JP2012001829A - Method for producing printed matter, method for producing print-dyed matter, apparatus for producing printed matter, and apparatus for producing print-dyed matter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a printed matter, which can improve the transfer property for transferring a dry toner containing a dyestuff to a base material.SOLUTION: A method for producing a printed matter includes: an attaching step S31 for electrostatically attaching at least one kind of dry toner particle 80 that contains a dyestuff component and a binder resin to an intermediate transfer belt 13; and a transferring step S33 for transferring the dry toner particle 80 from the intermediate transfer belt 13 to a base material 17. The transferring step S33 includes a flying step S335 for allowing the dry toner particle 80 to fly from the intermediate transfer belt 13 toward the base material 17 by applying an electric field to the dry toner particle 80 such that the dry toner particle 80 attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 is subjected to an electrical repulsive force.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a printed product, a method for manufacturing a printed product, an apparatus for manufacturing a printed product, and an apparatus for manufacturing a printed product.

  Printing is applied to various forms of textiles such as yarns, knitted fabrics and secondary products, and other materials. The following patent documents 1 to 5 disclose a textile printing method using an ink jet, and the following patent documents 6 to 9 disclose an electrophotographic textile printing method.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-195576 Japanese Patent No. 2995135 JP 2003-96340 A JP-A-7-278482 JP-A-8-226083 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-73198 JP-A-10-239916 JP-A-5-027474 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-033275

  In the printing method using the ink jet, there are problems that it is difficult to increase the printing density, or that the printing density is easily changed when printing is performed continuously. In this regard, such a problem can be solved by using a textile printing method using an electronic printing method.

  In a printing method using an electrophotographic method, a step of forming an electrostatic latent image having a predetermined shape corresponding to an image to be printed on a photoconductor, a step of attaching a toner containing a dye to the photoconductor, and a photoconductor A step of printing the toner in a predetermined shape on the substrate by transferring the toner to a substrate such as a fabric by bringing the toner into contact with the substrate, and a step of coloring the dye component in the printed toner Is called.

  As a textile printing method using such an electrophotographic method, a method using liquid toner (for example, Patent Documents 6 and 7) and a method using dry toner (for example, Patent Documents 8 and 9) are known. .

  However, the electrophotographic printing method using liquid toner has a problem that it is difficult to print two or more colors. Specifically, if the region of the substrate printed with the liquid toner for the first color is further printed with the liquid toner for the second color, it is difficult to increase the printing density of the second color. There is a problem that it is. Furthermore, in the electrophotographic textile printing method using liquid toner, there is a problem that a complicated process needs to be performed. Further, the toner is efficiently transferred to the convex portion of the base material, but tends to be difficult to transfer to the concave portion of the base material. Therefore, there is a problem that transferability is low.

  On the other hand, in the electrophotographic printing method using dry toner, there are problems that it is difficult to print two or more colors as in the case of using liquid toner, and that complicated processes are required. Is solved. However, in the electrophotographic textile printing method using dry toner, the toner is efficiently transferred to the convex portion of the base material, but tends to be difficult to transfer to the concave portion of the base material. There is still the problem of low nature.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a method for producing a printed article, a method for producing a printed article, and a printed article having good transferability when a dry toner containing a dye is transferred to a substrate. An object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing apparatus for printing and a manufacturing apparatus for printed matter.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method for producing a printed material according to the present invention is a method for producing a printed material comprising a substrate on which a dye is printed, and includes at least a dye component and a binder resin. An adhesion step of electrostatically adhering one type of dry toner to the charged body, and a transfer step of transferring the dry toner from the charged body to the substrate. In the transfer step, the dry toner adhered to the charged body is electrically It is characterized by having a flying step in which an electric field is applied to the dry toner so as to receive a repulsive force, thereby causing the dry toner to fly from the charged body toward the substrate.

  According to the method for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention, in the flying process, the dry toner attached to the charged body is separated from the charged body by an electric repulsive force and flies toward the substrate. Therefore, it is suppressed that the dry toner is hardly transferred to the base material due to the unevenness on the surface of the base material, as compared with the case where the transfer is performed by pressing the charged body against the base material. For this reason, the transferability when transferring the dry toner to the substrate is improved.

  Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention, in the flying step, a state where a gap is provided between the dry toner and the substrate, or the charged body does not press the dry toner against the substrate. It is preferable to apply the electric field to the dry toner in a state.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the method for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention further includes an adhesion strength improving step for improving the adhesion strength of the dry toner to the base material after the transfer step. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the dry toner transferred to the base material in the transfer step from moving away from the base material or moving within the base material.

  Further, in the method for producing a printed material according to the present invention, in the adhesion strength improving step, the dry toner is heated to a temperature higher than the glass transition of the binder resin and lower than the melting point by using a heating means that is not in contact with the substrate. Therefore, it is preferable to improve the adhesion strength of the dry toner to the substrate. Thus, in the adhesion strength improving step, the dry toner transferred to the base material is prevented from separating from the base material or moving in the base material, while the binder resin in the dry toner is changed later. It becomes easy to suppress the strong adhesion to the base material to the extent that the removal becomes difficult in the process.

  Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention, it is preferable that an electric field applied to the dry toner is generated by a constant current source in the flying process. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the amount of the dry toner transferred to the base material from fluctuating due to a change in the size of the gap between the dry toner and the base material in the flying process.

  Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention, the transfer step includes the placement step of placing the base material on the surface of the base material transport unit, and the base material transport unit to set the relative position of the base material to the charged body. It is preferable to further include a base material moving step to be moved, a first static elimination step for neutralizing the surface of the base material conveyance unit, and a second static elimination step for neutralizing the back surface of the base material conveyance unit.

  Thereby, it is possible to prevent the transfer of the dry toner to the base material in the flying process from being unstable due to the base material transport unit being charged.

  Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a method for producing a printed material according to the present invention includes a step of producing a printed material by any one of the above-described methods, and a dyeing method for dyeing a substrate with a dye component in the dry toner. And a process.

  According to the method for producing a printed material according to the present invention, since the printed material is produced by any one of the above-described methods, the transferability when the dry toner is transferred to the substrate is improved.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a printing apparatus manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a printing apparatus manufacturing apparatus including a substrate on which a dye is printed, and a surface on which the substrate is disposed. A substrate transport unit having a charged body that electrostatically holds at least one dry toner containing a dye component and a binder resin, and a transfer unit that transfers the dry toner from the charged body to the substrate, The transfer unit includes an electric field applying unit that applies an electric field to the dry toner so that the dry toner is caused to fly from the charged body toward the substrate by an electric repulsive force.

  According to the apparatus for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention, the dry toner adhering to the charged body is separated from the charged body by an electric repulsive force by the electric field applying unit included in the transfer section, and is made to fly toward the substrate. be able to. Therefore, it is suppressed that the dry toner is hardly transferred to the base material due to the unevenness on the surface of the base material, as compared with the case where the transfer is performed by pressing the charged body against the base material. For this reason, the transferability when transferring the dry toner to the substrate is improved.

  Furthermore, in the apparatus for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention, the transfer unit is in a state where a gap is provided between the dry toner and the substrate, or the charged body does not press the dry toner against the substrate. In this state, it is preferable to apply the electric field to the dry toner.

  Furthermore, an apparatus for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention is an adhesion device that improves the adhesion strength of dry toner to a substrate, and is an adhesion device provided downstream in the conveyance direction by the substrate conveyance unit with respect to the transfer unit. It is preferable to further comprise. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the dry toner transferred to the base material by the transfer unit from being separated from the base material or moving in the base material.

  Furthermore, in the apparatus for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention, it is preferable that the adhering device heats the dry toner to a temperature not lower than the melting point and lower than the melting point of the binder resin without contacting the substrate.

  As a result, the binder resin in the dry toner is removed in a later step while suppressing the dry toner transferred to the substrate by the transfer unit from moving away from the substrate or moving in the substrate. It is easy to suppress the strong adhesion to the base material to the extent that it becomes difficult.

  Furthermore, in the apparatus for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention, it is preferable that the transfer unit has a constant current source and the electric field applied to the dry toner is generated by the constant current source.

  Thereby, it is possible to suppress a change in the size of the gap between the dry toner and the base material and a change in the amount of the dry toner transferred to the base material by the transfer unit.

  Furthermore, the apparatus for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention further includes a first static elimination device for neutralizing the surface of the base material transport unit and a second static elimination device for neutralizing the back surface of the base material transport unit. It is preferable.

  Thereby, it is possible to prevent the transfer of the dry toner to the base material from becoming unstable due to the base material being charged.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a printed product manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention includes any one of the above-described printed product manufacturing apparatus and a dyeing unit that dyes a substrate with a dye component in dry toner. And a dyeing part provided on the downstream side in the transport direction by the transport part of the base material with respect to the attachment device.

  According to the apparatus for manufacturing a printed material according to the present invention, since any one of the above-described apparatuses for manufacturing a printed material is provided, the transferability when the dry toner is transferred to the base material is improved.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the manufacturing method of a printed matter, the manufacturing method of a printed matter, the manufacturing apparatus of a printed matter, and the manufacture of a printed matter with good transferability when transferring a dry toner containing a dye to a substrate An apparatus is provided.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the manufacturing apparatus of the printed material which concerns on embodiment, and the manufacturing apparatus of printed material. It is a schematic diagram of the transfer part vicinity of the manufacturing apparatus of a printed material. It is a figure which shows the flowchart which shows the manufacturing method of the printed matter which concerns on embodiment, and the manufacturing method of printed matter.

  Hereinafter, a method for manufacturing a printed material, a method for manufacturing a printed material, a manufacturing device for a printed material, and a manufacturing device for a printed material according to the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements when possible. In addition, the dimensional ratios in the components in the drawings and between the components are arbitrary for easy viewing of the drawings.

  First, an apparatus for manufacturing a printed material and an apparatus for manufacturing a printed material according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an apparatus for manufacturing a printed material and an apparatus for manufacturing a printed material according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus manufacturing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment mainly includes a yellow image forming unit 3, a magenta image forming unit 5, a cyan image forming unit 7, a black image forming unit 9, an exposure unit 11, An intermediate transfer belt 13 as a charged body, a conveyance belt 15 as a substrate conveyance unit, a transfer unit 65, an adhesion device 85, a first static elimination device 81, and a second static elimination device 83 are provided.

  The printed product manufacturing apparatus 100 performs printing and printing by a four-color batch transfer method. Therefore, the printing apparatus manufacturing apparatus 100 includes four single-color image forming units, that is, a yellow image forming unit 3, a magenta image forming unit 5, a cyan image forming unit 7, and a black image forming unit 9.

  The yellow image forming unit 3, the magenta image forming unit 5, the cyan image forming unit 7, and the black image forming unit 9 are respectively a photoconductor 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K, and charging rollers 21Y, 21M, and 21C as charging devices. , 21K, developing devices 23Y, 23M, 23C, and 23K, cleaning devices 25Y, 25M, 25C, and 25K, and neutralizing rollers 27Y, 27M, 27C, and 27K as neutralizing devices.

  The photoconductors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K have, for example, cylindrical shapes, and can rotate in the rotation directions indicated by arrows R19Y, R19M, R19C, and R19K, with the central axis of the cylindrical shape as a rotation axis. The charging rollers 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K, the developing devices 23Y, 23M, 23C, and 23K, the cleaning devices 25Y, 25M, 25C, and 25K, and the neutralizing rollers 27Y, 27M, 27C, and 27K are respectively photoreceptors 19Y and 19M. , 19C and 19K are arranged in this order along the outer peripheral surface.

  The charging rollers 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K have a function of charging the outer peripheral surfaces of the photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K, respectively. The exposure unit 11 irradiates a predetermined area on the outer peripheral surface of each of the photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K with light. Each of the developing devices 23Y, 23M, 23C, and 23K holds dry toner containing a dye component and a binder resin. The developing devices 23Y, 23M, 23C, and 23K hold yellow dry toner, magenta dry toner, cyan dry toner, and black dry toner, respectively. A yellow dry toner contains a yellow dye component, a magenta dry toner contains a magenta dye component, a cyan dry toner contains a cyan dye component, and a black dry toner contains a black dye component. contains.

  The cleaning devices 25Y, 25M, 25C, and 25K have a function of cleaning the outer peripheral surfaces of the photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K, respectively. The neutralization rollers 27Y, 27M, 27C, and 27K have a function of neutralizing the outer peripheral surfaces of the photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K, respectively.

  The intermediate transfer belt 13 is wound around the two pulleys 33 and 35, the reverse bias transfer roller 61, and the holding rollers 51, 53 and 57, and is in contact with the cleaner 58 and the guide roller 59. The two pulleys 33 and 35 are rotated in the rotation directions indicated by arrows R33 and R35, respectively, by the driving device. As a result, the intermediate transfer belt 13 is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow D13.

  The photoconductors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K are provided so as to face the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 13 along the driving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 13, respectively. Further, the primary transfer rollers 37Y, 37M, 37C, and 37K face the back surface of the intermediate transfer belt 13 along the driving direction of the intermediate transfer belt 13, and are also photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, and 19C via the intermediate transfer belt 13. , 19K, respectively.

  The conveyor belt 15 is wound around two pulleys 71 and 73. The two pulleys 71 and 73 are rotated in the rotation directions indicated by arrows R71 and R73, respectively, by the driving device. Thereby, the conveyance belt 15 is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow D15. The thickness of the conveyance belt 15 can be set to 2 mm, for example.

  The printed material manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a cleaning unit 75, a drying unit 77, and an adhesive supply unit 79 provided along the driving direction of the transport belt 15. The cleaning unit 75 cleans the surface of the conveyor belt 15. The drying unit 77 dries the surface of the conveyor belt 15. The adhesive supply unit 79 supplies an adhesive such as pressure sensitive adhesive to the surface of the conveyor belt 15.

  After cleaning by the cleaning unit 75, the substrate 17 is fixed to the surface of the conveyance belt 15 that is dried by the drying unit 77 and supplied with the adhesive by the adhesive supply unit 79. Thereby, the base material 17 is conveyed in the direction which goes to the pulley 71 from the pulley 73, ie, the direction shown by arrow D17.

  A secondary transfer roller 63 is provided below the reverse bias transfer roller 61 with the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the conveyance belt 15 interposed therebetween. Therefore, the base material 17 conveyed by the conveyance belt 15 passes between the reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the secondary transfer roller 63, that is, between the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the secondary transfer roller 63. The reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the secondary transfer roller 63 constitute a part of the transfer unit 65. The reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the secondary transfer roller 63 are made of a conductive material such as metal.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the vicinity of the transfer portion of the printed material manufacturing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the base material 17 are separated in a state where the base material 17 is between the reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the secondary transfer roller 63. As will be described in detail later, dry toner particles 80 adhere to the intermediate transfer belt 13. In the state where the dry toner particles 80 are between the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the substrate 17, a gap G is formed between the dry toner particles 80 and the substrate 17.

  The size LG of the gap G depends on the distance between the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the conveyance belt 15 and the thickness of the substrate 17 and the size of the dry toner particles 80 between the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the conveyance belt 15. Subtracted value. Further, when the surface of the base material 17 is uneven, the surface unevenness of the base material 17 affects the size LG of the gap G as the base material 17 is transported.

  Further, the printed material manufacturing apparatus 100 adjusts the distance between the reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the secondary transfer roller 63 by moving at least one of the reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the secondary transfer roller 63. An adjusting device may be provided. With such an adjusting device, the size LG of the gap G can be adjusted.

  Further, in a state where the dry toner particles 80 are between the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the base material 17, the intermediate transfer belt 13 is dry-type even if no gap G is formed between the dry toner particles 80 and the base material 17. It is sufficient that the toner particles 80 are not pressed against the substrate 17. In other words, in a state where the dry toner particles 80 are between the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the base material 17, the dry toner particles 80 and the base material 17 may be in a non-pressure contact state or a non-contact state with each other.

  A constant current source 61E as a power source for supplying power to the reverse bias transfer roller 61 is electrically connected between the reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the ground. A constant current flows between the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the substrate 17 by the constant current source 61E. The reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the constant current source 61E constitute an electric field applying unit 62.

  As a result, an electric field is generated from the reverse bias transfer roller 61. This electric field is applied to a region between the reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the secondary transfer roller 63. Therefore, the reverse bias transfer roller 61 applies an electric field to the dry toner particles 80. The constant current source 61E is electrically connected to the reverse bias transfer roller 61 so that the electric field applies an electrical repulsive force to the dry toner particles 80. That is, for example, when the dry toner particles 80 are negatively charged, a positive voltage is applied to the reverse bias transfer roller 61 by the constant current source 61E.

  In addition, a constant current source 63E as a power source for supplying power to the secondary transfer roller 63 is electrically connected between the secondary transfer roller 63 and the ground. A constant current flows between the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the substrate 17 by the constant current source 63E. The secondary transfer roller 63 and the constant current source 63E constitute an electric field applying unit 64.

  As a result, an electric field is generated from the secondary transfer roller 63. This electric field is applied to a region between the reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the secondary transfer roller 63. The constant current source 63E is electrically connected to the secondary transfer roller 63 so that this electric field gives an electric attractive force to the dry toner particles 80. That is, for example, when the dry toner particles 80 are negatively charged, a positive voltage is applied to the secondary transfer roller 63 by the constant current source 63E. In the present embodiment, the electric field application unit 62 and the electric field application unit 64 form the transfer unit 65. The secondary transfer roller 63 may not be connected to a power source such as the constant current source 63E.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printed product manufacturing apparatus 100 further includes an adhesion device 85. The adhesion device 85 is provided on the downstream side of the transfer unit 65 in the conveyance direction of the substrate 17 by the conveyance belt 15. The attachment device 85 is preferably a non-contact heating device such as an infrared heater (preferably a far infrared heater).

  The printed product manufacturing apparatus 110 according to the present embodiment includes the printed product manufacturing apparatus 100 as described above, a dyeing unit 103, and a binder resin removing unit 105. The staining unit 103 is provided on the downstream side in the transport direction of the base material 17 by the transport belt 15 with respect to the attachment device 85. The binder resin removing unit 105 is provided downstream of the dyeing unit 103 in the conveyance direction of the base material 17 by the conveyance belt 15.

(Base material)
The substrate 17 of the present embodiment is an electrically insulating and dyeable material and has a smooth surface or a surface with unevenness. Examples of the base material 17 include fabric, paper, plastic film, and plastic sheet. The substrate 17 preferably has irregularities on the surface. When the base material 17 consists of a plastic film or a plastic sheet, the unevenness | corrugation may be formed in the surface of the base material 17 by embossing etc. FIG. The degree of unevenness on the surface of the substrate 17 is not particularly limited, but the ratio of the minimum thickness to the maximum thickness may be 50% or less, for example, the ratio is approximately 0% such as a mesh-like fabric It may be.

  The fabric used as the base material 17 in this embodiment is a natural or artificial knitted fabric, woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, or the like. Further, in the present embodiment, the fabric used as the base material 17 can be recognized as a fiber structure such as a braid including a string and a rope, a cotton-like high-barfusk, a sliver, a porous sponge, and felt in addition to the above. Including general.

  The fabric used as the base material 17 of this embodiment is, for example, natural fibers such as cotton, caboch, hemp, silk, wool, camel, mohair, cashmere, alpaca, and angora, such as polyamide fiber, polyaramid fiber, and polyester fiber. , Polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) fiber, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) fiber, polyacrylate fiber, polylactic acid fiber (PLA fiber) polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber, polyvinyl chloride fiber, polyethylene fiber, polyurethane fiber, Polyacrylic fiber, polypropylene (PP) fiber, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) fiber, benzoate fiber, polystyrene fiber, polytetrafluoroethylene fiber, polycyanide vinylidene fiber, polyetherester fiber, promi Synthetic fiber such as cox fiber, for example semi-synthetic fiber such as diacetate fiber, triacetate fiber, nitrocellulose fiber, for example, regenerated fiber such as rayon, cupra, soy protein fiber, milk protein fiber, such as glass fiber, basalt fiber , Wollastonite, silica / alumina fiber, zirconia fiber, boron fiber, boron nitride fiber, silicon nitride titanium calcium fiber, or any other inorganic fiber or a combination of two or more thereof. .

  As the yarn constituting the fabric used as the substrate 17 in the present embodiment, for example, monofilament, multifilament, staple fiber (sufu), tow, high bulk sufu, high bulk tow, spun yarn, blended yarn, processed yarn, false twisted yarn, Examples include irregular cross-section yarns, hollow yarns, conjugate yarns, POY (partially oriented yarns), DTY (draw-textured yarns), POY-DTY, and slivers.

  In addition, although the thickness of the fabric used as the base material 17 in this embodiment is not specifically limited, For example, it can be set as 0.1 mm-2.0 mm.

(Dry toner)
As described above, the dry toner held by the developing devices 23Y, 23M, 23C, and 23K in the present embodiment contains the dye component and the binder resin.

  Examples of the dye component used in the dry toner include disperse dyes and oil-soluble dyes. Among these disperse dyes, commercially available powder disperse dyes include those in which the purity of the dye component is contained in a proportion of 30% to 50% by weight based on the weight of the entire disperse dye, In some cases, salt and mirabilite are contained in large quantities. In the dry toner used in this embodiment, such other components are removed from the disperse dye, and the purity of the dye component is 80% by weight or more based on the total weight of the disperse dye after the other components are removed. It is preferable to use one prepared in advance so as to be contained in a proportion, or to use a disperse dye composed of a dye component alone. In the dry toner used in the exemplary embodiment, the content of the dye component can be arbitrarily set by those skilled in the art based on the weight of the toner.

  Examples of the binder resin used for the dry toner include a resin component known as an alkali-soluble resin or a water-soluble resin. More specific examples of the binder resin include water-soluble melamine resin, water-soluble rosin modified resin, water-soluble polyester resin, water-soluble acrylic resin, water-soluble epoxy resin, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethyleneimine, carboxymethyl cellulose, alginic acid. Examples include soda, collagen, gelatin, starch, chitosan, and combinations thereof. In the dry toner used in this embodiment, the content of the binder resin is, for example, 75% by weight to 90% by weight based on the weight of the dry toner.

  The dry toner may contain other components such as a charge control agent and wax. The wax is used to prevent offset to the above-described photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, 19C, 19K and the like. When the charge control agent is blended, a preferable blending amount is, for example, 0.2 wt% or more and 1 wt% or less based on the weight of the toner. When the wax is blended, a preferable blending amount is, for example, 0.1% by weight or more and 5% by weight or less based on the weight of the toner.

  Specifically, the dry toner used in the present embodiment can be prepared as follows, for example. Here, cyan dry toner will be described as an example. Water-soluble polyester resin (87.56 wt%), wax (4.61 wt%), negative charge control agent (0.46 wt%), and dye component (7.37 wt%: Color index disk) Perth Blue 60) was mixed and kneaded at a temperature of 50 ° C. After cooling this mixture, it was coarsely pulverized to a maximum of about 2 μm, further finely pulverized, and further classified to obtain a powder composed of particles having an average particle diameter of 5.8 to 6.3 μm. To 100% of this powder, silica or titanium fine powder was added at about 1% in order to prevent aggregation, and a cyan dry toner used in this embodiment was obtained.

  Next, a method for manufacturing a printed material and a method for manufacturing a printed material according to the present embodiment using the above-described printed material manufacturing apparatus and printed material manufacturing apparatus will be described in detail.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a printed material and a method for manufacturing a printed material according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the method for manufacturing a printed material according to the present embodiment, step S3 for manufacturing the printed material is performed. The step S3 for producing the printed material includes an adhesion step S31 for electrostatically attaching the dry toner to the charged body, a transfer step S33 for transferring the dry toner from the charged body to the substrate, and an adhesion of the dry toner to the substrate. And an adhesion strength improving step S5 for improving the strength.

  The transfer step S33 includes a first static elimination step S331 for neutralizing the surface of the substrate conveyance unit, a second static elimination step S333 for neutralizing the back surface of the substrate conveyance unit, and an arrangement in which the base material is disposed on the surface of the substrate conveyance unit. Step S334 and a flying step S335 for flying the dry toner from the charged body toward the substrate are included. According to the method for producing a printed product of the present embodiment, a printed product comprising a base material printed with a dye is obtained.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, in the method for manufacturing a printed product according to this embodiment, a process S3 for manufacturing a printed product, a dyeing process S5 for dyeing a substrate with a dye component, and a removal for removing the binder resin. Step S7 is performed. By the method for producing a printed product of this embodiment, a printed product comprising a substrate dyed with a dye component is obtained.

  Hereinafter, each of these steps will be described in detail.

(Process S3 for producing printed material)
As described above, the process S3 for manufacturing the printed material includes the adhesion process S31, the transfer process S33, and the adhesion strength improvement process S35.

(Adhesion process S31)
In this step, the dry toner particles 80 are electrostatically attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 as follows. In the present embodiment, dry toner particles 80 are electrostatically attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 by electrophotography as follows.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, while rotating the photoconductors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K, cleaning the photoconductors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K with the cleaning devices 25Y, 25M, 25C, and 25K, and the charge removing roller 27Y. , 27M, 27C, and 27K, the outer peripheral surfaces of the photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K are neutralized.

  Then, the outer peripheral surfaces of the photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K are charged by the charging rollers 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K. Subsequently, the exposure unit 11 exposes the photoconductors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K. That is, the exposure unit 11 irradiates light to predetermined locations on the outer peripheral surfaces of the photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K so that electrostatic latent images are formed on the photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K, respectively. To do. These electrostatic latent images correspond to patterns for printing and printing for each color.

  Next, the electrostatic latent image is developed with dry toner by attaching dry toner particles to the photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K by the developing devices 23Y, 23M, 23C, and 23K, respectively. The photoreceptor 19Y is developed with yellow dry toner particles, the photoreceptor 19M is developed with magenta dry toner particles, the photoreceptor 19C is developed with cyan dry toner particles, and the photoreceptor 19K is developed with black dry toner particles. Is done.

  Next, the dry toner attached to each of the photoreceptors 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K is electrostatically attached to the driven intermediate transfer belt 13. Specifically, the intermediate transfer belt 13 that has been cleaned by the cleaner 58 passes through the pulley 33, and the yellow image forming unit 3, the magenta image forming unit 5, the cyan image forming unit 7, and the black image forming unit 9. Are sequentially transported to a position immediately below.

  In the yellow image forming unit 3, the yellow dry toner particles developed on the photoreceptor 19Y are electrostatically attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 by the action of the primary transfer roller 37Y. Similarly, in the magenta image forming unit 5, the magenta dry toner particles developed on the photoconductor 19M are electrostatically attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 by the action of the primary transfer roller 37M, and in the cyan image forming unit 7. The cyan dry toner particles developed on the photoconductor 19C are electrostatically attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 by the action of the primary transfer roller 37C, and in the black image forming unit 9, the cyan dry toner particles are developed on the photoconductor 19K. The black dry toner particles are electrostatically attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 by the action of the primary transfer roller 37K.

  In this way, the intermediate transfer belt 13 electrostatically holds dry toner particles of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. Each held dry toner particle constitutes a full-color pattern corresponding to a pattern to be printed and printed.

(Transfer process S33)
Next, the transfer step S33 is performed. As described above, the transfer step S33 includes a first static elimination step S331, a second static elimination step S333, an arrangement step S334, and a flying step S335.

(First neutralization step S331 and second neutralization step S333)
In these steps, while the conveyor belt 15 is driven by the two pulleys 71 and 73, the surface of the conveyor belt 15 is neutralized by the first neutralization device 81, and the neutralization of the back surface of the conveyor belt 15 is performed by the second neutralization device 83. I do. As the 1st static elimination apparatus 81 and the 2nd static elimination apparatus 83, an alternating current type static elimination apparatus can be used, respectively.

  By performing the first charge eliminating step S331 and the second charge eliminating step S333 as described above, the transfer of the dry toner particles 80 to the base material 17 in the subsequent flying step S335 due to the fact that the conveying belt 15 is charged. Can be prevented from becoming unstable.

(Arrangement step S334)
In addition to these steps, cleaning by the cleaning unit 75, drying by the drying unit 77, and application of the adhesive by the adhesive supply unit 79 are performed on the transport belt 15. Thereafter, after the conveyance belt 15 is driven to pass through the pulley 73, the base material 17 is fixed to the surface. Then, by further driving the conveyance belt 15, the base material 17 is moved to the vicinity of the transfer unit 65, that is, between the reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the secondary transfer roller 63.

(Flying Step S335)
In this step, the dry toner particles 80 attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 in a predetermined shape are transferred to the base material 17 as described below.

  First, as shown in FIG. 2, first, the intermediate transfer belt 13 is driven to move the yellow, magenta, cyan, and black dry toner particles 80 held by the intermediate transfer belt 13 to the vicinity of the transfer portion 65.

  As described above, in the transfer unit 65, the gap G is formed between the dry toner particles 80 and the substrate 17 in a state where the dry toner particles 80 are between the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the substrate 17. ing. Further, as described above, the reverse bias transfer roller 61 of the transfer unit 65 applies an electric field to the dry toner particles 80 so as to apply an electrical repulsive force to the dry toner particles 80.

  As a result, the dry toner particles 80 attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 are separated from the intermediate transfer belt 13 by an electric repulsive force and fly toward the base material 17. Therefore, the dry toner particles 80 attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 in a predetermined shape are transferred to the base material 17.

  Further, as described above, the secondary transfer roller 63 of the transfer unit 65 applies an electric field to the dry toner particles 80 so as to apply an electric attractive force to the dry toner particles 80. For this reason, the dry toner particles 80 are also separated from the intermediate transfer belt 13 and fly toward the base material 17 by this attractive force, so that the base material 17 can fly efficiently. However, as described above, the secondary transfer roller 63 may not be connected to a power source such as the constant current source 63E. In this case, the dry toner particles 80 are separated from the intermediate transfer belt 13 and fly toward the base material 17 by an electric repulsive force caused by an electric field applied to the dry toner particles 80 by the reverse bias transfer roller 61.

(Adhesion strength improving step S35)
The substrate 17 to which the dry toner particles 80 are transferred is transported to the vicinity of the adhesion device 85 by the transport belt 15. Then, a process for improving the adhesion strength of the dry toner particles 80 to the base material 17 is performed by the adhesion device 85.

  As the attachment device 85, for example, a heating device that is not in contact with the substrate 17 such as an infrared heater (preferably a far infrared heater) can be used. Further, a hot plate can be used as the attaching device 85. In this case, this hot plate can be provided on the back surface of the substrate 17.

  The role of the adhering device 85 of this embodiment is that the dry toner particles 80 having a predetermined shape transferred onto the substrate 17 are strong enough not to be disturbed until the next dyeing step S5. It is attached to the base material 17. Therefore, it is not necessary to firmly fix the dry toner particles 80 to the base material 17. When a fabric is used as the base material 17, it is often important not to impair the texture of the fabric after printing. From this point, the binder resin contained in the dry toner particles 80 is an obstacle after dyeing. In many cases.

  Therefore, after the dyeing step S5, it is preferable that the binder resin can be easily removed by a binder removing step such as soaping. Therefore, in the attaching device 85, the dry toner particles 80 are completely melted and firmly fixed to the substrate 17. It is preferable to adhere to the base material 17 with moderate strength. Therefore, when a heating device that does not contact the substrate 17 such as a far infrared heater is used as the attachment device 85, the shape of the dry toner particles 80 is not significantly deformed and the dry toner particles 80 are not disturbed. It becomes easy to improve the adhesion to 17.

  In addition, in the adhesion strength improving step S35, the dry toner particles 80 are heated to a temperature not lower than the glass transition of the binder resin and lower than the melting point by using a heating means that is not in contact with the substrate 17, whereby the base of the dry toner particles 80 is obtained. It is preferable to improve the adhesion strength to the material 17.

  The binder resin heated to a temperature higher than the glass transition melts or becomes sticky while maintaining its original shape, and the adhesion strength to a substrate such as a fabric is improved. At that time, since the binder resin is not heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point, the dry toner particles 80 do not completely melt and enter between the fibers of the fabric. Therefore, it becomes easy to suppress the binder resin in the dry toner particles 80 from being strongly attached to the substrate 17 to the extent that it becomes difficult to remove in the subsequent step (removal step S7).

  Further, the attachment device 85 may be a device that sprays a solvent containing a solvent having a swelling action on the binder resin contained in the dry toner particles 80. By such solvent spraying, the dry toner particles 80 are dissolved or swelled while maintaining their original form to become sticky, and the adhesion strength to the substrate 17 such as a fabric is improved. Examples of such a solvent having a swelling action include ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate, and mixed solvents thereof.

  By performing the steps as described above, the step S3 for producing the printed material is completed, and the printed material 17A made of the substrate on which the dye is printed is produced.

  In the step S3 for producing a printed material, a pretreatment step for reducing or flattening the unevenness of the surface of the substrate to be printed and printed may be performed before the attaching step S31.

(Dyeing step S5)
The base material 17 on which the adhesion strength improving step S35 has been performed is transported to the vicinity of the dyeing unit 103 by the transport belt 15. Then, the dyeing unit 103 performs a process of dyeing the base material 17 with the dye component in the dry toner particles 80. As the dyeing unit 103, for example, an apparatus that applies superheated steam to the base material 17 can be used.

(Removal step S7)
The base material 17 subjected to the dyeing process is transported to the vicinity of the binder resin removing unit 105 by the transport belt 15. Then, the binder resin removing unit 105 performs a process for removing the binder resin in the dry toner particles 80. As the binder resin removing unit 105, for example, an apparatus that performs a soaping process such as cleaning with an alkaline aqueous solution in a bath (for example, a caustic soda aqueous solution prepared to a predetermined concentration) or cleaning with water can be used. When the binder resin is removed after dyeing, not only the texture of the finally obtained printed matter is improved, but also the friction fastness and washing resistance are excellent.

  If the binder resin may remain in the final printed product 17B, the removing step S7 can be omitted.

  The printed material 17B is manufactured by performing the above processes.

  According to the manufacturing method of the printed material 17A according to the present embodiment as described above, in the flying step S335, the dry toner particles 80 attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 are separated from the intermediate transfer belt 13 by an electric repulsive force. Then, it flies toward the base material 17 (see FIG. 2).

  Therefore, as compared with the case where the transfer is performed by pressing the intermediate transfer belt 13 against the base material 17, even if the surface 17 </ b> S of the base material 17 has irregularities, the dry toner particles 80 are caused by the irregularities. It is suppressed that transfer to 17 becomes difficult. Therefore, the transferability when the dry toner particles 80 are transferred to the substrate 17 is improved. Further, when the dry toner particles 80 and the base material 17 are in a non-pressure contact state in a state where the dry toner particles 80 are between the intermediate transfer belt 13 and the base material 17, the intermediate transfer belt 13 is attached to the base material 17. Compared with the case where the transfer is performed by pressing, it is suppressed that the dry toner particles 80 are hardly transferred to the base material 17 due to the unevenness of the surface 17S of the base material 17, so that the dry toner particles 80 Transferability when transferring to the material 17 is improved.

  In the present embodiment, in the flying step S335, an electric field applied to the dry toner particles 80 is generated by the constant current source 61E electrically connected to the reverse bias transfer roller 61 (see FIG. 2). . Thereby, in the flying process, even if the size LG of the gap G between the dry toner particles 80 and the base material 17 varies due to, for example, the unevenness of the surface 17S of the base material 17, the base material 17 Fluctuations in the amount of dry toner particles 80 transferred can be suppressed.

  Further, it is preferable that the current value passed between the reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the secondary transfer roller 63 by the constant current source 61E is 20 μA or more and less than 100 μA. This is because when the current value is 20 μA or more, the transfer of the dry toner particles 80 is favorably performed. When the current value is less than 100 μA, the transferred image of the dry toner particles 80 due to abnormal discharge is obtained. This is because it is possible to sufficiently suppress the disturbance.

  In addition, it is preferable that the current value passed between the reverse bias transfer roller 61 and the secondary transfer roller 63 by the constant current source 63E is 30 μA or more and less than 100 μA. This is because when the current value is 30 μA or more, the transfer of the dry toner particles 80 is favorably performed. When the current value is less than 100 μA, the transferred image of the dry toner particles 80 due to abnormal discharge is obtained. This is because it is possible to sufficiently suppress the disturbance.

  The size LG of the gap G is preferably 0.1 mm or more and 0.6 mm or less. If the size LG is 0.1 mm or more, it is possible to sufficiently prevent the dry toner particles 80 from being easily transferred to the base material 17 due to the unevenness of the surface 17S of the base material 17. If the size LG is 0.6 mm or less, the transfer rate of the dry toner particles 80 from the intermediate transfer belt 13 to the substrate 17 can be sufficiently increased.

  In the present embodiment, in the flying step S335, an electric field applied to the dry toner particles 80 is generated by a constant current source 63E electrically connected to the secondary transfer roller 63 (see FIG. 2). . Thereby, in the flying process, even if the size LG of the gap G between the dry toner particles 80 and the base material 17 varies due to, for example, the unevenness of the surface 17S of the base material 17, the base material 17 Fluctuations in the amount of dry toner particles 80 transferred can be suppressed.

  However, a power source other than the constant current source, for example, a constant voltage source may be electrically connected to the reverse bias transfer roller 61. Even in such a case, if the dry toner particles 80 are electrically repulsive by the electric field applied to the dry toner particles 80 by the reverse bias transfer roller 61, the effect of the present embodiment is exhibited. Similarly, a power source other than the current source, for example, a constant voltage source may be electrically connected to the secondary transfer roller 63. Even in such a case, it is preferable that the dry toner particles 80 receive an electric attractive force by the electric field applied to the dry toner particles 80 by the secondary transfer roller 63.

  Further, according to the method for manufacturing a printed material according to the present embodiment as described above, since the printed material 17A is manufactured by the method as described above, when the dry toner particles 80 are transferred to the substrate 17, Transferability is improved.

  In addition, according to the printed material manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment as described above, the electric field application unit 62 included in the transfer unit 65 causes the dry toner particles 80 attached to the intermediate transfer belt 13 to be electrically repulsive. Can be separated from the intermediate transfer belt 13 and fly toward the substrate 17 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, compared to the case where the transfer is performed by pressing the intermediate transfer belt 13 against the base material 17, it is difficult for the dry toner particles 80 to be transferred to the base material 17 due to the unevenness of the surface 17 </ b> S of the base material 17. It is suppressed (see FIG. 2). Therefore, the transferability when the dry toner particles 80 are transferred to the substrate 17 is improved.

  Furthermore, the printed fabric manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is an adhesion device 85 that improves the adhesion strength of the dry toner particles 80 to the base material 17, and is based on the conveyance belt 15 of the base material 17 rather than the transfer unit 65. An attachment device 85 is further provided on the downstream side in the transport direction (see FIG. 1). Thereby, it is possible to prevent the dry toner particles 80 transferred to the base material 17 by the transfer unit 65 from being separated from the base material 17 or moving in the base material 17.

  In the apparatus 100 for manufacturing a printed material according to the present embodiment, the adhesion device 85 can heat the dry toner particles 80 to a temperature not less than the glass transition of the binder resin and less than the melting point in a state of non-contact with the base material 17. preferable.

  Accordingly, the binder in the dry toner particles 80 is suppressed while the dry toner particles 80 transferred to the base material 17 by the transfer unit 65 are prevented from moving away from the base material 17 or moving in the base material 17. It becomes easy to suppress the resin from adhering to the base material 17 to such an extent that it becomes difficult to remove the resin in a later step (removal step S7).

  Furthermore, in the printed fabric manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, the transfer unit 65 includes a constant current source 61E, and the constant current source 61E generates an electric field applied to the dry toner particles 80 ( (See FIG. 2). Thereby, for example, even if the size LG of the gap G between the dry toner particles 80 and the base material 17 varies due to the unevenness of the surface 17S of the base material 17, the dry type transferred to the base material 17 is transferred. Fluctuations in the amount of toner particles 80 can be suppressed.

Furthermore, the printed fabric manufacturing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a first static elimination device for neutralizing the surface of the base material transport unit and a second static elimination device for neutralizing the back surface of the base material transport unit. It has more. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the transfer of the dry toner particles 80 to the base material 17 from being unstable due to the base material 17 being charged.
Further, according to the printed material manufacturing apparatus 110 according to the present embodiment as described above, since the printed material manufacturing apparatus 100 is provided as described above, when the dry toner particles 80 are transferred to the substrate 17. Improves the transferability.

  13 ... Intermediate transfer belt (charged body), 15 ... Conveying belt (substrate conveying unit), 17 ... Base material, 17A ... Printed matter, 17B ... Printed matter, 65 ... Transfer part, S3 ... Process for producing printed material, S31 ... Adhesion process, S33 ... Transfer process, S331 ... First static elimination process, S333 ... Second static elimination process, S335 ... -Flight process, S35 ... Adhesion strength improvement process, S5 ... Dyeing process, S7 ... Removal process.

Claims (14)

A method for producing a printed material comprising a substrate printed with a dye,
An attachment step of electrostatically attaching at least one dry toner containing a dye component and a binder resin to a charged body;
A transfer step of transferring the dry toner from the charged body to the substrate;
With
The transfer step includes
A flying step of causing the dry toner to fly from the charged body toward the substrate by applying an electric field to the dry toner so that the dry toner attached to the charged body receives an electrical repulsive force; A method characterized by.   In the flying step, the electric field is applied to the dry toner in a state where a gap is provided between the dry toner and the substrate, or in a state where the charged body does not press the dry toner against the substrate. The method according to claim 1, wherein: is applied.   The method according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesion strength improving step of improving the adhesion strength of the dry toner to the substrate after the transfer step.   In the adhesion strength improving step, the dry toner is applied to the base of the dry toner by heating the dry toner to a temperature not less than the glass transition of the binder resin and lower than the melting point by using a heating means that is not in contact with the base. The method according to claim 3, wherein adhesion strength is improved.   5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the flying step, the electric field applied to the dry toner is generated by a constant current source. The transfer step includes
An arrangement step of arranging the base material on the surface of the base material transport unit;
A first static elimination step for neutralizing the surface of the substrate transport unit;
A second charge eliminating step for removing charges on the back surface of the substrate transport section;
The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A step of producing the printed material by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A dyeing step of dyeing the substrate with the dye component in the dry toner;
A method for producing a printed product, comprising: An apparatus for producing a printed material comprising a base material printed with a dye,
A substrate transport unit having a surface on which the substrate is disposed;
A charged body that electrostatically holds at least one dry toner containing a dye component and a binder resin;
A transfer unit for transferring the dry toner from the charged body to the substrate;
With
The transfer unit includes an electric field applying unit that applies an electric field to the dry toner so that the dry toner is caused to fly from the charged body toward the substrate by an electric repulsive force.   The transfer unit is configured to apply the electric field to the dry toner in a state where a gap is provided between the dry toner and the substrate, or in a state where the charged body does not press the dry toner against the substrate. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:   The adhesion device for improving the adhesion strength of the dry toner to the base material, further comprising the adhesion device provided on the downstream side in the transport direction by the base material transport unit with respect to the transfer unit. Item 10. The apparatus according to Item 8 or 9.   11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the adhesion apparatus heats the dry toner to a temperature not lower than the melting point and lower than the melting point of the binder resin in a non-contact state with the base material.   The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the transfer unit includes a constant current source and generates the electric field applied to the dry toner by the constant current source. A first static elimination device for neutralizing the surface of the substrate transport unit;
A second static elimination device for neutralizing the back surface of the substrate transport unit;
The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: An apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 13;
A dyeing part for dyeing the base material with the dye component in the dry toner, the dyeing part provided on the downstream side in the transport direction of the base material by the transport part from the attachment device;
An apparatus for producing a printed product, comprising:

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