Ink, aqueous ink for ink-jet recording, ink set, ink cartridge, recording unit, image-recording apparatus, color-image-recording apparatus, ink-jet recording process and bleeding reducing method

Claim 2

An ink comprising: at least one salt selected from the group consisting of (M 1 ) 2 SO 4 , CH 3 COO(M 1 ), Ph—COO(M 1 ), (M 1 )NO 3 , (M 1 )Cl, (M 1 )Br, (M 1 )I, (M 1 ) 2 SO 3 and (M 1 ) 2 CO 3 wherein M 1 represents an alkali metal, ammonium or an organic ammonium, and Ph represents a phenyl group; a carbon black; a dispersant for the carbon black; and an aqueous medium.

Claim 3

The ink according to claim 1 , wherein said salt is contained in an amount of from 0.05% by weight to 10% by weight based on the total weight of the ink.

Claim 4

The ink according to claim 1 , wherein said salt is contained in an amount of from 0.1% by weight to 5% by weight based on the total weight of the ink.

Claim 5

The ink according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein said dispersant is a sulfonic acid dispersant.

Claim 6

The ink according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein said dispersant is a carboxylic acid dispersant.

Claim 7

The ink according to claim 1 , which is an ink used in ink-jet recording.

Claim 8

An ink set comprising a combination of a black ink with an aqueous color ink containing at least one of coloring materials selected from the group consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow, red, green and blue coloring materials; said black ink comprising the ink according to claim 1 .

Claim 9

The ink set according to claim 7 , wherein said coloring material is an acid dye or a direct dye.

Claim 10

The ink set according to claim 7 , wherein said coloring material is a pigment.

Claim 11

An ink cartridge comprising an ink holder which holds therein the ink according to claim 1 .

Claim 12

A recording unit comprising an ink holder which holds therein the ink according to claim 6 and a head assembly for ejecting the ink.

Claim 13

An image-recording apparatus comprising an ink cartridge comprising an ink holder which holds therein the ink according to claim 6 , a recording head for ejecting the ink held in the ink cartridge, and a means for feeding the ink from the ink cartridge.

Claim 14

An image-recording apparatus comprising the recording unit according to claim 11 .

Claim 15

A color-image-recording apparatus comprising the recording unit according to claim 11 , and a recording unit having an ink holder which holds therein an aqueous color ink containing at least one of coloring materials selected from the group consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow, red, green and blue coloring materials, and a recording head for ejecting the color ink held in the ink holder.

Claim 16

A color-image-recording apparatus comprising an ink cartridge comprising an ink holder which holds therein the ink according to claim 6 , an ink cartridge having an ink holder which holds therein an aqueous color ink containing at least one of coloring materials selected from the group consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow, red, green and blue coloring materials, a recording head for ejecting the respective inks held in the respective ink holders, and means for feeding the respective inks from the respective ink cartridges to the recording head.

Claim 17

An ink-jet recording process comprising the steps of ejecting the ink according to claim 6 , and adhering the ink to the surface of a recording medium.

Claim 18

The ink-jet recording process according to claim 16 , wherein energy for ejecting the ink is heat energy.

Claim 19

The ink-jet recording process according to claim 16 , wherein energy for ejecting the ink is mechanical energy.

Claim 20

An aqueous ink for ink-jet recording, comprising a carbon black, a dispersant for the carbon black, and an aqueous medium, and further comprising as a bleeding relieving agent at least one salt selected from the group consisting of (M 1 ) 2 SO 4 , CH 3 COO(M 1 ), Ph—COO(M 1 ), (M 1 )NO 3 , (M 1 )Cl, (M 1 )Br, (M 1 )I, (M 1 ) 2 SO 3 and (M 1 ) 2 CO 3 wherein M 1 represents an alkali metal, ammonium or an organic ammonium, and Ph represents a phenyl group; wherein the ink comprising carbon black reduces bleeding between itself and an aqueous color ink at their boundary area when the ink comprising carbon black and the color ink are so applied to a recording medium as to be adjacent to each other, and wherein an ink not containing the salt but otherwise identical to the ink comprising carbon black causes bleeding when applied to plain paper by ink-jet recording adjacent to an aqueous different-color ink, at their boundary region.

Claim 21

An aqueous ink for ink-jet recording, comprising a carbon black, a dispersant for the carbon black, and an aqueous medium, and further comprising as a bleeding relieving agent at least one salt selected from the group consisting of (M 1 ) 2 SO 4 , CH 3 COO(M 1 ), Ph—COO(M 1 ), (M 1 )NO 3 , (M 1 )Cl, (M 1 )Br, (M 1 )I, (M 1 ) 2 SO 3 and (M 1 ) 2 CO 3 wherein M 1 represents an alkali metal, ammonium or an organic ammonium, and Ph represents a phenyl group; wherein the ink comprising carbon black reduces bleeding between itself and an aqueous color ink at their boundary area when the ink comprising carbon black and the color ink are so applied to a recording medium as to be adjacent to each other, and wherein an ink not containing the salt but otherwise identical to the ink comprising carbon black causes bleeding when applied to plain paper by ink-jet recording adjacent to an aqueous different-color ink, at their boundary region.

Claim 22

A process for reducing bleeding of an aqueous black ink and an aqueous color ink at their boundary region when the black ink and the color ink are applied to a recording medium so as to be adjacent to each other; said black ink being an ink comprising: at least one salt selected from the group consisting of (M 1 ) 2 SO 4 , CH 3 COO(M 1 ), Ph—COO(M 1 ), (M 1 )NO 3 , (M 1 )Cl, (M 1 )Br, (M 1 )I, (M 1 ) 2 SO 3 and (M 1 ) 2 CO 3 wherein M 1 represents an alkali metal, ammonium or an organic ammonium, and Ph represents a phenyl group; a carbon black; and a dispersant for the carbon black; which are contained in an aqueous medium.

Claim 23

A process for reducing bleeding of an aqueous black ink and an aqueous color ink at their boundary region when the black ink and the color ink are applied to a recording medium so as to be adjacent to each other; said black ink being an ink comprising: at least one salt selected from the group consisting of (M 1 ) 2 SO 4 , CH 3 COO(M 1 ), Ph—COO(M 1 ), (M 1 )NO 3 , (M 1 )Cl, (M 1 )Br, (M 1 )I, (M 1 ) 2 SO 3 and (M 1 ) 2 CO 3 wherein M 1 represents an alkali metal, ammonium or an organic ammonium, and Ph represents a phenyl group; a carbon black; and a dispersant for the carbon black; which are contained in an aqueous medium.