JP2019188705A - Thermal transfer sheet roll body, thermal transfer print apparatus and media roll body for thermal transfer - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a thermal transfer sheet roll body having a high anti-blocking property.SOLUTION: A thermal transfer sheet roll body is obtained by bonding, onto a shaft core, one end in a longer direction of a thermal transfer sheet 10 having a substrate and a pigmented layer formed on the substrate and then wrapping the thermal transfer sheet 10 around the shaft core. The thermal transfer sheet 10 changes its specification in a middle in the longer direction. From the other end in the longer direction of the thermal transfer sheet 10, 50-95% of the total length of the thermal transfer sheet 10 is a first thermal transfer sheet 10A of a first specification, and a part on a side closer to the one end in comparison to the first thermal transfer sheet 10A is a second thermal transfer sheet 10B of a second specification different from the first specification.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermal transfer sheet roll body, a thermal transfer printing apparatus, and a thermal transfer media roll body.

  Conventionally, using a thermal transfer sheet in which a coloring layer in which a colorant such as a pigment or dye is dispersed in wax or resin is supported on a substrate such as a plastic film, depending on image information from a heating device such as a thermal head There is known a hot-melt transfer method in which a colored layer is transferred onto a transfer target such as paper or a plastic sheet by applying a large amount of energy. A printed image formed by the hot melt transfer method has high density and excellent sharpness, and is suitable for recording binary images such as characters and line drawings.

  The thermal transfer sheet is manufactured in a long band shape, and is stored in the state of a roll body in which one end side in the longitudinal direction is bonded to the shaft core and the heat transfer sheet is wound around the shaft core. When such a thermal transfer sheet roll is stored for a long period of time, blocking may occur in which the thermal transfer sheets are fixed to each other depending on conditions such as temperature and humidity. In particular, blocking was likely to occur on the winding core (inner circumference) side to which higher pressure was applied than on the outer winding (outer circumference) side.

Japanese Patent No. 3122488 Japanese Patent No. 5839064 JP-A-2005-144852 Japanese Patent No. 5770209 Japanese Patent No. 5817394 JP-A-6-262867

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal transfer sheet roll body having high blocking resistance and a thermal transfer printing apparatus using the thermal transfer sheet roll body. Another object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer media roll body having at least two different specifications.

  The thermal transfer sheet roll body according to the present invention includes a base material, a colored layer, and an adhesive layer in this order. One end in the longitudinal direction of the thermal transfer sheet is joined to an axis, and the thermal transfer sheet is wound around the axis. In the roll body, the specifications of the thermal transfer sheet change in the longitudinal direction.

  In one aspect of the present invention, 50% or more and 95% or less of the total length of the thermal transfer sheet from the other end in the longitudinal direction of the thermal transfer sheet is the first thermal transfer sheet of the first specification, from the first thermal transfer sheet portion. The one end side is a second thermal transfer sheet having a second specification different from the first specification.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the glass transition temperature of the binder resin contained in the outermost layer of the second thermal transfer sheet is more than the glass transition temperature of the binder resin contained in the outermost layer of the first thermal transfer sheet. Is expensive.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the glass transition temperature of the binder resin contained in the outermost layer of the second thermal transfer sheet is 50 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the thermal transfer sheet further includes a release layer between the base material and the colored layer, and the release layer of the second thermal transfer sheet is thicker than the release layer of the first thermal transfer sheet. Thin.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the thermal transfer sheet further includes a back layer on the side of the substrate on which the colored layer is not provided, and the back layer of the second thermal transfer sheet contains a silicone-modified resin.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the thermal transfer sheet has a thickness of 5.0 μm or more and 10 μm or less.

  In one aspect of the present invention, ends in the longitudinal direction of the first thermal transfer sheet and the second thermal transfer sheet are joined with a joining tape.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a mark is provided at a location where the specification of the thermal transfer sheet changes or at the other side in the longitudinal direction.

  A thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a thermal head and a platen roll. The thermal transfer sheet fed from the thermal transfer sheet roll body according to claim 9 and an image receiving sheet are overlapped to form the thermal head and the platen. A thermal transfer printing apparatus for conveying an image to a roll and heating the thermal transfer sheet by the thermal head to transfer a colored layer onto the image receiving sheet to form an image, provided on the thermal transfer sheet roll A sensor for reading the mark is provided, and the printing condition is controlled by detecting that the specification of the thermal transfer sheet is switched from the reading result of the sensor.

  The thermal transfer media roll body according to the present invention is a thermal transfer media roll body in which a long belt-like thermal transfer medium is wound, and the specifications of the thermal transfer medium change in the middle in the longitudinal direction.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the thermal transfer sheet roll body which has high blocking resistance can be provided.

It is a top view of the thermal transfer sheet concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the thermal transfer sheet roll body according to the embodiment. It is the III-III sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the thermal transfer printing apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal transfer sheet 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a long belt shape, and the specifications are different in the middle of the longitudinal direction. Here, the specifications are the material constituting the thermal transfer sheet 10, the thickness of any of the laminated layers, and the difference in specifications will be described later. For example, one end of the first thermal transfer sheet 10A having the first specification and one end of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B having the second specification different from the first specification are joined by the joining tape 11.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the other end of the second thermal transfer sheet 10 </ b> B is joined to the shaft core 12, and the thermal transfer sheet 10 is wound around the shaft core 12 to form a thermal transfer sheet roll body 20. In the thermal transfer sheet roll body 20, the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is positioned on the winding core side (inner peripheral side), and the second thermal transfer sheet 10A is positioned on the outer winding side (outer peripheral side).

  The length of the first thermal transfer sheet 10A is preferably 50% to 95% of the total length of the thermal transfer sheet 10, and more preferably 70% to 95%.

  When the thermal transfer sheet 10 having a thickness of 6 μm and a total length of 600 m is wound around the shaft core 12 having a diameter of 33.5 mm, the radial thickness d2 of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is 8 as the radial thickness D of the entire thermal transfer sheet 10. % Or more and 59% or less, more preferably 8% or more and 39% or less.

  Next, the layer configuration of the thermal transfer sheet 10 will be described with reference to FIG. Since the first thermal transfer sheet 10A and the second thermal transfer sheet 10B have the same layer configuration, the cross section of the first thermal transfer sheet 10A along the line III-III in FIG. .

  The thermal transfer sheet 10 includes a base material 1 and a colored layer 2 provided on the base material 1. The thermal transfer sheet 10 may further include an adhesive layer 3 on the colored layer 2. The thermal transfer sheet 10 may include a release layer 4 between the substrate 1 and the colored layer 2. Furthermore, the thermal transfer sheet 10 may include a back layer 5 on the surface opposite to the surface on which the colored layer 2 of the substrate 1 is provided. The thickness of the thermal transfer sheet 10 is preferably 5.0 μm or more and 10 μm or less. Hereinafter, each layer of the thermal transfer sheet 10 will be described.

(Base material)
The substrate 1 may be any material as long as it has a conventionally known heat resistance and strength. For example, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, a 1,4-polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate film, a polyethylene naphthalate. Phthalate (PEN) film, polyphenylene sulfide film, polystyrene (PS) film, polypropylene (PP) film, polysulfone film, aramid film, polycarbonate film, polyvinyl alcohol film, cellophane, cellulose derivatives such as cellulose acetate, polyethylene (PE) film And resin films such as a polyvinyl chloride film, a nylon film, a polyimide film, and an ionomer film.

  The base material may be subjected to a surface treatment in order to improve adhesion with an adjacent layer. As the surface treatment, known resin surface modification techniques such as corona discharge treatment, flame treatment, ozone treatment, ultraviolet treatment, radiation treatment, roughening treatment, chemical treatment, plasma treatment, grafting treatment, etc. should be applied. Can do. Only one type of surface treatment may be performed, or two or more types may be performed.

  Among the surface treatments described above, corona treatment or plasma treatment is preferred because of its low cost. Moreover, the base material may be provided with an undercoat layer (primer layer) on one surface or both surfaces thereof as necessary. The primer treatment can be performed, for example, by applying a primer solution to an unstretched film at the time of film formation by melt extrusion of a plastic film and then stretching the film. Moreover, it is also possible to apply and form a primer layer (adhesive layer) between the base material and the above-described heat-resistant slip layer. The primer layer is made of, for example, polyester, polyacrylate ester, polyvinyl acetate, polyurethane, styrene acrylate resin, polyacrylamide, polyamide, polyether, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylidene chloride, etc. It can be formed using a vinyl resin, polyvinyl acetal such as polyvinyl acetoacetal or polyvinyl butyral, a cellulose resin, or the like.

  The thickness of a base material is not specifically limited, It is preferable that they are 2 micrometers or more and 25 micrometers or less, and it is more preferable that they are 3 micrometers or more and 10 micrometers or less.

(Colored layer)
The colored layer 2 includes a colorant and a binder resin. As the colorant, carbon black, an inorganic pigment, an organic pigment, and a dye can be appropriately selected and used according to a required color tone. For example, when the thermal transfer sheet of the present invention is used for barcode printing, a colorant that has a particularly sufficient black density and does not discolor or fade due to light, heat, or the like is preferable, for example, carbon black such as lamp black, Examples thereof include graphite and nigrosine dye. When the thermal transfer sheet of the present invention is used for color printing, other chromatic dyes or pigments are used. Further, when the thermal transfer sheet of the present invention is used for white printing, titanium oxide, calcium carbonate, or the like is used.

  Content of the coloring agent in a colored layer is not specifically limited, For example, it can be 10 mass% or more and 60 mass% or less.

  Examples of the binder resin include polyester, polyamide, polyolefin, vinyl resin, (meth) acrylic resin, polyimide, polystyrene, and cellulose resin.

  Content of binder resin in a colored layer is not specifically limited, For example, it can be 30 mass% or more and 80 mass% or less.

  The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the binder resin in the colored layer (the main resin having a resin ratio of 50% or more when containing two or more resins) is preferably 20 ° C. or higher and 90 ° C. or lower. 40 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower is more preferable. By setting the glass transition temperature of the binder resin contained in the colored layer within the above numerical range, it is possible to improve the blocking resistance while improving the transferability of the thermal transfer sheet. The glass transition temperature can be determined by DSC (inspection scanning calorimetry) in accordance with JIS K 7121 (2012).

  When the difference in specifications between the first thermal transfer sheet 10A and the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is the glass transition temperature of the binder resin in the colored layer 2 located on the outermost layer, it is included in the colored layer 2 of the first thermal transfer sheet 10A. The glass transition temperature of the binder resin contained in the colored layer 2 of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is made higher than the glass transition temperature of the binder resin. In this case, the glass transition temperature of the binder resin included in the colored layer 2 of the first thermal transfer sheet 10A is preferably 40 ° C. or higher and 70 ° C. or lower. The glass transition temperature of the binder resin contained in the colored layer 2 of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is preferably 50 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower. By setting the glass transition temperature of the binder resin within the above numerical range, the blocking resistance can be improved.

  The outermost layer is a layer located farthest from the base material 1 among the layers including the colored layer 2 laminated on the surface of the base material 1 on which the colored layer 2 is provided. The outermost layer is a layer that comes into contact with the transfer object during the thermal transfer process.

  In one embodiment, the colored layer may contain additives such as a wax, a filler, a plasticizer, an antistatic agent, and an ultraviolet absorber.

  Examples of the wax include natural waxes such as beeswax, spermaceti, wood wax, rice bran wax, carnauba wax, candelilla wax and montan wax, paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, synthetic wax such as oxide wax, ester wax and polyethylene wax, Etc.

  The thickness of a colored layer is not specifically limited, For example, it can be 0.3 micrometer or more and 3.0 micrometers or less.

  The colored layer is prepared by dissolving the above materials in a suitable solvent or water such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, xylene, etc., as a coating solution for the colored layer, and using this as a gravure coater, roll coater, wire bar, etc. It can form by apply | coating on a base material by the usual appropriate printing method of this, and the apply | coating method, and then drying by heating to the temperature of 30 to 80 degreeC.

(Adhesive layer)
The adhesive layer 3 is a layer provided on the colored layer 2 as desired. The adhesive layer includes a binder resin. Examples of the binder resin include polyester, polyamide, polyolefin, vinyl resin, (meth) acrylic resin, polyimide, polystyrene, and cellulose resin.

  The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the binder resin in the adhesive layer (main resin having a resin ratio of 50% or more when containing two or more resins) is preferably 20 ° C. or higher and 90 ° C. or lower. 40 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower is more preferable.

  When the difference in specifications between the first thermal transfer sheet 10A and the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is the glass transition temperature of the binder resin in the adhesive layer 3 located on the outermost layer, the binder contained in the layer 2 of the first thermal transfer sheet 10A The glass transition temperature of the binder resin contained in the colored layer 2 of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is made higher than the glass transition temperature of the resin. In this case, the glass transition temperature of the binder resin included in the colored layer 2 of the first thermal transfer sheet 10A is preferably 40 ° C. or higher and 70 ° C. or lower. The glass transition temperature of the binder resin contained in the colored layer 2 of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is preferably 50 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower. By setting the glass transition temperature of the binder resin within the above numerical range, the blocking resistance can be improved.

  The adhesive layer may contain additives such as waxes, fillers, plasticizers, antistatic agents, and ultraviolet absorbers.

  Examples of the wax include natural waxes such as beeswax, spermaceti, wood wax, rice bran wax, carnauba wax, candelilla wax and montan wax, paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, synthetic wax such as oxide wax, ester wax and polyethylene wax, Etc.

  The thickness of the adhesive layer is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, 0.3 μm or more and 2.0 μm or less.

  The adhesive layer is obtained by dispersing the above-mentioned material in water and applying it as a water-based adhesive layer coating liquid onto a substrate by a conventional appropriate printing method or coating method such as a gravure coater, roll coater, or wire bar. It is an aqueous coating film formed by coating and then drying by heating to a temperature of 30 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower. By forming the adhesive layer as a water-based coating film, the coating can be stably performed without damaging the lower colored layer.

(Peeling layer)
The release layer 4 is a layer that is disposed between the base material 1 and the colored layer 2 as desired, and is transferred onto the transfer medium together with the colored layer 2 and the like during thermal transfer.

  The release layer can comprise, for example, cellulose resin, vinyl resin, polyurethane, silicone resin, fluorine-based resin, silicone wax, fluorine-modified resin or wax. Examples of the wax include microcrystalline wax, carnauba wax, paraffin wax, Fischer-Tropsch wax, various low molecular weight polyethylenes, wood wax, beeswax, whale wax, ibota wax, wool wax, shellac wax, candelilla wax, petrolactam, some Modified wax, fatty acid ester, fatty acid amide and the like can be mentioned.

  The thickness of the release layer is preferably 0.2 μm or more and 2.0 μm or less. When the difference in specifications between the first thermal transfer sheet 10A and the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is the thickness of the release layer, the release layer of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is made thinner than the release layer of the first thermal transfer sheet 10A. In this case, the thickness of the release layer of the first thermal transfer sheet 10A is preferably 0.5 μm or more and 1.2 μm or less. The thickness of the release layer of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is preferably 0.2 μm or more and 1.0 μm or less.

  Blocking resistance can be improved by setting the thicknesses of the release layers of the first thermal transfer sheet 10A and the second thermal transfer sheet 10B to the above numerical ranges, respectively.

  The release layer is prepared by dissolving the above materials in an appropriate solvent such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, xylene or water as necessary, and using this as a release layer coating liquid, which is a gravure coater, roll coater, wire bar, etc. It can be formed by coating on a substrate by a conventional appropriate printing method or coating method, and then drying by heating to a temperature of 30 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower.

(Back layer)
The back surface layer 5 is provided as desired in order to prevent adverse effects such as sticking and wrinkles due to heating from the back surface side of the base material 1 (the side where the colored layer 2 of the base material 1 is not provided) during thermal transfer. Is a layer.

  By providing a back layer, it is possible to perform thermal transfer without causing sticking even in a thermal transfer sheet based on a plastic film that is inferior in heat resistance. Can take advantage of.

  The back layer can comprise a binder resin, and examples thereof include cellulose resin, vinyl resin, polyester, polyurethane, fluorine-modified polyurethane, and acrylic resin.

  When the difference in specifications between the first thermal transfer sheet 10A and the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is the inclusion of the back layer, the back layer of the first thermal transfer sheet 10A contains the above-described components, and the back surface of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B. The layer contains a Si compound. Examples of the Si compound include silicone-modified resins such as silicone-modified acrylic resins and silicone-modified urethane resins. The content of the Si compound in the back layer of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is preferably 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. By containing the Si compound in the back layer of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B, it is possible to improve the blocking resistance.

  In addition to the above-described components, the back layer may contain inorganic or organic fine particles for auxiliary adjustment of lubricity. Examples of the inorganic fine particles include clay minerals such as talc and kaolin, carbonates such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, hydroxides such as aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide, sulfates such as calcium sulfate, and oxides such as silica. Inorganic fine particles such as graphite, nitrate and boron nitride. Examples of the organic fine particles include organic resin fine particles made of acrylic resin, Teflon (registered trademark), silicone resin, lauroyl resin, phenol resin, acetal resin, polystyrene, nylon resin, or cross-linked resin fine particles obtained by reacting these with a cross-linking agent. Is mentioned. Of the above-described inorganic or organic fine particles, talc can be suitably used.

  The thickness of the back layer is preferably 0.03 μm or more and 1.0 μm or less, and more preferably 0.05 μm or more and 0.5 μm or less. By setting the thickness of the back layer within the above numerical range, adverse effects such as sticking and wrinkles can be prevented while maintaining heat transfer from the thermal head at a sufficient print density.

  The back layer is prepared by dissolving the above materials in a suitable solvent or water such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, xylene, etc., and using this as a back layer coating liquid, such as a gravure coater, roll coater, wire bar, etc. It can form by apply | coating on a base material by a suitable printing method and the apply | coating method, and then drying by heating to the temperature of 30 to 110 degreeC.

(Other layers)
In the above embodiment, the thermal transfer sheet 10 may include a release layer between the substrate 1 and the release layer 4. The release layer is a layer that remains on the substrate 1 during thermal transfer. Further, the thermal transfer sheet 10 may include an intermediate layer that improves the adhesion between arbitrary layers.

  In the present invention, the thickness of each layer included in the thermal transfer sheet was measured using a resin embedding method. Specifically, after embedding a cut thermal transfer sheet (test piece) with an epoxy resin, a cut surface is formed in the thickness direction of the test piece by an ultrathin section method (cutting with a microtome and a diamond cutter), This cut surface was subjected to ion sputtering (E-1045, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, target: Pt, current: 15 mA, 10 seconds), and then a scanning electron microscope (S-4800TYPE I, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, acceleration). By using a voltage: 3.0 kv, an emission current: 10 μA, a working distance: 8 mm, a detector: Mix), a cross-sectional image of the test piece was obtained and measured from this image.

(Thermal transfer printing device)
As shown in FIG. 4, the thermal transfer sheet roll body 20 formed by winding the thermal transfer sheet 10 around the shaft core 12 joined to the other end of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B is loaded into the thermal transfer printing apparatus. The shaft core 12 is attached to the supply unit 103, and the winding shaft core joined to the other end of the first thermal transfer sheet 10 </ b> A (the front end of the thermal transfer sheet 10) is attached to the recovery unit 104. The thermal transfer sheet 10 fed from the supply unit 103 passes through the thermal head 102, is collected by the collection unit 104, and is wound on the winding shaft.

  The image receiving sheet 30 and the thermal transfer sheet 10 are sandwiched between the thermal head 101 and the platen roll 102, and the thermal transfer sheet 10 is heated to transfer the colored layer onto the image receiving sheet 30, thereby forming an image.

  A predetermined mark is printed on the joining tape 11 that joins the first thermal transfer sheet 10A and the second thermal transfer sheet 10B. The thermal transfer printing apparatus detects that the specification of the thermal transfer sheet is switched by reading the mark printed on the bonding tape 11 with the sensor 105, and controls printing conditions (heating temperature, printing speed, etc.).

  You may provide the mark which shows that the specification of a thermal transfer sheet switches to the front end side rather than the joining tape 11. FIG. For example, when the bonding tape has low heat resistance, the heating temperature of the thermal head 101 at the bonding tape portion can be suppressed by detecting the mark in advance.

  The mark may indicate information regarding the specifications of the second thermal transfer sheet 10B.

  Rather than joining the two thermal transfer sheets, the first thermal transfer sheet 10A and the second thermal transfer sheet 10B, one side (front end side) of one base material has the first specification material configuration and the other side (rear side) The end side) may be a material configuration of the second specification. In this case as well, it is preferable to provide a mark that serves as a mark for switching the specification at a location where the specification is switched or at the tip side of the portion.

  The location where the specification is switched in the middle of the thermal transfer sheet 10 in the longitudinal direction is not limited to one location, and may be two or more locations.

  On one surface of the substrate 1, the colored layer 2 (or a transfer layer including the colored layer) and the other layer may be provided in the surface order in the longitudinal direction of the thermal transfer sheet 10. For example, a colored layer and a protective layer may be provided on one surface of the substrate 1 in the surface order. Further, instead of the protective layer or together with the protective layer, a color material layer of each color may be provided in the surface order with the colored layer (or the transfer layer including the colored layer). For example, any one or all of a yellow color material layer containing a yellow sublimation dye, a magenta color material layer containing a magenta sublimation dye, a cyan color material layer containing a cyan sublimation dye, A colored layer (or a transfer layer including a colored layer) and a surface sequential layer can be provided.

  When the first thermal transfer sheet 10A and the second thermal transfer sheet 10B have different colored layer configurations, the protective layer configurations may be the same or different. When the adhesive layer is provided on the colored layer, the configuration of the adhesive layer may be different between the first thermal transfer sheet 10A and the second thermal transfer sheet 10B, or the configuration of the colored layer may be different. The structures of both the colored layer and the adhesive layer may be different.

  Further, the first thermal transfer sheet 10 </ b> A and the second thermal transfer sheet 10 </ b> B may have the same color layer and adhesive layer configurations and different protective layer configurations. Similarly, the protective layer transfer sheet in which the coloring layer is omitted may be a roll body by winding a sheet whose specifications are changed in the middle of the longitudinal direction.

  Similarly, an image receiving sheet having a base material and a receiving layer provided on the surface side of the base material may be rolled up by changing the specification in the middle of the longitudinal direction. For example, specifications regarding the receiving layer of the image receiving sheet and the heat insulating layer provided between the base material and the receiving layer are changed on the way.

  Similarly, the intermediate transfer medium in which the receiving layer is detachably provided on the base material may be rolled up by changing the specification in the middle of the longitudinal direction. For example, specifications regarding the receiving layer or the release layer of the intermediate transfer medium are changed on the way. In this way, for a long belt-like thermal transfer medium used in a thermal transfer printer such as a thermal transfer sheet, a protective layer transfer sheet, an image receiving sheet, an intermediate transfer medium, etc. A roll body can be used to improve the blocking resistance.

  EXAMPLES Next, although an Example is given and this invention is demonstrated still in detail, this invention is not limited to these Examples. In addition, unless otherwise indicated, a part or% is a mass reference | standard.

[Example 1]
Preparation of the first thermal transfer sheet 4.5 μm thickness of the easy-adhesion-treated PET film base sheet on one side of the coating composition for the back layer having the following composition so that the thickness after drying becomes 0.3 μm The back layer was formed by applying and drying.
<Back layer coating liquid>
・ Styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer 11 parts ・ Linear saturated polyester 0.3 part ・ Stearyl phosphate 6 parts ・ Melamine resin powder 3 parts ・ Methyl ethyl ketone 80 parts

Next, a part of the surface of the base sheet opposite to the side where the back layer is provided is coated with a release layer coating liquid having the following composition so that the thickness after drying is 0.6 μm and dried. Thus, a release layer was formed.
<Coating liquid for release layer>
・ Carnauba wax 100 parts ・ Water 450 parts ・ IPA 450 parts

On the release layer formed as described above, a colored layer coating solution having the following composition was applied and dried so that the thickness after drying was 0.4 μm, thereby forming a colored layer. The compounding ratio (A: B) of the high molecular weight polyester (A) and the low molecular weight polyester (B) was 1: 1.
<Coloring layer coating solution>
・ Carbon black 33.4 parts ・ Polyester A (Mn: 17000, Tg: 67 ° C.) 33.3 parts ・ Polyester B (Mn: 3000, Tg: 53 ° C.) 33.3 parts ・ Toluene 450 parts ・ Methyl ethyl ketone 450 parts

On the colored layer formed as described above, an adhesive layer coating solution having the following composition is applied and dried to a thickness of 0.3 μm to form an adhesive layer, and the first thermal transfer A sheet was produced.
<Coating liquid for adhesive layer>
・ Polyester (Mn: 20000, Tg: 40 ° C.) 100 parts ・ Water 450 parts ・ IPA 450 parts

Preparation of the second thermal transfer sheet 4.5 μm thickness of the easy-adhesion-treated PET film base sheet on one side of the coating composition for the back layer having the following composition so that the thickness after drying becomes 0.1 μm The back layer was formed by applying and drying.
<Back layer coating liquid>
・ Acrylic modified silicone 10 parts ・ Methyl ethyl ketone 20 parts ・ Toluene 20 parts

Next, a part of the surface of the base sheet opposite to the side where the back layer is provided is coated with a release layer coating liquid having the following composition so that the thickness after drying is 0.3 μm, and then dried. Thus, a release layer was formed.
<Coating liquid for release layer>
・ Carnauba wax 100 parts ・ Water 450 parts ・ IPA 450 parts

On the release layer formed as described above, a colored layer coating solution having the following composition was applied and dried so that the thickness after drying was 0.4 μm, thereby forming a colored layer. The compounding ratio (A: B) of the high molecular weight polyester (A) and the low molecular weight polyester (B) was 1: 1.
<Coloring layer coating solution>
・ Carbon black 33.4 parts ・ Polyester A (Mn: 17000, Tg: 67 ° C.) 33.3 parts ・ Polyester B (Mn: 3000, Tg: 53 ° C.) 33.3 parts ・ Toluene 450 parts ・ Methyl ethyl ketone 450 parts

On the colored layer formed as described above, an adhesive layer coating solution having the following composition is applied and dried so that the thickness after drying is 0.3 μm to form an adhesive layer, and the second thermal transfer A sheet was produced.
<Coating liquid for adhesive layer>
・ Polyester (Mn: 20000, Tg: 67 ° C.) 100 parts ・ Water 450 parts ・ IPA 450 parts

Production of thermal transfer sheet roll body One end of the first thermal transfer sheet of 540 m and one end of the second thermal transfer sheet of 60 m are joined with a tape to connect the first thermal transfer sheet and the second thermal transfer sheet to a total length of 600 m. A thermal transfer sheet was prepared. The end portion on the second thermal transfer sheet side was joined to a paper tube having a diameter of 33.5 mm, and the connected body of the first thermal transfer sheet and the second thermal transfer sheet was wound around the paper tube to produce a thermal transfer sheet roll. The winding tension at the beginning of winding was set to 60 N, the winding tension was gradually lowered along with winding, and the winding tension at the end of winding was set to 40 N.

[Example 2]
A thermal transfer sheet roll was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the back layer of the second thermal transfer sheet was the same as the back layer of the first thermal transfer sheet.

[Comparative Example 1]
A thermal transfer sheet roll was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 using only the 600 m first thermal transfer sheet.

  The thermal transfer sheet rolls obtained in the examples and comparative examples were evaluated by the following tests. The evaluation results of each test are as shown in Table 1.

<< Blocking resistance >>
Two thermal transfer sheet rolls obtained in the examples and comparative examples were prepared, one was left in an atmosphere of 45 ° C. and 85% humidity for 48 hours, and the other was an atmosphere of 50 ° C. and 85% humidity. It was left still for 48 hours. After standing, the thermal transfer sheet was peeled off, and the presence or absence of blocking was evaluated. The evaluation criteria were as follows.
(Evaluation criteria)
○: No problem.
X: Blocking occurs.

<< Printer transferability >>
Using the thermal transfer sheet rolls obtained in the examples and comparative examples, picket barcodes with white PET labels (72825, Avery Co.) as the transfer target were changed with a Zebra140Xi4 printer (printing speed 6IPS) while changing the printing energy. Is printed.

  Evaluation is performed using a barcode checker (Quick Check 850, Honeywell), and the minimum print energy at which the evaluation result of the barcode checker is A determination or B determination is determined for each of the first thermal transfer sheet and the second thermal transfer sheet. confirmed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base material 2 Colored layer 3 Adhesive layer 4 Release layer 5 Back layer 10 Thermal transfer sheet

Claims (11)

A thermal transfer sheet roll body in which one end in a longitudinal direction of a thermal transfer sheet provided with a substrate and a colored layer provided on the substrate is joined to an axial core, and the thermal transfer sheet is wound around the axial core,
The thermal transfer sheet roll body is characterized in that the specifications of the thermal transfer sheet change in the middle of the longitudinal direction.   50% or more and 95% or less of the total length of the thermal transfer sheet from the other end in the longitudinal direction of the thermal transfer sheet is the first thermal transfer sheet of the first specification, and the one end side of the first thermal transfer sheet portion is the first thermal transfer sheet. The thermal transfer sheet roll body according to claim 1, wherein the thermal transfer sheet roll body is a second thermal transfer sheet having a second specification different from the specification.   The glass transition temperature of the binder resin contained in the outermost layer of the second thermal transfer sheet is higher than the glass transition temperature of the binder resin contained in the outermost layer of the first thermal transfer sheet. The thermal transfer sheet roll body according to claim 2.   3. The thermal transfer sheet roll body according to claim 2, wherein the glass transition temperature of the binder resin contained in the outermost layer of the second thermal transfer sheet is 50 ° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower. The thermal transfer sheet further comprises a release layer between the substrate and the colored layer,
5. The thermal transfer sheet roll according to claim 2, wherein the release layer of the second thermal transfer sheet is thinner than the release layer of the first thermal transfer sheet. The thermal transfer sheet further comprises a back layer on the side of the substrate where the colored layer is not provided,
The thermal transfer sheet roll body according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a back layer of the second thermal transfer sheet contains a silicone-modified resin.   The thermal transfer sheet roll according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a thickness of the thermal transfer sheet is 5.0 µm or more and 10 µm or less.   The thermal transfer sheet roll body according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein ends of the first thermal transfer sheet and the second thermal transfer sheet in the longitudinal direction are bonded to each other with a bonding tape.   The thermal transfer sheet roll body according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a mark is provided at a location where the specification of the thermal transfer sheet changes or on the other side in the longitudinal direction. A thermal head and a platen roll are provided, and the thermal transfer sheet fed from the thermal transfer sheet roll body according to claim 9 and the image receiving sheet are overlapped to convey between the thermal head and the platen roll. A thermal transfer printing apparatus in which the thermal head heats the thermal transfer sheet and transfers a colored layer onto the image receiving sheet to form an image,
A sensor for reading the mark provided on the thermal transfer sheet roll;
A thermal transfer printing apparatus that detects that the specification of the thermal transfer sheet is switched from a reading result of the sensor and controls printing conditions. It is a media roll body for thermal transfer in which a long belt-shaped thermal transfer medium is wound,
The thermal transfer media roll body is characterized in that the specifications of the thermal transfer media change in the middle of the longitudinal direction.

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