WO2017134887A1

WO2017134887A1 - Image transfer method, image transfer device, and transfer printing method using adhesive ink for inkjet

Info

Publication number: WO2017134887A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/082994
Authority: WO
Inventors: 飛田　常司; 桃子真庭
Original assignee: 株式会社サンリュウ
Priority date: 2016-02-01
Filing date: 2016-11-07
Publication date: 2017-08-10
Also published as: JPWO2017134887A1; JP2017136810A; JP6074563B1

Abstract

This image transfer method comprises an image layer formation step in which an image layer constituting a transfer image is formed from a colorant on the surface of a water-soluble transfer film, an adhesive membrane formation step in which an adhesive membrane is formed from an adhesive material on the image layer surface or on the transfer-receiving object, a softening step in which the transfer film is softened by water particles, a step in which the transfer film is deformed in advance, and a sticking step in which the transfer film and the transfer-receiving object are stuck together by the effect of pressurization or negative pressure, the transfer image being transferred to the transfer-receiving object via the adhesive membrane by the sticking in the sticking step. It is thereby possible to provide an image transfer method whereby images can be transferred without heat and with high positional accuracy, even onto a transfer-receiving object such as a three-dimensionally-shaped object.

Description

Image transfer method, image transfer apparatus, transfer printing method using adhesive ink for inkjet

The present invention relates to an image transfer method for transferring an image to the surface of an object, and an image transfer apparatus. The present invention also relates to a method in which an adhesive layer is formed by inkjet printing on an image and transfer can be performed without heating.

There is water pressure transfer as an image transfer method capable of transferring a pigment image without heating (see, for example, JP-A-09-001996). A water-soluble film on which an image is formed on one side is floated on the water surface in the transfer tank so that the image forming surface is on top. This softens the film under the influence of water. When the transfer target is sunk so that the water-soluble film is pushed into water, the water pressure works to push the water-soluble film back to the transfer target, so the water-soluble film adheres to the transfer target. If an activation treatment for imparting adhesiveness to the image forming surface on the water-soluble film is performed by spray coating, the image adheres to the transfer receiving material even without heating. This hydraulic transfer is effective for printing of three-dimensional figures, and is used for transfer printing of wood grain, marble pattern and the like.

The image is formed on a water-soluble film by gravure printing, inkjet printing, laser printing, or the like. The water-soluble film includes a water-soluble PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) film alone and a PVA film layer formed on a substrate. After drying of the image printed on the water-soluble film, the water-soluble film is rolled or stored as a bundle of cut films. At the time of transfer, a single PVA film from which the substrate has been removed is floated on the water surface, and the activator composition is applied to the image side of the water-soluble film by a method such as spraying to restore from the dry state to the active state. Get sex. Examples of the activator composition include short oil alkyd resin and cellulose acetobutyrate as resin components, and butyl cellosolve and butyl carbitol acetate as solvent components (see, for example, JP-A-8-238897).

Further, as a method capable of printing on a three-dimensional three-dimensional object, there is a vacuum type sublimation transfer (see WO 2004/022354). A heat-softenable A-PET (amorphous polyethylene terephthalate) film has been proposed as a transfer film that deforms along the shape of the transferred object. When the transfer film on which the transfer image is printed is heated and softened at 80 ° C. or higher, the space with the transfer target is negative pressure and adsorbed. When the transfer film is completely in contact with the transferred material, the temperature is raised to 140 to 200 ° C. to transfer the image to the transferred material. Since the image by vacuum sublimation transfer penetrates into the transferred body itself or the resin coating layer on the surface of the transferred body, it is not necessary to apply an active agent composition to obtain adhesiveness such as hydraulic transfer.

In addition, as a conventional image transfer method that can be printed on a flat or quadrilateral curved transferred object, a toner image is formed on a release sheet coated with hot melt on the entire surface, and the image side is heated and pressed on the printed material. A method of transcription is known. The hot melt layer moves to the substrate together with the image, and functions as a fixing material to the substrate side of the image. In this method, the hot melt layer is attached to the margin other than the image, and the texture of the fiber changes and is disliked. Avoiding foreign matter in the margin is a major theme of transfer printing. An example of a countermeasure is proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-52497. At least two types of layers are coated on the release sheet, and the transfer conditions are carefully designed to prevent the hot melt layer from migrating to the margin. Since many of the hot melt layers for these fibers are urethane-based and soft, they follow the fiber products well, but they are not used for hard materials because of their insufficient strength.

On the other hand, in the case of a toner image transfer sheet for transferring an image to a hard material other than fibers, which can be printed on a flat or quadrangularly transferred material, a transfer sheet in which no blank portion is transferred is generally used. This is because it is considered that only the adhesion of the polyester resin hot melt constituting the toner is sufficient. A toner image is directly formed on the release layer, and the adhesion at the time of transfer is obtained by heat softening of the hot melt resin at the time of heat and pressure. In order to obtain the final strength, the substrate is generally placed in a heating furnace and subjected to several tens of heat treatment. All of these conventional transfer methods are the same in that heating and pressing are required at the time of transfer.

A hard material transfer method is also used in which the adhesive is selectively applied by hand, such as brushing, only to the image portion of the toner image formed on the release sheet in order to transfer nothing to the margin by image transfer to fibers. It is proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-125292. Depending on the adhesive type, this approach can be a technique that can achieve higher adhesive strength on transfer to a hard material and also allows non-thermal transfer. However, the application of the adhesive is a manual operation.

JP 2010-51940 A is known for an adhesive ink for inkjet printing. A layer is formed on the image with this adhesive ink, and the fired pigment powder is sprinkled to fix it by firing. The fired pigment referred to here is a mixture of an inorganic pigment and a glass frit, and the adhesive ink component is evaporated by firing and the inorganic pigment powder is fused and fixed to the glass frit. The adhesive ink here acts as a powder temporary adhesive ink, and the adhesion of the complete image to the substrate is achieved by the glass component. The inventor of the present invention has proposed a method of adhering a heat-adhesive powder to a printed image portion using this adhesive ink in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-162226, but the role of the ink is also temporary adhesion. There is a need for heat-adhesive powders for final image fixation.

As a prior art related to the adhesive ink of the present invention, there is a paint containing inorganic fine particles whose size is crushed to the nano level (see, for example, JP 2013-130593 A and WO 2008/035669 A). There are differences between water-based and solvent-based solvents and whether the fine particles are 100% inorganic or a hybrid of organic and inorganic mixtures, but many of these cured films have mechanical strength, heat resistance, weather resistance, stain resistance, and transparency. , Has excellent characteristics such as chemical resistance.

For example, the water pressure transfer disclosed in the above-mentioned JP-A-09-001996, JP-A-8-238897, etc., which can be transferred and printed onto a three-dimensional solid transferred object, and the vacuum type disclosed in WO 2004/022354 In sublimation transfer, there are the first problems such as difficulty in positioning, poor working environment, lack of light resistance, danger of re-penetration, and heat resistance. That is, in the above-described hydraulic transfer, since the water-soluble film on which the image is formed floats without being fixed to the liquid surface in the transfer tank, it is difficult to position the image in the transfer region of the transfer target. For this reason, the application of hydraulic transfer is limited to the transfer of wood grain, marble pattern, etc. which do not need the above-mentioned positioning.

Moreover, since the activation process in water pressure transfer is a spray coating method as described above, there is also a problem that the active agent composition is scattered and the working environment is deteriorated. Depending on the excess or deficiency of the spray amount of the activator composition, problems such as partial dissolution of the part of the image, remaining untransferable parts, or blurring of the pattern tend to occur.

In the above-mentioned vacuum sublimation transfer, long-term light resistance can not be expected because the dye forming the image is a dye. For this reason, the transfer medium is limited to those used for indoor use. In addition, the transfer body using the above-mentioned vacuum type sublimation transfer has a problem that when it is placed in a high temperature and humidity environment for a long time, it exudes due to re-penetration (migration) of the dye and the image is blurred. Further, in the above-described vacuum sublimation transfer, since the temperature is raised to 140 ° C. or higher at the time of transfer, there is also a restriction that transfer to a non-heat-resistant transferee can not be performed.

Also, for example, the plane or plane disclosed in the above-mentioned JP-A-9-52497, JP-A-2005-122522, JP-A-2010-51940, JP-A-2014-162226, JP-A-2013-130593 and WO2008 / 035669. The prior art that can be printed on a transfer object with a quadric surface has the second problem that the adhesive formation with the final adhesive strength can be performed only by an analog method, in addition to the first problem that the transfer material needs heat resistance. There is. That is, all the conventional image transfer methods require heating and pressing at the time of transfer. There is a method to apply adhesive powder and adhesive liquid to the image by hand to obtain higher ultimate adhesion, but it is a method of printing adhesive with final adhesion by digital printing without manual operation. There was no. In addition, although there was a temporary adhesive ink for ink jet printing, the ink alone did not give the final adhesive strength between the transferred image and the substrate.

Therefore, for the first problem, the present invention can be applied to a three-dimensional three-dimensional transferred object, positioning of the image relative to the transferred object is easy, transfer can be performed even without heating, and a wide range of transferred materials can be used. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image transfer method and an image transfer apparatus capable of obtaining a sufficient final adhesion to the toner.

The present invention can also cope with hand-painted images for the first and second problems, but allows digital printing for a series of operations from image printing to adhesive application to transfer images. It is an object of the invention to transfer even without heating and to obtain a sufficient final adhesion to a wide range of materials.

The present invention, which corresponds to the first problem, comprises an image layer forming step of forming an image layer constituting a transferred image with a colorant on the surface of a film body formed in a film shape from a water-soluble material; An adhesive film forming step of forming an adhesive film with an adhesive material on at least one of a surface of a layer or a transferred body, a softening step of causing water particles to adhere to at least one surface of the film and softening the film At least one of the steps of deforming the membrane so that the membrane is recessed toward the back surface side of the membrane, and at least one of the steps is performed by the action of pressure or negative pressure. An adhesion step of closely adhering the film body and the transfer target body, wherein the image layer adheres to the image transfer surface of the transfer target body through the adhesive film by the close contact in the adhesion step. By the above Body the transfer image is characterized in that it is transferred to.

Further, in the image transfer method of the present invention corresponding to the first problem, when the film deformation step is performed, the transfer target approaches in the concave deformation region of the film in the adhesion step. It is characterized in that they are in close contact with each other.

Further, in the image transfer method of the present invention corresponding to the first problem, in the film deformation step, the back surface of the film is formed on at least a part of the concave portion constituting the concave region of the female member having the concave region. The film body is deformed such that the film body is recessed by bringing at least a part of the film body into close contact by the action of pressure or negative pressure.

Further, in the image transfer method of the present invention corresponding to the first problem, the diameter of the water particles in the softening step is approximately 100 μm or less.

In the image transfer method of the present invention corresponding to the first problem, the above-mentioned material having water solubility is either polyvinyl alcohol, dextrin, or water soluble urethane, or a compound thereof, or a mixture thereof. It is characterized by being composed of

Further, in the image transfer method of the present invention corresponding to the first problem, the adhesive film is characterized by being formed of an organic solvent containing an organic / inorganic hybrid composition from which a cured silica hybrid film can be obtained after drying and curing. I assume.

In the image transfer method of the present invention corresponding to the first problem, the adhesive film is formed by printing using a printer using the organic solvent as an adhesive ink.

Further, in the image transfer method of the present invention corresponding to the first problem, the organic solvent is such that the concentration of silica dispersed in the cured silica hybrid film is 5 wt% to 80 wt% and the single particle diameter is It is characterized in that it is in the range of 1 to 100 nm.

Further, according to the image transfer device of the present invention corresponding to the first problem, an image layer formed on the surface of a film formed in the form of a film from a water-soluble material is transferred via an adhesive film. An image transfer apparatus for transferring to a body, comprising: a water particle spray unit having a structure capable of spraying water particles on at least one side of the film, or the film is recessed toward the back side of the film. The membrane treated with at least one of the water particle spray portion or the membrane deformed portion by the action of pressure or negative pressure of at least one of the membrane deformed portions that deforms the membrane, and the membrane treated as above And an adhesion mechanism portion for bringing the object into close contact with the object to be transferred. As a result, the image layer adheres to the image transfer surface of the transfer target via the adhesive film due to the close contact between the film body and the transfer target, whereby the image layer is transferred to the transfer target. Be done.

Further, in the image transfer apparatus according to the present invention corresponding to the first problem, the film deformation portion is a female mold member having a concave region, and the concave region is formed by applying the positive pressure or the negative pressure. And a pump for bringing at least a part of the back surface of the film into close contact with at least a part of the concave surface, and the film is deformed by the close contact.

Further, in the image transfer apparatus of the present invention corresponding to the first problem, the water particle spray unit is configured by an ultrasonic humidifier capable of spraying the water particles having a diameter of about 100 μm or less. .

Further, according to the first problem solving means of the present invention corresponding to the first problem and the second problem, in order to achieve the above object, an organic-inorganic hybrid composition in which a cured silica hybrid film is obtained after drying and curing After an adhesive film layer is printed on an image formed on a water transfer sheet using an organic solvent contained as an adhesive ink by an inkjet printer, the adhesive film layer is not heated or pressed against a substrate. A method of forming a transfer image on the printing material via the adhesive film layer, including the steps of adhering, and applying moisture to the water transfer sheet to separate and remove the base sheet (hereinafter referred to as a first transfer image Formation method) is adopted.

Further, according to the second problem solving means of the present invention corresponding to the first problem and the second problem, an organic solvent containing an organic / inorganic hybrid composition capable of obtaining a cured silica hybrid film after drying and curing is used as an adhesive ink After printing and forming an adhesive film layer on an image formed on a release sheet using an ink jet printer, the step of heating and adhering the adhesive film layer to a substrate and peeling off the base sheet of the release sheet A method of forming a transfer image through the adhesive film layer on the substrate including the steps is adopted.

Further, according to the third problem solving means of the present invention corresponding to the first problem and the second problem, the concentration of silica dispersed in the cured silica hybrid film is 5 wt% to 80 wt%, Provided is an adhesive ink for ink jet printing, which is used in the first and second means for solution to problems of which one particle diameter is in the range of 1 to 100 nm.

The fourth problem solution means of the present invention corresponding to the first problem and the second problem provides the adhesive ink for ink jet printing of the third problem solution means containing a tackifier and / or a plasticizer. Do.

The fifth problem solving means of the present invention corresponding to the first problem and the second problem is that silica having a single particle diameter in the range of 1 to 100 nm is dispersed at a concentration of 5% by weight to 80% by weight An image-transferred product characterized in that an organic-inorganic hybrid cured film having affinity to both organic and inorganic substances is used as an adhesive layer to hold a toner image on a substrate.

The operation of the first problem solving means is as follows. The adhesion of the adhesive ink will be described in two parts. The initial adhesion is the force required to transfer the image during transfer, and the final adhesion is the force required for the substrate to be used. In the image formed on the water transfer sheet, when water is applied from the front surface and / or the back surface of the water transfer sheet, the water soluble layer such as dextrin coated on the sheet surface is dissolved, and the image is released from the base sheet. Therefore, even if the initial adhesive strength of the adhesive layer formed on the image is weak, it is easy to receive the image and press-transfer the image to the substrate without heating. The pressing force is also sufficient to press with a finger. Another role during transfer of the adhesive layer is the retention of the water transfer sheet so that there is no misalignment. Generally, the operation is performed with the transfer sheet placed on the substrate with the image on the bottom and the base sheet on the top. Therefore, the weight of the base sheet acts in the direction of pressing the image and does not affect the horizontal displacement. Here too, it can be understood that the purpose can be achieved even if the initial adhesive strength is weak. When the base sheet is warped for transfer to a curved surface, the water transfer sheet is likely to be peeled off. Therefore, when the base sheet is paper, a thin paper of 120 μm or less is preferable. However, the curling force of the paper can be removed by applying water by spraying or the like before pressing. Furthermore, when the substrate is a cylinder or the like, it is conceivable to roll over the water transfer sheet to perform the transfer operation. In this case, the image is easily transferred to the cylinder if the image is released by applying water beforehand and the cylinder is rolled thereon at a low speed. From the above, it can be said that the initial adhesive strength of the adhesive layer for achieving the non-heat transfer may be as weak as the adhesive ink provided in the present invention. The adhesive ink of the present invention exhibits such weak adhesion because the viscosity is raised by evaporation of the solvent if the printed solid image layer is left for several minutes. The actual transfer procedure is image formation on the water transfer sheet, inkjet printing of the adhesive layer, leaving for a few minutes until the wet ink on the image dries slightly, pressure transfer of the image, application of water from the back of the water transfer sheet, It becomes peeling of a base sheet. Water may be applied to the front and / or back of the water transfer sheet prior to the pressure transfer of the image.

The adhesive ink of the present invention is not a temporary adhesive ink that newly adheres an adhesive powder to obtain a final adhesive strength. The adhesive layer formed by printing itself provides strong final adhesion. The silica hybrid cured film is excellent in various properties such as transparency, high hardness, chemical resistance, water resistance, heat resistance and adhesion. Although the solvent containing the organic-inorganic hybrid composition includes a water-based solvent, the organic solvent is selected in the present invention. On a laser printer-printed image made of toner, in the case of water-based ink, it is repelled and scattered in the form of polka dots. The solvent-based ink can completely cover the entire surface of the image and can firmly bond the entire surface of the image. In addition, the reason why the 100% inorganic fine particle dispersion solvent was not adopted for the adhesive ink of the present invention is that a broader range of the substrate for adhesion was sought. Organic-inorganic hybrid types that provide affinity for both organic polymers and inorganics adhere to a wide range of materials. The printing substrate extends to various plastics, glass, metal, leather, wood, paper, pottery, rubber, non-woven fabric and the like. By selecting an appropriate resin such as a polyurethane or acrylic resin as the hybrid organic polymer, the adhesive layer can obtain flexibility, and transfer to not only hard materials but also flexible materials such as rubber becomes possible.

The operation of the second problem solving means is as follows. The image formed on the release sheet can not be released from the base sheet without heat pressing. This is because the force with which the image adheres to the release layer of the release sheet is much greater than when the water-soluble layer dissolves and the image floats. If heat and pressure are applied, the adhesion of the layer formed of the adhesive ink of the present invention to the substrate is overcome to enable transfer. Since the adhesive ink of the present invention itself forms a strong adhesive layer after cold-drying or heat-drying curing, it is necessary to newly apply an adhesive powder to obtain the final adhesive strength. It is the same as not being. Of course, the adhesion is stronger than the adhesion to the substrate of the toner image itself without the adhesive ink layer of the conventional method, and adhesion to a wide range of materials is the same as in the case of the first problem solving means.

The operation of the third problem solving means is as follows. The cured film after drying and curing is required to have strong adhesion to both the image and the substrate. If the proportion of silica formed in the cured film is too low, the effects of the present invention can not be obtained. If it is too high, cracking tends to occur. Taking these into consideration, the concentration of silica in the adhesive film layer is set to 5% by weight to 80% by weight. The standard pigment ink particle size on the market is said to be 200-300 nm. When the size is too large, the ink jet printing discharge stability is deteriorated, and when the size is too small, the color is lightened. For the purpose of the invention, it is not necessary to consider the coloring concentration, and the diameter of a single particle of silica dispersed in the cured film is in the range of 1 to 100 nm. Transparency is said to be reduced if it exceeds 50 nm in a paint application, but this is not a problem even in this range because it is not attached to glass and viewed through for the purpose of the present invention.

The effect of the fourth solution is the enhancement of the initial adhesion of the adhesive layer provided by the present invention. The final adhesion does not change. That is, the initial adhesion provided by the ink according to the third problem solving means utilizes viscosity increase due to evaporation of the solvent, and the purpose is achieved but it is weak. By adding a tackifier, a plasticizer and the like to the adhesive ink, new tackiness can be imparted. As a result, even at the same level, the initial adhesion is increased, which facilitates the transfer operation.

Although a toner image printed by a laser printer has been mainly described, a hand-painted image using a conventional method such as screen printing or an oil-based magic pen can also be transferred by the method of the present invention. An ink jet printer can transfer an image formed with an aqueous ink, a UV ink, a latex ink, and the like. It is a condition that an image is formed on the water soluble layer or release layer. As the resin to be complexed with the inorganic fine particles of the organic / inorganic hybrid composition, any thermosetting or thermoplastic organic resin such as an acrylic resin, an ester resin, a ketone resin, a polyurethane resin, etc. can be used. The organic solvent is not particularly limited as long as it dissolves the organic-inorganic hybrid composition contained in the adhesive ink, but the use of an alcohol is preferred. The reasons are the handling safety, the working environment, the relatively low solubility, and the low risk of melting the resin part of the printer. Low boiling alcohols, medium boiling alcohols, high boiling alcohols can be mixed, and it is easy to obtain the required evaporation rate. In the adhesive ink, a viscosity modifier, a leveling agent, an antifoaming agent, a coloring agent, a stabilizer, a solvent for preparing solubility, organic, inorganic, etc. according to various purposes within the range not impairing the effects of the present invention Various additives may be added as required. The white layer of the image back may be formed using a white toner, but a white pigment such as titanium oxide may be included in the adhesive ink of the present invention to form a white adhesive layer.

According to the present invention corresponding to the first problem, the present invention can be applied to a three-dimensional solid transferred object, positioning of the image relative to the transferred object is easy, transfer can be performed even without heating, and a wide range of transferred material can be used. It is possible to exhibit an excellent effect that sufficient final adhesion can be obtained.

According to the present invention corresponding to the first problem and the second problem, as described above, according to the present invention, the adhesive layer can be formed by printing on the image formed on the transfer sheet, and the printed material can be printed It is possible to provide a transfer printing method and an adhesive ink for ink jet printing, which can be easily transferred even without heating, and can provide sufficient adhesive strength to a wide range of printed substrates.

It is a flowchart of the image transfer method in 1st Embodiment of this invention in the case of forming an adhesive film on the image layer surface. In addition, when forming an adhesive film in a to-be-transferred body, as long as a contact bonding layer formation process is before a contact process, it may be any timing. It is a figure which shows the transfer film in which an image layer is formed by the image transfer method in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a side view of the transfer film on which the image layer is formed, and (b) is a front view of the transfer film on which the image layer is formed. It is a figure which shows a mode that a transfer film is softened by the image transfer method in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a figure which shows a mode that a transfer film is softened using an ultrasonic water particle spraying apparatus, (b) is a figure which shows a mode that a transfer film is softened using a thermostat. It is a figure which shows a mode that a transfer film is stuck to a to-be-transferred body by the image transfer method in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a cross-sectional view showing that the transfer film is disposed to face the transfer target, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing that the transfer target and the transfer film start to contact with each other ) Is a cross-sectional view showing how the transfer film is brought into close contact with the transfer receiving material. It is a flowchart of the image transfer method in 2nd Embodiment of this invention in the case of forming an adhesive film on the image layer surface. In addition, when forming an adhesive film in a to-be-transferred body, as long as a contact bonding layer formation process is before a contact process, it may be any timing. It is a figure which shows a mode that the transfer film is pre-deformed by the image transfer method in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention, and the pre-deformed transfer film is stuck to a to-be-transferred body. (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the transfer film disposed to face the female member, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the transfer film adsorbed to the female member, (c) (D) is a cross-sectional view in which the state until the transfer film is brought into close contact with the transfer target is arranged in time series. It is a figure showing the image transfer device in a 3rd embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a side view of the image transfer apparatus in a state in which the cover is open, and (b) is a side view of the image transfer apparatus in a state in which the cover is closed. (A) is a cross-sectional view in which an adhesive ink layer is placed on an image on a transfer sheet showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention. (B) is a cross-sectional view in which the transferred image is transferred to a substrate via an adhesive ink layer.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<1. First embodiment>
The image transfer method according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the image transfer method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the transfer image is transferred onto a transfer target body by bringing a film body having a transfer image formed on the surface into close contact with the transfer target body. In addition, the thing of a three-dimensional solid form is also contained in a to-be-transferred body.

<1-1. Membrane body>
First, a film used in the image transfer method according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. The above-mentioned film body is formed in the shape of a film from a water-soluble material (hereinafter, referred to as a water-soluble material). The water-soluble material is a material having a property of dissolving in liquid. Examples of the water-soluble material include polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), dextrin, and water-soluble polyurethane resin, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and other water-soluble materials may be used. .

Further, the water-soluble material may be, for example, a compound or mixture of a plurality of water-soluble materials such as polyvinyl alcohol, dextrin, water-soluble polyurethane resin and the like. Further, the water-soluble material may be, for example, a compound or a mixture of a water-soluble material such as polyvinyl alcohol, dextrin, a water-soluble polyurethane resin, and a material having other properties.

Also, the membrane may be formed singly as a film, or may be a membrane-like resin-coated body formed by resin coating on a paper substrate. That is, the membrane may be a single body or a complex formed with another substrate. In the following, although it is described as a film body using a transfer film formed as a single film, it is not limited thereto. That is, the film body of the present invention may be any of the film body as a single substance other than the above or a film body formed in a layer on another base material.

<1-2. Image transfer method>
Next, an image transfer method according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described mainly with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 1 and with reference to specific examples of FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 2A, the image layer 2 is formed of colorant on the surface 3a of the transfer film 1 (image layer forming step: S100). The image layer 2 is, as shown in FIG. 2B, a layer constituting a transfer image to be transferred to a transfer target described later.

The image layer 2 is formed on the surface 3 a of the transfer film 1 using a gravure printing apparatus, an inkjet printing apparatus, a laser printing apparatus, or the like. The type of colorant is not limited as long as the transfer image can be transferred to the transfer target by bringing the image layer 2 of the transfer film 1 into close contact with the transfer target. Pigment toners and the like are preferred.

Next, an adhesive film is formed of an adhesive material on at least one of the image layer surface 2a of the transfer film 1 or the transfer target (adhesive film forming step: S101). That is, an adhesive film is formed on the image layer surface 2 a of the transfer film 1, the transfer target, or the image layer surface 2 a of the transfer film 1 and the transfer target. Thereby, it becomes possible to adhere the transfer film 1 and the transferred body.

As the adhesive material, for the purpose of firmly adhering to materials of a wide variety of transferred objects, for example, an organic solvent containing an organic-inorganic hybrid composition capable of obtaining a cured silica hybrid film after drying and curing is preferable. The organic solvent preferably has a concentration of 5 to 80% by weight of silica dispersed in the cured silica hybrid film and a single particle diameter in the range of 1 to 100 nm. If a material suitable for the material to be transferred is selected, various general paints can be adopted as the adhesive material.

As a method of forming an adhesive film, for example, a method of forming an adhesive film on the transfer film 1 by printing with an inkjet printer using the above-mentioned organic solvent as an adhesive ink can be mentioned as an example, but it is not limited thereto. . As a method of forming the adhesive film, for example, a method such as spray coating, roller coating, brush coating, etc. may be used. In addition, an adhesive film may be formed on the transferred body. In addition, an adhesive film may be formed on both the transfer film 1 and the transfer target.

Next, the transfer film 1 is softened (softening step: S102). As a result, the transfer film 1 is softened and easily deformed, and is easily adhered along the shape of the transferred body. In the softening step of S102, in the case of manual transfer, only the one side of the image-side end of the transfer film 1 is attached to the transferred body via the adhesive film, and the transfer film 1 is not attached to the transferred body The remaining part of the is manually pulled up into the air by the operator, and the remaining part is sprayed with water particles by the ultrasonic humidifier. Moreover, in the softening process of S102 using an apparatus, the transfer film 1 is left to stand for a fixed time in the space where the sprayed water particle exists.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), there is no top plate, the hole 4b is provided in the bottom plate 4a, and the transfer film 1 whose outer edge is sandwiched by the frame 4e is provided in a box 4 provided with a hole 4d in the side plate 4c. Set in place of the top plate. Further, immediately below the bottom plate 4 a of the box 4, the ultrasonic water particle spray device 5 having the water particle discharge port 5 a is disposed. In addition, as an ultrasonic water particle spraying apparatus 5, an ultrasonic humidifier is mentioned as an example. The ultrasonic water particle sprayer 5 releases water particles from the water particle outlet 5a. Then, the water particle discharge port 5a is disposed such that the water particles flow into the box 4 from the holes 4b.

When the ultrasonic water particle sprayer 5 is operated, water particles are sprayed in a space 4 f surrounded by the box 4 and the transfer film 1. At this time, a part of the water particles is discharged from the holes 4 d of the side plate 4 c, so the density of the water particles in the space 4 f is kept constant. As a result, water particles adhere to the back surface 3 b of the transfer film 1 and permeate, and the transfer film 1 is softened.

The sprayed water particles may be attached to both sides of the transfer film 1 or may be attached to one side of the transfer film 1. And, in particular, the sprayed water particles are preferably attached only to the back surface 3 b of the transfer film 1. When the sprayed water particles adhere to the image layer surface 2a (hereinafter, the surface of the image layer is referred to as the image layer surface) which is the surface of the image layer 2, the bleeding of the image may occur depending on the colorant used. is there.

In addition, when water particles having a large diameter adhere to the back surface 3b of the transfer film 1, the water particles are connected to each other and aggregate. It will eventually become a large water particle, and the transfer film 1 will melt out and a number of holes will open. As a result, the transfer film 1 is cut, and the image formed on the transfer film 1 is broken. In order to prevent the above, as described above, the ultrasonic water particle spray device 5 for spraying fine water particles is used. Even fine water particles are unlikely to cause aggregation even if they adhere to the transfer film 1. As a result, since the fine water particles are dispersed in the transfer film 1 while dispersed, the entire transfer film 1 becomes soft with a uniform softening level. In addition, since fine water particles do not have to soften the transfer film 1 excessively, the transfer film 1 is not broken even if it is stretched. In addition, if the transfer film 1 which is appropriately softened is pressed against the uneven surface of the transferred object with a finger, it can be deformed following the surface shape to transfer an image to a three-dimensional object.

When the diameter of the water particles is about 100 μm or more, the water particles become large enough to start falling downward against the air resistance and rising air flow. As a result, when the water particles adhere to the transfer film 1, aggregation is likely to occur. Therefore, the diameter of the water particles is preferably, for example, about 100 μm or less.

In the softening step, for example, as shown in FIG. 3B, the transfer film 1 may be left to stand in a vaporization or steam constant temperature and humidity chamber 6 for a certain period of time. When the constant temperature and humidity chamber 6 is used, as in the case where the ultrasonic water particle sprayer 5 is used, the transfer film 1 is disposed so that the water particles adhere only to the back surface 3 b of the transfer film 1. The case of using the constant temperature and humidity chamber 6 is more useful than the case of using the ultrasonic water particle sprayer 5 because the control of water particles can be finer and aggregation due to the adhesion of water particles can be less likely to occur.

It is not necessary to necessarily incorporate the ultrasonic water particle sprayer 5 or the thermostatic humidifier 6 into the image transfer apparatus, even if it is necessary in the process, and it may be installed outside. In addition, the above-mentioned softening process is performed as needed, and is not an essential process. For example, in the case of using the transfer film 1 having elasticity by adding a plasticizer, the above-described softening step may not be performed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the transfer film 1 is brought into close contact with the transfer receiving body 10 by the action of pressure or negative pressure (adhesion step: S103). When the transfer film 1 and the transfer target body 10 are in close contact with each other, the image layer 2 formed on the transfer film 1 is bonded to the transfer target body 10 by the adhesive force of an adhesive film (not shown). Although the adhesive film is not shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that the adhesive film is formed on the image layer surface 2 a of the transfer film 1.

In the adhesion step, for example, as shown in FIG. 4A, first, the transfer film 1 and the transfer target are transferred so that the image layer surface 2a of the transfer film 1 and the image transfer surface 11 of the transfer target 10 face each other. Place the body 10. Hereinafter, the direction in which the image layer surface 2a and the image transfer surface 11 of the transferred object 10 face each other will be referred to as a face-to-face facing direction (arrow F direction).

In order to do the above, for example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the casing 17 formed of a hollow column member, the first member holding portion 12 and the second member holding portion 13; An image transfer device 15 constituted by a first pump 18a and a second pump 18b is used. The second member holding portion 13 has a placement surface 13 a on which a member such as the material to be transferred 10 can be placed. Further, the first member holding portion 12 has a structure capable of holding a member such as the transfer film 1 so as to directly and directly face the mounting surface 13a in a substantially parallel manner. Examples of such a first member holding portion 12 include

frames

12a and 12b which sandwich the outer edge of the transfer film 1 in the direction perpendicular to the transfer film 1 in a state substantially parallel to the placement surface 13a. The

frames

12 a and 12 b are disposed, for example, along the inner wall surface of the housing 17 so as to be capable of the sandwiching operation.

Further, the second member holding portion 13 is configured to be able to move the internal space of the housing 17 in the length direction (surface opposing direction) of the housing 17 by a relative movement mechanism (not shown). In addition, the first member holding portion 12 is configured integrally with the housing 17 so as to be movable in the length direction (surface opposing direction) of the housing 17 by a relative movement mechanism (not shown). That is, the housing 17 and the first member holding portion 12 and the second member holding portion 13 are configured to be relatively movable with respect to each other in the relationship of a cylinder and a piston.

When the transfer film is set in the first member holding portion 12 configured as described above, the internal space of the housing 17 is divided into two at the boundary of the transfer film. Among them, one internal space A is a sealed space formed on the longitudinal direction upper side (the first member holding portion 12 side) of the housing 17 than the first member holding portion 12 (transfer film). The other internal space B is a sealed space formed on the lower side (the second member holding portion 13 side) in the longitudinal direction of the housing 17 than the first member holding portion 12 (transfer film).

The first pump 18a and the second pump 18b apply negative pressure to the internal spaces A and B, respectively. Although not shown, the housing 17 may be provided with an intake port for taking in the compressed air from the compressor. If compressed air is introduced into the housing 17 at an appropriate timing through the above-mentioned intake port, the transfer film 1 is pressed by the compressed air toward the material to be transferred to at least one atmospheric pressure, and the transfer film 1 at the time of transfer The speed of movement of can be increased.

The flow of the adhesion process using the above-described image transfer device 15 will be described below. FIG. 4A is a diagram in which the material to be transferred 10 is set at a position separated from the transfer film 1 by a predetermined distance L1.

In the case where the shape of the transfer target 10 is a hemispheric shape and the air between the transfer film 1 and the transfer target 10 can be easily expelled when the transfer film 1 contacts the transfer target 10, the internal space of the housing 17 A negative pressure may be applied to the internal space B while A is at atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, in the case where the transferred object 10 is shaped so as to easily confine the air, it is preferable that a negative pressure be applied to both the internal spaces A and B before the transfer film 1 contacts the transferred object 10. By doing this, since the internal space B can be brought close to vacuum, the risk that air is trapped and air bubbles are formed between the transfer film 1 and the transferred object 10 can be reduced.

Next, in order to bring the transfer film 1 into contact with the material to be transferred 10, the path of negative pressure application by the first pump 18a is cut to open the internal space A to atmospheric pressure or take in compressed air from a compressor. FIG. 4B shows a state in the middle of the process of adhering the transfer film 1 to the transferred body 10 in a state where the outer edge region of the first member holding portion 12 is held by the first member holding portion 12. In the adhesion step, only the transfer film 1 may be lowered downward in the longitudinal direction of the housing 17 by the suction force. Furthermore, in the adhesion step, the transferred object 10 on the second member holding portion 13 may be simultaneously moved upward to the longitudinal direction upper side (transfer film 1 side) of the housing 17. In this case, the transfer film 1 is pushed upward by the transferred object 10 in the longitudinal direction of the housing 17 in a state where the outer edge region of the transfer film 1 is held by the first member holding portion 12.

The softened transfer film 1 extends toward the transfer target body 10 by suction or pressure. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 4B, the second member holding portion 13 continues to move, for example, from the position P1 in the initial state to the position P2 in the intermediate state.

When the application of the above pressure and the movement of the members are continued and the second member holding portion 13 moves to the final position P3, the transfer film 1 is further extended, and as shown in FIG. Cover the surface of Thereby, the transfer film 1 adheres to the transferred object 10 through the adhesive film.

Further, although the aspect in which the adhesion step in step S103 is performed by the image transfer device 15 has been mainly described, the present invention is not limited to this and may be realized using other devices. Also, the application timing of the negative pressure of the first pump 18a or the second pump 18b performed in the close contact step may be determined by the operator, or the control unit of the image transfer device 15 is determined using various sensors. It is also good.

Next, the transfer film 1 is removed (transfer film removing step: S104). When the transfer film 1 is removed, only the image layer 2 remains on the transfer medium 10 in a state of being adhered. In order to remove the transfer film 1, for example, a method of removing and removing the transfer film 1 by an external force and a method of dissolving and removing the transfer film 1 with a liquid can be mentioned.

As a method of peeling off the transfer film 1 by an external force and removing it, for example, a mode in which the operator holds and peels the transfer film 1 in a state of being adhered to the material to be transferred 10 by hand is mentioned. The first adhesion between the image layer 2 and the transfer target 10 exceeds the second adhesion between the transfer film 1 and the image layer 2 at the timing when the transfer film 1 is peeled off from the transfer target 10. After that. This is because the image layer 2 is peeled off from the transfer receiving body 10 before this time. In addition, in order to shorten the time, the transfer film may be cut larger while covering the transferred material without removing the first adhesive strength, and the film may be removed outside the apparatus.

The determination as to whether or not the first adhesive strength exceeds the second adhesive strength may be made by actually grasping the transfer film 1 with the hand of the operator and based on the touch of the hand at that time. The present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be performed based on the time in which the first adhesive strength is checked in advance for the time when it exceeds the second adhesive strength. When the above-mentioned judgment is made based on the above-mentioned time, the timing which peels off transfer film 1 from receiving object 10 will be after the above-mentioned time progress.

Further, in the method of dissolving and removing the transfer film 1 with a liquid, for example, the liquid is applied to the transfer film 1 in a state of being adhered to the transfer receiving body 10 using a liquid supply device. As a result, the transfer film 1 melts, and the image layer 2 remains on the transfer receiving body 10.

As described above, according to the image transfer method of the present embodiment, the transfer film 1 is not excessively swollen and dissolved by the liquid before transfer. That is, it is handled as a solid film, positioned firmly, and held by the first member holding portion 12. In addition, the transfer film 1 at the time of transfer sufficiently expands and contracts to follow the three-dimensional three-dimensional object shape. Further, according to the image transfer method of the present embodiment, the image is not transferred by dye penetration into the material constituting the transfer receiving material, but the image composed of the pigment is transferred via the adhesive film. Can transfer an image with high light fastness.

<2. Second embodiment>
The image transfer method according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5 and with reference to the specific example of FIG. In the image transfer method according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the transfer film on the surface of which the transfer image is formed is pre-deformed in accordance with the shape of the image transfer surface of the transfer target, and then brought into close contact with the transfer target. And transfer the image layer to a transferee. The transfer film used in the image transfer method in the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as the transfer film used in the image transfer method in the first embodiment, and has already been described above. I omit explanation.

In the image transfer method according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, first, an image forming step (S200), an adhesive layer forming step (S201) and a softening step (S202) are performed. The image forming step (S200), the adhesive layer forming step (S201) and the softening step (S202) are the image forming step (S100) of the image transfer method in the first embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive layer forming step (S101) This is the same as the softening step (S102) and has already been described above, so the description thereof is omitted.

After the softening step (S202), the transfer film is deformed so that the transfer film is recessed toward the back surface side of the transfer film to form a concave deformation area (transfer film deformation step: S203). As an advantage obtained by the pre-deformation of the transfer film as described above before close contact with the transfer target body, the degree of image deformation is reduced, image shift is prevented, and the air between the transfer film and the transfer body is obtained. To reduce defects that can be trapped.

The preferable aspect of the above preliminary deformation is demonstrated below. It is preferable to pre-deform the transfer film so that a large concave area capable of covering the transfer target is formed. When the image is transferred by bringing the central portion of the transfer film having an image at the center into close contact with the bottom of the rectangular parallelepiped member and transferring the image as an example, the transfer film which is not pre-deformed is in close contact with the bottom of the rectangular member. The transfer film is pulled by the side surface of the rectangular member. As a result, the central image is pulled and greatly deformed. If the transfer film is pre-deformed into a large rectangular shape, it is possible to stretch a portion apart from the center image of the transfer film. Then, when the transfer film after the preliminary deformation is adsorbed to the rectangular member, the side surface is in close contact so as to be folded, so the degree of deformation of the image is reduced. Therefore, preliminary deformation of the transfer film is an effective method in reducing the degree of deformation of the image.

Also, in the case of a transfer target having a shape that is less likely to cause a defect in which air is trapped between the transfer film and the transfer target, the transfer film slips on the transfer target by pre-deforming it into a similar shape. It is possible to reduce the occurrence of image misalignment. Further, it is preferable that the transfer film be in close contact with the transferred material in a state in which the center of the transfer film hangs in a convex shape. When the convexly drooping portion in the center comes in contact with the transfer target first, the periphery of the convex portion sequentially contacts the transfer target so as to expel air, so the transfer film and the transfer transfer The risk of trapping air bubbles between the body is reduced.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, a specific transfer film deformation process for removing the air between the transfer film and the transfer target is the image transfer device 15 described above using the female member 20 having the concave region 2b. To do. The recessed area 2 b is preferably in a shape capable of covering at least the periphery of the image transfer surface 19 a of the transfer receiving body 19, but is not limited thereto. Further, as shown in FIG. 6A, the concave portion 21 forming the concave region 2b has the central portion 21a on the lower side (the second member holding portion 13 side) of the housing 17 in the length direction (surface opposing direction). Preferably, it is convex toward the) side.

In the transfer film deformation step, the transfer film 1 is deformed such that the transfer film 1 is along the concave surface 21 constituting the concave region 2b. As shown in FIG. 6A, in the present embodiment, the transfer receiving body 19 is a rectangular parallelepiped member having a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the transfer film 1 is set in the first member holding portion 12 by an operator (not shown), and the height direction of the housing 17 is higher than the first member holding portion 12. The female member 20 is set in the third member holding portion 14 disposed.

The female mold member 20 is set in the third member holding portion 14 so that the concave surface 21 faces the lower side (the second member holding portion 13 side) in the height direction (surface opposing direction) of the housing 17. The third member holding portion 14 is provided in a space corresponding to the internal space A at the time of the first embodiment. The female member 20 is disposed such that the concave surface 21 faces the back surface 3 b of the transfer film 1. At this time, the transfer film 1 and the female member 20 are disposed such that the distance between the closest portion between the back surface 3 b and the concave surface 21 is a predetermined distance. The direction in which the concave surface 21 and the back surface 3b face each other is also the surface facing direction.

After the transfer film 1 and the female member 20 are set as described above, a negative pressure is applied to the internal space A of the housing 17 by the first pump 18a. As a result, the transfer film 1 is attracted toward the concave surface 21 constituting the concave area 2 b of the female member 20 in a state where the outer edge area of the transfer film 1 is held by the first member holding portion 12.

Since the transfer film 1 is softened in the softening step, it is easy to stretch when a force is applied. As the transfer film 1 continues to be attracted toward the concave surface 21 by the first pump 18 a or the second pump 18 b, the transfer film 1 gradually expands to have a large surface area, and approaches the concave surface 21. Finally, the transfer film 1 covers the concave surface 21 as shown in FIG. 6 (b). As a result, the transfer film 1 is in close contact with the female member 20 and is in a deformed state.

The female member 20 is formed of, for example, a porous material having a continuous vent and a mesh material having a mesh, so that the negative pressure applied by the first pump 18 a extends to the transfer film 1. As a result, the transfer film 1 can be attracted toward the female member 20 by the first pump 18 a.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the second member holding portion 13 is relatively moved by the relative movement mechanism (not shown) in parallel with the operation of the transfer film 1 being attracted to the concave surface 21 as described above. The transfer target body 19 may approach the transfer film 1 (relative movement step: S204).

When the adsorption of the transfer film 1 to the concave surface 21 is completed, then, as shown in FIGS. 6 (c) and 6 (d), the transfer film 1 and the transferred body are pre-deformed by the action of pressure or negative pressure. 19 is adhered (adhesion step: S205).

In order to expel the air between the transfer film 1 and the transfer target, it is preferable that the adsorption on the female member 20 not be released before the negative pressure is applied by the second pump 18b. When the transfer film 1 and the transferred body 19 touch, or when the distance between the transfer film 1 and the transferred body 19 becomes a predetermined distance, the adsorption of the transfer film 1 to the female member 20 is released Be done. Thus, the transfer film 1 is sucked toward the transfer receiving body 19 by the second pump 18 b.

In addition, if releasing the suction in the

regions

25 and 26 is delayed, as shown in FIG. 6C, the transfer film 1 can be easily brought into contact with the transferred object 19 from the convex central portion 1 c of the transfer film 1. Then, the periphery of the convex central portion 1c comes in contact with the transfer body 19 in order so as to expel the air. This reduces the risk of entrapment of air bubbles between the transfer film 1 and the transferred body 19. In order to delay the suction release of the

regions

25 and 26 from other places, it is possible to provide a partition inside the female member 20 and divide the path for applying the negative pressure to be connected.

The softened transfer film 1 extends toward the transfer target body 10 by suction or pressure. At the same time, as shown in FIGS. 6 (b) and 6 (c), the second member holder 13 may continue to move, for example, from the position P4 in the initial state to the positions P5 and P6 in the intermediate state. . At the position P6 in the intermediate state, the central portion 1c of the transfer film 1 is on the upper side in the longitudinal direction of the housing 17 by the transferred object 19 held by the second member holding portion 13 (the first member holding portion 12 side) Begin to be pushed.

When the application of the above pressure and the movement of the members are continued and the second member holding portion 13 moves to the final position P7, the transfer film 1 is further stretched, and as shown in FIG. It covers the surface of the body 19. As a result, the transfer film 1 is in close contact with the transferred body 19 via the adhesive film.

Next, a transfer film removing step is performed (S206). The transfer film removing step (S206) is the same as the transfer film removing step (S104) of the image transfer method according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and has already been described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted. .

Also, although the embodiment has been described centering on the mode performed by the image transfer device 15 from the transfer film deformation step in step S203 to the close contact step in step S205, the invention is not limited thereto, and may be realized using other devices. It is also good. Further, the timing at which each process is performed may be determined by the operator, or may be determined by the control unit of the image transfer device 15 using various sensors.

As described above, in the image transfer method of the present embodiment, since the transfer film 1 is preliminarily deformed in advance according to the shape on the image transfer surface 19 a of the transfer receiving member 19, the transfer formed on the transfer film 1 The transferred image can be transferred to the transfer target body 19 without giving great stress to the image. In particular, in the image transfer method of the present embodiment, an image can be transferred with high positional accuracy to a transfer target such as a three-dimensional three-dimensional object.

<3. Third embodiment>
Next, an image transfer apparatus 30 capable of realizing the above image transfer method will be described with reference to FIG. The image transfer device 30 includes the first member holding unit 12, the second member holding unit 13, the third member holding unit 14, the adhesion mechanism unit 31, the operation unit 32, the control unit 33, and the above units. It comprises a housing 37 for housing and a swing mechanism 34.

The housing 37 is composed of a main body 37a and a lid 37b. The swing mechanism 34 includes a swing shaft 34 a and a swing arm 34 b. The swinging shaft 34a is disposed on the main body base 34c. One end of the swinging arm 34b is pivotally mounted on the swinging shaft 34a. Further, a rotating shaft 35 is disposed on the swing arm 34 b. The lid 37 b is rotatably attached to the rotation shaft 35. Then, when the swing arm 34b is pivoted with the swing shaft 34a as a fulcrum, the lid 37b opens and closes the ceiling surface 37c of the main body 37a as shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b). To move. When the ceiling surface 37c of the main body 37a is closed by the lid 37b, the inside of the housing 37 is sealed.

For example, the first member holder 12, the second member holder 13, the adhesion mechanism 31, and the controller 33 are housed in the main body 37a in order from the ceiling surface 37c side, for example. Further, the third member holding portion 14 is accommodated in the lid portion 37 b. The transfer film and the transferred body are respectively held by the first member holding portion 12 and the second member holding portion 13 so that the image layer surface of the transfer film and the image transfer surface of the transferred body face each other. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7A, the first member holding portion 12 and the second member holding portion 13 are disposed along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the housing 37.

The first member holding portion 12 holds a member such as a transfer film. For example, a mode in which the outer edge of the transfer film 1 is sandwiched from the front side and the back side of the transfer film 1 with a pair of frame bodies having a shape that makes a round in a quadrangular shape, for example. Although it may be mentioned, it is not limited to this, and may be other retention modes.

The second member holding portion 13 has a placement surface 13a, and holds the transferee and the like by placing the transferee and the like on the placement surface 13a. As a mode of holding the transferred object in the second member holding portion 13, a mode in which the transferred body is only mounted on the mounting surface 13a, and a mode in which it is fixed on the mounting surface 13a by a fixing mechanism that it has Although mentioned as an example, it is not limited to this and may be other holding modes. In addition, the second member holding portion 13 is configured to be able to move the internal space of the housing 37 in the length direction (vertical direction) of the housing 37.

The relative movement mechanism 36 moves the second member holding portion 13 relative to the first member holding portion 12 along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the housing 37. The relative movement mechanism 36 is configured of, for example, a piston and a cylinder. The tip end of the piston is in contact with the bottom surface of the second member holding portion 13 and moves the second member holding portion 13 by an operation along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the housing 37 of the piston. The configuration of the piston and cylinder of the relative movement mechanism 36 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this, and other configurations may be employed.

The third member holding portion 14 holds a member such as the female member 20 or the like. The female member 20 is held by the third member holder 14 so that the concave region 2 b of the female member 20 faces the first member holder 12. As a manner of holding the female die member 20 in the third member holding portion 14, for example, the female die member 20 is installed on an installation surface 14a provided inside the lid 37b shown in FIG. 7A and fixed (not shown) Although the aspect which fixes and hold | maintains the female mold member 20 to the installation surface 14a with a mechanism (for example, screwing) is mentioned as an example, it is not limited to this, and may be other holding aspects.

The adhesion mechanism section 31 brings the image layer surface of the transfer film into close contact with the image transfer surface of the transfer receiving material by the action of pressure or negative pressure. The adhesion mechanism unit 31 is configured of, for example, a first pump 38 a, a second pump 38 b, and a relative movement mechanism 36. If the internal volume of the housing 37 is sufficiently small, one of the first pump 38a and the second pump 38b may be used. When only the first pump 38a (or the second pump 38b) is used, the pressure passage extending from the first pump 38a (or the second pump 38b) is branched to the body portion 37a side and the lid portion 37b side.

The first pump 38 a applies a negative pressure to the inside of the housing 37 from the side of the housing 37 in the lengthwise direction (the lid 37 b) side of the first member holding portion 12. Specifically, the first pump 38 a is disposed in the concave area 2 b of the female member 20 held by the third member holding portion 14 so as to be able to adsorb the transfer film.

The second pump 38 b applies a negative pressure to the inside of the housing 37 from the lower side in the lengthwise direction of the housing 37 (the main body 37 a) than the first member holding part 12. Specifically, the second pump 38 b is disposed so as to be able to suction air from the lower side (main portion 37 a) of the housing 37 in the longitudinal direction than the second member holding portion 13. The first pump 38a and the second pump 38b as described above are, for example, vacuum pumps.

Further, an intake port (not shown) capable of taking in compressed air from an external compressor may be provided in any of the housings 37. If the transfer film is pressed toward the transfer target by compressed air supplied from an external compressor through an inlet (not shown), the moving speed of the transfer film can be increased.

For example, the operation unit 32 receives an operation on each of the units (for example, the relative movement mechanism 36, the first pump 38a, and the second pump 38b), and transmits an operation signal corresponding to the operation to the control unit 33. The control unit 33 receives an operation signal and issues an instruction corresponding to the operation signal to each of the units.

The image transfer device 30 may be separately provided with a water particle spray unit (not shown) having a structure capable of spraying water particles on at least one surface of the transfer film. As a mode of spraying water particles, for example, those usable in the softening step (S102, S202) in the image transfer method in the first and second embodiments of the present invention are preferable.

Further, the image transfer device 30 may be separately provided with a liquid supply unit (not shown) for supplying a liquid. As a liquid supply aspect, the liquid supply aspect etc. which can be utilized at a transfer film removal process (S104, S206) are mentioned as an example, for example.

The image transfer device 30 includes a transfer film deformation portion that deforms the transfer film so that the transfer film is recessed toward the back surface side of the transfer film. In the image transfer device 30, the transfer film deformation portion is constituted by the female member 20 held by the third member holding portion 14, at least one of the first pump 38a and the second pump 38b, and the housing 37. Look over.

The female member in the transfer film deformation portion is the same as the female member 20 described in the image transfer method in the second embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted because it has already been described. Further, as a deformation mode of the transfer film in the transfer film deformation portion, for example, pressure is applied to the concave surface 21 of the female member 20 as described in the image transfer method of the second embodiment (see FIG. 6). What is made to deform | transform by making the transfer film 1 contact | adhere is mentioned.

The present invention also includes an image transfer apparatus according to another aspect provided with the adhesion mechanism unit 31 and at least one of a water particle spray unit and a transfer film deformation unit. Further, a member holding portion for holding the transfer film and the transferred body such that the image layer formed on the surface of the transfer film and the transferred body face the first member holding portion 12 and the second member holding portion 13 You may catch it as one. Further, the third member holding portion 14 may be added to the member holding portion.

<4. Fourth embodiment>
In FIG. 8A, reference numeral 51 denotes a transfer sheet base, on the surface of which a water-soluble layer or release layer 52 is applied. The adhesive ink layer 54 covering the image 53 formed on the water-soluble layer or release layer 52 is printed by ink jet printing slightly larger than the image 53. FIG. 8B shows the substrate 55 after the image transfer. Since the image is transferred, the vertical relationship between the water-soluble layer or release layer 52 and the image 53 is opposite to that shown in FIG. The common products used in the examples are as follows. The laser printer used C-841dn (trademark, Oki Data Corporation), and the ink jet printer used PX-1004 (trademark, Seiko Epson Corporation). As the water transfer sheet, 110 μm thick “water transfer paper B” (trademark, sold by Sanryu Co., Ltd.) in which the dextrin water-soluble layer 52 is coated on one side of the transfer sheet base 51 was used. It is a common water transfer paper used for inorganic pigment image transfer to pottery. As a release sheet, a 120 μm thick transfer paper TP for a laser printer (trade name, sold by Sanryu Co., Ltd.) having a silicon-impregnated release layer 52 formed on one side of a transfer sheet base 51 was used. It is a general type that transfers a toner image to a ceramic or metal hard material other than cloth, and there is no hot melt coating layer transferred together with the image, and it is a type of transfer paper in which only the toner image is transferred. As a tackifier, alcohol-soluble YS Polystar T100 (trademark, sold by Yasuhara Chemical Co., Ltd.) was used.

Juliano U201 (trademark, Arakawa Chemical Industries, Ltd.), which is a combination of polyurethane resin and inorganic fine particles in which silica fine particles of several nm are dispersedly formed in the cured film by 21% by weight, is selected as an organic / inorganic hybrid composition. To 20 cc, 2-ethoxyethanol and 2-propanol were added at a ratio of 40 cc each to make a total of 100 cc of adhesive ink. This ink was loaded on the PX-1004, and a solid image (adhesive layer 54) about 1 mm larger than the image was printed on the image 53 printed with C-841 dn on the water transfer sheet water-soluble layer 52. After this was left for 3 minutes, the image side was pressed against a glass plate (substrate 55), the back side was wiped with a sponge containing water, and left for another 3 minutes. When the base sheet 51 of the water transfer paper B was slowly turned over, the image was clearly transferred. After heat curing at 130 ° C. for 1 hour to obtain the final strength, it passed the scratch test with a nail and the peel test with an adhesive tape. Further, in the case of transfer to a flexible polyurethane resin plate and heat curing treatment, the image flexibly adhered to the deformation of the substrate without causing cracking.

In the case of Example 1, after being left for 10 minutes after printing the adhesive layer 54, it was too dry and could not be transferred. The adhesive layer 54 formed by printing and adding 7% by weight of YS polystar T100 to the ink prepared in Example 1 maintains adhesiveness even after standing for 10 minutes, and when left for 3 minutes in Example 1 The adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 54 is higher than that of the adhesive layer 54. If it is desired to leave it for a longer time, a high boiling alcohol may be added to slow the evaporation. There was no influence on the ink ejection stability at the time of ink jet printing, and it was effective for strengthening the initial adhesion. The final adhesion was the same as in Example 1.

Solvent-based glass HPC 7506A (trademark, JSR Corporation), which is a combination of acrylic resin and inorganic fine particles in which 70 to 80% by weight of silica fine particles of several nm to several tens of nm are dispersed and formed, is selected as the organic / inorganic hybrid composition. Then, isopropyl alcohol and 2-ethoxyethanol were added at a ratio of 33 cc each to 33 cc of Glaska to make a total of 99 cc of adhesive ink. The same printing and transfer as in Example 1 were carried out, and heat curing was carried out at 120 ° C. for 30 minutes in order to obtain the final strength. Similar good results were obtained.

Comparative example

As an adhesive ink, a super glass barrier (trademark, Sketch) stock solution in which 100% of inorganic fine particles in which 90% by weight or more of silica is formed in the hardened layer is dispersed in an organic solvent instead of the organic-inorganic hybrid composition Although printing and transfer were attempted in the same manner as Example 1, transfer was not possible. Although the presence of the organic polymer gives a certain degree of adhesion, which is solvent evaporation, the initial adhesion can not be obtained with the inorganic fine particles and the solvent alone. In order to confirm the final adhesive strength, 15% by weight of a tackifier was added to perform printing and transfer. Even after natural drying, even after heat curing treatment at 200 ° C. for 1 hour, it adhered to the glass substrate, but the one transferred to the flexible polyurethane resin plate was easily broken and was easily detached by scratching of the nail. It has been determined that this does not meet the purpose of the present invention to finally obtain sufficient adhesion to substrates of a wide range of materials.

With the spread of digital printing in the world, design expressions are diversified and individualized, and printing from mass production to single-use items is being carried out. The present invention is a low-cost technology that eliminates the need for expensive transfer equipment, and can be introduced by general shops in town and used for package printing of various articles of sale, exchange of gifts between individuals, etc. In addition, if an inkjet printer can be transported to the site for printing, it can be used for site transfer of wall materials of existing buildings.

The embodiment of the present invention is an example for embodying the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 transfer film 2 image layer 2a image layer surface 2b concave area 3a front surface of transfer film 3b back surface of transfer film 5 ultrasonic water particle sprayer 6

thermostatic humidity container

10, 19 material to be transferred 11 image transfer surface 12 first

member holding Parts

12a, 12b, 14a, 14b, 14f Frame 13 Second member holding part 13a Mounting surface 14 Third member holding part 16

Liquid supply device

17, 37

Housing

18a,

38a First pump

18b, 38b Second pump 19a Image transfer surface 20, 20a, 24, 24a, 40, 70, 74, 76

Female members

21, 25, 25a, 41, 71, 75 Concave surface 22 Opening surface 30 Image transfer device 31 Adhesion mechanism part 32 Operation part 33 Control part 34 Rocking mechanism 36 Relative moving mechanism 51 Base sheet of transfer sheet 52 Water-soluble layer or peeling layer 53 Image 54 Adhesive ink layer 55 Printed matter

Claims

An image layer forming step of forming an image layer constituting a transferred image with a colorant on the surface of a film body formed in a film shape from a water-soluble material;
An adhesive film forming step of forming an adhesive film with an adhesive material on at least one of the surface of the image layer or the transfer target;
In a softening step in which water particles are attached to at least one surface of the membrane to soften the membrane, or in a membrane deformation step in which the membrane is deformed so that the membrane is recessed toward the back surface side of the membrane. At least one of the steps,
An adhesion step of bringing the film body which has undergone the at least one step into close contact with the transfer target by the action of pressure or negative pressure;
Equipped with
The image layer is adhered to the image transfer surface of the transfer target through the adhesive film by the close contact in the close contact step, whereby the transferred image is transferred to the transfer target.
Image transfer method.
When the film deformation step is performed, the transfer target members are brought into close contact with each other by being approached in a concave deformation region of the film member in the adhesion step.
An image transfer method according to claim 1.
In the membrane deformation step, at least a portion of the back surface of the membrane is brought into close contact with at least a portion of the concave surface constituting the concave region of the female member having the concave region by the action of pressure or negative pressure. By deforming the film body so that the film body is recessed,
An image transfer method according to claim 1 or 2.
The diameter of the water particles in the softening step is approximately 100 μm or less.
An image transfer method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The material having water solubility is characterized by being composed of either polyvinyl alcohol or dextrin or water soluble urethane or a compound thereof or a mixture thereof.
An image transfer method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The adhesive film is characterized in that it is formed of an organic solvent containing an organic-inorganic hybrid composition capable of obtaining a cured silica hybrid film after drying and curing.
An image transfer method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The adhesive film is formed by printing using a printer using the organic solvent as an adhesive ink.
An image transfer method according to claim 6.
The organic solvent is characterized in that the concentration of silica dispersed in the cured silica hybrid film is 5 wt% to 80 wt%, and the single particle diameter is in the range of 1 to 100 nm.
An image transfer method according to claim 6 or 7.
An image transfer apparatus for transferring an image layer formed on the surface of a film body formed of a water-soluble material to a film form onto a transfer target via an adhesive film,
A water particle spray unit having a structure capable of spraying water particles on at least one side of the film, or a film deformation unit that deforms the film so that the film is recessed toward the back surface side of the film And at least one
An adhesion mechanism unit for bringing the film body treated by at least one of the water particle spray unit or the film deformation unit into close contact with the material to be transferred by the action of pressure or negative pressure;
Characterized by
Image transfer device.
The film deformation unit is
A female member having a recessed area;
A pump that brings at least a portion of the back surface of the film body into intimate contact with at least a portion of the concave surface constituting the concave region by applying the positive pressure or the negative pressure;
Equipped with
The film body is deformed by the close contact,
An image transfer apparatus according to claim 9.
The water particle spray unit is configured by an ultrasonic humidifier capable of spraying the water particles having a diameter of about 100 μm or less.
An image transfer apparatus according to claim 9 or 10.
An adhesive film was printed on an image formed on a water transfer sheet by an ink jet printer using an organic solvent containing an organic-inorganic hybrid composition capable of obtaining a cured silica hybrid film after drying and curing as an adhesive ink. The adhesion on the substrate including the subsequent steps of non-heat-pressing or heat-pressure-adhering the adhesive film layer to a substrate, and applying water to the water transfer sheet to peel off the base sheet. Forming a transfer image through a membrane layer.
After using an organic solvent containing an organic-inorganic hybrid composition that can obtain a cured silica hybrid film after drying and curing, as an adhesive ink, an adhesive film layer is printed on an image formed on a release sheet by an inkjet printer Forming a transfer image on the substrate via the adhesive film layer, including the steps of: heating and adhering the adhesive film layer to the substrate; and peeling and removing the base sheet of the release sheet. Transfer printing method.
[Correction based on rule 91 26.12.2016]
The inkjet used for transfer printing according to claim 12 and 13, wherein the concentration of silica dispersed in the cured silica hybrid film is 5 wt% to 80 wt% and the single particle diameter is in the range of 1 to 100 nm. Adhesive ink for printing.
[Correction based on rule 91 26.12.2016]
The adhesive ink for ink jet printing according to claim 14, containing a tackifier and / or a plasticizer.
Silica having a single particle diameter in the range of 1 to 100 nm is dispersed at a concentration of 5% by weight to 80% by weight, and an organic / inorganic hybrid cured film having an affinity for both organic and inorganic substances is used as an adhesive layer An image transfer material characterized in that a toner image is held on a substrate.