JP2002067509A - Method for recording information and information recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for recording information capable of forming a complicated protrusion shape on a flat plate-like material and accurately reading information of the protrusion shape by contact reading and having high information identifiability and an information recording medium obtained by the method. SOLUTION: The method for recording the information comprises the steps of foaming the information recording medium 6 having a foaming layer 3 of a negative image-like state of the information to be recorded, that is, a non- recording part having a foaming material and provided on the flat plate-like material 1 or transferring the foamed layer by using a foamed transfer medium having the foamed layer including the foaming material on a base and releasably provided by applying a heat or a light energy to the information desired to be recorded in the negative image state, that is, the non-recording part, foaming, raising to form the protrusion shape, and forming a recess shape 14 in a part not applied by the energy as an information recording part. Thus, the information of the uneven shape can be accurately read by the contact reading with the high information identifiability.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a flat material
The present invention relates to an information recording method capable of forming a complicated three-dimensional shape and reading the information of the three-dimensional shape by tactile reading with high information discrimination and an information recording medium obtained by the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, the following methods have been proposed as methods for recording information for visually impaired persons. (1) A method in which a raised pattern is formed on the tactile reading surface by mechanically embossing the non-tactile reading surface of the medium with a Braille printer. (2) A method in which a foamable material is applied to the surface of a base material, and energy is applied to the foamable material by a printing machine to cause the foamable material to protrude to form a pattern.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned method (1), since a stress is applied to an originally flat material, that is, a stress that locally deforms the flat material is applied, a braille pattern is formed. Such a simple shape can be formed relatively easily, but it is difficult to form a complicated shape represented by hiragana, katakana, etc., and even if the shape is formed, the shape tends to collapse. Recognition is low. In the method (2), information can be recorded even in a relatively complicated three-dimensional shape.
It was difficult to distinguish complex information based on the three-dimensional shape by tactile reading, and it was not practical.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problem,
The present invention provides an information recording method with high information discrimination and an information recording medium obtained by forming a complex three-dimensional shape on a flat material and capable of accurately reading the information of the three-dimensional shape by tactile reading. The purpose is to provide.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an information recording method according to the present invention is a method for recording three-dimensional information on a flat material, wherein characters and symbols are recorded on the flat material. By recording and expressing such information patterns in a concave shape, the discriminability at the time of tactile reading is improved. Further, the information recording method of the present invention, by using a foaming transfer medium provided with a foaming layer having a foaming material on a base material in a releasable manner, by transferring the foaming layer to the transfer object, and foaming, It is preferable to record in a concave shape as three-dimensional information on a transfer-receiving member that is a flat material. Furthermore, using an information recording medium provided with a foam layer having a foam material on a flat material, the information recording portion is formed in a concave shape by foaming the foam layer into a negative image of information to be recorded. Is preferred. On the surface layer of the reading surface of the information recording medium, a resin layer formed by lamination or coating is provided, and it is preferable that the uneven shape is covered and protected,
Durability such as scratch resistance of the tactile reading surface can be improved.

The information recording medium of the present invention is a medium in which three-dimensional information is recorded on a flat material. By recording and expressing information patterns such as characters and symbols in a concave shape on the flat material. , The discrimination at the time of reading is enhanced. Also,
An information recording medium is a medium in which three-dimensional information is recorded on a flat material to be transferred. The transfer medium is formed by using a foam transfer medium in which a foam layer having a foam material is provided on a base material in a releasable manner. A three-dimensional information recorded in a concave shape on a transfer-receiving body by transferring a foamed layer to the foamed body is preferably used. Furthermore, the information recording medium was formed in a form in which a foam layer having a foam material was provided on a flat material, and the information recording portion was formed in a concave shape by foaming the foam layer in the form of a negative image of information to be recorded. Are preferably used. It is preferable to provide a resin layer by lamination or coating on the surface layer of the tactile reading surface of the information recording medium to cover and protect the uneven shape.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be further described with reference to embodiments and embodiments. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an information recording medium 6 according to the present invention, in which an energy absorbing layer 2, a foam layer 3, a coloring layer 4, and a protective layer 5 are sequentially provided on a base material 1 which is a flat material. By applying heat or light energy directly to the information recording medium, the foamed layer 3 is foamed or raised by applying heat or light energy to the negative image of the information to be recorded, that is, by applying heat or light energy to the non-recorded portion. Let me
A convex shape 13 is formed, and a portion where no energy is applied becomes a concave shape 14 as an information recording portion. FIG. 2 shows an information recording medium 6 according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which an energy absorbing layer 2, a foaming layer 3, The protective layer 5 is provided in order, and the protective layer 5 is provided on a foamed layer by a lamination method. In this case, too, heat or light energy is directly applied to the information recording medium, so that the information recording portion is formed. It is formed in a concave shape.

FIG. 4 shows an information recording medium according to the present invention.
One embodiment of a foam transfer medium used when transferring and providing a foam layer is shown. This foam transfer medium 12 is obtained by forming a release layer 10, a foam layer 8, and an adhesive layer 9 on a substrate 7 in this order, and further providing a heat-resistant layer 11 on the other surface of the substrate 7. The foam transfer medium 12 and the transfer object 15 which is a flat material are overlapped so that the adhesive layer 9 and the transfer object 15 are in contact with each other. The adhesive layer 9 and the foam layer 8 are transferred to the transfer object 15 side (the release layer 10 may be partially or entirely transferred to the transfer object 15 side), and the foam layer of the transferred portion is transferred. 8 is foamed or raised by heat or light energy, so that an uneven shape is formed as three-dimensional information on the transferred object 15, and the information recording portion is formed as a concave shape 16. (See Fig. 5)

Hereinafter, the information recording medium of the present invention and each layer constituting the foam transfer medium will be described. Information recording media are roughly classified into two types: a type in which a foamed layer is formed in advance on a base material, and a type in which a foamed layer is formed by transferring a foamed layer from a foamed transfer medium onto a flat material base material and foaming it. There are things to be done. First, a type in which a foamed layer is formed on a base material in advance will be described.

(Substrate) The substrate 1 used for the information recording medium of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is a flat material having a smooth surface and supports the information recording medium. , Condenser paper, glassine paper, sulfuric acid paper, or high-size paper, synthetic paper (polyolefin, polystyrene), fine paper, art paper, coated paper, cast-coated paper, wallpaper, backing paper, synthetic resin or emulsion impregnation Paper, synthetic rubber latex impregnated paper, synthetic resin internal paper, paperboard, etc., cellulose fiber paper, or polyester, polyacrylate, polycarbonate, polyurethane, polyimide, polyetherimide, cellulose derivative, polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, Polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylic, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl chloride Nilidene, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl butyral, nylon, polyether ketone, polysulfone, polyether sulfone, tetrafluoroethylene / perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether, polyvinyl fluoride, tetrafluoroethylene / ethylene, tetrafluoroethylene / hexafluoropropylene, polychloro Films such as trifluoroethylene and polyvinylidene fluoride are exemplified. The thickness of the above-mentioned substrate may be arbitrary, and is usually 10 to 300 μm.
It is about. In addition, the base material can be mixed with various coloring agents or energy absorbing agents described below with the material of the base material, or can be coated on the base material.

(Energy Absorbing Layer) In the information recording medium of the present invention, an energy absorbing layer 2 can be provided on the above-mentioned flat material base material at a position not located on the outermost surface layer. That is, the substrate, the energy absorbing layer, and the foam layer can be formed in this order, or the substrate, the foam layer, the energy absorbing layer, and the protective layer can be formed in that order. The energy absorbing layer
It efficiently absorbs heat and light energy for recording and effectively transfers the energy to the foaming component of the foaming layer. The energy absorption layer is composed mainly of an energy absorber represented by carbon black or the like and a binder resin. Examples of the energy absorber include materials that easily absorb light energy, and any material that absorbs light such as ultraviolet light, visible light, or infrared light and generates heat can be used. Particularly preferred materials include furnace black, acetylene black, Ketjen black, carbon blacks such as thermal black, aniline black, black pigments having no heat transfer property such as iron oxide black, and a molecular extinction coefficient of 30,000 or more. And preferably 100,000 or more organic compounds, and examples thereof include polymethine-based, azurenium-based, bililliium-based, thiobrillium-based, squarylium-based, and phthalocyanine-based near-infrared absorbing agents.

As the energy absorber, various heat conductive materials can be used as a material that easily absorbs heat energy. Examples of such materials include copper, aluminum, tin oxide, molybdenum disulfide, and the like. Powders or fine powders of metals, metal oxides or metal sulfides, whiskers, or carbonaceous substances such as carbon black can be used. By using those energy absorbers having the desired color as the base of the information recording medium, it is possible to also function as a colored layer. As the binder for supporting the energy absorber as described above, any of conventionally known binders can be used, and preferred examples thereof include ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, ethyl hydroxy cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, Cellulose resins such as cellulose acetate butyrate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl acetoacetal, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl resins such as polyacrylamide, and the like, and particularly, polyvinyl acetoacetal and polyvinyl butyral are heat-resistant. It is preferable from the point of view.

[0013] The content of the energy absorbing agent in the energy absorbing layer is 0.1 to 50% of the weight of the energy absorbing layer with respect to the whole energy absorbing layer, after the energy absorbing layer is coated on a substrate and dried.
0 mass%, preferably about 5 to 40 mass%. If the content is less than 0.1% by mass, the energy absorption is insufficient, and if it exceeds 50.0% by mass, it is not preferable because it is deposited on the surface. The above energy absorbing layer is formed by applying and drying by a forming means such as a gravure printing method, a screen printing method, a reverse roll coating method using a gravure plate, and the thickness thereof is not particularly limited. The time is generally about 1 to 50 μm.

(Foam Layer) The information recording medium of the present invention has a foam layer 3 having a foam material on a flat base material.
Energy is selectively applied based on the recording pattern by various heat or light energy applying means,
Via the energy absorbing layer, the foam material of this foam layer absorbs its energy, foams and rises. The foam layer is composed mainly of a foam material and a binder,
As the foaming material used in the present invention, conventionally known materials can be used, and examples thereof include azodicarbonamide, azobisisobutyronitrile, dinitrosopentamethylenetetramine, N, N'dinitroso-N, N'dimethyl. Terephthalamide, P-toluenesulfonyl hydrazide,
Organic blowing agents such as hydrazolcarbonamide, P-toluenesulfonyl azide, acetone-P-sulfonylhydrazone; inorganic blowing agents such as sodium bicarbonate, ammonium carbonate and ammonium bicarbonate; containing a solvent that volatilizes at low temperature inside In particular, in the present invention, the heat-expandable microcapsules are preferably used because they have a high expansion ratio and can secure a raised height.

The above-mentioned heat-expandable microcapsules have a capsule structure in which a hydrocarbon volatilized at a low temperature is contained in a wall material made of a resin. Use a material whose volume expands about 10 times to about 100 times. Hydrocarbons encapsulated in the heat-expandable microcapsules include methyl chloride, methyl bromide, trichloroethane, dichloroethane, n-butane,
It is possible to use an aliphatic hydrocarbon having a fluorine atom such as n-heptane, n-propane, n-hexane, n-pentane, isobutane, isoheptane, neopentane, petroleum ether, freon, or a mixture of a plurality of these hydrocarbons. it can. As wall materials for the heat-expandable microcapsules, vinylidene chloride, vinyl chloride, acrylonitrile,
Styrene, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, vinyl acetate, or copolymers or blends of these resins can be used, and a crosslinking agent can be used if necessary.

The particle diameter of the heat-expandable microcapsules is preferably 0.1 to 50 μm, more preferably 0.1 to 50 μm.
It is preferably 30 μm. As commercially available products of the heat-expandable microcapsules as described above, for example, F-20, F-30, F-30VS, F-40 and F- of the “Matsumoto Microsphere” series manufactured by Matsumoto Yushi Seiyaku Co., Ltd.
50, F-80S, F-82, F-85, F-80V
S, F-100, etc., manufactured by Nippon Ferrite Co., Ltd.
The ratio of the thermally expandable microcapsules in the foamed layer is 30 parts by mass to 200 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the resin binder.
It is preferably 50 parts by mass to 150 parts by mass.
It is preferably in parts by mass. When the amount is less than 30 parts by mass, the foamed layer does not sufficiently expand, and when the amount exceeds 200 parts by mass, the durability of the foamed convex portion against tactile reading becomes insufficient. When an inorganic or organic foaming agent material is used, the content of the foaming agent in the foamed layer is preferably 20 parts by mass to 200 parts by mass, and more preferably 40 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the resin binder. It is preferable that the amount be from mass parts to 160 mass parts. When the amount is less than 20 parts by mass, the foamed layer does not sufficiently expand, and when the amount exceeds 200 parts by mass, the durability of the foamed convex portion against tactile reading becomes insufficient.

As the binder constituting the foamed layer, a resin component is preferably used. For example, a phenoxy resin, a vinyl resin such as polyvinyl acetate or polyacryl ester, a polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate or polybutylene terephthalate, a polystyrene resin, Examples thereof include polyamide resins, polyurethane resins, acrylic resins, and rubber resins such as vulcanized rubber and unvulcanized rubber. Examples of the rubber resin include chloroprene rubber, fluorine rubber, silicone rubber, synthetic isoprene rubber, butyl rubber, urethane rubber, acrylic rubber, styrene / butadiene rubber, ethylene / propylene rubber, polyisoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, and chlorine. Unvulcanized rubber such as synthetic rubber such as butyl rubber and natural rubber, or vulcanized rubber. Particularly preferred resins include polyester resins and rubber resins.

The number average molecular weight of the above resin is preferably 1,000 or more. Bubble layer binder with natural wax such as carnauba wax, paraffin wax or beeswax having a number average molecular weight of less than 1,000, or synthetic wax such as polyethylene wax or stearic acid or armor wax having a number average molecular weight of less than 1,000. When used as the main component of, the raised protrusions formed are very fragile, and there is a possibility that chipping or crushing may easily occur by tactile reading. Further, such a low molecular weight binder is used at a temperature of about 60 ° C. to 1 to form a foamed convex portion.
When heated to 40 ° C., the viscosity tends to be extremely reduced due to softening or melting. For this reason, there is a possibility that the binder may permeate into the base material, or may flow out around the raised protrusions to be formed, so that it is difficult to hold the thermally expandable microcapsules on the base material.

In the case of a foam layer used in a foam transfer medium to be described later, when forming fine projections and depressions on a transfer-receiving material, only portions to which heat or light is applied can be transferred without excess or deficiency. It is extremely important for accurate image formation, and the foam layer must arbitrarily break (foil break) from the foam transfer medium under certain peeling conditions. For this reason, the number average molecular weight of the resin binder is 30,0.
00 or less, particularly preferably 25,000 or less. In addition, when the demand for durability against breakage due to tactile reading of the raised projections is extremely high, it is possible to obtain better information recording if the molecular weight of the resin binder is large, and for this purpose, a resin binder is required. Has a number average molecular weight of preferably 3,000 or more, and particularly preferably 10,000 or more. That is, in consideration of the accuracy of forming an image of the raised convex portion and the durability against damage due to tactile reading, the resin binder has a number average molecular weight of 100.
It is preferably 0 or more and 30,000 or less, more preferably 3,000 or more and 25,000 or less, particularly preferably 10,000 or more and 25,000 or less.

A coloring agent can be added to the foamed layer as needed. The colorant can be arbitrarily selected within a range that does not hinder the application of the foamed layer on the base material. That is, the colorant is preferably selected from colorants that are uniformly dissolved or dispersed in a solvent or a dispersion medium used for applying the foamed layer. For example, when the foamed layer is formed by applying an aqueous dispersion using water as a dispersion medium, the colorant selected is preferably selected from those that are uniformly dispersed or dissolved in water, and are gray or black. In order to obtain a chromatic color, a water-soluble or water-dispersible organic or inorganic pigment corresponding to each color may be used. I can do it. Similarly, when the foamed layer is a mixture of water and an organic solvent, or is dissolved or dispersed in an organic solvent, the colorant is selected from those uniformly dispersed or dissolved in the solvent or the dispersion medium. It is preferable that, in this case, any coloring can be performed according to the desired hue, saturation, and brightness.

The foamed layer is colorless when the foamed layer is formed on the substrate, but may be a layer that develops color when heat or light energy for information recording is applied. Further, when the foam layer is transferred from the foam transfer medium to the transfer object, the colorant contained in the foam layer may be colored by contacting the colorant previously applied to the transfer object. Alternatively, the color may be changed or changed to another color by touching the foamed convex portion with a finger. Furthermore, in order to give good thermal conductivity to the foam layer,
A thermally conductive material can be added to the foam layer. As the thermal conductive material, the same material as described in the above energy absorbing layer can be used.

The foamed layer is obtained by adding the above-mentioned resin to one side of the above-mentioned base material and, if necessary, a necessary additive such as a cross-linking agent or a cross-linking reaction promoting catalyst, with an appropriate organic solvent or water. Dissolved in a mixture of an organic solvent and water, or a dispersion dispersed in an organic solvent or water, such as a gravure printing method, a screen printing method, a reverse roll coating method using a gravure plate, etc. It is formed by applying and drying by a forming means. In the case where the foam layer is transferred from the foam transfer medium to the object to be transferred, when forming the foam layer on the base material, a plurality of types of coating liquids for forming a releasability adjusting layer having a function of adjusting the releasability are used. The releasability adjusting layer may be formed by multiple coatings. The thickness of the foam layer is 10 μm to 100 μm
m is preferred, and more preferably 20 μm to 80 μm.

(Colored Layer) In the information recording medium of the present invention, a foamed layer and a colored layer 4 can be sequentially provided on a base material. The coloring layer may be provided on the entire surface of the substrate, or may be provided partially,
In the concave portion of the information recording portion and the convex portion of the non-recording portion of the information recording medium, the difference between the two regions can be made easier to see due to the difference in the vertical direction of the colored layer, and the appearance can be improved in design. The coloring layer is mainly composed of a coloring agent and a binder. As the binder, the main component is wax, other wax and drying oil, resin, mineral oil,
A mixture such as a derivative of cellulose and rubber is used. Examples of the wax include microcrystalline wax, carnauba wax, paraffin wax,
Examples include Fischer-Tropsch wax, various low molecular weight polyethylenes, wood wax, beeswax, spermaceti, Ibota wax, wool wax, shellac wax, candelilla wax, petrolactam, partially modified wax, fatty acid ester, fatty acid amide and the like. These may be used alone or as a mixture of two or more. The thickness of such a colored layer is preferably about 0.2 to 10 μm.

As the coloring agent contained in the coloring layer, organic or inorganic pigments or dyes having good properties as a recording material, for example, having a sufficient coloring density, light, heat, etc. Is preferred. As the colorant, yellow, magenta, cyan, black and the like can be used. Such colorants are usually
About 1 to 10 parts by mass is contained per 100 parts by mass of the binder of the colored layer. The thickness of such a colored layer is 0.5
It is about 5.0 μm.

(Protective Layer) The information recording medium of the present invention is formed by laminating or coating on the surface layer of the reading surface.
It is preferable that a resin layer is provided as the protective layer 5 to cover the irregular shape of the reading surface, thereby providing excellent durability such as abrasion resistance. When the protective layer is formed by a lamination method, a laminate sheet having an adhesive layer provided on a base sheet is bonded to the outermost surface of the information recording medium. As the base sheet used in the above laminate sheet, it is sufficient that the underlying layer has a degree of transparency that can be observed through the base sheet, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylidene chloride, and polyvinyl alcohol. Colored or uncolored transparent or translucent films or sheets of polyester, polycarbonate, polyamide, polystyrene, acetate, ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene / vinyl alcohol copolymer, ionomer, cellophane, etc. No. In the above resin, mechanical strength, transparency,
Considering the flexibility, heat resistance, and the fact that it is difficult to absorb light and heat energy, etc., a non-stretched polypropylene film is a deformable resin that can follow changes in the uneven shape of the foam layer, especially when recording information. Preferably, the discrimination of the information record can be enhanced. Polyester, polycarbonate and polyamide films are preferred, and polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene naphthalate films are particularly preferred.

To these films, an ultraviolet absorber, an antioxidant, a light stabilizer and the like are added in order to further improve light resistance, and an antistatic agent is previously contained in order to prevent adsorption of dust and the like. May be used. It may be colored. Further, a corona discharge treatment or an easy adhesion treatment may be performed on the surface of the base sheet in order to improve the adhesion and the adhesion to the layer formed on the base sheet. The thickness of the base sheet is preferably about 2 to 20 μm. If the thickness is too small, it becomes difficult to protect the foamed layer as a laminate sheet and have durability and the like. It is not preferable because the uneven shape of the layer is smoothed and the reading becomes difficult.

The adhesive layer provided on the base sheet of the laminate sheet contains a thermoplastic resin or a pressure-sensitive adhesive as a main component, and other additives are added as needed.
When attaching the laminate sheet to the tactile surface of the information recording medium, the pressure-sensitive layer is so formed that the foamed layer of the information recording medium foams and does not interfere with the rise of the foamed layer when information is recorded later. An adhesive layer using an adhesive is preferred and used. The adhesive base polymer used for the pressure-sensitive adhesive includes natural rubber, modified natural rubber, synthetic rubber such as styrene-butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, acrylate resin, chloride A vinyl resin, a vinylidene chloride resin, or the like can be used in the form of a solution or an emulsion.

The adhesive layer is made of the resin for forming the adhesive layer described above and, if necessary, an ultraviolet absorbent, an organic filler and / or an organic filler.
Add an additive such as an inorganic filler or the like, and dissolve or disperse with a suitable solvent to prepare an ink for forming an adhesive layer, and then, on the base sheet, for example, a gravure printing method, a screen printing method, It can be formed by applying and drying by forming means such as a reverse coating method using a gravure plate. The coating amount of the adhesive layer thus formed is about 0.1 to 10 g / m ² in a dry state.

Next, when a protective layer is formed by a coating method on the surface layer of the reading surface of the information recording medium, at least a foam layer and a protective layer are provided in this order on a flat base material. When the protective layer is formed by a coating method, it can be formed of various resins conventionally known as protective layer forming resins. As the protective layer forming resin, for example, as a thermoplastic resin, a polyester resin, a polystyrene resin, an acrylic resin, a polyurethane resin, an acrylic urethane resin, an epoxy resin, a phenoxy resin, a resin obtained by modifying each of these resins with silicone,
Examples thereof include a mixture of these resins, an ionizing radiation-curable resin, and a UV-blocking resin. In addition, if necessary, an ultraviolet absorber, an organic filler and / or an inorganic filler can be appropriately added.

The protective layer is prepared by adding the above-mentioned resin for forming the protective layer and, if necessary, additives such as an ultraviolet absorber, an organic filler and / or an inorganic filler, and dissolving or dispersing the mixture with an appropriate solvent. Then, an ink for forming a protective layer is prepared, and the ink is applied to the above-described base material by a forming means such as a gravure printing method, a screen printing method, a reverse coating method using a gravure plate, and dried to form. be able to. The coating amount of the protective layer is 1 to 30 g when dried.
/ M ² .

Next, a description will be given of an information recording medium of the type formed by transferring a foam layer from a foam transfer medium onto a flat base material and foaming the foam layer. First, the foam transfer medium used in the present invention has a configuration in which at least a foam layer is provided on a base material so as to be releasable.If necessary, a release layer may be provided between the base material and the foam layer. An adhesive layer can be provided on the foamed layer, and a heat-resistant layer can be provided on the other surface of the substrate. The foam transfer medium 12 having such a layer configuration will be described below. The foam layer of the foam transfer medium is the same as the foam layer described in the information recording medium of the type in which the foam layer is formed on the base material in advance.

(Substrate) The substrate used in the foam transfer medium is as follows:
The same substrate as that used for the conventional thermal transfer sheet can be used, and a composite film thereof can also be used, and there is no particular limitation as long as it can withstand heat during thermal transfer. Preferred substrates include, for example, polyester, polypropylene, cellophane, polycarbonate, cellulose acetate, polyethylene, polystyrene, nylon, polyimide, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, saponified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, fluororesin, chlorinated rubber, Examples include stretched or unstretched films such as ionomers, condenser paper, and paraffin paper. The thickness of the substrate can be appropriately changed depending on the material so that the strength and the thermal conductivity are appropriate, but is preferably 2 to 100 μm, more preferably 3 to 25 μm.

(Release Layer) In the foam transfer medium, a release layer 10 can be provided between the base material and the foam layer. The release layer, when forming an uneven image by the foam transfer medium,
It is for peeling and bonding the foam layer to the transfer receiving body,
It adjusts the releasability of the foam transfer medium and the foam layer when heated. The release layer comprises: 1. When separated from the foam layer of the foam transfer medium and peeled and transferred to the object to be transferred together with the foam layer to be transferred, 2. When the foamed layer remains on the substrate even after the transfer and facilitates the peeling of the foamed layer. The release layer is melted by the heat during transfer, the cohesive force is reduced, the layer is separated, the foam layer is peeled off, and on the thermally expanded layer transferred to the object to be transferred and on the base of the peeled foam transfer medium When both have a release layer, there are the above three types. In order to make the above distinction, 1. In this case, the release layer is referred to as a “release transfer layer”. In this case, the release layer is referred to as a "release layer". In this case, the release layer will be described separately as a “layer separation layer” for the sake of explanation.

When the release layer is a release transfer layer or a layer separation layer, the release transfer layer,
Alternatively, since the layer separation layer is also transferred, it is necessary to select a resin forming such a layer that does not inhibit the expandability of the foamed layer. Further, the release layer has an effect as a protective layer of the uneven image on the tactile reading surface, but must not impair the tactile sensation at the time of tactile reading.

First, the resin forming the release layer is a resin having a releasability itself, such as silicone resin, fluorine resin, polymethylpentene, polypropylene, etc., acrylic resin, linear polyester, vinyl chloride. Varnishes of vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl acetal, polyvinyl acetate, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate butyrate, etc., and silicone resin, fluororesin, wax, fatty acid amide, etc. Can be cross-linked with various cross-linking agents. For example, isophorone diisocyanate, xylylene diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, diphenylmethane diisocyanate, polyisocyanates such as adducts, biurets and trimers obtained by adding diisocyanate to trimethylolpropane,
A crosslinking agent having an epoxy group, an aziridine group, or an oxazoline group, a crosslinking agent such as melamine, and a chelating agent such as aluminum, zinc, titanium, and zirconium can be used. Preferably, it is a crosslinked silicone resin, or an acrylic resin or polyester containing a release agent crosslinked with polyisocyanate. Then, the application is performed by a normal method such as gravure coating, roll coating,
The coating thickness is preferably 0.05 to 5.00 μm when dried,
More preferably, it is 0.10 to 2.00 μm.

The resin forming the release transfer layer is selected from thermoplastic resins which do not hinder the expandability of the foamed layer and which can form a coating film. Then, fine particles of inorganic substances such as silica, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and aluminum hydroxide, and organic substances such as polycarbonate, polyethylene, and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, which are matting agents, are dispersed so as to facilitate reading. Can also. In addition, by including the heat-expandable microcapsules in the release transfer layer, the release transfer layer can be foamed together with the transferred image to facilitate reading. The thermoplastic resin used is acrylic resin, linear polyester, vinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymer, vinyl chloride / vinylidene chloride copolymer,
Polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl acetal, polyvinyl acetate, polyamide, urethane, acrylonitrile,
There are solutions or dispersions of polyisobutylene, neoprene (registered trademark), natural rubber, and the like. Preferably, it is a vinyl chloride / vinylidene chloride copolymer, acrylonitrile, or an acrylic resin, which serves as a barrier layer for a hydrocarbon which is a foaming agent of the foam layer. The coating is performed by a usual method such as a gravure coating, a roll coating, and an air knife coating, and the coating thickness is 0.05 to 5.0 when dried.
The thickness is preferably 0 μm, more preferably 0.10 to 2.00 μm.

The resin used to form the layer separation layer is a resin that reduces the cohesive force by heat melting when transferring the foamed layer from the foaming transfer medium, and includes natural wax, synthetic wax, and thermoplastic resin. Can be selected from For example, microcrystalline wax, carnauba wax, paraffin wax, Fischer-Tropsch wax, various low molecular weight polyethylene, wood wax, beeswax, whale wax, Ibota wax, wool wax, shellac wax, candelilla wax, petrolactam, partially modified wax, There are various waxes such as fatty acid esters, fatty acid amides, silicone waxes, and the like, alone or in combination of polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl acetal, polyvinyl acetate, polyamide, polyester, acrylic resin, polyurethane and the like. Preferably, it is mainly composed of low molecular weight polyethylene. Then, the application is heat-melted, heat-melted in a solvent, or made into a solution, or, in the state of a dispersion, gravure coat, roll coat, air knife coat, etc., is performed by a normal method, The coating thickness is preferably 0.05 to 5.00 μm when dried,
More preferably, it is 0.10 to 2.00 μm.

In another embodiment, when the resin used for the foamed layer and the release layer has a dyeing property with respect to the heat-diffusible dye, a heat-diffusible dye of any color is added to the release layer. can do. By forming in this manner, the heat diffusing dye added to the release layer is diffused by the heat in the drying step when the foam layer is applied, so that the foam layer can be arbitrarily colored, and the foaming agent and A foamed layer formed by applying and drying a liquid obtained by dispersing or dissolving a binder resin in water can be dyed with a heat-diffusible dye that is insoluble or difficult to disperse in water. As the heat diffusing dye, any conventionally known dye can be used in the present invention, and is not particularly limited. For example, as preferred dyes, MS RED G, Macrole as red dyes
x Red Violet R, Ceres Red
7B, Samaron Red HBSL, Resol
in Red F3BS and the like, and as a yellow dye, holon brilliant yellow 6GL, PTY-
52, Macrolex Yellow 6G, and the like.
As blue dyes, Kayaset Blue 714, Waxolin Blue AP-FW, Holon Brilliant Blue S-
R, MS Blue 100 and the like. It is also possible to obtain a desired color tone by arbitrarily mixing one or more of these heat diffusing dyes.

(Adhesive Layer) The foam transfer medium is provided with an adhesive layer 9 on a foam layer releasably provided on a base material, and when the foam layer is transferred onto a transfer object, the foam layer is coated. It can be firmly adhered to the transfer member. That is, in the case of a foam transfer medium in which a foam layer is provided on a base material, and the foam layer alone is transferred to a transfer target and is difficult to adhere, it is desirable to provide an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer is provided to transfer the foam layer at a relatively low temperature. If the transfer temperature is high and the expansion (foaming) temperature or higher, the heat-expandable microcapsules may expand in a plane direction other than the height, and the durability against tactile reading of an uneven image or the like becomes insufficient. This is because there are times.

Materials usable for the adhesive layer include waxes such as microcrystalline wax, carnauba wax, and paraffin wax; acrylic rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, nitrile rubber, chlorinated butyl rubber. Unvulcanized rubber such as natural rubber; vinyl resins such as polyvinyl acetate and polyvinyl chloride; polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate; ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyamide A thermoplastic resin is used alone or in an appropriate mixture. In addition, by mixing the heat-expandable microcapsules into the adhesive layer, the adhesive layer can be foamed, and the unevenness image can be easily read.

(Heat-Resistant Layer) In the foam transfer medium, a heat-resistant layer 11 can be provided on the surface of the substrate opposite to the surface on which the foam layer is provided. When a thermal head or the like is used as a heating means for transferring the foam layer to the transfer target using the foam transfer medium, heating is performed from the side of the base material where the foam layer is not formed. It is preferable to provide a heat-resistant layer on the heated surface to provide heat resistance, slipperiness, or both physical properties. The heat-resistant layer has a heat-resistant resin and a substance acting as a heat releasing agent or a lubricant as basic components. Crosslinking various thermoplastic resins with a known crosslinking agent is an effective method for improving the heat resistance of the resin.For example, when there is a hydroxyl group in a side chain or a molecular terminal of the thermoplastic resin, polyisocyanate or the like is used. Can be used. When a crosslinking agent is used, a catalyst is used if necessary. Means for forming a heat-resistant layer is to prepare a coating liquid by dissolving or dispersing a material obtained by adding a substance acting as a heat releasing agent or a lubricant to a heat-resistant resin as described above in an appropriate solvent. Then, the coating liquid is applied by a conventional coating means such as a gravure coater, a roll coater, and a wire bar, and dried. The coating amount of the heat-resistant layer is about 0.1 to 2.0 g / m ^{2 in} a dry state.

Using the foam transfer medium as described above, the foam layer of the foam transfer medium is transferred and foamed on the object to be transferred.
The information recording medium of the present invention is obtained. The transfer object serving as the base material of the information recording medium is the same as the base material of the information recording medium of the type in which the foam layer is formed on the base material in advance, as described above.

(Information Recording Method) The information recording method of the present invention is a method for recording three-dimensional information on a flat material, and recording information patterns such as characters and symbols in a concave shape on the flat material. By expressing it, the discriminability at the time of tactile reading is enhanced. Further, the information recording method of the present invention uses a foaming transfer medium in which a foaming layer having a foaming material on a base material is provided in a releasable manner, so that a negative image of information to be recorded, that is, heat or light is applied to a non-recording portion. By applying energy, the foam layer is foamed and raised to form a convex shape, and a portion where no energy is applied becomes a concave shape as an information recording portion,
It becomes possible to record in a concave shape as three-dimensional information on the above-mentioned transferred material which is a flat material.

Further, by using an information recording medium in which a foam layer having a foam material is provided on a flat material, the information to be recorded is formed into a negative image, that is, by foaming the foam layer in the non-recording portion, thereby enabling information recording. The part can be formed in a concave shape. By providing a resin layer formed by lamination or coating on the surface layer of the tactile reading surface of the information recording medium,
It is desirable that the uneven shape is covered and protected, and durability such as scratch resistance of the tactile reading surface can be enhanced.

A means for transferring and foaming a foamed layer from the foaming transfer medium to a transfer object, and a negative image of information to be recorded on an information recording medium of a type having a foamed layer formed on a substrate in advance. In other words, as means for foaming the foamed layer of the non-recording portion, various conventionally known heat energy applying means and light energy applying means can be used. Any of various conventionally known methods capable of controlling the amount of applied energy according to image information from a computer can be used. For example, a thermal head for a heat-sensitive melting transfer method used for a word processor, a thermal sublimation transfer-type thermal head used for a video printer, a laser head used for a laser printing printer, and the like can be used. Further, when an energization heating layer is provided on the back side of the foam transfer medium, an energization head for an energization heating type melt transfer system can be used.

Further, when the foam layer is transferred from the foam transfer medium to the transfer object and foamed, the foam layer is first transferred to the transfer object by the means described above, and then the foam layer is transferred. Any heating method such as heating with an oven, hot air heating with an electric heating wire, infrared irradiation heating, laser beam irradiation heating, electromagnetic heating or the like, and a heating method in which the transferred body is brought into contact with a heating roll. It is preferable to increase the foaming property of the foamed layer by the means to secure the height of the unevenness so that it can be sufficiently read.

[0047]

The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the following examples.
explain. (Example) Synthetic paper was used as a flat material, and
Carbon brass made by Fuji Dye Co., Ltd.
Coating composed of a paint SP-8556 and a binder resin.
3 g / m when applied and dried using^TwoFormed by
Furthermore, on the energy absorption layer, as a foam layer,
Matsumoto Yushi Co., Ltd. foam microcapsules F30VS and
Apply using a coating liquid composed of binder resin
20g / m when dry ^TwoFormed. Furthermore, its foam
A polyester layer made by Toray Co., Ltd.
Lum F53, a pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side of 6μm thickness
Apply over the entire surface, press the foam layer and the pressure-sensitive adhesive together,
And laminate the film to produce an information recording medium.
Was.

In order to form an uneven pattern on the information recording medium, a semiconductor laser having a light emission center near 780 nm and an output of about 2 W is applied to the information to be recorded so as to form a negative image. Thus, the information recording portion as shown in FIG. Also,
The same information recording medium produced above is irradiated with the above-mentioned semiconductor laser by using the above-mentioned semiconductor laser so that the information to be recorded becomes a positive image, and the information recording portion as shown in FIG. It was formed so that it might become. Using the obtained information recording medium on which three-dimensional information is recorded on the surface, how the discrimination of information by tactile reading changes depending on whether the recording shape is concave or convex. Or, they were compared by the following method.

In the above two types of information recording media, information is "16-point and 24-point random hiragana,
Using katakana, the subject recorded and blindfolded beforehand was allowed to read the medium, and at 16 points, the correct answer rate was 85% for concave information and the correct answer rate was convex information. 72%. At 24 points, the correct answer rate was 96% for concave information, and the correct answer rate was 83% for convex information. It was higher than the information recorded by. In both the case where the recording shape is a concave shape and the case where the recording shape is a convex shape, the height difference between the concave portion and the convex portion is about 300 μm. Due to the difference, the degree of unevenness of recorded information is significantly different,
It is thought that it did not occur, but rather due to the difference in recognizability of the concave and convex information by tactile reading.

[0050]

As described above, the present invention provides an information recording medium in which a foamed layer having a foamed material is provided on a flat material. By using a foaming transfer medium provided with a foaming layer having a foaming material on the base material in a releasable manner, in the form of a negative image of the information to be recorded, that is, by applying heat or light energy to the non-recording portion, Transfer the foam layer, foam,
By raising, forming a convex shape, the part where no energy is applied forms a concave shape as an information recording part, so that the information of the uneven shape can be accurately read by tactile reading with high information discrimination. is there.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of an information recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an information recording medium as shown in FIG. 1, in which information to be recorded is applied in the form of a negative image by applying energy to foam and bulge a foam layer to form a convex shape, and no energy is applied. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an information recording medium in which a portion is formed as an information recording portion in a concave shape.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a foam transfer medium used when a foam layer is transferred and provided on the information recording medium of the present invention.

5 is a diagram illustrating a three-dimensional structure of the foamed transfer medium and the object to be transferred as shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the formed information recording medium.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example in which an information recording portion of the information recording medium of the present invention is formed so as to have a concave shape.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example in which an information recording portion of an information recording medium is formed so as to have a convex shape.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base material 2 Energy absorption layer 3 Foam layer 4 Color layer 5 Protective layer 6 Information recording medium 7 Base material 8 Foam layer 9 Adhesive layer 10 Release layer 11 Heat resistant layer 12 Foam transfer medium 13 Convex shape 14 Concave shape 15 Transfer object 16 Concave shape

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H111 AA01 AA26 AA52 BA03 BA07 BA76 HA09 HA35 2H113 AA01 AA03 AA04 AA06 BA22 BA27 BB22 CA15 DA34 DA35 DA45 DA46 DA50 DA53 DA54 DA55 DA57 DA62 DA63 DA64 DA68 FA04 FA21 FA42

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A method for recording three-dimensional information on a flat material, wherein information patterns, such as characters and symbols, are recorded and expressed in a concave shape on the flat material, thereby enabling identification at the time of tactile reading. An information recording method characterized by improved operability. 2. A flat transfer material which is a flat material by transferring a foam layer to a transfer object using a foam transfer medium provided with a foam layer having a foam material on a base material so that the foam layer can be peeled off. 2. The information recording method according to claim 1, wherein the information is recorded in a concave shape as three-dimensional information on a body. 3. An information recording medium having a foamed layer having a foamed material on a flat plate material is used to foam the foamed layer into a negative image of information to be recorded, so that the information recording portion has a concave shape. The information recording method according to claim 1, wherein the information recording method is performed. 4. The surface layer of the tactile reading surface of the information recording medium,
The information recording method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a concave / convex shape is covered and protected by providing a resin layer formed by lamination or coating. 5. An information recording medium in which three-dimensional information is recorded on a flat material, wherein information patterns such as characters and symbols are recorded and expressed in a concave shape on the flat material, so An information recording medium characterized in that the discriminability of the information is improved. 6. An information recording medium in which three-dimensional information is recorded on a flat material to be transferred, using a foaming transfer medium in which a foam layer having a foam material is provided on a base material in a releasable manner. 6. The information recording medium according to claim 5, wherein a three-dimensional information is recorded in a concave shape on the transferred body by transferring the foamed layer to the transfer body and foaming the foamed layer. 7. An information recording medium in which a foam layer having a foam material is provided on a flat material, the information recording portion is formed in a concave shape by foaming the foam layer into a negative image of information to be recorded. The information recording medium according to claim 5, wherein: 8. The surface layer of the tactile reading surface of the information recording medium,
The information recording medium according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the uneven shape is covered and protected by providing a resin layer by lamination or coating.