DEUTSCHES PATENT- UND MARKENAMT
Subcl.: B41M
German Patent and Trade Mark Office
Date: 2005-10-21
DE - Proposal — TE 123
Rapporteur Proposal for project TE 123 (existing example No. C-5)
Level/Category (ies)
CL
AL
1b, 2a, 2c, 3c,
1b, 2a, 2b4, 2c, 2e, 3c
Documents (Classification is based on GB 2 210 071 A)
DE
FR
3 832 112 A
2 620 655 A
Short Version of the Disclosure
The technical subject of the invention concerns paper having a specific structure, adapted for
use in printing. This paper has a good ink-absorbency and can be used in rapid multi-color
printing, and provides good optical images of vivid and uniform image definition with almost
no print through. The ink jet recording paper of this invention comprises a plurality of layers.
There is a base layer and an ink-receptive layer superposed on one or both sides of the base
layer. Important components of the ink-receptive layer are pulp, fillers and retention aids. In
addition the ink-receptive layer is coated or impregnated with fine silica. The base layer
contains an internal sizing agent and a powdered precipitated calcium carbonate as filler.
This paper is produced by a multi-ply paper-manufacturing process. When ink ejected from a
printer has reached the surface of the ink-receptive layer, the ink is rapidly absorbed and
penetrated into the layer because of its good affinity for inks solvents and dyes, and high
porosity. The ink, having passed through the ink-receptive layer, reaches to the surface of
the base layer; however, because it is sized, the further penetration of the ink is hindered by
the surface of the base layer.
Representative Prior Art
There are two trends described in the Prior Art:
One trend is described in the Japanese patent applications sho 53-49113 and sho 58-8685.
In the first document it is described to coat or impregnate water-soluble polymer into a sheet
filled with urea-formalin resin. The second document discloses that a water-soluble polymer
is coated on or impregnated into a sheet filled with synthetic silicate and/or glass fiber. With
these sheets high speed printing is possible owing to the ink absorbency improved by nonsizing paper filled with fine powder.
The other trend is described in the Japanese documents sho 60-27588 and sho 61-50795.
The aim of this trend is to control the spreading of inks on the paper by reducing inkabsorbency to some extent by weak sizing. To achieve this, in the first document a wet
strength agent is added to the sheet and then a small amount of coating color is applied to
the sheet, wherein stöckigt sizing degree of the obtained sheet is controlled to below 3
seconds. In the second document a recording paper is produced by sizing with a
petrochemically produced, emulsified resin-type size.
Further Japanese document sho 55-150370 discloses an ink jet recording process by the
use of a recording sheet having a stuff of synthetic pulp and wood pulp, or by the use of a
recording sheet having the above stuff on a wood paper. In either case, however, synthetic
pulp needs to melt in the paper surface by heat treatment after ink jet recording.
Invention Information
I1: The multi-ply ink jet recording paper consists of an ink-receptive layer superposed on
either one or both sides of a comparatively ink-unabsorbable base layer (see claim 1 and
description, page 14, second paragraph, first sentence). The ink-receptive layer is coated or
impregnated with fine silica and comprises pulp, a filler like ground calcium carbonate and
retention aids (see claims 3, 5, 8 and 9). The ink-unabsorbable base layer contains finely
powdered precipitated calcium carbonate as filler (see claims 6 and 7).
This paper is produced by a multi-ply paper-manufacturing process (see claim 1). With this
process the optical density of the ink jet recording paper is improved, and the print through,
and wrinkles by the absorption of inks are prevented (see description, page 14, second
paragraph and page 15, the first two lines).
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Identification of Potential Subclasses
Subject Matter
Tool
Query
IPC Places
I1
Catchword Index
Printing
B41
IPC-Class
Color Printing
B41M
Catchword Index
Paper
D21H
Catchword Index
Layered Products
B32B
Analysis and Selection of Classification Symbols
Core Level
I1:
The use of the catchword “printing” results in class B41. A check of the subclasses of
class B41 leads to B41M, because color printing is mentioned in the title of B41M. A sheet or
paper for this process is covered by the application group B41M 5/00 (“Sheet materials for
use in duplicating or marking methods”). Checking the one dot groups of this main group will
guide to B41M 5/50, which covers recording sheets characterised by the coating used to
improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity.
The use of the catchword “paper” leads on the other hand to D21H. This is a functionoriented subclass and covers therefore a part of the inventive paper, which is not considered
by the classification in the application-oriented group B41M 5/50. The correctness of a further
classification in this function-oriented subclass is confirmed in paragraph 90 of the Guide,
which indicates that if the essential technical characteristics of the subject relate both to the
intrinsic nature or function of a thing and to its particular use, or its special adaptation to or
incorporation into a larger system, classification is made in both the function-oriented place
and the relevant application-oriented place.
The title of D21H covers “Paper not otherwise provided for”. In regard to the fact that the
inventive paper is a recording paper for ink jet printers, this paper is a special paper as
provided in D21H 27/00. The following one dot groups concern different properties or
applications of the special papers. The structure of the inventive paper is determined very
well by subgroup D21H 27/30, which relates to multi-ply paper. In view of the Note following
group D21H 27/30, layer paper should also be classified in subclass B32B (“Layered
products”). In this subclass only group B32B 29/00 considers layered products in which
paper is the most important constituent. In respect to the first place rule mentioned in Note
(5) after the subclass title B32B 29/00 is therefore a correct IPC place.
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Advanced Level
I1:
The use of the catchword “printing” results in class B41. A check of the subclasses of
class B41 leads to B41M, because color printing is mentioned in the title of B41M. A sheet or
paper for this process is covered by the application group B41M 5/00 (“Sheet materials for
use in duplicating or marking methods”). Checking the one dot groups of this main group will
guide to B41M 5/50, which covers recording sheets characterised by the coating used to
improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity.
The use of the catchword “paper” leads on the other hand to D21H. This is a functionoriented subclass and covers therefore a part of the inventive paper, which is not considered
by the classification in the application-oriented group B41M 5/50. The correctness of a further
classification in this function-oriented subclass is confirmed in paragraph 90 of the Guide,
which indicates that if the essential technical characteristics of the subject relate both to the
intrinsic nature or function of a thing and to its particular use, or its special adaptation to or
incorporation into a larger system, classification is made in both the function-oriented place
and the relevant application-oriented place.
The title of D21H covers “Paper not otherwise provided for”. In regard to the fact that the
inventive paper is a recording paper for ink jet printers, this paper is a special paper as
provided in D21H 27/00. The following one dot groups concern different properties or
applications of the special papers. The structure of the inventive paper is determined very
well by subgroup D21H 27/30, which relates to multi-ply paper. In view of the Note following
group D21H 27/30, layer paper should also be classified in subclass B32B (“Layered
products”). In this subclass group B32B 29/00 considers layered products in which paper is
the most important constituent. According to Note (5) under the subclass title of B32B
classification is made in the first appropriate place in this subclass. Therefore B32B 29/00 is
even in the advanced level already the right IPC place.
Note (3) after the subclass title of D21H points out that a paper if it is characterised by more
than one feature provided for in this subclass classification is made in all places providing for
these features. This way the sizing agent (see claim 1) used in the base layer of the inventive
paper has to be classified in D21H 21/16.
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Subject
Anaylsis of
Matter
Subclass Selection
Subclass
Analysis of
IPC CL
IPC AL
Group
IPC (2006)
IPC (2006)
Selection
I1
Subclass/group title
B41M
Last place rule
B41M 5/50
B41M 5/50
Note following group
B32B
First place rule
B32B 29/00
B32B 29/00
D21H
Common rule
D21H 27/30
D21H 27/30
D21H 27/30
Subclass/group title
D21H 21/16
Complete Classification
The complete core and advanced level classification for this document based on the above
analysis is as follows:
Core Level
Int. Cl. (2006)
B41M 5/50
B32B 29/00
D21H 27/30
Advanced Level
B41M 5/50 (2006.01)
B32B 29/00 (2006.01)
D21H 27/30 (2006.01)
D21H 21/16 (2006.01)
Andrea Münzberg
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