Plateless printing system - Patent Review 6298780

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A computer to plate system comprising:

a. means for re-constituting a single layer plate on a substrate, said re-constituting means comprising:

i. erasing means for removal of a used imaged coating from a previous job to generate an erased substrate;

ii. mixture means for preparing a mixture;

iii. coating means for coating said prepared mixture on said erased substrate; and

iv. solidifying means for solidifying and curing said coated layer;

whereas said coated layer is an infrared absorbing layer, and one of said coated layer and said erased substrate is oleophilic and the other is oleophobic;

b. an imaging system for placing an image on said coated layer; and

c. means for cleaning said imaged plate;

wherein said coated layer is formed from a mixture including a water soluble crosslinkable amine resin and its catalyst, a silicone emulsion and its crosslinking agent and catalyst, a surface active agent, and an infra-red absorbing agent.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said mixture includes 40% to 80% (percentage solids) of silicone emulsion.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said mixture includes 0.01% to 3% (percentage solids) of silicone catalyst.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said mixture includes 5% to 15% (percentage solids) of silicone crosslinking agent.

5. A computer to plate system comprising:

a. means for re-constituting a single layer plate on an existing substrate, said re-constituting means comprising:

i. erasing means for removal of a used imaged coating from a previous job to generate an erased substrate;

ii. mixture means for preparing a mixture;

iii. coating means for coating said prepared mixture on said erased substrate; and

iv. solidifying means for solidifying and curing said coated layer;

whereas said coated layer is an infrared absorbing layer, and one of said coated layer and said erased substrate is oleophilic and the other is oleophobic;

b. an imaging system for placing an image on said coated layer; and

c. means for cleaning said imaged plate;

wherein said coated layer is formed from said mixture, said mixture including 40% to 80% (percentage solids) of silicone emulsion, 0.01% to 3% (percentage solids) of silicone catalyst, 5-15% (percentage solids) of silicone crosslinking agent and 4%-25% of water soluble crosslinkable amine resin.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said mixture further includes 0.5% to 5% of catalyst for the amine resin.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said mixture further includes 0.5%-10% of added surfactant.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said mixture further includes 3%-40% of infrared absorber.

9. A printing system comprising:

a. a printing member comprising a single imaging layer coated on an image bearing cylinder or on a replaceable substrate attached to said cylinder;

b. an imaging system for placing an image on said image bearing cylinder or substrate; and

c. an inking assembly for applying ink to said printing member,

whereby, on selective ablation, polymerization or decomposition of said imaging layer, selective areas of said imaging layer are removed thereby exposing said image bearing cylinder or said substrate;

wherein one of said image bearing cylinder or said substrate, and said coated imaging layer is oleophilic and the other is oleophobic;

wherein said imaging layer comprises a mixture including a water soluble crosslinkable amine resin, a catalyst for the amine resin, a silicone emulsion and its crosslinking agent and catalyst, a surface active agent, and an infra-red absorbing agent.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said mixture includes 0.5% to 5% of said catalyst for the amine resin.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said mixture further includes 0.5%-10% of said surface active agent.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said mixture further includes 3%-40% of said infra-red absorbing agent.

13. A printing system comprising:

a. a printing member comprising a single imaging layer coated on an image bearing cylinder or on a replaceable substrate attached to said cylinder;

b. an imaging system for placing an image on said image bearing cylinder or s