JP2003211861A - Printing plate, platemaking apparatus, printer and method for printing - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form an image on a monomolecular film without mechanical contact when the monomolecular film formed on a surface of a base is selectively removed to form an image, and form the image and print with a high resolution. <P>SOLUTION: A required image is formed by forming the monomolecular film 2 having surface characteristics opposite to those of the surface 1a of the base 1 on the surface 1a of the base 1 in which required surface characteristics are imparted, incorporating at least a light absorption substance for developing a separating action for separating a bond of the film to the base by a light, and selectively removing by separating the monomolecular film from the surface of the base by emitting the light. Particularly, the light absorption substance is a light absorption heating substance for developing a separating action by a heat by heating via the light or a photocatalytic substance for developing the separating action by the photocatalytic reaction by activating by the light. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a printing plate formed by selectively removing a monomolecular film formed on the surface of a substrate, a plate making apparatus for making the printing plate, and a substrate. The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing method for performing printing by selectively removing a monomolecular film formed on a surface to form an image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In planographic printing, printing plates having various structures are used. For example, an image forming layer made of a photosensitive resin is formed on the surface of a substrate, and the image forming layer is selectively cured by exposure. An image is formed by removing the uncured portion above to form an image, or by forming an image forming layer made of silicone resin on the surface of the substrate and selectively removing the image forming layer by exposure. Often used are those configured to form.

On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-305494
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications and WO98 / 34795 disclose printing methods in which an image forming layer is formed of a monomolecular film.
According to this, by adopting a material having a self-assembling property as the material for forming the monolayer, the image forming layer can be formed by a simple operation of applying the material liquid to the surface of the base material. Has the advantage that it can be easily manufactured and that a printing plate with durability that can withstand multi-copy printing can be obtained.

[0004]

However, in the conventional printing method using a monomolecular film, a structure in which a thermal head is used for heating is used to selectively separate and remove the image forming layer made of the monomolecular film. In this case, the thermal head needs to be adhered to the monomolecular film, but in order to maintain this adhered state properly, the thermal head is pressed against the printing plate and the mechanical error between the two is eliminated. It is necessary to devise measures such as elastic deformation of the constituent members, and to prevent damage and abrasion of the printing plate and constituent members due to mechanical contact. There is a problem that the structure of the printing apparatus is limited and complicated. Further, since the heating of the monomolecular film by the thermal head is due to the heat conduction due to the contact between solids, it is difficult to narrow the heating range and there is a disadvantage that high resolution is limited.

The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and its main purpose is to:
When the monolayer film formed on the surface of the substrate is selectively removed to form an image, it is possible to form an image on the monolayer film without mechanical contact and high-resolution image formation. Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing plate, a plate making apparatus, a printing apparatus, and a printing method configured to be capable of printing.

[0006]

In order to achieve such an object, in the printing plate of the present invention, as shown in claim 1, the surface of the base material provided with the required surface characteristics is contrary to this. A monolayer having surface characteristics is formed, and at least one of the base and the monolayer contains a light-absorbing substance that develops a separating action by light for separating the bond between the monolayer and the base. The monomolecular film was selectively separated and removed from the surface of the substrate by the irradiation of 1) to form a desired image.

According to this, it is possible to form an image (patterning) on the monomolecular film without mechanically contacting the monomolecular film with an image forming means such as a thermal head, and the restrictions on the material of the base material are reduced. It is possible to avoid complication of the device configuration. Furthermore, since the image formation is performed with light having straightness, high-resolution image formation is possible as compared with heat conduction from the thermal head.

In this case, the monolayer is preferably a self-assembled monolayer that can obtain a highly molecularly aligned monolayer by contact with a material liquid containing a monolayer-forming material, but it was formed on the water surface. An LB film formed by the LB (Langmuir-Blodgett) method of forming a monomolecular film by an operation of transferring the monomolecular film onto a substrate by a mechanical method is also possible. The LB film is fixed to the surface of the substrate mainly by physical adsorption by Van der Waals force, but in the self-assembled monolayer, the functional group at the molecular end selectively chemisorbs to the constituent atoms of the substrate. Since it is firmly fixed to the substrate through a chemical bond such as a covalent bond or a coordinate bond, a monomolecular film that does not easily peel off can be obtained, and excellent printing durability can be realized.

Further, the light-absorbing substance is required to have a characteristic that a sufficient separating action for breaking the bond between the monomolecular film and the substrate can be obtained by appropriate light irradiation, and the separating action of the light-absorbing substance is required. In order to increase the light absorption, it is preferable to use light having a wavelength corresponding to the light absorption region of the light absorbing material, particularly laser light, and high resolution can be achieved by adjusting the laser beam diameter. Further, when infrared light or ultraviolet light is used, it is advisable to adopt a light absorbing substance having a light absorbing ability adapted to the wavelength. As the light absorbing substance, pigment substances such as methylene blue, carbon black and laser absorbing dyes are suitable.

Further, the light absorbing substance is contained in at least one of the base material and the monomolecular film, and it is necessary to uniformly distribute the light absorbing material along the surface of the base material so as to have a uniform light absorbing property. Examples of the case where the light-absorbing substance is included in the side include a structure in which at least the surface layer of the base material is subjected to photosensitization, a light-absorbing substance formed by coating or other film-forming treatment or impregnation treatment, or a light-absorbing substance. An example is a structure in which a surface layer in which is dispersed is formed on a substrate. Examples of the case where the monomolecular film side contains a light absorbing substance include a constitution in which the monomolecular film forming material itself has light absorbing characteristics, and a constitution in which the light absorbing substance is dispersed in the monomolecular film forming material. be able to.

Further, in this printing plate, the monomolecular film at the exposed portion irradiated with light is removed to expose the surface of the base material, and either the exposed portion of the base material or the covered portion of the monomolecular film is exposed. One is the image area where ink should be applied, and the other is the non-image area where ink should be removed. Ink is preferentially applied to the area set in the image area, depending on the properties of the ink used. It imparts the required surface properties (ink acceptability) to the substrate and monolayer. That is, in the water-based ink, it is advisable to select the surface characteristics based on the difference in affinity for water so that the image area is hydrophilic and the non-image area is hydrophobic / water repellent. On the other hand, in the case of oil-based ink, it is advisable to select the surface characteristics based on the difference in affinity for oil so that the image area is lipophilic and the non-image area is oleophobic / oleophobic. Further, when the dampening water is applied to the hydrophilic non-image area to improve the scavenging property and the repulsion property of the oil-based ink, a clear printed image can be obtained.

In the printing plate, as described in claim 2, the light absorbing substance may be a light absorbing exothermic substance which generates heat by light and exhibits a separating action by heat. According to this, the bond between the surface molecule of the base material and the constituent molecule of the monomolecular film can be separated by a thermal process, and the monomolecular film can be separated and removed from the base material.

In the printing plate, as described in claim 3, the light absorbing exothermic substance can be configured to exhibit a separating action by irradiation of infrared light. According to this, since it is insensitive to daylight color, it can be handled under daylight color and a dark room is not required, so that the workability can be greatly improved.

In the printing plate, as described in claim 4, the light absorbing substance may be a photocatalytic substance which is activated by light and exhibits a separating action by a photocatalytic reaction. According to this, the monomolecular film can be separated and removed from the base material by separating the bond between the surface molecule of the base material and the constituent molecule of the monomolecular film by a non-thermal photocatalytic process.
In this case, by irradiating the photocatalyst material with light having an intensity exceeding the band gap to excite the photocatalyst material, a photocatalytic effect of causing a redox reaction in a surrounding substance is expressed, and the photocatalytic effect causes the constituent molecules of the monomolecular film to be Separated from the surface of the material.

In the printing plate, as described in claim 5, the photocatalyst substance can have a constitution in which the photocatalyst substance exhibits a separating action upon irradiation with ultraviolet light. According to this, since it is insensitive to heat, it can be easily handled and stored, and the workability can be greatly improved. In this case, titanium dioxide that exhibits a photocatalytic action by irradiation with ultraviolet light or a photocatalytic material in which a required composition is combined may be used.

[0016] In the printing plate, as described in claim 6, the base material may have a structure in which at least the surface layer contains a photocatalytic substance. According to this, the photocatalytic substance on the surface layer is activated by light irradiation, so that the monomolecular film is separated by the action of the photocatalytic substance, and at the same time, the exposed monolayer is superhydrophilic. The process is not required to make the surface of the base material hydrophilic in advance, which facilitates the production.

In the printing plate, as described in claim 7, the monomolecular film may be composed of a molecule having a hydrocarbon group at the terminal on the surface side. According to this, it is possible to impart hydrophobicity to the surface of the monomolecular film, which is suitable when an oil-based ink is used by forming an image area in the covered portion of the monomolecular film, and thereby a clear printed image can be obtained. Obtainable. On the contrary, in order to make the surface of the monolayer hydrophilic, a monolayer having a hydrophobic surface is once formed on the substrate, and then a molecule having a hydrophilic group is attached via a chemical bond. It is also possible to fix it by fixing.

In the printing plate, as described in claim 8, the monomolecular film may be composed of a molecule having a fluorocarbon group at the terminal on the surface side. According to this, lipophilicity / water repellency can be imparted to the surface of the monomolecular film, and it is suitable when an image-forming portion is formed in the coating portion of the monomolecular film and an oil-based ink is used. A printed image can be obtained.

In the printing plate, as described in claim 9, the monomolecular film is formed on the surface of the substrate by siloxane (Si-).
O) A structure formed through a bond can be adopted.
According to this, the surface molecules of the base material and the constituent molecules of the monomolecular film are firmly bound, the monomolecular film does not easily peel off from the base material, and a printing plate having high printing durability can be obtained. .
Furthermore, by utilizing the self-assembling property, the monomolecular film can be easily formed by contacting the substrate with the material liquid in which the silane compound is dispersed. In this case, a silane compound having an alkoxy group is suitable, and a silane compound selected from trialkoxysilane or tetraalkoxysilane is particularly desirable. The base material has active hydrogen on the surface,
In particular, those having a high density of hydroxyl groups on the surface are desirable, and when a metal is used, those having an oxide film formed on the surface are preferable. For a material such as plastic whose surface does not have sufficient hydroxyl groups, the hydroxyl groups may be formed by acid treatment or the like.

In the printing plate, as described in claim 10, the monomolecular film can be constituted by a molecule having at least one of a chlorosilane group, an alkoxysilane group and an isocyanate silane group. According to this, a strong monomolecular film via a siloxane bond can be formed on the surface of the base material.

In the printing plate, the monolayer may be composed of amphipathic molecules having both a hydrophilic part and a hydrophobic part. According to this, a uniform monomolecular film can be formed on the substrate by the LB method or the like. In this case, it is preferable that the hydrophilic part has at least either a carboxyl group or an amino group.

In the printing plate, as described in claim 12, a monomolecular film is formed through a chemical bond between a sulfur atom in a molecule constituting the monomolecular film and a metal atom on the surface of the substrate. Can be taken. According to this, a uniform monomolecular film can be formed on the substrate by self-assembly. For example, the material for forming the monolayer is a linear hydrocarbon molecule having a thiol group, and the sulfur atom of the thiol group is chemically bonded to a metal atom such as gold on the surface of the base material to form a strong thiolate monolayer. It

In the printing plate, as described in claim 13, the monomolecular film may be composed of a molecule having a linear portion having 8 or more carbon atoms. According to this, the molecular chains of the constituent molecules of the monomolecular film are less likely to be disturbed, the group for imparting the required surface properties is located on the surface side of the monomolecular film, and the desired surface properties are obtained. Can be surely given.

Further, in the plate making apparatus according to the present invention, as described in claim 14, a monomolecular film having surface characteristics contradictory thereto is formed on the surface of the base material provided with the required surface characteristics. The surface of the substrate is irradiated by irradiating a printing plate containing at least one of the substrate and the monomolecular film with a light-absorbing substance that develops a separating action for separating the bond between the monomolecular film and the substrate by light. The apparatus has a light irradiation means for selectively separating and removing the monomolecular film from the above to form a desired image.

According to this, it is possible to form an image (patterning) by irradiation with light, avoid inconvenience due to mechanical contact, and enable high-resolution plate making. in this case,
Off-press image formation is performed in which the image is formed outside the printing apparatus, and the printing plate on which the image formation is completed is replaced with the printing apparatus and printing is performed.

According to the fifteenth aspect of the invention, in the printing apparatus of the present invention, a monomolecular film having surface characteristics contradictory to the above is formed on the surface of a base material provided with required surface characteristics. The surface of the substrate is irradiated by irradiating a printing plate containing at least one of the substrate and the monomolecular film with a light-absorbing substance that develops a separating action for separating the bond between the monomolecular film and the substrate by light. The apparatus has a light irradiation means for selectively separating and removing the monomolecular film from the above to form a desired image.

According to this, it is possible to form an image (patterning) by irradiating light, avoid the inconvenience caused by mechanical contact, and perform high resolution printing. in this case,
It is an on-press image forming that creates an image on the printing plate on the printing device, and it is not necessary to strictly perform mechanical positioning of the printing plate on the printing device, so it does not require skill to attach the printing plate, Installation of the printing plate is completed in a short time, and work efficiency can be improved. In addition to the light irradiating means, the present printing device is provided with a plate holding means for detachably holding the printing plate and an ink applying means for applying ink to the printing plate on which an image has been formed. An image formed by the ink is transferred to a printing material to obtain a printed image.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the printing apparatus, the image carrier to which the required surface characteristics are given, and the surface of the image carrier is a monomolecule having surface characteristics opposite to those of the image carrier. A monomolecular film forming means for forming a film and at least a light-absorbing substance contained in either the surface layer of the image carrier or the monomolecular film exerts a separating action to separate the bond between the base material of the image carrier and the monomolecular film. And a light irradiation means for selectively separating and removing the monomolecular film from the surface of the image carrier to form a desired image.

According to this, it is possible to form an image (patterning) by irradiation with light, avoid inconvenience due to mechanical contact, and perform high resolution printing. in this case,
The printing plate is not required, and the labor of replacing the printing plate is not required, and when the printed image is updated to a new one, the image can be rewritten on the image carrier. In this case, it is advisable to adopt a material having a self-assembling property as the material for forming the monomolecular film, and to reapply the material liquid after simple cleaning for removing foreign matters such as ink while leaving the monomolecular film before the renewal as it is. A new image-forming layer that has not been imaged can be formed by itself, and the image can be easily rewritten. In addition to the monolayer forming means and the light irradiating means, the present printing device is provided with an ink applying means for applying ink to the surface of the image bearing member, and the image formed by the ink on the image bearing member is printed. To obtain a printed image. In this printing device,
It is possible to apply a substrate and a monolayer having the same structure as that of the printing plate according to any one of claims 2 to 13, and in that case,
The member forming the surface of the image carrier corresponds to the base material.

In the printing apparatus, as described in claim 17, the monomolecular film forming means may be a roller for applying a material liquid containing a monomolecular film forming material to the surface of the image bearing member. it can. According to this, a uniform monomolecular film can be easily formed with a simple structure. In this case, the roller is preferably configured to have a sponge layer that is impregnated with the material liquid and holds it. Further, a material having a self-organizing property such as a silane compound is adopted as a material for forming the monomolecular film, and a solution obtained by dispersing this in a required solvent may be used as the material liquid.

As described in the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, the printing apparatus may have an image forming surface cleaning means for cleaning the surface of the image carrier when updating the print image. According to this, by cleaning the surface of the image carrier prior to the formation of the monomolecular film for image formation, it is possible to avoid the problem that foreign matter such as ink hinders the formation of a uniform monomolecular film. When the printed image is updated, it is not necessary to remove the monomolecular film before the update, and the monomolecular film is uniformly formed on the surface of the image carrier by applying the material liquid on top of this.

In the printing apparatus, as described in claim 19, the image forming surface cleaning means wipes foreign matter adhering to the surface of the image carrier, and a cleaning liquid for impregnating the cleaning liquid with the cleaning liquid. It can be configured with a supply source. According to this, stains such as ink adhering to the surface can be reliably removed. In this case, the wiping material is made of a cloth such as a woven fabric or a non-woven fabric, and it is preferable that the wiping material is fed from one roller to clean the surface of the image bearing member and then wound around the other roller to be collected.

In the printing apparatus, as described in claim 20, an oil-based ink is used, and a dampening water supply means for supplying dampening water prior to the application of the oil-based ink can be adopted. According to this, the dampening water that enhances the repulsion property of the oil-based ink adheres to the hydrophilic non-image area to reliably remove the ink, and a clear printed image can be obtained. In this case, it is effective for forming a metal oxide film having a hydroxyl group on the surface of the base material for the purpose of forming a monomolecular film by chemical bonding of a silane compound, and for the surface to exhibit hydrophilicity.

According to a twenty-first aspect of the present invention, the printing apparatus has an intermediate transfer member that mediates transfer of an image to an object to be printed with ink, and an intermediate transfer member cleaning unit that cleans the surface of the intermediate transfer member. Can be configured. According to this, since the image formed by the ink formed on the printing plate or the image carrier is once transferred to the intermediate transfer body and then transferred to the printing object, the printing plate or the image carrier is covered. The damage caused by direct contact with the printed matter can be avoided. Since the foreign matter such as ink and paper dust on the intermediate transfer body is removed by the intermediate transfer body cleaning means, a clear printed image can be obtained. In this case, the cleaning of the intermediate transfer member may be performed at regular intervals or when the print image is updated.

Further, in the printing method of the present invention, as described in claim 22, a monomolecular film for forming a monomolecular film having surface characteristics contradictory thereto on the surface of a substrate provided with required surface characteristics. The surface of the base material is irradiated with light that causes the light absorbing substance contained in at least the surface layer of the base material and the monolayer in the forming step to exert a separating action to separate the bond between the base material and the monolayer. And a light irradiation step of selectively separating and removing the monomolecular film to form a desired image.

According to this, since image formation (patterning) is performed by light irradiation, inconvenience due to mechanical contact can be avoided and high resolution printing can be performed. In addition to the monomolecular film forming step and the light irradiation step, this printing method
The method includes an ink applying step of applying ink to the surface of the base material, and a transfer step of transferring an image formed by the ink formed on the surface of the base material to a printing material. In this case, in the configuration using the printing plate, the base (a metal plate such as an aluminum alloy or the synthetic resin film) corresponds to the base material, and in the configuration not using the printing plate, the image formation of the image carrier such as the cylinder is performed. The member constituting the surface corresponds to the base material.

[0037]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The configuration of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing a first example of a printing plate according to the present invention. This printing plate is shown in Figure 1 (a).
As shown in (1), a monomolecular film 2 having surface characteristics opposite to this is uniformly formed on the surface 1a of the base material 1 to which the required surface characteristics are given, and the monomolecular film 2 and the base material 1 are The surface layer 3 made of a light-absorbing heat-generating substance that develops a heat-generating action for breaking the bond of is formed on the substrate 1, and the laser light is partially irradiated according to the image information to be formed in the plate-making process shown in FIG. When it is irradiated with light (light irradiation step), the light-irradiated portion 5 in the surface layer 3 of the base material 1 generates heat, and the bond of the constituent molecule 4 of the monomolecular film 2 in the vicinity thereof is cut off.
As shown in (c), the monomolecular film 2 is selectively separated and removed from the surface 1a of the base material 1 to form a desired image. Since the amount removed by image formation is small, post-treatment such as washing with water is not particularly necessary.

The surface layer 3 of the substrate 1 is provided with a light absorbing and heat generating function by subjecting the aluminum oxide coating to a coloring treatment of a hue that absorbs infrared laser light. The surface layer 3 may be made of a pigment substance having a hue that absorbs infrared laser light, or may have a constitution in which the pigment substance is dispersed. For example, it is possible to apply a coating material containing a pigment substance having a required light absorption ability to form a coating film having a light absorption and heat generation ability.

Here, the monomolecular film-covered portion 7 left without removing the monomolecular film 2 serves as an image area to which ink is to be attached, and the surface thereof exhibits hydrophobicity capable of accepting oily ink. The base material exposed portion 8 where the monomolecular film 2 is removed and the surface 1a of the base material 1 is exposed becomes a non-image area where ink should be excluded, and here, the aluminum oxide forming the surface layer 3 exhibits hydrophilicity. .

The monomolecular film 2 is formed of octadecyltrichlorosilane, and this octadecyltrichlorosilane is a linear molecule having a chlorosilane group at one end and a hydrocarbon group at the other end. A monomolecular film having excellent printing durability is formed on the surface of the base material having a siloxane through a siloxane (Si—O) bond. Further, octadecyltrichlorosilane has a self-organizing property of forming a monomolecular film on a solid surface by a spontaneous adsorption and self-controlling process of molecules, and a solution in which it is dispersed can be applied to a substrate 1. The monomolecular film 2 can be easily formed. Further, octadecyltrichlorosilane has a hydrocarbon group located at the end on the surface side of the monomolecular film 2, the surface of the monomolecular film 2 exhibits hydrophobicity, and oil-based ink can be preferentially attached to the octadecyltrichlorosilane. Since the number is a linear molecule having 18, the disorder is unlikely to occur in the molecular chain, and required surface characteristics can be secured.

As the material for forming the monomolecular film 2, octadecyltriethoxysilane having an alkoxysilane group instead of the chlorosilane group, or a silane compound having an isocyanatesilane group can be used. In addition, the monolayer 2
In order to impart the required surface property, that is, hydrophobicity, it is possible to have a fluorocarbon group at the terminal on the surface side instead of the hydrocarbon group, and among these, a fluoroalkylsilane compound is used as the one forming a siloxane bond. Can be mentioned.

The material for forming the monomolecular film 2 is composed of amphipathic molecules having both a hydrophilic part and a hydrophobic part,
For example, a linear hydrocarbon carboxylic acid such as arachidic acid having a hydrophilic part composed of a carboxyl group and a hydrophobic part composed of a hydrocarbon group, or a compound having an amino group in place of the carboxyl group of the hydrophilic part is also possible. Is. In this case, L
The monomolecular film 2 can be formed on the base material 1 by the method B, that is, a method in which the monomolecular film formed on the air-water interface is pressed from the lateral direction to be arranged and scooped on the base material.

Further, as the material for forming the monomolecular film 2, the sulfur atoms in the molecules constituting the monomolecular film 2 and the surface 1a of the substrate 1 are used.
Those which form the monomolecular film 2 through the chemical bond with the metal atom of, for example, a linear hydrocarbon molecule having a thiol group are also possible. In this case, because it has self-organizing properties,
A uniform monomolecular film 2 can be easily formed on the substrate 1 by applying the material liquid.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing step by step the steps of the printing process using the printing plate that has gone through the plate making process shown in FIG.
First, dampening water is supplied in order to enhance the exclusion of the oil-based ink in the exposed base material portion 8 (fountain solution supplying step), and FIG.
As shown in (a), the dampening water 11 adheres to the hydrophilic base material exposed portion 8. Then, when ink is applied (ink applying step), as shown in FIG. 2B, the ink 12 adheres to the hydrophobic monomolecular film coating portion 7 which is the image area, and the image is formed on the surface by the ink 12. Is formed. This ink 1
The image of 2 is an image of the intermediate transfer member 1 as shown in FIG.
After being transferred to the printing material 3, the printing material is transferred to the printing material 14 (transfer step) as shown in FIG. 2D, whereby a desired image is formed on the printing material 14.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view schematically showing a second example of the printing plate according to the present invention. In this printed version,
As shown in (a), the monomolecular film 22 is formed on the surface 21a of the base material 21 as in the first example. Here, unlike the above example, the monomolecular film 22 on the base material 21 is formed. The film 22 itself contains a light absorbing exothermic substance 23, and in particular, the light absorbing exothermic substance 23 has a chemisorption ability with respect to the surface 21a of the base material 21, in other words, a monomolecular film constituent molecule having a light absorbing exothermic property, It is chemically bonded to the surface 21 a of the base material 21 together with other monomolecular film constituent molecules 24.

In this printing plate, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the infrared laser light is irradiated (light irradiation step), the light absorption heat generating substance 23 dispersed in the light irradiation portion 25 in the monomolecular film 22. Generates heat to separate the bonds between itself and the monomolecular film constituent molecules 24 in the vicinity thereof, whereby the monomolecular film 22 is selectively separated and removed to form a desired image as shown in FIG. 3C. To be done. The printing plate thus prepared can be printed by the same procedure as the printing step shown in FIG. It is also possible that all the constituent molecules of the monomolecular film 22 have the infrared light absorbing ability. It is also possible to disperse a light absorbing exothermic substance having no chemical adsorption ability in the monomolecular film 22.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing a third example of the printing plate according to the present invention. In this printed version,
As shown in (a), the monomolecular film 32 is formed on the surface 31a of the base material 31 as in the first example, and the base material 3 is formed.
1 contains a light-absorbing heat-generating substance. In particular, here, the light-absorbing heat-generating substance 34 is applied to the surface layer 33 of the base material 31 by a method of impregnating the space formed in the aluminum oxide film with the light-absorbing heat-generating substance. Are evenly dispersed.

In this printing plate, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the infrared laser beam was irradiated (light irradiation step), the surface layer 3
The light-absorbing exothermic substance 34 in the light-irradiated portion 36 in FIG. 3 generates heat, and the bond of the monomolecular film constituting molecule 35 in the vicinity thereof is cut off, whereby the monomolecular film 32 is selected as shown in FIG. 4 (c). To be separated and removed to form a desired image. The printing plate thus prepared can be printed by the same procedure as the printing step shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view schematically showing a fourth example of the printing plate according to the present invention. In this printed version,
As shown in (a), a monomolecular film 42 is formed on the surface 41a of the base material 41 as in each of the above-described examples, but unlike the above-described examples, the monomolecular film 42 is formed by an ultraviolet laser beam. Four
A surface layer 43 containing a photocatalytic substance such as titanium oxide that exerts a catalytic action for separating the bond between the substrate 2 and the base material 41 is formed in a thin film shape on the base material 41.

In this printing plate, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the ultraviolet laser beam was irradiated (light irradiation step), the surface layer 4
The photocatalytic substance in the light-irradiated portion 45 in 3 expresses a photocatalytic action and the bond of the monomolecular film constituting molecule 44 in the vicinity thereof is cut off, whereby the monomolecular film 42 is formed as shown in FIG. 5C.
Are selectively separated and removed to form a desired image. The printing plate thus prepared can be printed by the same procedure as the printing step shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view schematically showing an example of the plate making apparatus according to the present invention. In this plate making apparatus, the printing plate 51 having any one of the above configurations is wound and held on the drum 52, and the light source (light irradiation means) 5 is attached to the printing plate 51.
A process of irradiating light from 3 is performed to selectively separate and remove the monomolecular film formed on the surface of the printing plate 51 to form a desired image. The printing plate 51 is held at a predetermined position in a state where its end portion is fixed by a clamp 54 and is in close contact with the drum 52. The light source 53 is controlled by a rasterized digital signal for each page to be printed, and the light from the light source 53 is focused on by the lens 55 and is then applied to the printing plate 51. The light source 53 is a light having a wavelength suitable for causing the light-absorbing substance of the printing plate 51 to exhibit a separating action for separating the bond between the monomolecular film and the substrate, that is, in the printing plate shown in FIGS. 1 to 4,
One that emits infrared laser light is adopted, and in the printing plate shown in FIG. 5, one that emits ultraviolet laser light is adopted.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing a first example of the printing apparatus according to the present invention. This printing apparatus mounts a printing plate 51 made by the plate making apparatus shown in FIG. 6 to perform printing, and includes a plate holding cylinder (plate holding means) 62 for detachably holding the printing plate 51. A watering roller (fountain solution supply means) 6 for attaching dampening solution to the printing plate 51
3, an inking roller (ink applying means) 64 for applying ink to the printing plate 51, a blanket cylinder (intermediate transfer member) 65 to which an image formed by the ink formed on the printing plate 51 is transferred, and this blanket cylinder. A pressure roller 67 that applies pressure from the back surface of the recording paper 66 when the image formed by the ink on the recording paper 65 is transferred to the recording paper (printing material) 66.
And a blanket cleaning roller (intermediate transfer member cleaning means) 68 for cleaning the blanket cylinder 65.

In this printing apparatus, first, the plate holding cylinder 6
The printing plate 51 is wound around 2 and the end portion is fixed by the clamp 69. At this time, it is necessary to position the printing plate 51 precisely. Then, the printing operation ON mode is set and the printing process is started. The rotation driving unit (not shown) of the plate holding cylinder 62 is activated, and dampening water is first supplied to the printing plate 51 by the watering roller 63 to perform printing. The dampening water adheres to the exposed portion of the base material forming the non-image area on the plate 51. Then, the ink is applied to the printing plate 51 by the inking roller 64, and the ink adheres to the monomolecular film coated portion forming the image area. As a result, an image of ink is formed on the printing plate 51, and the image of ink is once transferred to the blanket cylinder 65 and then transferred to the recording paper 66.
When the printing of the required number of copies is completed in this way, the printing operation off mode is set and the process proceeds to the intermediate transfer member cleaning step,
The blanket cylinder 65 is cleaned by the blanket cleaning roller 68. In the printing operation off mode, only the blanket cleaning roller 68 contacts the blanket cylinder 65. The printing of a new image is performed by exchanging the printing plate 51.

FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view of the printing apparatus shown in FIG. The dampening water device 71 that supplies dampening water to the printing plate 51 via the watering roller 63 is a water boat 72 in which the dampening water is stored, and is partially immersed in the dampening water in the water boat 72. Water source roller 73, a brush roller 74 that scatters the dampening water received from this water source roller 73 with a brush, and a dampening water scattered by this brush roller 74 to form a uniform thin water film on the surface. The chrome roller 75 is formed, and an appropriate amount of dampening water is uniformly supplied from the chrome roller 75 to the watering roller 63.

The inking device 77 for supplying the ink to the printing plate 51 through the inking roller 64 includes an ink fountain 78 for accumulating ink, and a fan ten roller 79 partially immersed in the ink in the ink fountain 78. A pickup roller 80 for receiving the ink drawn up by the fan ten roller 79, and an ink cylinder 81 for kneading the ink between the pickup roller 80,
From the ink cylinder 81, an appropriate amount of ink is uniformly sent to the inking roller 64.

The blanket cleaning roller 68 is
Ink, paper dust, water, and other foreign matter that come into contact with the surface of the blanket cylinder 65 and are removed therefrom are removed, and the foreign matter collected by the blanket cleaning roller 68 does not stain the blanket cylinder 65 again.
Removed in 3.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing a second example of the printing apparatus according to the present invention. This printing apparatus is configured such that an unimaged printing plate 91 having the same configuration as that of the printing plate shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is attached to enable on-press platemaking for collectively performing image formation to printing. And the first
Unlike the above example, a light irradiating section (light irradiating means) 93 for selectively irradiating light to the printing plate 91 attached to the plate retaining cylinder (plate retaining means) 92 according to image information to be formed is provided. I have it. In addition, as in the first example, a watering roller (fountain solution supplying means) 94, an ink forming roller (ink applying means) 95, a blanket cylinder (intermediate transfer member) 96, a pressure roller 97, and a blanket. A cleaning roller (intermediate transfer member cleaning means) 98 is provided.

The light irradiation section 93 includes a laser oscillator 100,
As an optical system device for guiding the laser beam emitted from this to the surface of the printing plate 91 on the plate holding cylinder 92, a collimator lens 101 for condensing the laser beam emitted from the laser oscillator 100 and a laser beam passing through this lens 101 are used. It has a polygon mirror 102 that rotates at a high speed and linearly scans in the axial direction of the plate holding cylinder 92, and an fθ lens 103 that corrects the focal length of the laser light, and the laser light has a predetermined beam on the surface of the printing plate 91. Diameter.

In this printing apparatus, first, the plate holding cylinder 9
The printing plate 91 is fixed to the No. 2 by the clamp 105, and at this time, accurate alignment is unnecessary. Then, the plate making mode is set and the plate making process is started, and the light irradiating section 93 and the rotation driving section (not shown) of the plate holding cylinder 92 are in an operating state,
An image is formed by laser light, and a laser oscillator 10 is generated by a rasterized digital signal for each page to be printed.
0 and the drive unit (not shown) of the polygon mirror 102 are controlled. When the plate making process is completed, the printing operation ON mode is set and the process proceeds to the printing process, and printing is performed on the recording paper (printing material) 106 in the same manner as in the above example. When the printing process is completed, the printing operation off mode is set and the process proceeds to the cleaning process, and the blanket cleaning roller 98 is used by the blanket cleaning roller 98 in the same manner as in the above example.
Is cleaned. The printing of a new image is performed by exchanging the printing plate 91.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a third example of the printing apparatus according to the present invention. Unlike the above-mentioned examples, this printing apparatus is configured to collectively perform from image formation to printing without using a printing plate, and an image bearing cylinder on which an image of a monomolecular film is formed on the surface 111a. (Image bearing member) 111 and surface 111 of this image bearing cylinder 111
a material liquid application roller (monomolecular film forming means) 112 that uniformly forms a monomolecular film on a, and a light irradiation unit that selectively irradiates light on the surface 111a of the image bearing cylinder 111 according to image information to be formed ( Light irradiation means) 113 and an image forming surface cleaning roller (image forming surface cleaning means) 114 for cleaning the surface 111a of the image carrying cylinder 111.
The light irradiation unit 113 may be the same as that of the second example.
Other than this, as in the above-mentioned respective examples, a watering roller (fountain solution supplying means) 116, an ink forming roller (ink applying means)
117, a blanket cylinder (intermediate transfer member) 118,
A pressure roller 119 and a blanket cleaning roller (intermediate transfer member cleaning means) 120 are provided.
In addition, the image formation principle of the monomolecular film here is as shown in FIGS.
The printing plate is the same as that shown in (3) above, and the required configuration may be adopted for the base material forming the surface 111a of the image carrying cylinder (image carrying body) 111 and the monomolecular film forming material.

In this printing apparatus, first, the material liquid coating mode is set to enter the monomolecular film forming step, and the material liquid coating roller 112 forms a monomolecular film on the surface 111a of the image carrying cylinder 111. When this monomolecular film forming process is completed, the plate making mode is set and the process moves to the plate making process, and the light irradiation unit 113 forms an image in the same manner as in the above example. When the plate making process is completed, the printing operation ON mode is set and the process shifts to the printing process, and printing is performed on the recording paper (printing material) 121 in the same manner as in the above example. When the printing process is completed, the printing operation OFF mode is set and the process proceeds to the cleaning process, where the blanket cleaning roller 120 cleans the blanket cylinder 118 in the same manner as in the above example. Further, in this cleaning step, the image bearing cylinder 111 is cleaned by the image forming surface cleaning roller 114, and the print image is ready to be updated, and in printing a new image, the plate-making process is performed through the monomolecular film forming step. The process and the printing process are repeated.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view schematically showing a material liquid supply device applied to the printing device shown in FIG. This material liquid supply device supplies the material liquid to the surface 111a of the image bearing cylinder 111 via the material liquid application roller 112 shown in FIG. 10, and is a single molecule having a self-organizing property such as octadecyltrichlorosilane. It has a liquid tray 122 containing a material liquid containing film-constituting molecules, and a take-up roller 123 partially immersed in the material liquid of the liquid tray 122. The material liquid is applied from the take-up roller 123 to the material liquid applying roller. 112. Material liquid application roller 1
No. 12 is rich in liquid retaining property for soaking and holding the material liquid,
The sponge layer 124 made of a porous material having the required flexibility is provided.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view schematically showing an image forming surface cleaning apparatus applied to the printing apparatus shown in FIG. In this image forming surface cleaning device, the image forming surface cleaning roller 114 shown in FIG.
Foreign matter such as ink that remains in contact with a is removed, and the foreign matter captured by the image forming surface cleaning roller 114 is collected by the blade 126 so as not to recontaminate the image carrying cylinder 111. Image forming surface cleaning roller 1
In the cleaning process by 14, the image forming surface cleaning roller 1
Only 14 is brought into contact with the image carrying cylinder 111.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view schematically showing another example of the image forming surface cleaning device. Here, the image carrying cylinder 11
1. A wiping material 13 for wiping off foreign matter adhering to the surface 111a of No. 1
1 and a cleaning liquid supply source 132 for impregnating the cleaning liquid into the wiping material 131. The wiping material 131 is fed out from the wiping material supply roller 133 and is fed to the image carrying cylinder 11
After cleaning No. 1, it is wound around the wiping material collecting roller 134 and collected.

[0066]

As described above, according to the present invention, the monomolecular film is separated and removed by causing the light-absorbing substance to exhibit a separating action by irradiation of light, so that the monomolecular film can be removed without mechanical contact. It is possible to form an image, and it is possible to eliminate inconveniences due to mechanical contact such as restrictions on the material of the base material of the printing plate and complicated structure of the printing apparatus. Furthermore, since the image formation is performed with light having straightness, it is possible to easily realize high resolution.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing a first example of a printing plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing stepwise the steps of a printing process using a printing plate that has gone through the platemaking process shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view schematically showing a second example of the printing plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing a third example of a printing plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view schematically showing a fourth example of a printing plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view schematically showing an example of a plate making apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing a first example of a printing apparatus according to the present invention.

8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the printing apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing a second example of the printing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view schematically showing a third example of the printing apparatus according to the present invention.

11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a material liquid supply device applied to the printing device shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming surface cleaning device applied to the printing device shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view schematically showing another example of the image surface cleaning device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 21, 31, 41 base material, 1a, 21a, 31a,
41a Surface 2, 22, 32, 42 Monomolecular film 3, 33, 43 Surface layer 4, 24, 35, 44 Monomolecular film constituent molecule 5, 25, 36, 45 Light irradiation part 7 Monomolecular film coating part 8 Base material exposure Part 11 Dampening water 12 Ink 13 Intermediate transfer member 14 Printed material 23/34 Light absorbing heat generating substance 51/91 Printing plate 52 Drum 53 Light source (light irradiation means) 62/92 Plate holding cylinder (plate holding means) 63/94 116 Watering roller (fountain solution supplying means) 64.95.117 Inking roller (ink applying means) 65.96.118 Blanket cylinder (intermediate transfer member) 66.106.121 Recording paper (printing material) 68.98 -120 blanket cleaning roller (intermediate transfer member cleaning means) 93/113 light irradiation section (light irradiation means) 111 image-carrying cylinder (image-carrying body), 111a Surface 112 Material liquid application roller (monomolecular film forming means) 114 Image forming surface cleaning roller (image forming surface cleaning means) 124 Sponge layer 131 Wiping material 132 Cleaning liquid supply source 133 Wiping material supplying roller 134 Wiping material collecting roller

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Norio Mino             1006 Kadoma, Kadoma-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electric             Sangyo Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2C034 AA12                 2H025 AA12 AB03 AC01 AD01 AD03                       BE00 BH01 BH03 BJ10 CB33                       CB51 FA39                 2H096 AA06 BA01 BA09 EA04 GA17                       KA02                 2H114 AA04 AA22 AA23 AA24 BA01                       BA10 DA23 DA38 EA01 EA02                       GA24 GA27 GA29

Claims (22)

[Claims] 1. A monomolecular film having surface characteristics contradictory thereto is formed on the surface of a base material provided with required surface characteristics, and separation for separating the bond between the monomolecular film and the base material. At least one of the base material and the monomolecular film contains a light absorbing substance that exhibits an action by light, and the monomolecular film is selectively separated and removed from the surface of the base material by irradiation of light to obtain a desired image. A printing plate characterized by being formed. 2. The printing plate according to claim 1, wherein the light-absorbing substance is a light-absorbing exothermic substance that generates heat by light and exhibits the separating action by heat. 3. The printing plate according to claim 2, wherein the light-absorbing exothermic substance exhibits the separating action by irradiation with infrared light. 4. The printing plate according to claim 1, wherein the light absorbing substance is a photocatalytic substance which is activated by light to exhibit the separating action by a photocatalytic reaction. 5. The printing plate according to claim 4, wherein the photocatalytic substance exhibits the separating action by irradiation with ultraviolet light. 6. The printing plate according to claim 4, wherein the substrate contains the photocatalytic substance in at least a surface layer. 7. The printing plate according to claim 1, wherein the monomolecular film is composed of a molecule having a hydrocarbon group at a terminal on a surface side thereof. 8. The printing plate according to claim 1, wherein the monomolecular film is made of a molecule having a fluorocarbon group at the terminal on the surface side. 9. The printing plate according to claim 1, wherein the monomolecular film is formed on the surface of the base material through a siloxane bond. 10. The printing plate according to claim 9, wherein the monomolecular film is made of a molecule having at least one of a chlorosilane group, an alkoxysilane group, and an isocyanate silane group. 11. The printing plate according to claim 1, wherein the monomolecular film is made of an amphipathic molecule having both a hydrophilic portion and a hydrophobic portion. 12. The monolayer according to claim 1, wherein the monolayer is formed through a chemical bond between a sulfur atom in a molecule constituting the monolayer and a metal atom on the surface of the base material. Printed version. 13. The printing plate according to claim 1, wherein the monomolecular film is made of a molecule having a linear portion having 8 or more carbon atoms. 14. A monomolecular film having surface characteristics contradictory thereto is formed on the surface of a base material provided with required surface characteristics, and separation for separating the bond between the monomolecular film and the base material. A printing plate containing at least one of the base material and the monomolecular film containing a light absorbing substance that exhibits an action by light is irradiated with light to selectively separate and remove the monomolecular film from the surface of the base material. A plate making apparatus comprising a light irradiation means for forming a desired image. 15. A separation layer for forming a monomolecular film having surface characteristics contradictory thereto on a surface of a base material provided with required surface characteristics and separating the bond between the monomolecular film and the base material. A printing plate containing at least one of the base material and the monomolecular film containing a light absorbing substance that exhibits an action by light is irradiated with light to selectively separate and remove the monomolecular film from the surface of the base material. And a light irradiation unit for forming a desired image. 16. An image carrier provided with required surface characteristics, a monomolecular film forming means for forming on the surface of the image carrier a monomolecular film having surface characteristics contradictory thereto, and at least the image. The light-absorbing substance contained in either the surface layer of the carrier or the monomolecular film is irradiated with light that exerts a separating action of separating the bond between the base material of the image carrier and the monomolecular film, and And a light irradiation unit that selectively separates and removes the monomolecular film from the surface to form a desired image. 17. The printing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the monomolecular film forming unit is a roller that applies a material liquid containing the material for forming the monomolecular film onto the surface of the image bearing member. . 18. The printing apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising an image forming surface cleaning unit that cleans a surface of the image carrier when the print image is updated. 19. The image forming surface cleaning means comprises a wiping material for wiping off foreign matter adhering to the surface of the image carrier, and a cleaning liquid supply source for impregnating the cleaning liquid with the cleaning liquid. The printing device according to claim 18. 20. An oil-based ink is used, and a dampening water supply means for supplying a dampening water prior to the application of the oil-based ink is provided.
The printing device according to. 21. An intermediate transfer body for mediating transfer of an image to a printing material by ink, and an intermediate transfer body cleaning means for cleaning the surface of the intermediate transfer body. 16. The printing device according to 16. 22. A monomolecular film forming step of forming a monomolecular film having surface characteristics contradictory to the surface of a base material provided with required surface characteristics, and at least a surface layer of the base material and the monomolecular film. The light-absorbing substance contained in any one of them is irradiated with light that exerts a separating action to separate the bond between the base material and the monomolecular film, and the monomolecular film is selectively separated and removed from the surface of the base material. And a light irradiation step of forming a desired image.