JPH04124663A - Image intermediate transfer material creation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily form an image intermediate body for forming an image on normal paper, cloth, etc., by sticking a developer medium where the image is formed on a heat-fusible sheet, where a thermoplastic resin layer is carried separably, by thermal fusion. CONSTITUTION:A color image formation device forms an image of an original on the developer layer 2a of the developer medium and the image intermediate transfer body formation device forms the intermediate transfer body. The image intermediate transfer body formation device heats and fuses the heat-fusible sheet 12 and developer medium, which are conveyed one over the other, into one at the same time. Then a base is peeled off the heat-fusible sheet 12 and developer medium. Then an adhesive sheet 33 is fed by a feeding device 25 and the heat-sensitive adhesive 33b of the adhesive sheet 33 and the developer layer 2a transferred to the heat-fusible sheet 12 are put one over the other and conveyed to heat rollers 16. Consequently, the heat-fusible sheet 12 and adhesive sheet 33 are fused to form the image intermediate transfer body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating an intermediate image transfer material for transferring an image onto an image forming medium such as cloth or paper.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium having a surface layer supported by microcapsules containing a dye precursor, a photocurable resin, and a photopolymerization initiator as main inclusions, and a dye precursor as the inclusions of the microcapsules have been conventionally used. Using a color developer medium whose surface layer mainly carries a substance that develops color by reacting with the substance, the surface of the photosensitive pressure sensitive medium is irradiated with light based on image information, and the irradiated light The photocurable resin is cured, and then a developer medium is superimposed on the surface of the photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium and pressure is applied to destroy the uncured microcapsules, thereby destroying the dye precursor and developer inside. An apparatus for forming a color image on a developer-carrying surface by reacting with the color developer is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 173981/1981. A color developer medium is a color developer coating liquid made mainly of a color developer and a binder for supporting the color developer, which is applied to paper, plastic film, etc. and dried. A coloring agent layer is generally used. However, although the above-described apparatus can form a color image on the color developer medium described above, it cannot form an image on plain paper, cloth, or the like. For this reason, thermoplastic resin is supported on a sheet base material as a method for forming images on plain paper, cloth, etc.
It is known to use an image intermediate transfer material having an image layer supported thereon and a waterproof adhesive layer further supported thereon.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the procedure for creating the image intermediate transfer material is very troublesome, and there is also a problem that the creator may get his or her hands dirty by touching various types of special paper. There was a point.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides an image intermediate transfer material creation device that can easily create an image intermediate transfer material for forming an image on plain paper, cloth, etc. It is an object.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve this object, the image intermediate transfer material producing device of the present invention is a color developer medium in which a color developer layer is separably supported on a support. , the color developer medium in which the image is formed on the color developer layer and the heat-fusible sheet in which the thermoplastic resin layer is separably supported on the sheet base material, and the color developer layer and the thermoplastic resin layer are separated from each other. a first heat pressure means for fusing the color developer layer and the thermoplastic resin layer by heating and pressurizing the color developer layer while facing the resin layer; a support separating means for separating the support from the color developer medium and the heat-fusible sheet to which the thermoplastic resin layer and the thermoplastic resin layer are fused; and an adhesive layer separably supported on the sheet base material. The adhesive sheet is laminated and stored, and the adhesive sheet is placed on the developer layer of the heat-fusible sheet from which the support is separated by the support separation means. an adhesive sheet supply means for placing the developer layer facing each other, and a heat-fusible sheet on which the adhesive sheet is placed, are heated and pressurized to fuse the developer layer and the adhesive layer; and a second heat-pressing means for completing the intermediate image transfer material.

Further, it is desirable that the first thermopressing means and the second thermopressing means are the same means.

[Function] According to the present invention having the above configuration, the first heat-pressing means is a developer medium in which a developer layer is supported on a support in a separable manner, and the developer layer is separably supported on a support. A developer medium with an image formed thereon and a heat-fusible sheet in which a thermoplastic resin layer is separably supported on a sheet base material are placed, with the developer layer and thermoplastic resin layer facing each other. In this state, the color developer layer and the thermoplastic resin layer are fused together by heating and applying pressure. The support separating means separates the support from the heat-fusible sheet and the color developer medium in which the color developer layer and the thermoplastic resin layer are fused together by the first heat-pressing means. The adhesive sheet supply means stacks and stores adhesive sheets in which the adhesive layer is separably supported on a sheet base material, and separates the support by the support separation means to separate the adhesive sheets to form an image. The adhesive layer of the adhesive sheet is placed facing the color developer layer of the heat-fusible sheet, with the formed color developer layer fused to the thermoplastic resin layer. Finally, the second heat-pressing means heats and presses the heat-fusible sheet on which the adhesive sheet is placed to fuse the developer layer and the adhesive layer, completing the image intermediate transfer product. do.

Moreover, if the first thermopressure means and the second thermopressure means are the same means, the apparatus can be made smaller.

[Example 1] Hereinafter, an example embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, with reference to FIG. 3, the structure of an image intermediate transfer product created by the image intermediate transfer product creation apparatus of this embodiment will be explained. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the completed intermediate image transfer product.

The completed image intermediate transfer material is a sheet base material 12a.

33a, a thermoplastic resin 12b, a color developer layer 2a, and an adhesive layer 33b are laminated. An image is formed on the color developer layer 2a.

Hereinafter, the process of creating this image intermediate transfer material will be explained step by step.

First, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the configuration of a color image forming apparatus tM that forms an image on the color developer medium 2 will be described.

The main body of the color image forming apparatus M is roughly divided into an exposure section, a photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium conveying section, and a developing section. Further, a discharge port 9 is provided on the side surface of the main body to discharge the developer medium 2 on which the image is formed.

The exposure section includes an original platen 4 provided at the top of the main body that presses down the original image placed on the main body, a light source 5 that irradiates light from below to the original image placed on the main body, and a light source 5 that is irradiated with light from the light source 5. The light reflected by the original becomes reflected light, and the reflected light is focused on a photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium 3, which will be described later, through a lens 6, which supports the photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium 3, and which is placed on the photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium 3. and an exposure table 8 on which is exposed.

The photosensitive pressure sensitive medium conveying section is disposed in the lower part of the interior of the main body, and is a portion that conveys the photosensitive pressure sensitive medium 3 whose surface layer is supported by microcapsules containing a dye precursor and a photosensitive substance. This photosensitive pressure sensitive medium 3 is wound around a supply roll 3a with the microcapsule supporting surface facing outward, and the used photosensitive pressure sensitive medium 3 is wound up onto a take up roll 3b. The above-mentioned exposure table 8 is arranged below the photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium 3 stretched between the supply roll 3a and the take-up roll 3b. Photosensitive pressure sensitive medium 3
is irradiated with reflected light from the original on the exposure table 8, and a latent image of the original image is recorded on the microcapsule supporting surface.

The developing section includes a medium storage body 10 in which a color developer medium 2 having a color developer layer 2a separably supported on a support 2b is stored in a stacked manner above a winding roll 3b, and A supply roller 10a that separates and supplies the developer medium 2 stored in the storage body 10 one by one; and this supply roller 10a.
It is composed of a pressure roller 7 for superimposing a developer layer 2a on the portion of the photosensitive pressure sensitive medium 3 where the latent image is recorded, and developing the developer medium 2 under pressure. has been done.

For the support 2b of the color developer medium 2, a material with relatively good releasability, such as glassine paper, polyester film, polyethylene film, or polypropylene film, is selected. In addition, the color developer (layer) 2a contains a phenolic compound such as P-phenyl-phenol, an aromatic carboxylic acid compound such as salicylic acid, gallic acid, propyltannic acid, etc., and a thermoplastic binder to prevent color development. Select one that is mixed to the extent that there is no

Next, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 7, the heat-fusible sheet 12 and adhesive sheet 33 used in creating the intermediate image transfer material will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 6, the heat-fusible sheet 12 has a structure in which a transparent thermoplastic resin 12b is supported on a sheet base material 12a.
Although the adhesion force between the color developer medium 2 and the color developer layer 2a is adjusted to be stronger than that between the support 2b of the color developer medium 2 and the color developer layer 2a shown in FIG. ing. Note that, as the sheet base material 12a of the heat-fusible sheet 12 of this embodiment, any type of plastic film, paper, etc. can be used as long as it is not deformed by the heat-pressing roller 16 described later. Further, as the thermoplastic resin 12b, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, rosin ester, vinyl alcohol/vinyl acetate copolymer, vinyl alkyl ether/maleic anhydride copolymer, polyvinyl chloride,
Vinyl resins such as vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer, acrylic resins such as polyethyl acrylate, polybutyl methacrylate, methyl polycyanoacrylate, styrene resin,
Polyamide resin, wax, etc. can be used alone or as a mixture. In this example, the sheet base material 12a of the heat-fusible sheet 12 is made of glassine paper coated with a silicone-based mold release agent, and the thermoplastic resin 12b is made of styrene-acrylic copolymer 41, in consideration of water resistance. The thermoplastic resin 12b was applied to the sheet base material 12a using a #12 bar coater (not shown) using a mixture of 8 parts of % emulsion and 12 parts of 40% emulsion of ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer. After that, put it in the oven at around 120℃! (not shown) was dried with warm air for 60 seconds. Then, one end portion of the heat-fusible sheet 12 is bent as shown in FIG. 6 and bonded with the thermoplastic resin 12b on the inside, so even if the bent portion A is heated, no adhesiveness occurs. This will be used in a separation mechanism when the support 2b of the color developer medium 2 is peeled off later.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the adhesive sheet 33 has a structure in which an adhesive layer 33b is supported on a sheet base material 33a.

The waterproof adhesive layer 33b may be heat-sensitive, pressure-sensitive, photosensitive, anaerobic, etc., as long as it can bond the color developer layer 2a and the image forming object and exhibits waterproof properties. However, heat-sensitive adhesives are better in terms of adhesive shelf life and simplification of equipment used when bonding.

Further, a heat-sensitive adhesive is more preferable because the heat-pressing roller 16 used when fusing the color developer medium 2 and the heat-fusible sheet 12 can be used. The sheet base material 33a was made of kraft paper coated with a silicone release agent, and the heat-sensitive adhesive 33b was a xylene-modified ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer.

Next, the configuration of the image intermediate transfer material producing apparatus will be explained with reference to FIG.

The image intermediate transfer material producing device is provided with a heat-fusible sheet 12 and a color developer medium 2 superimposed on the side surface of the main device, and a tray 13 from which the completed image intermediate transfer material is discharged. There is. On the left inside the main device, the heat-fusible sheet 12 and the color developer medium 2 placed on the tray 13 can be conveyed into the device main body by opening and closing, and the completed image intermediate can be transported into the main device. A resist gate 14 that allows the transfer material to be discharged outside the main device, and a heat-fusible sheet 12 and a color developer medium 2 placed on a tray 13 in a superimposed manner are conveyed into the inside of the main device, and the process is completed. A feed roller 15 is provided for discharging the intermediate image transfer material to the outside of the main unit. On the left side inside the main unit, there are a heat-fusible sheet 12 and a color developer medium 2 that have been conveyed in a superimposed manner.
A hot press roller 16 is a first hot press means and a second hot press means for fusing the two together by applying pressure and heating at the same time, and completing an image intermediate transfer material.
6, the heat-fusible sheet 12 and the color developer medium 2 are fused together.
A support separation mechanism 19 is provided as a support separation means for peeling off the support 2b. On the right inside the main body of the apparatus, there is a support evacuation mechanism 17, which is a place where the heat-fusible sheet 12 and the color developer medium 2 fused by the heat pressure roller 16 are temporarily evacuated, and this support evacuation mechanism 17. A feed roller 18 conveys the heat-fusible sheet 12 and the color developer medium 2 fused to the substrate, and a feed roller 18 conveys the support 2 peeled off by the support separation mechanism 19 when it is discharged from the main device. It is composed of a support conveying path 23 serving as a path, and a discharge roller 24 for discharging the support 2 to the outside of the main device. The upper part of the device main body stores the stacked adhesive sheets 33, separates and feeds the adhesive sheets 33 one by one, and also has a paper feed bag that serves as an adhesive sheet supplying means that can be attached to and detached from the device main body! !
25 are provided.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, after the color image forming apparatus M forms an image of the document on the color developer layer 2a of the color developer medium 2, the image intermediate transfer material of this embodiment is The operation of the creation device to create an intermediate image transfer material will be explained.

The user opens the document table 4, places the document face down on a document table glass (not shown), and then closes the document table 4. Then, by pressing a start switch (not shown), the light source 5 irradiates the document surface with light. Light is reflected by the surface of the document, and the reflected light is imaged by the lens 6 on the microcapsule-supporting surface of the unused photosensitive and pressure-sensitive medium 3.

Then, the microcapsule-carrying surface of the photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium 3 is exposed on the exposure table 8, and a latent image of the original image is recorded. Next, the take-up roller 3b is rotated by a drive source (not shown), and the portion of the photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium 3 on which the latent image is recorded is conveyed to just before the pressure roller rough. On the other hand, only one of the color developer media 2 stacked and stored in the media storage body is separated by the supply roller and conveyed to the pressure roller. Then, the latent image recording portion of the photosensitive pressure sensitive medium 3 and the leading end of the color developer medium 2 are aligned by a positioning means (not shown), and the microcapsule-carrying surface of the photosensitive pressure sensitive medium 3 and the developer medium 2 are aligned. The colorant layer 2a is superimposed and inserted between the pressure rollers. When pressure is applied by the pressure roller, those microcapsules that have not been hardened because they are not irradiated with light are destroyed, and the dye precursor inside flows out and reacts with the color developer to develop color. Then, a color image is formed on the developer layer (image layer) 2a of the developer medium 2. Thereafter, the photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium 3 and the color developer medium 2 are separated, and the photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium 3 is wound up by a winding roller 3b.
The color developer medium 2 is discharged from the discharge port 9 to the outside of the color image forming apparatus M.

Next, the user places the surface of the color developer layer 2a of the color developer medium 2 on which the image is formed and the thermoplastic resin 12b of the heat-fusible sheet 12 with the above-mentioned folded part A on the rear side. Overlap them and set them on the tray 13. Its tip abuts against the resist gate 14 to set an initial state. When the user operates the apparatus, the registration gate 14 is opened and the paper is conveyed to the heat pressure roller 16 by the feed roller 15. The color developer medium 2 and the heat-fusible sheet 12 are heated to about 140° C. by the heat-pressing roller 16 and are fused together. At this time, the hot pressure roller 16
is released to facilitate the separation operation described below. The fused color developer medium 2 and heat-fusible sheet 12 are successively conveyed and stored in the support retracting mechanism 17 . When the paper is completely stored, the feed roller 18 rotates in reverse. As a result, the fused color developer medium 2 and heat-fusible sheet 12 are conveyed in the opposite direction, and stopped once when the bent portion A reaches the support separation mechanism 19. The detailed configuration of the support separation mechanism 19 is as shown in FIG. 2, and when the bent portion A reaches and stops, the support separation mechanism 19 is placed at the X position. If the feed roller 18 is driven at this point, the support 2b of the color developer medium 2 at the bent portion A is not welded.
It is lifted up and separated by the separation claw 20. The fused color developer medium 2 and heat-fusible sheet 12 are conveyed as they are until the support body 2b of the color developer medium 2 is sandwiched between the feed rollers 21. When the support body 2b is sandwiched between the feed rollers 21, the support separation mechanism 19 is rotated about the rotation shaft 22 and placed at the Y position, and the conveyance direction is such that the support body 2b is conveyed to the support discharge path 23. and is discharged to the outside of the main unit by the discharge roller 24. On the other hand, the heat-fusible sheet 12 is conveyed to a heat-pressing roller 16 . When the heat-fusible sheet 12 is conveyed to just before the heat-pressing roller 16, the adhesive sheet 33 on the cut paper is synchronously fed by the paper feeder 25 at the timing when both leading edges are aligned. The heat-sensitive adhesive 33b of the adhesive sheet 33 and the color developer layer 2a transferred to the heat-fusible sheet 12 are overlapped, and the above-mentioned 140
The material is conveyed between hot pressure rollers 16 heated to around .degree. Thereby, the heat-fusible sheet 12 and the adhesive sheet 33 are fused together. At this time, when the folded portion 17 of the heat-fusible sheet 12 passes, the heat pressure roller 16 is released.
The steps to facilitate subsequent separation are similar to those described above. The paper that has passed through the hot pressure roller 16 is discharged onto the tray 13.

An intermediate image transfer product is completed in the above manner.

When a user uses this image intermediate transfer material to form an image on an image recording medium such as cloth or plain paper, the user first peels off the sheet base material 33a and applies the adhesive layer 33b onto the desired image recording medium. Place it face down.

Next, the sheet base material 12a is heated while applying pressure with an iron or the like. Then, the image is transferred onto the image recording medium, so that when the sheet base material 12a is finally peeled off, the image transfer product is completed on the image recording medium. The image layer of this image transfer product has a waterproof effect because the upper layer is in contact with a thermoplastic resin and the lower layer is in contact with a heat-sensitive adhesive.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in detail above, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

For example, in this embodiment, the first heat-pressing means and the second heat-pressing means are the same heat-pressing roller 16, but they may be separate heat-pressing rollers.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the detailed description above, according to the present invention, since the upper and lower sides of the image layer of the image intermediate transfer material are sandwiched between the resin layer and the adhesive layer, the color does not easily fade. It is possible to provide a device for producing an intermediate image transfer material that can form an image transfer material with high washing fastness, which is a significant effect for the industry.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 7 show embodiments embodying the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the image intermediate transfer material producing device, FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagram of the separation mechanism, and FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a color image forming apparatus, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a color developer medium, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a heat-fusible sheet, and FIG. The figure is a perspective view of an adhesive sheet. In the figure, 2 is a color developer medium, 2a is a color developer layer, 2b is a support, 3 is a photosensitive pressure sensitive medium, 4 is a document table, 5 is a light source, 6 is a lens, 7 is a pressure roller, and 8 is an exposure light 12 is a heat-fusible sheet, 12a is a sheet base material, 12b is a thermoplastic resin, 13
is a tray, 14 is a registration gate, 15 is a feed roller,
16 is a heat pressure roller, 17 is a support evacuation mechanism, 18 is a feed roller, 19 is a support separation mechanism, 20 is a separation claw, 21 is a feed roller, 22 is a rotating shaft, 23 is a support discharge path, 2
4 is a discharge roller, and 25 is a paper feeding device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A color developer medium in which a color developer layer is separably supported on a support, the color developer medium having an image formed on the color developer layer and a sheet base. A heat-fusible sheet on which a thermoplastic resin layer is separably supported is heated and pressurized with the color developer layer and thermoplastic resin layer facing each other to remove the color developer. a first heat-pressing means for fusing the color developer layer and the thermoplastic resin layer; and a color developer medium and a heat-fusing means for fusing the color developer layer and the thermoplastic resin layer by the first heat-pressing means. A support separating means for separating the support from the adhesive sheet; and an adhesive sheet in which an adhesive layer is separably supported on a sheet base material are laminated and housed, and the support separating means separates the support from the adhesive sheet. an adhesive sheet supplying means for placing the adhesive layer of the adhesive sheet facing each other on the color developer layer of the heat-fusible sheet from which the support has been separated by the means; and the adhesive. heating the heat-fusible sheet on which the sheet is placed and applying pressure to fuse the developer layer and the adhesive layer;
1. A device for producing an intermediate image transfer material, comprising: a second heat-pressing means for completing an intermediate image transfer material. 2. The image intermediate transfer material producing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first heat-pressing means and the second heat-pressing means are the same means.