Patent ID: 6265128
Filing Date: 2001-07-24
Classification: B41M,D06P,G03C,G03F

Abstract:
An imaging system, which comprises:a support having a front and rear surface, and(i) at least one layer of heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules, or(ii) at least one layer of heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules and developer in the same layer, or(iii) at least one layer of heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules and developer in separate layers, on said front surface of the support,wherein:(a) the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules or(b) the developer, or(c) the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules and developer,are dispersed in an effective amount of carrier particles or film for non-selectively transferring and adhering developed image and non-image areas from said front surface of said support after said imaging system is image-wise exposed and developed to form an image prior to or upon the application of heat energy to the rear surface of the support, said carrier strips from said front surface of the support by liquefying and releasing from said support when heated, said liquefied carrier providing adherence to a receptor element by flowing onto said receptor element and solidifying thereon, said adherence does not require an external adhesive layer, with the proviso that the carrier is not capable of reacting to form an image, and when the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules are present together in the same layer as the carrier, and when the carrier comprises particles, the particle size of the carrier is the same as or smaller than that of the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules, and when said developer is mixed with the carrier without the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules, the carrier is present in an amount so as to provide a washproof or wash resistant image if transferred to a receptor surface, wherein said carrier particles or film are substantially photographically inert and act only as a binding agent, except that said carrier particles or film are capable of melting, transferring and adhering upon the application of heat, wherein the carrier is cumulatively present in all layers on said support in an amount from about 15 g/m.sup.2 to about 30 g/m.sup.2, and wherein the carrier is capable of melting, flowing and transferring said image and non-image areas to the receptor at temperatures below 180.degree. C.,wherein when the carrier is dispersed with the developer in (b), the carrier comprises:(i) particles of a thermoplastic polymer having dimensions of about 1 to about 50 micrometers, from about 10 to about 50 weight percent of a film-forming binder, based on the weight of the thermoplastic polymer, and optionally from about 0.2 to about 10 weight percent of a fluid viscosity modifier, based on the weight of the thermoplastic polymer, wherein said particles of thermoplastic polymer melt in the range of from more than 100.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C. when the developer is combined in a layer without the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules, but otherwise melts in the range of from about 100.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.,(ii) about 15 to about 80 percent by weight of a film-forming binder selected from the group consisting of ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers, polyolefins, and waxes and from about 85 to about 20 percent by weight of a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides, waxes, epoxy polymers, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, wherein each of said film-forming binder and said thermoplastic polymer melts in the range of from more than 100.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C. when the developer is combined in the layer with the carrier without the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules, but otherwise melts in the range of from about 100.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C., and particles of about 1 to about 50 micrometers,(iii) a film forming binder selected from the group consisting of ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers having particles of about 1 to about 50 micrometers, polyolefins, and waxes and which melts in the range of from more than 100.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C. when the developer is combined in a layer with the carrier without the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules, but otherwise melts in the range of from about 100.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.,(iv) a thermoplastic polymer having particles of about 1 to about 50 micrometers selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyesters, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers and which melts in the range of from more than 100 to about 180.degree. C. when the developer is combined in a layer with the carrier without the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules, but otherwise melts in the range of from about 100.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.,(v) a thermoplastic polymer having particles of about 1 to about 50 micrometers selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyesters, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymers, and ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers and which melts in the range of from more than 100 to about 180.degree. C. when the developer is combined in a layer with the carrier without the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules, but otherwise melts in the range of from about 100.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.,(vi) particles of a thermoplastic polymer having dimensions of about 1 to about 50 micrometers, from about 10 to about 50 weight percent of a film-forming binder, based on the weight of the thermoplastic polymer, and from about 2 to about 20 weight percent of a cationic polymer, based on the weight of the thermoplastic polymer, and wherein the carrier melts from more than 100 to about 180.degree. C. when the developer is combined in a layer with the carrier without the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules, but otherwise melts in the range of from about 100.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.,(vii) a film forming binder selected from the group consisting of ethylene-acrylic acid copolymers, polyolefins, and waxes and which melts in the range of from more than 100 to about 180.degree. C. when the developer is combined in the layer with the carrier without the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules, but otherwise melts in the range of from about 100.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C., or(viii) a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyesters, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers and which melts in the range of from more than 100 to about 180.degree. C. when the developer is combined in a layer with the carrier without the heat or radiation sensitive microcapsules, but otherwise melts in the range of from about 100.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.