JPH08267901A - Thermal transfer image forming material and image forming method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a thermal transfer sheet excellent in running stability within a color copier. CONSTITUTION: A transparent thermal adhesive layer A2 is formed on a release film A1 and a color image 3 is formed thereon to be transferred to a base material M through a thermal adhesive layer B2 having concealability. The transparent thermal adhesive layer A2 is formed from a compsn. prepared by adding 5-40 pts.wt. of extender pigment to 100 pts.wt. of vehicle and the peel strength thereof to the release film A1 is set to 20g/50mm or more.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer image forming material and an image forming method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a material such as cloth, paper, wood, leather, plastic, metal, and the like. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer material for transferring and forming an image such as a pattern and an image forming method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, fabrics, metal plates,
A wide variety of thermal transfer image forming materials and image forming methods for forming images such as characters, figures, symbols, numbers, pictures, and photographs on a substrate such as plastic have been known and widely practiced.

As such a thermal transfer image forming material and its image forming method, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-129376 (Prior Art), a transparent resin film is laminated on a hard resin film made of a transparent polyester resin or the like. A color toner image is formed and fixed on the resin film of the film laminate by a color copying machine, and a heat-sensitive adhesive layer containing a white pigment is image-wise integrated on it or on the substrate on which the image is to be printed. The hard resin film, the transparent resin film, the color image, the hot-melt adhesive layer containing the white pigment, and the base material are heat-pressed in a stacked state to integrally bond all the layers, and then the hard resin film is peeled off. A method (print processing method) of transferring and forming the color toner image on a base material is described.

[0004]

However, the description of this prior art example does not disclose the specific technical contents for carrying out the present invention. For example, "a transparent resin having good adhesion to a color toner and a transparent resin" is used. It is unclear what kind of resin can be used in the description of "layer", and even when the present invention is carried out using a material selected by the present inventor as appropriately as possible, a transparent resin film is formed on the hard resin film. When the laminated body is formed and passed through a color copying machine to form a color image, when the laminated body is passed through the color copying machine, the laminated body becomes sticky to the conveyance roll or the photosensitive drum in the copying machine and sometimes entangles. There was a tendency to cause so-called "film clogging".

Further, in the image formation, after the final hot pressing, the transparent resin film is easily peeled from the laminate,
That is, although the adhesive force on the surface of the laminate is lowered,
When this is passed through a color copying machine, the transparent resin film is detached from the hard resin film and wound around the photosensitive drum, or it is softened by the heat from the heat roll, which is the fixing section, to generate an adhesive force. Frequently, the toner adheres to a fixing roll or a conveying roll thereafter and causes clogging in a color copying machine.

According to the present invention, in the above image forming method,
Provided is a novel thermal transfer image-forming material exhibiting excellent running stability when the resin film is passed through a color copying machine to form an image, and further a novel image-forming method using the image-forming material. This is an issue.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems The inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive studies in order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and as a result of trying to improve the material of the laminate (image forming sheet) in the above-mentioned prior art, The present invention has been achieved by achieving improvement in running performance.

That is, according to the present invention, a transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 containing 5 to 40 parts by weight of a colorless extender pigment to 100 parts by weight of a transparent vehicle on a release film A1 has a peeling force of 20 g / 50 mm or more. A thermal transfer image-forming material and a release film A, which are composed of an image-forming sheet A and a release film B1 and an image-fixing sheet B provided with a concealing heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 on the release film B1.
1. A transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 containing 5 to 40 parts by weight of a colorless extender pigment on 100 parts by weight of a transparent vehicle is laminated on the image forming sheet A so that the peeling force is 20 g / 50 mm or more. A monochrome or multicolor image is formed by handwriting or by an image forming machine, and then the adhesive layer B2 of the image fixing sheet B in which the concealable heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 is provided on the release film B1 and the image are formed. The image forming sheet A and the image fixing sheet B are overlapped so as to face each other,
Heat and pressure are applied for adhesion, the release film B1 is peeled off, the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 of the image fixing sheet B and the desired base material surface are superposed, and heat and pressure are applied to the base material for heat-sensitive adhesive layer. B2
After the release film A1 is adhered, the release film A1 is peeled off, and the release film A
1. A transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 containing 5 to 40 parts by weight of a colorless extender pigment on 100 parts by weight of a transparent vehicle is laminated on the image forming sheet A so that the peeling force is 20 g / 50 mm or more. A single-color or multi-color image is formed by handwriting or by an image forming machine, while the release film B is used.
The heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 of the image fixing sheet B having the concealing heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 provided thereon is superposed on a desired base material surface and heated and pressed to form the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 on the base material. After adhering, the release film B1 is peeled off, the image formed on the image forming sheet A is superposed on the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2, and is heated and pressed to heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 and the image and heat-sensitive adhesive layer. This is a method for forming an image on a substrate, which comprises peeling off the release film A1 after adhering B2.

The present invention will be described in detail below.

First, the thermal transfer image forming material of the present invention will be described. This image forming material basically comprises an image forming sheet A and an image fixing sheet B. The basis of the image forming sheet A is a release film A1. The release film A1 includes a water-repellent silicone treated plastic film and a water-repellent treated so-called "release paper". Etc. are included. Then, the release film A1 is laminated with the transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 containing a colorless extender pigment to form the image forming sheet A.

Examples of the transparent vehicle include thermoplastics such as polyester resin, vinyl chloride resin, polyethylene resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, acrylic resin, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer and the like. Particularly preferred are saturated and unsaturated thermoplastic polyester resins and vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers. Examples of colorless extender pigments include silica, calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide and the like.

In the adhesive layer A2, an extender pigment is added in an amount of 5 to 40 parts by weight, more preferably 10 to 20 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the transparent vehicle. 20g / 5 peel strength for film A1
0 mm or more, more preferably 30 g / 50 mm to 50 g /
Laminated to be 50 mm. Peeling force 20g / 50mm
In order to laminate as described above, usually, the material of the adhesive layer A2 is specified, and the type of the release agent applied to the release film A1 and the film forming method are appropriately selected according to the adhesiveness of the material. A proper combination is selected.

Here, the reason why the amount of the extender pigment added to 100 parts by weight of the vehicle is 5 to 40 parts by weight is that if the amount is less than 5 parts by weight, the softened resin adheres to the heat roll and the like, and therefore the running stability is improved. If the amount exceeds 40 parts by weight, the sharpness of the image on the copying machine deteriorates.

On the other hand, the reason why the peeling force between the release film A1 and the transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 is 20 g / 50 mm or more is 20.
If it is less than g / 50 mm, the transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 is easily peeled off from the release film A1, and the peeled transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 may adhere to the roll in the copying machine, damaging the color copying machine. Because. When it exceeds 50 g / 50 mm, it is difficult to peel off the release film A1 after hot pressing, which causes a reduction in working efficiency.

The transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 provided on the release film A1 has a thickness of 10 to 50 μm, particularly 15 to 3 μm.
The thickness is preferably 0 μm.

Next, the image fixing sheet B will be described.
The image fixing sheet B comprises a release film B1 and a concealable heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 provided thereon. The release film B1 is the same as the release film A1 described above, and includes various plastic films treated with water-repellent silicone and "release paper". In one specific example, the release film A1 and the release film B1 may be the same material or different materials.

The concealable heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 provided on the release film B1 can be selected from the same materials as those of the transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 described above. The heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 is required to have a concealing property so that the color of the base material is not transparent in order to impart or maintain the sharpness of the image formed thereon, and in general, a white pigment is used as the vehicle. The hiding property can be imparted by adding and kneading. Titanium oxide, zinc oxide and the like are preferably used as the white pigment, but other pigments may be used. The number of parts of the white pigment mixed is not particularly limited as long as the hiding property is satisfactory. Concealing heat-sensitive adhesive layer B
The thickness of 2 is preferably 10 to 50 μm, and particularly preferably 15 to 30 μm. If the thickness is less than 10 μm, the adhesiveness will be insufficient when the substrate is cloth.

When the adhesiveness with the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 having a hiding property is poor depending on the substrate, the adhesiveness can be improved by reducing the amount of the white pigment added.
Further, by providing a heat-sensitive adhesive layer separately between the concealing heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 and the base material, the adhesiveness can be improved.

As a method for forming the heat-sensitive adhesive layer on each of the above-mentioned release films, the T-die, whether the transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 or the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 having a hiding property is formed, A known coating method such as calendar casting can be appropriately used.

Next, a method for forming an image on a desired substrate using the above-described image forming material will be described in detail.

First, a single-color or multi-color image is formed on the image forming sheet A by handwriting or by an image forming machine. The image forming material of the present invention is originally intended for use in, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine, but of course, an image can be formed on the material by handwriting.
The image forming machine includes, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine, a thermal transfer printer, an inkjet printer, and the like.

Next, the image forming sheet A and the image fixing sheet B are made to face each other with the adhesive layer B2 of the image fixing sheet B having the concealing heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 provided on the release film B1. Laminate and heat / press to bond. The heating / pressurizing can be carried out at a temperature of about 100 ° C. to 160 ° C. with a hot press (iron on a small scale), a hot roll, or the like.

Then, the release film B1 is peeled off, the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 of the image fixing sheet B and the desired portion of the base material are overlapped, and the heat-sensitive adhesive is applied to the base material by heating and pressing in the same manner as described above. After adhering the layer B2, the release film A1 is peeled off.

In still another embodiment, the release film A
The transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 is laminated on the image forming sheet A to form a single-color or multi-color image by handwriting or by an image forming machine, while the concealable heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 is formed on the release film B1. The heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 of the provided image fixing sheet B is superposed on a desired portion of the base material,
After heat and pressure are applied to adhere the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 to the substrate, the release film B1 is peeled off, the image formed on the image forming material is overlaid on the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2, and the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 is heated.
There is also an embodiment in which the release film A1 is peeled off after pressure is applied to bond the heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 to the image and the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2.

Basically, the image forming method of the present invention can be carried out by any of the above operations, and any one of the modes can be selected according to the practitioner.

[0026]

In the present invention, since the peeling force between the release film A1 and the transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 is 20 g / 50 mm or more, when the image forming sheet is passed through an image forming machine for image formation, for example, The heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 does not peel off from the release film A1, and the heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 contains 5 to 40 parts by weight of the extender pigment based on 100 parts by weight of the vehicle. Even if it receives heat from the roll, it does not exhibit tackiness and does not become clogged in the copying machine. Moreover, since the pigment to be added is an extender pigment, the transparency does not decrease and the sharpness of the formed transfer image does not decrease.

Further, since the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 having a concealing property is provided on the surface of the base material on which the image is formed, the color tone is clear especially in the case of a color image.

[0028]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to its examples. (Example 1) Polyester resin (manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd .; product name "STAFIX PL" on release film A1)
-C ") 100 parts by weight and 15 parts by weight of silica are added and dispersed in 300 parts by weight of a mixed solvent of methyl ethyl ketone: toluene = 1: 1, and a transparent heat-sensitive adhesive prepared and dispersed therein has a film thickness after drying of 30 μm. In this way, a transparent heat-sensitive adhesive A2 was applied to form an image forming sheet A. Color copying machine (manufactured by Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd .; product name "A Color 6"
25 "), and image 3 was formed on the heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 as shown in FIG. Here, the peeling force between the release film A1 and the heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 was 45 g / 50 mm (peeling speed 500 mm / min).

Similarly, 100 sheets of the image forming sheet A were passed through the color copying machine, but the transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 did not adhere to a heat roll or the like provided in the color copying machine, and all were stable. It was confirmed that it shows a running property.

On the other hand, 100 parts by weight of a polyester resin (manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co .; trade name "STAFIX PL-C"), 300 parts by weight of a mixed solvent of methyl ethyl ketone: toluene = 1: 1 and titanium oxide were formed on the release film B1. A heat-sensitive adhesive prepared by kneading 100 parts by weight is applied so that the film thickness after drying is 50 μm to form a heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 having a hiding property, and an image fixing sheet as shown in FIG. B was created. The peeling force between the release film B1 and the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 having the hiding property is 40 g / 50 mm.
(Peeling speed was 500 mm / min).

After that, as shown in FIG. 3, the image forming sheet A and the image fixing sheet B are laminated with the image 3 and the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 having a hiding property facing each other, and hot pressed at 150.degree. Pasted together.

Next, after the release film B1 is peeled off, as shown in FIG. 4, a heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 having a concealing property is brought into contact with the base material M and the temperature of the release film A1 is set to 150 ° C.
It was hot-pressed and stuck together. After that, release film A
By peeling 1 away, image 3 was formed on the base material M as shown in FIG.

The formed image 3 has a concealing heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 between itself and the base material M, so that it can be seen as a clear and beautiful image without being affected by the background color of the dark base material M. At the same time, in combination with the action of the transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 formed thereabove, it was protected from peeling and damage and became durable.

(Embodiment 2) Various image forming sheets were prepared by changing the compounding number of silica in the above Embodiment 1 and passed through the same color copying machine as in Embodiment 1, and running at that time. When the properties and the sharpness of the image were examined, the results shown in Table 1 were obtained.

[0035]

[Table 1]

On the other hand, release films having different releasing forces were prepared, and the same transparent heat-sensitive adhesive as in Example 1 was applied to the releasing films to prepare samples, and the releasing force for the releasing films was adjusted. Then, the same color copying machine as in Example 1 was passed through and the runnability at that time was examined. The results shown in Table 2 were obtained.

[0037]

[Table 2]

<Discussion> From the results shown in Table 1 and Table 2 above, in the range of 5 to 50 parts by weight of silica compounded, the running property and the image clarity are excellent, and the release film A is also excellent.
It was found that when the peeling force with respect to 1 was 20 g / 50 mm or more, excellent running property was exhibited, and the target characteristics were not obtained outside the range specified by the present invention.

[0039]

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an image-forming material exhibiting excellent running stability when passing through a color copying machine when forming an image, and in particular, in the case of a color image, an extremely clear image is obtained. The excellent effect that an image is obtained is exhibited.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which an image is formed on an image forming sheet.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an image fixing sheet.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which both sheets are superposed.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view in a state of being brought into contact with a base material.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a state in which a transfer sheet image is transferred to a base material.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 ... Image, A ... Image forming sheet, B ... Image fixing sheet,
A1 ... Release film, A2 ... Transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer, B1
... Release film, B2 ... Heat-sensitive adhesive layer having a concealing property.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page (72) Inventor Takashi Anraku 3-7-4 Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Kuramoto Sangyo Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A transparent vehicle 10 on a release film A1.
A transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 containing 5 to 40 parts by weight of a colorless extender pigment with respect to 0 parts by weight is laminated on the image forming sheet A and the release film B1 so that the peeling force is 20 g / 50 mm or more. A thermal transfer image forming material comprising an image fixing sheet B provided with a concealing heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2. 2. A transparent vehicle 10 on the release film A1.
A transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 containing 5 to 40 parts by weight of a colorless extender pigment with respect to 0 parts by weight is laminated by hand or by an image forming machine on an image forming sheet A laminated so that the peeling force is 20 g / 50 mm or more. An image forming sheet is formed by forming an image of a single color or a multicolor image, and then disposing the concealable heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 on the release film B1 so that the adhesive layer B2 of the image fixing sheet B faces the image. A and the image fixing sheet B are superposed, heated and pressed to bond them, the release film B1 is peeled off, the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 of the image fixing sheet B and the desired base material surface are superposed, and heated and applied. A method for forming an image on a substrate, which comprises pressing the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 to adhere it to the substrate and then peeling off the release film A1. 3. A transparent vehicle 10 on the release film A1.
A transparent heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 containing 5 to 40 parts by weight of a colorless extender pigment with respect to 0 parts by weight is laminated by hand or by an image forming machine on an image forming sheet A laminated so that the peeling force is 20 g / 50 mm or more. A single-color or multi-color image is formed, and on the other hand, the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 of the image fixing sheet B, in which the concealable heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 is provided on the release film B1, is overlaid on a desired substrate surface and heated. After the pressure is applied to adhere the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2 to the substrate, the release film B
1 is peeled off, the image formed on the image forming sheet A is overlapped with the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2, and heat and pressure are applied to bond the heat-sensitive adhesive layer A2 to the image and the heat-sensitive adhesive layer B2. A method for forming an image on a substrate, which comprises peeling off the release film A1.