US5977209A — Ink compositions

Claim 1

Independent Claim 36 words

An ink composition comprised of colorant, vehicle, dissipatible polymer and a compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid, a salt of alginic acid, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 36 words

An ink composition comprised of colorant, vehicle, dissipatible polymer and a compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid, a salt of alginic acid, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 92 words

An ink in accordance with claim 1 wherein said vehicle is comprised of a mixture of water and a humectant, and wherein the mixture contains from about 0.1 weight percent to about 5 percent of the salt of polyacrylic acid, from about 0.1 to about 5 percent weight percent of the salt of polyamic acid, and from about 0.001 weight percent to about 0.5 weight percent of the salt of alginic acid, and wherein said humectant is present in the ink in an amount of from about 2 to about 40 percent.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 26 words

An ink in accordance with claim 1 wherein said alginate salt is present in an amount of from about about 0.001 to about 0.5 weight percent.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 35 words

An ink composition comprised of a dissipatible polymer, colorant, water, and a compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid, and a salt of alginic acid.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

An ink composition comprised of a dissipatible polymer, colorant, water, and a compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid, and a salt of alginic acid.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 50 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein the salt is a sodium, potassium, lithium, or ammonium salt of polyacrylic acid, wherein the salt is a sodium, potassium, lithium, or ammonium salt of polyamic acid, or wherein the salt is a sodium, potassium, lithium, or ammonium salt of alginic acid.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 26 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein the salt is of a weight average molecular weight M w of from about 1,000 to about 100,000.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 24 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein said salt is present in an amount of from about 0.001 to about 20 weight percent.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 24 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein said salt is present in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 10 weight percent.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 69 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein said polymer is a dissipatible sulfonated polyester with a glass transition temperature of from about 0° to about 80° C., a softening point of from about 50° C. to about 180° C. a weight average molecular weight thereof of from about 800 to about 10,000 and wherein said polyester possesses a sulfonation level of from about 3.5 to about 20 percent.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 79 words

An ink in accordance with claim 9 wherein the dissipatible sulfonated polyester possesses a glass transition temperature of from about 20° C. to about 65° C., a softening point of from about 70° C. to about 165° C., the weight average molecular weight thereof is from about 1,200 to about 5,000 with the ratio of the weight to number average molecular weight being about 2.0, and wherein said polyester possesses a sulfonation level, or amount of about 7.5 percent.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 24 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein the polymer is selected in an amount of form about 70 to about 90 weight percent.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 24 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein the colorant is present in an amount of form about 1 to about 12 weight percent.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 13 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein the colorant is carbon black.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 25 words

An ink in accordance with claim 13 wherein the carbon black is present in an amount of form about 4 to about 12 weight percent.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 28 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 with a viscosity of from about 1.5 to about 5 centipoise, and which ink is stable for an extended time period.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 21 words

An ink in accordance with claim 15 wherein said extended time period is from about 6 months to about 18 months.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 26 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein said colorant is carbon black, and wherein said inks possess a latency of at least about 10 seconds.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 49 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein said colorant is a pigment which possesses a particle size distribution wherein at least about 90 percent of said pigment particles have a diameter of about 0.1 μm with the remaining pigment particles being of a diameter of about 1.0 μm.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 14 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein said ink further includes ink additives.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 17 words

An ink in accordance with claim 19 wherein the ink additive is a biocide, or a humectant.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 87 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein said polymer is a dissipatible polyester present in amounts of from about 70 to about 90 percent by weight, the colorant is present in amounts of from about 1 percent to about 10 percent by weight, the salt of polyacrylic acid and the salt of polyamic acid are each present in amounts of from about 0.5 to about 10 percent by weight, and the alginate salt is present in amounts of from about 0.001 to 0.5 percent by weight.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 31 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein said salt is a sodium salt of a polyacrylic acid with a weight average molecular weight of from about 5,000 to about 10,000.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 26 words

An ink in accordance with claim 4 wherein the salt is of a weight average molecular weight M w of from about 1,000 to about 10,000.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 72 words

A high resolution printing process comprising applying in imagewise fashion to a substrate in a printer having at least one nozzle of a channel width or diameter ranging from about 10 to about 40 microns an aqueous ink jet ink composition comprised of colorant, water, dissipated polymer and an additive selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid, and a salt of alginic acid.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 72 words

A high resolution printing process comprising applying in imagewise fashion to a substrate in a printer having at least one nozzle of a channel width or diameter ranging from about 10 to about 40 microns an aqueous ink jet ink composition comprised of colorant, water, dissipated polymer and an additive selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid, and a salt of alginic acid.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 34 words

A process in accordance with claim 24 wherein the substrate is paper, and image smearing is minimized or eliminated, and wherein said printing process is optionally accomplished with a 600 spi ink jet printer.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 63 words

A process for reducing or eliminating image smearing in an ink jet apparatus which comprises generating images in said apparatus and developing said images with an aqueous ink jet ink composition comprised of colorant, water vehicle, dissipated polymer and a compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid, and a salt of alginic acid.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 63 words

A process for reducing or eliminating image smearing in an ink jet apparatus which comprises generating images in said apparatus and developing said images with an aqueous ink jet ink composition comprised of colorant, water vehicle, dissipated polymer and a compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid, and a salt of alginic acid.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 35 words

An ink composition comprised of colorant, vehicle, a dissipatible polymer, and a compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, and a salt of polyamic acid, a salt of alginic acid.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 35 words

An ink composition comprised of colorant, vehicle, a dissipatible polymer, and a compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, and a salt of polyamic acid, a salt of alginic acid.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 14 words

An ink composition in accordance with claim 27 wherein said polymer is a polyester.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 15 words

An ink composition in accordance with claim 28 wherein said polymer is a sulfonated polyester.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 17 words

An ink composition in accordance with claim 27 wherein said salt is a salt of polyacrylic acid.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 17 words

An ink composition in accordance with claim 27 wherein salt is a sodium, potassium or ammonium salt.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 36 words

An ink composition consisting essentially of a dissipatible polymer, colorant, water, and a compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid and a salt of alginic acid.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 36 words

An ink composition consisting essentially of a dissipatible polymer, colorant, water, and a compound selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid and a salt of alginic acid.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 71 words

A high resolution printing process comprising applying in imagewise fashion to a substrate in a printer having at least one nozzle of a channel width or diameter ranging from about 10 to about 40 microns an aqueous ink jet composition comprised of colorant, vehicle, dissipatible polymer and an additive selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid, and a salt of alginic acid.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 71 words

A high resolution printing process comprising applying in imagewise fashion to a substrate in a printer having at least one nozzle of a channel width or diameter ranging from about 10 to about 40 microns an aqueous ink jet composition comprised of colorant, vehicle, dissipatible polymer and an additive selected from the group consisting of a salt of polyacrylic acid, a salt of polyamic acid, and a salt of alginic acid.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2002-11-01	2003-05-03	2003-11-02	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2006-11-01	2007-05-03	2007-11-02	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2010-11-01	2011-05-03	2011-11-02	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Ink compositions

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