(2) 6 03) an @ (86) (7) os) G0) May 23, 2003, on} «2 (58) (56) United States Patent Matsumoto et al. SENSITIVE STRUCTURE FOR FLEXOGRAPIHIC PRINTING Inventors: Masaki Matsumoto, Fuji (JP) Hires ‘Yamada, Mishims (1P) Assignee: Asahi Kasei Chemi Tokyo (1P) Corporation, Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis patent is extended or adjusted under 35 USC. 15400) by O days, Appl. No 100887,577 PCT: May 10,2004 PCTNo: — PCTISP2004006245 $371 (o\l), (),(4) Date: Now. 24, 2005 PCT Pub, No WO2004/104701 PCT Puls, Date: Des. 2, 2004 Prior P US 200600257788 AI ication Duta Now. 16,2006 Forcign Application Priority Data cP) 2003-146713 Int. Cl. GOaP 7095 Gosk 71 Us.cl. (2006.01) (2006.01), 430/271; 430/306, 4301300 “$300286.1; 4307287.1 None Fleld of Classification Sear See pplication ile for complete search history. References Cited US. PATENT DOCUMENTS 4248960 4% 2IDSL Heinctal 1430306 49068 8 THD Junta 72068 A 1988 Mouseau 4501306 4925. & $1990 Hucmmer eta ‘USO07S44463B2 US 7,544,463 B2 jun. 9, 2009 (10) Patent No. 4s) Date of Patent: 5037402 A * 32000 Loerverst a 430306, FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS P oossso7 az T1982 ey BosysRs AZ 9/1982 iP 0333012 A? 911999 Ge 3270090 A 3/1904 ” s8.0s4600 iow » 28191190 » 2K 11990 w 420e7 7 92 » 2oww-iss4i0 62000 ® doo2sees 92000 (OTHER PUBLICATIONS English anslation Machine generate, of JPO8-297369-A 16 pages "rom 20 and INPIT using ditionse in Chemisty Natural scence sn JIS tenns. Trasation generated Mar 20,2007. from tp ‘osse pl neip go jptest_tran nl and AIDN and Japan Patent Otce website” English abstract rom WP Thomson of JP19$2016405 19520922 of ‘which IPS90S4G00A was one member 1 pgs, yer of abc 984, ‘0 month aventor Kawa ta English abstret from WPI Thomson of IPL9S20164105 1982 ‘of which JPSOOS4GODA was one member, {page year of absract 1984 no moat, Inventor Kawamoto tal * cited by examiner Primary Examiner —Cynhia Hailton (74) Atornes, Agent, or FirmFinnepan, Henderson, Farabons, Garret & Dunner LEP, on ABSTRACT A photosensitive structure for Nexographie printing having 2 support (A) and, laminated thereon, an aesive layer (8) and photosensitive resin layer (C) different from said adhesive layer (B), wherein said adhesive layer (B) isan adhesive layer (B) comprising a thermoplastic elastomer (a) derived from at Teast one monovinyl substituted aromatie hydrocarbon and a ccnjugated ene, at leastone ethylenically unsaturated com: pound (b) and at least one polymerization initiator (c). ‘wherein said ethylenically unsaturated compound (b) com: prises at least one (imeth)acryate () having one or more fromatie rings and/or one or more hydroxyl groups in the ‘molecule therco 18 Claims, No DrawingsUS 7,544,463 B2 1 PHOTOSENSITIVE STRUCTURE FOR FLEXOGRAPHIC PRINTING ‘TECHNICAL FIFLD 1. Incorporation by Reference Te present application claims prioity based on Japanese Patent Application No, 2003-14673 filed on May 15, 2008, ‘whiel is incorporated inthe present application by referring the contents thereo! 2. Teebnical Field ‘The proteat invention relates to a photosensitive structure Jor flexographic printing used for making a flexographic plate ‘and a method for produetion thereof BACKGROUND ART An oadinary photosensitive structure for flexographic Printing has a constton wherein a polyester film is uscd as | support, al a photosensitive resin is laminated theronn. A rethod for preparing a plate from a photosensitive structure Jor flexographic printing adopts steps for exposing an image (relief exposure) on the surface of « photosensitive resin through a transparent image carrer (negative film), washing ‘away’ unexposed portions using a solvent forthe developer an Forming a desired image, ie. relief image, to obtain a Printing plate Purthermone, method wherein the entire st face of & photosensitive resin is exposed to ultraviolet rays through a support (back exposure) to form atin evenly cured Jayer, and then relict exposure is perlonmied through & nega- ve ilm,isalso adopted. The ickness of flexographic plate js usually 0.5 to 10 mm, and the thickness ofthe plate is suitably selected depending on materials to be printed und the setting of printers Although the obtained flexographic plate is used by fixing ton the plate eylinder ofa printing machine using a double- sided adhesive tape or the like, a shear stress is produced during printing in the printing platebetween the plateeylinder and e impression eylinder. When he printing plates peeled from the supportby the shear stress, problem in that printing nat be stopped or the ike i caused, In addition, when the printing plate is removed from the plate eylinder after print- Ing, the photosensitive resin may be peeled off the plate cylinder by pulling, and in such a ease the photosensitive resin andthe support are undergone stress. If the support and the photosensitive resin are peeled off, the plate cannot be reused, ad another plate must be prepared anew. Prom such a point of view, a polyester fm, whieh is a suppor, and the photosensitive resin must be firmly adhered to each other, and the adhesive strength thereof is preferably 5.9 Niem or more when the photosensitive resin is forcibly peeledofT the supportata peeing angle of 180°, Furthermore from the viewpoint of the reuse of the plate, its more prek ‘erable that the adhesive strength of 5.9 Niem or more is ‘maintained even after the photosensitive resin s processed t0 prepare the plate and is aged. From such a point of view, methods for Forming an adhe= sive layer betscen a suppor and a photosensitive resi layer ‘are proposed in, for example, Patent Document 1 UP-A- 2000-135410) and Patent Document 2 (IP-A-2001-26499). However, inthese references, there limitation in thenumber ‘of unsaturated bonds of an ethylenically unsaturated com= ound contained inthe photosensitive resin layer, and forthe Photosenstive resin layereomposed ofa photosensitive resin ‘composition containing no ethylenically unsaturated com- pounds described in these references, none of adhesive layers ‘exhibiting good adhesive strength are deseribed 0 o 2 In Patent Document 3 (JP-A-4-204447), a photosensitive resin relietprinting material provided with a photo-curcd barrier layer to au inkwashig oil on an adhesive-treated support. However, inthis eas, since an adhesive layer is ormed, anda barrier layer is further formed thereon, the step for preparing. the photosensitive resin printing, material becomes complicated “As a material fora flexographic plate, Patent Document 4 (P-A-1-296252) proposes the intervention of an undercoat layer between a support and an adhesive layer. ven in this cease, since two layers ofthe undercoat layer and the adhesive layer are laminated, the step for preparing the flexographic plate material becomes complicated ‘InPatent Document §(P-A-2-8849) and Patent Document 6 (P-A-2-8851}, a plate composed of at least one intermedi ate layer formed ona support anda photosensitive relief layer formed on the intermediate layer is proposed. In these refer- fences, although polyvinyl aleohol and polyamide are shown as a binder used as the intermediate layer, a thermoplastic elastomer composed of a monoviny] substtuied aromatic hydrocarbon and a conjugated diene isnot described ‘In Patent Document 6, although an intermediate layer that contains a specific eomponnd i deseribed, the specie com- ound is monofunctional, and no polyfunetional compounds aredescrbed. Further as the efecto he invention, improved adhesiveness and the improvement of developers are eseribed, the resistance to ink solvents required when used asa plate isnot deseribed Tn adltion, a method relating tothe reuse ofthe rejected plate produced in the production of a flexographie plate is proposed in Patent Document 7 (JP-A-6-214378). ln this ‘Soctment, theres deserihed the reuse consisting ofa step for jsolatinga recording layer from a support, a step for pulver- izing the recording layer as required, anda sep for adding the pulverized material ta synthetic resin mixture However the reuse requires lange numberof steps, and has become com- plicated. As described above, isthe present situation that no pho~ tosensitive strictures for flexographie printing that has high adhesive srength and excels in production efficiency and the ‘ejected plate produced in the production process can be easly roused have been found. Patent Document 1: JP-A-2000-155410 Patent Documeat 2: JP-A-2001-268959 Patent Document 3: JP-A-4-204447 Patent Document 6: IP Patent Document 7: JP-A-6-214378 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention An object ofthe present invention is t0 provide a photo= sensitive srature for flexographic printing that has high adhesive strength and excels in production efficiency, and the ‘ejected plate produced in the production process can be easily reused. A further object ofthe present invention is t0 pravile # photosensitive stracture for Hexographic printing that excels in the stability of adhesive strenalh with time, produces no unevenness of adhesive strength i the plat, and hasan adhesive layer with excellent resistance oink solvents ‘Means for Solving the Problems ‘The present inventors condicted keen examinations onthe above-described problems, and found that the above-de-