Patent ID: 6713529
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: A47B,C09D

Abstract:
A hot-melt ink for use with an ink jet printing apparatus, the ink being a liquid at about 1000Â° C. to about 130Â° C. and solidifying to a two-phase solid having an elastic phase and a crystalline phase, the ink consisting essentially of:stearic acid present in a concentration of about 45 percent to about 95 percent of the ink; an aromatic hydrocarbon resin first plasticizer present in a concentration of about 0.1 percent to about 25 percent of the ink; a tri-block copolymer present in a concentration of about 0.5 percent to about 5.0 percent of the ink; polyvinyl butyral in a concentration of about 0.5 percent to about 10 percent of the ink; a fluorinated polyolefin copolymer present in a concentration of about 0.5 percent to about 10 percent of the ink; and a colorant present in a concentration of about 2.0 percent to about 8.0 percent of the ink, wherein the polyvinyl butyral, in combination with tri-block copolymer forms an elastic phase of the ink upon solidifying, and wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon resin exhibits sufficiently low viscosity at elevated temperatures to permit ejection of the liquid ink from the printing apparatus.