Image transfer sheet

Abstract

The present invention includes a method for transferring an image from one substrate to another. The method includes providing an image transfer sheet that is comprised of a substrate layer, a release layer and an image-imparting layer that may comprise a low density polyethylene or other polymeric component having a melting temperature within a range of 90°-700° C. An image is imparted to the low density polyethylene area with an image-imparting medium. A second image-receiving substrate is provided. The second image-receiving substrate is contacted to the first image transfer sheet at the polymer layer. Heat is applied to the image transfer sheet so that the low density polyethylene encapsulates the image-imparting medium and transfers the encapsulates to the image-receiving substrate, thereby forming a mirror image on the image-receiving substrate.

1. An image transfer sheet capable of transferring an ink image to an image receiving material , comprising:
 a removable substrate layer  comprising at least one of a base paper or film;  
 a release layer; 
 a peel member comprising a polymer layercomponent having a melt index within a range of about 20 to 1200  grams per 10 minutes to about  2300  grams per  10  minutes, the polymer component including a portion configured to carry image indicia to be transferred;  
 wherein the release layer is positioned between the substrate layer and the polymer layer; and ink from an ink jet printer or an ink pen or a laser printer that forms an image on and in the polymer layer wherein the ink and polymer contacting the ink when the ink is applied to the polymer are transferred to the image receiving material without transfer of the entire polymer layer 
 a release-enhancing coating positioned such that a first coating surface is abutting the removable substrate and a second coating surface is abutting the peel member; and  
 an image-receptive member overlaying the peel member and configured to receive image-imparting media, forming the image indicia, from a copying or printing process, the image-receptive member including an ink jet coating receptor layer having a thickness ranging from about  3  grams/square meter to about  30  grams/square meter, and an ink jet top coating layer overlaying the ink jet coating receptor layer and having a thickness ranging from about  4  grams/square meter to about  30  grams/square meter;  
 wherein the peel member is removable from the release-enhancing coating when the peel member is in a heated state and when the peel member is in a cooled or ambient state, and 
 wherein the removable substrate is configured to transfer external heat, when applied, to one or both of the peel member or the image-receptive member sufficient to encapsulate the image indicia on an image-receiving substrate during an image transfer process.  
 
     
     
       2. The image transfer sheet of  claim 1  wherein the polymer layer melts at a  component portion includes a melting temperature within a range of 60-700 C  about  43 ° C. to about  700 ° C. 
     
     
       3. The sheet of  claim 1  wherein the release layer is comprised of a silicone coating. 
     
     
       4. The image transfer sheet of  claim 1 , wherein the release layer comprises a silicone coating and a base paper, the layer having  release-enhancing coating has a thickness of approximately 3.0-8.0  ranging from about  0 . 1  mils to about  2  mils. 
     
     
       5. The image transfer sheet of claim  1    28 , wherein the polymer layer  component portion has a thickness within a range of  ranging from about 1.0 to 2.2   0 . 5  mils to about  2 . 8  mils. 
     
     
       6. The image transfer sheet of claim  2  and further including an image-imparting medium encapsulated within the polymer   28 , wherein the polymer component portion is configured to encapsulate image-imparting media, of the image indica, when heat is transferred through the peel member. 
     
     
       7. The image transfer sheet of  claim 1  wherein the polymer layer comprises a low density polyethylene layer. 
     
     
       8. The image transfer sheet of  claim 1  wherein the polymer layer comprises one or more of a low density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate layer, or ethylene acrylic acid. 
     
     
       9. The image transfer sheet of claim  1    15 , wherein the polymer comprises a vinyl acetate fraction or an acrylic acid fraction  component portion includes ethylene vinyl acetate having a vinyl acetate concentration within a range of about  10 %  to about  30   %  by weight, or ethylene acrylic acid having an acrylic acid concentration within a range of about  5   %  to about  25   %  by weight . 
     
     
       10. An image transfer system comprising:
 an article effective for receiving and retaining an image; and    an image transfer sheet for transferring the image to the article without application of heat, the image transfer sheet comprising:    a substrate layer;    a release layer;    a polymer layer comprising one or more of a low density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, and ethylene acrylic acid,    wherein the release layer is positioned between the substrate layer and the polymer layer; and    ink from an ink jet printer or an ink pen or a laser printer that forms the image on and in the polymer layer wherein the image is transferred and adhered to the article without transfer of the entire polymer layer.    
     
     
       11. The image transfer sheet of  claim 6 , wherein the image-imparting media includes at least one of toner or ink.  
     
     
       12. The image transfer sheet of  claim 6 , wherein the polymer component portion is configured such that one or more portions of the polymer component portion contacting or adjacent the image-imparting media is configured to change viscosity when heat is transferred through the peel member.  
     
     
       13. An image transfer sheet, comprising:
   a silicone-coated removable substrate, the removable substrate including a base paper or film and having a substrate surface abutting a silicone coating, the silicone coating having a thickness less than about  2  mils; and        a peel member overlaying, and peelable from, the silicone coating, the peel member including a polymer component portion configured to carry image indicia to be transferred,        wherein the removable substrate is configured to transfer external heat, when applied, to the peel member sufficient to encapsulate the image indicia on an image-receiving substrate during an image transfer process.      
     
     
       14. The image transfer sheet of  claim 13 , wherein the polymer component portion includes at least one of low density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid, or ethylene acrylic acid. 
     
     
       15. The image transfer sheet of  claim 13 , wherein the polymer component portion includes a melt flow index within a range of about  100  DS/minute to about  2 , 500  DS/minute. 
     
     
       16. The image transfer sheet of  claim 13 , wherein a surface of the silicone coating abutting the peel member is one or both of corona treated or chemically treated prior to be overlaid with the peel member. 
     
     
       17. The image transfer sheet of  claim 13 , wherein the removable substrate, the silicone coating, and the peel member have a combined thickness ranging from about  3  mils to about  8  mils. 
     
     
       18. The image transfer sheet of  claim 13 , wherein the silicone coating has a release value less than about  1100  grams/inch. 
     
     
       19. The image transfer sheet of  claim 18 , wherein the silicone coating has a release value ranging from about  50  grams/inch to about  700  grams/inch. 
     
     
       20. A kit comprising:
   the image transfer sheet of    claim 13   ; and        instructions for using the image transfer sheet.     
     
     
       21. A kit comprising:
   the image transfer sheet of    claim 13   ;        instructions for using the image transfer sheet; and        an image-receiving substrate configured to receive and retain image indicia transferred from the image transfer sheet.     
     
     
       22. The kit of  claim 21 , wherein the image-receiving substrate is a light-colored fabric. 
     
     
       23. The image transfer sheet of  claim 13 , comprising an image-receptive member overlaying the peel member, the image-receptive member configured to receive image-imparting media, forming the image indicia, from a copying or printing process. 
     
     
       24. A sheet, comprising:
   a substrate member comprising at least one of a base paper or film and having a basis weight less than about  245  grams/square meter; and        a release-enhancing coating overlaying and abutting a surface of the substrate member, the release-enhancing coating having a release value less than about  2 , 000  grams/inch;        a peel member overlaying the release-enhancing coating and having a portion configured to carry image indicia to be transferred, the peel member including at least one of low density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid, or ethylene acrylic acid;        a primer layer overlaying the peel member, the primer layer having a melt index ranging from about  200  grams per  10  minutes to about  2 , 000  grams per  10  minutes;        an ink jet coating receptor layer overlaying the primer layer, the ink jet coating receptor layer having a thickness ranging from about  3  grams/square meter to about  30  grams/square meter; and        an ink jet top coating layer overlaying the ink jet coating receptor layer having a thickness ranging from about  4  grams/square meter to about  30  grams/square meter,        wherein the substrate member is configured to transfer external heat, when applied, to one or more of the peel member, the primer layer, the ink jet coating layer or the ink jet top coating layer sufficient to encapsulate the image indicia on an image - receiving substrate during an image transfer process.