1. A fluid transmissive body comprising side-by-side bicomponent fibers bonded to each other at spaced apart contact points to form a self-sustaining, three dimensional bonded fiber structure, wherein each of the side-by-side bicomponent fibers comprise:
a first fiber component having a first softening temperature; and
a second fiber component having a second softening temperature;
wherein the first softening temperature is greater than the second softening temperature; and
wherein a cross sectional area of the first fiber component comprises between 40%-85% of a cross-sectional area of the side-by-side bicomponent fiber.
2. The fluid transmissive body of claim 1, wherein the first fiber component comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (and copolymers thereof), polypropylene (and copolymers thereof), nylon 6, nylon 6,6, and other semicrystalline polyamides (and copolymers thereof), semicyrstaline polyesters, including polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate.
3. The fluid transmissive body of claim 1, wherein the second fiber component comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (and copolymers thereof), polypropylene (and copolymers thereof), polyamides, including copolymers thereof, copolymers of polyesters, including copolymers of polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate, elastomeric and plastomeric polypropylenes, styrene-butadiene copolymers, polyisoprene, polyisobutylene, polychloroprene, butadiene-acrylonitrile, elastomeric block olefinic copolymers, elastomeric block co-polyether polyamides, elastomeric block copolyesters, poly(ether-urethane-urea), poly(ester-urethane-urea), and elastomeric silicones.
4. The fluid transmissive body of claim 1, wherein the first fiber component is a polypropylene material, and the second fiber component is a polyethylene copolymer material.
5. The fluid transmissive body of claim 1, wherein the side-by-side bicomponent fibers are produced from a number of thermoplastic resins consisting of polyolefins, polyesters, polyurethanes, and polyamides.
6. The fluid transmissive body of claim 1, wherein the second softening temperature is less than 100\xb0 C.
7. The fluid transmissive body of claim 1, wherein the second softening temperature is less than 190\xb0 C.
8. The fluid transmissive body of claim 1, wherein the self-sustaining, three dimensional bonded fiber structure, is produced from a plurality of fibers, at least some of which are side-by-side bicomponent fibers.
9. The fluid transmissive body of claim 1, wherein the side-by-side bicomponent fibers have a diameter in a range from about 1 micron to about 200 microns.
10. The fluid transmissive body of claim 1, wherein the side-by-side bicomponent fibers have a diameter in a range from about 10 microns to about 50 microns.
11. The fluid transmissive body of claim 1, wherein the side-by-side bicomponent fibers comprise materials that are selected, at least in part, for their compatibility with a particular ink formulation.
12. The fluid transmissive body of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of structure components wherein each structure component has an interface with at least one other structure component, and wherein at least one of the plurality of structure components is the self-sustaining, three dimensional bonded fiber structure.
13. The fluid transmissive body of claim 12, comprising at least a first structure component and a second structure component, wherein the first structure component has an interface with the second structure component, the first structure component has a first set of fiber characteristics, the second structure component has a second set of fiber characteristics, and the first and second sets of fiber characteristics are selected so as to establish a surface energy gradient across the interface between the first and second structure components.
14. An ink jet printer cartridge, comprising:
a housing defining a reservoir cavity; and
a reservoir disposed within the reservoir cavity, the reservoir comprising a plurality of side-by-side bicomponent fibers, bonded to each other at spaced apart contact points to form a self-sustaining, three dimensional bonded fiber structure, wherein the plurality of side-by-side bicomponent fibers comprise:
a first fiber component having a first softening temperature; and
a second fiber component having a second softening temperature;
wherein the first softening temperature is greater than the second softening temperature, wherein a cross sectional area of the first fiber component comprises between 40%-85% of a cross-sectional area of the side-by-side bicomponent fiber.
15. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the first fiber component of the side-by-side bicomponent fiber comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (and copolymers thereof), polypropylene (and copolymers thereof), nylon 6, nylon 6,6, and other semicrystalline polyamides (and copolymers thereof), semicyrstaline polyesters, including polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate.
16. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the second fiber component of the side-by-side bicomponent fiber comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (and copolymers thereof), polypropylene (and copolymers thereof), polyamides, including copolymers thereof, copolymers of polyesters, including copolymers of polybutylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate, elastomeric and plastomeric polypropylenes, styrene-butadiene copolymers, polyisoprene, polyisobutylene, polychloroprene, butadiene-acrylonitrile, elastomeric block olefinic copolymers, elastomeric block co-polyether polyamides, elastomeric block copolyesters, poly(ether-urethane-urea), poly(ester-urethane-urea), and elastomeric silicones.
17. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the second softening is less than 100\xb0 C.
18. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the second softening temperature is less than 190\xb0 C.
19. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the first fiber component is a polypropylene material, and the second fiber component is a polyethylene copolymer material.
20. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the side-by-side bicomponent fibers are produced from a number of thermoplastic resins consisting of polyolefins, polyesters, polyurethanes, and polyamides.
21. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the reservoir is produced from a blend of side-by-side bicomponent fibers.
22. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the side-by-side bicomponent fibers have a diameter in a range from about 1 micron to about 200 microns.
23. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the side-by-side bicomponent fibers have a diameter in a range from about 10 microns to about 50 microns.
24. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the side-by-side bicomponent fibers comprise materials that are selected, at least in part, for their compatibility with a particular ink formulation.
25. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the side-by-side bicomponent fibers are configured to provide a reservoir with an ink extraction efficiency of at least 70%.
26. The ink jet printer cartridge of claim 14, wherein the bonded fiber structure is adapted to take up, hold, and controllably release a particular ink formulation.
27. A writing instrument comprising:
a housing defining a reservoir cavity; and
a self-sustaining, three dimensional bonded fiber structure disposed within the reservoir cavity, the self-sustaining, three dimensional bonded fiber structure comprising a plurality of side-by-side bicomponent fibers, bonded to each other at spaced apart contact points, each of the plurality of side-by-side bicomponent fibers comprising a first fiber component having a first softening temperature and a second fiber component having a second softening temperature, the first softening temperature being greater than the second softening temperature,
wherein a cross sectional area of the first fiber component comprises between 40%-85% of a cross-sectional area of the side-by-side bicomponent fiber, and
wherein the self-sustaining, three dimensional bonded fiber structure is one of the set consisting of an ink reservoir, a wick, and a nib.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A thermal transfer sheet comprising: a substrate sheet; a colorant layer provided on one side of the substrate sheet; and a heat-resistant slip layer provided on the other side of the substrate sheet through a primer layer, said primer layer comprising a binder resin satisfying a GaGb ratio value of not more than 100 wherein Ga represents the storage modulus of the binder resin at 80 C., Pa; and Gb represents the storage modulus of the binder resin at 140 C., Pa.
2. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 1, wherein both the storage modulus Gb (Pa) of the binder resin and the loss modulus Gb (Pa) of the binder resin each as measured at 140 C. are not less than 103 Pa.
3. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 1, wherein said binder resin has a tan value of not more than 3 at 140 C.
4. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 1, wherein said binder resin has a glass transition temperature Tg of 60 C. or above.
5. The thermal transfer sheet according to claim 1, wherein said primer layer contains an antistatic agent.