Sublimation Patents (Class 8/471)
  • Patent number: 11538304
    Abstract: A system includes a gaming table, at least one light sensor, an electronic system, and a central computer. The gaming table includes a tabletop covered by a fabric. The at least one light sensor is positioned in proximity to a player position at the gaming table. In addition, the at least one light sensor is positioned beneath the fabric to detect light intensity through the fabric. The electronic system is communicably coupled to the at least one light sensor. Furthermore, the electronic system is operable to detect changes in light intensity at the at least one light sensor. The central computer is communicably coupled to the electronic system. Additionally, the central computer is operable to perform at least one operation based on a status of the at least one light sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Genesis Gaming Solutions, Inc
    Inventors: Randy L. Knust, Eric Schoppe
  • Patent number: 11360241
    Abstract: This invention includes a wettable biomedical device containing a high molecular weight hydrophilic polymer and a hydroxyl-functionalized silicone-containing monomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin P. McCabe, Frank F. Molock, Jr., Gregory A. Hill, Azaam Alli, Robert B. Steffen, Douglas G. Vanderlaan, James D. Ford
  • Patent number: 11065871
    Abstract: A printing method includes selecting a dye sublimation ink, having: a disperse dye colorant dispersion; a primary solvent selected from the group consisting of glycerol, ethoxylated glycerol, 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, dipropylene glycol, and combinations thereof; a surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, and combinations thereof; an additive selected from the group consisting of a buffer, a biocide, a chelating agent, and combinations thereof; and a balance of water. An operating energy that includes a margin over a turn-on energy (TOE) for a thermal inkjet printhead is applied to a heating resistor of the printhead, wherein the margin ranges from about 10% to about 25% over the TOE. The dye sublimation ink is printed from the thermal inkjet printhead i) directly onto a textile substrate, or ii) onto a transfer medium to form an image thereon; and the image is transferred onto the textile substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Howard Doumaux, Steven M. Krause, Varna Jayne Lindqvist
  • Patent number: 10935696
    Abstract: This invention includes a wettable biomedical device containing a high molecular weight hydrophilic polymer and a hydroxyl-functionalized silicone-containing monomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin P. McCabe, Frank F. Molock, Jr., Gregory A. Hill, Azaam Alli, Robert B. Steffen, Douglas G. Vanderlaan, James D. Ford
  • Patent number: 10825288
    Abstract: A system includes a gaming table, at least one light sensor, an electronic system, and a central computer. The gaming table includes a tabletop covered by a fabric. The at least one light sensor is positioned in proximity to a player position at the gaming table. In addition, the at least one light sensor is positioned beneath the fabric to detect light intensity through the fabric. The electronic system is communicably coupled to the at least one light sensor. Furthermore, the electronic system is operable to detect changes in light intensity at the at least one light sensor. The central computer is communicably coupled to the electronic system. Additionally, the central computer is operable to perform at least one operation based on a status of the at least one light sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Genesis Gaming Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Randy L. Knust, Eric Schoppe
  • Patent number: 10723915
    Abstract: A hard coating composition applied to an optical element body formed of organic glass. The hard coating composition contains a hydrolyzate of alkoxysilane as a main agent, a polyvalent organic carboxylic acid and a nitrogen-containing compound as auxiliary agents, and a metal oxide colloid as a refractive index control agent. The alkoxysilane contains a epoxy group-containing trialkoxysilane as a first component, tetraalkoxysilane as a second component, and a sulfide bonded tetraalkoxysilane as a third component. The hard coating composition has practical abrasion resistance by the first component and the second component, and a blending amount of the third component is an amount not impairing the practical abrasion resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Itoh Optical Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Uchida
  • Patent number: 10669440
    Abstract: Provided are processes of placing an image on an object that includes optionally filling a hand held nib-based marker with a child and environmentally friendly aqueous based heat transfer disperse dye ink composition, and imaging an intermediate substrate with the marker. A process optionally further includes optionally drying the image, optionally heating the intermediate substrate, optionally placing the inked intermediate substrate in contact with a dye receptive surface of a receptive object, and optionally transferring the image to the receptive object by application of sufficient heat and pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: ESPRIX TECHNOLOGIES, LP
    Inventors: Tonya Tremitiere, Mark William Cummings, Jana Petrova, Jeff Lee Morgan, Mandy Lehman Smith, John F. Cooper
  • Patent number: 10641926
    Abstract: This invention includes a wettable biomedical device containing a high molecular weight hydrophilic polymer and a hydroxyl-functionalized silicone-containing monomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin P. McCabe, Frank F. Molock, Jr., Gregory A. Hill, Azaam Alli, Robert B. Steffen, Douglas G. Vanderlaan, James D. Ford
  • Patent number: 10395153
    Abstract: Cards embodying the invention include a core subassembly whose elements define the functionality of the card and a hard coat subassembly attached to the top and/or bottom sides of the core subassembly to protect the core subassembly from wear and tear and being scratched. The core subassembly may be formed solely of plastic layers or of different combinations of plastic and metal layers and may include all the elements of a smart card enabling contactless RF communication and/or direct contact communication. The hard coat subassembly includes a hard coat layer, which typically includes nanoparticles, and a buffer or primer layer formed so as to be attached between the hard coat layer and the core subassembly for enabling the lasering of the core subassembly without negatively impacting the hard coat layer and/or for imparting color to the card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: COMPOSECURE, LLC
    Inventor: John Herslow
  • Patent number: 10242525
    Abstract: A system includes a gaming table, at least one light sensor, an electronic system, and a central computer. The gaming table includes a tabletop covered by a fabric. The at least one light sensor is positioned in proximity to a player position at the gaming table. In addition, the at least one light sensor is positioned beneath the fabric to detect light intensity through the fabric. The electronic system is communicably coupled to the at least one light sensor. Furthermore, the electronic system is operable to detect changes in light intensity at the at least one light sensor. The central computer is communicably coupled to the electronic system. Additionally, the central computer is operable to perform at least one operation based on a status of the at least one light sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Genesis Gaming Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Randy L. Knust, Eric Schoppe
  • Patent number: 9751872
    Abstract: This invention aims at providing a compound capable of providing a toner having high covering power and a toner having high covering power, which is achieved by an azamethine acetyl amide-based compound having a specific structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Akiko Kitao
  • Patent number: 9103969
    Abstract: The present invention is dedicated to a process for improving the adhesion properties between a first coating obtained from a curable composition and a second coating, through the incorporation of a cleavable surfactant in said curable composition and subsequent cleavage thereof. Said process comprises: depositing onto the substrate of an optical article a first layer of a first curable composition comprising at least one cleavable surfactant, curing at least partially said first curable composition, thereby forming a first coating, forming a second coating onto said first coating, wherein, after said first curable composition has been deposited onto the substrate, and before deposition of the second coating, said optical article is subjected to a treatment step resulting in a cleavage of at least a portion of the cleavable surfactant. Curable compositions containing cleavable surfactants and optical articles having deposited thereon stacks of coatings formed by the above process are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Essilor International (Compagnie Generale d'Optique)
    Inventors: John Biteau, Herbert Mosse
  • Publication number: 20150113743
    Abstract: A dyeing base body to be used in a dyeing step of dyeing a resin body by heating a sublimable dye attached to the dyeing base body by electromagnetic waves to sublime the dye toward the resin body. The dyeing base body includes a metal base made in sheet form and an electromagnetic wave absorption layer formed on at least an opposite side to the side to which the dye will be attached. The electromagnetic wave absorption layer has a higher electromagnetic wave absorption rate than the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventor: Minoru INUZUKA
  • Patent number: 8999006
    Abstract: The invention relates to a selective dyeing method used for dyeing a substrate (10), selectively within a first exposed surface portion (S1) of said substrate. For this purpose, the substrate consists of a material (2) that is impervious to a dye with the exception of the first portion of the exposed surface. In particular, the impervious material can form a layer which covers a base portion (3) of the substrate in a second portion (S2) of the exposed surface. The substrate is heated such that the dye (C) penetrates a pervious material (1) which constitutes the first portion of the exposed surface. The method is particularly useful for eliminating light diffused by the walls of a multilayer structure which is supported by means of ocular glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Essilor International (Compagnie Generale d'Optique)
    Inventors: Samuel Archambeau, Jérôme Ballet, Jean-Paul Cano, Stéphane Perrot
  • Patent number: 8992634
    Abstract: A method of dyeing a plastic lens including applying a sublimation dye to a dyeing substrate, holding the dyeing substrate on a holding member, holding a plastic lens on the holding member at a position above the dyeing substrate, evacuating a vacuum vessel which accommodates the holding member, transferring the dyeing substrate from the holding member to a heating device provided in the vacuum vessel, so that the dyeing substrate is held to be heatable by the heating device, by vertically moving at least one of the holding member and the heating device, bringing the plastic lens in close proximity to the dyeing substrate by vertically moving at least one of the holding member and the heating device which holds the dyeing substrate, and dyeing the target surface of the plastic lens with the sublimation dye by sublimating the sublimation dye by heating the dyeing substrate using the heating device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Hoya Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Kubotera, Hiroshi Futami, Shinya Miyajima
  • Patent number: 8870972
    Abstract: Sublimation dyeing uses first and second donors, with heat being applied simultaneously from both sides of the object. Receivers can be woven, non-woven, knitted or not knitted, or any combination of these, or any other factors, and are contemplated to include fabrics used for clothing, banners, flags, carpets, wall hangings, and so on. Process parameters use lower temperature and longer dwell times than for one-sided sublimation printing, most preferably dwell times of between 70 seconds and 120 seconds, and a sublimation temperature of less than 400° F. (204.4° C.). Solids and patterns can be reproducibly printed, even in small lots, and can facilitate just in time production of clothing and other materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Airdye Intellectual Property, LLC
    Inventors: William Grier, Van Schmelzter
  • Publication number: 20140123406
    Abstract: An ink contains (A) water, (B) a disperse dye, (C) a resin dispersant, and (D) at least one selected from the group consisting of a compound represented by formula (1) and a compound represented by formula (2) and having an HLB of 15 or more: RO(CH2CH2O)mSO3?M+??(1) RO(CH2CH2O)mH??(2) where R is an alkyl or alkenyl group containing 8 to 20 carbon atoms, m is an integer of 2 to 50, and M+ is an alkali metal or ammonium ion. The ratio of the mass of the ingredient (D) to that of the ingredient (C) is in the range of 4% to 50%, both inclusive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasunari Ikeda, Akihito Sao, Hiroshi Takahashi, Shinichi Naito
  • Patent number: 8709103
    Abstract: A sublimation transfer ink to be discharged by an ink jet process contains water, a sublimation dye, and a trehalose-based compound. The amount of the trehalose-based compound in the sublimation transfer ink is preferably in the range of 3% by mass to 20% by mass, both inclusive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Oguchi
  • Patent number: 8518858
    Abstract: A receptor layer forming composition of a thermal transfer receiving sheet includes a core/shell-type latex which includes a core portion made from an acrylic resin (A) and a shell portion made from a urethane resin (B); and a hydrophilic acrylic resin containing hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylate as at least one polymerizable component. The acrylic resin (A) contains substituted or unsubstituted phenoxyalkyl (meth)acrylate and/or substituted or unsubstituted phenoxy polyalkylene glycol (meth)acrylate as at least one polymerizable component thereof. The urethane resin (B) contains a carboxyl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20130205517
    Abstract: A sublimation transfer ink to be discharged by an ink jet process contains water, a sublimation dye, and a trehalose-based compound. The amount of the trehalose-based compound in the sublimation transfer ink is preferably in the range of 3% by mass to 20% by mass, both inclusive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8425624
    Abstract: A method of dyeing an object comprising placing a sublimable dye and the object to face each other apart at a predetermined distance of 0.1 mm or more but 10 mm or less under pressure, heating the sublimable dye with a laser to sublimate it toward the object such that the deposition region of the dye is part of a to be dyed region of the object, applying the sublimable dye over the entire to be dyed region of the object by relatively moving the object with respect to the sublimation position of the dye using a moving unit and heating at least a part of the dyed region of the object to fix the dye to the region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Nidek Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Inuzuka, Atsushi Yano
  • Patent number: 8399377
    Abstract: A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet having, on a support, at least one heat-insulating layer and at least one receiving layer on the heat-insulating layer, wherein the heat-insulating layer contains hollow polymer particles, gelatin and a latex having a glass transition temperature of from 30 to 85° C., and the molecular chain of the polymer constituting the latex has a styrene recurring unit and a butadiene recurring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Masaaki Miki, Takuya Arai
  • Patent number: 8349027
    Abstract: A process which enables a plastic lenses having a refractive index of 1.7 or greater and, in particular, plastic lenses having a refractive index of 1.7 to 1.8 to be dyed uniformly to a great density without unevenness, which is, specifically, a process for producing a dyed plastic lens which comprises conducting following steps (1), (2) and (3) in this order: Step (1): a step comprising coating a substrate at 60° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: HOYA Corporation
    Inventors: Misa Mishina, Takaaki Kubotera, Shinya Miyajima, Yoko Sakai, Shinichi Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8304370
    Abstract: An image receiver element includes a water-soluble or water-dispersible polyurethane binder in the image receiving layer. This polyurethane has a Tg of from about 60 to about 80° C., a molecular weight of at least 25,000, and an acid number of from about 16 to about 35 mg KOH/g. Moreover, the polyurethane comprises from about 42 to about 60 weight % of recurring urethane units, from about 8 to about 20 weight % of alkylene glycol recurring units, from about 18 to about 40 weight % of carbonate recurring units having aliphatic side chains, and from about 3 to about 15 weight % of recurring units having a water-soluble or water-dispersible acid group, based on total binder weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Teh-Ming Kung, Catherine A. Falkner, Yongcai Wang, Debasis Majumdar
  • Patent number: 8298988
    Abstract: A thermal transfer sheet includes a thermal transfer dye layer containing a dye on one surface of a base material sheet and a heat-resistant lubricating layer on the other surface, wherein the heat-resistant lubricating layer contains at least one type of silicone compound represented by Chemical formula 1 or Chemical formula 2 described below. In Chemical formula 1 and Chemical formula 2, R1 contains an alkyl group, an alkylene group, or a phenyl group and may have an ether or ester bond, R2 represents an alkyl group or an alkylene group having the carbon number of 1 to 50, and n and m represent individually an integer of 1 or more, and or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Masakazu Sawada
  • Patent number: 8288314
    Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet, containing: a base film; a dye layer; and a heat-resistant lubricating layer containing talc particles; wherein, when a projected area corresponding to each of the talc particles in the heat-resistant lubricating layer is obtained from an electron beam image that is obtained by irradiating electron beams accelerated at 20 kV from a side of the heat-resistant lubricating layer of the heat-sensitive transfer sheet using a scanning electronic microscope, an average projected area of talc particles each having the projected area of 10 square ?m or more is 80 square ?m or less, and a variation coefficient that is obtained by dividing a standard deviation of the projected areas of talc particles each having the projected area of 10 square ?m or more by the average projected area is 0.8 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Akito Yokozawa, Junichiro Hosokawa, Naotsugu Muro, Hisato Nagase
  • Patent number: 8283288
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thermal transfer receiving sheet comprising a sheet-like support, an image receiving layer containing, as a main component, a dye-dyeable resin formed on one surface of the sheet-like support, and a back surface coating layer containing an adhesive resin formed on the other surface of the sheet-like support, wherein the back surface coating layer contains a polyvinyl pyrrolidone resin in an amount of 1 to 50% by weight based on the total solid content of the back surface coating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Oji Paper Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Shinohara, Yoshihiro Shimizu, Yoshio Mizuhara, Mitsuru Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 8283289
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer sheet provided with a black dye layer which can form a black image having jet-black color tone, small gradation difference of black and high resistance to light, and which has little offset of dyes to a back side layer during storage in a wound state. The above object is achieved by a thermal transfer sheet comprising a substrate, a heat resistant slip layer provided on one side of the substrate, and a black dye layer containing a dye and binder provided on the other side of the substrate, wherein the black dye layer contains 2 or 3 kinds of specific magenta dyes and 2 or 3 kinds of cyan dyes in the specific weight ratios with respect to a specific yellow dye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomoko Araki
  • Publication number: 20120237740
    Abstract: A process including article of manufacture, utilizes nanoparticles, such as quantum dots, as pigment or dye-pigment to color an article, via dye-sublimation, printing, coloring, or painting methods. Garments or decorative media are manufactured utilizing these methods to incorporate nanoparticles as coloring agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Inventors: Robert C. Hefty, Emily J. Hefty
  • Patent number: 8258078
    Abstract: An image receiving element is a composite of multiple layers on a support including, in order, an extruded compliant layer, an aqueous-coated subbing layer, and an image receiving layer that may also be extruded. The extruded compliant layer is non-voided and comprises from about 10 to about 40 weight % of at least one elastomeric polymer. This image receiving element can be disposed on a support to form a thermal dye transfer receiver element, an electrophotographic image receiver element, or a thermal wax receiver element. Excellent adhesion is provided between the extruded compliant layer and the image receiving layer by means of the aqueous-coated subbing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Narasimharao Dontula, Debasis Majumdar, Brian Thomas, Somsack Chang
  • Publication number: 20120207968
    Abstract: The invention relates to a selective dyeing method used for dyeing a substrate (10), selectively within a first exposed surface portion (S1) of said substrate. For this purpose, the substrate consists of a material (2) that is impervious to a dye with the exception of the first portion of the exposed surface. In particular, the impervious material can form a layer which covers a base portion (3) of the substrate in a second portion (S2) of the exposed surface. The substrate is heated such that the dye (C) penetrates a pervious material (1) which constitutes the first portion of the exposed surface. The method is particularly useful for eliminating light diffused by the walls of a multilayer structure which is supported by means of ocular glass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventors: Samuel Archambeau, Jérôme Ballet, Jean-Paul Cano, Stéphane Perrot
  • Patent number: 8222185
    Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet at least having a polyester support, a barrier layer, a heat-sensitive transfer layer containing a dye and a binder, both layers being applied on a surface of the support in this order, and having the heat-sensitive transfer layer including yellow, magenta, and cyan heat-sensitive transfer layers, and the yellow, magenta, and cyan heat-sensitive transfer layers and a protective layer being formed in area order, wherein the barrier layer contains a polyvinylpyrrolidone and cyan heat-sensitive transfer layer contains at least one silicone oil and at least one dye represented by the following formula (C1): wherein Ar represents a substituted or unsubstituted p-phenylene group; R1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; R2 represents a substituted or unsubstituted acylamino group, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxycarbonylamino group; R3 and R4 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl gr
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuaki Oguma, Naotsugu Muro
  • Patent number: 8198213
    Abstract: A thermal transfer image receiving sheet containing a substrate having thereon a thermal insulation layer, an intermediate layer and an image receiving layer in that order, wherein the thermal insulation layer, the image receiving layer and the intermediate layer each is formed by an aqueous coating method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadanobu Sekiya, Kenji Michiue, Hiroki Nakane
  • Patent number: 8163038
    Abstract: A low volatile sublimation printing process comprises transferring a sublimation ink solid in an unsublimed form in a desired design by means of, for example, lithographic printing machinery, onto a medium such as paper. The image then is transferred from the medium onto a desired material in which sublimation takes place at the time of transfer onto that desired material. The sublimation ink can have a total volatile content of less than 10%, and preferably may have a total volatile content of less than 5%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Superior Printing Ink Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Czarnecki, Mark Finley, Joseph Kissinger, Kenneth Smith
  • Patent number: 8133843
    Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer image-receiving sheet, comprising a support, and at least one heat insulation layer containing hollow polymer particles and at least one receptor layer provided for the support in this order, wherein the receptor layer contains a latex polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of lower than 50° C. and a latex polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 50° C. or higher, the latex polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of lower than 50° C. is contained in an amount, as solid content, larger than that of the latex polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 50° C. or higher, and the latex polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of lower than 50° C. is a latex polymer having the recurring unit obtained from vinyl chloride monomer in an amount of 50 mol % or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuaki Oguma, Shigeru Shibayama
  • Patent number: 8129309
    Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet, comprising a base film, at least three heat-sensitive transfer layers containing heat-sensitively transferable dyes and a resin, and a heat-resistant slipping layer, in which the at least three heat-sensitive transfer layers contains two or more dyes different from each other; the heat-sensitive transfer layers are provided on one face of the base film so as not to be superposed on one another; the heat-sensitive transfer layers contains, as the resin, at least one of a polyvinylbutyral resin and a polyvinyl acetacetal resin, each having a polymerization degree of 200 to 1,000; and at least one of the heat-sensitive transfer layers contains the polyvinylbutyral resin as described above and the polyvinyl acetacetal resin described above, and has a ratio of the polyvinylbutyral to the polyvinyl acetacetal different from those in the other heat-sensitive transfer layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Akito Yokozawa, Kazuaki Oguma
  • Patent number: 8129310
    Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer sheet containing a base film, a dye layer formed over one surface of the base film and containing a heat-transferable dye and a resin, and a heat-resistant lubricating layer formed over the other surface of the base film and containing inorganic particles and a resin, wherein the inorganic particles contained in the heat-resistant lubricating layer has a Mohs' hardness of 3 to 7 and a mean particle size of 0.3 to 5 ?m, and the ratio of the maximum width of each of the inorganic particles to the sphere equivalent diameter thereof is from 1.5 to 50.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Akito Yokozawa
  • Publication number: 20120023684
    Abstract: A dyeing method of dyeing an object to be dyed comprise: a first step of placing a sublimable dye and the object to face each other apart at a predetermined distance under normal pressure and heating the sublimable dye to sublimate the sublimable dye toward the object, the distance between the sublimable dye and the object being determined at 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: NIDEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Minoru INUZUKA, Atsushi YANO
  • Patent number: 8105978
    Abstract: A thermal transfer ink sheet comprising, as formed on a support, a dye layer containing a thermal transferable dye in a resin binder, wherein the dye layer contains a polyvinyl acetal modified with at least one compound of the following formula [1]: wherein R1 is a substituted linear alkyl group, a substituted branched alkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic group, and R2 is a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted linear alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted branched alkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted cyclic group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Masataka Yoshizawa, Naotsugu Muro
  • Patent number: 8093181
    Abstract: A thermal transfer member includes a plurality of color material layers on one surface of a base material, wherein at least one of the color material layers contains a dicyanomethine based coloring agent represented by Structural formula 1 and at least one of the other color material layers contains an indoaniline based coloring agent represented by Structural formula 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Shinohara, Katsuya Tanba, Masanobu Hida
  • Patent number: 8088180
    Abstract: A lens dyeing method comprising the steps of: (a) determining a print area to be formed on a dyeing base body based on information entered to dye a predetermined area of a surface of a lens to be dyed with desired hue and almost uniform color density so that the print area has a diameter larger than that of the lens surface area and the color density of the print area concentrically changes from a central portion to a peripheral portion in a stepwise or linear manner; (b) applying a dyeing ink containing a sublimable dye onto the base body to form the determined print area on one surface of the base body; and (c) placing the base body and the lens so that the print area formed surface and the lens surface area to be dyed face each other in noncontact relation under substantially a vacuum condition, and heating the base body to deposit the dye onto the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Nidek Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Inuzuka, Hirokazu Hyodo
  • Publication number: 20110283464
    Abstract: A low volatile sublimation printing process comprises transferring a sublimation ink solid in an unsublimed form in a desired design by means of, for example, lithographic printing machinery, onto a medium such as paper. The image then is transferred from the medium onto a desired material in which sublimation takes place at the time of transfer onto that desired material. The sublimation ink can have a total volatile content of less than 10%, and preferably may have a total volatile content of less than 5%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: SUPERIOR PRINTING INK CO.
    Inventors: Richard CZARNECKI, Mark FINLEY, Joseph KISSINGER, Kenneth SMITH
  • Patent number: 8012910
    Abstract: There is provided a printing method that can provide an image formed object which can suppress a change in density of a visible dye image and a lowering in fluorescence intensity and, at the same time, is free from concave/convex of the image surface and has a latent image invisible even under visible light. The printing method comprises a first step of forming a latent image of a fluorescent dye by thermal diffusion transfer; and a second step of providing a visible dye on the latent image by thermal diffusion transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Awano, Satoshi Narita
  • Patent number: 7988742
    Abstract: The present invention provides a decorative medical covering for the protective wrapping of a skin injury or an orthopedic injury. The decorative medical covering is produced by providing a strip of material of a predetermined length and a predetermined width. The material is composed of a plurality of fibers. An aesthetically pleasing image is stored onto a sublimation transferal medium. The image is transferred from the sublimation transfer medium onto the strip wherein the image is permanently incorporated into the plurality of fibers of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Inventors: Celeste Ann Stein, Ben Jay Stein
  • Patent number: 7939465
    Abstract: An image destruct material comprises a release layer positioned between an image receiving layer and a base layer. The adhesion between the release layer and the base layer is greater than adhesion between the release layer and the image receiving layer. The release layer material can be used in secure documents that have an image receiving layer. After information is printed on the image receiving layer, an overlaminate is applied over it. Removal of the overlaminate destroys the printed image on the receiving layer because of the relative adhesive properties of the image receiving layer, overlaminate and release layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: L-1 Secure Credentialing
    Inventors: Daoshen Bi, Tung-Feng Yeh, Robert L. Jones, Brian C. LaBrec
  • Patent number: 7922778
    Abstract: A sublimation donor has a first fabric enhancer that sublimates from the donor above a first temperature. That is followed by a second fabric enhancer that sublimates from the donor above a second temperature. Both the first and second temperatures are above 260° F. and the second temperature is at least 10° F. higher than the first temperature. Upon sublimation under a single pass processing unit, first and second catalysts trigger the first and second fabric enhancers to sublimate at the first and second temperatures, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Colorep, Inc.
    Inventor: William Grier
  • Publication number: 20110023243
    Abstract: A method of dyeing a plastic lens includes the steps of applying a sublimation dye to a dyeing substrate, holding the dyeing substrate on a holding member, holding a plastic lens on the holding member at a position above the dyeing substrate, evacuating a vacuum vessel which accommodates the holding member, transferring the dyeing substrate from the holding member to a heating device provided in the vacuum vessel, so that the dyeing substrate is held to be heatable by the heating device, by vertically moving at least one of the holding member and the heating device, bringing the plastic lens in close proximity to the dyeing substrate by vertically moving at least one of the holding member and the heating device which holds the dyeing substrate, and dyeing the target surface of the plastic lens with the sublimation dye by sublimating the sublimation dye by heating the dyeing substrate using the heating device. An apparatus for dyeing a plastic lens is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventors: Takaaki Kubotera, Hiroshi Futami, Shinya Miyajima
  • Publication number: 20100325816
    Abstract: A sublimation donor has a first fabric enhancer that sublimates from the donor above a first temperature and follow by a second fabric enhancer that sublimates from the donor above a second temperature. Both the first and second temperatures used are above 260° F. and the second temperature is at least 10° F. higher than the first temperature. Upon sublimation under a single pass processing unit, first and second catalysts triggers the first and second fabric enhancers to sublimate at the first and second temperatures, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: Colorep, Inc.
    Inventor: William Grier
  • Publication number: 20100319599
    Abstract: A spinnaker sailboat sail is fabricated, according to one embodiment, from at least one transfer medium and at least one sheet of durable spinnaker sailcloth material. The transfer medium includes dyes forming backwards-imaged, visible content. The sheet of sailcloth material includes tightly woven fibers and has two sides. The transfer medium is positioned upon a first side of the sailcloth material at a location at which the visible content is desired to be affixed. Heat and pressure are applied to the transfer medium and the sailcloth material sufficient to force the dyes from the transfer medium completely through the sailcloth material by transferring the dyes from a solid state directly to a gas state to flow past the tightly woven fibers of the sailcloth material. The heat and pressure are then removed to enable the dyes from the transfer medium to become permanently affixed to the sheet of sailcloth material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventor: Aaron Kiss
  • Patent number: 7833937
    Abstract: An image destruct material comprises a release layer positioned between an image receiving layer and a base layer. The adhesion between the release layer and the base layer is greater than adhesion between the release layer and the image receiving layer. The release layer material can be used in secure documents that have an image receiving layer. After information is printed on the image receiving layer, an overlaminate is applied over it. Removal of the overlaminate destroys the printed image on the receiving layer because of the relative adhesive properties of the image receiving layer, overlaminate and release layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: L-1 Secure Credentialing, Inc.
    Inventors: Daoshen Bi, Tung-Feng Yeh, Robert L. Jones, Brian C. Labrec