Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TINTED METALLIZED RECORDING MEDIVM
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Background_of the Invention
This invention relates generally to recording mediums
and more particularly to metallized recording mediums
in which the metal surface is eroded to expose an
underlying layer of contrasting color.
- Metallized papers having a thin layer of metal thereon
which i5 erodible by recording electrodes are well
known. These papers are usually coated with metal
which is sputtered or evaporated over the surface of
the paper in an extremely thin layer several hundred
Angstroms in thickness. The metal coating covers
either a dark paper or a paper having an intermediate
layer~which contrasts with the color of the metal
coating so that, when exposed, the covered layer
provides easily readable marks. The papers may be
coated with any of several different metals but the
usual metal is aluminum which provides a bright, shiny
surface having the silver coloring of the aluminum.
There is some reluctance in certain recording appli-
cations, to use this record medium because of the
brightness of the surface since a dull or matte finish
is preferred.
-
Past attempts at providing muted, more acceptable
surface finishes have tried coating with differentmetals such as zinc, nickel, tin, copper or bronze.
(See U. S. patents 1,825,551 and 2,833,677.) Usually
the coating of these other metals requires more pro-
~essing or more expensive metallizers to achieve the
Goating. These other metals are able to provide some
differences in color, but their expense is a signifi-
cant disadvantage. Another drawback of other metals
is the variation in surface resistivity which requires
different energies for the recording erosion. This
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further requires changing the printer marking energy
to conform to that necessary to remove the coat.
,
Metallized paper has been used lleretofore in certain
media with one or more ~pplications such as decorative
packaging or labels. In these instances, overprinting
of the metal with designs or information may be required.
However, there has been no application of ink where the
metal coating was intended for removal.
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Objects and Summary of the Invention
It is accordingly a primary object of this invention
to provide a method of coloring metallized record
media which does not adversely af~ect recording
; quaLity and`is applicable to various metal coatinys.
,
Another important object of this invention is to
provide a method of providing coated metallized record
media for erodible recording which dulls the surface
finish while maintaining a color approxima-ting the
original color of the metal coating.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a
a method of coating the metal surface of a metallized
record medium with one or more various colors to
produce any of a wide variety of hues while yet
permitting selective metal removal.
still another object of this invention is to provide a
25 method of coating the metal layer of a metallized
record medium with an opaque coating to dull the
surface reflection of the metal while maintaining the
original color and permitting erosion of the metal
surface.
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The foregoing objects of thè invention are attained in
accordance with the invention by printing the metal
surface of metallized record
selected inks applied by means of conventional tint
screens to achieve a halftone printing of the metal
surface while restricting the coating to discrete areas
which in totality cover a small portion of the surface
- and which is insufficient to affect the recording
ability of the record medium.
The discrete ink marks applied to the metal surface
may have various shapes, being spots or lines, which -
still leave a significant portion of the metal exposed
to the recording head for selective removal during
printing. The ink colors may be any chosen to provide
the desired hue on the surface of the metallized layer
and in the event that the original color of the metal
layer is desired, a corresponding pigmented ink of the
same color can be applied to dull the glossiness of
the original metal coating. In addition, two or more
screens can be used to apply different colors to
achieve a composite hue.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advan-
tages of the invention will be apparent from the
following more particular description of preferred
embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the
acc~mpanying drawing.
Brief Description of the Drawing
FIG. 1 represents a portion of a metallized recording
member having tinting applied to the recording surface
thereof in accordance with the principles of the
invention; and
FIG. 2 is a representation of a portion of a recording
member having tinting applied to the record surface in
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an alternative manner, but in accordance with the
principles of the invention.
Description of the Preferred Embodiments
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a portion of a
metallized recording member 10, well known in the
recording technology, which typically comprises a
layer ll of paper having on its upper surface a
coating 12 of a dark material such as ink which, in
turn, is coated with a thin metal layer 13 such as
' 10 evaporated or sputtered aluminum, tin or nickel. Base'
paper layer 11 may be a dark, homogenously colored
paper thus making coating 12 unnecessary. Recording
is accomplished by selectively eroding off the metal
by means of electrodes 14 in contact with the metal
layer and schematically shown in two parallel rows of
a print. The metallized paper surface is
connected through a conductive roll or brush 16 to one
polarity of voltage source 17, while the recording
electrodes are'selectively and momentarily connected
through switches 18 to the opposite polarity of the
potential. A current flow between the selected elec-
trodes 14 and the metal surface 13 is sufficient to
vaporize the thin metal layer and expose the under-
lying dark, contrasting coating. The exposed area
approximates that of the electrode end. Characters,
such as the illustrated "E", are formed by the se-
quential, selective energization of various electrodes
during rela'tive motion of print head 15 and recording
- medium 10. Because the character is formed by the
vaporization of the metal layer, its edges are not
uniform and appear eroded as approximated in the
figure.
Most metallized recording media use aluminum as the
vaporizable'surface layer 13 and, hence, have a me-
talllc sheen the color of the aluminum. The result is
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that the unrecorded areas of the record member appear
~right and shiny producing a glare which is distrac-
ting, making reading uncomfortable or difficult. In
addition, there is very little choice of color since
color has heretofore been obtained by using a few
different metals to form the surface layer. In accord-
ance with the invention, a choice of color is provided
for thé thin metallized layer by overprinting the
metal with lithographic inks by means of commercially
available tinting halftone screens. The metallized
record member 10 is thus coated over a limited per-
centage of its surface with discrete colored areas 19
shown as circular spots in FIG. 1. The fineness of
the spots and the integrating reaction of the human
eye result in sensing the recording member as having
the overall color of the applied inks.
The discrete color areas 19 on the surface of the
metal 13 are preferably limited to between lQ~ and 30%
of the total recording surface. When greater portions
of the area are coated with the inks, the electrical
recording energy required at the recording elements is
substantially increased and metal removal cannot be
assured. Although the areas coated by ink appear in
the character area recorded by the electrode, they are
usually removed by the vaporization of the underlying
metal layer with the limited coating. Removal of
larger portions of the ink coated areas can be accom-
plished by increasing the potential applied to the
recording electrodes. However, an electrode voltage
adjustment is required when a recording member has a
greater or lesser portion of its surface covered with
the tinting.
The porosity of the thin evaporated or sputtered
layers of metal over which the tinting is applied is
usually sufficient to provide for nearly instantaneous
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drying of the ink. Supplementary drying or curing
steps are not required during overprinting to prevent
smearing and special surface preparation is unnec-
essary. The preferable inks for forming the discrete
colored areas are the usual commercial lithographic
inks which are not pigmented. However, pigmented inks
can be used and the inks may be either electrically
conductive or nonconductive. Obviously, when non-
conductive inks are used, the vaporizing current flow
is not available to the underlying metal layer, but
the vaporizing of contiguous metal usually partially
erodes that metal covered by the insulative inks.
Tinting screens are commercially available in various
densiti~s and fineness. As stated above, the densi-
ties from 10% to 30% are preferred although otherdensities may be used, since the resulting recording
quality is a subjective matter. It is, of course,
further preferable that the finer screens, such as 1~0
to 150 lines per-inch, be used to maintain subse~uent
recording resolution. Available tinting screens also
can be obtained to record the colored areas in various
configurationsO Although inked areas 19 in FIG. 1 are
shown as circular, they may be of any other desired
configuration. One possibility is that shown in FIG.
2 in which the tinting is done on layer 13 with
straight, diagonal lines 20. The dimensions of the
tinting marks should be of a diameter or width less
than that of a recording element in order to minimize
the effect of any remaining ink coated spot within the
character region.
Multiple colors may be applied to the surface of
metallized paper to effect a particular composite
blend. In addition, the applied color may be similar
to the metal surface but of different reflectivity so
as to reduce the sheen of the surface.
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While the invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to preferred embodiments
thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the
art that the foregoing and other changes in form and
details may be made therein without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention.
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