EP0949085A2 - Thermischer Übertragungsdruck auf Kunststoffmaterialien - Google Patents

Thermischer Übertragungsdruck auf Kunststoffmaterialien Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0949085A2
EP0949085A2 EP99302731A EP99302731A EP0949085A2 EP 0949085 A2 EP0949085 A2 EP 0949085A2 EP 99302731 A EP99302731 A EP 99302731A EP 99302731 A EP99302731 A EP 99302731A EP 0949085 A2 EP0949085 A2 EP 0949085A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
substrate
plastics
print carrier
pigmentation
print
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
EP99302731A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0949085A3 (de
Inventor
John Nicholas Haggarty
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Bowthorpe PLC
Original Assignee
Bowthorpe PLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Bowthorpe PLC filed Critical Bowthorpe PLC
Publication of EP0949085A2 publication Critical patent/EP0949085A2/de
Publication of EP0949085A3 publication Critical patent/EP0949085A3/de
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
    • B41M5/26—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used
    • B41M5/382—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes
    • B41M5/38207—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes characterised by aspects not provided for in groups B41M5/385 - B41M5/395
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
    • B41J3/407—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for marking on special material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M3/00—Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns
    • B41M3/14—Security printing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
    • B41M5/025—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein by transferring ink from the master sheet
    • B41M5/035—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein by transferring ink from the master sheet by sublimation or volatilisation of pre-printed design, e.g. sublistatic
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
    • B41M5/025—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein by transferring ink from the master sheet
    • B41M5/035—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein by transferring ink from the master sheet by sublimation or volatilisation of pre-printed design, e.g. sublistatic
    • B41M5/0356—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein by transferring ink from the master sheet by sublimation or volatilisation of pre-printed design, e.g. sublistatic characterised by the inks used for printing the pattern on the temporary support or additives therefor, e.g. dyes, transferable compounds, binders or transfer promoting additives
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
    • B41M5/26—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used
    • B41M5/382—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes
    • B41M5/385—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes characterised by the transferable dyes or pigments
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
    • B41M5/26—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used
    • B41M5/382—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes
    • B41M5/392—Additives, other than colour forming substances, dyes or pigments, e.g. sensitisers, transfer promoting agents
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
    • B41M5/26—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used
    • B41M5/40—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used characterised by the base backcoat, intermediate, or covering layers, e.g. for thermal transfer dye-donor or dye-receiver sheets; Heat, radiation filtering or absorbing means or layers; combined with other image registration layers or compositions; Special originals for reproduction by thermography
    • B41M5/46—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used characterised by the base backcoat, intermediate, or covering layers, e.g. for thermal transfer dye-donor or dye-receiver sheets; Heat, radiation filtering or absorbing means or layers; combined with other image registration layers or compositions; Special originals for reproduction by thermography characterised by the light-to-heat converting means; characterised by the heat or radiation filtering or absorbing means or layers
    • B41M5/465—Infrared radiation-absorbing materials, e.g. dyes, metals, silicates, C black

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to marking plastics substrates and in particular to marking plastics substrates using a thermal transfer printing process.
  • Printed markers comprising plastics substrates printed with indicia conveying data are known and widely used.
  • printed plastics sheaths or flat strip tags are widely used for identifying electric cables.
  • the known types of sheaths or strip tags are passed in unprinted "feedstock" form through conventional thermal transfer printing apparatus in order to be marked with the required predetermined indicia.
  • thermal transfer printing pressure and heat are applied to a printing ribbon registering against the plastics feedstock, such that a print composition carried by the ribbon is transferred to the feedstock.
  • thermal transfer ribbons rely upon a wax or resin to transfer the dry ink onto the feedstock substrate.
  • This method of marking has inherent drawbacks; for example, the ink can be removed by means of heat, chemical action or abrasion. This can result in important printed markers becoming unreadable. Furthermore, over time, the action of ultra violet radiation on pigments in the ink can result in the mark fading.
  • the invention provides a thermal transfer printing process for marking a plastics substrate, the process comprising applying heat and pressure to a print carrier registering against the substrate resulting in transfer of a printing composition carried by the print carrier to the substrate, the printing composition comprising a first pigmentation material arranged to bind to or penetrate into the plastics substrate to form a substantially permanent mark below the surface of the substrate, and a second pigmentation material arranged to adhere to the surface of the substrate overlaying the substantially permanent mark.
  • the invention enables a single stage printing process to be used to print a marking of predetermined configuration onto a plastics substrate comprising a sub-surface marking and corresponding surface printed marking simultaneously.
  • the dual nature of the marking provides advantages in terms of durability, particularly for use in harsh environments , or situations where the mark is liable to be subject to chemical action, or abrasion in the normal course of events or in cases of unauthorised tampering.
  • the invention is particularly suitable for use in providing plastics printed markers for identifying articles.
  • the invention therefore provides a plastics printed marker comprising a plastics substrate having a printed mark, the printed mark comprising:
  • the printing composition carried by the print carrier comprises the first and second pigmentation materials and also, preferably, a plastics material facilitating binding with or penetration into the substrate. It is believed that a print carrier carrying such a printing composition is both novel and inventive per se, and thus provides a further aspect of the invention. This is particularly believed to be the case for such a print carrier for use in thermal transfer printing onto plastics substrates.
  • the plastics material comprising the printing composition may be the same as the plastics material comprising the substrate.
  • the plastics material comprising the print composition may be different from the plastics material comprising the substrate.
  • the plastics material transferred from the print carrier and bound with, or penetrated into, the substrate will be identifiable in the resulting printed marker, at least upon microscopic inspection.
  • the plastics material carried by the print carrier comprises a thermoplastic material, such as PVC, a polyolefin or the like, more preferably, a homopolymer material.
  • the printed marker according to the invention preferably comprises a plastics strip or length of plastics tubing (which tubing may be heat shrinkable or non-heat shrinkable). Where the printed marker is in the form of plastics tubing, it is preferred that the feedstock is in the form of flattened tubing. This facilitates ease of printing.
  • the print carrier comprises a plastics film (desirably comprising polyester) preferably of a thickness substantially in the range 4-15 microns, more preferably approximately 6 microns.
  • the print carrier is capable of separating from the print composition it carries during the thermal transfer printing process.
  • the print carrier is wound from a reel store.
  • the print composition (or ink) carried by the print carrier is preferably touch dry.
  • the first and second pigmentation materials are preferably relatively dark in colour and may for example be blue or black.
  • the pigmentation materials may for example comprise dyes of suitable composition to ensure that one penetrates the substrate and the other adheres to the surface of the substrate during the printing process.
  • One or other (or both) of the first and second pigmentation materials may comprise a mixture or composition of a plurality of dyes.
  • the printing composition comprises the pigmentation materials and the plastics material bound in a matrix material.
  • the printing composition is preferably applied to the print carrier as a layer.
  • the matrix material may, for example, comprise a relatively soft, high molecular weight material such as a wax or wax-like material.
  • the thermal transfer printer may be arranged to print any predetermined indicia mark upon the substrate.
  • Figure 1 shows "feedstock" in the form of a length of flattened heat-shrinkable plastics tubing 1 (or sheathing) ; following printing of a respective portion of the tubing 1 a marked indicium 2 is identifiable on the surface.
  • the apparatus for printing of the tubing substrate 1 is shown in Figure 3 and generally designated 4.
  • the apparatus comprises a drive roller 35 which draws feedstock tubing 1 from a reel store (not shown) to extend past a thermal printing head 36 of the apparatus.
  • a printer ribbon 38 is fed from a store of unused ribbon 39 extending past printing head 36, subsequently being wound of reel 40.
  • the printing head 36 is urged to press against flattened feedstock tube 1 sandwiching printer ribbon 38 therebetween, such that printer ribbon 38 is held in register with the feedstock tubing 1.
  • the relevant indicia are marked on the tubing 1 as the print composition carried by the printer ribbon 38 is transferred to the surface of the flattened tubing 1.
  • Printer ribbon 38 comprises a polyester backing film between 4-15 microns in thickness (preferably approximately 6 microns in thickness), and which is arranged to release the printing composition under the applied pressure and heat of the thermal printer head 36.
  • the print composition carried by the printer ribbon 38 is dry to the touch and comprises first and second selected pigmentation materials (such as respective dyes) and a thermoplastic material compatible with the material of the tubing 1 carried in a suitable matrix material, such as wax.
  • One of the pigmentation materials, and also the thermoplastic material are selected to bind with the plastics material of the tubing substrate, or penetrate into the plastics material of the tubing substrate (for example by diffusion), upon application of the thermal transfer printing head.
  • a substantially indelible mark 7 in the required configuration of the indicia is formed at, or more preferably below, the surface of the substrate material (wall of tubing 1) .
  • the other of the pigmentation materials is selected-to be printable on the surface of the plastics tubing 1 substrate, and not to penetrate significantly below the substrate surface. This provides a surface printed mark 3 overlaying the subsurface mark 7.
  • a suitable printing composition and matrix for performance of the invention has been found to be as follows:
  • the constituents of the printing composition are milled together; the combined material is then layered onto the polyester film.
  • the first pigmentation material binds with the PVC nomo polymer material and penetrates the material of the plastics tube 1 to provide the subsurface mark 7.
  • the second pigmentation material provides the surface printed mark 3 overlaying the subsurface mark 7.
  • the invention provides a single stage printing process for printing a high quality and substantially indelible mark upon plastics substrates.
  • the printed mark does not require fixing (which is often necessary with prior art techniques) and has good resistance to fading under ultra-violet radiation.
  • the printer ribbon can be used with conventional thermal transfer printing apparatus.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Thermal Transfer Or Thermal Recording In General (AREA)
  • Printing Methods (AREA)
EP99302731A 1998-04-07 1999-04-07 Thermischer Übertragungsdruck auf Kunststoffmaterialien Ceased EP0949085A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9807436 1998-04-07
GB9807436A GB2336218A (en) 1998-04-07 1998-04-07 Marking plastics substrates

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0949085A2 true EP0949085A2 (de) 1999-10-13
EP0949085A3 EP0949085A3 (de) 2000-08-02

Family

ID=10829991

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99302731A Ceased EP0949085A3 (de) 1998-04-07 1999-04-07 Thermischer Übertragungsdruck auf Kunststoffmaterialien

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0949085A3 (de)
CA (1) CA2268367A1 (de)
GB (1) GB2336218A (de)
SG (1) SG85635A1 (de)

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2083726A (en) * 1980-09-09 1982-03-24 Minnesota Mining & Mfg Preparation of multi-colour prints by laser irradiation and materials for use therein
US4661393A (en) * 1981-03-31 1987-04-28 Fujitsu Limited Ink compositions and ink sheets for use in heat transfer recording
US4784905A (en) * 1985-03-01 1988-11-15 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Thermosensitive image transfer recording medium
EP0365222A2 (de) * 1988-10-18 1990-04-25 Eastman Kodak Company Herstellungsverfahren für einen Mosaik-Farbfilter unter Verwendung von Blitzlicht
US5620508A (en) * 1995-04-17 1997-04-15 Fujicopian Co., Ltd. Heat meltable solid ink
WO1999011466A1 (en) * 1997-09-02 1999-03-11 Imation Corp. Laser addressed black thermal transfer donors

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4572393A (en) * 1985-02-25 1986-02-25 Hokkai Can Co., Ltd. Container with easy open type closure
US4787905A (en) * 1987-07-24 1988-11-29 Nearly Me Gel for breast prosthesis
US5776280A (en) * 1995-12-18 1998-07-07 Ncr Corporation Receptive layer for thermal transfer printing on cartons

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2083726A (en) * 1980-09-09 1982-03-24 Minnesota Mining & Mfg Preparation of multi-colour prints by laser irradiation and materials for use therein
US4661393A (en) * 1981-03-31 1987-04-28 Fujitsu Limited Ink compositions and ink sheets for use in heat transfer recording
US4784905A (en) * 1985-03-01 1988-11-15 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Thermosensitive image transfer recording medium
EP0365222A2 (de) * 1988-10-18 1990-04-25 Eastman Kodak Company Herstellungsverfahren für einen Mosaik-Farbfilter unter Verwendung von Blitzlicht
US5620508A (en) * 1995-04-17 1997-04-15 Fujicopian Co., Ltd. Heat meltable solid ink
WO1999011466A1 (en) * 1997-09-02 1999-03-11 Imation Corp. Laser addressed black thermal transfer donors

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
C.A.BRUCE ET AL.: ""Thermally Sensitive Ribbon for Laser Transfer Printing"" IBM TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE BULLETIN., vol. 18, no. 10, March 1976 (1976-03), page 3416 XP002085934 IBM CORP. NEW YORK., US ISSN: 0018-8689 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0949085A3 (de) 2000-08-02
GB2336218A8 (en) 1999-11-01
GB9807436D0 (en) 1998-06-03
CA2268367A1 (en) 1999-10-07
GB2336218A (en) 1999-10-13
SG85635A1 (en) 2002-01-15

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