Dye-donor element for use in thermal dye sublimation transfer

Claim 2

Dye-donor element for use according to thermal dye sublimation transfer, said dye-donor element comprising a support provided with a dye layer containing a dye dispersed in a polymeric binder, characterized in that said dye corresponds to the following formula (I) ##STR17## wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 independently represent hydrogen, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, a alkylthio group, a arylthio group, an acylamino group, a sulfamoyl group, a carbamoyl group, which groups may be substituted, or R 2 and R 3 together can form a saturated or aromatic or heterocyclic ring fused-on the cyclohexadiene ring, which ring may be substituted; B represents ##STR18## wherein R 4 represents hydrogen, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, which groups may be substituted, SO 2 R 10 , COR 10 , POR 10 R 11 ; R 5 represents hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, which groups may be substituted; R 6 and R 6' independently represent an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an amino group or a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted, or R 6 and R 6' together form a 5- or 6-membered ring, which ring may be substituted; R 7 represents an alkyl group, an aryl group, a cycloalkyl group, which groups may be substituted; R 8 and R 9 independently represent hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a cycloalkyl group, which groups may be substituted, or R 8 and R 9 together can form a heterocyclic ring, which ring may be substituted; R 10 and R 11 independently represent an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an amino group or a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted, or R 10 and R 11 together form a 5- or 6-membered ring, which ring may be substituted; K represents ##STR19## wherein: R 12 and R 13 independently represent hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted, or R 12 and R 13 together represent the necessary atoms to close a heterocyclic ring, which ring may be substituted, or R 12 and/or R 13 together with R 14 and/or R 17 represent the necessary atoms to close a ring fused-on the benzene ring, which ring may be substituted; R 14 , R 15 , R 16 and R 17 independently represent hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an alkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, which groups may be substituted, NH-SO 2 R 18 , NH-COR 18 , O-SO 2 R 18 , O-COR 18 , or R 14 and R 15 together and/or R 16 and R 17 together represent the necessary atoms to close (a) ring(s) fused-on the benzene ring or R 14 and/or R 17 together with R 12 and/or R 13 represent the necessary atoms to close a heterocyclic ring fused-on the benzene ring, which groups may be substituted; R 18 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an amino group, a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted.

Claim 3

Dye-donor element according to claim 1, wherein R 1 represents hydrogen, R 2 represents hydrogen or an alkyl group or an alkylcarbamoyl group, R 3 represents hydrogen or halogen, R 4 represents an alkyl group, R 5 represents hydrogen, R 6 and R 6' both represent an alkoxy group, R 7 represents an alkyl group, R 8 and R 9 together represent the necessary atoms to form a 6-membered ring, R 12 and R 13 both represent an alkyl group, R 14 represents hydrogen, R 15 represents hydrogen or an alkyl group, R 16 represents hydrogen or an alkyl group and R 17 represents hydrogen.

Claim 4

Dye-donor element according to claim 1, wherein the dye has an absorption maximum above 700 nm.

Claim 5

Dye-donor element according to claim 1, wherein the binder is costyrene-acrylonitrile.

Claim 6

Dye-donor element according to claim 1, wherein the support is polyethylene terephthalate.

Claim 7

Thermal dye sublimation transfer method comprising the step of imagewise heating a dye donor element in face-to-face relation with a receiving element, said donor element comprising a support provided with a dye layer containing a dye dispersed in a polymeric binder, characterized in that said dye corresponds to the following formula (I) ##STR20## wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 independently represent hydrogen, halogen, nitro, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, a alkylthio group, a arylthio group, an acylamino group, a sulfamoyl group, a carbamoyl group, which groups may be substituted, or R 2 and R 3 together can form a saturated or aromatic or heterocyclic ring fused-on the cyclohexadiene ring, which ring may be substituted; B represents ##STR21## wherein R 4 represents hydrogen, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, which groups may be substituted, SO 2 R 10 , COR 10 , POR 10 R 11 ; R 5 represents hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, which groups may be substituted; R 6 and R 6' independently represent an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an amino group or a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted, or R 6 and R 6' together form a 5- or 6-membered ring, which ring may be substituted; R 7 represents an alkyl group, an aryl group, a cycloalkyl group, which groups may be substituted; R 8 and R 9 independently represent hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a cycloalkyl group, which groups may be substituted, or R 8 and R 9 together can form a heterocyclic ring, which ring may be substituted; R 10 and R 11 independently represent an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an amino group or a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted, or R 10 and R 11 together form a 5- or 6-membered ring, which ring may be substituted; K represents ##STR22## wherein: R 12 and R 13 (independently) represent hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted, or R 12 and R 13 together represent the necessary atoms to close a heterocyclic ring, which ring may be substituted, or R 12 and/or R 13 together with R 14 and/or R 17 represent the necessary atoms to close a ring fused-on the benzene ring, which ring may be substituted; R 14 , R 15 , R 16 and R 17 (independently) represent hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an alkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, which groups may be subsituted, NH--SO 2 R 18 , NH--COR 18 , O--SO 2 R 18 , O--COR 18 , or R 14 and R 15 together and/or R 16 and R 17 together represent the necessary atoms to close (a) ring(s) fused-on the benzene ring or R 14 and/or R 17 together with R 12 and/or R 13 represent the necessary atoms to close a heterocyclic ring fused-on the benzene ring, which groups may be substituted; R 18 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an amino group, a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted.

Claim 8

Thermal dye sublimation transfer method comprising the step of imagewise heating a dye donor element in face-to-face relation with a receiving element, said donor element comprising a support provided with a dye layer containing a dye dispersed in a polymeric binder, characterized in that said dye corresponds to the following formula (I) ##STR20## wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 independently represent hydrogen, halogen, nitro, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, a alkylthio group, a arylthio group, an acylamino group, a sulfamoyl group, a carbamoyl group, which groups may be substituted, or R 2 and R 3 together can form a saturated or aromatic or heterocyclic ring fused-on the cyclohexadiene ring, which ring may be substituted; B represents ##STR21## wherein R 4 represents hydrogen, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, which groups may be substituted, SO 2 R 10 , COR 10 , POR 10 R 11 ; R 5 represents hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, which groups may be substituted; R 6 and R 6' independently represent an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an amino group or a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted, or R 6 and R 6' together form a 5- or 6-membered ring, which ring may be substituted; R 7 represents an alkyl group, an aryl group, a cycloalkyl group, which groups may be substituted; R 8 and R 9 independently represent hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a cycloalkyl group, which groups may be substituted, or R 8 and R 9 together can form a heterocyclic ring, which ring may be substituted; R 10 and R 11 independently represent an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an amino group or a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted, or R 10 and R 11 together form a 5- or 6-membered ring, which ring may be substituted; K represents ##STR22## wherein: R 12 and R 13 (independently) represent hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted, or R 12 and R 13 together represent the necessary atoms to close a heterocyclic ring, which ring may be substituted, or R 12 and/or R 13 together with R 14 and/or R 17 represent the necessary atoms to close a ring fused-on the benzene ring, which ring may be substituted; R 14 , R 15 , R 16 and R 17 (independently) represent hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, an alkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, which groups may be subsituted, NH--SO 2 R 18 , NH--COR 18 , O--SO 2 R 18 , O--COR 18 , or R 14 and R 15 together and/or R 16 and R 17 together represent the necessary atoms to close (a) ring(s) fused-on the benzene ring or R 14 and/or R 17 together with R 12 and/or R 13 represent the necessary atoms to close a heterocyclic ring fused-on the benzene ring, which groups may be substituted; R 18 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group, an alkyloxy group, an aryloxy group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, an amino group, a heterocyclic group, which groups may be substituted.

Claim 9

Thermal dye sublimation transfer method according to claim 6, wherein said dye has an absorption maximum above 700 nm.