Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Gregory A. Evearitt
  • Patent number: 5532121
    Abstract: Reduction of mottle and other surface anomalies in photothermographic and thermographic elements is reduced by the incorporation of a fluorinated polymer containing at least two different groups within the polymer chain derived from reactive monomers, the groups being: a fluorinated, ethylenically unsaturated monomer; and a polar, ethylenically unsaturated monomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Roger K. Yonkoski, Patricia M. Savu
  • Patent number: 5521059
    Abstract: Ribonucleic acid (RNA) compounds have been found to function as antifoggants and post-processing print stabilizers in photothermographic elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Takuzo Ishida, Frank J. Manganiello, Kumars Sakizadeh
  • Patent number: 5521142
    Abstract: A thermal transfer dye donor element containing at least one substrate coated with a layer containing binder and at least one .beta.-cyano-.beta.-trifluoromethanesulfonyl-p-N,N-dialkylaminostyrene yellow dye. Also disclosed is a process for the imagewise transfer of the yellow dye to a receiving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kevin D. Landgrebe, Terrance P. Smith, Jeffrey C. Chang
  • Patent number: 5512411
    Abstract: Sulfonyl hydrazides are used as developers in phothothermographic and thermographic elements. The sulfonyl hydrazides have the formula:R.sup.1 --CO--NHNH--SO.sub.2 --R.sup.2wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Doreen C. Lynch, Sharon M. Simpson, Paul G. Skoug
  • Patent number: 5496695
    Abstract: Trityl hydrazides and formyl-phenyl hydrazines are useful as co-developers with hindered phenols in phothothermographic and thermographic elements. These co-developers have the formula:R.sup.1 --(C.dbd.O).sub.n --NHNH--R.sup.2R.sup.1 represents hydrogen and R.sup.2 represents an aryl or substituted aryl group; or,R.sup.1 represents hydrogen, alkyl and alkenyl groups of up to 20 carbon atoms; alkoxy, thioalkoxy, or amido groups of up to 20 carbon atoms; aryl, alkaryl, or aralkyl groups of up to 20 carbon atoms; aryloxy, thioaryloxy, or anilino groups of up to 20 carbon atoms; aliphatic or aromatic heterocyclic ring groups containing up to 6 ring atoms; carbocyclic ring groups comprising up to 6 ring carbon atoms; or fused ring or bridging groups comprising up to 14 ring atoms; and R.sup.2 represents a trityl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Sharon M. Simpson, Lori S. Harring
  • Patent number: 5492803
    Abstract: A photothermographic element comprising a support bearing at least one heat-developable, photosensitive, image-forming photothermographic emulsion layer comprising:(a) a photosensitive silver halide;(b) a non-photosensitive, reducible source of silver;(c) a reducing agent for the non-photosensitive reducible silver source; and(d) a binder;wherein the reducing agent is a hydrazide redox-dye-releasing compound of the general formulae: ##STR1## wherein: D represents the chromophore of a thermally mobile dye; X represents a single bond or a divalent linking group; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently represent an organic group; and n.gtoreq.1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kevin D. Landgrebe, Doreen C. Lynch, Sharon M. Simpson, Justine A. Mooney, Andrew W. Mott, Duncan M. A. Grieve, John H. A. Stibbard, Robert J. D. Nairne, Stephen S. C. Poon, David C. Bays
  • Patent number: 5492804
    Abstract: A photothermographic element comprising a support bearing at least one heat-developable, photosensitive, image-forming photothermographic emulsion layer comprising:(a) a photosensitive silver halide;(b) a non-photosensitive, reducible source of silver;(c) a chromogenic leuco dye reducing agent; and(d) a binder;wherein the chromogenic leuco dye reducing agent is a chromogenic leuco redox-dye-releasing compound of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein: (i) Cp is a coupler group;(ii) N--D is a photographic developer group; and(iii) R.sup.1 is a --C(O)--NH--A--Dye group wherein Dye represents the chromophore of a thermally mobile dye; and A represents a single bond or a divalent linking group of the formula --X--R.sup.5 --L--, wherein R.sup.5 is a divalent hydrocarbon chain containing up to 12 carbon atoms, L is a single bond or a divalent group that binds the chromophore of the thermally mobile dye to R.sup.5, and X represents a single bond or an --SO.sub.2 -- group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Raffaella Biavasco, Lori S. Harring, Larry R. Krepski, Daniel E. Mickus, Mark B. Mizen, Sharon M. Simpson, Cristina Soncini, Kim M. Vogel
  • Patent number: 5492805
    Abstract: A photothermographic element containing a support bearing at least one heat-developable, photosensitive, image-forming photothermographic emulsion layer is provided. The emulsion layer comprises:(a) a photosensitive silver halide;(b) a non-photosensitive, reducible source of silver;(c) a leuco dye reducing agent; and(d) a binder;wherein the leuco dye reducing agent comprises a blocked leuco dye compound of the general formula L-R.sup.1, which is capable of being oxidized to a colored form, wherein:(i) L is a group remaining after removal of a hydrogen from a leuco dye; and(ii) R.sup.1 is a C(O)--NH--SO.sub.2 --R.sup.5 group wherein R.sup.5 is an aliphatic group or an aromatic group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Larry R. Krepski, Sharon M. Simpson, Kim M. Vogel
  • Patent number: 5468603
    Abstract: A photothermographic or thermographic imaging element having uniform optical density is described which is useful in automated equipment. A polymeric fluorinated surfactant is present in a layer adjacent to the photothermographic or thermographic emulsion layer to provide uniform optical density. Optically transparent polymeric beads are present in at least one outermost layer of the imaging element to assist in the separation and sliding of the elements when subjected to a film feeding mechanism in automated equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Thomas J. Kub
  • Patent number: 5466804
    Abstract: Novel silver-carboxylate/1,2-diazine compounds having the formula: ##STR1## wherein: R.sup.1 represents either an alkyl, aralkyl, cycloalkyl, or alkenyl group of up to 29 carbon atoms; or an aryl group of up to 14 carbon atoms; andand R.sup.2 represents either hydrogen, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group fused to the 1,2-diazine ring, or the atoms necessary to complete a 5- or 6-membered aromatic ring fused to the 1,2-diazine ring.The novel silver-carboxylate/1,2-diazine compounds are coordination compounds of two silver-carboxylate molecules and two molecules comprising a 1,2-diazine nucleus. These compounds can serve as the silver source in a black-and-white thermographic or photothermographic element or as the oxidizing agent for a dye-based thermographic or photothermographic color-imaging construction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing
    Inventors: David R. Whitcomb, William C. Frank
  • Patent number: 5464738
    Abstract: Sulfonyl hydrazides are used as developers in phothothermographic and thermographic elements. The sulfonyl hydrazides have the formula:R.sup.1 --CO--NHNH--SO.sub.2 --R.sup.2wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Doreen C. Lynch, Sharon M. Simpson, Paul G. Skoug
  • Patent number: 5464737
    Abstract: Post-processing stabilizers for photothermographic, silver imaging media are disclosed. The stabilizers are represented by the following general formulae: ##STR1## wherein: R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are independently H, halogen, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, a thioalkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a perhalogenated alkyl group, or taken together form a cycloaliphatic group.Compounds of formula (I) may be used as stabilizer precursors in photothermographic silver imaging media to provide post-processing stability without significantly adversely affecting desired properties of the photothermographic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kumars Sakizadeh, John T. Blair, David T. Ask
  • Patent number: 5462597
    Abstract: A fingerprinting system comprising means capable of releasably retaining a liquid and a liquid composition releasably retained in said means, said liquid composition comprising a leuco color-former coupound, a dialkyl phthalate wherein the alkyl group contains 1-3 carbon atoms, a substrate for receiving fingerprints associated therewith, said substrate being coated on at least a portion of one surface thereof with a color developing substance comprising a phenol/aldehyde condensation product produced by the reaction together of an alkyl-substituted salicylic acid, an alkyl-substituted phenol, and an aldehyde, said condensation product having been reacted with a metal source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing
    Inventor: Nusrallah Jubran
  • Patent number: 5461155
    Abstract: Metal-Azomethine dyes with excellent solubility in organic media. The dyes have an arene nucleus and are substituted, in part, with a non-free-radically polymerizable alkyldiketonate or 8-hydroxyquinolate ligand. The dyes are useful in dye diffusion transfer processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Terrance P. Smith, David W. Macomber
  • Patent number: 5460980
    Abstract: The growth of a phosphor layer deposited on a patterned substrate containing a multiplicity of recessed ridges of triangular cross section can be controlled by tailoring the geometry of the recessed ridge structures. During the deposition process, little or no phosphor deposition occurs on the recessed ridge structures, and cracks are formed which separate the otherwise uniformly growing phosphor which is present in other regions of the patterned substrate where more substantial phosphor deposition occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Nang T. Tran, Kenneth R. Paulson, Bruce A. Sventek
  • Patent number: 5441866
    Abstract: Photothermographic elements of the photothermographic type may be sensitized to the infrared with sensitizing dyes of the formula: ##STR1## wherein: R.sup.1 represents a (CH.sub.2).sub.n --COO.sup.- group of from 1-20 carbon atoms, or an alkyl group of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms; andn is an integer from 1 to 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 15, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: James R. Miller, Sam Kalousdian, Brian C. Willett, John M. Winslow, Pu Zhou, Chaofeng Zou
  • Patent number: 5439790
    Abstract: Photothermographic elements having improved post-processing stabilty are described. These elements comprise a support bearing at least one photosensitive, image-forming photothermographic-emulsion layer comprising:(a) a photosensitive silver halide;(b) a non-photosensitive, reducible silver source;(c) a reducing agent for said non-photosensitive, reducible silver source,(d) a binder; and(e) a compound capable of releasing a post-processing stabilizer having a nucleus of the formula: ##STR1## wherein: A represents any monovalent group for which the corresponding compound AH functions as a post-processing stabilizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Ramaiah Muthyala, Raymond J. Kenney, Frank J. Manganiello, Kumars Sakizadeh, Sharon M. Simpson
  • Patent number: 5426085
    Abstract: This invention relates to improved imaging systems based on the formation of yellow colored coordination compounds of transition metals with certain ligands. These coordination compounds have been found to provide excellent yellow colors when used in pressure sensitive carbonless copy-papers wherein the image is formed by the reaction of a color-forming compound with transition metal salts such as those of nickel, cobalt, iron, copper, and similar materials. These yellow color-formers have the advantage of high solubility in encapsulation solvents and have less color on Zn.sup.2+ containing CB sheets. Use of these yellow color-formers with other metal complex color-formers such as N-(monosubstituted)dithiooxamide color-formers and N,N'-(disubstituted)dithiooxamides results in the formation of black images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Loren D. Albin, Martha Jacobson, David B. Olson
  • Patent number: 5418377
    Abstract: A pixelized phosphor screen having an array of pixelized phosphors on a support which are separated a width of from greater than 0.0 to 5.0 microns. In order to produce the phosphor screen, phosphor is deposited on a support and then exposed to radiation to create an array of pixelized phosphors separated by slots. The resulting slots between the pixelized phosphors are then filled in with additional phosphor material such that the width between the pixelized phosphors is from greater than 0.0 to 5.0 microns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Nang T. Tran, Kenneth R. Paulson
  • Patent number: 5415993
    Abstract: A photographic emulsion containing: a photosensitive silver halide; a light-insensitive, reducible silver source; a reducing agent for the light-insensitive, reducible silver source; and a binder consisting essentially of poly(vinyl butyral) having a poly(vinyl alcohol) content of about 17.5 to 21.0 wt. % and at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of: toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, and 1,4-dioxane. Additionally, a process for coating a substrate involving applying at least one layer of a molten thermoreversible organogel layer; causing it to gel; and removing residual solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Hanzalik, George H. Crawford, Jr., Sharon M. Rozzi, David J. Scanlan