Use of high viscosity, meltable gel inks for controlling bleed
US5531817A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 1, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jul 2, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 1, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC09D11/30
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Color bleed (the invasion of one color into another on the surface of the print medium) using ink-jet inks is controlled by employing either high molecular weight polymers that exhibit a reversible gelling nature with heat or certain amine oxide surfactants that undergo sol-gel transitions. The inks of the invention further include a vehicle and a dye. The vehicle typically comprises a low viscosity, high boiling point solvent and water. Certain high molecular weight polymers, under the correct solution conditions, can form gels which can be subsequently melted by heating of the gel. When the melted gel is cooled, it will then reform into a gel. The viscosity of an ink employing such a gel can be reduced to a viscosity low enough to permit jetting from the print cartridge. After leaving the print cartridge, the melted gel will again reform into a highly viscous gel to immobilize the droplet of ink and prevent its migration on the media. Therefore, two drops of different colors, when printed next to one another will thus be inhibited from migrating or bleeding into one another.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.