US7205046B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrophotographic lamination film, a method of producing the same, and a method of forming an image
Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp
•
Filing: 2003-01-16
•
Granted: 2007-04-17
•
Expires: 2023-01-16
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides an electrophotographic lamination film which can be easily laminated by using the film as it is without significantly modifying a conventional electrophotographic device, can be printed with letters of high resolution directly on a surface of the film capable of softening at relatively low temperatures, and can form an image of high quality having sufficient heat resistance and light resistance with good recognizability even in outdoor use, as well as a method of producing the same and a method of forming an image. In the electrophotographic lamination film, a surface resistance of at least one surface of a substrate thereof is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□, and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C.
Inventors
- 👤 Tomoo Kobayashi
- 👤 Kunio Sakurai
- 👤 Kaoru Torikoshi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 14:04
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G7/00; G03G7/0006; G03G5/00; G03G7/0013; G03G7/002; G03G7/0026; G03G7/0046; G03G7/006; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/28; Y10T428/2813; Y10T428/2817; Y10T428/2826; Y10T428/30; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31786
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
An electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, comprising a substrate, wherein a surface resistance of at least one surface of the substrate is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□, and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to an image forming material or a coating layer when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the image forming material or coating layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
92 words
An electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, comprising a substrate, wherein a surface resistance of at least one surface of the substrate is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□, and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to an image forming material or a coating layer when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the image forming material or coating layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
An electrophotographic lamination film according to claim 1 comprising function-regulating means disposed on a surface of the substrate opposite a surface of the substrate at which an image is formed, wherein the function-regulating means has at least one function selected from regulating gloss, light resistance, microbial resistance, flame retardancy, releasability and chargeability.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
An electrophotographic lamination film according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is transparent.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
An electrophotographic lamination film according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a resin having a chlorine-free resin as a main component thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
101 words
An electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, comprising a substrate and at least one coating layer disposed on a surface of the substrate, wherein a surface resistance of at least an outermost surface of the at least one coating layer is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□, and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the coating layer when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the coating layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
101 words
An electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, comprising a substrate and at least one coating layer disposed on a surface of the substrate, wherein a surface resistance of at least an outermost surface of the at least one coating layer is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□, and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the coating layer when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the coating layer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
An electrophotographic lamination film according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one coating layer comprises an image-receiving layer containing a resin and fillers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
An electrophotographic lamination film according to claim 6 , wherein the resin contained in the image-receiving layer is a polyester resin.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
An electrophotographic lamination film according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one coating layer contains at least one selected from the group consisting of a charging regulator, an antimicrobial agent, a UV ray absorber and an antioxidant.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
An electrophotographic lamination film according to claim 5 , wherein the substrate is transparent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
An electrophotographic lamination film according to claim 5 , wherein the substrate comprises a resin having a chlorine free resin as a main component thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
52 words
An electrophotographic lamination film according to claim 5 comprising function-regulating means disposed on a surface of the substrate opposite a surface of the substrate at which an image is formed, wherein the function-regulating means has at least one function selected from regulating gloss, light resistance, microbial resistance, flame retardancy, releasability and chargeability.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of forming an image by using an electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, in which a surface resistance of at least one surface of a substrate is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□ and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., and a toner image formed on a surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is formed as a mirror image such that an image-forming surface is a laminated surface, wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the toner image when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the toner image.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of forming an image by using an electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, in which a surface resistance of at least one surface of a substrate is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□ and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., and a toner image formed on a surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is formed as a mirror image such that an image-forming surface is a laminated surface, wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the toner image when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the toner image.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method of forming an image according to claim 12 , wherein fixation of the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is conducted such that a temperature of the surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is 130° C. or less.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
136 words
A method of forming an image by using an electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, comprising a substrate and at least one coating layer disposed on a surface of substrate wherein a surface resistance of at least an outermost surface of the at least one coating layer is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□ and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., and a toner image formed on a surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is formed as a mirror image such that an image-forming surface is a laminated surface, wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the toner image when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the toner image.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
136 words
A method of forming an image by using an electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, comprising a substrate and at least one coating layer disposed on a surface of substrate wherein a surface resistance of at least an outermost surface of the at least one coating layer is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□ and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., and a toner image formed on a surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is formed as a mirror image such that an image-forming surface is a laminated surface, wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the toner image when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the toner image.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method of forming an image according to claim 14 , wherein fixation of the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is conducted such that a temperature of the surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is 130° C. or less.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
171 words
An image forming device comprising an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a charging unit for charging the photoreceptor, a latent image-forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged photoreceptor, a development device for developing the latent image with a toner, and a transfer device for transferring the toner image formed on the photoreceptor onto a recording medium, wherein the recording medium is an electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, in which a surface resistance of at least one surface of a substrate is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□ and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., and the toner image formed on a surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is formed as a mirror image such that an image-forming surface is a laminated surface, wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the toner image when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the toner image.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
171 words
An image forming device comprising an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a charging unit for charging the photoreceptor, a latent image-forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged photoreceptor, a development device for developing the latent image with a toner, and a transfer device for transferring the toner image formed on the photoreceptor onto a recording medium, wherein the recording medium is an electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, in which a surface resistance of at least one surface of a substrate is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□ and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., and the toner image formed on a surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is formed as a mirror image such that an image-forming surface is a laminated surface, wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the toner image when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the toner image.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
43 words
An image forming device according to claim 16 , wherein fixation of the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is conducted such that a temperature of the surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is 130° C. or less.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
191 words
An image forming device comprising an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a charging unit for charging the photoreceptor, a latent image-forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged photoreceptor, a development device for developing the latent image with a toner, and a transfer device for transferring the toner image formed on the photoreceptor onto a recording medium, wherein the recording medium is an electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, comprising a substrate and at least one coating layer disposed on a surface of the substrate wherein a surface resistance of at least an outermost surface of the at least one coating layer is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□ and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., and the toner image formed on a surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is formed as a mirror image such that an image-forming surface is a laminated surface, wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the toner image when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the toner image.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
191 words
An image forming device comprising an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a charging unit for charging the photoreceptor, a latent image-forming device for forming an electrostatic latent image on the charged photoreceptor, a development device for developing the latent image with a toner, and a transfer device for transferring the toner image formed on the photoreceptor onto a recording medium, wherein the recording medium is an electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, comprising a substrate and at least one coating layer disposed on a surface of the substrate wherein a surface resistance of at least an outermost surface of the at least one coating layer is in a range of 10 8 to 10 13 Ω/□ and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of 70 to 130° C., and the toner image formed on a surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is formed as a mirror image such that an image-forming surface is a laminated surface, wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the toner image when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the toner image.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
43 words
An image forming device according to claim 18 , wherein fixation of the toner image formed on the surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is conducted such that a temperature of the surface of the electrophotographic lamination film is 130° C. or less.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
110 words
An electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, comprising a substrate, wherein a surface resistance of one of at least one surface of the substrate and at least an outermost surface of at least one coating layer disposed on a surface of the substrate is in a range of about 10 8 Ω/□ to about 10 13 Ω/□, and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of about 70° C. to about 130° C., wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the coating layer when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the coating layer.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
110 words
An electrophotographic lamination film to be used for lamination onto another member, comprising a substrate, wherein a surface resistance of one of at least one surface of the substrate and at least an outermost surface of at least one coating layer disposed on a surface of the substrate is in a range of about 10 8 Ω/□ to about 10 13 Ω/□, and a Vicat softening temperature of the substrate is in a range of about 70° C. to about 130° C., wherein the Vicat softening temperature range enables the substrate to adhere to the coating layer when laminated but does not soften to generate flow of the coating layer.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2010-04-16 | 2010-10-16 | 2011-04-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2014-04-16 | 2014-10-16 | 2015-04-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2018-04-16 | 2018-10-16 | 2019-04-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |