US5409530A — Hot-melt ink composition

Claim 1

Independent Claim 134 words

A hot-melt ink composition comprising: a coloring material; a vehicle comprising at least a first component and a second component; and a resin selected from the group consisting of rosins, rosin derivatives, terpenes, modified terpenes, aliphatic petroleum resins, aromatic petroleum resins, hydrogenated and copolymer petroleum resins, cumarone-indene resins, styrene resins, polyamide resins, polyethylene resins and polyethylene copolymers, wherein said first component, by itself, does not dissolve said coloring material, said second component has a higher melting point than said first component, dissolves said coloring material, is compatible with said first component at the melting point of said second component or above, and can dissolve said coloring material and said first component to form a homogeneous phase, and said resin is compatible with either one or both of said first component and said second component.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 134 words

A hot-melt ink composition comprising: a coloring material; a vehicle comprising at least a first component and a second component; and a resin selected from the group consisting of rosins, rosin derivatives, terpenes, modified terpenes, aliphatic petroleum resins, aromatic petroleum resins, hydrogenated and copolymer petroleum resins, cumarone-indene resins, styrene resins, polyamide resins, polyethylene resins and polyethylene copolymers, wherein said first component, by itself, does not dissolve said coloring material, said second component has a higher melting point than said first component, dissolves said coloring material, is compatible with said first component at the melting point of said second component or above, and can dissolve said coloring material and said first component to form a homogeneous phase, and said resin is compatible with either one or both of said first component and said second component.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 48 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the first and second components are selected such that the composition has at least two major endothermic peaks as obtained by differential scanning calorimetry, with the difference between temperatures at which the peaks appear being 10° C. or above.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 31 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the coloring material is present in said composition with respect to said second component in a weight ratio of 0.45 or less.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 15 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 1, wherein said coloring material comprises a dye.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 30 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 1, wherein said first component comprises a petroleum wax, a vegetable wax or a mixture of a petroleum wax with a vegetable wax.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 15 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 5, wherein said petroleum wax is paraffin wax.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 27 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 5, wherein said vegetable wax is selected from the group consisting of carnauba wax, candelilla wax and hydrogenated jojoba oil.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 27 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 1, wherein said second component is selected from the group consisting of fatty acids, fatty acid amides, and derivatives thereof.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 22 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 8, wherein said second component comprises a mixture of two or more fatty acid amides.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 31 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 9, wherein at least one of said fatty acid amides is selected from the group consisting of behenic amide, stearic amide and palmitic amide.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 17 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 1, containing 5 to 45% by weight of said resin.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 134 words

An ink jet recording method comprising the steps of: heating a hot-melt ink composition according to claim 1 at a temperature above the melting point of said second component; said hot-melt ink composition exhibiting at least two major peaks in differential scanning calorimetry, said two major endothermic peaks comprising a first endothermic peak at a first temperature and a second endothermic peak at a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature; jetting the heated hot-melt ink composition as droplets on a recording medium; solidifying the ink droplets on said recording medium; and heating said recording medium at a temperature between said first and second temperatures, thereby to cause only said first component to selectively melt-penetrate into the recording medium while leaving said second component and said coloring material on the recording medium.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 30 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the first component has a melting point that is different from that of the second component by 10° C. or more.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 30 words

A hot-melt ink composition according to claim 1, wherein the first component has a melting point that is different from that of the second component by 20° C. or more.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 195 words

An ink jet recording device wherein an ink composition, which is solid at room temperature, is jetted as droplets at a temperature above room temperature on a recording medium to effect printing, said ink jet recording device comprising: heating means for heating the ink composition to a temperature above room temperature to bring the ink composition into a melted state, said ink composition comprising two vehicle components having different melting points such that the ink composition exhibits two major endothermic peaks in differential scanning calorimetry, said two major endothermic peaks comprising a first endothermic peak at a first temperature and a second endothermic peak at a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature; recording means for jetting the ink composition in the melted state through an ink jetting port to form a dot image on said recording medium; a cooling area facing said recording means for cooling the recording medium having the dot image formed thereon to room temperature or below; heat-fixing means for heating the recording medium at a temperature between said first and second temperatures; and carrying means for carrying recording medium cooled in said cooling area to said heat-fixing means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 195 words

An ink jet recording device wherein an ink composition, which is solid at room temperature, is jetted as droplets at a temperature above room temperature on a recording medium to effect printing, said ink jet recording device comprising: heating means for heating the ink composition to a temperature above room temperature to bring the ink composition into a melted state, said ink composition comprising two vehicle components having different melting points such that the ink composition exhibits two major endothermic peaks in differential scanning calorimetry, said two major endothermic peaks comprising a first endothermic peak at a first temperature and a second endothermic peak at a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature; recording means for jetting the ink composition in the melted state through an ink jetting port to form a dot image on said recording medium; a cooling area facing said recording means for cooling the recording medium having the dot image formed thereon to room temperature or below; heat-fixing means for heating the recording medium at a temperature between said first and second temperatures; and carrying means for carrying recording medium cooled in said cooling area to said heat-fixing means.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 111 words

A method for ink jet recording with a hot-melt ink composition which is solid at room temperature and comprises two vehicle components having different melting points, said ink composition exhibiting at least two major endothermic peaks in differential scanning calorimetry, with said at least two major peaks comprising a first peak at a first temperature and a second peak at a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature, said method comprising the steps of: jetting the heated hot-melt ink composition as droplets on a recording medium; cooling the recording medium to room temperature or below; and heating said recording medium at a temperature between said first and second temperatures.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 111 words

A method for ink jet recording with a hot-melt ink composition which is solid at room temperature and comprises two vehicle components having different melting points, said ink composition exhibiting at least two major endothermic peaks in differential scanning calorimetry, with said at least two major peaks comprising a first peak at a first temperature and a second peak at a second temperature which is higher than the first temperature, said method comprising the steps of: jetting the heated hot-melt ink composition as droplets on a recording medium; cooling the recording medium to room temperature or below; and heating said recording medium at a temperature between said first and second temperatures.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 18 words

An ink jet recording device as claimed in claim 15 wherein the cooling area comprises a cooling fan.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 186 words

A hot-melt ink composition comprising: a) a coloring material; b) a vehicle comprising at least a first component which cannot by itself dissolve the coloring material and a second component, said second component having a higher melting point than said first component, being capable of dissolving said coloring material and being compatible with said first component at the melting point of said second component or above, said coloring material and said first component being dissolved with second component to form a homogeneous phase, said first and second components and coloring material being present in said composition in amounts sufficient to render the composition suitable for forming print having a certain rubbing resistance on a recording medium; and c) a resin selected from the group consisting of rosins, rosin derivatives, terpenes, modified terpenes, aliphatic petroleum resins, aromatic petroleum resins, hydrogenated and copolymer petroleum resins, cumarone-indene resins, styrene resins, polyamide resins, polyethylene resins and polyethylene copolymers compatible with either one or both of said first component and said second component and being present in said composition in an amount sufficient to improve the rubbing resistance of the print.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 186 words

A hot-melt ink composition comprising: a) a coloring material; b) a vehicle comprising at least a first component which cannot by itself dissolve the coloring material and a second component, said second component having a higher melting point than said first component, being capable of dissolving said coloring material and being compatible with said first component at the melting point of said second component or above, said coloring material and said first component being dissolved with second component to form a homogeneous phase, said first and second components and coloring material being present in said composition in amounts sufficient to render the composition suitable for forming print having a certain rubbing resistance on a recording medium; and c) a resin selected from the group consisting of rosins, rosin derivatives, terpenes, modified terpenes, aliphatic petroleum resins, aromatic petroleum resins, hydrogenated and copolymer petroleum resins, cumarone-indene resins, styrene resins, polyamide resins, polyethylene resins and polyethylene copolymers compatible with either one or both of said first component and said second component and being present in said composition in an amount sufficient to improve the rubbing resistance of the print.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1998-04-24	1998-10-24	1999-04-25	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2002-04-24	2002-10-24	2003-04-25	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2006-04-24	2006-10-24	2007-04-25	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Hot-melt ink composition

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