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US 2004/0165055 A1Published application
Thermal transfer printing
AssigneeImperial Chemical Industries PLC
InventorsAndrew Alec Clifton, Jeffrey Michael Howell
Life of this patent
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AssigneeImperial Chemical Industries PLC
InventorsAndrew Alec Clifton, Jeffrey Michael Howell
Estimating the term…
An article for receiving an image by thermal transfer printing includes an image-receiving surface of plastics material coated with a layer of dye-receptive material capable of accepting an image by means of a dye thermal transfer process, wherein the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the dye receptive material is at least 50° C. lower than the softening point of the plastics material of the image-receiving surface. By having a difference between the softening point of the plastics material article surface and the Tg of the material coated thereon of at least 50° C. it is possible to achieve printing in a single step transfer process of high density images without distortion of the plastics material. The invention can be used with three-dimensional articles possibly having compound curves, including casings for mobile telephones made of polymers such as polycarbonate.
An article for receiving an image by thermal transfer printing, the article including an image-receiving surface of plastics material coated with a layer of dye-receptive material capable of accepting an image by means of a dye thermal transfer process, wherein the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the dye-receptive material is at least 50° C. lower than the softening point of the plastics material of the image-receiving surface.
An article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dye-receptive coating material comprises a cross-linked polymer.
An article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dye-receptive coating includes one or more mould releasing agents.
An article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dye-receptive coating has a thickness in the range 10 to 50 microns.
An article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plastics material of the image-receiving surface is a thermoplastic material.
An article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the article is a three-dimensional article possibly having complex, curved shapes (concave or convex) including compound curves.
An article according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a casing of a mobile telephone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.