JP2014213517A - Water pressure transfer film and water pressure transfer method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water pressure transfer film requiring no complex mechanism for positioning when a pattern is printed on a surface of a transfer object body by a water pressure transfer method, applicable to many-kind, small-lot production, and capable of reducing wrinkles and strain of the water pressure transfer film, and the water pressure transfer method using the same.SOLUTION: A water pressure transfer film includes a support sheet made of water-soluble or water-expandable resin, an ink receiving layer with which one surface of the support sheet is coated and which absorbs a solvent of solvent-based ink jet ink, and a pattern formed on the ink receiving layer by absorbing the ink jet ink, and the support sheet is provided with an outward shape restriction member which restricts the outward shape of the support sheet.

Description

  The present invention relates to a hydraulic transfer method in which a design is imparted by transferring a pattern layer to a molded article having a three-dimensional surface or a curved surface with unevenness.

  Conventionally, a hydraulic transfer method is known as a method of forming a printed pattern by transfer printing on the surface of a molded body having a three-dimensional surface with unevenness. For example, such a hydraulic transfer method is described in Patent Document 1 and the like.

  Until now, in the production of a hydraulic transfer film used in the hydraulic transfer method, there is a method of forming a pattern layer on a water-soluble or water-swellable film such as a polyvinyl alcohol film as a support by printing means such as gravure printing. It was general. However, with the recent increase in demand for production of various kinds of small lots, for example, a method of forming a picture layer by an ink jet method as shown in Patent Document 2 has attracted attention.

  Further, with the diversification of user needs, there is an increasing demand for so-called positioning transfer that applies a predetermined pattern to a predetermined portion of an object. To enable this, for example, Patent Document 3 discloses. There has been proposed a method for correcting the transfer position by detecting the deviation between the transferred work and the film on the water surface.

Japanese Patent No. 2757346 (registered on March 13, 1998) Japanese Patent No. 395748 (registered on May 11, 2007) JP 2008-213428 A (published September 18, 2008)

  However, in conventional gravure printing, the support of the transfer film has water-soluble or water-swellable properties, so the film itself expands due to the influence of water, and the pattern itself stretches and deforms. In some cases, the pattern was not correctly transferred to the position to be transferred.

  In addition, when a pattern layer is formed by a conventional ink jet method as shown in Patent Document 2, polyvinyl, which is a support, is used because of the viscosity, surface tension, solid content concentration, drying speed, and the like of the ink used in the ink jet method. It is difficult to form an image layer by landing ink directly on an alcohol film.

  Further, in the positioning method disclosed in Patent Document 3, a detection mechanism for positioning is required, and the apparatus becomes complicated. Furthermore, since the hydraulic transfer film itself is an extremely thin film, when the film is moved during handling or positioning, the end of the film may be wrinkled or the film itself may be distorted.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a complicated mechanism for positioning, such as an alignment camera mechanism, when a pattern is printed on the surface of an object to be transferred by a hydraulic transfer method. It is an object of the present invention to provide a hydraulic transfer film that can be used for multi-product small-lot production and can reduce wrinkles and distortion of the hydraulic transfer film, and a hydraulic transfer method using the same.

  The hydraulic transfer film according to the present invention includes a support sheet made of a water-soluble or water-swellable resin, an ink receiving layer that is coated on one side of the support sheet and absorbs the solvent of the solvent-based inkjet ink, and the ink The receiving layer is provided with a pattern formed by absorbing the inkjet ink, and the support sheet is provided with a regulating member that regulates the outer shape of the support sheet.

  The restricting member may be made of an oil-absorbing material.

  The hydraulic transfer method according to the present invention is characterized in that a pattern is transferred to a transfer target using any one of the hydraulic transfer films described above.

  Further, it may include a positioning step of performing positioning by moving the hydraulic transfer film to a positioning member for positioning the pattern to be transferred to the transfer target and contacting the regulating member with the positioning member.

  The positioning step may be performed on the hydraulic transfer film using any one of a pressing mechanism, water flow, wind pressure, and magnetic force.

  According to the present invention, a complicated mechanism for positioning, such as an alignment camera mechanism, is not required when printing a pattern on the surface of a transfer object by a hydraulic transfer method, and it can also be used for multi-product small lot production. In addition, it is possible to realize a water pressure transfer film that can reduce wrinkles and distortion of the water pressure transfer film and a water pressure transfer method using the water pressure transfer film.

1 is a schematic view of a hydraulic transfer film according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a conceptual diagram which inkjet-prints to the original hydraulic pressure transfer film 11. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of a hydraulic transfer film. It is a figure explaining the method to cut | disconnect the outer periphery of the hydraulic transfer film. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the to-be-transferred object 80 and the hydraulic transfer film 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the transcription | transfer process using the hydraulic transfer film. It is a figure which shows this invention and a comparative example. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the to-be-transferred object 80 and the hydraulic transfer film 1a. It is the schematic which shows the method of making the hydraulic transfer film 1 contact | abut to a positioning reference | standard part.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals. The following embodiment is an example embodying the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a hydraulic transfer film according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the hydraulic transfer film 1 of the present invention comprises a support sheet 10 made of a water-soluble or water-swellable sheet, an ink receiving layer 20, and a picture layer 30. The picture layer 30 comprises a picture 31 and a frame. It consists of printing 32.

  The support sheet 10 may be a water-soluble or water-swellable sheet. For example, a resin such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, dextrin, gelatin, glue, sodium alginate, hydroxyethyl cellulose, acetylbutyl cellulose is formed into a sheet. Used. The thickness of the support sheet 10 is preferably 10 to 100 μm. In the present embodiment, a sheet made of polyvinyl alcohol resin having a thickness of 30 μm is used.

  The ink receiving layer 20 is a layer for absorbing the ink solvent, and is formed by applying a coating solution obtained by dissolving an acrylic resin in a non-aqueous solvent on the support sheet 10 and evaporating the non-aqueous solvent. To do. Then, an arbitrary pattern is drawn using an ink jet ink made of an ink solvent suitable for the ink receiving layer 20 and having various color pigments dispersed therein, thereby obtaining a hydraulic transfer film with the pattern. By forming the pattern layer by the ink jet method, it is possible to deal with a variety of small lot production.

  Since the support sheet 10 itself has water solubility or water expandability, when the hydraulic transfer film 1 is immersed in water, the support sheet 10 expands due to the influence of water. Here, by using a water-insoluble solvent as the ink receiving layer 20 of the ink-jet ink, it is hardly affected by water and is not softened or deformed. For this reason, compared with the pattern film by the conventional gravure printing, there exists a merit that wrinkles and distortion of the hydraulic transfer film 1 are suppressed, and it is easy to hold | maintain a printing shape.

  Examples of the acrylic resin used in the ink receiving layer 20 include poly (meth) acrylate, poly (meth) butyl acrylate, (meth) methyl acrylate- (meth) butyl acrylate copolymer, (meth). One kind alone or a mixture of two or more kinds such as methyl acrylate- (meth) acrylate 2-hydroxyethyl copolymer is used. In this embodiment, a copolymer of butyl acrylate and methyl (meth) acrylate is used.

  Non-aqueous solvents for dissolving acrylic resins include monohydric alcohols such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, propyl alcohol, and butyl alcohol, polyhydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and glycerin, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and methyl isobutyl. Ketones, ketones such as cyclohexanone, ethyl ether, isopropyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-methyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-ethyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-butyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-methyl ether, diethylene glycol mono-ethyl ether , Ethers such as diethylene glycol mono-butyl ether, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, ethylene glycol mono-ethyl ether Acetate, ethylene acetate, mono, butyl ether, acetate, diethylene glycol, mono, methyl ether, acetate, diethylene glycol, mono, ethyl ether, acetate, diethylene glycol, mono, butyl ether, acetate, pentane, hexane, heptane, Aromatic hydrocarbons such as octane, benzene, toluene, xylene, cyclohexane, and ethylbenzene are used alone or as a mixed solvent. In this embodiment, ethyl acetate is used as the main component (main solvent) of the non-aqueous solvent.

  As a result of our study, water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol is suitable as the support sheet 10 in terms of transfer stability. And as a resin component, by using a coating solution using a copolymer of butyl acrylate and methyl (meth) acrylate and using ethyl acetate as a solvent, a thin film having a thickness of several μm is formed on the surface of water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol. Even a layer coat was preferable because a stable coat was possible.

  In addition, as a method of applying a coating solution obtained by dissolving an acrylic resin in a non-aqueous solvent on the support sheet 10, coating means such as gravure coating, roll coating, die coating, and bar coating can be used. Since the body sheet 10 is generally packaged in a roll shape, a treatment method called roll-to-roll is suitable, and a coating means such as gravure coating, roll coating, die coating or the like is preferable.

  The ink receiving layer 20 used for other applications generally has a thickness of 10 to 30 μm. However, in the hydraulic transfer film 1, the thickness of the ink receiving layer 20 is required to achieve both printability and transferability. It is desirable that it is 2-7 micrometers. If the amount of ink is 2 μm or less, if the amount of ink is large, cracks occur in the entire thickness of the ink receiving layer and transfer quality deteriorates. On the other hand, if it is 7 μm or more, there is a high possibility of wrinkling during transfer. In order to further reduce the generation of wrinkles during transfer, the thickness of the ink receiving layer 20 is desirably in the range of 2 to 5 μm.

  In addition, after coating the coating liquid on the support sheet 10, the ink receiving layer 20 is formed by heating and drying with a drying means such as an oven. In the transfer step, it is preferable that the heating temperature is 40 to 80 ° C. and the heating time is 1 to 10 minutes so that the time for softening, dissolution and swelling after landing does not change. In this embodiment, it is dried by heating in an oven at 80 ° C. for 1 minute.

  From the viewpoint of printability, a weight average molecular weight of 50,000 or more is preferable, and a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or more, which decreases the landing diameter in order to increase the resolution of the pattern layer 30, is more preferable. Coating becomes difficult. For this reason, when handling is considered, a weight average molecular weight of 500,000 or less that gives a viscosity of 1 Pa · s or less is more preferable.

(Inkjet ink)
The non-aqueous inkjet ink composition according to the present invention includes at least a pigment, a dispersant for dispersing the pigment, a resin, and a solvent. Hereinafter, each component will be described.

<Pigment>
The pigment used in the non-aqueous inkjet ink composition is not particularly limited, and an inorganic pigment or an organic pigment can be appropriately selected.

  Inorganic pigments include carbon black, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, iron oxide, kaolinite, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, silica, alumina, brown, chrome vermilion, chrome lead, chrome yellow, cadmium yellow, titanium yellow, and chrome oxide. , Cobalt green, cobalt blue, ultramarine, and bitumen.

  Organic pigments include monoazo pigments, diazo pigments, diazo condensation pigments, azomethine pigments and other azo pigments, isoindolinone pigments, isoindoline pigments, quinophthalone pigments, anthraquinone pigments, quinacridone pigments, imidazolone pigments, benzimidazolone pigments, and perinone pigments. Perylene pigments, indigo pigments, thioindigo pigments, oxazine pigments, dioxazine pigments, polycyclic pigments such as phthalocyanine pigments, and the like.

  Specifically, for example, Pigment Yellow 1, 3, 12, 13, 14, 17, 34, 35, 37, 42, 53, 65, 74, 81, 83, 93, 94, 95, 110, 111, 128 129, 138, 150, 151, 153, 154, 155, 157, 175, 180, Pigment Blue 15, 15: 1, 15: 3, 15: 4, 15: 6, 17: 1, 27, 29, 60 Pigment Green 7, 36, Pigment Red 5, 17, 22, 48: 1, 48: 2, 48: 3, 48: 4, 49: 1, 53: 1, 57: 1, 101, 112, 122, 146 177, 178, 179, 185, 202, 254, 255, Pigment Violet, 19, 23, 50, Pigment Orange 13, 16, Pigment Black 7, Pigment White , And the like 18 and 21. These pigments can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  The average primary particle diameter of the pigment after the dispersion treatment is preferably 50 to 200 nm, more preferably 60 to 150 nm in consideration of dispersibility and dischargeability. When the average primary particle diameter of the pigment is smaller than the above range, the cohesiveness increases or the color developability deteriorates. On the other hand, if it is larger than the above range, nozzle clogging is likely to occur, and the discharge performance becomes unstable.

  The blending amount of the pigment in the ink composition is preferably 1 to 15% by weight, and more preferably 2 to 10% by weight. When the amount of the pigment is less than the above range, the color developability deteriorates and only a light color can be expressed. Conversely, when it exceeds the above range, the viscosity stability of the ink composition itself deteriorates and the ink quality is sufficiently maintained. It ’s gone.

  In order to effectively disperse these pigments in an organic solvent effectively with a pigment dispersant, it is better to have reactive functional groups (hydroxyl group, carboxy group, sulfonic acid group, etc.) on the surface of the pigment. The interaction with the pigment dispersant is preferably increased. Even if there is no reactive functional group, the reactive functional group can be introduced by performing surface treatment such as oxygen plasma treatment or UV irradiation treatment.

<Pigment dispersant>
As the pigment dispersant used in the composition of the non-aqueous inkjet ink, an ionic surfactant, an anionic or cationic polymer compound, or the like can be used. In particular, a polymer compound in which a basic functional group is contained in a molecular chain is preferable because it has a good adsorptivity on a pigment surface in an organic solvent and provides a stable dispersion effect.

  Specifically, as commercial products, Disperbyk-161, 162, 163, 166, 182, 183, 184, 185, 2000, 2050, 2150, manufactured by BYK Chemie, Ajinomoto Fine Techno Co., Ltd., Ajisper PB-821, 822, 881, Dispalon DA-703-50 manufactured by Enomoto Kasei Co., Ltd., and the like.

  The pigment dispersant must be appropriately selected according to the type of pigment and the type of organic solvent to be used. The blending amount of the pigment dispersant in the ink composition is preferably 10 to 100% by weight, more preferably 15 to 80% by weight with respect to the organic pigment, and preferably 0.5 to It is added at 8% by weight, more preferably 1 to 5% by weight. If it is smaller than the above range, the desired dispersion performance is not exhibited and the agglomeration property becomes high. Conversely, if it is larger than the above range, the viscosity becomes high and the discharge property becomes unstable or nozzle clogging occurs.

<Binder resin>
As the resin contained in the composition of the non-aqueous ink jet ink used in the present invention, both the restrictive condition required from the viewpoint of ink jet discharge and the restrictive condition required from the viewpoint of the drawing property on the hydraulic transfer film 1 are compatible. Is essential.

  With respect to the ejection performance, first, it must be in a viscosity range suitable for ejection corresponding to the ink jet apparatus, with little variation in ejection state and high stability over time. For this purpose, it is desirable that the resin has a molecular weight that is not too high and that has little variation in molecular structure and degree of polymerization.

  In order to improve the followability of the landing shape with respect to the extension behavior of the flexible ink receiving layer 20, it is important that the resin has a molecular weight that is not too high and has a high degree of freedom in molecular design. . In the case where an acrylic resin excellent in structural design is targeted as the flexible ink receiving layer 20, an acrylic resin is most preferable as the resin used in the present invention in consideration of the necessity of molecular design of the ink composition. .

The acrylic resin can be obtained by copolymerizing a single monomer or a plurality of monomers by known radical polymerization. Examples of the monomer include acrylic acid esters such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, isopropyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, methacrylic acid. And methacrylic acid esters such as isobutyl acid, cyclohexyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, lauryl methacrylate, and stearyl methacrylate.

  In addition, monomers having a functional group can also be used, for example, carboxyl group-containing monomers such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, and fumaric acid, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl acrylate, and the like. Hydroxyl group-containing acrylic acid ester, hydroxyl group-containing methacrylate ester such as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate, amide group-containing monomers such as acrylamide, methacrylamide, maleic acid amide, and fumaric acid amide, methacrylic acid And tertiary amino group-containing monomers such as dimethylaminoethyl and diethylaminoethyl methacrylate. These monomers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  The weight average molecular weight of the acrylic resin contained in the inkjet ink composition used in the present invention is preferably in the range of 5000 to 20000, and more preferably 7000 to 15000. When the weight average molecular weight of the acrylic resin contained in the inkjet ink composition is smaller than this range, the inkjet ink has no film forming property, color fixing property, and glossiness. On the other hand, if it is larger than the above range, nozzle clogging is likely to occur, and the discharge performance becomes unstable.

  The weight average molecular weight of the ink binder resin is desirably lower than the weight average molecular weight of the acrylic resin of the ink receiving layer 20. In the transfer process, the pattern layer 30 and the ink receiving layer 20 of the hydraulic transfer film 1 are softened by coating an activator made of an organic solvent. However, when the weight average molecular weight of the binder resin of the pattern layer 30 is higher than the weight average molecular weight of the acrylic resin of the ink receiving layer 20, the portion of the pattern layer 30 becomes difficult to be softened by the activator, and the pattern layer 30 This is because the activator is prevented from uniformly penetrating into the ink receiving layer 20 located below, and the difference in flexibility (rotation at the time of transfer) is increased from place to place due to the difference in pattern density. The organic solvent can be appropriately selected depending on the characteristics of the hydraulic transfer film.

  The amount of the acrylic resin in the ink jet ink composition is preferably in the range of 2 to 8% by weight. When the blending amount of the acrylic resin is less than this range, there is a problem that the shape retention force after landing on the ink receiving layer 20 is weak or the fixability of the pigment is deteriorated. The viscosity of the ink composition increases, and the ejection stability of the ink jet deteriorates.

  In addition to the acrylic resin, a small amount of ester resin, urethane resin, rosin resin, alkyd resin, styrene-acrylic resin, cellulosic resin, etc., is added as long as the discharge performance and drawing performance do not deteriorate. Thus, it is also possible to supplement characteristics such as the landing shape and color developability.

<Organic solvent>
The main solvent of the organic solvent contained in the non-aqueous ink jet ink composition of the present invention is capable of dissolving the above-mentioned pigment, a dispersant for dispersing the pigment, and an acrylic resin, and provides solution characteristics suitable for ink jet ejection. The resulting glycol ester and glycol ether solvents are preferred.

  Examples of the glycol ester solvent include ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether acetate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol Examples include propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate. Since the glycol ester solvent has good resin solubility, even an acrylic resin having a high molecular weight can be easily dissolved and dispersed uniformly, and the application range of the acrylic resin is expanded.

  Further, the glycol ester solvent is not only absorbed by the ink receiving layer 20 described above, but also has an effect of improving the adhesion between the binder resin in the ink and the ink receiving layer 20 by dissolving a part of the surface layer. Therefore, it is preferable that the solvent contains a glycol ester solvent. Among them, diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether acetate and propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate are preferable as those that stably disperse the binder resin and have a high adhesion effect with the ink receiving layer 20.

  Glycol ether solvents are often used as solvents for inkjet inks. This is because there are multiple solvents with different boiling points related to defects such as clogging of inkjet nozzles due to drying, and viscosity that is an index for stably ejecting fine droplets from the inkjet head, and their mixing property is good This is because a plurality of glycol ether solvents are often mixed together and blended into a shape in accordance with the characteristics of the inkjet head and the usage environment.

  A low boiling point solvent has a lower viscosity than a high boiling point solvent. Examples of the low boiling point glycol ether solvent that can contribute to the reduction in the viscosity of the entire ink composition include, for example, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (124 ° C.), ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (135 ° C.), ethylene glycol monoisopropyl ether ( 144 ° C), ethylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether (152 ° C), ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether (171 ° C), propylene glycol monomethyl ether (121 ° C), propylene glycol monoethyl ether (133 ° C), propylene glycol Mono-n-propyl ether (150 ° C.), propylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether (170 ° C.), dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether (171 ° C.), etc. The numerical value of the parentheses of showing the boiling point). Of these, propylene glycol monomethyl ether and propylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether are preferable.

  Examples of the glycol ether solvent that has a high boiling point and can slow down the drying property that causes nozzle clogging include diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (194 ° C.), diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (202 ° C.), diethylene glycol diethyl ether (189 ° C.), Diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether (230 ° C.), diethylene glycol butyl methyl ether (212 ° C.), diethylene glycol dibutyl ether (256 ° C.), triethylene glycol monomethyl ether (249 ° C.), triethylene glycol dimethyl ether (216 ° C.), triethylene glycol Monoethyl ether (256 ° C.), dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether (189 ° C.), dipropylene glycol-n-propyl Ether (212 ° C.), dipropylene glycol-n-butyl ether (229 ° C.), tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether (242 ° C.), tripropylene glycol dimethyl ether (215 ° C.), etc. Shows boiling point). Among these, when the ink receiving layer 20 is an acrylic resin, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether and diethylene glycol mono-n-butyl ether are preferable in terms of permeability to the ink receiving layer 20.

  In the present invention, by using such a glycol ether solvent alone or in combination, the inkjet ink sufficiently penetrates into the hydraulic transfer film 1 having the ink receiving layer 20 and is dissolved. The ink receiving layer 20 is not damaged. Therefore, the ink jet ink and the ink receiving layer 20 are compatible with each other, and even with a thin absorption layer, cracking and bleeding are unlikely to occur, and an ink jet ink suitable for printability and transferability as a subsequent process can be prepared. It becomes possible.

<Ink production method>
The non-aqueous ink jet ink composition of the present invention stirs and disperses the above-described material components using a dispersing machine such as a bead mill, a ball mill, a sand mill, an attritor, or a roll mill so that the viscosity becomes 3 to 10 mPa · s. It can be obtained by adjusting to The stirred and dispersed ink composition is filtered through a filter such as a membrane filter or a cartridge filter, and large particles are removed to obtain a target non-aqueous ink jet ink composition.

  Next, a method for performing inkjet printing on an unprinted raw hydraulic transfer film using the non-aqueous inkjet ink composition according to the present invention will be described. Ink jet printing is formed by ejecting fine droplets of an ink composition by an ink jet apparatus and landing on the ink receiving layer 20. As the ink jet device, various ink jet driving methods such as an electrostatic suction type, a piezoelectric method, and a bubble jet method can be adopted.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram in which inkjet printing is performed on an unprinted raw hydraulic transfer film 11. In the present embodiment, as described above, the raw hydraulic pressure transfer film 11 that is unprinted and wound in a roll shape on which the support sheet 10 and the ink receiving layer 20 are formed is used as a commercially available roll paper printer (for example, JV33 manufactured by Mimaki Engineering Co., Ltd.). ) To print. The unprinted raw water pressure transfer film 11 is first mounted on the unwinding roller 40, and is wound around the winding roller 42 via the intermediate roller 41. Between the unwinding roller 40 and the intermediate roller 41, ink droplets 51 of four colors of black, blue, red, and yellow are drawn according to image data from an inkjet head 50 that is previously mounted on the printer, and the raw water pressure The transfer film 11 is landed and colored on the ink receiving layer 20 side. After passing through the intermediate roller 41 and before being sequentially taken up by the take-up roller 42, the hot air generator 61 applies hot air 61 of 40 to 50 ° C. to the ink receiving layer 20 side, and the ink droplet 51 is dried. The

  FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a method for producing the hydraulic transfer film 1. First, as shown in FIG. 3A, the pattern 31 to be transferred to the transfer object and the relative positional relationship between the pattern 31 and the roll-shaped original hydraulic pressure transfer film 11 as shown in FIG. Each of the frame prints 32 is printed. This is obtained by creating both the pattern data and the frame data as print data and simultaneously printing on the raw water pressure transfer film 11 as is done with a normal ink jet printer. The frame printing 32 is preferably a dark color such as black, and a width of 0.5 mm or more with good visibility is desirable in consideration of cutting the film on the basis of this in a later step. In this embodiment, printing is performed with a width setting of 2 mm, and the size of the frame print 32 is an outer dimension 550 mm × 700 mm and an inner dimension 546 mm × 696 mm.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the roll-shaped hydraulic transfer film 1 on which the pattern 31 and the frame print 32 are printed is cut into a sheet film having a size slightly larger than the frame print 32, and the frame print is performed. A masking tape 70 made of Japanese paper and having a width of 18 mm is attached to the inside of 32 over four sides. The masking tape 70 is an outer shape regulating tape that regulates the outer shape of the sheet-fed film, and has a function of maintaining the shape and strength of the hydraulic transfer film. After sticking the masking tape, as shown in FIG. 3C, the unnecessary film on the outer periphery is cut with reference to the outside of the frame printing 32.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a method for cutting the outer periphery of the hydraulic transfer film 1.

  First, as shown in FIG. 4A, on the ink receiving layer 20 coated on one side of the support sheet 10, a black print with a width of 2 mm for defining the positional relationship with the pattern 31 together with the pattern 31. To print a frame in a rectangular shape.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, a masking tape 70 having a width of 18 mm is pasted directly above the frame print 32 so that a part of the mask print 32 protrudes to the outside of the frame print 32 (the right side in FIG. 4). To do. In the case of a rectangular hydraulic transfer film as shown in FIG. 3, this operation is performed on all four sides of the frame printing 32. Next, when the film is turned over so that the support sheet 10 is on the upper surface, since the support sheet 10 and the ink receiving layer 20 are translucent, the boundary between the frame printing 32 and the masking tape 70 can be visually confirmed. By cutting four sides along the outer dimensions of the frame print 32 (SS line in the figure), as shown in FIG. 4C, the outer peripheral edge of the masking tape 70 (SS line in the figure) Thus, a hydraulic transfer film in which the positional relationship of the pattern 31 is determined can be obtained.

  Alternatively, the masking tape 70 may be applied on the basis of the frame print 32, and the masking tape 70 and the hydraulic transfer film 1 may be cut as a unit on the masking tape offset from the frame print 32 by a certain width.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the frame printing 32 is printed in a linear shape so as to surround the pattern 31. However, the shape of the frame printing 32 is a pattern that can be used as a guide for cutting and removing the masking tape 70 after that. There is no particular limitation, and any method that does not use the frame printing 32 may be used as long as the masking tape 70 can be attached to the outer shape of the film.

  In the present embodiment, the masking tape 70 is pasted on the frame print 32 and a part of the masking tape 70 is cut and removed along the frame print 32. However, the present invention is not limited to this method. You may affix so that the edge part of the masking tape 70 may match along the outer periphery. In this case, the frame printing 32 is unnecessary, and it is not necessary to cut and remove the surroundings as described above.

  In this embodiment, the masking tape 70 is attached to all four sides based on the frame print 32, and cutting is performed to adjust the outer shape along the frame print 32, but at least in the direction in which positioning is desired. It is only necessary to perform the above-described operation for one side and determine the corresponding side, and it is not always necessary to perform the opposite side. However, in order to maintain the strength of the hydraulic transfer film 1 and reduce distortion and wrinkles, it is desirable to provide a masking tape 70 along the outer periphery.

  In addition, it is most preferable in terms of positioning accuracy that the end portion of the masking tape 70 and the end portion of the hydraulic transfer film 1 are aligned at the end of at least one side of the hydraulic transfer film 1, but a certain degree of positioning accuracy is acceptable. For example, even if the masking tape is attached on the basis of frame printing standards and the film is slightly left on the outer peripheral side, the film that has landed is weak in rigidity, so it shrinks due to the contact force in the positioning contact described later. However, positioning is possible.

  Next, the transfer process will be described. FIG. 5 is a view showing the relationship between the resin cabinet 80 as the transfer object 80 and the hydraulic transfer film 1 produced by the above method. Fig.5 (a) shows sectional drawing and FIG.5 (b) shows a top view. As shown in FIG. 5, the hydraulic transfer film 1 is printed with a pattern 31 that is slightly larger than the resin cabinet 80 and transferred to the resin cabinet 80.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a transfer process using the hydraulic transfer film 1 with the masking tape 70 attached. As shown in FIG. 6 (a), the hydraulic transfer film 1 floats on the water surface W with the image printed side facing up, and then the hydraulic transfer film 1 is indicated by an arrow A in the drawing using a general-purpose paint gun 110. While scanning as described above, an appropriate amount of an activator 111 made of an organic solvent and having a component that softens the ink receiving layer 20 and the hydraulic transfer film is applied.

  After the activator 111 is applied, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the positioning plate 120 in the X direction (left and right direction in the figure) and Y direction (in the depth direction in the figure) that is installed in advance in the transfer water tank that performs the transfer is used. Then, the hydraulic transfer film 1 is pressed in the direction of arrow B by a film slide mechanism (not shown), and positioning is performed so that the hydraulic transfer film 1 comes to a predetermined position in the transfer water tank. In FIG. 6B, the slide is performed in the left-right direction, but the same processing is performed in the depth direction. Here, since the masking tape 70 is adhered to the outer periphery of the hydraulic transfer film 1, wrinkles and distortions are generated in the hydraulic transfer film 1 even if a slight force is applied when pressed against the positioning plate 120. The hydraulic transfer film 1 can be brought into contact with the positioning plate 120 without being generated. Further, since the outer shape of the portion where the hydraulic transfer film 1 is in contact with the positioning plate 120 is regulated by the masking tape 70, the distance C between the pattern 31 and the positioning plate 120 is fixed, and the transfer position is stable. The pattern 31 is transferred to the resin cabinet 80.

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 6C, the resin cabinet 80 is hydraulically transferred by sliding the resin cabinet 80 in the direction of arrow D by a slide mechanism (not shown) whose movement position is determined with respect to the transfer water tank. By pressing against the pattern 31 of the film 1, the transfer of the pattern 31 to the resin cabinet 80 is completed.

  Thereafter, the water-soluble support sheet 10 remaining on the surface is washed away with water, dried in an oven, and then a general-purpose top coat is applied to complete a decorative transfer product.

  Here, the case where the hydraulic transfer film 7 printed by the conventional gravure method which does not have the ink receiving layer 20 was used as a comparative example was examined. FIG. 7A shows a state after the hydraulic transfer film 1 according to the present invention is floated on the water surface and the activator is applied. The hydraulic transfer film 1 was kept in a rectangular shape with an appropriate shape holding force. That is, since a water-insoluble solvent is used for the ink receiving layer 20 constituting the hydraulic transfer film 1, it is hardly affected by water or activator, and softening or deformation does not occur.

  On the other hand, FIG.7 (b) has shown the case of the hydraulic transfer film 9 printed by the conventional gravure method, and the hydraulic transfer film 9 expanded outside. Since the hydraulic transfer film 9 is composed only of a support sheet made of a water-soluble or water-swellable resin, it is assumed that the support sheet has expanded and deformed. For this reason, it turned out that it becomes impossible to pinpoint the position of the pattern 31 on the basis of the edge part of the masking tape 70 correctly.

  In addition, as the masking tape 70 used for this invention, the general purpose masking tape which apply | coated the adhesive material to the single side | surface using Japanese paper as a base material is suitable. Masking in the activator coating process when using a tape made of a polyimide film that does not absorb oil (such as Kapton tape manufactured by Nitto Denko) and a tape made of aluminum foil that also has no oil absorbing effect as masking tape The activator component accumulated on the tape may enter the vicinity of the boundary surface of the hydraulic transfer film on which the masking tape 70 is pasted, resulting in local changes in elongation, which may prevent good transfer.

  Moreover, in the conventional gravure-printed film having no ink receiving layer 20 as described above, the swelling of the hydraulic transfer film directly under the masking tape 70 is large only with the masking tape 70 made of Japanese paper, and after application of the activator. It is difficult to maintain the outer shape of the hydraulic transfer film, and even in the case of a tape that does not have an oil absorbing action, good results cannot be obtained due to the flow of the activator component accumulated on the tape. As in the present invention, by using the masking tape 70 having an oil absorbing action on the hydraulic transfer film 1 having the ink receiving layer 20, the activator component that has entered the masking tape 70 is gradually and moderately ink-filled. Absorbed by the receiving layer 20, the active agent accumulates on the masking tape 70 and does not cause a problem. In addition, since the activator is not supplied to the ink receiving layer 20 of the hydraulic transfer film 1 immediately below the masking tape as much as the center of the film where transfer is performed, the ink receiving layer 20 maintains sufficient strength to maintain the film shape. Therefore, positioning transfer can be performed using the end portion of the hydraulic transfer film 1 whose outer shape is regulated by the masking tape 70.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, Embodiment 2 will be described. In the present embodiment, the area 33 other than the pattern 31 is printed with a lighter print 33 than the pattern 31, and the rest is the same.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a relationship between a resin cabinet 80 as a transfer target and an ink-jet printed hydraulic transfer film 1a. Fig.8 (a) shows sectional drawing, FIG.8 (b) shows a top view. As shown in FIG. 8, a pattern 31 to be transferred to the resin cabinet 80 is printed on the hydraulic transfer film 1 a with a size slightly larger than the resin cabinet 80. A thin print 33 is printed in an area other than the picture 31. A frame print (not shown) is printed around the thin print 33.

  It should be noted that, as for the area other than the pattern 31 as in the present embodiment, by performing the printing 33 thinner than the pattern 31, the area where the pattern 31 is printed preferentially stretches and the pattern is distorted. There is an effect to suppress that. In general, the inkjet printed region is more likely to stretch when the activator is applied. This is considered to be caused by the fact that a minute crack is generated on the surface in the process of the ink soaking into the ink absorbing layer 20 and the elongation is promoted starting from the crack, and the ink absorbing layer 20 is provided. This is a phenomenon caused by the configuration. The micro cracks generated only on the surface are generated even when the amount of ink droplets is small, and naturally occur even in thin printing. From the viewpoint of suppressing unnecessary ink consumption, it is desirable to print at a density lower than that of the pattern 31, and it is more desirable to perform solid printing composed of a plurality of ink colors. In particular, when the ink absorbing layer 20 subjected to isocyanate crosslinking is used, this effect is remarkable.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, Embodiment 3 will be described. In the present embodiment, a method for bringing the hydraulic transfer film 1 into contact with the positioning reference portion will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing an example of a method of bringing the hydraulic transfer film 1 onto the water surface and applying the activator, and then contacting the positioning reference portion. The hydraulic transfer film 1 is floated on the water surface W. Indicates the state.

  As an example of the contact method, as shown in FIG. 9A, the hydraulic transfer film 1 cut into a rectangular shape is pressed against the two positioning plates 120a and 120b from the opposite side with a slide mechanism. 130a and 130b are slid to the positioning plates 120a and 120b, respectively, and the gap between the positioning plates 120a and 120b and the pressing mechanisms 130a and 130b is narrowed, so that the masking tape of the hydraulic transfer film 1 is placed on the two positioning plates 120a and 120b. The two end portions of 70 are brought into contact with each other. A transfer body slide mechanism (not shown) that mounts a transfer body and can move up and down (in the normal direction of the paper surface) has a positional relationship between the two positioning plates 120a and 120b. Since the position of the pattern 31 can be arbitrarily adjusted with respect to the end portion of the masking tape 70, it can be adjusted in advance so that the pattern 31 comes to a desired position of the transfer target.

  As another contact method, as shown in FIG. 9B, the hydraulic pressure transfer between two positioning plates 120c and 120d arranged substantially at right angles to the rectangular hydraulic pressure transfer film 1 is performed. The water flow 130c is continuously flowed from the intermediate angle direction so that the film 1 is accommodated, and the two positioning plate 120c and 120d are brought into contact with the two masking tape end portions of the hydraulic transfer film 1 by the force of the water flow. In this construction method, stable contact can be achieved by appropriately adjusting the water flow, and there is no need to provide a pressing mechanism.

  As another contact method, as shown in FIG. 9 (c), the hydraulic pressure previously cut into a shape to contact the positioning plates 120e and 120f between the two positioning plates 120e and 120f arranged at an acute angle. The transfer film 1b is guided by the wind pressure 130d, and the masking tape end portions 2 of the hydraulic transfer film 1 are brought into contact with the positioning plate by a float type pressing mechanism 130e that moves by the wind pressure.

  These contact methods are exemplifications, and the hydraulic transfer film can be moved and positioned by using other methods such as a magnet force. The film is not deformed under the influence of the activator or water, and has an appropriate strength, so that the film is not wrinkled or distorted.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when a pattern is printed on the surface of an object to be transferred by a hydraulic transfer method, a complicated mechanism for positioning, such as an alignment camera mechanism, is not required. It is possible to realize a water pressure transfer film that can cope with small-lot production and can reduce wrinkles and distortion of the water pressure transfer film, and a water pressure transfer method using the water pressure transfer film.

  The hydraulic transfer method according to the present invention can be suitably used for a hydraulic transfer method in which a design is imparted by transferring a pattern layer to a molded article having a three-dimensional surface or curved surface with unevenness.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hydraulic transfer film 10 Indicator sheet 20 Ink receiving layer 30 Picture layer 31 Picture 32 Frame printing 33 Thin printing 40 Unwinding roller 41 Intermediate roller 42 Take-up roller 50 Inkjet head 51 Ink droplet 60 Hot air generator 70 Masking tape 120, 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, 120e, 120f Positioning plate 130a, 130b, 130e Pushing mechanism 130c Water flow 130d Wind pressure

Claims (5)

A support sheet made of a water-soluble or water-swellable resin;
An ink receiving layer coated on one side of the support sheet and absorbing the solvent of the solvent-based inkjet ink;
Comprising a pattern formed by absorbing the ink-jet ink in the ink receiving layer;
The hydraulic transfer film, wherein the support sheet is provided with a regulating member that regulates an outer shape of the support sheet.   The hydraulic transfer film according to claim 1, wherein the regulating member is made of an oil-absorbing material.   A hydraulic transfer method, wherein the pattern is transferred to a transfer medium using the hydraulic transfer film according to claim 1.   The method includes a positioning step in which the hydraulic transfer film is moved to a positioning member for positioning a pattern to be transferred to the transfer body, and positioning is performed by bringing the regulating member into contact with the positioning member. Item 4. The hydraulic transfer method according to Item 3.   The hydraulic transfer method according to claim 4, wherein the positioning step is performed on the hydraulic transfer film using any one of a pressing mechanism, water flow, wind pressure, and magnetic force.