JPH09323483A - Thermal transfer image receiving sheet and its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate rupture of a half-cut region at the time of releasing the region without adhering pressure sensitive adhesive to a cutter blade by forming of a release sheet, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer, a support and a dye receiving layer and half-cutting a laminated layer part by laser processing. SOLUTION: In a thermal transfer image receiving sheet having a release sheet 5, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer 4 formed on the release surface of the sheet 5, a releasable support 6 together with the adhesive layer, and a dye receiving layer 7 formed on the support 6, the other laminated layer part except the sheet 5 is half-cut in arbitrary shape and depth by a laser processing means, and a half-cut part 3 is heat-treated. The used layer 7 is formed by using solvent or water pressure sensitive adhesive. As the adhesive, vinyl acetate resin, or acrylic resin is used. Further, the processing means preferably uses a laser beam of an infrared region having a wavelength of about 0.9 to 11μm, and the part emitted by the beam is heated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an image-receiving sheet on which characters and images are formed by sublimation thermal transfer, which is composed of at least a release sheet / adhesive layer / support / dye receiving layer and is half-cut. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet and a manufacturing method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various thermal transfer methods have been known. Among them, in recent years, a thermal transfer sheet having a dye layer containing a sublimable dye formed on a support has been used in recent years. A sublimation transfer recording method of forming an image on a thermal transfer image receiving sheet by heating with a heating medium has attracted attention, and is used as an information recording means in various fields. According to this sublimation transfer recording method,
A full-color image can be formed in a very short time,
A high-quality image excellent in the reproducibility and gradation of intermediate colors and comparable to a full-color silver halide photographic image can be obtained. Due to the development of various hardware and software related to multimedia, this thermal transfer method has been developed as a full color hard copy system for computer graphics, satellite communication still images and analog images such as digital images and videos represented by CDROM and others. Its market is expanding.

The specific application of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet by this thermal transfer method is wide-ranging. Typical examples include printing proofs, image output, and CAD / CAM.
Design and output of design, etc., various medical analysis equipment such as CT scan and endoscope camera, output use of measuring equipment and as an alternative to instant photography, as well as identification cards, ID cards, credit cards, and other cards Output such as a photograph of the face to a photographer, a composite photograph in an amusement facility such as an amusement park, a game center, a museum, and an aquarium, and a use as a commemorative photograph. Furthermore, with the diversification of applications as described above, it can be attached to any object, for example, a dye receiving layer and a support on which an image is formed, via a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, a release sheet and A heat transfer image receiving sheet having a peelable configuration is used. This is a so-called label or seal type. This thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is used for forming a desired image on a dye-receiving layer, peeling off the dye-receiving layer, and attaching it to an arbitrary object.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an example of a prior art thermal transfer image-receiving sheet used for the above-mentioned applications.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet shown in FIG. 5 is a long type having a predetermined width, both ends of which are wound around a core 1 and mounted on a thermal transfer printer to proceed in the arrow direction or the opposite direction, and sublimation not shown. A mold heat transfer sheet is laid on the surface of the heat transfer sheet, and the heat transfer sheet is heated on the image from the back side by a thermal head or the like to transfer the dye of the heat transfer sheet to the dye receiving layer of the heat transfer image receiving sheet, and then to the surface of the heat transfer image receiving sheet. Arbitrary image 2
Is formed.

The above-mentioned thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is half-cut into an arbitrary shape as shown in FIG. 5, and the details of its cross section are enlarged and shown in FIG. The method for forming the half cut may be a method of inserting a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet between the upper die having a cutter blade and the pedestal to move the upper die up and down, or a cylinder type rotary cutter method. The image 2 formed in the area defined by the half-cut line 3, for example, a facial photograph image, is peeled from the release sheet 5 along with the adhesive layer 4 along the half-cut line 3 as shown in FIG. The peeled image-forming dye receiving layer portion A is attached to any article 11, for example, a notebook, a notebook, a bag, or another article, as shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 12 in FIG. 5 indicates a detection mark.

As described above, the conventional half-cut thermal transfer image receiving sheet is provided with the adhesive layer 4 on the release surface of the release sheet 5.
And the support 6 of the dye receiving layer 7, for example, foamed polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, synthetic paper known by the name of YUPO, and a dye-dyeable resin layer formed on the support 6. 7 (dye receiving layer). Further, the applicant of the present application has proposed a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet as described above, in which a laminate of an unfoamed resin film and a foamed resin film is used as the support to improve the image color density. There is.

[0007]

When an image is formed using the thermal transfer image receiving sheet as in the above-mentioned prior art, both ends of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet as shown in FIG. In the thermal transfer printer, the thermal transfer image receiving sheet is conveyed through several rollers including the platen roll, and the image forming portion is partially heated by the thermal head or the like to form a desired image. In this image formation, when the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is curved and conveyed by a portion such as a roll, the end portion of the area surrounded by the half-cut line 3 is turned up, the half-cut area is peeled from the end portion, and the peeled off. Since the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed on the back surface of the area, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer adheres to the inside of the thermal transfer printer or the surface of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet, causing a problem of poor conveyance of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet in the thermal transfer printer. However, there is often a problem that image formation is interrupted.

The above problem can be solved by improving the adhesive strength of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. However, if the adhesive strength of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is improved, the half-cut area after image formation is peeled off. In such a case, there arises a problem that peeling becomes difficult or a part of the half-cut region bursts during peeling.

However, since the above-mentioned thermal transfer image-receiving sheet forms a half-cut by pressure contact with a conventional cutter blade, the processed portion becomes a rough surface, distortion and burrs are likely to occur, and peeling defects in the half-cut area may occur. , When processing with the cutter blade, when the cutter blade comes out of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, the adhesive adheres to the cutter blade,
The adhesive is transferred and attached to the surface of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet.
In this state, the adhesive attached to the surface of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet affects the transport mechanism inside the thermal transfer printer during printing, causing poor running, peeling of the half-cut area, or induction of wrinkles on the thermal transfer sheet. was there.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides at least a release sheet, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the release surface thereof, and a support which can be peeled off together with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
In the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet consisting of the dye receiving layer formed on the support, when half-cutting other laminated parts other than the release sheet into an arbitrary shape, the adhesive adheres to the cutter blade and the thermal transfer The adhesive does not transfer and adhere to the surface of the image receiving sheet, and the half-cut area does not turn off during transportation in the thermal transfer printer and does not peel off.When the half-cut area is peeled off, the area bursts. It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet and a method for producing the same.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides at least a release sheet, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the release surface thereof, and a support which can be peeled off together with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. , A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprising a dye receiving layer formed on the support, other laminated portions excluding the release sheet are half-cut by a laser processing means into an arbitrary shape and depth, and The half-cut portion is heat-treated. Further, a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprising at least a release sheet, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the release surface thereof, a support which can be peeled off together with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and a dye receiving layer formed on the support. On the other hand, in the manufacturing method of performing half-cutting, the half-cutting is formed in an arbitrary shape and depth by heat-treating other laminated portions except the release sheet by a laser processing means. And

Further, in the above-mentioned half-cut, it is characterized in that the half-cut lines have portions having different depths. Further, in the above-mentioned half-cut line, a half-cut line portion having a shallow depth is formed on a print start side and / or a print end side of the half-cut area. Further, the support is composed of a laminate of an unfoamed resin film in contact with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and a foamed resin film in contact with the dye receiving layer.
Further, the release sheet is made of a surface-untreated polyolefin resin film. The surface-untreated polyolefin resin film is a stretched or non-stretched polypropylene resin film. In addition, the surface-untreated polyolefin resin film and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer are in accordance with JIS Z0237, 18
The peel strength at 0 ° is 100 to 1,700 g.

[0013]

The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention comprises at least a release sheet, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the release surface thereof, a support which can be peeled off together with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and a support formed on the support. In a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprising a dye receiving layer,
The other laminated portion excluding the release sheet is half-cut into a desired shape and depth by laser processing means, and the half-cut portion is heat-treated. Further, the laser processing means used in the present invention can easily adjust the depth of the half-cut line only by changing the conditions such as the laser light irradiation time, the accuracy is high, the reproducibility is good, and the half-cut processing can be performed. it can.

The portion irradiated with the laser beam is locally heated, and when the liquid phase is in a state of exceeding the melting point of the portion, the portion is blown off to be cut, and a half cut process is performed. That is, half-cut processing can be performed without contacting the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet. Therefore, compared with the conventional half-cut processing by the cutter blade, the adhesive is attached to the cutter blade, the adhesive does not transfer and adhere to the surface of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet, and further, no stress is applied to the processed portion, No burrs or distortion. The adhesive that adheres to the surface of the conventional thermal transfer image-receiving sheet affects the transport mechanism inside the thermal transfer printer during printing, and may cause poor running, peeling of the half-cut area, or induction of wrinkles on the thermal transfer sheet. .

Further, in the conventional half-cutting process using a cutter blade, the processed part becomes a rough surface and distortion occurs,
Burrs are likely to occur. Such burr and distortion are fatal defects in the sublimation transfer thermal transfer recording, and the transfer of the dye becomes uneven at the part and the vicinity of the burr and distortion, and the original clear and high-quality image can be obtained. Absent. Further, in the present invention, since the half cut regions have different depths, the half cut region is prevented from being peeled off during conveyance in the thermal transfer printer. Furthermore, since the half-cut area does not turn over during transportation in the thermal transfer printer, it is not necessary to increase the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer, and when peeling the half-cut area after image formation, it becomes difficult to peel or peel. Occasionally, part of the half-cut area will not burst.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to preferred embodiments. One form of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, has a half-cut line having a shallow portion 3 ′ and a deep portion 3 having different depths, and the half-cutting is performed by a laser processing means. The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is characterized in that the peripheral portion of the half cut is subjected to heat treatment. FIG.
It is an XX enlarged sectional view of FIG. 1, is a figure explaining the layer structure of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet of this invention, and FIG. 3 is a figure explaining the layer structure of the other thermal transfer image receiving sheet of this invention. As shown, the deep half-cut line 3 reaches the bottom of the adhesive layer 4, but the shallow half-cut line 3 ′ does not reach the adhesive layer 4 in the case of FIG. In the case of FIG. 3, the film 8 constituting the support is
Of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 4 and not the pressure sensitive adhesive layer 4.
By changing the depth of the half-cut line in this way, when the image is formed on the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet in the thermal transfer printer at the shallow half-cut line 3 ', it is difficult to peel it off. There is no conveyance failure of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet inside and image formation is not interrupted.

The examples shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are merely examples, and the cutting depth of the shallow half-cut line 3'is not limited to the example shown, and does not reach the release sheet 5 and the dye receiving layer. It may have any depth as long as it reaches at least a part of 7 and the support 6. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 3, when the supports are bonded together, it is preferable to insert a cut in the film 8 on the lower side thereof. FIG.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing an example of the shape of the half cut lines 3 and 3 ′ in the present invention. As shown, the shapes of the shallow half-cut line 3 'and the deep half-cut line 3 are
In addition to the shape shown in FIG. 1, shapes shown in FIGS. 4a to 4d are possible, and other shapes may be used. The preferred shape is a shallow half-cut line 3 ', as shown in FIG.
Is a shape formed on the print start side and / or the print end side. Further, since the print start side, which is the leading portion of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet in the conveying direction for printing, is easily peeled off,
4B and 4C, it is particularly preferable to form a deep half-cut line 3 on the printing end side so that it can be easily peeled off after printing.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.
The layer structure of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention is, as shown in FIG. 2, a release sheet 5 and an adhesive layer 4 formed on the release surface thereof.
And a support 6 which can be peeled off together with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 4, and a dye receiving layer 7 formed on the support 6. Further, as an example of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of another preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in its enlarged cross-sectional view in FIG. 3, a support (8 + 10 + 9 in the drawing reference numeral) is not foamed in contact with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 4. By forming a laminate of the resin film 8 and the foamed resin film 9 in contact with the dye receiving layer 7, it is possible to improve the dye-coloring property of the formed image, particularly the dye-coloring property of the high density portion of the image. The unfoamed resin film 8 and the foamed resin film 9 are adhered by an adhesive layer 10. Further, when there is no problem even if the shallow half-cut portion is not provided, the half-cut processing may be performed only by the usual deep half-cut.

(Release Sheet) The release sheet 5 used in the present invention is a conventionally known plastic film or a material obtained by subjecting the surface of poly-laminated paper to a release treatment with a known release agent such as silicone, For example, Lumirror T-60 (thickness 50 μm) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. and W-400 (thickness 38 μm) manufactured by Diafoil Co., Ltd. can be obtained and used. These release sheets are 20
The thickness is preferably from 100 μm to 100 μm, and the so-called stiffness of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet obtained when the release sheet is too thin disappears, and cannot be transported by a thermal transfer printer
Wrinkles are generated on the thermal transfer image receiving sheet. On the other hand, if the release sheet is too thick, the resulting thermal transfer image-receiving sheet will be too thick, and the force for driving and transporting the thermal transfer printer will be too large, resulting in failure of the printer or failure of normal transport.

The release sheet used in the present invention is a surface-untreated polyolefin resin film such as a polyethylene film or a polypropylene film, and a stretched or non-stretched polypropylene resin film is particularly preferable. According to the findings of the present inventor, in particular, in the case of a stretched or non-stretched polypropylene resin film, when a heat transfer image-receiving sheet is prepared without subjecting the surface to a release treatment as in the prior art, the type of the adhesive is selected. By doing so, JISZ02 between the release sheet and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer
Peeling strength at 180 ° conforming to 37 is about 100 to 1.7
00g, preferably in the range of about 700 to 1,400 g, and there is no peeling of the half-cut area at the time of image formation, and further, it is easily peeled after image formation without bursting of the half-cut area. can do. The thickness of the release sheet is about 20 to 100 μm,
Preferably it is in the range of 35 to 75 μm. Such a stretched or non-stretched polypropylene resin film can be obtained from the market, for example, as Pyrene manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd. or Trefan manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.

(Adhesive Layer) The adhesive layer 4 used in the present invention can be formed using any conventionally known solvent-based or water-based pressure-sensitive adhesive. As an adhesive,
For example, vinyl acetate resin, acrylic resin, vinyl acetate-
Acrylic copolymer, vinyl acetate-vinyl chloride copolymer,
Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyurethane resin,
Examples include natural rubber, chloroprene rubber, nitrile rubber, and the like. The coating amount of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is generally about 8 to 30 g / m ² (solid content), and the release sheet is formed by a conventionally known method, that is, a method such as gravure coating, gravure reverse coating, or roll coating. Apply on top and dry to form an adhesive layer. The adhesive strength of the adhesive layer is JIS Z0
In the peeling method at 180 ° according to 237, 100
~ 1,700 g, preferably 700-1,400
It is desirable to set it in the range of g. The above adhesive is
When forming the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the release sheet, it is preferable to select and use the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer so that the peel strength falls within the above range.

(Support) The support 6 in the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention may be a conventionally known one, for example, Toyopearl SS P4255 manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.
(Thickness: 35 μm), foamed polypropylene film such as MW247 (thickness: 35 μm) manufactured by Mobile Plastic Europe, and W-900 (50: manufactured by Diafoil Co., Ltd.)
μm) and a foamed polyethylene terephthalate film such as E-60 (50 μm) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. are preferably used. Further, as an example of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of another preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in the enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, a support (8 + 10 + 9 in the drawing reference numeral) is not yet in contact with the adhesive layer 4. It comprises a laminate of a foamed resin film 8 and a foamed resin film 9 in contact with the dye receiving layer 7. By doing so, it is possible to improve the formed image, particularly the color density of the high density portion, and form a high quality image.

In the above, the useful unfoamed resin film is an unfoamed film such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc., and any conventionally known unfoamed resin film can be used in the present invention.
The thickness is preferably in the range of about 10 to 50 μm.
If the film thickness is too thin, there is no so-called stiffness, and in the obtained thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, curl due to heat shrinkage occurs at the time of image formation with a thermal head or the like. Is more likely to occur. One preferred example is Lumirror S-10 (12 μm thick) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. In addition, as a useful foamed resin film, a conventionally known foamed resin film such as a foamed polypropylene film or a foamed polyethylene terephthalate film can be used. In particular, a foamed polypropylene film has excellent cushioning properties and heat insulation properties, and can be used with a thermal head. This is preferable because the dye can be uniformly and efficiently transferred to the receptor layer by pressing. The thickness of these films is 30
About 60 μm is preferable. Preferable examples are, for example, Toyobo Pearl P4255 (thickness 35 μm) and Toyopearl P4256 (thickness 60 μm) manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd.
And the like.

As a method for laminating the above unfoamed resin film and the foamed resin film, known laminating methods such as dry lamination, non-solvent (hot melt) lamination, and EC lamination can be used, but a preferable method. Are dry lamination and non-solvent lamination methods. As an adhesive suitable for the non-solvent lamination method, for example, Takenate A-720L manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Suitable adhesives for dry lamination include, for example, Takelac A manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
969 / Takenate A-5 (3/1) and the like.
The amount of these adhesives used is about 1 to 8 g in terms of solid content.
/ M ² , preferably in the range of ^{2 to} 6 g / m ² .

(Dye Receiving Layer) In the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2, the dye receiving layer 7 may be formed on the support 6 in advance or may be separated from the support 6. It may be provided on the surface of the support after laminating the sheet 5. Further, in the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the dye receiving layer 7 may be formed on the foamed resin film 9 before laminating the foamed resin film 9 and the unfoamed resin film 8. May be provided on the surface of the foamed resin film 9 of the support constituted by laminating the foamed resin film 9 and the non-foamed resin film 8, or the support (8 + 10 + 9 in the figure) and the release sheet. 5 may be laminated and then provided on the surface of the foamed resin film 9 of the support.

Examples of the material for forming the dye receiving layer include polyolefin resins such as polypropylene, vinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymers, ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymers, halogenated polymers such as polyvinylidene chloride, and the like. Polyvinyl acetate, polyester resins such as polyacrylic ester, polystyrene resins, polyamide resins, copolymer resins of olefins such as ethylene and propylene with other vinyl monomers, ionomers, cellulose resins such as cellulose diacetate, Polycarbonate resins and the like can be mentioned, and among these, polyester resins, vinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymers and mixtures thereof are particularly preferable.

At the time of image formation, a releasing agent is added to the resin for the dye receiving layer for the purpose of preventing fusion between the sublimation type thermal transfer sheet having the dye layer and the dye receiving layer of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet or reduction of printing sensitivity. Can be mixed. Preferred release agents used in combination include silicone oils, phosphate ester surfactants, fluorine surfactants, and the like, with silicone oil being preferred. As the silicone oil, modified silicone oils such as epoxy-modified, vinyl-modified, alkyl-modified, amino-modified, carboxyl-modified, alcohol-modified, fluorine-modified, alkylaralkyl-polyether-modified, epoxy-polyether-modified, and polyether-modified are preferable.

As the release agent, one type or two or more types are used. The amount of the release agent is preferably 0.5 to 30 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the resin for forming the dye receiving layer. If the addition amount is not satisfied, problems such as fusion between the sublimation type thermal transfer sheet and the dye receiving layer of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet or a decrease in printing sensitivity may occur. By adding such a release agent to the dye receiving layer, the release agent bleeds out on the surface of the dye receiving layer after transfer to form a release layer. Further, these release agents may be separately coated on the dye receiving layer without being added to the resin for forming the dye receiving layer.

The dye-receptive layer may be prepared by dissolving the resin as described above to which the necessary additives such as a release agent are added on the surface of the foamed resin film in an appropriate organic solvent or dispersing it in an organic solvent or water. It is formed by coating and drying the dispersion thus prepared by a suitable coating method. In forming the dye receiving layer, a white pigment, a fluorescent whitening agent, or the like can be added for the purpose of improving the whiteness of the dye receiving layer and further increasing the sharpness of the transferred image. The dye-receptive layer formed as described above may have any thickness, but generally 1 to 5 in a dry state.
The thickness is 0 μm.

Further, such a dye receiving layer is preferably a continuous coating, but it may be formed as a discontinuous coating by using a resin emulsion or a water-soluble resin or a resin dispersion liquid. Further, an antistatic agent may be applied on the dye receiving layer in order to stabilize the transfer of the thermal transfer printer. Further, an appropriate slip layer (not shown) can be provided on the surface of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet opposite to the dye receiving layer in order to prevent double feed during feeding of the thermal transfer printer. As the slip layer, butyral resin, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polyvinylidene chloride, polyester, polyurethane, polycarbonate, polycarbonate, polyvinyl acetate, etc. alone or blended, various fine particles and silicone etc. Those to which a lubricant has been added can be used.

(Manufacturing Method) In the method for manufacturing the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention, at least a release sheet, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the release surface, a support which can be peeled together with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and the support. A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprising a dye-receiving layer formed on the body, in a manufacturing method of half-cutting, other laminated portion except the release sheet, by laser processing means, by heat treatment, The half cut is formed in an arbitrary shape. Therefore, formation of a half cut by laser processing means will be described below. The laser processing means of the present invention uses a YAG laser, a carbon dioxide gas laser, a ruby laser or the like as the laser light. Especially, the YAG laser has a short wavelength and can focus light on a minute spot.
Finer processing is possible and is preferably used.

An example of the laser processing means of the present invention will be described. First, a laser beam is condensed by a lens and radiated to the surface of the dye receiving layer of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet. At that time,
The depth of the half cut line can be adjusted by changing the irradiation time of the laser beam or the laser output value. That is, when the irradiation time of the laser light is short, the half cut line becomes shallow, and the irradiation time of the laser light can be slightly increased to make the half cut line deep. Further, when the laser output value is small, the half cut line becomes shallow, and the laser output value can be slightly increased to make the half cut line deep. As described above, the half-cut processing can be easily performed with high accuracy and reproducibility without contacting the processed portion. Therefore, compared with the conventional half-cut processing by the cutter blade, the adhesive is attached to the cutter blade, the adhesive does not transfer and adhere to the surface of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet, and further, no stress is applied to the processed portion, No burrs or distortion.

The laser processing means of the present invention has a laser processing means of about 0.9 to 0.9.
It is preferable to use a laser beam in the infrared region of 11 μm, and the portion irradiated with the laser beam will be heated. The portion irradiated with the laser beam is locally heated, and when the liquid phase is in a state of exceeding the melting point of the portion, the portion is cut off by blowing off the portion, thereby performing a half-cut process. The laser processing means of the present invention forms a half cut on the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet by the laser processing device described below. As shown in an example in FIG. 8, the laser processing apparatus includes a laser oscillator 20 including a laser head 21, a processing optical system (lens) 22, and a laser power source 23, and a thermal transfer image receiving sheet 30 which is a workpiece. An XY table 24 that is mounted and is movable in a horizontal plane (XY plane), a laser head 21, and a processing optical system (lens) 22 are moved in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) Z
A main controller 26 is provided for automatically or manually controlling the movement of the table 25 and the XY table 24 in the horizontal plane, the movement of the Z table 25 in the vertical direction, and the oscillation of the laser oscillator 20. Under the control of the main controller of such a laser processing apparatus, an imposition half-cut as shown in FIG. 1 can be performed. FIG.
It is needless to say that the detection mark in the above can be used as a start detection signal of the half-cut processing.

(Detection Mark) The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention may be provided with a detection mark 12 as shown in FIG. The detection mark 12 indicates the start position of thermal transfer image formation. Further, this detection mark 12 can also be used as a start position for half-cut formation. For example, in FIG. 1, the detection mark 12 is read and detected, and the half-cut processing of 12 sections is performed. Next, the next detection mark in the direction of the processing can be read and detected, and the half-cut processing can be similarly performed, and the operation can be repeated. The shape and color of the detection mark 12 are not limited as long as they can be detected by the detector. The shape may be, for example, an elliptical shape as shown in FIG. 1, a quadrangle, or a round shape or a barcode. In the case of a line shape, it may be formed over the entire width of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet. The color of the detection mark may be any color that can be detected by the detector. For example, in the case of a light transmission type detector, silver or black having high concealing properties may be used. Further, in the case of the light reflection type detector, a color tone of metallic luster having high reflectivity can be given.

The detection mark may be formed by penetrating a hole from the front surface to the back surface of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet, or may be formed by gravure printing or offset printing. In addition, a vapor deposition film can be provided by a hot stamp using a transfer foil, or a vapor deposition film with an adhesive can be attached to the back surface, and there is no particular limitation. Also,
The place where the detection mark is formed is, as shown in FIG. 1, a half cut of 12 sections as one unit, and is formed at the beginning of each unit. Further, it may be formed only at the head of the first half cut unit. The first half-cut formation position is detected by reading the detection mark with a detector, and by controlling the feed amount of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet by the laser processing device, the half-cut formation position is accurately adjusted in the subsequent steps. be able to. The detection means of the detection mark is not particularly limited as long as the detection mark can be read. When the through hole is used as the detection mark, it can be read by a light transmissive type detector, so that malfunction is less than that of the light reflective type detector, which is preferable. When a silver detection mark of metallic luster is provided by printing or a detection mark of a vapor-deposited film is used, it can be read by a light reflection type detector.

A method of forming an image on the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention formed as described above may be a conventionally known sublimation type thermal transfer system, for example, a dye layer of three colors of yellow, cyan and magenta is sequentially layered. A desired full-color image is formed on the dye receiving layer of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention by a known thermal head type thermal transfer printer using the thermal transfer sheet having the adhesive layer, and the layer containing the image-formed dye receiving layer is formed on the adhesive layer. At the same time, it can be peeled from the release sheet, and the layer containing the peeled dye receiving layer can be attached to any article. Further, when the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet is half-cut as described above, an image is formed in the half-cut area, and the half-cut area formed by the same method as shown in FIG. 7 is peeled off. It can be attached to any article 11.

[0037]

The present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the following examples and comparative examples. It should be noted that “part” or “%” in the text is based on weight. Example 1 First, a coating liquid for a dye receiving layer having the following composition was solidified on one surface of a foamed polyethylene terephthalate film (trade name: W-900, manufactured by Diafoil Co., Ltd., thickness: 50 μm) as a support. At a rate of 4.0 g / m ² and dried to form a dye receiving layer.

Composition of coating liquid for dye receiving layer Vinyl chloride / vinyl acetate copolymer 40 parts (manufactured by Denki Kagaku Kogyo, # 1000A) Polyester resin (manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., Byron 600) 40 parts Vinyl chloride / styrene -Acrylic copolymer 20 parts (Denka Rack # 400A manufactured by Denki Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.) 10 parts vinyl modified silicone (X-62-1212 manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) Catalyst (CAT-PLR- manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) 5) 5 parts catalyst (CAT-PL-50T manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) 6 parts Methyl ethyl ketone / toluene (1/1) 400 parts

Next, a pressure-sensitive adhesive having the following composition was applied to the surface of the foamed polyethylene terephthalate film on which the dye receiving layer was not formed, at a solid content coating amount of 15 g / m ² , and the temperature was raised to 70 ° C. And heat-dried for 1 minute to form an adhesive layer. Coating Formulation acrylic copolymer 48 parts of pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (Soken Chemical Co., Ltd. SK Dyne 1310L) epoxy resin (Soken Chemical Co., Ltd. curing agent E-AX) 0.36 parts of ethyl acetate 51.64 parts

Separately, a surface-untreated biaxially oriented polypropylene film (trade name: Pyrene P215) as a release sheet
6, manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., having a thickness of 30 μm). Finally, as an antistatic agent on the dye receiving layer surface,
A quaternary ammonium salt compound (manufactured by Matsumoto Yushi-Seiyaku Co., Ltd., 1/1000 dilution of TB-34) was applied to form a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet. The above thermal transfer image receiving sheet,
With the thickness of the release sheet left, the shape shown in FIG.
By the laser processing means using YAG laser (laser output 1000 W, irradiation time 0.1 to 0.2 ms),
Half-cut processing was performed to obtain the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of Example 1. The size of one screen is 110 mm × 110 mm, and 12 small sections of 20 mm × 15 mm are formed in this one screen as shown in FIG. FIG.
Such a detection mark as described above is formed by a through hole.

Example 2 As a release sheet, a surface-untreated unstretched polypropylene film (trade name: Taiko FC,
FA, Nimura Chemical, thickness 60 μm)
A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of Example 2 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1. (Example 3) As a support, synthetic paper (trade name: YUPO FPU)
No. 60, manufactured by Oji Yuka Co., Ltd., thickness 60 μm) was used to obtain a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of Example 3 in the same manner as in Example 1.

Example 4 First, a dye-receiving layer was formed on one surface of a foamed polypropylene film (Mobil, MW846, thickness 35 μm) in the same manner as in Example 1. Next, an adhesive having the following composition was applied to the surface of the foamed polypropylene film on which the dye receiving layer was not formed at a solid coating amount of 3 g / m ² , and a PET film (Toray Industries, Inc.) was applied to the surface. Made, transparent PET T-60, thickness 25
μm). Adhesive layer coating liquid composition Urethane resin 30 parts (Takelac A-969V manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) Isocyanate curing agent 10 parts (Takenate A-5 manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) Ethyl acetate 80 parts

On the surface of the PET film bonded as described above, an adhesive having the following composition was applied in a solid content of 15 g / m 2.
^The composition was applied at a ratio of ² and heat-dried at a temperature of 70 ° C. for 1 minute to form a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. Coating Formulation acrylic copolymer 48 parts of pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (Soken Chemical Co., Ltd. SK Dyne 1310L) epoxy resin (Soken Chemical Co., Ltd. curing agent E-AX) 0.36 parts of ethyl acetate 51.64 parts

Separately, a surface-untreated biaxially oriented polypropylene film (trade name: Pyren P215) as a release sheet
6, manufactured by Toyobo Co., Ltd., having a thickness of 30 μm). Finally, as an antistatic agent on the dye receiving layer surface,
A quaternary ammonium salt compound (manufactured by Matsumoto Yushi-Seiyaku Co., Ltd., 1/1000 dilution of TB-34) was applied to form a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet. The above thermal transfer image receiving sheet,
A laser processing means (laser output 100) using a YAG laser is used so that the depth of the half cut in the shape of FIG.
Half-cut processing was performed at 0 W for an irradiation time of 0.1 to 0.2 ms) to obtain a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of Example 4. 1
The size of the screen is 110mm x 110mm.
As shown in FIG. 1, 12 small sections of 20 mm × 15 mm are formed in the screen. The detection mark as shown in FIG. 1 is formed by a through hole.

Comparative Example 1 A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of Comparative Example 2 was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the half cut was formed by processing with a cutter blade.

A sublimation heat transfer sheet (manufactured by Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.) having dye layers of three colors of yellow, cyan and magenta in a face-sequential manner and the heat transfer image-receiving sheets of the above-mentioned Examples and Comparative Examples were used as respective dye layers. The dye-receiving layer and the dye-receiving layer are laminated so as to face each other, and the head applied voltage is applied from the back surface of the thermal transfer sheet.
0 V, pulse width 16 msec, printing cycle 33.3 msec
Recording was performed with a thermal transfer printer using a thermal head under the conditions of c, dot density of 6 dots / line, and a full-color face photograph was formed on the dye receiving layer of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet.
The conditions were such that the half-cut portion was also printed.
In the above image formation, print quality and transportability in a thermal transfer printer were evaluated. The evaluation method is as follows.

<Evaluation Method> (Printing Quality) The quality of the printed matter on which a full-color facial photograph was formed was visually evaluated. The criteria are as follows. ：: good. There is no uneven transfer. X: Printing failure occurs. Transfer unevenness is observed.

(Conveyability) Judgment was made based on the number of times the thermal transfer printer was stopped when 100 screens of each thermal transfer image receiving sheet were continuously imaged. The stoppage is caused by a trouble of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet. The criteria are as follows. ○: Number of stop times 2 or less ×: Number of stop times 20 or more

The evaluation results are shown in Table 1 below.

[Table 1]

[0050]

As described above, according to the present invention, at least a release sheet, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the release surface, a support which can be peeled together with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and a support formed on the support. In the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet consisting of the dye receiving layer
The other laminated portion excluding the release sheet is half-cut into a desired shape and depth by laser processing means, and the half-cut portion is heat-treated. Therefore, by the laser processing means, since half-cut processing can be performed without contact with the thermal transfer image receiving sheet, the adhesive is attached to the cutter blade, and the adhesive does not transfer and attach to the surface of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet. The half-cut area does not turn over during conveyance in the thermal transfer printer and does not peel off, and when the half-cut area is peeled off, the area does not burst.

Furthermore, the present invention provides at least a release sheet, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the release surface thereof, a support which can be peeled off together with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and a dye-receiving layer formed on the support. In a manufacturing method of half-cutting a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet comprising a layer, heat treatment is applied to other laminated portions other than the release sheet by a laser processing means to obtain the half shape having an arbitrary shape and depth. Form a cut. Therefore, the manufacturing method of the present invention, compared with the conventional half-cut processing by the cutter blade, the adhesive is not attached to the surface of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, because the adhesive is attached to the cutter blade, and the processed portion is further processed. No stress is applied to the machined part, and the processed part does not have a rough surface, burr, or distortion. Also, since the half-cut line is composed of a shallow part and a deep part, the half-cut area does not turn over during conveyance in the thermal transfer printer and does not peel off, and when the half-cut area is peeled off, that area bursts. Never.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a plane of a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 1 of another example.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a half-cut line pattern.

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating a conventional half-cut thermal transfer image-receiving sheet.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the peeled printed matter is attached to another article.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a configuration of a laser processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Core 2 Image 3 Deep half cut line 3'Shallow half cut line 4 Adhesive layer 5 Release sheet 6 Support 7 Dye receiving layer 8 Unfoamed resin film 9 Foamed resin film 10 Adhesive layer 11 Article 12 Detection mark 20 Laser oscillator 21 Laser head 22 Processing optical system 23 Laser power supply 24 XY table 25 Z table 26 Main controller 30 Thermal transfer image receiving sheet

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Atsushi Kametaka 450 Aotomachi, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A release sheet, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on a release surface of the release sheet, a support which can be peeled off together with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and a dye-receiving layer formed on the support. In the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, the other laminated portion excluding the release sheet is half-cut to an arbitrary shape and depth by laser processing means, and the half-cut portion is heat-treated. Thermal transfer image receiving sheet. 2. A release sheet, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the release surface of the release sheet, a support which can be peeled together with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and a dye-receiving layer formed on the support. In a manufacturing method of half-cutting a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, the half-cut is formed in an arbitrary shape and depth by heat-treating other laminated portions except the release sheet by a laser processing means. A method of manufacturing a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet, comprising: 3. The thermal transfer image receiving sheet according to claim 1, wherein, in the half cut, the half cut lines have portions having different depths. 4. The method of manufacturing a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 2, wherein the half cut has portions having different depths of the half cut lines. 5. The half-cut line, wherein a half-cut line portion having a shallow depth is formed on a print start side and / or a print end side of the half-cut area. Item 3. A thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to item 3. 6. The half-cut line, wherein a half-cut line portion having a shallow depth is formed on a print start side and / or a print end side of the half-cut area. Item 5. A method for manufacturing a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to item 4. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the support comprises a laminate of an unfoamed resin film in contact with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and a foamed resin film in contact with the dye receiving layer. Thermal transfer image receiving sheet. 8. The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 1, wherein the release sheet is made of a surface-untreated polyolefin resin film. 9. The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 8, wherein the surface-untreated polyolefin resin film is a stretched or non-stretched polypropylene resin film. 10. The surface-untreated polyolefin resin film and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer according to JIS Z0237, 1.
The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 8, wherein the peel strength at 80 ° is 100 to 1,700 g.