Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

Alan G Miller

Mahfuza B Ali

Omar Farooq

Caroline M Ylitalo

Patrick R Fleming

John J Stofko, Jr

Todd R Williams

Susan K Jongewaard

Mohammad Iqbal

Lori P Engle

Robert T Fehr

Mohammed Iqbal

Louis M Leichter

Donald J Williams

Harvey A Brown

Armin J Paff

Douglas P Hills

Balchunis: Robert J

Jonathon P Kitchin

The present invention provides for a photo display system having a decorative frame, an imaged transparency disposed on the decorative frame and a diffuser film disposed on the imaged transparency. The photo display system also has a base having a means for mounting the decorative frame and a means for attaching a diffuse reflector. The diffuse reflector is disposed behind the decorative frame as viewed from the imaged transparency side of the photo display system.

Photo display system for use with imaged transparencies

A receptor medium with a sheet having an optically transmissive microembossed imaging surface as one major surface thereof. The receptor medium can receive jettable materials, which include inks, adhesives, biological fluids, chemical assay reagents, particulate dispersions, waxes, and combinations thereof. The microembossed medium unexpectedly solves such common inkjet printing problems as feathering, banding, and mudcracking in inkjet printing systems by controlling how an inkjet drop contacts and dries on an inkjet receptor medium and also Moire' effects but also provides sufficient optical transmissivity to be useful as overhead transparency media, backlit signage, and the like. Clear lines of demarcation between adjoining colors of a pigmented inkjet image graphic can be obtained without creation of the Moire' effects. Methods of making and using the inkjet receptor medium are also disclosed.

Method of making an optically transparent inkjet printing medium

Optically transmissive microembossed receptor media

An image receiving layer comprising an ink receptive crosslinked polymer comprising the reaction product of a multifunctional aziridine crosslinking agent and a polymer containing protonated pyridine substituents. Image receiving layers may also contain at least one swellable polymer and additives such as particulates, mordants, fillers and the like.

Image receptor sheet

An improved ink-receptive sheet comprising a substrate bearing on at least one major surface thereof an ink-receptive layer which comprises at least one ink receptive polymer and an effective amount of polymeric mordant having the general structure: ##STR1## wherein A is selected from the group consisting of a COO-alkylene group having from 1 to about 5 carbon atoms, a CONH-alkylene group having from 1 to about 5 carbon atoms, --COO--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O)n--CH.sub.2, --CONH--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O)n--CH.sub.2 -- and .paren open-st.CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 Cl.paren close-st.n, wherein n is from 1 to about 5;

Ink-receptive sheet

An improved ink-receptive sheet comprising a substrate bearing on at least one major surface thereof an ink-receptive layer which comprises at least one ink receptive polymer and an effective amount of polymeric mordant having the general structure: ##STR1## wherein A is selected from the group consisting of a COO-alkylene group having from 1 to about 5 carbon atoms, a CONH-alkylene group having from 1 to about 5 carbon atoms, --COO--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n --CH.sub.2 --, --CONH--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n --CH.sub.2 -- and .paren open-st.CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 Cl.paren close-st.n, wherein n is from 1 to about 5;

Ink receptive sheet

A layer for preventing sticking of thermal image-forming materials to thermal printheads during thermal printing. The layer comprises polymeric material having a non-cyclic, substantially completely saturated hydrocarbon backbone, said backbone having substantially only hydrogen atoms and methyl groups attached to randomly positioned carbon atoms thereon, with no more than one methyl group attached to any one backbone carbon atom. Application of the anti-stick layer to the substrate is facilitated by the solubility of the polymeric material in commonly used organic solvents, thereby allowing very thin layers of the coating to be applied in the form of dilute solutions.

Donor sheet for thermal printing

An ink-receptive sheet comprising a substrate bearing on at least one major surface an ink-receptive coating comprising at least two layers, a thin upper layer and a thick base layer, wherein said upper layer comprises a high viscosity binder selected from the group consisting of methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and blends thereof.

Semi-interpenetrating polymeric networks comprising a blend of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers wherein at least one of the polymeric components is crosslinked after blending to form a continuous network throughout the bulk of the material, and through which the uncrosslinked polymeric components are intertwined in such a way as to form a macroscopically homogeneous composition. The integrity of such networks persists even after absorption of solvent. These materials can be used to form durable, non-tacky, ink-absorbent, transparent coatings for graphical materials.

Transparent liquid absorbent materials for use as ink receptive layers

3,7-Diamo phenazine dye having at least one electron-withdrawing substituent on at least one of the groups attached to the amine groups at the 3- and 7-positions, provided that the algebraic sum of the para position Hammett sigma (.rho..sub.p) values for the groups attached to the nitrogen atoms of the amine groups at the 3- and 7-positions is more positive khan about -0.6. The group containing the electron-withdrawing substituent can be selected from

Phenazine dyes

An improved ink-receptive sheet comprising a transparent substrate bearing on at least one major surface thereof an ink-receptive layer which comprises at least one imaging polymer and an effective amount of polymeric mordant having the general structure: ##STR1## wherein A is selected from the group consisting of a COO-alkylene group having from about 1 to about 5 carbon atoms, a CONH-alkylene group having from about 1 to about 5 carbon atoms, --COO--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O)n--CH.sub.2 -- and --CONH-- (CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O)n--CH.sub.2 --, wherein n is from about 1 to about 5;

A composition suitable for an ink-jet receptive layer comprising from about 1% to about 10% of at least one carboxylic acid having a pKa of from about 2 to about 6, said acid being selected from the group consisting of aryl monocarboxylic acids, aryloxy monocarboxylic acids, alkyl carboxylic acids having alkyl groups containing at least about 11 carbon atoms, dicarboxylic acids, tricarboxylic acids and pyridinium salts, and at least one liquid-absorbent polymer comprising from about 90% to about 99% aprotic constituents, and a transparent sheet suitable for making visual transparencies having a film backing having such ink-receptive layer coated on at least one major surface thereof.

Ink receptive film formulations

A layer for preventing sticking of thermal image-forming materials to thermal printheads during thermal printing. The layer comprises polymeric material having a non-cyclic, substantially completely saturated hydrocarbon backbone, said backbone having substantially only hydrogen atoms and methyl groups attached to randomly positioned carbon atoms thereon, with no more than one methyl gorup attached to any one backbone carbon atom. Application of the anti-stick layer to the substrate is facilitated by the solubility of the polymeric material in commonly used organic solvents, thereby allowing very thin layers of the coating to be applied in the form of dilute solutions.

Anti-stick layer for thermal printing

Thermally imageable composition comprising (a) at least one leuco dye, (b) a nitrate salt, (c) at least one base having a conjugate acid having pKa equal to or greater than zero. The base serves to prevent spotting or backgrounding of transparency films bearing said thermally imageable composition during the manufacturing process used in preparing the films.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Alan G Miller