JP2005193485A - Surface processing device and image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a surface processing device which can easily and effectively form an uneven shape including information to the surface of a sheet body; perform the prevention of copy reproduction or the distinguishing of the sheet body by the manual touch of a person with a disabled eyesight; and convey information relative to an image with the help of an unevenness pattern reader, and an image recording device. <P>SOLUTION: The surface processing device comprises a sheet body heating means which heats the sheet body; a sheet body cooling means which cools the sheet body kept in contact with a contact member; and an uneven shape control means which forms an uneven shape including information on the surface of the sheet body using at least either of the sheet body heating means or the sheet body cooling means. In addition, in the surface processing device, the information is preferably at least one selected from among characters, symbols, figures, coded information and a combination of them. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention can easily and efficiently impart a concavo-convex shape including information on the surface of a sheet body, and can prevent copy copying, discriminate by hand contact with a blind person, and image-related by a concavo-convex pattern reader. The present invention relates to a surface treatment apparatus capable of transmitting information and an image recording apparatus including the surface treatment apparatus.

  Conventionally, image recording by various methods such as a silver halide photographic method, a thermal development method, an ink jet recording method, a thermal recording method, and an electrophotographic method has been actively performed. Conventionally, little is known about a technique for controlling the glossiness of the surface of an image print obtained by the various methods.

  By the way, in Patent Document 1, in addition to a processor unit that develops a photographic paper subjected to printing exposure to produce a printed photograph, a photo including a drying unit and a surface type processing unit for finishing the printed photograph. A manufacturing apparatus has been proposed. The surface type processing unit of the photo making apparatus sets a pressure roller having irregularities formed on the surface for processing the surface of the printed photograph into a desired surface type, and a state in which the pressure roller can be pressed against the printed photograph. And a shift mechanism. As a result, it is possible to easily obtain a printed photograph having a desired surface type without replacing the photographic paper and without interrupting the printing exposure.

  However, the surface seed processing unit in the photographic production apparatus of Patent Document 1 pressurizes the surface of the print photograph using a pressure roller having a desired transfer roughness, and transfers the unevenness on the surface of the pressure roller to the print photograph. The surface seed processing portion of the photographic production apparatus is adapted only to a silver halide photographic sheet. Also, in order to realize multiple surface types, it is necessary to prepare a roller having a surface roughness corresponding to the number of surface types, and in reality, the surface type has not been changed. .

  Further, Patent Documents 2 to 5 disclose image recording methods using a belt and a roller in order to thermoplastically deform the surface quality by heat and pressure for the purpose of forming a matte surface. In this case, the image quality cannot be changed unless the belts and rollers having different surface shapes are replaced, and it has been difficult to select and perform surface treatments having different surface properties with a single image recording apparatus.

  Therefore, in the said patent documents 1-5, there is no indication or suggestion about forming uneven | corrugated shape containing information, only uniform surface treatment can be performed, there is no versatility as a system, work efficiency, energy efficiency Therefore, the performance was not satisfactory.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-05288 Japanese Patent No. 3185254 JP-A-2-162382 JP 2000-66466 A JP 2001-125411 A

  An object of the present invention is to solve the conventional problems and achieve the following objects. That is, the present invention can easily and efficiently impart a concavo-convex shape including information on the surface of a sheet body, and can prevent copying and copy, and can be discriminated by hand contact with a blind person or by a concavo-convex pattern reading device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a surface treatment apparatus capable of transmitting image-related information and an image recording apparatus provided with the surface treatment apparatus.

Means for solving the problems are as follows. That is,
<1> At least one of sheet body heating means for heating the sheet body, sheet body cooling means for cooling the sheet body in contact with the contact member, the sheet body heating means, and the sheet body cooling means. Thus, the surface treatment apparatus includes a concavo-convex shape control means for forming a concavo-convex shape including information on the surface of the sheet body. In the surface treatment apparatus according to <1>, the sheet body to be surface-treated is heated by the sheet body heating unit. The sheet body is cooled by the sheet body cooling means. By the operation of the uneven shape control means, an uneven shape including information is formed on the surface of the sheet body. As a result, it is possible to prevent copying and copying, to make a discrimination by hand contact with a blind person, and to transmit image-related information by the concave / convex pattern reading device.

<2> The surface treatment apparatus according to <1>, wherein the information is at least one selected from characters, symbols, graphics, code information, and combinations thereof.
<3> The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <1> to <2>, wherein the contact member is an endless belt, and information is formed on the surface of the endless belt by unevenness. In the surface treatment apparatus according to <1>, the contact member is an endless belt, and information is formed by unevenness on the surface of the endless belt, so that an uneven shape including information can be easily formed on the surface of the sheet body. In addition, it is possible to prevent copying and copying, to make determination by hand contact with a blind person, and to transmit image-related information by the concave / convex pattern reading device.

<4> The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <1> to <2>, wherein the sheet body heating unit heats with a different amount of heat in accordance with information formed on the sheet body.
<5> The surface treatment apparatus according to <4>, wherein the sheet body heating unit includes a thermal head.
<6> The surface treatment apparatus according to <5>, wherein the thermal head includes a plurality of heating elements arranged vertically and horizontally within a predetermined area.
In the surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <4> to <6>, since the sheet body heating means is a thermal head that heats with a different amount of heat according to information formed on the sheet body, information on the surface of the sheet body It is possible to easily and efficiently impart a concavo-convex shape including, and it is possible to prevent copying and copy, discriminate by manual contact with a blind person, and transmit image-related information by the concavo-convex pattern reader.

<7> The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein the sheet body heating unit heats the sheet body in a state where the sheet body is in contact with the contact member.
<8> The sheet body has at least a thermoplastic resin layer and an image recording layer on the substrate, and the surface properties are transferred to the surface of the image recording layer and the boundary surface of the thermoplastic resin layer on the image recording layer side. The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <1> to <7>.

  <9> The surface treatment apparatus according to <8>, wherein the sheet body heating unit heats the thermoplastic resin layer to a temperature equal to or higher than a softening point of the thermoplastic resin. In the surface treatment apparatus according to <9>, the sheet body heating unit heats the sheet to a temperature equal to or higher than the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin in the thermoplastic resin layer of the sheet body. Thereby, the surface (interface) of the thermoplastic resin layer is easily plastically deformed, and the concave / convex pattern of the concave / convex forming means can be pressure-transferred to the thermoplastic resin layer even at a relatively low pressure. Furthermore, it is more preferable to heat at a temperature equal to or higher than the softening point temperature of the image recording layer.

  <10> The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <8> to <9>, wherein the sheet body cooling unit cools the thermoplastic resin layer below the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin layer. In the surface treatment apparatus described in <10>, the sheet body cooling means cools the thermoplastic resin layer of the sheet body to a temperature lower than the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin. As a result, the concavo-convex pattern transferred (formed) to the thermoplastic resin layer is in a state where plastic deformation is unlikely to occur any more, and the desired concavo-convex pattern is reliably obtained by peeling the contact member in this state. be able to. Further, it is more preferable to cool the image recording layer at a temperature lower than the softening point temperature.

  <11> Any one of the items <1> to <10>, wherein the sheet body heating unit includes an endless belt and a pair of heating rollers disposed so as to press the endless belt from the inside and the outside. The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1.

<12> The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <1> to <11>, wherein the sheet body is in a roll form.
<13> The surface treatment apparatus according to <12>, further including a roll cutting unit that cuts a roll-shaped sheet into a sheet having a predetermined size.
In the surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <12> to <13>, the sheet body is in a roll form, which is advantageous for high-speed processing. Further, since the sheet body is not cut in advance, it is possible to prevent chips from being mixed during surface treatment and causing defects, and there is also a cost merit because there is no pre-cut processing.

<14> From <1> to <1>, wherein the sheet body is selected from a thermal recording sheet, an inkjet sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, a heat developing sheet, a silver halide photographic sheet, and a silver halide digital photographic sheet. 13>. The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of 13>.
<15> The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <1> to <14>, further including an alignment unit configured to align the sheet body and the contact member.
<16> The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <1> to <15>, including preheating means for preheating the sheet body before heating by the sheet body heating means.

  <17> Image recording means for recording an image on a sheet member, and surface treatment means according to any one of <1> to <16>, wherein the sheet member on which an image is recorded by the image recording means is subjected to surface treatment. And an image recording apparatus. In the image recording apparatus according to <17>, the image recording unit records an image on a sheet member. The surface treatment means performs a surface treatment on the sheet body on which an image is recorded by the image recording means. Then, a desired surface property can be imparted to the sheet body on which an image is recorded.

  <18> The surface treatment unit according to any one of <1> to <16> that performs surface treatment on a sheet body, and an image recording unit that records an image of the sheet body surface-treated by the surface treatment unit. This is an image recording apparatus. In the image recording apparatus according to <18>, a surface treatment is performed on the sheet body by the surface treatment unit. An image is recorded on the sheet body surface-treated by the surface treatment means. Then, a desired surface property can be imparted to the sheet body on which an image is recorded.

  <19> Image recording means for recording an image on a sheet body, and surface treatment means according to any one of <1> to <16>, wherein the sheet body on which an image is recorded by the image recording means is subjected to surface treatment. The image medium is formed by forming a concavo-convex shape including information on the surface of a sheet body using an image recording apparatus having the above. Examples of the image medium include graphics, the Internet, a printer, a television, a video, a facsimile, printing, copying, a photograph, a digital camera, a color printer, and the like. The image media has played an important role indispensable in daily life as a means of providing information directly appealing to our vision.

  According to the present invention, various problems in the prior art can be solved, and uneven shapes including information can be easily and efficiently applied to the surface of the sheet body. It is possible to transmit the information related to the image by the discrimination or the uneven pattern reading device.

(Surface treatment equipment)
The surface treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a sheet body heating unit, a sheet body cooling unit, and an uneven shape control unit, and further includes other units appropriately selected as necessary.

-Sheet body heating means-
As the sheet body heating means, the sheet body to be surface-treated is heated, and as long as it can form a concavo-convex shape including information on the surface of the sheet body by itself or together with the sheet body cooling means, There is no limitation, and it can be selected appropriately according to the purpose. The surface to be treated in the sheet body can be heated uniformly (uniform heating means) and can be heated imagewise (imagewise heating). Means).

  The uniform heating means is generally used when the surface to be treated of the sheet body is heated in a state where it is in contact with the contact member (contact state) or in a state where it is not in contact with the contact member (non-contact state). Is done.

  The uniform heating means is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose.For example, the sheet body is heated to a temperature at which the thermoplastic resin layer is softened and deformed, There is no particular limitation as long as the thermoplastic resin layer can be deformed, and examples thereof include those used as a fixing device in a known electrophotographic apparatus, such as those having a pair of heating rollers, heaters (heating) Stamper) and the like, and among these, those having a pressing function, that is, a pair of heating and pressing rollers and a heating and pressing heater (heating and pressing stamper) are more preferable.

  The pair of heating rollers (heating and pressing rollers) is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. For example, a pair of heating rollers (heating and pressing) used in a known electrophotographic apparatus is used. A roller pair) can be selected as appropriate, and a nip pressure, a heating temperature, and the like can be adjusted.

  The pair of heating rollers (heating and pressing rollers) causes the sheet member and the contact member to overlap each other, and the pair of heating rollers (heating and pressing rollers) is interlocked with the rotation of the pair of heating rollers (heating and pressing rollers). It passes through the nip formed between the heating rollers (between the heating and pressure rollers) while being heated. When the nip portion is pressurized, the sheet member and the abutting member pass through the nip portion while being heated and pressurized while being overlapped with each other.

  The pair of heaters (heating stampers) to the pair of heating and pressing heaters (heating and pressing stampers) is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. For example, the sheet body is processed. It is preferable that a pattern or pattern to be finally obtained as a surface is formed.

  The pair of heating heaters (heating stampers) to a pair of heating and pressing heaters (heating and pressing stampers) heats the sheet body in a state where the surface to be processed is pressurized, and the thermoplastic resin layer is softened. Through melting, the pattern or pattern formed on the surface of the pair of heaters (heating stamper) or the pair of heating and pressing heaters (heating and stamping stamper) is transferred to the surface to be processed. At this time, since the design or pattern is formed of at least one of a glossy surface and a matte surface, the treated surface of the sheet body is obtained as a surface including at least one of the glossy surface and the matte surface. .

  The image-like heating means can also be used when heating the surface to be processed in the sheet body in a state of contacting the contact member (contact state), but generally the surface to be processed in the sheet body It is used when heating in a state (non-contact state) where no contact is made with the contact member.

  In the case of the image-like heating means, only the portion of the sheet body that is image-wise heated by the image-like heating means is softened or melted, and the surface property of the contact member is the heat that is located in the image recording layer of the sheet body. By transferring to the image recording layer side boundary surface of the plastic resin layer and the image recording layer, an uneven shape can be formed on the sheet body. As described above, by combining the surface characteristics of the image-like heating means and the plurality of contact members, the uneven shape of the sheet body can be controlled, and as a result, a desired gloss distribution can be obtained on the surface of the sheet body. Is possible.

  The imagewise heating means is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose.For example, an arbitrary part of the sheet body is heated to a temperature at which the thermoplastic resin layer is softened and deformable. As long as the thermoplastic resin layer can be deformed by heating to a specific temperature, there is no particular limitation, and examples thereof include those including a thermal head.

The thermal head is not particularly limited, and can be selected from, for example, known ones used in thermal recording printers. A linear thermal head in which heating elements are arranged in a line, the line A thermal head in which a plurality of thermal heads are arranged in parallel and a large number of heating elements are arranged vertically and horizontally, and the like is preferred. The latter is preferred.
The means for controlling the drive of the heat generating element in the thermal head so as to be image-wise heatable is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. Examples thereof include a computer.

  In addition, as said contact member, the thing from which at least one part of surface property differs, the thing from which at least one part heat conductivity differs can be used conveniently. That is, when a member having a different surface property is used as the contact member, the contact member is uniformly heated by the sheet body heating means, and is softened or melted by the heat to contact the contact member. The surface property of the contact member is transferred to the treated surface of the sheet body. Therefore, when the contact member has a glossy surface and a matte surface, the glossy surface and the matte surface are transferred to the sheet body, and at least a part of the sheet body has different surface properties. Further, when at least a part of the contact member having different heat conductivity is used as the contact member, even if the sheet member heating means uniformly heats the contact member, at least a part of the contact member is transferred. Since the thermal properties are different, the sheet body is not heated uniformly. As a result, at least a part of the surface property changes when the sheet body comes into contact with the contact member in a state where at least a part thereof is softened or melted and is peeled off from the contact member.

  The contact member is not particularly limited in shape, structure, size, material, etc., and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, a roller, a sheet cut into a desired size, endless Examples include belts. In the former case, it is advantageous in that the surface state can be appropriately changed for each of the cut sheets. In the latter case, continuous processing is easy, and the contact member and the endless belt are easily peeled off. There are certain advantages.

  As the cut sheet, for example, the entire surface may be a glossy surface or a matte surface, and the processed surface of the sheet body is an image portion (photographic image portion or the like) and a non-image portion (information portion). , A white portion or the like), a portion corresponding to the image portion may have a glossy surface, and a portion corresponding to the non-image portion may have a matte surface. In the latter case, the image portion on the surface to be processed of the obtained sheet body has high gloss and excellent image quality, and the non-image portion has excellent writing properties.

  The endless belt is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. For example, the endless belt is preferably designed so that the sheet body can be continuously processed, and corresponds to each sheet body. It is more preferable that the contact members are connected in a large number so that the sheet members can contact each other continuously. If the portion of the endless belt corresponding to the contact member in this aspect is referred to as a “contact member corresponding portion”, the corresponding contact member corresponding portion may have a different surface property, and the covered body in the sheet body. When the processing surface has an image part (photo image part, etc.) and a non-image part (information part, white part, etc.), the part corresponding to the image part has a glossy surface, and the part corresponding to the non-image part is It preferably has a matte surface. In this case, the image portion on the treated surface of the obtained sheet body has high gloss and excellent image quality, and the non-image portion can be excellent in writing property.

  When the endless belt is used, the sheet body heating means includes the endless belt and a pair of heating rollers disposed so as to press the endless belt from the inside and the outside. Particularly preferred. The surface of the endless belt may be surface-treated with a surface treatment agent such as silicone or fluorine for the purpose of improving the peelability of the sheet.

  There is no restriction | limiting in particular as heating temperature by the said sheet body heating means, Although it can select suitably according to the said sheet body kind, For example, 50-120 degreeC is preferable normally, The said sheet body is a thermoplastic resin layer. When the thermoplastic resin layer is a polyethylene resin layer, the temperature is more preferably 95 to 105 ° C.

-Sheet body cooling means-
The surface treatment apparatus of the present invention has sheet body cooling means. The sheet body cooling means is not particularly limited as long as the surface to be processed in the sheet body heated and pressurized by the sheet body heating means can be cooled while being in contact with the contact member. Depending on the purpose, it can be appropriately selected from among known cooling devices, but among them, it is preferable that the cooling air can be blown and the cooling temperature and the like can be adjusted in that the cooling conditions can be adjusted. . In addition, there is no restriction | limiting in particular about the number of said sheet | seat body cooling means, It can select suitably according to the objective.

  The position at which the sheet body cooling means is provided is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected according to the purpose, but is usually on the downstream side of the sheet body heating means in the transport direction of the sheet body. . When the sheet body heating means includes the pair of heating rollers and the endless belt, the pair of heating rollers and a rotating roller that rotatably stretches the endless belt together with the pair of heating rollers. And in the vicinity of the endless belt. In this case, the sheet body is cooled by the sheet body cooling means while moving between the pair of heating rollers and the rotating roller.

  The cooling temperature by the sheet body cooling means can be appropriately selected according to the sheet body type, but is not particularly limited as long as the temperature is lower than the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin in the thermoplastic resin layer of the sheet body. However, it can be suitably selected according to the purpose, and is preferably less than 80 ° C. Further, it is more preferable to cool the image recording layer at a temperature lower than the softening point temperature.

-Concavity and convexity control means-
The uneven shape control means is means for forming an uneven shape including information on the surface of the sheet body by at least one of the sheet body heating means and the sheet body cooling means.
Here, the information is preferably at least one selected from characters, symbols, graphics, code information, and combinations thereof. For example, by displaying the characters “sample” and “sample” on the surface of the sheet body, it is possible to clearly indicate “sample”. In addition, by forming characters, symbols, figures, code information, and combinations thereof as braille in a concavo-convex shape, it can be used for discrimination by hand contact and information transmission by the visually impaired. In addition, code information such as barcodes and two-dimensional barcodes, which are image-related information, are formed in a concavo-convex shape, and the concavo-convex shape is read by a concavo-convex pattern reading sensor, a sensor that reads a reflectance change, etc. Based on the information, it can be used for various processes such as discrimination and information transmission.

  As the uneven shape property control means, (1) the contact member is an endless belt, and information is formed by unevenness on the surface of the endless belt, and (2) information formed by the sheet body heating means on the sheet body. And heating with different amounts of heat according to the concavo-convex shape including, for example, a thermal head.

-Roll cutting means-
The roll cutting means is means for cutting a roll-shaped sheet body into a sheet body of a predetermined size.
There is no restriction | limiting in particular as said roll cutting means, Although it can select suitably according to the objective, For example, a circular cutter, a guillotine cutter, a rotary cutter, XY cutter, etc. are mentioned.
The size of the sheet body is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. For example, L size (89 mm × 127 mm), A6 size (105 mm × 150 mm), A4 size (210 mm × 300 mm) , Postcard size, business card size, etc.

-Sheet-
The sheet body has at least a thermoplastic resin layer and an image recording layer on a substrate, and if necessary, a surface protective layer, an intermediate layer, an undercoat layer, a cushion layer, a charge control (prevention) layer, Examples include a reflective layer, a tint adjusting layer, a storage stability improving layer, an adhesion preventing layer, an anti-curl layer, and a smoothing layer.

According to the surface treatment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the sheet body 10 has not only the surface of the image recording layer 5 but also the boundary surface with the image recording layer of the thermoplastic resin layer 3 located on the image recording layer side. The surface property of the contact member can be transferred to 3a. As shown in the cross-sectional photograph (magnification: 138 times) in FIG. 3, the image recording layer 5 is also deformed following the deformation of the thermoplastic resin layer 3 in the cross section of the sheet after the surface treatment. In addition, it is recognized that the surface properties are transferred not only to the image recording layer but also to the thermoplastic resin layer. In addition, it is recognized that the film thickness of the image recording layer 5 is substantially constant even after the surface treatment.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, when the sheet body 10 includes the intermediate layer 7 between the thermoplastic resin layer 3 and the image recording layer 5, the surface of the image recording layer 5, the thermoplastic resin layer 3, and The surface property of the contact member can be transferred to the boundary surface 3 a with the intermediate layer 7.

-Substrate-
Examples of the substrate include synthetic paper (for example, synthetic paper such as polyolefin and polystyrene), fine paper, art paper, (double-sided) coated paper, (double-sided) cast-coated paper, synthetic resin pulp such as polyethylene, and natural pulp. Paper support such as mixed paper, Yankee paper, baryta paper, wallpaper, backing paper, synthetic resin or emulsion impregnated paper, synthetic rubber latex impregnated paper, synthetic resin internal paper, paperboard, cellulose fiber paper, polyolefin, Various plastic films or sheets such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene methacrylate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyimide, celluloses (for example, triacetyl cellulose), the plastic film or sheet White impart reflectivity processing (e.g., pigmented like to incorporate such titanium oxide into the film) in the applied film or sheet, fabric, metal, glasses, and the like.
These may be used individually by 1 type and may use 2 or more types together as a laminated body.

Examples of the substrate further include JP-A-62-253159, pages (29) to (31), JP-A-1-61236, pages (14) to (17), JP-A-63-331648, Examples include the substrates described in Kaihei 2-22651, JP-A-3-56955, US Pat. No. 5,001,033, and the like.
As thickness of the said base | substrate, 25-300 micrometers is preferable normally, 50-260 micrometers is more preferable, 75-220 micrometers is still more preferable.
The stiffness of the substrate is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. However, a substrate close to a color silver salt photograph substrate is preferable for a photographic image receiving paper.

Various additives appropriately selected according to the purpose can be added to the substrate within a range not impairing the effects of the present invention.
Examples of the additive include whitening agents, conductive agents, fillers, pigments such as titanium oxide, ultramarine blue, and carbon black, and dyes.

In addition, one surface or both surfaces of the substrate may be subjected to various surface treatments and undercoating treatments for the purpose of improving adhesion with a layer provided thereon.
Examples of the surface treatment include a glossy surface, or a fine surface, a mat surface, or a silk surface described in JP-A-55-26507, a corona discharge treatment, a flame treatment, a glow discharge treatment, a plasma treatment, and the like. And the like.
These treatments may be performed singly, or after performing the above-mentioned mold forming treatment or the like, the above-mentioned activation treatment may be performed, and further, after the surface treatment such as the above-mentioned activation treatment, the above-mentioned undercoat treatment is performed. It may be combined arbitrarily.

  In the substrate, a hydrophilic binder, a semiconductive metal oxide such as alumina sol or tin oxide, and carbon black or other antistatic agent may be applied on the surface or the back surface of the substrate, or a combination thereof. . Specific examples of such a substrate include a support described in JP-A No. 63-220246.

-Thermoplastic resin layer-
There is no restriction | limiting in particular as a thermoplastic resin in the said thermoplastic resin layer, According to the objective, it can select suitably, For example, polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, a polyethylene terephthalate, a polystyrene, a polymethacrylate, a polycarbonate, a polyimide, a triacetyl Examples thereof include cellulose, and among these, polyolefin is preferable. These resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  In general, the polyolefin is often formed using low-density polyethylene. In order to improve the heat resistance of the substrate, polypropylene, a blend of polypropylene and polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene are used. It is preferable to use a blend or the like. Among these, it is most preferable to use a blend of high-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene, particularly from the viewpoints of cost, suitability for lamination, and the like.

The blend of the high-density polyethylene and the low-density polyethylene has, for example, a blend ratio (mass ratio) of preferably 1/9 to 9/1, more preferably 2/8 to 8/2, and 3/7 to 7 / 3 is more preferable. When forming a thermoplastic resin layer on both surfaces of the substrate, it is preferable to form the back surface of the substrate using, for example, high-density polyethylene or a blend of high-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene. Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular as the molecular weight of the said polyethylene, The melt index is 1.0-40 g / 10min about any of a high density polyethylene and a low density polyethylene, and what has an extrudability is preferable.
In addition, you may perform the process which gives white reflectivity to these sheets or films. Examples of such a treatment method include a method of blending a pigment such as titanium oxide in these sheets or films.

-Image recording layer-
In the case of silver salt photography, the image recording layer corresponds to an emulsion layer that develops color in YMC. In the present invention, it means both the emulsion layer before the exposure phenomenon and the emulsion layer after the exposure phenomenon.
In the case of inkjet, it corresponds to an ink image-receiving layer that receives and holds ink. In the present invention, it means both an ink image-receiving layer to which no ink is attached and an ink image-receiving layer after ink is attached.
In the case of electrophotography, it corresponds to a toner image-receiving layer, and in the present invention, it means both a toner image-receiving layer with no toner attached and a toner image-receiving layer after toner adhesion.
The image recording layer and the thermoplastic resin layer may be the same.

  The sheet body is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. For example, an ink jet sheet, a thermal recording sheet, a heat developing sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, a silver halide photographic sheet, Etc. can be used. The sheet member may be either before recording an image or after recording an image.

  The inkjet sheet has, for example, a porous color material-receiving layer on a support, and water-based ink (using a dye or pigment as a color material) and oil-based ink are used in the color material-receiving layer. An image is formed by absorbing liquid ink or solid ink that is solid at room temperature and melted and liquefied and used for printing.

  The electrophotographic sheet has, for example, at least a toner image receiving layer on a support, and the toner image receiving layer receives at least one of a color toner and a black toner to form an image.

  As the heat-sensitive recording sheet, for example, those described in JP-A-6-130632 are suitable, and specifically, at least a heat-meltable ink layer as an image recording layer is provided on a support. At least a heat-diffusible dye on a heat-sensitive transfer sheet used in a method of melting and transferring ink from a heat-meltable ink layer onto a heat-sensitive transfer recording image-receiving sheet by heating with a heat-sensitive head (E.g., sublimation dye) containing an ink layer, and a sensitivity used in a sublimation transfer method in which a thermal diffusible dye is transferred from an ink layer onto a thermal transfer recording image-receiving sheet by heating with a thermal head. A thermal autoclave that has at least a thermal coloring layer on a thermal transfer sheet and support, and forms an image by repeating heating with a thermal head and fixing with ultraviolet rays. Sensitive materials used in chromatography beam system (TA type) and the like.

-Sheet body peeling means-
The sheet body peeling means is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, the diameter of the tension roller is set so that the sheet body peels from the belt with its own rigidity (waist strength). Method, etc. Then, in the sheet body peeling means, the contact member after the sheet body is peeled can be sent again to the sheet body heating means via the contact member selection means so that it can be reused.

-Other means-
There is no restriction | limiting in particular as said other means, According to the objective, it can select suitably, For example, a positioning means, a preheating means, a control means, etc. are mentioned suitably.

The alignment means is means for aligning the sheet body and the contact member. The alignment means is advantageous in that the surface treatment can be performed without causing a positional shift on the surface to be treated of the sheet body, and the surface treatment efficiency and reliability are excellent.
There is no restriction | limiting in particular as a specific example of the said alignment means, According to the objective, it can select suitably, A sensor etc. are mentioned suitably. There is no restriction | limiting in particular as this sensor, For example, the sensor etc. which detect reflected light, reflected sound, etc. are mentioned.

The preheating means is means for preheating the sheet body before heating by the sheet body heating means.
With the preheating means, the amount of heat required for heating by the sheet body heating means is sufficient, and there is no insufficient heating, and the surface to be treated in the sheet body is surely partially softened. This is advantageous in that it can be brought into a molten state. The preheating means is effective when using a thermal head that has a small heat capacity and heats the sheet body while it is transported, and the heating time must be shortened.

A specific example of the preheating means is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected according to the purpose. A heating roller, a heater, a heating unit of an image recording apparatus (for example, a drying unit of a silver salt photography minilab, an electronic device) Suitable examples include a fixing unit of a photographic apparatus). At this time, the heating unit and the surface treatment apparatus need to be arranged close to the extent that the temperature of the photographic paper heated in the drying unit does not greatly decrease.
In this case, when used for inkjet, an ink drying means can be used as the preheating means. Thereby, size reduction and energy saving of an apparatus can be achieved.

(Image recording device)
In the first embodiment, the image recording apparatus of the present invention includes a surface treatment unit and an image recording unit in this order, and further includes other units appropriately selected as necessary.
The image recording apparatus according to the first aspect is configured such that the surface property of the contact member can be transferred to a sheet body before image recording by a surface treatment means.
The image recording apparatus according to the first embodiment is suitable when an inkjet sheet is used as the sheet body.

The inkjet sheet has, for example, a porous color material-receiving layer on a support, and water-based ink (using a dye or pigment as a color material) and oil-based ink are used in the color material-receiving layer. An image is formed by absorbing liquid ink or solid ink that is solid at room temperature and melted and liquefied and used for printing.
In this case, when an inkjet sheet having a porous ink-receiving layer containing a thermoplastic resin or the like is used as a sheet body, the porous structure on the inkjet sheet surface is hermetically sealed during the surface treatment after image recording by inkjet, There is an effect that fading due to ozone can be prevented.

In the second embodiment, the image recording apparatus of the present invention includes an image recording unit and a surface treatment unit in this order, and further includes other units appropriately selected as necessary.
The image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment is configured such that the surface property of the abutting member can be transferred to the sheet body after image recording by the surface treatment means, and the surface treatment is continuously performed from the image recording. Can be performed efficiently.
The image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment is suitable when any one of a silver halide photographic sheet, a heat developing sheet, a thermal recording sheet, and an electrophotographic sheet is used as the sheet member.

  The electrophotographic sheet has, for example, at least a toner image receiving layer on a support, and the toner image receiving layer receives at least one of a color toner and a black toner to form an image.

  The heat-sensitive recording sheet has, for example, a structure in which at least a heat-meltable ink layer as an image recording layer is provided on a support, and heat-transfers ink from the heat-meltable ink layer by heating with a heat-sensitive head. Heat transfer sheet used in the method of melting and transferring onto a recording image-receiving sheet, and a structure in which an ink layer containing at least a heat-diffusible dye (sublimation dye) is provided on a support, heated by a heat-sensitive head A thermal transfer sheet used in a sublimation transfer method for transferring a thermal diffusible dye from an ink layer onto a thermal transfer recording image-receiving sheet, and a structure in which at least a thermal coloring layer is provided on a support, and heating by a thermal head And a thermosensitive material used in a thermoautochrome system (TA system) for recording an image by repeated fixing with ultraviolet rays.

-Image recording means-
The image recording means is not particularly limited as long as an image can be recorded on the sheet, and is a known image recording method, for example, an ink jet recording method, a thermal recording method, a silver halide photographic method, a heat development recording. It is only necessary to be able to record an image by a method, an electrophotographic method, or the like, and it can be appropriately selected from known image recording devices.

-Surface treatment means-
The surface treatment means is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected as long as the surface treatment can be performed on the sheet body on which the image is recorded by the image recording means. Can be used particularly preferably.
In the image recording apparatus, the surface treatment means may be built in the image recording means or may be externally attached to the image recording means.

-Other means-
There is no restriction | limiting in particular as said other means, Although it can select suitably according to the objective, For example, a control means etc. are mentioned suitably.
The control means is not particularly limited and includes those used in known image recording apparatuses. For example, the surface treatment means is driven or stopped to control the presence or absence of surface treatment of the sheet member. What can be done is preferred. The control means may not be provided independently, and the function of the control means may be achieved by the treatment control means in the surface treatment apparatus.
In the case of having the control means, if the control means stops driving the surface treatment means, the image recorded by the image recording means is directly passed from the image recording apparatus without passing through the surface treatment means. Can be discharged (bypass route). Further, when the surface processing means is driven, the image recorded by the image recording means can be discharged from the image recording apparatus after passing through the surface processing means and performing the surface treatment.

  According to the image recording apparatus of the present invention, an uneven shape including information can be easily and efficiently applied to the surface of the sheet body, and it is possible to prevent copying and to discriminate or information by hand contact with a blind person. Communication is possible.

(Image media)
An image medium according to the present invention includes an image recording unit that records an image on a sheet member, and a surface treatment unit that performs surface treatment on the sheet member on which an image is recorded by the image recording unit. Is used to form an uneven shape including information on the surface of the sheet body.
The image recording means, the surface treatment means, the sheet body, information, and the like can be appropriately selected from those described above according to the purpose.
Examples of the image medium include graphics, the Internet, a printer, a television, a video, a facsimile, printing, copying, a photograph, a digital camera, a color printer, and the like.
The image media has played an important role indispensable in daily life as a means for providing information directly appealing to our vision.

  Examples of the present invention will be described below, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

(Example 1)
The image recording apparatus in Embodiment 1 includes an image recording unit (not shown) and a surface treatment unit.

  In this embodiment, the image recording means is a silver halide digital color photographic apparatus. As the silver halide digital color photographic apparatus, a known one was used.

  As the surface treatment means, the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention was used. This surface treatment apparatus is connected to the discharge tray of the image recording means, and when the surface treatment apparatus is driven, the sheet body discharged to the discharge tray is taken into the inside so that a predetermined surface treatment can be performed. Designed to.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the surface treatment apparatus in this embodiment includes a sheet body heating unit 11 and a sheet body cooling unit 16.

The sheet body heating means 11 has a pair of heating rollers 12a and 12b and an endless belt 13 as the contact member.
The heating rollers 12a and 12b each have a built-in heater and are designed to be temperature adjustable. The heating roller 12b is rotatably disposed inside the endless belt 13 and in contact with the inner surface of the endless belt 13. The heating roller 12a abuts the outer surface of the endless belt 13 and the outer surface of the endless belt 13 so as to press the heating roller 12b, and is rotatably disposed.

The endless belt 13 is formed with a letter “swatch” on its surface due to the uneven shape, and the other part is formed on a mirror surface to give gloss.
As shown in FIG. 4, the endless belt 13 is stretched by a heating roller 12 b and a rotating roller 14 disposed inside the endless belt 13.

  In this embodiment, the sheet body cooling means 16 is a cooling device with a blowing function, and is disposed inside the endless belt 13 and between the heating roller 12 b and the rotating roller 14.

  In the surface treatment apparatus, first, when driven, the sheet body 10 to be processed is conveyed from the discharge tray in the image recording apparatus to the inside of the surface treatment apparatus and is conveyed along the conveyance direction A. The conveyance so far can be performed by a conveyance roller, a conveyance belt, or the like. In the first embodiment, the conveyance is designed by the conveyance belt 15. An alignment sensor disposed slightly upstream of the nip formed between the pair of heating rollers 12a and 12b and a position disposed near the surface of the endless belt 13 and near the surface of the heating roller 12b. Based on the detection information from the alignment sensor (not shown), the control means adjusts the rotational speed of the endless belt 13 and the conveyance speed of the sheet body 10, and the contact member corresponding portion in the endless belt 13 and the sheet body 10 Alignment is performed so that the positions of are not displaced. Next, the sheet body 10 is inserted into a nip portion formed between the pair of heating rollers 12a and 12b. The sheet member 10 inserted into the nip portion is brought into contact with the surface of the endless belt 13 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pair of heating rollers 12a and 12b. The rotating roller 14 may be rotated in conjunction with the rotation of the endless belt 13, or may be designed to be rotationally driven so that the endless belt 13 can be rotated together with the pair of heating rollers 12 a and 12 b. Good. In this embodiment, the rotating roller 14 is designed as in the former.

  At this time, the heating rollers 12a and 12b are heated to a temperature at which the thermoplastic resin layer (which corresponds to the polyethylene resin layer in Example 1) in the sheet body 10 can be softened as shown in FIG. The sheet body 10 inserted into the part is heated to a temperature at which the thermoplastic resin layer is softened and deformable in the nip part. In the nip, the thermoplastic resin layer is softened and deformable. At this time, since the nip portion is pressed by the pressing force of the heating roller 12a, when the sheet body 10 passes through the nip portion while being pressed and overlapped with a predetermined position of the endless belt 13, The thermoplastic resin layer that is in the softest state in the body 10 is deformed while being pressed by a pair of heating rollers 12a and 12b, and the letter "sample" is formed by the uneven shape provided on the surface of the endless belt 13, The other mirror surface is transferred to the surface of the sheet body 10. The sheet 10 passes through the nip portion while being in close contact with the surface of the endless belt 13, and is conveyed along the conveyance direction A.

  Next, the sheet body 10 is cooled by the cooling device 16 while being in close contact with the surface of the endless belt 13, and the thermoplastic resin layer is solidified. Then, it is conveyed as it is to the rotating roller 14. Since the conveyance direction of the endless belt 13 changes by 90 ° or more at the rotating roller 14, the sheet body 10 is peeled off from the surface of the endless belt 13 that rapidly changes the conveyance direction. The sheet body 10 peeled from the endless belt 13 is accommodated on a tray.

  The surface property of the endless belt 13 is transferred to the surface of the sheet body 10 thus obtained, and as shown in FIG. 4, the characters “sample” are formed on the surface due to the uneven shape, and the other portions are It is mirror-finished to make it a glossy surface.

(Example 2)
In the surface treatment means in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the pair of heating rollers 12a and 12b is replaced with the pair of pressure rollers 12c and 12d without using a contact member, and the pair of pressure rollers 12c. And 12d, the thermal head 20 capable of imagewise heating is disposed, and the preheating roller 23a composed of a pair of heating rollers is further disposed in the upstream conveyance section. In Example 2, the thermal head 20 has the heating elements 20a regularly arranged in a line as shown in FIG. 8, but the heating elements 20a are arranged in a line as shown in FIG. You may use what the heat generating body formed by arranging two or more line-shaped things arranged in parallel arranged in length and breadth.

  The heating element 20a in the thermal head 20 is a heating element driver that drives each heating element 20a in synchronization with the conveying speed of the sheet based on the stored information in the storage means that stores character information for imagewise heating in advance. However, by driving the heat generating element 20a, only the predetermined part is driven to generate heat, so that the information can be formed. For this reason, the sheet 10 is heated imagewise by the thermal head 20 in accordance with predetermined information.

  In the second embodiment, since the sheet body 10 is heated by the thermal head 20, a preheating roller 23a is provided for the purpose of preventing a shortage of heating due to a short heat capacity and a short heating time. Since the sheet body 10 is sufficiently heated by the preheating roller 23 a, the thermoplastic resin layer in the sheet body 10 that is subsequently heated by the thermal head 20 is easily softened or melted by the heat of the thermal head 20. The thermal head 20 heats only the information portion in the sheet 10 (imagewise heating). And in the to-be-processed surface of the sheet | seat body 10 heated like an image, only the heated part is glossed. As a result, a difference in gloss of the character information portion in the sheet body 10 occurs, and the character information can be clearly identified.

(Example 3)
As shown in FIG. 6, the surface treatment means in the first embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that a thermal head 20 that can be heated in an image-like manner is disposed in the conveyance downstream portion of the pair of heating rollers 12a and 12b. is there. In Example 3, the thermal head 20 has the heating elements 20a regularly arranged in a line as shown in FIG. 8, but the heating elements 20a are arranged in a line as shown in FIG. You may use what the heat generating body formed by arranging two or more line-shaped things arranged in parallel arranged in length and breadth.
In Example 3, information is image-wise heated by the thermal head on the surface glossed by the endless belt 13, and the gloss of the portion heated by the thermal head is lowered. As a result, the information can be clearly identified.

  In the first to third embodiments, the processing conditions are controlled as shown in FIG. 7, for example. That is, a heating pattern is selected based on order information for surface treatment (for example, L size, information, postcard, etc.), store information for back surface treatment, and the like. Based on the selected heating pattern, the control unit controls the driving of the heater in the sheet body heating unit. Further, based on detection information from the alignment sensor (positioning sensor), the control unit controls the rotational speed of the rotating roller 14 and the endless belt 13 and the like. As a result, the surface treatment is efficiently performed without causing a positional shift or the like.

The surface treatment apparatus of the present invention can easily and efficiently impart a concavo-convex shape including information to the surface of a sheet body, and prevents copying and copying, and concavo-convex pattern reading by manual contact with a blind person. Information transmission of image related information by the apparatus is possible.
In addition, since the image recording apparatus of the present invention has the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention, it is selected from an inkjet sheet, a thermal recording sheet, a heat developing sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, and a silver halide photographic sheet. It can be suitably used for any of the above.
The image media of the present invention is widely applied to graphics, the Internet, printers, televisions, videos, facsimiles, printing, copying, photographs, digital cameras, color printers, and the like.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the sheet body of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a sheet body according to another aspect of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional photograph of the sheet body after the surface treatment. FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view showing an example of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory view showing an example of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory view showing another example of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory view showing one control example of the control means in the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a thermal head. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of the thermal head.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base paper 3 Thermoplastic resin layer 5 Image recording layer 7 Intermediate | middle layer 10 Sheet body 11 Sheet body heating means 12a Heating roller (pressure roller)
12b Heating roller 12c, 12d Pressure roller 13 Endless belt (contact member)
14 Rotating Roller 15 Conveying Roller 16 Cooling Device 20 Thermal Head 20a Heating Element 23a A Pair of Heating Rollers A Conveying Direction

Claims (19)

  At least one of a sheet body heating unit that heats the sheet body, a sheet body cooling unit that cools the sheet body in contact with the contact member, and the sheet body heating unit and the sheet body cooling unit, A surface treatment apparatus comprising: a concavo-convex shape control means for forming a concavo-convex shape including information on the surface of the sheet body.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information is at least one selected from characters, symbols, graphics, code information, and combinations thereof.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact member is an endless belt, and information is formed on the surface of the endless belt by unevenness.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet body heating unit heats the sheet body with different amounts of heat in accordance with the uneven shape including information to be formed on the sheet body.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sheet body heating means includes a thermal head.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the thermal head has a plurality of heating elements arranged vertically and horizontally within a predetermined area.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet body heating means heats the sheet body in a state where the sheet body is in contact with the contact member.   The sheet body has at least a thermoplastic resin layer and an image recording layer on a substrate, and transfers the surface properties to the surface of the image recording layer and the boundary surface on the image recording layer side of the thermoplastic resin layer. The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of 1 to 7.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the sheet body heating means heats the thermoplastic resin layer to a temperature equal to or higher than a softening point of the thermoplastic resin.   The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 9, wherein the sheet body cooling means cools to a temperature lower than a softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin in the thermoplastic resin layer.   The surface treatment according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the sheet body heating means includes an endless belt and a pair of heating rollers disposed so as to press the endless belt from the inside and the outside. apparatus.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet body is in a roll form.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a roll cutting unit that cuts a roll-shaped sheet into a sheet having a predetermined size.   The sheet body according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the sheet body is selected from a thermal recording sheet, an inkjet sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, a heat developing sheet, a silver halide photographic sheet, and a silver halide digital photographic sheet. The surface treatment apparatus as described.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alignment unit configured to align the sheet body and the contact member.   The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising preheating means for preheating the sheet body before heating by the sheet body heating means.   An image recording means for recording an image on a sheet body, and a surface treatment means according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the surface treatment is performed on the sheet body on which an image is recorded by the image recording means. An image recording apparatus.   17. An image comprising: the surface treatment unit according to claim 1 that performs surface treatment on a sheet body; and an image recording unit that records an image of the sheet body surface-treated by the surface treatment unit. Recording device. 17. An image recording apparatus comprising: an image recording unit that records an image on a sheet body; and a surface treatment unit according to claim 1 that performs surface treatment on the sheet body on which an image is recorded by the image recording unit. An image medium formed by forming a concavo-convex shape including information on the surface of a sheet body using the above.