JP2002086996A - Ink jet transfer medium as well as transfer material using the same, method for transferring and transfer product - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink jet transfer medium capable of realizing a small quantity production of a transfer material at a low cost by forming an image on a transfer layer by an ink jet printer and having good water resistance and durability of the image in the transfer layer on a transfer product obtained in a transferring step as well as a transfer material using the medium, a method for transferring and the transfer product. SOLUTION: The ink jet transfer medium A comprises a support 1, a water resistant release layer 2 releasably coating on the surface of the support 1, and an ink acceptive layer 3 coating on the surface of the layer 2 to absorb the ink and to fix the ink to generate adhesive properties to the surface of a material 5 to be transferred under predetermined conditions. The transfer material B is obtained by forming a desired image 4 by ink jet on the surface of the layer 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording medium used in an ink jet recording system, and a transfer material, a transfer method and a transfer product using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It is well known to use thermal transfer paper as a method for transferring an image such as a character, a symbol, a design, etc. onto an object to be transferred for display or decoration. Thermal transfer paper has a configuration in which a transfer layer that can be thermally transferred via a release layer is provided on a sheet-like support made of paper or a resin film, or a sublimation transfer layer is provided on the support. It has a configuration. When an image such as a character, a symbol, and a pattern is transferred onto a transfer target using a thermal transfer paper as described above, a desired image is formed on a transfer layer on a support by silk screen printing, gravure printing, offset printing, or the like. The transfer layer is thermally bonded to the surface of the transfer material from the obtained transfer material, and the image is thereby transferred onto the transfer material.

[0003]

However, the method of forming images such as characters, symbols and patterns on the transfer layer by the printing means as described above is not suitable for producing a large number of transfer materials on which the same image is formed. However, in the case of small-volume production, there is a problem that the cost of the transfer material is significantly increased due to high plate making cost.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to produce a small amount of a transfer material at a low cost by forming an image such as characters, symbols, and designs on a transfer layer using an ink jet printer. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink-jet transfer medium having good water resistance and durability of an image in a transfer layer on a product, and a transfer material, a transfer method and a transfer product using the same.

Another object of the present invention is to adhere a transfer layer in a transfer material to the surface of a transfer material without using heat, thereby forming a desired image on the transfer material without heating. And a transfer material, a transfer method and a transfer product using the same.

[0006]

The above objects can be attained by the present invention. The ink-jet transfer medium according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a support, a water-resistant release layer releasably coated on the support surface, and a water-resistant release layer coated on the surface, absorbing the ink and fixing the ink. And an ink-receiving layer that produces adhesion to the surface of the object under predetermined conditions.

In a second aspect of the present invention, the water-resistant release layer is made of an acrylic resin. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the ink-jet transfer medium, the ink-receiving layer has a tackiness that enables the ink-receiving layer to adhere to the surface of the transfer object by absorbing the ink. In the transfer medium for inkjet according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the ink receiving layer which generates tackiness by absorbing ink as described above is made of an acrylic resin. A transfer material according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a transfer material in which a desired image is formed on the surface of the ink receiving layer of the transfer medium for inkjet by inkjet. In the transfer method according to the present invention, the transfer material is adhered to the surface of the transfer object on the image forming surface of the ink receiving layer, and the support is peeled off from the water-resistant release layer. A transfer layer comprising an ink-receiving layer on which an image is formed and a water-resistant release layer covering the ink-receiving layer is formed on the surface of the object, and a desired image is transferred onto an object to be transferred. In the transfer product according to the present invention, a transfer layer comprising an ink-receiving layer on which an image is formed and a water-resistant release layer covering the ink-receiving layer is formed on the surface of the transfer object by the transfer method. Is transferred onto an object to be transferred.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention. The support used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has strength enough to support the water-resistant release layer and the ink-receiving layer and, if necessary, heat resistance, water resistance, solvent resistance and the like. Examples thereof include paper, plastic films such as PP (polypropylene), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), nylon, and acetate, and natural or synthetic fibers. However, if workability in the subsequent transfer step is taken into consideration, paper may be used. It is preferable to use a plastic film.

A water-resistant release layer is releasably coated on the surface of the support. Examples of the water-resistant release layer include silicon, wax, and resin.If the workability in the subsequent transfer step and the durability of the image in the transfer layer on the transfer product obtained in the transfer step are taken into consideration, Those composed of a resin component are preferred. The water-resistant release layer may have a temporary adhesive property capable of being removed from the support.

[0010] As the resin component constituting the water-resistant release layer, a resin component particularly composed of an acrylic resin may be used to improve the releasability from the support in the transfer step and the durability of the image in the transfer layer on the obtained transfer product. It is preferable in terms of water resistance and the like. Component monomers of the acrylic resin include (meth) acrylic acid, (meth) acrylate, methyl (meth) acrylate, ethyl (meth) acrylate, butyl (meth) acrylate, lauryl (meth) acrylate, 2
-Alkyl (meth) acrylates such as ethylhexyl (meth) acrylate, hydroxyalkyl (meth) acrylates such as hydroxyethyl (meth) acrylate, hydroxypropyl (meth) acrylate, and hydroxybutyl (meth) acrylate; Among them, those having a (meth) acrylic acid alkyl ester as a main component, among others, have better releasability from a support in a subsequent transfer step and water resistance of an image in a transfer layer on a transfer product obtained. Good. The water-resistant release layer may contain a plasticizer, a release agent, or the like. Also,
The acrylic resin may contain a non-acrylic monomer (eg, styrene, vinyl acetate, etc.) that is copolymerizable with the acrylic monomer as a part of the component monomer.

Further, the surface of the water-resistant release layer is coated with an ink-receiving layer. The ink receiving layer is not particularly limited as long as it absorbs and fixes the ink. However, it is preferable that the ink receiving layer contains a resin component in order to enhance the absorbability and fixability of the ink. Examples of such resin components include acrylic resins, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), various modified polyvinyl alcohols such as resin components obtained by grafting methacrylamide to polyvinyl alcohol, gelatin, casein, starch, alginic acid, carboxymethyl cellulose, Examples thereof include hydroxyethylcellulose, dextran, pullulan, polyvinylamine, and polyallylamine, which can be used alone or in combination. The ink receiving layer may contain porous inorganic particles and a surfactant as needed.

Further, the ink receiving layer may be softened by absorbing the ink and may become tacky.
Instead of using heat or the like, it is possible to adhere to the surface of the transfer object by utilizing the above-mentioned adhesiveness. Utilizing the tackiness caused by the absorption of the ink as described above, it enables particularly good adhesion to a transfer object, and the resin component excellent in ink absorption and fixing properties is preferably an acrylic resin. .

The component monomers of the acrylic resin include N, N-dimethylaminoethyl (meth) acrylate, N, N-diethylaminoethyl (meth) acrylate, N, N-dimethylaminopropyl (meth) acrylate, Amino group-containing (meth) acrylates such as N-dimethylaminoethyl (meth) acrylamide, N, N-dimethylaminopropyl (meth) acrylamide;
(Meth) acrylic acid (salt), 2-hydroxyethyl (meth) acrylate, (meth) acrylamide, (meth)
Examples thereof include acrylic acid alkyl esters. The acrylic resin may contain a non-acrylic monomer (eg, styrene, vinyl acetate, etc.) that is copolymerizable with the acrylic monomer as a part of the component monomer.

An acrylic resin having absorbability and fixability to aqueous ink and producing tackiness by absorbing the ink is obtained by polymerizing an amino group-containing acrylic monomer alone or an amino group. It is preferable that another acrylic monomer is copolymerized with the contained acrylic monomer. The ratio of the amino group-containing acrylic monomer in the acrylic resin is 5 to 10 in the component monomers.
The content is preferably 0% by weight, and in this range, particularly excellent ink absorption and fixing properties are exhibited.

Further, as the acrylic resin, those made of an amphoteric acrylic resin can also be suitably used. Examples of the monomer component include a resin containing an amino group-containing acrylic monomer and a carboxyl group-containing monomer, and an acrylic resin having a betaine-type or sulfobetaine-type group. One or both of the water-resistant release layer and the ink-receiving layer sequentially coated on the support surface may contain an ultraviolet absorber to ensure the light resistance of the image formed by ink-jet printing. Alternatively, other various additives may be added.

The thicknesses of the water-resistant release layer and the ink-receiving layer are not particularly limited. For example, when the support is made of a general PET film or other resin film, paper, or the like, the thickness of the water-resistant release layer formed on the support by coating or the like is preferably 1 to 1 in a dry state. 100 μm,
Particularly preferably, it is 1 to 60 μm, and especially 3 to 30 μm.
m is optimal. When the thickness of the water-resistant release layer is in the above range, particularly, the water-resistant release layer and the support cannot be satisfactorily separated during the transfer step, or the water-resistant release layer is cracked at the time of separation, or is obtained. In addition, the problem that the water resistance of the image in the transfer layer on the transfer product is insufficient is less likely to occur.

The thickness of the ink receiving layer formed on the water-resistant release layer by coating or the like is preferably 1 in a dry state.
It is preferably from 70 to 70 µm, particularly preferably from 1 to 50 µm, and most preferably from 3 to 30 µm. When the thickness of the ink receiving layer is in the above range, particularly high ink absorbency and fixability, high quality printing is possible, and water is transferred from the side of the ink receiving layer of the transfer layer on the obtained transfer product. Problems such as deterioration of the water resistance of the image inside due to intrusion hardly occur.

The ink-jet transfer medium obtained as described above can perform high-quality printing with an ink-jet printer because of the excellent ink absorption and fixing properties of the ink-receiving layer.

[0019]

1 to 4 illustrate each step of obtaining a transfer product using an ink-jet transfer medium according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an ink-jet transfer medium according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a transfer material obtained from the ink-jet transfer medium shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a transfer material shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the support is adhered to the surface of the transfer material. FIG. 4 is a state in which a support is released from the water-resistant release layer of the transfer material adhered on the transfer object shown in FIG. FIG.

In FIG. 1, a surface of a support 1 is coated with a water-resistant release layer 2 so as to be peelable, and the surface of the water-resistant release layer 2
An ink receiving layer 3 that absorbs ink on the surface, fixes the ink, and generates adhesiveness to the surface of the transfer target under predetermined conditions.
Are coated, and the transfer medium A for inkjet is constituted by those members.

In FIG. 2, a desired image 4 is formed on the surface of the ink receiving layer 3 of the transfer medium A for ink jet by ink jet, and a transfer material B is constituted by these members.

In FIG. 3, the transfer material B is adhered to the surface of the transfer object 5 on the image forming surface of the ink receiving layer 3. The bonding is performed by utilizing the adhesiveness of the ink receiving layer 3 generated under predetermined conditions, and may be, for example, bonding by heat-sensitive adhesiveness generated by heating with a heat medium, or by absorbing ink. Adhesion utilizing the resulting tackiness may be used.

In FIG. 4, the support 1 is peeled off from the water-resistant peeling layer 2 of the transfer material B adhered on the transfer object 5, whereby the ink having the image 4 formed on the surface of the transfer object 5 is formed. A transfer product D having a transfer layer C formed of the receiving layer 3 and the water-resistant release layer 2 covering the receiving layer 3 is obtained. In this case, since the ink receiving layer 3 on which the image 4 is formed is covered with the water-resistant release layer 2, the image 4 formed by ink jet printing using a water-based ink is also extremely excellent in water resistance. Becomes

[0024]

The ink-jet transfer medium according to the first aspect of the present invention is configured as described above. A small amount of the transfer material is formed by forming images such as characters, symbols, and patterns on the transfer layer using an ink-jet printer. Production can be realized at low cost, and the water resistance and durability of the image in the transfer layer on the transfer product obtained in the transfer step are good.

In the ink-jet transfer medium according to the second aspect of the present invention, the use of a water-resistant release layer made of an acrylic resin allows the transfer layer to be released from the support in the transfer step and the transfer layer on the obtained transfer product. The durability of the image inside,
It is preferable in terms of water resistance and the like. In the inkjet transfer medium according to the third aspect of the present invention, the use of an ink receiving layer that generates tackiness by absorbing ink,
In the transfer step, the image display surface of the ink receiving layer can be adhered to the surface of the transfer object by utilizing the adhesiveness without using heat or the like. In the transfer medium for inkjet according to the invention according to claim 4, by employing an acrylic resin as the ink receiving layer according to claim 3,
Particularly good adhesion to an object to be transferred can be achieved by utilizing the tackiness caused by ink absorption, and an ink receiving layer having excellent ink absorbency and fixability can be easily formed.

In the transfer material according to the fifth aspect of the present invention,
A desired image can be transferred onto an object to be transferred with good water resistance and durability via the transfer medium for inkjet.

In the transfer method according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a desired image can be transferred onto an object to be transferred with good water resistance and durability by using the transfer material.

The transfer product according to the invention of claim 7 is:
The image in the transfer layer is excellent in water resistance and durability because the ink receiving layer obtained by the transfer method and on which the image is formed is covered with the water-resistant release layer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an inkjet transfer medium according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a transfer material obtained from the ink-jet transfer medium shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a transfer material shown in FIG. 2 is adhered to a surface of a transfer object on an image forming surface of an ink receiving layer in a transfer step.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a support is peeled from a water-resistant peeling layer of a transfer material adhered onto a transfer object shown in FIG. 3 in a transfer step to obtain a transfer product.

[Description of Signs] 1 support 2 water-resistant release layer 3 ink receiving layer 4 image 5 transfer target A inkjet transfer medium B transfer material C transfer layer D transfer product

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Koichi Ikegami 58 Ishida-cho, Iseda-cho, Uji-city, Kyoto, Japan FB23 FB33 FB37 FC08X FC08Y FC08Z GA17

Claims (7)

[Claims] Claims: 1. A support, a water-resistant release layer releasably coated on the support surface, and a water-resistant release layer coated on the surface of the water-resistant release layer,
An ink-jet transfer medium comprising an ink-receiving layer that absorbs and fixes ink and that has an adhesive property to the surface of a transferred material under predetermined conditions. 2. The transfer medium according to claim 1, wherein the water-resistant release layer is made of an acrylic resin. 3. The ink-jet transfer medium according to claim 1, wherein the ink-receiving layer is capable of adhering to the surface of the transfer-receiving material by absorbing the ink. 4. The transfer medium according to claim 3, wherein the ink receiving layer is made of an acrylic resin. 5. A transfer material formed by forming a desired image on the surface of an ink receiving layer of the transfer medium for ink jet according to claim 1 by ink jet. 6. The transfer material according to claim 5, which is adhered to the surface of the transferred material on the image forming surface of the ink receiving layer, and the support is peeled off from the water-resistant release layer, whereby the surface of the transferred material is removed. A transfer method comprising forming a transfer layer comprising an ink-receiving layer on which an image is formed and a water-resistant release layer covering the ink-receiving layer, and transferring a desired image onto an object to be transferred. 7. A transfer method according to claim 6, wherein a transfer layer comprising an ink-receiving layer on which an image is formed and a water-resistant release layer covering the ink-receiving layer is formed on the surface of the transfer object, and a desired image is formed. A transfer product that is transferred onto an object.