Title: Anti-fungal and/or anti-bacterial hardware for ink printing apparatus

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. An ink system comprising:

a liquid ink incorporating an organic solvent; an ink containing element exhibiting anti-fungal characteristics, said ink containing element comprising:

a thermoplastic resin material initially in pellet form exhibiting resistance to said organic solvent;

a fungicide exhibiting the characteristics of an effective anti-microbial agent, insolubility in water, low solubility in said organic solvent, thermal stability for molding with said thermoplastic, and extended storage life;

said fungicide being thoroughly mixed as fungicide powder in with the pellets of resin prior to molding into said ink containing element;

said fungicide slowly leaching from the ink containing element upon contact therewith to provide a continuing fungicide to the ink system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said thermoplastic material comprises an acetal homopolymer comprising about 99.5% of said element; and

wherein said fungicide comprises 2-(4-thiazolyl)-benzimidazole that is about 0.5% of said element.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said thermoplastic material comprises a polyester that is about 99.0% of said element; and wherein

said fungicide comprises manganous ethylenebis dithiocarbamate that is about 1.0% of said element.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said ink incorporates n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and said manganous ethylene bisdithiocarbamate has limited finite solubility in n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone thereby slowly leaching from the element to provide a continuing fungicide to a flowing ink system.

5. An ink system comprising:

an aqueous ink;

an ink supply or circulating element containing said ink, said element exhibiting anti-fungal and anti-bacterial characteristics, comprising:

a high-density polyethylene; and

the biocide, 2-(4-thiazolyl)-benzimidazole, exhibiting adequate solubility in water (0.003 g/100 ml) to protect its surface and to contribute a leaching effect when compounded at about 0.25% with said polyethylene.

6. An ink system comprising:

a liquid ink incorporating an organic solvent;

an ink supply or circulating element for containing said ink, said element exhibiting anti-fungal and anti-bacterial characteristics, comprising:

a high-density polyethylene;

a biocide consisting of zinc 2-pyridinethiol 1-oxide, a chelate complex of 1-hydroxypyridine-2-thione and zinc, in a concentration of about 0.25% compounded in said polyethylene prior to molding and having a leaching effect when immersed in said organic solvent.

Other info:

Inventors: Stone, Jerry F. (Georgetown, KY, US)

Application Number: 646791
Filing Date: 1976-01-06
Publication_date: 1976-12-21
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)
Primary Class(es): 523/122 260/DIG38
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

2874732	Feb, 1959	Zepelovitch	15/257.
3017415	Jan, 1962	Sarett et al.	260/302.
3085042	Apr, 1963	Luginbuhl	424/287.
3239411	Mar, 1966	Leebrick	260/45.
3785985	Nov, 1974	Grand	260/45.
3812065	May, 1974	Minieri	260/45.
3928372	Dec, 1975	Bochis	260/302.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Hoke, V. P.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney: Girvin, Jr.; John W., Cooper; D. Kendall