REDUCED THICKNESS RESIN SUBSTRATE IN FILM PRINTING RIBBON

Abstract: A very thin film ribbon with good printing and lift-off correction characteristics is achieved by using a blend of polyethylene and isotactic polypropylene as the substrate material. Thicker ribbons with the substrate yield dense printing and print well on rough papers.

Description: This invention relates to substrates for film printer ribbons, particularly typewriter and workstation printer ribbons. Film ribbons comprise a substrate supporting an ink layer which is released under impact. The substrate is a layer which provides support and embosses sufficiently with the printing element during impact to release ink in the form of the impact element. The impact element may carry fully formed characters, as is conventional for typewriters, or may comprise a series of dot elements which are selectively activated to form characters. The substrate is typically made as thin as possible to reduce the overall size of the ribbon and thereby reduce the period between ribbon changes and the potential ribbon cost per character printed. Background Art It is a known objective to reduce the thickness of ribbons so as to conserve space and to achieve more printing from a ribbon of a given size. When the ribbon is housed in a cartridge which is discarded after ribbon use, as is now common, overall ribbon cost is significantly reduced when a thinner ribbon permits increased lengths of ribbon to be contained in such a cartridge. Thus, reducing substrate thickness has been a known and important design objective for printer ribbons. A prior thin film ribbon has a polyethylene substrate which is stretched during extrusion to a typical thickness of between 0.4 and 0.55 mil (approximately 0.01016 mm to 0.01397 mm). No such ribbon is commercially produced having thickness less than 0.35 mil (approximately 0.00889 mm). Thinner polyethylene sheets are difficult to produce, but, more fundamentally, for thinner polyethylene sheets degradation is observed in both print coverage and eradication by lift-off correction. Production of the very thin polyethylene substrate includes a high degree of molten stretching, which affects the surface conditions or surface energy of the film. This apparently has detrimental effects on the interface between the substrate and the ink layer it carries. Also, the increased orientation decreases the ability of the film to emboss under impact, thereby allowing less of the impact energy to be transferred to the ink in the pattern of the printing element. This invention employs a polymer blend of polyethylene and isotactic polypropylene as the substrate material, with stretching on a chill roll after extrusion as was standard with the polyethylene, but to a much reduced thickness of less than 0.008 mm. The resulting ribbon satisfies commercial standards for both printing and lift-off correction and achieves a significant reduction in costs since it is much thinner. This may be used to achieve an acceptable ribbon having an 0.23 mil (approximately 0,00584 mm) substrate, which is thinner than known ribbons. This may also be used for substrates in the conventional range of thicknesses to achieve a ribbon of increased ink transfer, which is particularly suitable for printing on rough papers. Blends of polyethylene and isotactic polypropylene are broadly known, as illustrated by the following known references, but their use as a thin substrate in the transfer medium art is apparently broadly novel. These references are as follows: US-A-4,634,739 ; US-A-4,045,515 ; US-A-3,965,229 ; and US-A-3,952,073. It is commonly known that polypropylene has a lower surface energy than polyethylene. Disclosure of the Invention Substrates of nominal 0.23 mil caliper (approximately 0.00584 mm) having desired printer ribbon properties are produced by blending polyethylene resin with isotactic polypropylene resin. Substrates having larger nominal caliper are similarly produced for ribbons providing dense transfer of ink. Ratios by weight of approximately 9 parts polyethylene to 1 part polypropylene to approximately 8 parts polyethylene to 2 parts polypropylene have been found effective. More specifically, the polypropylene is a random copolymer of 96 parts by weight polypropylene and 4 parts by weight polyethylene, the polyethylene moiety being to promote mixing and long term stability of the mixture. Forming of the layer may be by standard extrusion on to a temperature-controlled roll, and the ink layer may be essentially a standard polyamide based blend with carbon black or other pigments. The resulting ribbon has good printing and lift-off correction characteristics. Best Mode for Carry Out the Invention Pellets of the following two resins are combined in a screw mixer where shearing action melts and thoroughly mixes the resins. The resins are as follows, in percent by weight: Resins Mixed For Pellets % by Weight polyethylene (Dupont 6340-3) -- 90 70 80 96:4 Isotactic Polypropylene-Polyethylene Copolymer (ENRON NPP-3303CO) -- 10 to 20 The copolymer is a random copolymer of approximately 96 parts isotactic polypropylene and four parts polyethylene. The thoroughly mixed, melted blend is extruded onto a rotating steel roller through a die gap of approximately 8 to 10 mil (approximately 0.0203 cm to 0.0254cm) thickness. The extrusion temperature is 365°F (approximately 185°C) at the die and throughout the barrel of the extruder. The steel roller is at approximately 86°F (approximately 30°C) temperature and is rotating at a tangential velocity of approximately 500 feet per minute (approximately 152 meters per minute). The effective width of the die is approximately 40 inches (approximately 102 cm), resulting in a somewhat narrower sheet because of necking at the edges and neck trim. The rotating rollers stretch the sheet until it is at the 0.23 mil caliper (approximately 0.00584 mm). Such processing is standard for chill roll extrusion for ribbons of greater thickness. The resulting sheet is then rolled in a bulk spool for subsequent coating with ink as may be convenient. The ink formula is essentially standard. US-A-3,825,470, assigned to the assignee to which this invention is assigned, teaches ink chemistry and formulas which generally would function suitably with this invention, assuming specific formulas are adjusted to the characteristics of the substrate and to the impact characteristics anticipated in printing. This invention is applicable with inks of various formulations, and therefore an illustrative ink formula is given here rather than the precise ingredients which would be used for a specific printer with specific impact characteristics. The following ink formula is in proportion for this 0.23 mil caliper preferred embodiment for printing by a daisywheel typewriter, which is moderate impact printer. In the following formula, the isopropyl alcohol and the toluene function as a dispersing agent or solvent which is expelled when the formula is applied to the substrate, as is conventional. The other ingredients remain on the substrate as the ink layer. Ink thickness is 2 to 3 micrometers. Ink Formula (Wet) % by Weight Polyamide resin (Dilinoleic acid type, UNIREZ brand) 9.6 Oils: Mineral and Octyl esters of fatty acids (1.2 9.0 part mineral to 1 part esters by weight) Carbon black 6.4 Isopropyl alcohol 70.6 Toluene 4.4 Ink Formula (Dry) % by Weight Polyamide 38.4 Oils 36.0 Carbon black 25.6 The advantages of a substrate of this polymer blend may be seen from scanning electron microscopic views of the ink-substrate interface. A pore structure is formed by the precipitation of oils from the ink as pores on to the substrate during expulsion of the isopropyl alcohol and toluene solvent. Comparison of the microscopic examination of the 0.23 mil appromimately 0,00584 mm) substrate caliper ribbon with and without the copolymer shows the pore configuration of pores of oil in contact with the substrate to be significantly larger on the substrate with the copolymer than on the substrate without the copolymer. Since oils are less adhesive to the substrate than the polyamide resin, the smaller pores in contact with the substrate result in greater adhesion of ink to the ribbon. This is generally undesirable as it tends to reduce ink release during printing. The no-copolymer-substrate ribbons also have a lower ink cohesion because the pores of the oil extend further into the ink layer. Thickness of the resin portion of the ink away from the substrate is reduced. Since the resin portion provides much more cohesive strength than the oils, the reduced thickness of resin away from the substrate reduces ink cohesiveness there. Such cohesiveness is generally desirable as it tends to pull more ink from the ribbon during printing and to be better pulled away during lift-off correction. Conversely, the pore structure of the 0.23 mil (approximately 0,00584 mm) substrate ribbon of this invention closely approximates that of the commercial 0.4 mil (approximately 0,01016 mm) polyethylene substrate ribbon having the same basic ink formula. Where the substrate according to this invention is thicker, the ribbon prints proportionally denser, which is significant particularly for printing on rough papers.

Claims: A film printer ribbon comprising a substrate which is a blend of polyethylene and isotactic polypropylene having a thickness of less than 0.008 mm and carrying an ink to be transferred by printing impact. The printer ribbon as in claim 1 in which said polypropylene is a copolymer with polyethylene. The printer ribbon as in claim 1 or 2 in which said ink comprises resin and oil. The printer ribbon as in claim 2 or 3 in which said polyethylene is in an amount by weight of about 90% to 80% of said substrate and said copolymer is in the order of magnitude by weight of 96 parts isotactic polypropylene to 4 parts polyethylene and in an amount by weight of about 10% to 20% of said substrate. A film printer ribbon having a substrate which is a blend of polyethylene and a copolymer which is a major part isotactic polypropylene and a minor part polyethylene, said substrate carrying an ink to be transferred by impact printing. The printer ribbon as in claim 5 in which said ink comprises resin and oil.

Inventors: KLUEH, DAVIE RUSSELL, MORRIS, JACK WILLIAM, URDAHL, KENT GORDON, ZIMMER, MATTHEW KEVAN
Applicants: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: C08J5
IPC codes: B41J31, C08L23