JPH0885271A - Ink ribbon - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enhance the adhesive strength to the sheetlike material of an ink layer and to eliminate the loss of releasability from the ink ribbon of a laminated layer when the laminated layer is transferred to a printing sheet in the ribbon having the ink layer for thermal transfer recording by sublimation and the laminated layer transferred as a protective film of a dye image formed on the sheet. CONSTITUTION: An ink ribbon comprises an ink layer 2 which contains sublimable or heat diffusable dye and in which the dye is migrated from the ink layer to a transfer medium by heating, and a laminated layer 3 to be transferred to the transfer medium by heating, wherein a primer layer 4 is provided between the layer 2 and the base material, but not provided between the layer 3 and the base material.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink ribbon for sublimation type thermal transfer recording. More specifically, the present invention relates to an ink ribbon having, on a sheet-shaped base material, an ink layer and a laminate layer serving as a surface protective film for an image formed on a transfer-receiving member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink ribbon is heated by a thermal head or a laser in accordance with image information, and the ink from the ink ribbon is transferred to a transfer target such as photographic paper by heat melting, or the ink of the ink ribbon A thermal transfer recording system in which a dye is transferred from a layer to a dye receiving layer of a transfer target such as photographic paper by thermal diffusion or sublimation and a dye image is formed on the dye receiving layer is widely adopted. In particular, in recent years, a so-called sublimation type thermal transfer recording system, in which a thermal diffusion dye such as a sublimation dye is used to form a continuous gradation full-color image, has been attracting attention.

As an ink ribbon used for such sublimation type thermal transfer recording, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and optionally black (on a sheet-like substrate made of polyester or the like are used. In general, the ink layers of the respective colors of B) are formed in a frame-sequential manner, but recently, as shown in FIG. 6 (a plan view of FIG. 6A and a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6B). In addition to the Y, M, and C ink layers 2 on the sheet-shaped substrate 1, an ink ribbon having a laminate layer 3 formed thereon is also used.

The laminate layer 3 is provided to form a protective film for a dye image formed on photographic paper by thermal transfer. That is, the laminate layer 3 formed on the ink ribbon is heat-transferred onto the dye image on the photographic paper by being heated by a thermal head or the like after the dye image is formed on the photographic paper, and the dye film protective film. Becomes

Further, in the ink ribbon used for sublimation thermal transfer recording, the dye contained in the ink layer 2 is transferred to the printing paper at the time of image formation, but the ink layer 2 itself is not transferred to the printing paper. Ink layer 2 and sheet substrate 1
In order to increase the adhesive force with the ink, the primer layer 4 is generally provided on the entire surface of the sheet-shaped substrate 1 as shown in the figure, and the ink layer 2 is formed on the primer layer 4. Particularly, in recent years, high energy may be applied to the ink layer 2 from the thermal head in order to perform high-speed printing.
Even in such a case, in order to prevent the ink layer 2 itself from transferring to the printing paper, a primer layer 4 having a strong adhesive force is used.

[0006]

However, since the conventional primer layer 4 is formed on the entire surface of the sheet-like substrate as shown in FIG. 6, the ink layer 2 and the sheet-like substrate 1 are formed.
Not only the adhesive strength with the laminate layer 3 and the sheet-shaped substrate 1
The adhesive strength with Therefore, when the laminate layer 3 is transferred from the ink ribbon onto the dye image formed on the photographic paper, the laminate layer 3 is less likely to be peeled off from the sheet-shaped base material 1 and there is a problem that uneven lamination occurs. Then, in a portion where the laminating layer is transferred only insufficiently, there is a problem that an appearance defect occurs due to transfer nonuniformity, and image storage characteristics are deteriorated.

The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and is transferred as an ink layer for sublimation type thermal transfer recording and a protective film for a dye image formed on photographic paper. In an ink ribbon having a laminate layer, it is an object of the present invention to increase the adhesive strength of the ink layer to the sheet-shaped substrate and prevent the transferability of the laminate layer from being impaired.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems The present inventor has formed a primer layer on a sheet-like base material to enhance the adhesive strength between the sheet-like base material and the ink layer. The inventors have found that the above-mentioned object can be achieved by not forming a primer layer between the laminate layer and the sheet-shaped substrate instead of forming it on the entire surface, and have completed the present invention.

That is, the present invention is an ink layer containing a sublimable or heat-diffusible dye on the same surface of a sheet-shaped substrate, the dye being transferred from the ink layer to the transfer target by heating. In an ink ribbon provided with a layer and a laminate layer that is transferred to a transfer target by heating, a primer layer is provided between the ink layer and the sheet-shaped substrate, and the primer layer is the laminate layer and the sheet-shaped member. An ink ribbon is provided which is not provided between a substrate and the substrate.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

FIG. 1 is a plan view (FIG. 1A) and a cross-sectional view (FIG. 1B) of one embodiment of the thermal transfer ribbon of the first invention. In each drawing, the same reference numerals represent the same or equivalent constituent elements. This ink ribbon has a sheet-shaped substrate 1
The ink layer 2 and the laminating layer 3 each containing a sublimation dye of each color of yellow Y, magenta M and cyan C are provided on the same surface of the sheet, and between the ink layer 2 and the sheet-like substrate 1. 6 in that a primer layer 4 is formed on the
Although the same as the conventional ink ribbon shown in FIG. 2, the primer layer 4 is not formed between the laminating layer 3 and the sheet-shaped substrate, and the laminating layer 3 is directly formed on the sheet-shaped substrate 1. It is different in that it is done.

Such an ink ribbon can be manufactured using a conventional ink ribbon manufacturing line. That is, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the production line of the ink ribbon shown in FIG. In the line of the drawing, the sheet-shaped substrate 1 is unwound from an unwinding roll 5, passes through a guide roll 6, and passes between a plate cylinder 7 for coating a primer layer-forming coating material and an impression cylinder 8. As a result, the sheet-shaped base material 1 is coated with the primer layer-forming coating material. Next, the sheet-shaped substrate 1 is passed through the primer layer drying device 9 to form a primer layer.
After that, the sheet-shaped substrate 1 is sequentially coated with the coating plate cylinders 10Y, 10M, 10C and the impression cylinder 11Y for forming the ink layer of each color.
, 11M, 11C, and dryers 12Y, 12M
, 12C to form an ink layer of each color on the primer layer. Next, the sheet-shaped base material 1 passes between the coating layer cylinder 13 for coating the laminate layer forming coating material and the impression cylinder 14, and further passes through the drying device 15 to be wound up on the winding roll 16.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the manufacturing line shown in FIG. 2 coated with the primer layer-forming coating material.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the plate cylinder 7 used here. An engraved portion 7a and a non-engraved portion 7b are formed on the plate cylinder 7, the engraved portion 7a corresponds to an ink layer forming region on a sheet-shaped substrate, and the non-engraved portion 7b is a sheet-shaped substrate. It is formed corresponding to the laminate layer forming region on the material.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the paint 4a for forming the primer layer is put in the paint tray 17, the plate cylinder 7 is rotated to adhere the paint 4a to the plate cylinder 7, and the doctor blade 18 removes the excess paint 4a. Then, when the coating material 4a is attached only to the engraved portion 7a and pressed against the sheet-shaped base material 1, the ink layer forming area on the sheet-shaped base material 1 is coated with the primer layer-forming coating material. The layer forming region is prevented from being coated with the primer layer forming paint.

In such a manufacturing line, the plate cylinder 7 as shown in FIG. 4 is used in the step of coating the primer layer forming paint.
It can be configured by utilizing a conventional manufacturing line except that the above is used. This is also preferable because the primer layer can be easily formed on the sheet-shaped base material while not being formed in the laminate layer formation region.

In addition, as a method for preventing the primer layer from being formed in the laminating layer forming region, the plate cylinder 7 has a non-engraved portion 7b corresponding to the laminating layer forming region.
Although a normal plate cylinder without a plate is used, the plate cylinder may be intermittently separated from the sheet-shaped base material in synchronization with the coating length of the ink layer or the laminate layer when the primer layer-forming coating material is applied. .

When the primer layer is formed on the sheet-shaped substrate by these methods, the area where the primer layer is not formed (A in FIG. 1) on the sheet-shaped substrate actually forms the laminate layer 3. It is preferably larger than the area. This makes it possible to prevent the primer layer from being positioned below the laminate layer even if a displacement occurs during the formation of the primer layer or the laminate layer.

In the ink ribbon of the present invention, the primer layer 4, the ink layer 2, and the laminate layer 3 are formed on the sheet-shaped substrate 1 so that the primer layer 4 is not located below the laminate layer 3 as described above. As long as it is, the constitution itself of each of these layers can be the same as that of the conventional ink ribbon for sublimation type thermal transfer.

For example, the sheet-shaped substrate 1 has a thickness of 3
Resin films such as polyester, polyamide, polyimide, and triacetate having a thickness of about 20 μm, and papers such as condenser paper and glassine paper can be used.

The primer layer 4 can be formed by applying the primer layer-forming coating material on the sheet-shaped substrate as described above. The primer layer-forming coating material used in this case is an ink ribbon. It can be appropriately selected according to the type of the sheet-shaped base material forming the ink, the type of binder resin forming the ink layer, and the like. Generally, a paint made of urethane resin, acrylic resin, polyester resin, or the like can be used.

As the ink layer 2, for example, polyvinyl butyral-based resin, polyvinyl acetal-based resin, cellulose ester-based resin, cellulose ether-based resin, polymethylmethacrylate-based resin, polystyrene-based resin or other binder resin is sublimable or thermally diffused. It can be formed by applying an ink layer-forming coating material in which a functional dye is dispersed. Known dyes can be used as such sublimable or heat diffusible dyes, and examples thereof include anthraquinone dyes, azo dyes, and methine dyes. Further, the ink layer-forming coating material may be mixed with various additives as necessary. For example, a dispersant such as a surfactant, a drying accelerator such as a cellulose derivative, a defoaming agent, a plasticizer, A binder and the like can be exemplified. The thickness of the ink layer is not particularly limited, but is usually about 0.
It is preferably about 5 to 5 μm.

As the laminate layer 3, a resin layer, which is a protective film for the dye image formed on the photographic paper by transferring the ink ribbon onto the photographic paper by melt transfer by heating, is formed. Such a resin layer can be generally formed using a coating material made of an acrylic resin, a vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, or the like. The thickness is usually about 0.5 to 20.
It is preferably about μm.

In FIG. 1, an ink layer 2 of each color of yellow Y, magenta M, and cyan C is formed on a sheet-shaped substrate 1.
Although the embodiment in which the laminate layer 3 and the laminate layer 3 are repeatedly arranged in this order is shown, the arrangement of the respective layers is not limited to this in the present invention, and any arrangement can be adopted. Further, as the ink layer 2, a black ink layer may be further formed, or only a predetermined monochromatic ink layer may be formed.

If desired, the ink ribbon of the present invention may be provided with a layer other than the above-mentioned primer layer 4, ink layer 2 and laminate layer 3. For example, a back coat layer can be formed on the surface of the sheet-shaped substrate 1 opposite to the ink layer 2 in order to improve the running property of the ink ribbon. This back coat layer is formed by applying a back coat layer-forming coating material obtained by dispersing a lubricant such as a phosphoric acid ester, silicone oil or calcium carbonate in a binder resin such as cellulose acetate or an epoxy resin to a sheet-shaped substrate. Can be formed.

[0024]

According to the ink ribbon of the present invention, the primer layer exists between the ink layer and the sheet-shaped substrate, but the primer layer does not exist between the laminate layer and the sheet-shaped substrate. Therefore, the constituent material of the primer layer can be selected so that the adhesive strength of the ink layer to the sheet-shaped substrate is sufficiently high without considering the releasability of the laminate layer from the ink ribbon. Therefore, it is possible to form a clear dye image even when high energy is applied to the ink layer.

Further, since there is no primer layer below the laminating layer, when the laminating layer is transferred from the ink ribbon onto the dye image formed on the photographic paper, the releasability of the laminating layer from the ink ribbon is improved. To do. Therefore, even if a separate release layer is not formed below the laminating layer, the laminating layer can be uniformly transferred to the photographic paper and the dye image can be protected. Therefore, the appearance and storability of the dye image can be improved.

[0026]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be specifically described below based on examples.

Example 1 A 6 μm-thick PET film was prepared as a sheet-shaped substrate. In addition, paints having the following compositions were prepared as a paint for forming a primer layer, a paint for forming an ink layer of each color, and a paint for forming a laminate layer.

Then, by the manufacturing line shown in FIG.
The ink ribbon shown in FIG. 1 was produced (primer layer 0.
1 μm, ink layer 1 μm, laminate layer 3 μm).

[Coating for forming primer layer] Ingredient amount (parts by weight) Polyester urethane 10 (DN3870, manufactured by Nippon Polyurethane Industry Co., Ltd.) 25% nitrocellulose solution (PML25, manufactured by Fujikura Kasei Co., Ltd.) 10 3 functional type Polyisocyanate-based cross-linking agent 1 (Coronate L, manufactured by Nippon Polyurethane Industry Co., Ltd.) Methyl ethyl ketone 100 Cyclohexanone 100 [Y-color ink layer forming paint] Component blending amount (parts by weight) Dye (azo dye, styryl dye) 5 Polyvinyl butyral (6000 Ep, manufactured by Denka Vinyl Inc.) 5 Methyl ethyl ketone 45 Toluene 45 [Paint for forming M color ink layer] Component blending amount (parts by weight) Dye (anthraquinone dye) 5 Polyvinyl butyral (6000 Ep, manufactured by Denka Vinyl Inc.) 5 Methyl ethyl ketone 45 Torue 45 [C Color Ink Layer Forming Paint] Ingredient Amount (parts by Weight) Dye (Styryl Dye) 5 Polyvinyl Butyral (6000 Ep, manufactured by Denki Kabushiki Kaisha) 5 Methylethylketone 45 Toluene 45 [Laminate Layer Forming Paint] Ingredient Amount ( Parts by weight) Polymethylmethacrylate (560F, Asahi Kasei Corp.) 100 UV absorber (Seesorb 702, Cypro Kasei Corp.) 10 Methylethylketone 200 Toluene 200 Using the ink ribbon obtained, printer (UP-1)
800, manufactured by Sony Corp.) was used to perform solid printing on a polyvinyl carbonate sheet having a thickness of about 180 μm, and transferred onto a dye image having a laminate layer formed thereon.
When the photographic paper is visually observed, the laminate layer 2 is formed on the photographic paper 19 on which an image is formed as shown in FIG.
It was found that 0 was uniformly formed.

Comparative Example 1 An ink ribbon was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the primer layer was formed on the entire surface of the sheet-shaped substrate and the ink layer and the laminate layer were formed thereon. An image was formed on photographic paper, and the laminate layer was transferred onto it.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 5B, the photographic printing paper on which the image was formed at the same printing speed as in Example 1 was
There is unevenness 20a in the thickness of the transferred laminated layer 20,
It was observed that the laminate layer 20 was unevenly formed on the printing paper 19.

[0032]

According to the ink ribbon of the present invention, the adhesive strength between the ink layer and the sheet-shaped substrate can be sufficiently increased by the primer layer. It is also possible to transfer the laminate layer uniformly on the obtained image.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an ink ribbon of the present invention (FIG. 1 (a)).
And a cross-sectional view (FIG. 2B).

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an ink ribbon production line of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a primer layer forming portion of the ink ribbon production line of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a plate cylinder for coating a primer layer-forming coating material used in the ink ribbon production line of the invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a transfer state of a laminate layer when an image is formed on photographic paper using the ink ribbon of the example or the comparative example and the laminate layer is transferred.

6A and 6B are a plan view (FIG. 6A) and a cross-sectional view (FIG. 6B) of a conventional ink ribbon.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Sheet-like base material 2 Ink layer 3 Laminating layer 4 Primer layer 7 Plate cylinder for coating primer layer forming paint 8 Impression cylinder for coating primer layer forming paint

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ink layer containing a sublimable or heat-diffusible dye on the same surface of a sheet-shaped substrate, wherein the dye migrates from the ink layer to a transfer target upon heating.
In an ink ribbon provided with a laminate layer that is transferred to a transfer target by heating, a primer layer is provided between the ink layer and the sheet-shaped substrate, and the primer layer includes the laminate layer and the sheet-shaped substrate. An ink ribbon that is not provided between the two.