US5886065A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Mediation of waterfastness in ink-jet ink compositions by using partial chemically-treated macromolecular chromophores (MMCs)
Assignee: Hewlett Packard Development Co LP
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Filing: 1997-03-24
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Granted: 1999-03-23
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Expires: 2017-03-24
Abstract
Abstract The ink of the invention comprises (a) a vehicle comprising (1) about 1 to 50 wt % of at least one organic solvent as humectants, and (2) about 0.01 to 20 wt % of at least one water-soluble surfactant or amphiphilic polymer (cationic, anionic, or non-ionic); (b) about 1 to 20 wt % of at least one partial chemically-modified, water-soluble colorant, the colorant having sufficient functional groups associated therewith to be substantially waterfast in deionized water while being sufficiently stable in the ink to avoid flocculation; and (c) the balance water. The use of a partial chemically-modified, water-soluble colorant (macromolecular chromophore) results in an ink that is both waterfast and non-flocculating.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph W. Tsang
- 👤 John R. Moffatt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 12:32
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09D; C09D11/00; C09D11/30; C09D11/32; B; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; C09B; C09B67/00; C09B67/0071; C09B67/0072; C09B67/0073; C09C; C09C1/00; C09C1/44; C09C1/48; C09C1/56; C09C3/00; C09C3/08; C09D11/322; C09D11/36; C09D11/38; C01; C01P; C01P2006/00; C01P2006/60
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A thermal ink-jet ink for thermal ink-jet printing comprising: (a) a vehicle comprising (1) about 1 to 50 wt % of at least one organic solvent, and (2) about 0.01 to 20 wt % of at least one water-soluble surfactant or amphiphilic polymer; (b) about 1 to 20 wt % of at least one partially chemically-modified, water-soluble macromolecular chromophore, said macromolecular chromophore having sufficient functional groups associated therewith to be substantially waterfast on paper while being sufficiently stable in said ink to avoid flocculation and wherein said functional groups are selected from the group consisting of corboxylate, sulfonate, quaternary ammonium, phosphonium, and mixtures thereof; and (c) the balance water.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
109 words
A thermal ink-jet ink for thermal ink-jet printing comprising: (a) a vehicle comprising (1) about 1 to 50 wt % of at least one organic solvent, and (2) about 0.01 to 20 wt % of at least one water-soluble surfactant or amphiphilic polymer; (b) about 1 to 20 wt % of at least one partially chemically-modified, water-soluble macromolecular chromophore, said macromolecular chromophore having sufficient functional groups associated therewith to be substantially waterfast on paper while being sufficiently stable in said ink to avoid flocculation and wherein said functional groups are selected from the group consisting of corboxylate, sulfonate, quaternary ammonium, phosphonium, and mixtures thereof; and (c) the balance water.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 1, wherein said at least one organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic alcohols, aromatic alcohols, diols, glycol ethers, poly(glycol) ethers, caprolactams, formamides, acetamides, and long chain alcohols.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
114 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 2, wherein said at least one organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of primary aliphatic alcohols of 30 carbons or less, primary aromatic alcohols of 30 carbons or less, secondary aliphatic alcohols of 30 carbons or less, secondary aromatic alcohols of 30 carbons or less, 1,2-alcohols of 30 carbons or less, 1,3-alcohols of 30 carbons or less, 1, ω-alcohols of 30 carbons or less, ethylene glycol alkyl ethers, propylene glycol alkyl ethers, poly(ethylene glycol) alkyl ethers, higher homologs of poly(ethylene glycol) alkyl ethers, poly(propylene glycol) alkyl ethers, higher homologs of poly(propylene glycol) alkyl ethers, N-alkyl caprolactams, unsubstituted caprolactams, substituted formamides, unsubstituted ormamides, substituted acetamides, and unsubstituted acetamides.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 3 wherein said at least one organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of 1,5-pentanediol, 2-pyrrolidone, 2-ethyl-2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-propanediol, diethylene glycol, 3-methoxybutanol, and 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 1, wherein said at least one solvent is present within a range of about 1 to 20 wt %.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
69 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 1, wherein said at least one water-soluble surfactant is selected from the group consisting of either (1) a non-ionic or amphoteric surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkyl phenyl polyethylene oxides, polyethylene oxide esters, polyethylene oxide diesters, polyethylene oxide amines, protonated polyethylene oxide amines, polyethylene oxide amides, and dimethicone copolyols, or (2) an ionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of amine oxides.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 6, wherein said at least one surfactant is selected from the group consisting of iso-hexadecyl ethylene oxide 20, alkyl phenyl polyethylene oxide 15-S-7, N,N-dimethyl-N-docecyl amine oxide, N,N-dimethyl-N-tetradecyl amine oxide , N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecyl amine oxide, N,N-dimethyl-N-octadecyl amine oxide, and N,N-dimethyl-N-(Z-9-octadecenyl)-N-amine oxide.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
94 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 1, wherein said at least one amphiphilic polymer is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal salts of styrene-acrylic acid copolymers, styrene-methacrylic acid copolymers, styrene-maleic acid copolymers, styrene-n-hexyl acrylate-acrylic acid copolymers, styrene-n-hexyl acrylate-methacrylic acid copolymers, styrene-n-hexyl acrylate-maleic acid copolymers, benzyl acrylateacrylic acid copolymers, benzyl acrylate-methacrylic acid copolymers, benzyl acrylate-maleic acid copolymers, benzyl acrylate-n-hexyl acrylate-acrylic acid copolymers, benzyl acrylate-n-hexyl acrylate-methacrylic acid copolymers, and benzyl acrylate-n-hexyl acrylate-maleic acid copolymers, wherein said alkali metal salts include at least one alkali metal selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, and potassium.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 1, wherein said at least one surfactant or amphiphilic polymer is present within a range of about 0.1 to 10 wt %.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 1, wherein said macromolecular chromophore comprises pigments selected from the group consisting of black, cyan, yellow, and magenta pigments.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 10, wherein said colorant is anionic and is associated with a counterion selected from the group consisting of alkali metal ions, alkaline earth metal ions, substituted ammonium ions, and unsubstituted ammonium ions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 11, wherein said functional groups on said anionic pigment are selected from the group consisting of sulfonate and carboxylate ions.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 10, wherein said pigment is cationic and is associated with a counterion selected from the group consisting of halide, sulfate, nitrate, phosphate, sulfonate, carboxylate, carbonate, bicarbonate, borate, tetraborate, tetrafluoroborate, methane sulfonate, methyl benzene sulfonate, phosphate, phosphonate, hexaflurophosphonate, phosphene, phenolate, perchlorate, tungstate, molybdate, and silicate ions.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 13, wherein said functional groups on said cationic pigment consist essentially of quaternary ammonium ions and phosphonium ions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
The ink-jet ink of claim 1, wherein said macromolecular chromophore exhibits a transfer of ink of less than 0.2 optical density units when water is dripped on horizontal bars of said ink printed on paper.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
119 words
A method of ink-jet printing comprising printing on a medium with an ink-jet ink having the following composition: (a) a vehicle comprising (1) about 1 to 50 wt % of at least one organic solvent, and (2) about 0.01 to 20 wt % of at least one water-soluble surfactant or amphiphilic polymer; (b) about 1 to 20 wt % of at least one partially chemically-modified, water-soluble macromolecular chromophore, said macromolecular chromophore having sufficient functional groups associated therewith to be substantially waterfast in deionized water while being sufficiently stable in said ink to avoid flocculation and wherein said functional groups are selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, sulfonate, quaternary ammonium, phosphonium, and mixtures thereof; and (c) the balance water.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
119 words
A method of ink-jet printing comprising printing on a medium with an ink-jet ink having the following composition: (a) a vehicle comprising (1) about 1 to 50 wt % of at least one organic solvent, and (2) about 0.01 to 20 wt % of at least one water-soluble surfactant or amphiphilic polymer; (b) about 1 to 20 wt % of at least one partially chemically-modified, water-soluble macromolecular chromophore, said macromolecular chromophore having sufficient functional groups associated therewith to be substantially waterfast in deionized water while being sufficiently stable in said ink to avoid flocculation and wherein said functional groups are selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, sulfonate, quaternary ammonium, phosphonium, and mixtures thereof; and (c) the balance water.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said macromolecular chromophore exhibits a transfer of ink of less than 0.2 optical density units when water is dripped on horizontal bars of said ink printed on paper.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
140 words
A method for formulating inks containing water-soluble macromolecular chromophores for ink-jet printing comprising: (a) providing at least one pigment; (b) partially treating said at least one pigment to associate a sufficient number of functional groups with said at least one pigment such that said at least one pigment is substantially waterfast on paper while being sufficiently stable in said ink to avoid flocculation and wherein said functional groups are selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, sulfonate, quaternary ammonium, phosphonium, and mixtures thereof; and (c) combining about 1 to 20 wt % of said partially-treated pigment with (1) a vehicle comprising (i) about 1 to 50 wt % of at least one organic solvent, and (ii) about 0.01 to 20 wt % of at least one water-soluble surfactant or amphiphilic polymer and (2) the balance water to form said ink.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
140 words
A method for formulating inks containing water-soluble macromolecular chromophores for ink-jet printing comprising: (a) providing at least one pigment; (b) partially treating said at least one pigment to associate a sufficient number of functional groups with said at least one pigment such that said at least one pigment is substantially waterfast on paper while being sufficiently stable in said ink to avoid flocculation and wherein said functional groups are selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, sulfonate, quaternary ammonium, phosphonium, and mixtures thereof; and (c) combining about 1 to 20 wt % of said partially-treated pigment with (1) a vehicle comprising (i) about 1 to 50 wt % of at least one organic solvent, and (ii) about 0.01 to 20 wt % of at least one water-soluble surfactant or amphiphilic polymer and (2) the balance water to form said ink.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said pigment exhibits a transfer of ink of less than 0.2 optical density units when water is dripped on horizontal bars of said ink printed on paper.
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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) | 2002-03-22 | 2002-09-21 | 2003-03-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-03-22 | 2006-09-21 | 2007-03-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-03-22 | 2010-09-21 | 2011-03-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |