Extruded Image Receiver Elements for Thermal Dye Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal dye transfer systems face challenges in achieving high gloss or matte finishes due to humidity sensitivity and poor adhesion of compliant and antistatic tie layers, leading to delamination issues, especially under hot and humid conditions, and require additional manufacturing steps.
Innovation Solution
An extruded imaging element comprising a non-voided compliant layer with a thermoplastic polyolefin blend, styrene/alkylene block copolymer, and an antistatic tie layer that is co-extruded with the image receiving layer, providing enhanced adhesion and allowing for glossy or matte finishes without delamination, even under harsh environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional compliant layers and antistatic tie layers are used separately with additional manufacturing steps, then manufacturing complexity increases, but adhesion reliability deteriorates due to delamination under hot and humid conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the compliant layer and antistatic tie layer into a single integrated layer that performs both functions simultaneously. This merged layer eliminates the need for separate manufacturing steps for applying and bonding individual layers, thereby improving adhesion reliability by preventing delamination while reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material composition within the single layer, incorporating both compliant (cushioning) properties and antistatic properties through a carefully formulated material blend. This composite approach allows the layer to provide both mechanical compliance and electrostatic protection without requiring multiple separate layers.
2Reliability
If additional manufacturing steps are used to apply and bond separate compliant and antistatic tie layers, then manufacturing time increases, but adhesion uniformity deteriorates leading to delamination
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the compliant layer and antistatic tie layer into a single extruded layer, the patent eliminates multiple bonding steps that are prone to adhesion failures. The single-layer approach ensures uniform adhesion across the entire surface without the delamination issues that arise from multiple separate bonding operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The antistatic and compliant properties are incorporated into the layer during the extrusion process itself, before the layer is applied to the substrate. This preliminary incorporation of functional properties ensures uniform distribution and eliminates subsequent bonding steps that could compromise adhesion uniformity.
3Productivity
If hollow particle layers are used to provide compliance, then manufacturing productivity decreases due to powerful drying requirements, but surface gloss deteriorates due to increased surface roughness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a voided polymer structure that provides compliance through controlled porosity rather than hollow particles. This approach eliminates the need for powerful drying stages required by hollow particle layers, thereby maintaining high manufacturing productivity while avoiding the surface roughness and gloss deterioration associated with particle-based compliance layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite polymer formulation that integrates compliance functionality directly into the matrix material without requiring discrete hollow particles. This composite approach maintains surface smoothness and gloss while providing the necessary cushioning properties.
4Loss of substance
If variable film uniformity is accepted from laminating pre-created composite films, then manufacturing waste increases, but manufacturing flexibility improves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal single-layer structure that can be extruded with consistent uniformity and then adapted through formulation adjustments to provide different levels of compliance and antistatic properties. This universal base structure reduces manufacturing waste from variable lamination while maintaining flexibility through material composition variations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables efficient manufacturing with reduced waste, improved adhesion, and the ability to produce either glossy or matte prints without delamination, even under hot and humid conditions, by co-extruding the compliant and antistatic tie layers with the image receiving layer.
Implementation Method 1
The compliant layer provides insulation to keep heat generated by the thermal head at the surface of the print
Implementation Method 2
an extruded antistatic tie layer between the extruded compliant layer and the image receiving layer that is extruded as well
Data Source
AI summary
An image receiving element is a composite of two or more extruded layers on a support including, in order, an extruded compliant layer, an extruded antistatic tie layer, and an image receiving layer that may also be extruded. The extruded compliant layer is non-voided and comprises from 10 to 40 weight % of at least one elastomeric polymer. This image receiving element can be disposed on a support to form a thermal dye transfer receiver element, an electrophotographic image receiver element, or a thermal wax receiver element. Two or more extruded layers can be co-extruded.