# US 8,465,800 B2 · Leather-like sheet and process for the production thereof

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- Number: US 8,465,800 B2
- Document ID: US8465800B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/919,411
- Filed: 2008-02-26
- Published: 2011-01-13
- Granted: 2013-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2008-02-26
- Assignees: Teijin Cordley Limited
- Applicants: Kunihiko Sasaki; Toshihiko Sakamoto
- Inventors: Kunihiko Sasaki; Toshihiko Sakamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465800B2

## CPC

- D06N 3/0043: {characterised by their foraminous structure; Characteristics of the foamed layer or of cellular layers (foraminous structure obtained by stretching D06N3/0029)}
- D06P 1/44: using insoluble pigments or auxiliary substances, e.g. binders
- D06P 5/30: Ink jet printing
- Y10T 428/24438: Artificial wood or leather grain surface
- D06N: WALL, FLOOR, OR LIKE COVERING MATERIALS, e.g. LINOLEUM, OILCLOTH, ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, ROOFING FELT, CONSISTING OF A FIBROUS WEB COATED WITH A LAYER OF MACROMOLECULAR MATERIAL; FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06P: DYEING OR PRINTING TEXTILES; DYEING LEATHER, FURS OR SOLID MACROMOLECULAR SUBSTANCES IN ANY FORM
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

The invention is to provide a leather-like sheet having a fine image drawn by an inkjet printing method, etc., on its surface and having practically sufficient physical properties. This invention includes a leather-like sheet including (i) a fibrous substrate and (ii) a porous layer thereon, the porous layer having a surface having open pores with a diameter of 1 μm or more and the porous layer having the surface having an image whose definition is 5 dots/mm or more, and a process for the production thereof.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for the production of a leather sheet, which comprises the steps of:
(i) forming a porous layer of an elastic polymer (1) on a fibrous substrate,
wherein (i-a) the porous layer is formed by applying a solution of the elastic polymer (1) in an organic solvent onto the substrate and then removing the solvent by a dry method or a wet method, or (i-b) the porous layer is formed by applying a solution of the elastic polymer (1) containing thermally expandable capsules or inert gas onto the substrate,
(ii) removing a surface layer of the porous layer by applying a solvent onto the surface of the porous layer, to form open pores in the range of 100 to 3,000 per cm2 on the surface, and
(iii) forming an image comprising a pigment ink on the porous layer surface provided with the open pores, by an inkjet printing method.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the fibrous substrate is a nonwoven fabric or a composite nonwoven fabric prepared by impregnating a nonwoven fabric with an elastic polymer (2).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the elastic polymer (1) is a polyurethane.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the step (i) of forming the porous layer comprises the steps of:
(i-1) applying a solution containing the elastic polymer (1) and an organic solvent onto the fibrous substrate, and
(i-2) immersing an obtained laminate in water to coagulate the elastic polymer.