JPS60165300A - Hydraulic transfer method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to a printing method for transferring a printed pattern onto an object having an uneven or curved surface using water pressure.

(Prior Art) It is already known to transfer a printed pattern by applying a printed pattern to a water-soluble film, floating it on the surface of water, and pushing an object to be transferred from above (Japanese Patent Publication No. 41682/1982). According to this method, it is possible to apply a constant and desired printing pattern to transfer objects of various shapes along the shape, which is impossible with easy flow. However, with this method, in order to perform the transfer, the printed pattern must be used after it has been printed but before it has dried, and therefore, printing is performed each time the transfer is performed, resulting in either poor printing efficiency or poor ink usage. Since it cannot be dried, multicolor printing cannot be performed.

On the other hand, there is a method in which a desired pattern is printed on a water-soluble paste, an adhesive is applied, the pattern is floated on water, the water-soluble base is dissolved, the pattern remains on the water surface, and the transferred material is pressed from above. It is also known (Special Publication No. 57-50547).

However, in this method, once the water-soluble base of the support is dissolved, it is difficult to maintain the shape of the pattern, and the transferred pattern inevitably suffers from distortion.

Furthermore, as an invention by the same applicant as the present invention, there is a method in which a thin film with multicolor printing is coated with a liquid containing a solvent that swells the ink, the film is floated on water, and an object to be transferred is pressed from above. (No. 1973-33115). This method uses multi-color printed film and allows transfer without distortion of the pattern, but the efficiency of floating the film coated with liquid on water is not good, and the thin film does not change after floating on water. When spreading after water absorption and swelling, the spreading is not uniform due to uneven thickness of the film and variations in the amount of ink applied to each part of the printed pattern, which may cause overlapping and wrinkles in areas where spreading is slow. The pattern afterwards may become unsightly.

In addition, different from the above method, there is also a method in which a patterned water-soluble support is floated on water, and then immediately before transfer, thinner is applied using a sprayer, and the transfer target is pressed against the support from above. (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 191187/1987). However, in this method, when thinner is sprayed, the water-soluble support suddenly stretches with strong force, resulting in heavy wrinkles. It is difficult to print on such films, and since the transfer is performed immediately after spraying the thinner, the printed pattern cannot be instantly activated. In order to dissolve the ink, it is necessary to use a solvent with a strong ability to dissolve the ink as a component of the thinner, which limits the range of solvents that can be selected.Also, since the thin water-soluble support is thin as mentioned above, After spreading, it takes only a short time to tear and disappear (diffuse), and the transfer must be carried out in an extremely short period of time, making it difficult to transfer precisely down to the details of the object to be transferred.

(Objective of the Invention) That is, it is desired to solve the following problems in this type of transfer using a water-soluble support and water pressure.

(a) The support must be thick enough to allow stable printing; (b) When the support floats on water, it absorbs water and becomes flexible, but by the time the transfer is complete, G/→The timing of spraying the liquid that can dissolve the ink is as follows:
(2) The time period during which transfer is possible is long, from when the water-soluble support is floated on water until the water-soluble support diffuses.

The present invention has been made to eliminate the drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art and to meet the demands. After printing on one side of a water-soluble film, it is dried to create a printed film, Next, the printing film is floated on the water surface with the printing side facing up, and then an activating liquid that can reactivate the printed pattern is applied to the printing surface of the printing film. This is a hydraulic transfer method that involves pressing in part or all of the printing film to perform the transfer, and then removing the water-soluble film on the transfer target after the transfer. The printing film is applied and spread when it is floated on the water surface with the coated side facing up, and is carried out after the time when the spreading is prevented by a spreading barrier previously set on the water surface, and the transfer is activated after the printed film is floated on the water surface. After the activation liquid has been applied and spread and the spreading is prevented by a spreading barrier, and the printing film has been previously applied with the activation liquid and floated on the water surface with the coated side facing up. The present invention relates to a hydraulic transfer method characterized in that the process is carried out within a period of time corresponding to the time it takes for the particles to diffuse.

First, in the present invention, one side of a water-soluble film is printed and then dried to produce a printed film.

The most preferred example of the printed film is a polyvinyl alcohol resin film printed by a gravure printing method and dried.

By changing various conditions such as the degree of polymerization, degree of saponification, and composition of additives such as starch, polyvinyl alcohol resin films can be made to have the mechanical strength necessary for printing, moisture resistance during handling, and resistance to floating in water. It is possible to control the speed of softening due to water absorption, the time required for spreading or diffusion, and the ease of deformation during transfer. Furthermore, by using the gravure printing method, the ink vehicle is selected in consideration of its adhesion to the transfer target during transfer, and the ink vehicle can be air-dried or slightly heated without setting by heating. Printing ink can be dried and fixed by air-drying with a cool breeze.

A more preferable example of a film mainly composed of 1M polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 54-924.
It has a composition as described in No. 06, and has an equilibrium moisture content of about 3%.

In principle, printing films other than polyvinyl alcohol resin films can be used as long as they are water-soluble (including water-swellable films), and examples include the following: dextrin, gelatin, glue, casein, Shellac, gum arabic, starch, protein, polyacrylic acid amide, sodium polyacrylate, polyvinyl methyl ether,
Copolymers of methyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride, copolymers of vinyl acetate and itaconic acid, polyvinyl biaridone, or cellulose derivatives such as cellulose, acetyl cellulose, acetyl butyl cellulose, carboxyl methyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, alkynoic acids Films of single or mixed resins such as soda. These films, including the polyvinyl alcohol resin film, have a thickness of 10 to 100 μm, preferably 20 to 60 μm.

Note that the above film may be laminated with a water-permeable substrate such as paper, nonwoven fabric, or cloth, but if it is laminated in this way, it must be separated when floating in water, or Preferably, it is configured to separate by action.

As for the printing method, a known printing method other than the above-mentioned gravure printing method can be adopted, and a known printing ink can also be used. Examples of ink vehicles include: various oils and fats such as linseed oil, soybean oil, synthetic drying oil, ethyl cellulose, ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate propylene (l-),
Cellulose derivatives such as nitrocellulose and cellulose acetate 5 Styrene resins and styrene copolymer resins such as polystyrene, polyα-methylstyrene, polymethyl methacrylate, polyethyl methacrylate, polyethyl acrylate,
Single or copolymer resins of acrylic or methacrylic resins such as polybutyl acrylate, rosin, rosin-modified maleic acid resins, rosin-modified phenolic resins, rosin ester resins such as polymerized rosin, polyvinyl acetate resins, coumaron resins, vinyl toluene resins, Vinyl chloride resin, polyester resin, polyurethane resin, plasticine resin, polyamide resin, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, polyvinylidene chloride resin, melamine resin, silicone resin, chlorinated rubber, rubber derivatives of cyclized rubber, glue, casein, Dextrin, zein, etc.

Two or more of the above resins may be used if necessary.

Printed film can be stored by winding it up or cutting it to the required size if necessary, but since it is a water-soluble film, it absorbs water relatively easily, so it is best to protect it from moisture until it is used. It is a good idea to take this lesson.

The dried printed film is then floated on the surface of the water, printed side up. When floating, it is possible to cut the film one by one and float it, but as shown in JP-A No. 54-33115 (however, an activating liquid is applied), it is possible to use water flow while sorting continuously. You can also float it. If air bubbles form between the film and the water surface when floating on water, the film above the air bubbles will be inhibited from absorbing water and will be less likely to deform during transfer, so care must be taken to avoid intervening air bubbles.

The water in which the printed film floats may be appropriately heated. Also, the water-soluble film dissolves in water and its concentration gradually increases, but in pure water, the time it takes for the water-soluble film to diffuse is short, and when the concentration increases by repeating transfer, it takes longer to diffuse. time increases. When using a polyvinyl alcohol film as a water-soluble film, if the polyvinyl alcohol resin concentration in water is set to about 3000 ppm, even if the concentration increases, the time for diffusion has already reached saturation, so transfer can be repeated in the same water. There is no change even if the concentration is repeated, so it is advisable to adjust the concentration to about 3000 ppm in advance.

At a predetermined time, an activating liquid that can reactivate the printed pattern is applied to the printed film floating on the water surface with the printed side facing up. The application timing of this activation liquid is determined as follows.

(a) First, an activating liquid is applied to the printing surface of a printing film, and the film is floated on the water surface with the applied surface facing up. The floating printing film absorbs water from the bottom surface and swells, but at this point the printing film does not substantially change in size.

Thereafter, the printed film begins to increase in length and width (stretching). Polyvinyl alcohol film (manufactured by Kagaku Film Co., Ltd., Hi-Selon C'-30) used in the examples described later.
0, thickness 40 μTn) (hereinafter the same as above), the time Ta at which the dimensions start to increase is about 30 seconds after the time when the printing film is floated on the water surface (the same applies below).

(b) Next, in (a), the activating solution is applied. The printed film floated on the condensate surface increases in size almost linearly after time Ta, but after a certain time Tb, it appears to expand. The speed of printing increases rapidly, and at the same time, the printed film is torn into strips and disappears (in this sense, it will be referred to as "diffusion").

Time Tb is, for example, 120 seconds later.

-(C) On the other hand, when placing the printed film coated with the activating liquid on the water surface, a spreading barrier is previously installed on the water surface so that the printed film is centered within the barrier. For example, if the stretched barrier and the printed film are square, the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the stretched barrier are, for example, 1.3 of the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the printed film.
If the printing film is approximately doubled, the time Tc at which the printing film is spread and is prevented from being spread by the spreading barrier is determined. Tc in this case
For example, after 75 seconds.

(d) Tests were conducted at each of the above times Ta, Tb, and Tc. When the activating liquid was applied to the printed film floating on the water surface after time Ta but before time Tc, overlapping streaks were observed. This is not preferable because it tends to cause wrinkles, and it is better to apply the activating liquid after time Tc. However, if the activating liquid is applied late after Tc, the transferable time will be shortened as it is limited to 1 at most.

It is desirable that the application time Td of the activating liquid is before approximately the midpoint between Tc and Th.
0 seconds later.

Next, the timing of transcription is determined as follows.

(e) The printed film on the water surface coated with the activating liquid at the timing of Td has already absorbed water and swelled in the water-soluble film as the base material, but the activated liquid was prevented from spreading by the solidified printed pattern. The printed pattern is activated and softened by the application of the chemical solution, so that it begins to spread, and the spreading is prevented by the spreading barrier.

Under the conditions of the dimensions of the printed film and the spreading barrier described above, the time Te at which spreading is inhibited is 85 seconds later.

Therefore, the transferable time is after Te and 1
It is the time equivalent to less than In the above example, it is approximately 35 seconds from 85 seconds to 120 seconds.

In the present invention, it is not clear why if the activating liquid is applied to the printed surface of the printing film floating on the water surface after time Tc, overlapping wrinkles do not occur during spreading, but if the activating liquid is applied before time Tc, the printing The force that tries to spread the film is strong, and when there is a difference in the force that tries to spread partially depending on the thickness of the film, etc., uneven spreading occurs and overlapping wrinkles are likely to occur. This is considered to be because after time Tc, the force that tries to spread the printed film is weak, and even if there is a difference in the force that tries to spread partially, there is no longer enough force to cause overlapping wrinkles.

The activating liquid used in the present invention is capable of reactivating the pattern printed on the printing film, and in this sense, it is sufficient to use the solvent in the printing ink, but as described later, it is necessary for transfer. If it dries and is lost within a certain period of time, it is not preferable because the reactivated state cannot be maintained.

Examples of solvents that can be adopted from this point of view are as follows. Examples of such solvents include known ones, such as pentane, hexane, heptane, octane, etc., or aliphatic hydrocarbons such as gasoline, petroleum, benzine, mineral spirit, and petroleum Natsuta, which are mixtures thereof; Aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, xylene, cyclohexane, and ethylbenzene, halogenized hydrocarbons such as trichlorethylene, perchlorethylene, chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride, methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol,
Nohydric alcohols such as flobyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, amyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, diacetone alcohol, polyhydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, cyclohexanone, methyl cyclohexanone, isophorone Ketones such as ethyl ether, isopropyl ether,
Ethylene glycol mono methyl ether, ethylene glycol mono ethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoallyl ether, diethylene glycol mono ethyl ether,
Mono-0 ethyl ether, diethylene glycol/7-phthyl ether/L7, ethers such as diethylene glycol/dibutyl ether, ethylene di9-co-mono-)thyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol mono-ethyl ether O acetate, diethylene glycol mono-methyl acetate, diethylene glycol・Mono-ethyl ether acetate, diethylene glycol amount Acetate esters such as mono-O butyl ether acetate, butyrate esters, esters 1, nitrohydrocarbons, nitriles, amines, other acetals, acids, furans These solvents can be used alone or as a mixed solvent.

Moreover, a resin that dissolves in the above solvent can be added to the above solvent.

That is, known materials such as vinyl chloride, vinyl halide monomers such as vinylidene chloride, styrene and its derivatives, vinyl ester monomers such as vinyl acetate, allyl alcohol and allyl esters, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, N- of unsaturated carboxylic acids such as itaconic acid, crotonic acid, maleic acid or fumaric acid, ester derivatives, nitrile derivatives or acid amide derivatives of the above unsaturated carboxylic acids, and acid amide derivatives of the above unsaturated carboxylic acids. Methylol derivatives and N-alkyl methylol ether derivatives, glycidyl acrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, acyl glycidyl ether, vinyl isocyanate, allyl isocyanate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate or -methacrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl acrylate or -methacrylate, ethylene glycol -monoacrylate or -monomethacrylate, ethylene glycol diacrylate or -dimethacrylate, maleic anhydride, itaconic anhydride, methyl vinyl ketone, butadiene.

Thermoplastic resins such as homopolymers or copolymers of monomers such as ethylene, propylene, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, vinylpyridine, tert-butylaminoethyl methacrylate, monoallyl ether of polyhydric alcohol, and polyamide resins. , polyester resin,
Thermosetting resins such as phenolic resins, melamine resins, urea resins, epoxy resins, diallyl phthalate resins, silicon resins, polyurethane resins, modified resins or initial condensates thereof, other natural resins, By using a swelling liquid containing 5 to 60% by weight of resin such as rosin and its derivatives, cellulose derivatives, natural or synthetic rubber, petroleum resin, etc., the viscosity can be easily adjusted, and the retention time of the ink can be maintained regardless of the application method. It is possible to obtain effects such as a long transfer time and a long transfer time.

In addition to the solvent and resin, the activation liquid also contains extender pigments, plasticizers,
A curing agent and the like may also be added as appropriate. When an extender pigment is added, the solvent in the activating solution can be easily removed during washing with water after transfer. Addition of a plasticizer improves the extensibility of the activation liquid and improves deep drawing properties. Further, when a curing agent (for example, incyanate) is added, the adhesion between the printed pattern and the substrate after transfer is improved.

Since the above activating liquid is applied to the printed film on the water surface, it must not be subjected to partial force on the printed film, causing wrinkles or causing water splashes on the printed film. . From this point of view, a preferred method of applying the activation liquid is method 1 using an airless gun.

This method has the advantage that there is no jet flow, the printing film does not move, and it can coat a wide area in a short time. Another method that can be used is to apply ultrasonic waves to the activating solution in a container and vaporize it at room temperature, but in this case, only the solvent in the activating solution vaporizes, so it essentially consists of only the solvent. Suitable for activation liquid.

The coating amount of the activator is about 5 to 30 P/rn' (at the time of coating).

An object to be transferred is pushed upwards into the printing film, which is floating on the water surface and coated with an activating liquid, at a predetermined time. The transferable time is as described above.

Further, in the above, the size of the barrier for preventing the printing film from spreading is 1.
It is preferable to set it to about 2 to 1.3 times, but it may be outside this range depending on the printing film. The barrier may be in the form of a frame, or may be in the form of a series of U-shaped barriers (JP-A-54-33115), or may be the aquarium itself, which holds water.

By pushing the transferred object onto the printing film on the water surface for the time range mentioned above, the printing film deforms according to the shape of the transferred object, and the printing film adheres to the transferred object due to water pressure and is activated. The printed pattern is transferred to the transferred object.

Thereafter, the water-soluble film adhering to the surface of the transfer object is removed by washing with water or the like, and after drying to remove moisture, painting is performed as necessary. Here, washing with water may be carried out by once pulling up the transferred object and transferring it to another water tank, but it is also possible to continue dissolving the transferred object by keeping it in the water in the water tank used for transfer, or to proceed with dissolution. You may also raise the temperature higher and shower or spray with water or warm water.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the method of the present invention, a printed film floating on water becomes able to absorb water and spread.

Since the activating liquid is applied before it can spread rapidly, the spreading force is weak when the printed film is rapidly spread after the activating liquid is applied, so wrinkles can be prevented from forming. Further, since the generation of wrinkles can be prevented, a thick water-soluble film can be used, and a thick water-soluble film is advantageous in terms of mechanical strength and deterioration due to moisture absorption. In addition, the method of the present invention allows sufficient time from application of the activating solution to transfer, as well as the time required for transfer, so there is no need to use a solvent with particularly high dissolving power in the activating solution. There is a wide range of selection. Furthermore, the method of the present invention has the advantage that it can be applied to either method, whether the printing film is used in a roll or in the form of individual sheets.

Example: Nitrocellulose resin ink (manufactured by Moroya Ink Co., Ltd., KLCF) was applied to a polyvinyl alcohol resin film (manufactured by Kagaku Film Co., Ltd., Hijoron C-300, thickness 40μrrL).
) was used to print a rosewood pattern in two colors using a gravure printing method in the reverse order of the normal printing order.

The printing film obtained above was cut into squares of soux 800m, and the cut printing film was heated at 27°C.
It was floated with the printed side facing up in the center of the water surface of a water tank (inner size 950aa x 950a+ square) filled with water.

After 80 seconds from the time when the printed film was floated on the water surface, an activating solution having the following composition was applied using an airless gun so that the coating amount was 10 g/IT1'.

Next, from above the printing film coated with the activating liquid,
15 A resin furniture handle is pressed in for 100 seconds after the printing film is floated on the water surface to perform the transfer.Then, it is removed from the water, washed in the shower, and dried to create a three-dimensional rosewood pattern. A furniture handle was obtained which was transferred to .

Furthermore, a polyurethane resin paint (Fujikura Kasei Co., Ltd., Rekura, Ri 110) was applied to the transferred furniture handle at a rate of 102%.
ln'' (dry) to form a protective layer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (11 After printing on one side of the water-soluble film,
Dry to create a printed film, then float the printed film on a water surface with the printed side facing up, and then apply an activating liquid that can reactivate the printed pattern on the printed side of the printed film. After that, a part or all of the object to be transferred is pushed upward from the printing film to perform the transfer, and after the transfer, the water-soluble film on the object to be transferred is removed. The printing film is coated with an activating liquid in advance, spread when floating on the water surface with the coated side facing up, and is carried out after the time when the spreading is prevented by a spreading barrier previously set on the water surface. is after the printing film is floated on the water surface, an activating liquid is applied, the film is spread, and the spreading is prevented by a spreading barrier, and
A hydraulic transfer method characterized in that the printing film is coated with an activating liquid in advance and then floated on the water surface with the coated side facing up, and then carried out within a time corresponding to the time it takes for the printing film to diffuse. (2) The barrier is 1.2 to 1.3 of the original size of the water-soluble film.
The hydraulic transfer method according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic transfer method is installed so that the size is doubled.