Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Harold E. Cole
  • Laser thermal media with improved abrasion resistance
    Patent number: 6259465
    Abstract: A laser ablative recording element with a support having a certain Young's modulus and having thereon an image layer comprising an image dye or pigment dispersed in a polymeric binder, the image layer having a near infrared-absorbing material associated therewith to absorb at a given wavelength of the laser used to expose the element, the image dye or pigment absorbing in the region of from about 250 to about 700 nm, the element having a compliant layer between the support and the image layer, the compliant layer having a Young's modulus lower than that of the support, and the compliant layer having a thickness of between about 2 &mgr;m and about 200 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Lee W. Tutt, James P. Heetderks
  • Ink jet ink
    Patent number: 6258155
    Abstract: An ink jet ink composition comprising from about 30 to about 90% by weight of an alcohol carrier, from about 0.5 to about 30% by weight of a pigment, from about 0.125 to about 7.5% by weight of an amine-terminated polyether dispersant, and from about 10 to about 50% by weight of a humectant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert A. Guistina, Charles E. Romano, Jr., Karen E. Maskasky
  • Additive for ink jet ink
    Patent number: 6254670
    Abstract: An ink jet ink composition comprising from about 30 to about 90% by weight of water, from about 0.5 to about 30% by weight of a pigment, from about 0.125 to about 7.5% by weight of an anionic dispersant, from about 0.05 to about 2% by weight of an ethoxylated trimethylnonanol, and from about 10 to about 50% by weight of a humectant comprising a polyhydric alcohol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David Erdtmann, Alan R. Pitt, Thomas E. Kocher, Thomas W. Martin
  • Additive for ink jet ink
    Patent number: 6248163
    Abstract: An ink jet ink composition comprising from about 30 to about 90% by weight of water, from about 0.5 to about 30% by weight of a pigment, from about 0.05 to about 2% by weight of an aromatic sulfonate or disulfonate comprising sodium p-toluenesulfonate, disodium 2,5-dihydroxybenzene-disulfonate monohydrate, sodium p-hydroxybenzenesulfonate or sodium p-aminobenzenedisulfonate, and from about 10 to about 50% by weight of a humectant comprising a polyhydric alcohol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Thomas W. Martin
  • Continuous ink jet printing process using asymmetric heating drop deflection
    Patent number: 6247801
    Abstract: An ink jet printing process comprising the steps of; a) providing an ink jet printer in which a continuous stream of ink jet ink is emitted from a nozzle that is responsive to digital data signals; b) loading the printer with an ink jet recording element; c) loading the printer with an ink jet ink comprising an organic solvent; and d) ejecting ink from a thermally-steered continuous ink jet print head onto one of the ink jet recording elements in response to the digital data signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David P. Trauernicht, Charles E. Romano, Jr., James M. Chwalek
  • Process of forming an image using a multilayer metal coalescence thermal recording element
    Patent number: 6243127
    Abstract: A process of forming an image comprising imagewise-exposing, by means of a laser, a thermal recording element comprising a transparent support having thereon at least two metal layers having a melting point below about 2,000° C. and a substantially transparent, polymeric spacer layer separating each metal layer from another metal layer, thereby causing portions of each metal layer to coalesce in response to the imagewise exposure by the laser, thus forming the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Mitchell S. Burberry, Lee W. Tutt, Robert G. Spahn
  • Process for obtaining a diffusion resistant lenticular element
    Patent number: 6239068
    Abstract: A process of forming a diffusion resistant lenticular element comprising: a) contacting at least one dye-donor element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising an image dye in a binder having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith, the image dye comprising a nonionic dye capable of being converted to a cationic dye by means of an acid, with a lenticular element comprising a first support having thereon a lenticular array on the opposite side thereof; b) imagewise-heating the dye-donor element by means of a laser; c) transferring a dye image to the first support of the lenticular element; d) contacting the dye image with a mordanting element comprising a second support having thereon in order, a release layer and an adhesive layer of an acidic polymer having a Tg less than about 80° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Lee W. Tutt, Christine M. Vargas, John Agostinelli
  • Ink jet printing method
    Patent number: 6234624
    Abstract: An ink jet printing method, including the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with ink-receptive substrates; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition comprising from about 0.5% to about 30% by weight of a pigment, a carrier and a hydrophobically capped oligomeric acrylamide dispersant in a ratio of dispersant:pigment from about 0.1:1 to about 5:1; and D) printing on an ink-receptive element using the ink jet ink in response to the digital data signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David Erdtmann, Alan R. Pitt, Trevor Wear
  • Process for forming an ablation image
    Patent number: 6235454
    Abstract: A process of forming a single color, ablation image having a D-max, or unexposed area, D-min and D-intermediate, comprising imagewise-heating, by means of a laser in the absence of a separate receiving element, an ablative recording element comprising a support having thereon, in order, a barrier layer having UV density and a colorant layer comprising a colorant dispersed in a polymeric binder, the colorant layer having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith, the laser exposure taking place through the colorant side of the element, a) the laser exposure used to obtain the D-intermediate density is such that the colorant layer in that area is substantially removed but substantially none of the barrier layer in that area is removed, so that the characteristic density vs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Mitchell Burberry, Lee W. Tutt
  • Blue dye mixture for thermal color proofing
    Patent number: 6232269
    Abstract: A blue dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising a mixture of a cyan dye and a magenta dye dispersed in a polymeric binder, said cyan dye having the formula A: and said magenta dye having the formula B
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Derek D. Chapman, Glenn T. Pearce
  • Ink jet recording element
    Patent number: 6228475
    Abstract: An ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon the following layers in the order recited: I) a solvent-absorbing layer of a porous, polyolefin material, and II) an image-recording layer comprising a polymeric binder and colloidal silica having an attached silane coupling agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Lixin Chu, Charles E. Romano, Jr., Cheng C. Chen
  • Ink jet printing method
    Patent number: 6224202
    Abstract: An ink jet printing process for improving the water-fastness of an ink jet image comprising the steps of: A) providing an ink jet printer that is responsive to digital data signals; B) loading the printer with an image-recording element comprising a support having thereon an ink-receptive layer comprising a cross-linkable polymer; C) loading the printer with an ink jet ink composition comprising water, an anionic, water-soluble dye and from about 0.1 to about 5% by weight of a hardener; and D) printing on the image-recording element using the ink jet ink composition in response to the digital data signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Charles E. Romano, Jr., Elizabeth A. Gallo
  • Red dye mixture for thermal color proofing
    Patent number: 6221807
    Abstract: A red dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising a mixture of a magenta dye and two yellow dyes dispersed in a polymeric binder, said magenta dye having the formula A the first yellow dye having the following formula B: and the second yellow dye having the formula C:
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Derek D. Chapman, Linda A. Kaszczuk, Glenn T. Pearce
  • Diffusion resistant lenticular element
    Patent number: 6221806
    Abstract: A diffusion resistant lenticular element comprising a first support having thereon a lenticular array, the element having thereon a protective element comprising a second support having thereon an adhesive layer of an acidic polymer having a Tg less than about 80° C., the adhesive layer of the protective element being on the side of the first support which does not contain the lenticular array, the adhesive layer containing a laser-induced, cationic dye image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Lee W. Tutt, Christine M. Vargas, Teh-Ming Kung
  • Abrasion-resistant overcoat layer for laser ablative imaging
    Patent number: 6218071
    Abstract: A laser dye-ablative recording element comprising a support having thereon, in order, a dye layer comprising an image dye dispersed in a polymeric binder and a polymeric overcoat which contains spacer beads but which does not contain any image dye, the dye layer having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith to absorb at a given wavelength of the laser used to expose the element, the image dye absorbing in the region of the electromagnetic spectrum of from about 300 to about 700 nm and not having substantial absorption at the wavelength of the laser used to expose the element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Lee William Tutt, Sharon Wheten Weber
  • Process for preparing an ink jet ink
    Patent number: 6210474
    Abstract: A process for making an ink jet ink comprising: a) providing an organic pigment dispersion containing a pigment and a carrier; b) mixing the pigment dispersion with rigid milling media having an average size less than about 100 &mgr;m; c) introducing the mixture from step b) into a high speed mill; d) milling the mixture from step c) until a pigment particle size distribution is obtained wherein about 50% by weight of the pigment particles have a particle size less than about 100 nanometers; e) separating the milling media from the mixture milled in step d); and f) diluting the mixture from step d) to obtain the ink jet ink; wherein the milling media comprises negatively-charged polymeric beads which are crosslinked sufficiently to prevent swelling of the polymeric beads to levels greater than or equal to about 50 volume % within 4 hours at 25° C. in the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Charles E. Romano, Jr., Douglas E. Bugner, Richard C. VanHanehem, James R. Bennett, Dennis E. Smith, Robert A. Guistina
  • Ink jet printing process
    Patent number: 6206517
    Abstract: An ink jet printing process for improving the light stability of an ink jet image comprising: providing an ink jet recording element comprising a support having thereon an image-recording layer comprising a cross-linkable polymer of gelatin or acetoacetylated poly(vinyl alcohol) and a mordant; applying liquid ink droplets of a dye on the image-recording layer in an image-wise manner, the dye being a water-soluble deprotonated cationic dye which is capable of being reprotonated to a cationic dye having a N—H group which is part of a conjugated system; and applying an aqueous solution of a multivalent inorganic salt to the image to cross-link the polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Csaba A. Kovacs, Teh-Ming Kung, Charles E. Romano, Jr.
  • Diffusion resistant lenticular element
    Patent number: 6208364
    Abstract: A process of forming a diffusion resistant lenticular element: a) contacting at least one dye-donor element having a support having thereon a dye layer having an image dye in a binder having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith, the image dye comprising a nonionic dye capable of being converted to a cationic dye with an acid, with a lenticular element having a support with a lenticular array thereon on the opposite side thereof; b) imagewise-heating the dye-donor element with a laser; c) transferring a dye image to the support of the lenticular element; d) contacting the dye image with an acidic mordanting layer; and e) heating the lenticular element to cause the nonionic dye to convert to a cationic dye which is mordanted in the acidic mordanting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Lee W. Tutt, Christine M. Vargas, Steven Evans
  • Thermal color proofing process
    Patent number: 6197474
    Abstract: A process of forming a halftone color proof containing at least one dye transfer image and at least one pigment transfer image, comprising imagewise-exposing, for less than about 10−4 sec., by means of a laser having a power density of greater than 104 W/cm2, a dye-donor element comprising a support having thereon a dye layer comprising a dye dispersed in a polymeric binder, the dye layer having an infrared-absorbing material associated therewith, the laser exposure taking place through the side of the support of the dye-donor element which does not have the dye layer thereon, and transferring a portion of the dye in the dye layer to a receiving element having thereon an image-receiving layer; and imagewise-exposing, for less than about 10−4 sec.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David A. Niemeyer, Gerard J. Brien, Charles DeBoer
  • Method for cleaning an ink jet print head
    Patent number: 6193352
    Abstract: A method for cleaning an ink jet print head nozzle plate having an anti-wetting layer formed thereon, wherein an aqueous solution of a metal salt of a taurine surfactant is applied to the nozzle plate and then removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Ravi Sharma, Vincent E. Hamilton-Winbush, Thomas L. Penner