The present invention relates to an image recording element a microvoided layer comprising a continuous phase polyester matrix having dispersed therein crosslinked organic microbeads and non-crosslinked polymer particles, wherein the non-crosslinked polymer particles are immiscible with the polyester matrix of the microvoided layer.

The present invention relates to microbead and immiscible polymer voided films for use in imaging media.
Recording elements or media typically comprise a substrate or a support material optionally having on at least one surface thereof an image-forming layer. The elements include those intended for reflection viewing, which usually have an opaque support, and those intended for viewing by transmitted light, which usually have a transparent support.
While a wide variety of different types of image-recording elements have been proposed, there are many unsolved problems in the art and many deficiencies in the known products which have severely limited their commercial usefulness. These deficiencies vary with the type of image recording element.
Various arrangements have been proposed to improve the quality of silver halide imaging medias as well. In the case of display medias it has been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,093,521 and 6,355,404 how voided polyester layers in the substrate of a display designed to have high image quality when viewed either in reflection or transmission modes are very effective. The preferred means by which to void the polyester in the voided layer of the displays described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,093,521 and 6,355,404 is to use crosslinked microbeads as void initiators. Although these microbeads perform very well in terms of light diffusion and image quality, they require a complex process to manufacture. Also, a pre-mixing step, known as compounding, is used to introduce the microbeads into the polyester prior to manufacturing the substrate. This results in a high cost to manufacture display medias using substrates comprising only microbeads as the void initiators in the voided polyester layer.
The use of immiscible polymer particles as a void initiator has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,113. This means of voiding is very robust and results in a low cost means to void polyester. The immiscible polymer may be added simultaneously with manufacturing the substrate. However, the use of such a voided polyester layer in the display medias of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,093,521 and 6,355,404 results in very poor image sharpness due to the relatively large voids which result when voiding with immiscible polymers in this manner. Thus, it can be seen that a need still exists in the art for the provision of a silver halide image recording element for displays with both high image quality and low manufacturing cost.
The problem to be solved by the present invention is to formulate a silver halide display imaging media with a voided polyester diffuse layer which provides both high image quality and low manufacturing cost.
The present invention relates to an image recording element comprising an image recording element comprising a microvoided layer comprising a continuous phase polyester matrix having dispersed therein crosslinked organic microbeads and non-crosslinked polymer particles that are immiscible with the polyester matrix of the microvoided layer.
The present invention includes several advantages, not all of which may be incorporated in any one embodiment. In one advantage, the invention provides improved imaging medias. In another advantage, the invention provides improved image sharpness and lower manufacturing and raw material cost compared to prior art voided polyester substrate silver halide imaging medias.
The invention relates to image recording elements comprising a voided layer of polyester matrix. The recording element may additionally comprise an image recording layer. The voided polyester layer of the element comprises a continuous phase polyester matrix having dispersed therein crosslinked organic microbeads and non-crosslinked polymer particles. The non-crosslinked polymer particles are immiscible with the polyester matrix to form a microvoided layer that can be produced at a much lower manufacturing cost than that using crosslinked microbeads.
In the prior art, microvoided polyester matrix layers have been formed by using either microbeads or non-crosslinked polymer particles that are immiscible with the polyester matrix. In the case of silver halide display medias when only microbeads are used, very high image sharpness is attained. However, there is a disadvantage of high manufacturing cost, since the beads require a complex process to manufacture and are therefore expensive and are used at high usage levels. In addition, a pre-mixing step, known as compounding, is used to introduce the microbeads into the polyester matrix prior to manufacturing the substrate. This results in a high cost to manufacture display medias using substrates comprising only microbeads as the void initiators in the voided polyester layer, since the high usage levels adds time and effort to the manufacturing process. Thus, although microbeads produce an element with good quality with respect to sharpness, they are very expensive for use in imaging media due to their high raw material cost, and time and effort consuming when used in the imaging media manufacturing process
If only non-crosslinked polymer particles that are immiscible with the polyester matrix are used in the microvoided layer of a silver halide display media the raw material and manufacturing cost is low, as a compounding step is not required, but the image sharpness is very poor due to the relatively large voids that result. Thus although the use of immiscible polymer particles as voiding agents in imaging media is attractive from a cost standpoint, the quality with respect to sharpness is prohibitively inferior.
It has been unexpectedly discovered that by mixing both the crosslinked organic microbeads and the non-crosslinked polymer particles that are immiscible with polyester into the polyester matrix of the microvoided layer the deficiencies of the void initiators when used singularly are synergistically overcome, especially with respect to image quality and manufacturability. The combination of crosslinked organic beads and non-crosslinked polymer particles immiscible in a polyester matrix enjoys the quality, with respect to sharpness of microbead-voided media, without the expected degradation associated with the addition of a material with poor sharpness quality, with significant cost reductions and manufacturing time and effort reductions resulting from the need to use less costly raw material which in turn lowers the time and effort needed to compound microbeads with matrix polymer.
The terms as used herein, xe2x80x9ctopxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cupperxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9cfacexe2x80x9d mean the side or toward the side of the element receiving an image. The terms xe2x80x9cbottomxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9clower sidexe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9cbackxe2x80x9d mean the side opposite that which receives an image.
The term as used herein, xe2x80x9ctransparentxe2x80x9d means the ability to pass radiation without significant deviation or absorption. For this invention, xe2x80x9ctransparentxe2x80x9d material is defined as a material that has a spectral transmission greater than 20%. For a photographic element, spectral transmission is the ratio of the transmitted power to the incident power and is expressed as a percentage as follows; TRGB=10D*100 where D is the average of the red, green and blue Status A transmission density response measured by an X-Rite model 310 (or comparable) photographic transmission densitometer. The term as used herein, xe2x80x9cduplitizedxe2x80x9d element means elements with light sensitive silver halide coating on the top side and the bottom side of the imaging support.
The term voids or microvoids means pores formed in an oriented polymeric film during stretching as the result of a void-initiating particle. In the present invention, these pores are initiated by either microcrosslinked organic microbeads or non-crosslinked polymer particles that are immiscible with the polyester matrix. The term microbead means synthesized polymeric spheres which, in the present invention, are crosslinked.
The continuous phase polyester matrix of the microvoided layer comprises any polyester and preferably comprises polyethylene(terephthalate) or a copolymer thereof. Suitable polyesters include those produced from aromatic, aliphatic, or cyclo-aliphatic dicarboxylic acids of 4-20 carbon atoms and aliphatic or alicyclic glycols having from 2-24 carbon atoms. Examples of suitable dicarboxylic acids include terephthalic, isophthalic, phthalic, naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, succinic, glutaric, adipic, azelaic, sebacic, fiimaric, maleic, itaconic, 1,4-cyclohexane-dicarboxylic, sodiosulfoisophthalic, and mixtures thereof. Examples of suitable glycols include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butanediol, pentanediol, hexanediol, 1,4-cyclohexane-dimethanol, diethylene glycol, other polyethylene glycols and mixtures thereof. Such polyesters are well known in the art and may be produced by well-known techniques, for example, those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,465,319 and 2,901,466. Preferred continuous matrix polymers are those having repeat units from terephthalic acid or naphthalene dicarboxylic acid and at least one glycol selected from ethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol. Poly(ethylene terephthalate), which may be modified by small amounts of other monomers, is especially preferred. Other suitable polyesters include liquid crystal copolyesters formed by the inclusion of a suitable amount of a co-acid component such as stilbene dicarboxylic acid. Examples of such liquid crystal copolyesters are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,420,607; 4,459,402; and 4,468,510.
The polyester utilized in a matrix with the invention should have a glass transition temperature from 50 degrees C. to 150 degrees C., preferably from 60 to 100 degrees C., should be orientable, and have an intrinsic viscosity of at least 0.50 centipoise (cps), preferably from 0.55 to 0.9 cps. Examples include a blend comprising polyethylene(terephthalate) and poly(1,4-cyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate.
The image recording element of the present invention comprises crosslinked organic microbeads. These crosslinked organic microbead spheres may range in size from 0.2 to 30 micrometers. They are preferably in the range of from 0.5 to 5.0 xcexcm. Crosslinked organic microbeads comprising a polystyrene, polyacrylate, polyallylic, or poly(methacrylate) polymer are preferred.
Preferred polymers for use in the crosslinked organic microbeads may be crosslinked and may be selected from the group consisting of alkenyl aromatic compounds having the general formula:
wherein Ar represents an aromatic hydrocarbon moiety, or an aromatic halohydrocarbon moiety of the benzene series and R may be hydrogen or methyl moiety; acrylate-type monomers including monomers of the formula:
wherein R may be selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and an alkyl moiety containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and Rxe2x80x2 may be selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl; copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride, acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride, vinyl bromide, vinyl esters having the formula:
wherein R may be an alkyl group containing from 2 to 18 carbon atoms; acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, citraconic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, oleic acid, vinylbenzoic acid; the synthetic polyester resins which may be prepared by reacting terephthalic acid and dialkyl terephthalics or ester-forming derivatives thereof, with a glycol of the series HO(CH2)nOH, wherein n may be a whole number within the range of 2-10 and having reactive olefinic linkages within the polymer molecule, the hereinabove described polyesters which include copolymerized therein up to 20 percent by weight of a second acid or ester thereof having reactive olefinic unsaturation and mixtures thereof, and a cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of divinyl-benzene, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, oiallyl fumarate, diallyl phthalate, and mixtures thereof.
Examples of typical monomers for making the crosslinked crosslinked organic microbeads include styrene, butyl acrylate, acrylamide, acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, vinyl pyridine, vinyl acetate, methyl acrylate, vinylbenzyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, acrylic acid, divinylbenzene, arylamidomethyl-propane sulfonic acid, vinyl toluene, trimethylol propane triacrylate. Preferably, the crosslinked polymer may be poly(butyl acrylate) or poly(methyl methacrylate). Most preferably, it is a mixture of the two, and the cross-linking agent is trimethylol propane triacrylate.
In the present invention, for the polymer to have suitable physical properties such as resiliency, the polymer may be crosslinked. In the case of styrene crosslinked with divinylbenzene, the polymer may be from 2.5 to 50% crosslinked, and preferably from 20 to 40% crosslinked. Percent crosslinked means the mol % of cross-linking agent based on the amount of primary monomer. Such limited cross-linking produces organic microbeads which are sufficiently coherent to remain intact during orientation of the continuous polymer. Organic microbeads of such cross-linking may also be resilient, so that when they are deformed or flattened during orientation by pressure from the matrix polymer on opposite sides of the crosslinked organic microbeads, they subsequently resume their normal spherical shape to produce the largest possible voids around the crosslinked organic microbeads, thereby producing articles with less density.
The crosslinked organic microbeads may have a coating of a xe2x80x9cslip agentxe2x80x9d. xe2x80x9cSlipxe2x80x9d means that the friction at the surface of the crosslinked organic microbeads is greatly reduced. Actually, it is believed this may be caused by the silica acting as miniature ball bearings at the surface. Slip agent may be formed on the surface of the crosslinked organic microbeads during their formation by including it in the suspension polymerization mix. Suitable slip agents or lubricants include colloidal silica, colloidal alumina, and metal oxides such as tin oxide and aluminum oxide. The preferred slip agents are colloidal silica and alumina, most preferably, silica. The crosslinked polymer having a coating of slip agent may be prepared by procedures well known in the art. For example, conventional suspension polymerization processes, wherein the slip agent is added to the suspension, are preferred.
The crosslinked organic microbeads coated with slip agent may be prepared by various methods. The crosslinked organic microbeads may be prepared, for example, by a procedure in which monomer droplets containing an initiator may be sized and heated to give solid polymer spheres of the same size as the monomer droplets. In a preferred method, the polymer may be polystyrene crosslinked with divinylbenzene. The crosslinked organic microbeads may have a coating of silica. The concentration of divinylbenzene may be adjusted up or down to result in from 2.5 to 50% cross-linking by the active cross-linker, and, preferably, from 10 to 40% cross-linking by the active cross-linker. Of course, monomers other than styrene and divinylbenzene may be used in similar suspension polymerization processes known in the art. Also, other initiators and promoters may be used as known in the art. Slip agents other than silica may also be used. For example, a number of LUDOX(copyright) colloidal silicas are available from DuPont. LEPANDIN(copyright) colloidal alumina is available from Degussa. NALCOAG(copyright) colloidal silicas are available from Nalco, and tin oxide and titanium oxide are also available from Nalco.
Crosslinked organic microbead size may be regulated by the ratio of silica to monomer. For example, the following ratios produce the indicated size crosslinked organic microbead:
The crosslinked organic microbeads should be dispersed into the polyester matrix prior to extruding a pre-stretched film. This may be typically accomplished using a melt compounding process utilizing a twin screw extruder.
Processes well known in the art yield crosslinked organic microbeads suitable for use in the present invention. The processes known for making non-uniformly sized crosslinked organic microbeads may be characterized by broad particle size distributions and the resulting microbeads may be classified by screening to produce beads spanning the range of the original distribution of sizes. Other processes such as suspension polymerization and limited coalescence directly yield very uniformly sized crosslinked organic microbeads. Preferably, the crosslinked organic microbeads are synthesized using the limited coalescence process. This process is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,972. Preparation of the coated crosslinked organic microbeads for use in the present invention does not utilize a blowing agent as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,972.
xe2x80x9cLimited coalescencexe2x80x9d is a phenomenon wherein droplets of liquid dispersed in certain aqueous suspending media coalesce, with formation of a lesser number of larger droplets, until the growing droplets reach a certain critical and limiting size, whereupon coalescence substantially ceases. The resulting droplets of dispersed liquid, which may be as large as 0.3 and sometimes 0.5 centimeter in diameter, are quite stable, as regards further coalescence and are remarkably uniform in size. If such a large droplet dispersion is vigorously agitated, the droplets may be fragmented into smaller droplets. The fragmented droplets, upon quiescent standing, again coalesce to the same limited degree and form the same uniform-sized, large droplet, stable dispersion. Thus, a dispersion resulting from the limited coalescence comprises droplets of substantially uniform diameter that are stable in respect to further coalescence.
The principles underlying the limited coalescence phenomenon have now been adapted to cause the occurrence of limited coalescence in a deliberate and predictable manner in the preparation of dispersions of polymerizable liquids in the form of droplets of uniform and desired size.
In the phenomenon of limited coalescence, the small particles of solid colloid tend to collect with the aqueous liquid at the liquid-liquid interface, that is, on the surface of the oil droplets. It is thought that droplets which are substantially covered by such solid colloid may be stable to coalescence while droplets which are not so covered may not be stable. In a given dispersion of a polymerizable liquid, the total surface area of the droplets is a function of the total volume of the liquid and the diameter of the droplets. Similarly, the total surface area barely coverable by the solid colloid, for example, in a layer one particle thick, is a function of the amount of the colloid and the dimensions of the particles thereof. In the dispersion as initially prepared, for example, by agitation, the total surface area of the polymerizable liquid droplets may be greater than may be covered by the solid colloid. Under quiescent conditions, the unstable droplets begin to coalesce. The coalescence results in a decrease in the number of oil droplets and a decrease in the total surface area thereof up to a point at which the amount of colloidal solid may be barely sufficient to cover the total surface of the oil droplets, whereupon coalescence substantially ceases.
If the solid colloidal particles do not have nearly identical dimensions, the average effective dimension may be estimated by statistical methods. For example, the average effective diameter of spherical particles may be computed as the square root of the average of the squares of the actual diameters of the particles in a representative sample.
It may be beneficial to treat the uniform droplet suspension prepared as described above to render the suspension stable against congregation of the oil droplets. This further stabilization may be accomplished by gently admixing an agent capable of greatly increasing the viscosity of the aqueous liquid with the uniform droplet dispersion. For this purpose, any water-soluble or water-dispersible thickening agent may be used that is insoluble in the oil droplets and that does not remove the layer of solid colloidal particles covering the surface of the oil droplets at the oil-water interface. Examples of suitable thickening agents may be sulfonated polystyrene, for example, water-dispersible, thickening grade, hydrophilic clays such as Bentonite, digested starch, natural gums, and carboxy-substituted cellulose ethers. The thickening agent may be selected and employed in such quantities as to form a thixotropic gel in which the uniform-sized droplets of the oil may be suspended. In other words, the thickened liquid generally should be non-Newtonian in its fluid behavior, that is, of a nature to prevent rapid movement of the dispersed droplets within the aqueous liquid by the action of gravitational force due to the difference in density of the phases. The stress exerted on the surrounding medium by a suspended droplet may not be sufficient to cause rapid movement of the droplet within such non-Newtonian media. Usually, the thickener agents may be employed in such proportions relative to the aqueous liquid that the apparent viscosity of the thickened aqueous liquid is in the order of at least 500 centipoise as determined by means of a Brookfield viscometer using the No. 2 spindle at 30 rpm. The thickening agent is preferably prepared as a separate concentrated aqueous composition that is then carefully blended with the oil droplet dispersion. The resulting thickened dispersion is capable of being handled, for example, passed through pipes, and may be subjected to polymerization conditions substantially without mechanical change in the size or shape of the dispersed oil droplets.
The resulting dispersions may be particularly well suited for use in continuous polymerization procedures that may be carried out in coils, tubes, and elongated vessels adapted for continuously introducing the thickened dispersions into one end and for continuously withdrawing the mass of polymer beads from the other end. The polymerization step may also be practiced in batch manner.
The order of the addition of the constituents to the polymerization usually is not critical, but it may be more convenient to add the water, dispersing agent, and incorporated oil-soluble catalyst to the monomer mixture to a vessel and subsequently add the monomer phase to the water phase with agitation.
The following general procedure may be utilized in a limited coalescence technique:
1. The polymerizable liquid is dispersed within an aqueous nonsolvent liquid medium to form a dispersion of droplets having sizes not larger than the size desired for the polymer globules, whereupon
2. The dispersion is allowed to rest and to reside with only mild or no agitation for a time during which a limited coalescence of the dispersed droplets takes place with the formation of a lesser number of larger droplets, such coalescence being limited due to the composition of the suspending medium, the size of the dispersed droplets thereby becoming remarkably uniform and of a desired magnitude, and
3. The uniform droplet dispersion is then stabilized by addition of thickening agents to the aqueous suspending medium, whereby the uniform-sized dispersed droplets are further protected against coalescence and are also retarded from concentrating in the dispersion due to difference in density of the disperse phase and continuous phase, and
4. The polymerizable liquid or oil phase in such stabilized dispersion is subjected to polymerization conditions and polymerized, whereby globules of polymer are obtained having spheroidal shape and remarkably uniform and desired size, which size is predetermined principally by the composition of the initial aqueous liquid suspending medium.
The diameter of the droplets of polymerizable liquid and, hence, the diameter of the beads of polymer, may be varied predictably, by deliberate variation of the composition of the aqueous liquid dispersion, within the range of from 0.5 xcexcm or less to 0.5 centimeter. For any specific operation, the range of diameters of the droplets of liquid and, hence, of polymer beads, has a factor in the order of three or less as contrasted to factors of 10 or more for diameters of droplets and beads prepared by usual suspension polymerization methods employing critical agitation procedures. Since the bead size, for example, diameter, in the present method is determined principally by the composition of the aqueous dispersion, the mechanical conditions, such as the degree of agitation, the size and design of the apparatus used, and the scale of operation are not highly critical. Furthermore, by employing the same composition, the operations may be repeated, or the scale of operations may be changed, and substantially the same results may be obtained.
One bead formation method may be carried out by dispersing one part by volume of a polymerizable liquid into at least 0.5, preferably from 0.5 to 10 or more parts by volume of a nonsolvent aqueous medium comprising water and at least the first of the following ingredients:
1. A water-dispersible, water-insoluble solid colloid, the particles of which, in aqueous dispersion, have dimensions in the order of from 0.008 to 50 xcexcm, which particles tend to gather at the liquid-liquid interface or are caused to do so by the presence of
2. A water-soluble xe2x80x9cpromotorxe2x80x9d that affects the xe2x80x9chydrophilic-hydrophobic balancexe2x80x9d of the solid colloid particles; and/or
3. An electrolyte; and/or
4. Colloid-active modifiers such as peptizing agents, and surface-active agents; and usually,
5. A water-soluble, monomer-insoluble inhibitor of polymerization.
The water-dispersible, water-insoluble solid colloids may be inorganic materials, such as metal salts, hydroxides or clays, or may be organic materials, such as raw starches, sulfonated crosslinked organic high polymers, and resinous polymers.
The solid colloidal material should be insoluble but dispersible in water and both insoluble and nondispersible in, but wettable by, the polymerizable liquid. The solid colloids should be much more hydrophilic than oleophilic to remain dispersed wholly within the aqueous liquid. The solid colloids employed for limited coalescence are ones having particles that, in the aqueous liquid, retain a relatively rigid and discrete shape and size within the limits stated. The particles may be greatly swollen and extensively hydrated, provided that the swollen particle retains a definite shape, in which case the effective size may be approximately that of the swollen particle. The particles may be single molecules, as in the case of extremely high molecular weight crosslinked resins, or may be aggregates of many molecules. Materials that disperse in water to form true or colloidal solutions in which the particles have a size below the range stated or in which the particles may be so diffuse as to lack a discernible shape and dimension may be not suitable as stabilizers for limited coalescence. The amount of solid colloid that may be employed usually corresponds to from 0.01 to 10 or more grams per 100 cubic centimeters of the polymerizable liquid.
In order to function as a stabilizer for the limited coalescence of the polymerizable liquid droplets, it may be essential that the solid colloid should tend to collect with the aqueous liquid at the liquid-liquid interface, that is, on the surface of the oil droplets. The term xe2x80x9coilxe2x80x9d may be occasionally used herein as generic to liquids that are insoluble in water. In many instances, it may be desirable to add a xe2x80x9cpromoterxe2x80x9d material to the aqueous composition to drive the particles of the solid colloid to the liquid-liquid interface. This phenomenon is well known in the emulsion art, and is here applied to solid colloidal particles, as an expanded means of adjusting the xe2x80x9chydrophilic-hydrophobic balance.xe2x80x9d
Usually, the promoters are organic materials that have an affinity for the solid colloid and also for the oil droplets and that may be capable of making the solid colloid more oleophilic. The affinity for the oil surface may be due to some organic portion of the promoter molecule, while affinity for the solid colloid may be due to opposite electrical charges. For example, positively charged complex metal salts or hydroxides, such as aluminum hydroxide, may be promoted by the presence of negatively charged organic promoters such as water-soluble sulfonated polystyrenes, alignates, and carboxymethylcellulose. Negatively charged colloids, such as Bentonite, may be promoted by positively charged promoters such as tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide or chloride or water-soluble complex resinous amine condensation products, such as the water-soluble condensation products of diethanolamine and adipic acid, the water-soluble condensation products of ethylene oxide, urea and formaldehyde, and polyethylenimine. Amphoteric materials, such as proteinaceous materials like gelatin, glue, casein, albumin, or glutin, may be effective promoters for a wide variety of colloidal solids. Nonionic materials like methoxy-cellulose may also be effective in some instances. Usually, the promoter should be used only to the extent of a few parts per million of aqueous medium, although larger proportions may often be tolerated. In some instances, ionic materials normally classed as emulsifiers, such as soaps, long chain sulfates and sulfonates and the long chain quaternary ammonium compounds, may also be used as promoters for the solid colloids, but care should be taken to avoid causing the formation of stable colloidal emulsions of the polymerizable liquid and the aqueous liquid medium.
An effect similar to that of organic promoters may be obtained with small amounts of electrolytes, for example, water-soluble, ionizable alkalies, acids and salts, particularly those having polyvalent ions. These may be useful when the excessive hydrophilic or insufficient oleophilic characteristic of the colloid is attributable to excessive hydration of the colloid structure. For example, a suitably crosslinked sulfonated polymer of styrene may be swollen and hydrated in water. Although the molecular structure contains benzene rings which should confer on the colloid some affinity for the oil phase in the dispersion, the degree of hydration causes the colloidal particles to be enveloped in a cloud of associated water. The addition of a soluble, ionizable polyvalent cationic compound, such as an aluminum or calcium salt, to the aqueous composition may cause extensive shrinking of the swollen colloid with exudation of a part of the associated water and exposure of the organic portion of the colloid particle, thereby making the colloid more oleophilic.
The solid colloidal particles whose hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance may be such that the particles tend to gather in the aqueous phase at the oil-water interface, gather on the surface of the oil droplets, and function as protective agents during limited coalescence.
Other agents that may be employed in an already known manner to effect modification of the colloidal properties of the aqueous composition are those materials known in the art as peptizing agents, flocculating and deflocculating agents, sensitizers, and surface active agents.
It is sometimes desirable to add a few parts per million of a water-soluble, oil-insoluble inhibitor of polymerization to the aqueous liquid to prevent the polymerization of monomer molecules that might diffuse into the aqueous liquid or that might be absorbed by colloid micelles and that, if allowed to polymerize in the aqueous phase, would tend to make emulsion-type polymer dispersions instead of, or in addition to, the desired bead or pearl polymers.
The aqueous medium containing the water-dispersible solid colloid may then be admixed with the liquid polymerizable material in such a way as to disperse the liquid polymerizable material as small droplets within the aqueous medium. This dispersion may be accomplished by any usual means, for example, by mechanical stirrers or shakers, by pumping through jets, by impingement, or by other procedures causing subdivision of the polymerizable material into droplets in a continuous aqueous medium.
The degree of dispersion, for example, by agitation, is not critical, although the size of the dispersed liquid droplets should be no larger, and may be preferably much smaller, than the stable droplet size expected and desired in the stable dispersion. When such condition has been attained, the resulting dispersion may be allowed to rest with only mild, gentle movement, if any, and preferably without agitation. Under such quiescent conditions, the dispersed liquid phase undergoes a limited degree of coalescence.
The non-crosslinked polymer particles in the voided layer should be immiscible with the polyester matrix. Typical non-crosslinked polymer particles that are immiscible with the polyester matrix are olefins. The preferred olefin non-crosslinked polymer particles, which may be blended with the polyester matrix, are a homopolymers or copolymers of polypropylene or polyethylene. Polypropylene is preferred.
The preferred polyolefin non-crosslinked polymer particles additive used according to this invention is immiscible with the polyester matrix component of the film and exists in the form of discrete non-crosslinked polymer particles dispersed throughout the oriented and heat set film. Voiding occurs between the non-crosslinked polymer particles that are immiscible with the polyester matrix and the polyester matrix, when the film is stretched. It has been discovered that the non-crosslinked polymer particles additive should be blended with the linear polyester matrix prior to extrusion through the film forming die by a process which results in a loosely blended mixture and does not develop an intimate bond between the polyester matrix and the preferred polyolefin non-crosslinked polymer particles additive.
Such a blending operation preserves the incompatibility of the components and leads to voiding when the film is stretched. A process of dry blending the polyester of the matrix and preferred polyolefin non-crosslinked polymer particles additive has been found to be useful. For instance, blending may be accomplished by mixing finely divided, for example powdered or granular, polyester and non-crosslinked polymer particles additive and, thoroughly mixing them together, for example by tumbling them.
In order to form the microvoided layer of this invention, crosslinked organic microbeads should first be dispersed into a polyester matrix prior to the film forming process. This may be accomplished by feeding both the polyester, in either pellet or powder form, and the crosslinked organic microbeads into a twin screw extruder. The polyester may be melted and the crosslinked organic microbeads may be dispersed into the polyester melt in the twin screw extruder. The resulting extrudate may be then quenched in a water bath and then pelletized into pellets to be used in the film forming process. These pellets may be then dry blended with the polyolefin of choice, typically a polypropylene. The polyolefin may be typically in pellet form as well. Pellets of polyester may also be added to the dry blend if modifications to the volumetric loading of the crosslinked organic microbeads and the immiscible polymer are desired. The ratio of the volume of crosslinked organic microbeads used relative to the volume of the immiscible polymer used in the final blend may range from 2:3 to 3:2. The preferred ratio is 1:1.
The resulting mixture may be then fed to the film forming extruder. The extrusion, quenching and stretching of the film may be effected by any process which is known in the art for producing oriented polyester film, for example by a flat film process or a bubble or tubular process. The flat film process is preferred for making film for use with this invention and involves extruding the blend through a slit die and rapidly quenching the extruded web upon a chilled casting drum so that the polyester matrix component of the film may be quenched into the amorphous state. The quenched film may be then biaxially oriented by stretching in mutually perpendicular directions at a temperature above the glass-rubber transition temperature of the polyester matrix. Generally the film is stretched in one direction first and then in the second direction although stretching may be effected in both directions simultaneously if desired. In a typical process, the film is stretched firstly in the direction of extrusion over a set of rotating rollers or between two pairs of nip rollers and is then stretched in the direction transverse thereto by means of a tenter apparatus. The film may be stretched in each direction to 2.5 to 4.5 times its original dimension in the direction of stretching. The ratio of the stretching in each direction is preferably such as to form voids in the sheet with a width to length ratio of from 1:1 to 2:1. After the film has been stretched it may be heat set by heating to a temperature sufficient to crystallize the polyester matrix while restraining the film against retraction in both directions of stretching. When non-crosslinked immiscible polymer voiding agent is used in the voided layer, the voiding tends to collapse as the heat setting temperature is increased and the degree of collapse increases as the temperature increases. Hence the void volume decreases with an increase in heat setting temperatures. While heat setting temperatures up to 230xc2x0 C. may be used without destroying the voids when only crosslinked organic microbeads are used in the voided layer, temperatures below 155xc2x0 C. may result in a greater degree of voiding when non-crosslinked immiscible polymer voiding agent is used.
Blended polyester matrix, crosslinked organic microbeads, and non-crosslinked polymer particles which have been extruded and, for example, reduced to a granulated or flaked form, may be successfully re-extruded into a voided film. It may be thus possible to re-feed scrap film, for example as edge trimmings, through the process.
The size of the microvoids formed is determined by the size of the crosslinked organic microbead or non-crosslinked polymer particle used to initiate the void and by the stretch ratio used to stretch the oriented polymeric film. The pores may range from 0.6 to 150 xcexcm in machine and cross machine directions of the film. They typically range from 0.2 to 30 xcexcm in height. Preferably the height of the pores is in the range of 0.5 to 15.0 xcexcm.
A void volume of from 25% to 55% is preferred for imaging elements not requiring absorbency as for thermal dye transfer medias and silver halide displays. The density of the microvoided layer should be less than 0.95 grams/cc. The preferred range is 0.40 to 0.90 grams/cc.
The voided layer described above, by itself, might constitute an image recording element of this invention. In another embodiment, adjacent clear polyester layer or layers could be included to add structural integrity of the display media base. The voided layer and clear polyester layer or layers could also have image recording layers adjacent to one or more outer surfaces which together comprise the image recording element. The total thickness of the base, which is the thickness of the imaging element without the imaging layers, may range from 100 to 400 (xcexcm). Most applications require the base thickness to be within the range of from 150 to 300 (xcexcm). The preferred range is from 170 to 200 (xcexcm).
The image recording layers described above may be coated by conventional coating means commonly used in this art. Coating methods may include, but are not limited to, wound wire rod coating, knife coating, slot coating, slide hopper coating, gravure coating, spin coating, dip coating, skim-pan-air-knife coating, multilayer slide bead, doctor blade coating, gravure coating, reverse-roll coating, curtain coating, multilayer curtain coating. Some of these methods allow for simultaneous coatings of more than one layer, which is preferred from a manufacturing economic perspective if more than one layer or type of layer needs to be applied. Known coating and drying methods are described in further detail in Research Disclosure No. 308119, published December 1989, pages 1007-1008. After coating, the layers are generally dried by simple evaporation, which may be accelerated by known techniques such as convection heating.
The image recording layer coating composition may be applied to one or both substrate surfaces through conventional pre-metered or post-metered coating methods listed above. The choice of coating process would be determined from the economics of the operation and, in turn, would determine the formulation specifications such as coating solids, coating viscosity, and coating speed.
The voided layer may also contain white pigments which are known to improve the photographic responses such as whiteness or sharpness. Titanium dioxide may be used to improve image sharpness. The TiO2 used may be either anatase or rutile type. Other pigments to improve photographic responses may also be used in this invention such as, barium sulfate, clay, calcium carbonate or silica.
Addenda may be added to the layers to change the color of the imaging element. For photographic use, a white base with a slight bluish tinge is preferred. The addition of the slight bluish tinge may be accomplished by any process which is known in the art including the machine blending of color concentrate prior to extrusion and the melt extrusion of blue colorants that have been pre-blended at the desired blend ratio.
One or more subbing layers may be present on top of the base for use in the invention, between the base and the image recording layer used with the invention. These layers may add functionality such as antistatic properties, control colorimetry, and improve image recording layer adhesion to the base.
These layers may be coated onto the microvoided layers after the coextrusion and orienting process or between casting and full orientation. Examples of this would be acrylic coatings for printability, coating polyvinylidene chloride for heat seal properties or barrier properties. Further examples include flame, plasma or corona discharge treatment to improve printability or adhesion. In addition it may also be possible to provide either an integral layer or a separately coated layer of either an electrical conductive or charge control layer to minimized the generation of electrostatic glow or discharge of a photosensitive imaging member. In the case of a charge control layer that is either integral to another functional layer or a functional layer by itself, the charge control agents may be substantially electrically neutral to the photosensitive emulsion or its protective overcoat.
In order to improve the adhesion of the imaging layer to the support, an under-coating or subbing layer may be applied to the surface of the support. This layer may be an adhesive layer such as, for example, halogenated phenols, partially hydrolyzed vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate polymer, vinylidene chloride-methyl acrylate-itaconic acid terpolymer, a vinylidene chloride-acrylonitrile-acrylic acid terpolymer, or a glycidyl (meth)acrylate polymer or copolymer. Other chemical adhesives, such as polymers, copolymers, reactive polymers or copolymers, that exhibit good bonding between the ink receiving layer and the support may be used. The polymeric binder in the subbing layer employed with the invention may be preferably a water soluble or water dispersible polymer such as poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), gelatin, a cellulose ether, a poly(oxazoline), a poly(vinylacetamide), partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate/vinyl alcohol), poly(acrylic acid), poly(acrylamide), poly(alkylene oxide), a sulfonated or phosphated polyester or polystyrene, casein, zein, albumin, chitin, chitosan, dextran, pectin, a collagen derivative, collodian, agar-agar, arrowroot, guar, carrageenan, tragacanth, xanthan, rhamsan, a latex such as poly(styrene-co-butadiene), a polyurethane latex, a polyester latex, or a poly(acrylate), poly(methacrylate), poly(acrylamide) or copolymers thereof.
Another preferred embodiment of this invention is an image recording element with a base comprising a voided layer as described above with a silver halide imaging layer adjacent to the voided layer. This imaging layer or layers may be on one or both sides of the voided layer. Alternatively a transparent polyester layer may be disposed between one or both surfaces of the voided layer and the silver halide imaging layers. Typical applications of this embodiment may be duplitized backlit display medias as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,093,521 and 6,355,404.
Any of the above described embodiments of this invention could further be laminated to a substrate to further increase the utility of the imaging element. Typical substrates may be fabrics, paper, polymer sheets.
If desired, the microvoided layer may be disposed on a substrate such as a paper substrate. The substrate may be either transparent or opaque. Opaque substrates include plain paper, coated paper, resin-coated paper such as polyolefin-coated paper, synthetic paper, photographic paper support, melt-extrusion-coated paper, and polyolefin-laminated paper. Biaxially oriented substrates include a paper base and a biaxially oriented polyolefin sheet, typically polypropylene, laminated to one or both sides of the paper base. The substrate may also consist of microporous materials such as polyethylene polymer-containing material sold by PPG Industries, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania under the trade name of Teslin(copyright), Tyvek(copyright) synthetic paper (DuPont Corp.), impregnated paper such as Duraform(copyright), and OPPalyte(copyright) films (Mobil Chemical Co.) and other composite films listed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,861. Transparent substrates include glass, cellulose derivatives, such as a cellulose ester, cellulose triacetate, cellulose diacetate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, polyesters, such as poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(ethylene naphthalate), poly-1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene terephthalate, poly(butylene terephthalate), and copolymers thereof, polyimides, polyamides, polycarbonates, polystyrene, polyolefins, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, polysulfones, polyacrylates, polyether imides, and mixtures thereof. The papers listed above include a broad range of papers, from high end papers, such as photographic paper to low end papers, such as newsprint. In a preferred embodiment, Ektacolor paper made by Eastman Kodak Co. may be employed.
Used herein, the phrase xe2x80x9cimaging elementxe2x80x9d comprises an imaging support as described above along with an image receiving or recording layer, such as a support for photographic silver halide images. As used herein, the phrase xe2x80x9cphotographic elementxe2x80x9d is a material that utilizes photosensitive silver halide in the formation of images.
In another embodiment, in order to produce photographic elements, the composite support sheet may be coated with a photographic element or elements. The photographic elements may be single color elements or multicolor elements. Multicolor elements contain image ink or dye-forming units sensitive to each of the three primary regions of the spectrum. Each unit may comprise a single emulsion layer or multiple emulsion layers sensitive to a given region of the spectrum. The layers of the element, including the layers of the image-forming units, may be arranged in various orders as known in the art. In an alternative format, the emulsions sensitive to each of the three primary regions of the spectrum may be disposed as a single segmented layer.
The photographic emulsions useful for this invention may be generally prepared by precipitating silver halide crystals in a colloidal matrix by methods conventional in the art. The colloid may be typically a hydrophilic film forming agent such as gelatin, alginic acid, or derivatives thereof.
The crystals formed in the precipitation step may be washed and then chemically and spectrally sensitized by adding spectral sensitizing dyes and chemical sensitizers, and by providing a heating step during which the emulsion temperature may be raised, typically from 40xc2x0 C. to 70 xc2x0 C., and maintained for a period of time. The precipitation and spectral and chemical sensitization methods utilized in preparing the emulsions employed in the invention may be those methods known in the art.
Chemical sensitization of the emulsion typically employs sensitizers such as: sulfur-containing compounds, for example, allyl isothiocyanate, sodium thiosulfate and allyl thiourea, reducing agents, for example, polyamines and stannous salts, noble metal compounds, for example, gold, platinum, and polymeric agents, for example, polyalkylene oxides. As described, heat treatment may be employed to complete chemical sensitization. Spectral sensitization may be effected with a combination of dyes, which are designed for the wavelength range of interest within the visible or infrared spectrum. It is known to add such dyes both before and after heat treatment.
After spectral sensitization, the emulsion may be coated on a support. Various coating techniques include dip coating, air knife coating, curtain coating and extrusion coating.
The silver halide emulsions utilized in this invention may be comprised of any halide distribution. Thus, they may be comprised of silver chloride, silver bromide, silver bromochloride, silver chlorobromide, silver iodochloride, silver iodobromide, silver bromoiodochloride, silver chloroiodobromide, silver iodobromochloride, and silver iodochlorobromide emulsions. By predominantly silver chloride, it is meant that the grains of the emulsion are greater than 50 mole percent silver chloride. Preferably, they are greater than 90 mole percent silver chloride, and optimally greater than 95 mole percent silver chloride.
The silver halide emulsions may contain grains of any size and morphology. Thus, the grains may take the form of cubes, octahedrons, cubo-octahedrons, or any of the other naturally occurring morphologies of cubic lattice type silver halide grains. Further, the grains may be irregular such as spherical grains or tabular or core/shell grains. Grains having a tabular or cubic morphology are preferred.
The photographic elements of the invention may utilize emulsions as described in The Theory of the Photographic Process, Fourth Edition, T. H. James, Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc., 1977, pages 151-152. Reduction sensitization has been known to improve the photographic sensitivity of silver halide emulsions. While reduction sensitized silver halide emulsions generally exhibit good photographic speed, they often suffer from undesirable fog and poor storage stability.
Reduction sensitization may be performed intentionally by adding reduction sensitizers, chemicals that reduce silver ions to form metallic silver atoms, or by providing a reducing environment such as high pH (excess hydroxide ion) and/or low pAg (excess silver ion). During precipitation of a silver halide emulsion, unintentional reduction sensitization may occur when, for example, silver nitrate or alkali solutions may be added rapidly or with poor mixing to form emulsion grains. Also, precipitation of silver halide emulsions in the presence of ripeners (grain growth modifiers) such as thioethers, selenoethers, thioureas, or ammonia tends to facilitate reduction sensitization.
Examples of reduction sensitizers and environments which may be used during precipitation or spectral/chemical sensitization to reduction sensitize an emulsion include ascorbic acid derivatives, tin compounds, polyamine compounds, and thiourea dioxide-based compounds described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,487,850; 2,512,925; and British Patent 789,823. Specific examples of reduction sensitizers or conditions, such as dimethylamineborane, stannous chloride, hydrazine, high pH (pH 8-11) and low pAg (pAg 1-7) ripening are discussed by S. Collier in Photographic Science and Engineering, 23, 113 (1979). Examples of processes for preparing intentionally reduction sensitized silver halide emulsions are described in EP 0 348 934 A1 (Yamashita), EP 0 369 491 (Yamashita), EP 0 371 388 (Ohashi), EP 0 396 424 A1 (Takada), EP 0 404 142 A1 (Yamada), and EP 0 435 355 A1 (Makino).
The photographic elements of this invention may use emulsions doped with Group VII metals such as iridium, rhodium, osmium, and iron as described in Research Disclosure, September 1994, Item 36544, Section I, published by Kenneth Mason Publications, Ltd., Dudley Annex, 12a North Street, Emsworth, Hampshire PO10 7DQ, ENGLAND. Additionally, a general summary of the use of iridium in the sensitization of silver halide emulsions is contained in Carroll, xe2x80x9cIridium Sensitization: A Literature Review,xe2x80x9d Photographic Science and Engineering, Vol. 24, No. 6, 1980. A method of manufacturing a silver halide emulsion by chemically sensitizing the emulsion in the presence of an iridium salt and a photographic spectral sensitizing dye is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,965. In some cases, when such dopants are incorporated, emulsions show an increased fresh fog and a lower contrast sensitometric curve when processed in the color reversal E-6 process as described in The British Journal of Photography Annual, 1982, pages 201-203.
A typical multicolor photographic element comprises the invention aminated support bearing a cyan ink or dye image-forming unit comprising at least one red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith at least one cyan dye-forming coupler, a magenta image-forming unit comprising at least one green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith at least one magenta dye-forming coupler, and a yellow dye image-forming unit comprising at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith at least one yellow dye-forming coupler. The element may contain additional layers, such as filter layers, interlayers, overcoat layers, and subbing layers. The support or base useful with the invention may also be utilized for black and white photographic print elements.
The photographic elements may also contain a transparent magnetic recording layer such as a layer containing magnetic particles on the underside of a transparent support, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,279,945 and 4,302,523. The invention may be utilized with the materials disclosed in Research Disclosure, September 1997, Item 40145. The invention may be particularly suitable for use with the material color paper examples of sections XVI and XVII. The couplers of section II may also be particularly suitable. The Magenta I couplers of section II, particularly M-7, M-10, M-18, and M-18, set forth below may be particularly desirable. In the following Table, reference will be made to (1) Research Disclosure, December 1978, Item 17643, (2) Research Disclosure, December 1989, Item 308119, and (3) Research Disclosure, September 1994, Item 36544, all published by Kenneth Mason Publications, Ltd., Dudley Annex, 12a North Street, Emsworth, Hampshire PO10 7DQ, ENGLAND. Table 1 and the references cited in Table 1 are to be read as describing particular components suitable for use in the elements of the invention. The Table and its cited references also describe suitable ways of preparing, exposing, processing and manipulating the elements and the images contained therein.
The photographic elements may be exposed with various forms of energy which encompass the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum as well as with electron beam, beta radiation, gamma radiation, x-ray, alpha particle, neutron radiation, and other forms of corpuscular and wave-like radiant energy in either noncoherent (random phase) forms or coherent (in phase) forms, as produced by lasers. When the photographic elements are intended to be exposed by x-rays, they may include features found in conventional radiographic elements.
The photographic elements may be preferably exposed to actinic radiation, typically in the visible region of the spectrum, to form a latent image, and then processed to form a visible image, preferably by other than heat treatment. Processing may be preferably carried out in the known RA-4.TM. (Eastman Kodak Company) Process or other processing systems suitable for developing high chloride emulsions. In one embodiment, this invention may be directed towards a photographic recording element comprising a support and at least one light sensitive silver halide emulsion layer comprising silver halide grains as described above.
For the image recording element of this invention utilized as a display material, at least one image layer containing silver halide and a dye forming coupler located on the top side or bottom side of the imaging element may be preferred. Applying the imaging layer to either the top or bottom may be preferred for a quality photographic transmission display material. For some markets improved image quality requires an increase in dye density. Increasing dye density increases the amount of light sensitive silver halide emulsion coated on one side. While the increase in emulsion coverage does improve image quality, developer time may be increased from 50 seconds to 110 seconds. For the image recording element of this invention, when used as a display material, it is preferred that at least one image layer comprising at least one dye forming coupler is located on both the top and bottom of the imaging support used with this invention is preferred. Applying an image layer to both the top and bottom of the support allows for optimization of image density with thinner photosensitive layers while allowing for developer time less than 50 seconds.
The image recording element, when used as a display material, wherein at least one dye forming layer on the top side comprises about the same amount of dye forming coupler of the imaging layer on the backside is most preferred. Coating substantially the same amount of light sensitive silver halide emulsion on both sides has the additional benefit of balancing the imaging element for image curl caused by the contraction and expansion of the hydroscopic gel typically utilized in photographic emulsions.

Microbead and immiscible polymer voided polyester for imaging medias


A display device comprising a plurality of prize balls, a ball holder adapted to hold the balls in an individually controlled manner, a controller adapted to select a prize ball, a display mechanism adapted to display the selected prize ball to the player; and a positioning mechanism in communication with the controller adapted to position the selected prize ball relative to the display mechanism. The display device may be combined with a jumbled ball display wherein the balls displayed by the display device appear to originate from the jumbled ball display. The display device may also be combined with a game apparatus that is adapted to allow players to play a game. In this embodiment, the display device may provide a bonus award for the player. Several games are also provided that may be used with the display device. In an alternative embodiment, the jumbled ball display is replaced with a video display device that displays the balls in video form. The display device may also be replaced by the video display device in which case a prize ball appears to be randomly selected from the agitated display balls.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a display device for use with a gaming device that selects one or more balls from a plurality of individually controlled balls and displays the selected ball.
2. Description of Related Art
Gaming Devices
Gaming devices are well known in the art and a large variety of gaming devices have been developed. In general, gaming devices allow users or players to play a game. In many casino-type gaming devices, the outcome of the game depends, at least in part, on a randomly generated event. For example, a gaming device may use a random number generator to generate a random or pseudo-random number. The random number may then be compared to a predefined table to determine the outcome of the event. If the random number falls within a certain range of numbers on the table, the player may win a predefined prize. The table may also contain display information that allows the gaming device to generate a display that corresponds to the outcome of the game. The gaming device may present the outcome of the game on a large variety of display devices, such as mechanical spinning reels or video screens.
Bonus Prizes
Some gaming devices award bonuses in addition to prizes that are awarded in the primary game. A bonus can be defined as an additional prize that is awarded to the player when a predefined event occurs. An example of a bonus game can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,932 issued to Adams. One of the gaming devices described in this document comprises three spinning reels and a spinning wheel bonus display. When predetermined indicia are displayed on the spinning reels of the primary game, the wheel can be activated to indicate a bonus prize. The bonus prize is awarded in addition to any prizes awarded in the primary game.
Generally, bonus prizes are offered in such games in order to increase the excitement and enjoyment experienced by players. This attracts more players to the game and encourages players to play longer. When gaming devices attract more players and the players play longer, they tend to be more commercially successful relative to other gaming devices.
Display Devices
In addition, highly visible display devices are utilized on gaming devices in order to attract players. Once players are attracted to the gaming device, they tend to play longer because the display device enhances the stimulation and excitement experienced by players. It is, therefore, desirable for gaming devices to incorporate highly visible display devices.
Display devices tend to be more successful if they are a derivation of a well-known game or theme. They are more successful because players tend to be drawn to games that they instantly recognize. Many players are reluctant to try completely new games because they must spend time to learn the new game. It is, therefore, desirable to provide display devices that are based on well-known games or themes.
Display devices also tend to be more successful if they utilize physical objects rather than simulations. Although video devices and electronic signs can be used for display devices, players are more attracted to display devices that utilize physical objects. Physical objects can be even more effective display devices if they are moveable and they are used in combination with lights and sounds.
Keno
Upon an initial examination, it would appear that the display device of Keno is an excellent choice for a display device for gaming devices. Keno is well known to the playing public, and it utilizes a highly visible and attractive display device. The display device comprises a container with a plurality of numbered balls. The balls in the container are agitated or jumbled, usually by a jet of air, to a state where they ricochet off of the walls of the container.
In the game of Keno, players select numbers that may be drawn from the Keno display device. The display device jumbles or mixes numbered balls in the container and then draws a predetermined number of balls from the container. Players are paid based on the number of balls drawn from the display device that match the numbers they selected.
However, before the present invention, the Keno display device has been unsuitable for use with gaming devices. One of the reasons this is so is because Keno is susceptible to environmental influences. An important aspect of any gaming device is resistance to environmental influences that could affect the results of the game. However, as the balls are jumbled in the Keno ball device, static electricity, dust, and contaminants build up on the balls. This may cause the balls to stick to each other or to components in the display device thereby influencing the randomness of the game. Furthermore, the balls used in Keno displays may have slightly different weights or sizes that subtly affects the outcome of the game.
Another reason the game of Keno has been unsuitable as an indicator for a gaming device is that it requires a great deal of human involvement. In many Keno games, human operators are required to read the numbers of the Keno balls as they are selected and input the numbers into a computer or display. Furthermore, operators must regularly clean the Keno balls and the Keno devices to keep dust and contaminants from building up on the balls. Not only does this require far too much human involvement for an automated gaming device (the greater the human involvement, the greater the cost of operating the game), the game is also susceptible to tampering and cheating.
Because of its susceptibility to environmental influences and tampering and its dependence on human operators and maintenance personnel, Keno games are not allowed in at least one major gaming jurisdiction. Furthermore, these disadvantages have prevented Keno display devices and other devices that use jumbled balls from being adapted for use with gaming devices. What has long been needed is a means for adapting jumbled ball display devices for use with gaming devices. Although reference is made to the game of Keno, it is to be understood that the present invention may be used with almost any type of ball or jumbled ball display device, such as lottery balls.
Jumbled Ball Displays
Two references that have attempted to utilize jumbled ball displays are U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,171 issued to Rivero and U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,007 issued to Travis et al. Rivero appears to disclose a game device with means for simulating the release of a ball. In this reference, a rotating drum 2 is provided with numbered balls 17. As the drum rotates, a ball is released into a transparent tube 16.
However, Rivero is not intended to show the player the ball that is released from the drum. Rather, the ball is held in the tube, out of view of the player, and an electronic simulation of the ball number is presented in a window 9. This is intended to give the player "the impression" that the ball has been counted. Rivero fails to disclose or suggest displaying actual balls to the player to indicate the outcome of the game or the value of a prize.
Travis et al. appears to disclose a video lottery gaming device with numbered balls 48. However, all of the balls are simulations generated by software and no physical balls are displayed to the player. Travis et al. also fails to disclose or suggest displaying actual balls to the player to indicate the outcome of the game or the value of a prize.
One of the disadvantages with Rivero and Travis et al. is that no actual physical balls are used to display the outcome of a game. This is less desirable because players like to see physical objects rather than electronic simulations of the physical objects. Moreover, players tend to believe that a game device is misleading when the device purports to display a simulation of an object rather than the object itself. This is especially true when the object itself is supposedly available for viewing, as is the case in Rivero.

Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service Company, Inc.


A device for detecting and influencing the physiological and/or pathological state of the human or animal body, including a housing which has a first housing wall that, in turn, has an outer surface provided for placing against a body to be treated. A rotor is situated inside the housing and is rotationally driven about an axis that is essentially perpendicular to the first housing wall. First magnets are mounted on the rotor, and their magnetic fields are oriented in the same direction that is parallel to the rotation axis. At least one additional magnet is situated essentially coaxial to the rotation axis with a polarity of each being oriented in an opposite direction to the first magnets.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for detecting and influencing the physiological and/or pathological state of the human or animal body, comprising a housing which has a first housing wall which, in turn, has an outer surface provided for placing against the body to be treated, with a rotor being situated inside the housing and being rotationally driven about an axis which is essentially perpendicular to the first housing wall, and with first magnets being arranged on the rotor whose magnetic fields are oriented in the same direction which is parallel to the rotational axis.
2. The Prior Art
Various apparatuses have become known to influence the human body by application of electromagnetic fields. Partly these are diagnostic devices such as nuclear spin tomography, and partly other therapeutic applications are concerned.
An apparatus has become known in order to measure the biological state of a patient by measuring radiated waves in the millimeter range. Such methods have been published for example in: Devyatkov N. D., Golant M. V., "About outlooks of usage of electromagnetic radiations of a millimetre wave in quality of high-informative means of obtaining of data about specific processes in alive organisms" in Letters to Journal of Technical Physics, 1986; 12 (5): 288-291.
Such a direct measurement of the radiation intensity is difficult as a result of the very low amplitudes and requires a complex set-up of apparatuses. The practical application of such methods is therefore very limited.
Further known diagnostic methods try to obtain findings in a non-invasive manner such that the frequency and periodicity of fundamental physiological processes are measured. This can concern the breathing rhythm or the heart rhythm or pulse beat. In the course of such measurements the body to be examined can be loaded with high-frequency waves in order to obtain additional information. Certain diagnoses can be made in this manner, but it is not possible to detect brain activity in a suitable manner.
Magneto-acoustic apparatuses for the non-invasive measurement of bioelectric currents in the brain have become known (Towe B. C., Islam M. R.: "A magneto-acoustic device for the non-invasive measurements of bioelectric currents"; IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 1988; 35(10): 892-894; Spiegel R. I. e.a. Measurements of small mechanical vibration of brain tissue exposed to extremely low-frequency electric fields; Bioelectromagnetic, 1986; 7(3): 295-306). Such non-invasive magneto-acoustic measurements can lead to a large quantity of information on individual organs and systems of the body, on the basis of performance under strain of the organism with a variable electromagnetic field. The acoustic oscillations lead to the origination of a potential difference at the boundary surfaces between the individual media with different acoustic properties (Debye potential) which is comparable with the membrane potential of a large number of cells, so that this method cannot be designated as entirely non-invasive. Disturbances occur as a result of thermo-elastic changes in tissue, and the brain in particular, which distort the measurements.
A therapeutic appliance is further known from RU 2 180 603C in which rotating magnetic fields are used in order to influence the human body. In addition, electric voltages are applied to the skin via electrodes. It has been noticed however that the overall effect does not go beyond a limited range. Further magnetic apparatuses for treating the body are described in WO 99/39769 and in RU 2 121 383 C. Similar disadvantages occur in these cases too.
It is the object of the present invention to avoid such disadvantages and to provide an apparatus which can be used for diagnostic purposes as well as for therapeutic purposes and which is capable of exerting a strong and reproducible effect on the body in a non-invasive manner.
The objects are achieved in such a way that at least one further magnet is arranged substantially coaxially to the rotational axis, which magnet is oriented in an opposite direction relative to the first magnets.
In the application of the apparatus in accordance with the invention in the diagnostic field, reference is hereby made to a method which is similar in respect of concept and technical sense which is known as the Voll method and has been published in Leonhardt H.: "Fundamentals in Electro Puncture according to Voll." ML-Verlag GesmbH, Hetzen, 1980. The idea of this method and this apparatus is defining a continuously monitored parameter which allows a differentiation between the reactions of a healthy and sick person. In a technical respect, the Voll method consists of the definition of the electric conductivity in various segments of a body meridian and the examination of the dynamics in predetermined points of the body. The measuring range is mapped to a scale of between 0% and 100%, with the middle point of the scale corresponding to a normal value, the upper end of the scale indicating inflammation illnesses and the lower end of the scale indicating degradation of the tissue. The application of the Voll method is made difficult by a number of technical and organizational difficulties. A major source of errors is the correct application of the electrodes at predetermined points on the body because slight local changes, the geometry of the electrode, the applied pressure and other parameters have a relatively strong influence on the result. Moreover, notice must be taken from a cybernetic viewpoint that the predetermined body parts to be examined represent time-changeable, non-linear dynamic objects (Croley T. E.: "Electrical Acupuncture Point Conductance in the Compared to that in the Dead, Amer. J. Acupunct., 1986; 14(1): 57-60), so that the results of the diagnosis can represent only the momentary energy state of the body under the influence of external factors without allowing reliable statements on the actual fundamental state of the organism.
The apparatus of the present invention allows subjecting the body in a precisely defined manner to an electromagnetic field which allows obtaining measured values in a robust and reliable manner in order to diagnose the state of the body. The place of the application and the variation of the rotational speed or the frequency of the changes of the rotational direction allow influencing and changing the measured values which are obtained in the known manner via electrodes which are attached to the body. Conclusions can be drawn from the manner of influencing which allows obtaining reliable diagnoses.
A relevant aspect of the invention is opposite polarization of the central further magnet in relationship to the rotating first magnets. This means that either the magnetic north pole of the central further magnet faces towards the first housing wall and the magnetic south poles of the first magnets face towards the housing wall, or vice-versa. As a result of this special arrangement, it is possible that the magnetic field which penetrates the body can be aligned towards individual organs in an especially purposeful manner. The first housing wall is made of a magnetically neutral material such as plastic and is provided with the thinnest possible configuration in order to reduce losses as far as possible. Strong magnets are preferably used as magnets which preferably develop a field strength of between 0.5 T and 5 T.
An especially simple configuration of the apparatus in accordance with the invention is obtained when the magnets are configured as permanent magnets. In order to allow reaching the above field strength in a secure and reliable way, it is especially preferable when the magnets are made of a neodym iron boron alloy or of a praseodym iron boron alloy. Such so-called SE-magnets on the basis of rare earths come with especially advantageous properties in connection with the present invention. As an alternative to this it is also possible to configure the magnets partly or completely as electromagnets. The supply of such electromagnets on the rotor can be provided in this case via slip rings for example.
The suitable selection of the speed of the rotor (angular velocity) and optionally the periodic changing of the rotational direction with a certain base frequency may allow a purposeful influencing of the human and animal body. This allows not only obtaining precise diagnostic information in the course of measurements performed simultaneously, but therapeutic treatments can also be performed. Such treatments allow treating illnesses for example which are illustrated and classified on a seven-stage scale of the energy-informative system of the patient. In such a classification, the seventh stage represents the state of health, whereas the lower stages define different stages of illnesses. A threshold value is usually assumed between the second and the third stage below which convalescence is regarded as impossible. The application of the present apparatus in accordance with the invention allows bringing a patient from the third, fourth, fifth or sixth stage to the seventh stage. Double-blind studies performed on a large number of patients have proven the effectiveness of the apparatus in accordance with the invention.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention it is possible that the further magnet is attached in a stationary manner to the housing. This allows an especially simple configuration of the apparatus from a mechanical viewpoint, with said further magnet being attached directly to the first housing wall for example. It is also possible alternatively that the further magnet is attached to the central region of the rotor. The further magnet is thus not stationary, but the magnetic field produced by this magnet is quasi stationary especially in a central symmetrical configuration of the further magnet.
It has proven to be especially advantageous when the first magnets are attached in regions of radial rays of the rotor which have even angular distances. In this manner, a magnetic field can be produced which revolves with an even angular velocity. The angular velocity can be adjusted accordingly depending on the respective purpose. The arrangement of the first magnets on three rays is especially preferable, so that the angular distances are 120° each. In the simplest of cases, one magnet can be arranged along each ray. In the case of applications over larger surface areas it is preferable when several magnets are arranged on each ray.
It has proven to be especially advantageous when the first magnets and the further magnet comprises pole faces which are situated in a common plane and border the first housing wall directly. An especially even influence of the magnetic field on the tissue is thus achieved.
The present invention is explained in closer detail by reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

Detection and influencing of physiological and/or pathological states