Thermal dye transfer dye-donor element containing transferable protection overcoat
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsKin K. Lum, John M. Noonan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon at least one dye layer area comprising an image dye in a binder and another area comprising a transferable protection layer, the transferable protection layer area being approximately equal in size to the dye layer area, wherein the transferable protection layer comprises poly(vinyl benzal) having a polymethylmethacrylate equivalent molecular weight of less than about 75,000 as measured by size exclusion chromatography or poly(vinyl acetal) having a polymethylmethacrylate equivalent molecular weight of less than about 65,000 as measured by size exclusion chromatography.
Claims23
A dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon at least one dye layer area comprising an image dye in a binder and another area comprising a transferable protection layer, said transferable protection layer area being approximately equal in size to said dye layer area, wherein said transferable protection layer comprises poly(vinyl benzal) having a polymethylmethacrylate equivalent molecular weight of less than about 75,000 as measured by size exclusion chromatography or poly(vinyl acetal) having a polymethylmethacrylate equivalent molecular weight of less than about 65,000 as measured by size exclusion chromatography.
A process of forming a protection layer on top of a thermal dye transfer image comprising:
- (a) imagewise-heating a dye-donor element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising an image dye in a binder, said dye-donor being in contact with a dye-receiving element, thereby transferring a dye image to said dye-receiving element to form said dye transfer image;
- and
- (b) thermally transferring a protection layer on top of said transferred dye image, said protection layer being applied from an element which contains a layer comprising poly(vinyl benzal) having a polymethylmethacrylate equivalent molecular weight of less than about 75,000 as measured by size exclusion chromatography or poly(vinyl acetal) having a polymethylmethacrylate equivalent molecular weight of less than about 65,000 as measured by size exclusion chromatography.
A thermal dye transfer assemblage comprising
- (a) a dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon at least one dye layer area comprising an image dye in a binder and another area comprising a transferable protection layer, said transferable protection layer area being approximately equal in size to said dye layer area, wherein said transferable protection layer comprises poly(vinyl benzal) having a polymethylmethacrylate equivalent molecular weight of less than about 75,000 as measured by size exclusion chromatography or poly(vinyl acetal) having a polymethylmethacrylate equivalent molecular weight of less than about 65,000 as measured by size exclusion chromatography;
- and
- (b) a dye-receiving element comprising a support having thereon a dye image-receiving layer,
- said dye-receiving element being in a superposed relationship with said dye-donor element so that said dye layer is in contact with said dye image-receiving layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.