoinitiator.

Claim 18

The sheet according to claim 15 wherein said sheet further comprises cover sheets which surround said imaging sheet to protect said photohardenable composition from oxygen.

Claim 19

The sheet according to claim 15 wherein said sheet further comprises a material coated onto the upper and lower surfaces of said imaging sheet wherein said material protects said photohardenable material from oxygen and wherein said material is selected from the group consisting of heat meltable materials, peelable polymeric films, solvent cast films and aerosol applied film materials.

Claim 20

A process for forming full-color images comprising the steps of: providing a transfer sheet comprising a first region having an open porous matrix and a first photohardenable composition contained within said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a first wavelength of actinic radiation and undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to said first wavelength of actinic radiation; a second region having an open porous matrix and a second photohardenable or composition contained with said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a second wavelength different from said first wavelength and undergoes change in viscosity upon exposure to said second wavelength of actinic radiation; and a third region having an open porous matrix and a third photohardenable composition contained within said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a third wavelength of actinic radiation different from said first and second wavelengths and undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to actinic radiation; sequentially image-wise exposing said first, second and third regions to said first, second and third wavelengths of actinic radiation; associating a first image-forming agent with said first region and applying pressure to said first region in the presence of a receiver sheet to cause said first image-forming agent to image-wise exude from said porous matrix and transfer to said receiver sheet; associating a second image-forming agent with said second region and applying pressure to said second region in the presence of said receiver sheet to cause said second image-forming agent to image-wise exude from said porous matrix and transfer to said receiver sheet; and associating a third image-forming agent with said third region and applying pressure to said third region in the presence of said receiver sheet to cause said third image-forming agent to image-wise exude from said porous matrix and transfer to said receiver sheet.

Claim 21

A process for forming full-color images comprising the steps of: providing a transfer sheet comprising a first region having an open porous matrix and a first photohardenable composition contained within said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a first wavelength of actinic radiation and undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to said first wavelength of actinic radiation; a second region having an open porous matrix and a second photohardenable or composition contained with said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a second wavelength different from said first wavelength and undergoes change in viscosity upon exposure to said second wavelength of actinic radiation; and a third region having an open porous matrix and a third photohardenable composition contained within said porous matrix, said composition being sensitive to a third wavelength of actinic radiation different from said first and second wavelengths and undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to actinic radiation; sequentially image-wise exposing said first, second and third regions to said first, second and third wavelengths of actinic radiation; associating a first image-forming agent with said first region and applying pressure to said first region in the presence of a receiver sheet to cause said first image-forming agent to image-wise exude from said porous matrix and transfer to said receiver sheet; associating a second image-forming agent with said second region and applying pressure to said second region in the presence of said receiver sheet to cause said second image-forming agent to image-wise exude from said porous matrix and transfer to said receiver sheet; and associating a third image-forming agent with said third region and applying pressure to said third region in the presence of said receiver sheet to cause said third image-forming agent to image-wise exude from said porous matrix and transfer to said receiver sheet.

Claim 22

The process according to claim 18 wherein each of said first, second and third photohardenable compositions comprise a photohardenable composition including a photopolymerizable or photocrosslinkable monomer and a photoinitiator.

Claim 23

The process according to claim 19 comprising the additional step of maintaining said substrate in an oxygen-free and water-free environment during said image-wise exposure steps.

Claim 24

The process according to claim 20 wherein said maintaining said substrate step comprises attaching transparent cover sheets to the upper and lower surfaces of said substrate.

Claim 25

The process according to claim 19 wherein said first image-forming agent comprises a cyan color-forming agent, said second image-forming agent comprises a magenta color-forming agent and said third image-forming agent comprises a yellow color-forming agent.

Claim 26

The process according to claim 22 wherein said associating said first, second and third image-forming agent steps comprise the steps of distributing said first image-forming agent throughout said open porous matrix of said first region prior to said associated image-wise exposing step; distributing said second image-forming agent throughout said open porous matrix of aid second region prior to said associated image-wise exposing step; and distributing said third image-forming agent throughout said open porous matrix of said third region prior to said associated image-wise exposing step.

Claim 27

The process according to claim 22 wherein said associating said first, second and third image-forming agent steps comprise the steps of: distributing said first image-forming agent throughout said open porous matrix of said first region after said associated image-wise exposing step; distributing said second image-forming agent throughout said open porous matrix of said second region after said associated image-wise exposing step; and distributing said third image-forming agent throughout said open porous matrix of said third region after said associated image-wise exposing step.

Claim 28

The process according to claim 24 wherein said associating said first image-forming agent comprises evacuating the non-photohardened composition from said open porous matrix of said first region and replacing said composition with said first image-forming agent; said associating said second image-forming agent comprises evacuating the non-photohardened composition from said open porous matrix of said second region and replacing said composition with said second image-forming agent; and said associating said third image-forming agent comprises evacuating the non-photohardened composition from said open porous matrix of said third region and replacing said composition with said third image-forming agent.

Claim 29

The process according to claim 25 wherein said evacuating steps comprises the steps of sequentially advancing said first, second, and third regions through a vacuum.

Claim 30

The process according to claim 22 wherein said cyan, magenta and yellow color-forming agents comprise colorless color-forming agents capable of reacting with a developer material to form a visible image and wherein said receiver sheet comprises a substrate having coated on one of its surfaces a layer of said developer material.

Claim 31

The process according to claim 22 wherein said first, second and third wavelengths are wavelengths occurring in the visible spectrum.

Claim 32

The process according to claim 28 wherein said first wavelength corresponds to red light, said second wavelength corresponds to green light and said third wavelength corresponds to blue light.