JPH04336294A - Image recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an image recording medium which shows a sharp and long-lasting image and at the same time, can be easily identified and free from forgery and alteration. CONSTITUTION:The subject image recording medium consists of a transparent protecting layer 4 formed on the surface of an image-receiving layer 1b of an image 2 containing character information and an image 3 containing gradation information formed on a support 1a and further, an ultra-violet beam- curable protecting layer provided on the surface of the transparent protecting layer 4. The ultraviolet beam-curable protecting layer 5 contains fine particles or a coloring agent, or has an uneven surface.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION The present invention relates to an image recording medium, and more particularly, it has a clear gradation image, high image durability, no risk of forgery or alteration, and is compatible with other cards.
This relates to information recording bodies that can be easily identified, such as driver's licenses and ID cards.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally, image recording bodies such as many ID cards such as identification cards, driver's licenses, membership cards, etc. have been used. ID cards usually include
There is a person's image for confirming the card holder and various written items. Since a person image is usually formed of a gradation image, it is called an image containing gradation information. For example, in an ID card, the various items listed include the person's address, name, date of birth, department, date of validity, etc., and in a driver's license, for example, the person's date of birth, name, etc. , license number, license type, etc. Since these written items are usually written in letters, numbers, symbols, etc., they are called images containing text information.

[0003] In recent years, ID cards have appeared in which images containing gradation information are formed by a sublimation type thermal transfer method because beautiful images can be easily formed. This sublimation thermal transfer method generally involves overlapping the image-receiving layer of an image-receiving sheet, which is formed by forming an image-receiving layer on a support, and the ink layer of an ink sheet, which has an ink layer containing a sublimable dye on the support. This refers to a method in which a sublimable dye is diffused and transferred to the image-receiving layer by image-wise heating, thereby forming an image containing gradation information, such as a human face image, in the image-receiving layer.

By the way, what is important about ID cards is that forgery and alteration of ID cards must be absolutely prevented. The reason why ID cards should not be forged or altered is so obvious that no explanation is necessary. Therefore, in ID cards, it is necessary to prevent forgery and alteration of the recorded information by some method.

[0005] In order to protect an image containing gradation information on an ID card and prevent its forgery and alteration, conventional methods have been used to
A method has been proposed in which a transparent sheet is laminated on the surface of a D card (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-180391). However, even if a transparent sheet is laminated onto an ID card having an image containing gradation information formed on the image-receiving layer by a sublimation thermal transfer method, the image-receiving layer itself is, for example, a thermoplastic resin sheet, and the transparent sheet is also made of thermoplastic resin. Since it is a sheet, the image-receiving layer and the transparent sheet can be easily peeled off, and after peeling off the transparent sheet, the image information or text information-containing area is cut out, the forged image or text information is cut out and then inserted, and then By laminating the ID card again with a transparent sheet, it is easy to forge an ID card. Therefore, by laminating transparent sheets, forgery and alteration cannot be completely prevented.

[0006] Due to the nature of ID cards, image information and character information must never be falsified. Furthermore, automobile licenses are issued only by certain public institutions, and must never be freely created or forged by any other than the above-mentioned public institutions. Under these circumstances, it is absolutely necessary to prevent forgery and alteration of driver's licenses. These IDs
Regarding various image recording media such as cards, counterfeiting and
The development of technology that can completely prevent falsification is now an important issue. The present invention has been made to improve the above situation.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording medium that prevents forgery or alteration of recorded information images, which is an important problem due to the nature of image recording bodies such as ID cards. The present inventors have discovered that providing an ultraviolet curable protective layer on an image recording medium is effective in preventing counterfeiting, and that by imparting characteristics to this ultraviolet curable protective layer, an even higher level of anti-counterfeiting effect can be obtained. I was able to find out.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The invention according to claim 1 for achieving the above object includes: a support; an image-receiving layer on which a character information-containing image and a gradation information-containing image are formed;
An image recording medium characterized in that a transparent protective layer and an ultraviolet curing protective layer containing fine particles are laminated in this order. An image recording body characterized in that an image receiving layer on which an image containing gradation information is formed, a transparent protective layer, and an ultraviolet curing protective layer containing a colorant are laminated in this order, The described invention comprises a support, an image-receiving layer on which an image containing character information and an image containing gradation information are formed, a transparent protective layer, and an ultraviolet curing protective layer having an uneven surface, which are laminated in this order. This is a distinctive image recording medium.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the image recording medium of the present invention. Note that the image recording medium of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, the image recording medium has a base material 1 formed by providing an image receiving layer 1b on one side of a support 1a. Then, on a predetermined surface of the image-receiving layer 1b, an image information containing gradation information 3 formed by a sublimation type thermal transfer method and a text information containing image 2 formed by a melting type thermal transfer method are formed. A transparent protective layer 4 is formed on the surface of the substrate 1, and an ultraviolet curing protective layer 5 is formed on the surface of the transparent protective layer 4 and the surface of the image receiving layer 1b excluding the transparent protective layer 4. A writing layer 6 is provided on the opposite surface.

The UV-curable protective layer 5 has an uneven surface, or contains fine particles or a coloring agent within the layer. Each component is described below. A. Substrate The substrate in the present invention is used to form at least an image containing gradation information by a sublimation thermal transfer method and an image containing character information by a melting thermal transfer method or a sublimation thermal transfer method when producing an image recording body. and has a certain strength, which can withstand being used as a card, for example
There is no particular restriction as long as it has mechanical strength such as rigidity.

When used as a card, a base material formed by laminating sheets made of the same or different materials may be used in order to maintain its mechanical strength. Furthermore, it is also possible to use a base material in which information common to other cards of the same type is printed on the visible layer, and
As a measure to prevent counterfeiting or falsification of the card itself, it is also possible to use a base material that has undergone special processing to prevent counterfeiting, such as watermarking, which can be confirmed by physical means.

[0012] A general structure of the base material includes a base material in which an image-receiving layer is laminated on a support. In this case, the image-receiving layer may be provided on one or both sides of the support, may be provided on the entire surface of the support, or may be provided only on a desired portion. Further, this image-receiving layer is a first layer prepared so as to be able to satisfactorily receive a heat-diffusible dye when forming an image 3 containing gradation information and an image 2 containing character information as shown in FIG. 2, for example. The image-receiving layer 1c and the second image-receiving layer 1d prepared to be able to adhere well to hot-melt ink may be separately provided on a predetermined surface of the support 1a.

[0013] As another embodiment of the base material in the present invention, it can be formed only from a support that cannot accept heat-diffusible dyes but can adhere well to heat-fusible inks. In this case, in order to form an image containing text information on the surface of the base material, an image containing text information is formed using a heat diffusible dye on a transfer body having an image-receiving layer using a sublimation thermal transfer method, and then an image containing text information is recorded on this transfer body. The image containing text information is transferred to the surface of the support along with the image-receiving layer of the transfer member.

[0014] The base material may be provided with embossing, a signature, an IC memory, an optical memory, a magnetic recording layer, other printing, etc., as required. These can be provided at any point in the manufacturing process of the image recording body of the present invention (for example, after forming the transparent protective layer) or even after the manufacturing process. Furthermore, in order to prevent white spots and improve sensitivity, a cushion layer or a heat insulating layer may be provided on the surface of the support, as described in, for example, JP-A-60-236794 and JP-A-61-258793. Also good.

(1) Support Supports include various papers such as paper, coated paper, and synthetic paper (polypropylene, polystyrene, or a composite material made of paper and paper), and white vinyl chloride resin. Sheets, various plastic films or sheets such as white polyethylene terephthalate base film, transparent polyethylene terephthalate base film, polyethylene naphthalate, ABS base film, AS base film, polypropylene base film, polystyrene base film, etc., and various metals. Examples include films or sheets, and films or sheets made of various ceramics.

The support contains white pigments such as titanium white, magnesium carbonate, zinc sulfate, barium sulfate, etc. in order to improve the clarity of images formed in later steps.
Preferably, silica, talc, clay, calcium carbonate, etc. are added. Furthermore, if the image recording medium is to be used as an ID card such as a car license, the support is generally composed of a sheet or film made of a composition of the above-mentioned white pigment and a vinyl chloride resin, which will be described later. It is.

When formed as a laminate with layers, the thickness of the support is usually 100 to 1,000 μm, preferably 100 to 800 μm. The thickness of the support is usually 1
00 to 1,000 μm, preferably 200 to 800 μm
It is. The support may be provided with embossing, a signature, an IC memory, an optical memory, a magnetic recording layer, other printing, etc., as required.

(2) Image-receiving layer The image-receiving layer formed on the surface of the support can be formed from a binder and, if necessary, a metal ion-containing compound or various additives. Further, depending on the case, the image-receiving layer may be formed only from a binder. (2) Binder As the binder for the image-receiving layer, a commonly known binder for sublimation type heat-sensitive transfer recording can be used as appropriate. As the main binder, various binders can be used, such as vinyl chloride resin, polyester resin, polycarbonate resin, acrylic resin, and various heat-resistant resins.

However, if there are practical requirements for the images formed by the present invention (for example, ID cards to be issued are required to have a certain heat resistance),
It is necessary to consider the type or combination of binders to satisfy such requirements. Taking the heat resistance of an image as an example, if heat resistance of 60° C. or higher is required, it is preferable to use a binder having a Tg of 60° C. or higher, taking into consideration bleeding of the heat-diffusible dye.

[0020] Although the type of binder can be selected arbitrarily,
Vinyl chloride resins are preferred in terms of image storage stability and the like. Polyvinyl chloride alone can be used as a self-supporting image-receiving layer and is very practical. Furthermore, examples of the vinyl chloride resin include polyvinyl chloride resins and vinyl chloride copolymers. Examples of the vinyl chloride copolymer include copolymers of vinyl chloride and other comonomers containing vinyl chloride as a monomer unit in a proportion of 50 mol % or more.

Examples of the other comonomers include vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl esters of fatty acids such as vinyl acetate and vinyl tallow, acrylic acid,
Acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and its alkyl esters such as methacrylic acid, methyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, maleic acid, maleic acid Examples include maleic acid and its alkyl alkyl esters such as diethyl, dibutyl maleate, and dioctyl maleate, and alkyl vinyl ethers such as methyl vinyl ether, 2-ethylhexyl vinyl ether, lauryl vinyl ether, palmityl vinyl ether, and stearyl vinyl ether. Furthermore, the comonomers include ethylene, propylene, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, styrene, chlorostyrene, itaconic acid and its alkyl esters, crotonic acid and its alkyl esters, dichloroethylene, trifluoroethylene, and other halogenated olefins, cyclopentene, etc. Examples include cycloolefins such as, aconitic acid esters, vinyl benzoate, benzoyl vinyl ether, and the like.

The vinyl chloride copolymer may be a block copolymer, a graft copolymer, an alternating copolymer, or a random copolymer. Further, in some cases, it may be a copolymer with a material having a peeling function such as a silicon compound. In addition to the vinyl chloride resin, polyester resins can also be suitably used as the image-receiving layer for sublimation type thermal transfer. Examples of polyester resins that can be used in the present invention include compounds described in JP-A-58-188695 and JP-A-62-244696. Polycarbonate resins can also be used as binders, and for example, various compounds described in JP-A-62-169694 can be used.

■Metal ion-containing compound When the heat-diffusible dye for forming an image containing gradation information is a compound that forms a chelate with metal ions as described later, the image-receiving layer may contain a metal ion-containing compound. By doing so, it is possible to form an image containing gradation information with good fixability. When the metal ion-containing compound is contained in the image-receiving layer, metal ions constituting the metal ion-containing compound include divalent and polyvalent metals belonging to Groups I to VIII of the periodic table. Among them, A
l, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni
, Sn, Ti and Zn are preferred, especially Ni, Cu,
Co, Cr and Zn are preferred.

As compounds containing these metal ions, inorganic or organic salts of the metals and complexes of the metals are preferred. Specific examples include Ni2+, Cu2+,
A complex represented by the following general formula containing Co2+, Cr2+ and Zn2+ is preferably used.

[M(Q1)k(Q2)m(Q3)n]p
+p(L-) However, in the formula, M represents a metal ion, and Q
1, Q2, and Q3 each represent a coordination compound capable of forming a coordination bond with the metal ion represented by M, and these coordination compounds include, for example, the coordination compounds described in "Chelate Kagaku (5) (Nankodo)". can be selected from position compounds. Particularly preferred are coordination compounds having at least one amino group that coordinates with a metal, and more specific examples include ethylenediamine and its derivatives, glycinamide and its derivatives, picolinamide and its derivatives. It will be done.

L is a counter anion capable of forming a complex,
Examples include inorganic compound anions such as Cr, SO4, ClO4, and organic compound anions such as benzenesulfonic acid derivatives and alkylsulfonic acid derivatives, but particularly preferred are tetraphenylboron anions and their derivatives, and alkylbenzenesulfonic acid anions and their derivatives. be. k represents an integer of 1, 2 or 3, m is 1
, 2 or 0, and n represents 1 or 0, which is determined depending on whether the complex represented by the above general formula has a tetradentate or hexadentate coordination, or Q1 , Q2 , Q3
is determined by the number of ligands in p represents 1, 2 or 3.

[0027] This kind of metal ion-containing compounds include:
Examples include those illustrated in US Pat. No. 4,987,049. The amount of the metal ion-containing compound added is preferably 0.5 to 20 g/m2, more preferably 1 to 10 g/m2, relative to the image receiving layer.

(2) Additives A release agent, an antioxidant, a UV absorber, a light stabilizer, a filler (inorganic fine particles, organic resin particles), and a pigment may be added to the image-receiving layer. Furthermore, a plasticizer, a hot solvent, etc. may be added as a sensitizer. The release agent can improve the releasability between the sublimation type heat-sensitive transfer ink sheet and the image-receiving layer, which will be described later. Such release agents include silicone oil (
It also includes what is called silicone resin. ); solid waxes such as polyethylene wax, amide wax, and Teflon powder; fluorine-based and phosphoric acid ester-based surfactants; among them, modified silicone polymers are preferred.

Examples of the modified silicone polymer include polyester-modified silicone resin (or silicone-modified polyester resin), acrylic-modified silicone resin (or
silicone-modified acrylic resin), urethane-modified silicone resin (or silicone-modified urethane resin), cellulose-modified silicone resin (or silicone-modified cellulose resin), alkyd-modified silicone resin (or silicone-modified alkyd resin), epoxy-modified silicone resin ( or silicone-modified epoxy resin).

A release agent layer can also be provided on a part of the surface of the image-receiving layer by dissolving or dispersing the above-mentioned release agent in a suitable solvent and applying the solution, followed by drying. Note that it is preferable that a release agent such as silicone is not used at all or added in as small a amount as possible in consideration of adhesiveness with the protective layer. Next, as the antioxidant, antioxidants described in JP-A No. 59-182785, JP-A No. 60-130735, JP-A No. 1-127387, etc., and those that improve image durability in photographs and other image recording materials, are used. Known compounds can be mentioned as improving substances.

[0031] The UV absorber and light stabilizer include:
JP-A-59-158287, JP-A No. 63-74686,
No. 63-145089, No. 59-196292, No. 62-229594, No. 63-122596, No. 61
Examples include compounds described in publications such as No. 283595 and JP-A No. 1-204788, and compounds known to improve image durability in photographs and other image recording materials.

[0032] Examples of the filler include inorganic fine particles and organic resin particles. Examples of the inorganic fine particles include silica gel, calcium carbonate, titanium oxide, acid clay, activated clay, alumina, etc., and examples of the organic fine particles include resin particles such as fluororesin particles, guanamine resin particles, acrylic resin particles, and silicone resin particles. can be mentioned. These inorganic/organic resin particles vary depending on their specific gravity, but are preferably added in an amount of 0.1 to 70% by weight.

Typical examples of the pigment include titanium white, calcium carbonate, zinc oxide, barium sulfate, silica, talc, clay, kaolin, activated clay, and acid clay. The plasticizers include phthalate esters (for example, dimethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate, didecyl phthalate, etc.);
trimellitic acid esters (e.g. trimellitic acid octyl ester, trimellitic acid isononyl ester, trimellitic acid isodesol ester, etc.), pyromellitic acid esters such as pyromellitic acid octyl ester,
Adipate esters (dioctyl adipate, methyl lauryl adipate, di-2-ethylhexyl adipate, ethyl lauryl adipate, etc.), other oleate esters, succinate esters, maleate esters, sebate esters, Citric acid esters, epoxidized soybean oil, epoxidized linseed oil, epoxy stearates, orthophosphoric esters such as triphenyl phosphate and tricresyl phosphate, triphenyl phosphite, tris-tridecyl phosphite, etc. Fight,
Examples include phosphorous esters such as dibutyl hydrogen phosphite, and glycol esters such as ethyl phthalyl ethyl glycolate and butylphthalyl butyl glycolate. Incidentally, since excessive addition of plasticizer deteriorates the storage stability of images, the amount of plasticizer added is usually in the range of 0.1 to 30% by weight based on the binder in the image-receiving layer.

(3) Formation of image-receiving layer The image-receiving layer in the present invention is prepared by dispersing or dissolving its forming components in a solvent, and then preparing a coating solution for the image-receiving layer on the support. It can be manufactured by a coating method in which it is applied to the surface of the substrate and dried. It can also be produced by a lamination method, etc., in which a mixture containing the components forming the image-receiving layer is melt-extruded and laminated onto the surface of a support.

The thickness of the image-receiving layer formed on the surface of the support is generally about 2 to 50 μm, preferably about 3 to 20 μm.

On the other hand, when the image-receiving layer is self-supporting and therefore serves as a support, the thickness of the image-receiving layer is about 60 to 200 μm, preferably about 90 to 150 μm. Further, in the present invention, a cushion layer or a barrier layer may be provided between the support and the image-receiving layer.

[0037] By providing a cushion layer, noise is reduced and an image corresponding to image information can be transferred and recorded with good reproducibility. Examples of the material constituting the cushion layer include urethane resin, acrylic resin, ethylene resin, butadiene rubber, and epoxy resin. The thickness of the cushion layer is usually 1 to 50 μm, preferably 3 to 3 μm.
It is 0um.

B. Formation of gradation information-containing image and text information-containing image The gradation information-containing image can be formed on the image-receiving layer by a sublimation thermal transfer method using an ink sheet for sublimation thermal transfer recording having a heat-diffusible dye. Further, the text information-containing image may be formed by using an ink sheet for heat-melting type thermal transfer recording or an ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording in an area of the image-receiving layer where the gradation information-containing image is not formed. Can be done.

(1) Ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording The ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording can be formed by a known structure. That is, an ink sheet for sublimation thermal transfer recording is usually formed by forming an ink layer containing a heat diffusible dye on a support. (2) Heat-diffusible dye-containing ink layer The heat-diffusible dye-containing ink layer basically contains a heat-diffusible dye and a binder.

-Thermodiffusible dye- As the heat-diffusible dye, conventionally known heat-diffusible dyes can be used. Examples of the heat-diffusible dye include cyan dye, magenta dye, and yellow dye. As the cyan dye, JP-A-59-
No. 78896, No. 59-227948, No. 60-24
No. 966, No. 60-53563, No. 60-13073
No. 5, No. 60-131292, No. 60-239289
No. 61-19396, No. 61-22993, No. 61-31292, No. 61-31467, No. 61-
No. 35994, No. 61-49893, No. 61-148
No. 269, No. 62-191191, No. 63-9128
Examples include naphthoquinone dyes, anthraquinone dyes, and azomethine dyes described in publications such as No. 8, No. 63-91287, and No. 63-290793.

[0041] As the magenta dye, JP-A-59-
No. 78896, JP-A-60-30392, JP-A-60
-30394, JP 60-253595, JP 61-262190, JP 63-5992, JP 63-205288, JP 64-159, JP 64-63194 Examples include anthraquinone dyes, azo dyes, azomethine dyes, etc., which are described in various publications such as No. As a yellow pigment, JP-A-59-788
No. 96, JP-A-60-27594, JP-A-60-31
No. 560, JP-A-60-53565, JP-A-61-1
Examples include methine dyes, azo dyes, quinophthalone dyes, and anthrisothiazole dyes described in publications such as No. 2394 and JP-A No. 63-122594.

Particularly preferred as the heat-diffusible dye are compounds having an open-chain or closed-chain active methylene group and oxidized products of p-phenylenediamine derivatives or p-phenylenediamine derivatives.
an azomethine dye obtained by a coupling reaction with an oxidized product of an aminophenol derivative; and an azomethine dye obtained by a coupling reaction with an oxidized product of a phenol or naphthol derivative or a p-phenylenediamine derivative or an oxidized product of a p-aminophenol derivative. It is an aniline dye.

The heat-diffusible dye contained in the ink layer may be any of yellow, magenta, and cyan dyes as long as the image to be formed is monochromatic. Furthermore, depending on the color tone of the image to be formed, it may contain two or more of the three types of dyes or other heat-diffusible dyes. In the present invention, when the image-receiving layer contains a metal ion-containing compound, it is preferable to use a heat-diffusible dye that can react with the metal ion-containing compound to form at least a bidentate chelate. It is preferable to use a thermodiffusible dye represented by:

[0044]

[Chemical formula 1]

[0045] In the formula, at least one ring of X1 is 5-
Represents a collection of atoms necessary to complete an aromatic carbocycle or heterocycle consisting of seven atoms, and at least one adjacent position of the carbon atom bonded to the azo bond is a nitrogen atom or a chelate. A carbon atom substituted with a group. Further, X2 represents an aromatic heterocycle or aromatic carbocycle in which at least one ring is composed of 5 to 7 atoms, and G represents a chelating group. Specific examples of such dyes include, for example, JP-A-59-78893 and JP-A-59-78893;
-109349 etc. The amount of the heat-diffusible dye used is usually 0.2 to 1 per m2 of support.
0g, preferably 0.3-3g.

-Binder- As binders for the heat-diffusible dye-containing ink layer, cellulose resins such as ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, and cellulose acetate butyrate; polyvinyl alcohol;
Vinyl resins such as polyvinyl formal, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyester, polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylamide, polyvinyl acetoacetal, styrene resin, styrene copolymer resin, polyacrylic acid ester, polyacrylic acid, and acrylic acid copolymer , rubber resin, ionomer resin, olefin resin, etc.

Among these resins, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl acetoacetal or cellulose resins, which have excellent acid resistance, are preferred. The above-mentioned various binders can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The weight ratio of the binder to the heat-diffusible dye is preferably 1:10 to 10:1, particularly preferably 2:8 to 8:2.

-Other Optional Components- Furthermore, various additives may be added to the heat-diffusible dye-containing ink layer as long as they do not impede the object of the present invention. The additives include silicone resin, silicone oil (reactive curing type is also possible), silicone modified resin, fluororesin, surfactant, and peeling compounds such as waxes, fine metal powder, silica gel, metal oxide, and carbon. Examples include fillers such as black and fine resin powder, and curing agents that can react with binder components (for example, radiation active compounds such as isocyanates, acrylics, and epoxies).

Furthermore, examples of additives include heat-melting substances for promoting transfer, such as waxes and higher fatty acid esters, which are described in JP-A-59-106997. (2) Other layers The ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording is not limited to a two-layer structure consisting of a support and a heat-diffusible dye-containing ink layer, and other layers may be formed. For example, fusion with the image-receiving layer on the base material or set-off of the heat-diffusible dye (
For the purpose of preventing (blocking), an overcoat layer may be provided on the surface of the heat-diffusible dye-containing ink layer.

The support may also have a subbing layer for the purpose of improving adhesion to the binder and preventing transfer and dyeing of the heat-diffusible dye to the support. Furthermore, the back side of the support (the side opposite to the heat-diffusible dye-containing ink layer) is used to prevent the thermal head from adhering to the support, from sticking, and from wrinkling the ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording. An anti-sticking layer may also be provided. The thickness of the above-mentioned overcoat layer, undercoat layer and anti-sticking layer is usually 0.1 to 1 μm.

■Support The support for the ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording may be any material as long as it has good dimensional stability and can withstand the heat during recording with a thermal head. 1986-1
The films or sheets described in the lower left column, lines 12 to 18 of page 2 of Publication No. 93886 can be used.

The thickness of the support is preferably 2 to 10 μm, and the support has a subbing layer for the purpose of improving adhesion with the binder and preventing transfer and dyeing of the dye to the support. You can leave it there. Furthermore, an anti-sticking layer may be provided on the back surface of the support (the surface opposite to the heat-diffusible dye-containing ink layer) in order to prevent the head from fusing, sticking, or wrinkling the support. .

[0053] The thickness of this anti-sticking layer is usually:
It is 0.1 to 1 μm. ■Manufacture of ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording Ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording is used to form a thermally diffusible pigment-containing ink layer by dispersing or dissolving the various components mentioned above in a solvent. It can be manufactured by preparing a coating solution, coating it on the surface of a support, and drying it.

(2) Ink sheet for heat-melting type heat-sensitive transfer recording The ink sheet for heat-melting type heat-sensitive transfer recording can be formed by laminating a heat-melting ink layer on a support. Note that this heat-melting type thermal transfer recording ink sheet may have other layers within a range that does not impair its properties. For example, a release layer may be provided between the hot-melt ink layer and the support, an intermediate layer or the like may be laminated between the release layer and the support, and the Other layers may be laminated on the heat-melting ink layer, such as providing an ink protection layer as an outer layer. Furthermore, the peeling layer and the heat-melting ink layer may be formed as necessary.
It may have a multilayer structure.

(2) Support for ink sheet It is desirable that the support for the ink sheet in the heat-melting type ink sheet for thermal transfer recording has good heat resistance strength and high dimensional stability. As the material, for example, the film or sheet described in JP-A-63-193886, page 2, lower left column, lines 12 to 18, can be used. The thickness of the ink sheet support is
Usually, it is 30 μm or less, preferably within the range of 2 to 30 μm. If the thickness of the support exceeds 30 μm, thermal conductivity may deteriorate, leading to deterioration in print quality. In addition,
In this heat-melting type thermal transfer recording ink sheet, the structure on the back side of the ink sheet support is optional. For example, a backing layer may be provided for purposes such as running stability, antistatic properties, and heat resistance. Also good.

(2) Heat-melting ink layer The heat-melting ink layer is composed of a heat-melting compound, a thermoplastic resin, a colorant, and the like. - Heat-melting compound - As the heat-melting compound, any compound that is normally used in the heat-melting ink layer of this type of heat-melting type thermal transfer recording ink sheet can be used. For example, polystyrene resin, acrylic resin, styrene resin
Low molecular weight thermoplastic resins such as acrylic resins, polyester resins, and polyurethane resins, JP-A-63-19388
Examples of substances listed from line 8 in the upper left column on page 4 of Publication No. 6 to line 12 in the upper right column on the same page include rosin, hydrogenated rosin, polymerized rosin, rosin-modified glycerin, Examples include rosin derivatives such as rosin-modified maleic acid resins, rosin-modified polyester resins, rosin-modified phenolic resins, and ester gums, as well as phenolic resins, terpene resins, ketone resins, cyclopentadiene resins, and aromatic hydrocarbon resins. Can be done.

[0057] These heat-melting compounds usually have a molecular weight of 10,000 or less, particularly 5,000 or less,
Those having a melting point or softening point in the range of 50 to 150°C are preferred. The heat-melting compounds may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

-Thermoplastic resin- The thermoplastic resin used as a component of the heat-melting ink layer is usually a thermoplastic resin used in the heat-melting ink layer of this type of heat-melting type thermal transfer recording ink sheet. For example, JP-A-63
- No. 193886, page 4, upper right column, page 5, upper left column 1
Exemplary substances can be listed in line 8.

-Colorant- As the colorant used as a component of the heat-melt ink layer, those normally used in the heat-melt ink layer of this type of heat-melt type thermal transfer recording ink sheet can be used. It can be used without restriction, for example, JP-A-63-193
Examples include pigments such as inorganic pigments and organic pigments, and dyes such as organic dyes described in the 3rd to 15th lines of the upper right column on page 5 of Publication No. 886. These various coloring agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more, if necessary. -Additional Components- Other additive components other than those mentioned above may be appropriately added to the heat-melting ink layer, if necessary, within a range that does not impede the object of the present invention.

For example, this heat-melting ink layer may contain a fluorine-based surfactant. By containing the fluorine-based surfactant, the blocking phenomenon of the heat-melting ink layer can be prevented. It is also effective to add organic fine particles, inorganic fine particles, or an incompatible resin to improve the sharpness of the transferred character information-containing image, that is, the sharpness of the character boundaries.

- Thickness of heat-melting ink layer and method for forming the same - The thickness of the heat-melting ink layer is usually 0.6 to 5.0.
It is preferably 1.0 to 4.0 μm, particularly 1.0 to 4.0 μm.

This heat-melt ink layer can be formed by coating the forming components by dispersing or dissolving them in an organic solvent (organic solvent method), or by heating the thermoplastic resin to soften or melt it (hot-melt method). However, it is preferable to use an emulsion or solution in which the forming components are dispersed or dissolved in water or an organic solvent. The total content of layer-forming components in the coating liquid used for coating the heat-melting ink layer is usually set within the range of 5 to 50% by weight.

[0063] The coating method can be carried out using a conventional method. Examples of the coating method include a method using a wire bar, a squeeze coating method, and a gravure coating method. In addition, the heat-melt ink layer must be provided as at least one layer, but there are two layers that differ, for example, in the type and content of the colorant, or in the blending ratio of the thermoplastic resin and the heat-melt compound. The above heat-melting ink layers may be laminated to form a structure.

■Peeling layer The peeling layer is a layer provided on at least the peeling layer [at least of this layer] when heated by a heating mechanism for image transfer such as a thermal head during image formation. One layer contains a coloring agent. ] is provided with the main purpose of peeling off and transferring it sufficiently quickly, and contains a heat-melting compound suitable for achieving this purpose, and forming a layer in which properties of the heat-melting compound are dominant, especially Constructed as a layer with excellent peelability.

[0065] The release layer may be composed of the heat-melting compound itself, but it is usually preferably composed of the heat-melting compound and/or a binder resin such as a thermoplastic resin. The heat-melting compound used as the main component of the release layer may be appropriately selected from various known compounds, and specific examples thereof include those disclosed in JP-A-63-193886. The substances exemplified can be used from line 8 of the upper left column on page 4 to line 12 of the upper right column of the same page.

Specific examples of the thermoplastic resin include ethylene copolymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate resins, polyamide resins, polyester resins, polyurethane resins, polyolefin resins, acrylic resins, and cellulose. Examples include resins. In addition, for example, vinyl chloride resin, rosin resin,
Resins such as petroleum resins and ionomer resins, natural rubber, elastomers such as styrene butadiene rubber, isoprene rubber and chloroprene rubber, ester gum,
Rosin derivatives such as rosin maleic resin, rosin phenolic resin and hydrogenated rosin, and phenolic resins,
Terpene resins, cyclopentadiene resins, aromatic resins, etc. can also be used depending on the case.

In the present invention, the thermoplastic resin used as a component of the release layer usually has a melting point or softening point of 50 to 50 among the various thermoplastic resins exemplified above.
Those having a temperature in the range of 150°C, particularly 60 to 120°C, or those that can be brought into this range by mixing two or more types are preferably used. The release layer may contain a colorant as appropriate. When the release layer contains a colorant, the content thereof is usually 30% by weight or less, preferably 20% by weight based on all components constituting the release layer.
It is appropriate to set the following ratios.

[0068] The thickness of the release layer is usually 0.2 to 4
A suitable range is 0.5 to 2.5 μm, preferably 0.5 to 2.5 μm. ■Manufacture of heat-melting type thermal transfer recording ink sheets Heat-melting type thermal transfer recording ink sheets are basically made by dispersing or dissolving each component that forms a heat-melting ink layer on the surface of an ink sheet support. It can be formed by applying a coating liquid for forming a hot-melt ink layer and drying it.

(3) Formation of an image containing gradation information and an image containing character information ■ Formation of an image containing gradation information To form an image containing gradation information, heat diffusible dyes of an ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording are used. The containing ink layer and the image-receiving layer on the base material are overlapped, and thermal energy is applied imagewise to the heat-diffusible dye-containing ink layer and the image-receiving layer. Then, the heat-diffusible dye in the heat-diffusible dye-containing ink layer vaporizes or sublimates in an amount corresponding to the thermal energy applied during image formation, migrates to the image-receiving layer side, and is received by the image-receiving layer. An image containing gradation information is formed.

When the metal ion-containing compound is present in the image-receiving layer of the base material, the heat-diffusible dye and the metal ion-containing compound form a chelate, thereby forming an image with good fixability. A thermal head is generally used as a heat source for providing thermal energy, but other known sources such as a laser beam, an infrared flash, and a thermal pen can also be used.

When a thermal head is used as a heat source for applying thermal energy, the applied thermal energy can be changed continuously or in multiple stages by modulating the voltage or pulse width applied to the thermal head. When a laser beam is used as a heat source for providing thermal energy, the amount of thermal energy provided can be changed by changing the amount of laser light or the irradiation area. In this case, in order to easily absorb laser light, a laser light absorbing material (for example, in the case of a semiconductor laser, carbon black or a near-infrared absorbing substance) is added to the ink layer.
Alternatively, it may be made to exist near the ink layer. In addition, when using a laser beam, it is preferable to bring the ink sheet for sublimation type heat-sensitive transfer recording and the image-receiving layer of the base material into close contact with each other.

If a dot generator incorporating an acousto-optic element is used, thermal energy can be applied depending on the size of the halftone dot. When an infrared flash lamp is used as a heat source for providing thermal energy, heating is preferably performed through a colored layer such as black, as in the case of using laser light. Alternatively, heating may be performed through a pattern or halftone dot pattern that continuously expresses the shading of an image, such as black, or a colored layer such as black and a negative pattern corresponding to the negative of the above pattern. Heating may be performed in combination. Thermal energy can be applied from the ink sheet side for sublimation type thermal transfer recording.
It may be carried out from the side of the image-receiving sheet for thermal transfer recording, or from both sides, but if priority is given to effective use of thermal energy, it is desirable to carry out from the side of the ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording.

Although a one-color image can be recorded on the image-receiving layer of an image-receiving sheet for thermal transfer recording by the above-described thermal transfer recording, according to the method described below, it is possible to obtain a color photo-like color image consisting of a combination of various colors. You can also do it. For example, by sequentially replacing yellow, magenta, cyan, and, if necessary, black thermal transfer recording sheets and performing thermal transfer for each color, it is possible to obtain a color photo-like color image consisting of a combination of each color. .

The following method is also effective. That is, instead of using ink sheets for sublimation type heat-sensitive transfer recording of each color as described above, an ink sheet for sublimation type heat-sensitive transfer recording having areas formed in advance by painting each color is used. Then, first, the yellow area is used to thermally transfer the yellow color separation image, then the magenta area is used to thermally transfer the magenta color separation image, and then the process is repeated sequentially to create yellow, magenta, cyan, and the necessary A method is adopted in which the image is thermally transferred in order with the black separated color image.

Furthermore, after forming an image by the method described above, heat treatment may be performed by the method described above for the purpose of improving the image storage stability. For example, the entire image forming surface may be heat-treated using a thermal head on the part of the ink sheet for sublimation type heat-sensitive transfer recording where the heat-diffusible dye-containing ink layer is not provided, or a new heat treatment using a heat roll, etc. You may do so. Furthermore, when a near-infrared absorber is contained, the image forming surface may be exposed using an infrared flash lamp. In either case, the heating means does not matter, but since the purpose is to further diffuse the dye into the image-receiving layer, it is effective and preferable to heat from the support side of the image-receiving layer.

■ Formation of an image containing character information The heat-melting transfer method using the heat-melting heat-sensitive transfer recording ink sheet is not different from the usual heat-sensitive transfer recording method, but it uses the most typical thermal head as the heat source. This will be explained using an example of using . First, the heat-melt ink layer of the heat-melt type thermal transfer recording ink sheet and the image-receiving layer surface of the base material are brought into close contact,
If necessary, a heat pulse is further applied to the hot-fusible ink layer by a thermal head to locally heat the hot-fusible ink layer corresponding to a desired print or transfer pattern.

[0077] The temperature of the heated portion of the heat-melting ink layer rises, and the ink is quickly softened and transferred to the image receiving surface of the base material. Note that the formation of an image containing non-gradation information such as characters, figures, symbols, or ruled lines, which does not require gradation, may be performed prior to the formation of the above-mentioned image containing gradation information. The non-gradation information containing image may be formed after the tone information containing image is formed. Further, this character information-containing image can also be formed by using the ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording.

C. Transparent Protective Layer In the image recording body of the present invention, an ultraviolet curable resin layer is formed on the image receiving layer having image information formed by a sublimation thermal transfer method, and when the ultraviolet curable resin layer is cured, the image information is removed. A transparent protective layer is provided for the purpose of protecting. In other words, the effects of the UV-curable prepolymers and monomers present in the UV-curable resin layer cause problems such as blurring and discoloration of images containing gradation information created by sublimable dyes, making it difficult to obtain clear images. This is because it cannot be done.

It also effectively prevents deterioration of the sublimable dye (presumably caused by decomposition or reaction with other substances) and discoloration due to the ultraviolet irradiation during the formation of the cured protective layer. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a transparent protective layer. The properties required for this transparent protective layer are that it is substantially transparent, that the interference of ultraviolet rays with sublimable dyes is minimized when irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and that the coating agent is sublimable when applied. It is required to be able to avoid contact with the dye.

[0080] The area covered by this transparent protective layer is
It may be applied only to the image information portion, or may be applied to the entire surface of the image-receiving layer. This transparent protective layer can be formed on the image recording material by hot stamping, thermal transfer method, or the like. A transparent protective layer that satisfies such requirements is disclosed in JP-A-63-183881, page 9, lower left column No. 9.
It can be formed from the thermofusible compound described in line 15 of the upper left column on page 10 and the thermoplastic resin exemplified in line 16 of the upper left column on page 10 to line 9 of the lower left column on page 11 of the same publication. can.

[0081] The transparent protective layer may also contain an ultraviolet absorber. The ultraviolet absorber is effective in protecting image information from ultraviolet rays during curing by irradiating a coating agent containing an ultraviolet curable prepolymer with ultraviolet rays or from sunlight during long-term storage. Since it is sometimes difficult to incorporate this ultraviolet absorber into the ultraviolet curable resin layer (it inhibits the curing of the ultraviolet curable resin), it is effective to add it to the transparent protective layer. Examples of the ultraviolet absorber include the compounds exemplified in the description of the image-receiving layer. The amount of ultraviolet absorber added depends on its type, but is 0.6 g/m2 or more, more preferably 1 g.
/m2 or more is preferable.

The thickness of the transparent protective layer is usually 0.5 to 20.0 μm, preferably 1.0 to 10.0 μm, taking into consideration uniform application of the ultraviolet curable resin. A hot stamp sheet for forming a protective layer and a heat-sensitive transfer sheet for forming a transparent protective layer on image information are prepared by applying a release layer, a transparent protective layer, and an adhesive layer provided as necessary on a support in this order. It can be formed using a general structure in which layers are stacked.

[0083] It is also effective to use the heat-sensitive transfer sheet for forming the protective layer that forms the transparent protective layer as the heat-sensitive transfer sheet for forming character information, and to form them on the same sheet, in order to simplify the equipment and the process. . D. Ultraviolet Curing Protective Layer In the image recording material of the present invention, a substantially transparent ultraviolet curing protective layer cured by ultraviolet irradiation is formed on the surface of the transparent protective layer and the image receiving layer other than the transparent protective layer. There is.

[0084] In one embodiment of the present invention, the ultraviolet curing protective layer contains fine particles. This imparts a visible characteristic to the protective layer, making it more difficult to counterfeit or alter than if it did not contain particulates. Also, it becomes easy to identify the card from other cards. Although there are no particular restrictions on the material of the fine particles, inorganic fine particles and organic fine particles can usually be used. Inorganic fine particles include titanium white, magnesium carbonate, zinc oxide, barium sulfate,
Examples include silica, talc, clay, powders such as brass and aluminum, and foil. The organic fine particles are preferably those that do not dissolve in the ultraviolet curable resin monomer or the like.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the UV-curable protective layer contains a colorant. Examples of the coloring agent include dyes, pigments, fluorescent dyes, and infrared absorbing dyes. An image recording medium having such an ultraviolet curing protective layer as the outermost layer is given a characteristic color tone by the coloring agent in the ultraviolet curing protective layer, so it is less likely to be tampered with than an image recording medium that does not contain a coloring agent. , there is no risk of forgery. Also, it becomes easier to identify the card from other cards.

As the colorant, pigments, dyes, infrared absorbers, etc. that are generally known in the field of synthetic resins can be used. There is no particular limit to the amount of the colorant added, and there is no problem as long as it does not hinder the visual recognition of the recorded information. In another embodiment of the present invention, a certain pattern of irregularities is formed on the UV-curable protective layer. By forming a specific pattern of irregularities on the surface of the ultraviolet curing protection layer, such as a certain type of mark, fine pattern, background pattern, etc., it is possible to distinguish the product from counterfeits and alterations.

[0087] In order to make the surface of the UV-curable protective layer uneven, the UV-curable protective layer is coated with a plate having a specific pattern of gravure grains. A method such as embossing the UV-curable resin when it is semi-hardened can be used. The ultraviolet curable resin coating agent can be formed from a composition whose main components are an ultraviolet curable prepolymer and/or monomer and a polymerization initiator. UV-curable prepolymers and monomers include types that undergo polymerization through radical polymerization (mainly acrylate types) and types that undergo polymerization through cationic polymerization (mainly epoxy types). It doesn't matter which one you use.

Here, epoxy type ultraviolet curable prepolymers and monomers will be described. Examples of epoxy-based prepolymers and monomers include prepolymers containing two or more epoxy groups in one molecule. Examples of such prepolymers include alicyclic polyepoxides, polyglycidyl esters of polybasic acids, polyglycidyl ethers of polyhydric alcohols, polyglycidyl ethers of polyoxyalkylene glycol, and polyglycidyl esters of aromatic polyols. Examples include hydrogenated compounds of ethers, polyglycidyl ethers of aromatic polyols, urethane polyepoxy compounds, and epoxidized polybutadienes. These prepolymers can be used alone, or
It is also possible to use a mixture of two or more thereof.

The content of the prepolymer having two or more epoxy groups in one molecule in the coating agent is 70% by weight.
The above is preferable. The polymerization initiator is preferably a cationic polymerization initiator, and specific examples include aromatic onium salts. Examples of aromatic onium salts include salts of Group Va elements of the periodic table, such as phosphonium salts (
salts of group VIa elements such as sulfonium salts (e.g. triphenylsulfonium tetrafluoroborate, triphenylsulfonium hexafluorophosphate, tris(4-thiomethoxy phenyl), sulfonium and triphenylsulfonium hexisafluoroantimonate), and salts of Group VIIa elements such as iodonium salts (such as diphenyliodonium chloride).

The use of such aromatic onium salts as cationic polymerization initiators in the polymerization of epoxy compounds is disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,058,401 and US Pat.
69,055, No. 4,101,513, and No. 4,161,478. Preferred cationic polymerization initiators include sulfonium salts of Group VIa elements. Among these, triarylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate is preferred from the viewpoint of UV curability and storage stability of UV curable compositions.

The coating agent may further contain oils (particularly silicone oils), surfactants such as silicone-alkylene oxide copolymers (for example, L-5410 available from Union Carbide), and silicone oil-containing fats. FO- group epoxides, commercially available from 3M Company
171 and FO-430, commercially available from 3M.
Megafa commercially available from Dainippon Ink Co., Ltd.
c A fluorocarbon surfactant such as F-141 or the like may be included.

This coating agent further contains, for example, vinyl monomers such as styrene, paramethylstyrene, methacrylic esters, and acrylic esters, cellulose, thermoplastic polyester, phenyl glycidyl ether, silicon-containing monoepoxide, Monoepoxides such as butyl glycidyl ether may be contained within a range that does not impede the effects of the present invention.

This coating agent also contains dyes, pigments, thickeners, plasticizers, stabilizers, leveling agents, coupling agents, tackifiers, silicone group-containing activators, and fluorocarbon groups as inactive components. Wetting agents such as surfactants and other various additives, as well as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl chloride, etc., which hardly react with the cationic polymerization initiator, are used to improve the fluidity of the coating agent during application. A small amount of solvent may be included.

[0094] In ultraviolet curing, ultraviolet light means light in the ultraviolet region, and also includes light rays containing light in the ultraviolet region. Therefore, examples of UV irradiation include sunlight rays, low-pressure mercury lamp irradiation, high-pressure mercury lamp irradiation, ultra-high-pressure mercury lamp irradiation, carbon arc irradiation, metal halide lamp irradiation, xenon lamp irradiation, etc. . In some cases, high energy beams such as electron beams may also be used. In addition, when curing,
By heating the coating film of the coating agent during or before and after irradiation with ultraviolet rays, the curing time can be shortened.

[0095]

EXAMPLES Next, examples of the present invention will be specifically described in detail. Note that in the following, "parts" indicate "parts by weight." (Example 1) (1) A card-sized image receiving sheet was manufactured in the following manner. That is, the following composition was applied to a wide white vinyl chloride resin sheet with a thickness of 750 μm, which was obtained by thermally welding a hard transparent vinyl chloride resin sheet with a thickness of 150 μm on both sides of a hard white vinyl chloride resin sheet with a thickness of 450 μm. A coating solution for an image-receiving layer having the following was applied by a wire bar method, and the solvent was removed by drying to form an image-receiving layer having a thickness of 4.0 μm.

Coating liquid for image-receiving layer: Vinyl chloride resin・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
...9.9 parts [manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.]
TK-600] Solvent・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・・・・90.0 parts (Methyl ethyl ketone/cyclohexanone=8/2) Silicone resin (mold release agent)・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・0
．． 1 part [manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., X24 830]
0].

Next, a writing layer coating liquid having the following composition was applied to the surface of the support opposite to the image-receiving layer and dried to form a writing layer having a thickness of 40 μm. By cutting the thus obtained wide image-receiving sheet, a card-sized image-receiving sheet measuring 54.0 mm x 85.5 mm was obtained.

Coating liquid for writing layer: Colloidal silica・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
2.5 parts Gelatin・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・7.0 parts Hardening agent (see chemical formula 2)・
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・0.5 parts Water・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・90.0 copies.

0099

[Case 2]

(2) An ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording was produced as follows.

[0101] On the corona discharge treated surface of a polyethylene terephthalate sheet with a thickness of 6 μm as a support, three kinds of coating liquids for forming an ink layer having the following compositions were coated using a wire bar coating method so that the thickness after drying was 1 μm. The polyethylene terephthalate sheet is coated in yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) along its length, then dried, and silicone oil (
One or two drops of X-41, 403A (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Silicone Co., Ltd.) were applied with a dropper and spread over the entire surface, and a backside treatment coating was performed to obtain an ink sheet for thermal transfer recording in three colors of Y, M, and C.

Coating liquid for forming yellow ink layer:
Yellow disperse dye・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・3.0 parts [Mitsui Toatsu Dye Co., Ltd.]
manufactured by MS Yellow] Polyvinyl Brachyl・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・5.0 parts
[Polymerization degree 1700, Tg 85.5°C, acetalization degree 64 mol%, acetyl group 3 mol% or less, manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., BX-1] Polyester modified silicone...・・・・・・
0.4 parts [manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., X-24-
8310] Toluene・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・・・・40.0 parts Methyl ethyl ketone・・・・・・・・・・・・40.
Part 0 Dioxane・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・10.0 copies.

Coating liquid for magenta ink layer formation
Magenta disperse dye・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
...5.0 parts [Mitsui Toatsu Dye Co., Ltd., MS Magenta] Polyvinyl Brachyl ...5.0 parts
[Polymerization degree 1700, Tg 85.5°C, acetalization degree 64 mol%, acetyl group 3 mol% or less, manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., BX-1] Polyester modified silicone... ...0
．． 4 parts [Manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.: Product name X-2
4-8310] Toluene・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・・・・40.0 parts Methyl ethyl ketone・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・4
0.0 part dioxane・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・10.0 copies.

Coating liquid for forming cyan ink layer:
Cyan disperse dye・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
...4.0 parts [Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd., Kayaset Blue 136] Polyvinyl Brachyl
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・5.0 copies
[Polymerization degree 1700, Tg 85.5°C, acetalization degree 6
4 mol%, 3 mol% or less of acetyl group, manufactured by Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd., BX-1] Polyester modified silicone 0.4 part [Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. Co., Ltd., X-24-8310
] Toluene・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・40.0 parts Methyl ethyl ketone・・・・・・・・・・・・40.0 parts
Dioxane・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
...10.0 copies.

(3) A sheet having a heat-fusible ink layer and a transparent protective layer was produced as follows. That is,
A coating liquid for a hot-melt ink layer is applied to one side of the surface of a 4.5 μm thick polyethylene terephthalate sheet using a wire bar method, and dried to a thickness of 1.2 μm.
A thermofusible ink layer with a thickness of μm was formed. In addition, by applying a transparent protective layer coating solution having the following composition to the uncoated portion of the surface of the sheet on which the heat-melting ink layer has been formed as described above by a wire bar method, and drying it. A transparent protective layer with a thickness of 3.0 μm was formed.

That is, a heat-melting ink layer and a transparent protective layer were separately formed on one side of the polyethylene terephthalate sheet. An anti-sticking layer coating solution having the following composition was applied to the surface of this polyethylene terephthalate sheet opposite to the heat-melting ink layer to form an anti-sticking layer having a thickness of 0.6 μm.

Coating liquid for heat-melting ink layer:
Carnauba wax・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
...1.0 parts ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・1.0 part (Mitsui DuPont Chemical Co., Ltd., EV-40Y) Carbon black・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・...6.0
Part Phenol resin・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
......12.0 parts (manufactured by Arakawa Chemical Co., Ltd., Tamanol 526) Methyl ethyl ketone...
・・・・・・・・・80.0 copies.

Coating liquid for transparent protective layer: Polyester resin・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
・6.5 parts [manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., Byron 200]
Ultraviolet absorber・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
...3.5 parts (2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone) Methyl ethyl ketone (solvent)...
・・・・・・・・・・・・90.0 copies.

Coating agent for anti-sticking layer: Nitrocellulose・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
...3.0 parts Acrylic silicone resin...
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・7.0 parts [Cymac US-270, manufactured by Toagosei Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.]
Methyl ethyl ketone・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
...90.0 copies.

(4) Preparation of coating liquid containing ultraviolet curable resin A coating liquid containing ultraviolet curable resin having the following composition was prepared. Coating liquid containing ultraviolet curable resin:
[Bis(3,4-epoxy-6-methylcyclohexylmethyl) adipate]・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・70.0 parts (manufactured by UCC,
ERL 4299) Bisphenol A glycidyl ether 10.0 parts 1,4
-Butanediol glycidyl ether...
13.0 parts Triarylsulfonium fluoroantimony 7.0 parts Brass powder

・・・・・・・・・5.0 copies.

(5) An image recording medium was manufactured in the following manner. That is, the image-receiving layer of the image-receiving sheet and the sublimable dye-containing layer of the ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording are superimposed, and a thermal head is used from the side of the ink sheet for sublimation type thermal transfer recording to output an output of 0.23 W/dot and a pulse width of 0. .3
By heating under conditions of ~4.5 msec and a dot density of 16 dots/mm, a human face image with gradation was formed on the image receiving layer.

[0112] Next, a transparent protective layer is transferred to the image receiving layer of the image receiving sheet in the following manner so that the transparent protective layer is located on the surface of the human face image, and then a heat-melting ink is applied. The layers were stacked, and character information was transferred to the heat-melting ink layer by heating it using a thermal head under conditions of an output of 0.5 W/dot, a pulse width of 1.0 msec, and a dot density of 16 dots/mm. Further, the transparent protective layer was easily transferred to the image-receiving layer by applying heat for 1.2 seconds at 120° C. using a heat roller and then peeling off the support.

[0113] Next, a coating solution containing an ultraviolet curable resin was applied to the surface of the transparent protective layer and the surface of the image receiving layer other than the protective layer using a wire bar method at a coating amount of 10 g/m2. The coating solution containing the ultraviolet curable resin was cured under curing conditions to form an ultraviolet cured protective layer. Curing conditions: Light irradiation source: 60 W/cm2 high pressure mercury lamp Irradiation distance: 10 cm Irradiation mode: Light scanning at 3 cm/min.

(Example 2) The procedure of Example 1 was repeated, except that 0.1 part of a coloring agent (Kayaset Blue 136) was used instead of the fine particles in the coating liquid containing the ultraviolet curable resin in Example 1. An image recording medium was produced in the same manner. (Example 3) A coating solution containing an ultraviolet curable resin having the following composition was prepared.

Coating liquid containing ultraviolet curable resin:
[Bis(3,4-epoxy-6-methylcyclohexylmethyl) adipate]・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・・・・・・・70.0 parts (manufactured by UCC,
ERL 4299) Bisphenol A glycidyl ether 10.0 parts 1,4
-Butanediol glycidyl ether...
13.0 parts Triarylsulfonium fluoroantimony 7.0 parts.

After forming an image in the same manner as in Examples 1 and 2, on the surface of the transparent protective layer and the surface of the image receiving layer other than the protective layer,
Coating amount of the above ultraviolet curable resin-containing coating liquid: 10g/m2
The UV-curable protective layer was formed by coating with a gravure coater having a specific background pattern, and curing the coating solution containing the UV-curable resin under the following curing conditions.

[0117]

Effects of the Invention In the image recording material of the present invention, an image-receiving layer having an image, a transparent protective layer, and an ultraviolet-curing protective layer are integrally laminated on a support in an inseparable manner, and the ultraviolet-curing protective layer contains fine particles. Or, since it contains a coloring agent or has irregularities formed on the surface of the ultraviolet curable protective layer, it can be distinguished from counterfeit or altered products, and there is no risk of counterfeiting or alteration. Therefore, the image recording medium of the present invention can be used as a particularly reliable ID card.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image recording medium showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an image-receiving sheet used for manufacturing an image recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1a Support 1b Image receiving layer 2. Image containing text information 3. Image containing gradation information 4 Transparent protective layer 5 Ultraviolet curing protective layer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A support, an image-receiving layer on which an image containing text information and an image containing gradation information are formed, a transparent protective layer,
1. An image recording material comprising an ultraviolet curing protective layer containing fine particles laminated in this order. 2. A support, an image-receiving layer on which an image containing text information and an image containing gradation information are formed, and a transparent protective layer,
1. An image recording material comprising an ultraviolet curing protective layer containing a colorant and laminated in this order. 3. A support, an image-receiving layer on which an image containing text information and an image containing gradation information are formed, and a transparent protective layer,
1. An image recording material comprising an ultraviolet curing protective layer having an uneven surface and laminated in this order.