Patents by Inventor Louise Granica

Louise Granica has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9618868
    Abstract: A color toner image with a metallic effect can be prepared by forming one or more latent images and developing them with non-conductive metallic dry toner particles and color toner particles. The developed color toner image can be transferred to a receiver material, and fixed to provide a color toner image with a metallic effect. The non-conductive metallic dry toner particles have a polymeric binder phase and non-conductive metal oxide particles dispersed therein. Before fixing, each non-conductive metallic dry toner particle has a mean volume weighted diameter (Dvol) of 15-40 ?m and the non-conductive metal oxide particles are present in an amount of at least 20-50 weight %. The ratio of the non-conductive metallic dry toner particle Dvol to the average equivalent circular diameter (ECD) of the non-conductive metal oxide particles in the non-conductive metallic dry toner particles is greater than 0.1 and up to and including 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Patent number: 9557675
    Abstract: Fluorescing highlights can be provided in selected portions of non-color image areas of a printed toner image using fused fluorescing dry toner particles, such as fused fluorescing magenta or fused fluorescing yellow dry toner particles. Before fixing, each fluorescing dry toner particle comprises a polymeric binder phase and a fluorescing colorant that emits at one or more ?max wavelengths of at least 420 nm and up to and including 690 nm and that is dispersed within the polymeric binder phase. The resulting printed color images and fluorescent highlights can be provided on receiver materials of various types to accentuate or emphasize the printed color images with a variety of light-colored fluorescent shading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20160170319
    Abstract: A color toner image with a metallic effect can be prepared by forming one or more latent images and developing them with non-conductive metallic dry toner particles and color toner particles. The developed color toner image can be transferred to a receiver material, and fixed to provide a color toner image with a metallic effect. The non-conductive metallic dry toner particles have a polymeric binder phase and non-conductive metal oxide particles dispersed therein. Before fixing, each non-conductive metallic dry toner particle has a mean volume weighted diameter (Dvol) of 15-40 ?m and the non-conductive metal oxide particles are present in an amount of at least 20-50 weight %. The ratio of the non-conductive metallic dry toner particle Dvol to the average equivalent circular diameter (ECD) of the non-conductive metal oxide particles in the non-conductive metallic dry toner particles is greater than 0.1 and up to and including 10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20160131988
    Abstract: Fluorescing highlights can be provided in selected portions of non-color image areas of a printed toner image using fused fluorescing dry toner particles, such as fused fluorescing magenta or fused fluorescing yellow dry toner particles. Before fixing, each fluorescing dry toner particle comprises a polymeric binder phase and a fluorescing colorant that emits at one or more ?max wavelengths of at least 420 nm and up to and including 690 nm and that is dispersed within the polymeric binder phase. The resulting printed color images and fluorescent highlights can be provided on receiver materials of various types to accentuate or emphasize the printed color images with a variety of light-colored fluorescent shading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Patent number: 9323169
    Abstract: A color toner image with a metallic effect can be prepared by forming one or more latent images and developing them with metallic dry toner particles and color toner particles. The developed color toner image can be transferred to a receiver material, and fixed to provide a color toner image with a metallic effect. The metallic dry toner particles have a polymeric binder phase and non-conductive metal oxide particles dispersed therein. Before fixing, the metallic dry toner particle has a mean volume weighted diameter (Dvol) 15-40 ?m and the non-conductive metal oxide particles are present in an amount of at least 20-50 weight % based on total metallic dry toner particle weight. The ratio of the metallic dry toner particle Dvol to the average equivalent circular diameter (ECD) of the non-conductive metal oxide particles in the metallic dry toner particles is greater than 0.1 and up to and including 10.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Kevin D. Lofftus, Louise Granica, Richard George Allen
  • Patent number: 9261808
    Abstract: Fluorescing highlights can be provided in selected portions of non-color image areas of a printed toner image using fluorescing dry toner particles, such as fluorescing magenta and fluorescing yellow dry toner particles. Before fixing, each fluorescing dry toner particle comprises a polymeric binder phase and a fluorescing colorant that emits at one or more ?max wavelengths of at least 420 nm and up to and including 690 nm and that is dispersed within the polymeric binder phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Patent number: 9259953
    Abstract: A method for forming a tactile printed image on a receiver medium to convey information to a visually-impaired person from image data having an array image pixels with binary pixel values. The tactile printed image by depositing tactile marking material onto the receiver medium, wherein no tactile marking material is deposited onto portions of the receiver medium corresponding to image pixels having a first state, and tactile marking material is deposited onto portions of the receiver medium corresponding to image pixels having the second state. The receiver medium has a first coefficient of friction, and the portions of the tactile printed image having deposited tactile marking material are raised by at least 20 microns relative to the surface of the receiver medium and have a second coefficient of friction which differs from the first coefficient of friction by at least 0.06.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Patent number: 9057978
    Abstract: A composite color toner image can be enhanced in a printed receiver material by having a separate fluorescing magenta toner image applied over it to provide a “pinkish” fluorescing effect. This separate fluorescing magenta toner image is obtained using visible fluorescing dry magenta toner particles, each of which has a polymeric binder phase and a visible fluorescing colorant that emits at one or more peak wavelengths of from 510 nm and to and including 590 nm. The covering power of the fused visible fluorescing magenta toner particles in the enhanced composite color toner image is at least 350 cm2/g to and including 1100 cm2/g, and the covering power of each of the non-fluorescing cyan, non-fluorescing yellow, non-fluorescing magenta, and non-fluorescing black toner particles in the enhanced composite color toner image is at least 1500 cm2/g to and including 2300 cm2/g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica, Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Patent number: 9052624
    Abstract: A fluorescing dry toner particle comprises a polymeric binder phase comprising a non-fluorescing binder polymer and a polymeric fluorescing colorant dispersed within the non-fluorescing binder polymer. The polymeric fluorescing colorant comprises a fluorescing moiety that is covalently attached to a colorant polymer that is the same or different than the non-fluorescing binder polymer, but the polymeric fluorescing colorant is blendable with the non-fluorescing binder polymer to form a homogeneous polymeric binder matrix, and is present in an amount of at least 1 weight % and up to and including 40 weight %, based on the total fluorescing dry toner particle weight. These fluorescing dry toner particles can be used in various dry developers to provide fluorescing toner images with or without non-fluorescing color toner images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20150111142
    Abstract: A nonporous dry toner particle has a polymeric binder phase and non-conductive metal oxide particles dispersed therein. The nonporous dry toner particle has a mean volume weighted diameter (Dvoi) before fixing of at least 15 ??? to 40 ???. The non-conductive metal oxide particles have as aspect ratio of at least 5 and an ECD of at least 2 ???. They are present in an amount of at least 15 to 50 weight % based on total nonporous dry toner particle weight. The ratio of the nonporous dry toner particle Dvoi to the ECD of the non-conductive metal oxide particles in the nonporous dry toner particles, before fixing, is greater than 0.1 and up to and including 10. These nonporous dry toner particles can be included in dry one-component or two-component developers and used to form electrophotographic printed toner images exhibiting special effects such as a metallic effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Publication date: April 23, 2015
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20150093553
    Abstract: A document includes a transparent substrate; a plurality of color toners and a black toner in a fused image on the substrate; an amount of white toner in the fused image on the substrate; wherein the amount of fused white toner is a non-uniform amount as determined by an covering power of the fused black toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Kevin D. Lofftus, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20150093149
    Abstract: A method for forming a tactile printed image on a receiver medium to convey information to a visually-impaired person from image data having an array image pixels with binary pixel values. The tactile printed image by depositing tactile marking material onto the receiver medium, wherein no tactile marking material is deposited onto portions of the receiver medium corresponding to image pixels having a first state, and tactile marking material is deposited onto portions of the receiver medium corresponding to image pixels having the second state. The receiver medium has a first coefficient of friction, and the portions of the tactile printed image having deposited tactile marking material are raised by at least 20 microns relative to the surface of the receiver medium and have a second coefficient of friction which differs from the first coefficient of friction by at least 0.06.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20150093701
    Abstract: A method for creating a document, the method includes the steps of providing a transparent substrate; providing a toner image, which includes a plurality of color toners and a black toner; determining an amount of white toner to be deposited dependent upon a mass laydown of the black toner and a covering power of the black toner; depositing the determined amount of white toner with the color toners and black toner on the transparent substrate; and fixing the deposited toners on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: DINESH TYAGI, Kevin D. Lofftus, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20150086913
    Abstract: A fluorescing yellow polymeric toner particle comprises one or more non-fluorescing yellow colorants, and one or more fluorescing yellow colorants having one or more emission peak wavelengths of at least 480 nm and up to and including 600 nm. These fluorescing yellow polymeric toner particles can be used to provide multicolor toner images with increased yellow color gamut on various printed receiver materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Chung-Hui Kuo, Louise Granica
  • Patent number: 8936897
    Abstract: A composite color toner image can be enhanced by applying a separate fluorescing toner image over it to provide an enhanced color toner image having a “pinkish” fluorescing effect. This separate fluorescing toner image is obtained using visible fluorescing dry magenta toner particles. Each of these toner particles consists essentially of a polymeric binder phase and a visible fluorescing colorant that emits at one or more peak wavelengths of at least 510 nm and up to and including 590 nm and that is dispersed within the polymeric binder phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica, Chung-Hui Kuo
  • Patent number: 8936893
    Abstract: A fluorescing yellow polymeric toner particle comprises one or more non-fluorescing yellow colorants, and one or more fluorescing yellow colorants having one or more emission peak wavelengths of at least 480 nm and up to and including 600 nm. These fluorescing yellow polymeric toner particles can be used to provide multicolor toner images with increased yellow color gamut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Chung-Hui Kuo, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20140356537
    Abstract: A method for creating a scratch-off document, the method includes the steps of providing a substrate with an image; covering the image with a scratch-off toner; sintering the scratch-off toner; wherein an amount of the sintering of the scratch-off toner is determined from a group consisting of pressure, speed, and mass of the scratch-off toner so that the scratch-off toner is sintered at a level which permits removal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20140356784
    Abstract: A method of creating a scratch-off document, the method includes the steps of providing a substrate; applying an image toner on the substrate; heating the image toner which causes the image toner to fix to the substrate and causes low surface energy component in the image toner to migrate to a surface of a formed image; applying a non-image toner on the surface of the formed image and the substrate; fusing the non-image toner which fuses the non-image toner to the surface of the formed image and the substrate, which causes the fused non-image toner to fuse to a level that permits scratch-off of a scratch-off portion of the fused non-image toner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2013
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica
  • Publication number: 20140272339
    Abstract: A fluorescing yellow polymeric toner particle comprises one or more non-fluorescing yellow colorants, and one or more fluorescing yellow colorants having one or more emission peak wavelengths of at least 480 nm and up to and including 600 nm. These fluorescing yellow polymeric toner particles can be used to provide multicolor toner images with increased yellow color gamut.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Chung-Hui Kuo, Louise Granica
  • Patent number: 8802341
    Abstract: A black toner composition is disclosed. The composition includes toner particles prepared by a chemical process of manufacture including carbon black pigment, a first addition polymer comprising carboxylic acid groups along the polymer backbone, and a thermoplastic second polymer binder distinct from the first addition polymer. In the composition, the first polymer has an Acid Value of from 30 to 220 and is present at a weight ratio of greater than 1:2 relative to the amount of carbon, and at a relatively lower weight percent than the second polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Dinesh Tyagi, Louise Granica