JPH0441255A - Print record method and print recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form print images superior in life without using ink ribbon by charging energy imagewise on a recording body equipped with a coloring material layer arranged on a substrate and forming the images on the substrate by stripping off unnecessary coloring material layer from the substrate. CONSTITUTION:A recording body constituted of a coloring material layer 2 arranged on a substrate 1 is interposed between rolls 3, 3 so as to be conveyed and charged with a heat imagewise by a thermal head 4. Parts 2a charged with the heat make a melting state and a sticking force of the coloring material layer 2a and the substrate 1 becomes larger than a sticking force of parts 2b which are not charged with the heat and the substrate 1. Also, a coloring material 2c activated by a heat energy moves to the substrate 1 so as to generate a fusion or a dyeing. When an adhesive tape 7 sent out from a roll 5 is contacted with the coloring material layer 2 through the thermal head 4, the coloring material layer 2b at the parts not charged with the heat or the coloring material 2 is taken out by a roll 6 being contacted with the surface of the adhesive tape 7. The parts 2a or the parts 2c of which the coloring material is transferred with heat remain being stuck to the surface of the substrate 1, so that images are formed by the coloring material layer 2a and the moved parts 2c.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a novel print recording method and a print recording device, and more particularly, to a novel print recording method and a print recording device, and more particularly, to a novel print recording method and a print recording device, and more specifically, to produce a print image with high reliability and excellent storage stability without the need for an ink ribbon. The present invention relates to a print recording method that can be formed under a printer, and a print recording device that allows the device to be simplified and downsized.

[Prior Art and Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Conventional industrial printing methods include a thermal method, an electrophotographic method, a thermal transfer method, and the like.

However, the heat-sensitive method has problems with storage stability after recording, and color development or fading is likely to occur due to solvents or heating.

Further, in the electrophotographic method, the electrophotographic forming apparatus is extremely complicated, which naturally limits miniaturization of the apparatus, and the electrophotographic forming process is complicated.

Furthermore, due to these circumstances, a great deal of maintenance and maintenance is required to maintain printing reliability.

The thermal transfer method has problems such as the ink ribbon being disposable and wasteful, and the ink ribbon etc. being prone to wrinkles.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances.

An object of the present invention is to provide a print recording method that can reliably form a print image with excellent storage stability without requiring an ink ribbon, and a printing method that enables simplification and miniaturization of an apparatus. The purpose is to provide a recording device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention for achieving the objects described above provides an image-wise application of energy using an energy application means onto a recording medium in which a coloring material layer is provided on a substrate, and then an unnecessary (Unnecessary here means not necessary for final image formation.) A printing record characterized in that an image is formed on the substrate by peeling and removing the coloring material layer from the substrate. The method also includes: a conveying means for conveying a recording medium having a coloring material layer provided on a substrate; an energy application means for applying imagewise energy to the recording medium;
This printing and recording apparatus is characterized by having a means for peeling off and removing unnecessary coloring material layers of the recording medium.

The coloring material layer in the recording medium according to the present invention is roughly classified into two types: (1) cohesive failure/interfacial failure type and (2) colorant migration type.

In the present invention, a recording medium formed by laminating a coloring material layer of the type ■ or ■ on a substrate is first conveyed by a conveying means toward a location where an energy application means is provided, and energy is applied onto the recording medium there. Energy such as heat is applied to the image quiz using a means.

Then, in the coloring material layer of type (2), the adhesive force between the coloring material layer and the substrate in the portion to which energy is applied is greater than the adhesive force between the coloring material layer and the substrate in the portion to which no energy is applied.

In the present invention, unnecessary coloring material layers, that is, portions of the coloring material layer to which no energy is applied, are peeled off from the recording medium in this state using a peeling means.

On the other hand, the portion of the coloring material layer to which energy has been applied remains adhered to the surface of the substrate.

In this way, an image is formed imagewise on the surface of the substrate by the coloring material layer that remains adhered.

On the other hand, in the type of coloring material layer (■), the heat-melting coloring material or heat-diffusive/sublimating coloring material transferred from the coloring material layer migrates to the substrate side, and after peeling off the coloring material layer, an imagewise image-wise coloring material is applied to the substrate. The image remains.

As is clear from the above, the present invention does not require an ink ribbon that wrinkles or the like during printing.

Also, unlike the electrophotographic method, the equipment configuration is simple,
Miniaturization is possible.

Moreover, highly reliable print recording can be performed with simple operations.

Furthermore, a recording medium on which an image is formed according to the present invention does not deteriorate over time unlike conventional heat-sensitive recording bodies, and has excellent storage stability.

Next, the print recording method and apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail.

One Recording Body The recording body used in the present invention has one or more coloring material layers provided on a substrate.

An adhesive layer (also included in this scope) may be provided between the substrate and the coloring material layer, if necessary.

Examples of this substrate include papers such as PPC vapor, capacitor paper, and glassine paper, films such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and cellophane, synthetic papers such as beach coat and jubo paper, and the above-mentioned papers and films. Examples include laminated paper, and those obtained by forming a coating layer on the above-mentioned papers and films.

Suitable materials for forming the coating layer include styrene-butadiene copolymer, methyl methacrylate-butadiene copolymer, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, and ethylene-butadiene copolymer.
Examples include vinyl acetate copolymers, polyvinyl alcohol, celluloses, polyesters, vinyl chloride resins, vinylidene chloride resins, polyvinyl acetals, starch, and casein.

Note that the base body may be provided with perforations as appropriate in order to be easily cut.

The coloring material layer basically contains a binder and a coloring material.

The binder may include thermofusible substances and/or thermoplastic resins.

Specific examples of heat-melting substances include vegetable waxes such as carnauba wax, wood wax, auriculie wax, and Nispar wax; animal waxes such as beeswax, insect wax, shellac wax, and spermaceti wax; paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, polyethylene wax, Mention may be made of waxes such as petroleum waxes such as ester waxes and acid waxes; and mineral waxes such as montan wax, osichelite and ceresin; in addition to these waxes, waxes such as valmitic acid, stearic acid, margaric acid and Higher fatty acids such as behenic acid; higher alcohols such as valmityl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, marganyl alcohol, myricyl alcohol, and eicosanol; higher fatty acids such as cetyl balmitate, myricyl valmitate, cetyl stearate, and myricyl stearate. Esters: acetamide, propionic acid amide, valmitic acid amide.

Amides such as stearic acid amide and amidowax; and higher amines such as stearylamine, behenylamine and valmitylamine.

The thermoplastic resins include ethylene copolymers, polyamide resins, polyester resins, polyurethane resins, polyolefin resins, acrylic resins, vinyl chloride resins, polyvinyl alcohol resins, polyvinyl acetal resins, and cellulose resins. Resins such as resins, rosin resins, ionomer resins and petroleum resins; Elastomers such as natural rubber, styrene butadiene rubber, imprene rubber, chloroprene rubber and diene copolymers: ester gums, rosin maleic acid resins, rosin phenols Resins and rosin derivatives such as hydrogenated rosin, and softening points of 50 to 15 such as phenolic resins, terpene resins, cyclopentadiene resins, and aromatic hydrocarbon resins.
Examples include polymeric compounds at 0°C.

The thermofusible substance and the thermoplastic substance can be used in combination with each other, or one or more of them can be used.

By appropriately selecting the heat-melting substance and thermoplastic substance, it is possible to form a heat-softening coloring material layer having a desired heat-softening point or heat-melting point.

However, in the recording medium used in the present invention, it is necessary that the adhesive force between the substrate and the coloring material layer is smaller than the peeling force of the peeling and removing means described later.

The type of coloring material layer to be used is appropriately determined depending on the peeling force of the peeling means described below.

Examples of the coloring material include pigments such as inorganic pigments and organic pigments, and dyes.

As the inorganic pigment, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, Prussian blue, cadmium sulfide, iron oxide, chromates of lead, zinc, barium and calcium, carbon black, etc. can be suitably used.

As the organic pigment, azo-based, thioindigo-based, anthraquinone-based, anthanthrone-based, triphenedioxazine-based pigments, vat dye pigments, phthalocyanine pigments, such as copper phthalocyanine and its derivatives, quinacridone pigments, etc. can be suitably used. .

As the dye, acid dyes, direct dyes, disperse dyes, oil-soluble dyes, metal-containing oil-soluble dyes, etc. can be suitably used.

Among these, heat-melting dyes and sublimable dyes are more preferred, and specific examples include lactone-based, lactam-based, fluoran-based, and spiropyran-based dyes.

Each of the above-mentioned coloring materials can of course be used as a type,
It is possible to use two or more types together.

Representative examples of color developers include clay, oxalic acid, benzoic acid, phenolic resin, bisphenol A, and 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-nheptane. More than one species can be used in combination with the above coloring materials.

Note that the coloring layer contains one or more additives such as surfactants, higher fatty acid derivatives, higher aliphatic alcohols, higher aliphatic ethers and phosphate esters, organic fillers, and inorganic fillers. You can.

In addition, when carbon black is selected as an inorganic pigment,
A stone wall structure is formed due to the strong cohesive force, and the coloring material can be transferred to the surface of the recording support while being leached between the "stone walls" by heating.

In addition, when alumina particles are used as an inorganic filler,
Heating quickly activates the coloring material around the alumina particles, and the activated coloring material moves between the alumina particles based on capillary action and is assisted by the thermal expansion phenomenon caused by the rise in ink temperature, and transfers to the recording support.

Furthermore, as described later, depending on the peeling means, the coloring material layer may contain magnetic powder or metal powder.

The content of the coloring material in the coloring material layer is usually within the range of 5 to 40% by weight, preferably within the range of 10 to 30% by weight.

If the content of the coloring material is less than 5% by weight, one image may not be clear, and if the content of the coloring material exceeds 40% by weight, the proportion of the binder will be relatively too small and it will not work as a binder. function is not fully demonstrated.

In the present invention, the thickness of the coloring material layer is usually 0.1 to 204
m, preferably within the range of 0.5 to 10 μm.

If the thickness of the coloring material layer is less than 0.1 pm, the density of the obtained image may not be sufficient;
If it exceeds , the force required to cut the coloring material layer at the boundary between the thermal energy application area and the non-thermal energy application area becomes too large in the case of cohesive failure/interfacial failure type, which is not preferable.

To form a coloring material layer on the substrate, a coating solution containing components of the coloring material layer may be directly applied onto the substrate and dried, or the coloring material layer may be formed on a transfer body that can be used multiple times. A preferred method is to form an adhesive layer through the adhesive layer and then transfer the coloring material layer to the substrate side through the adhesive layer at the time of use.

1. Conveyance Means 1. This conveyance means is provided for conveying the recording medium continuously or discontinuously to a location where an energy application means, which will be described later, is provided, a peeling means, and more preferably a taking-off means.

Specifically, it is practical to configure the system with a pair of rolls that feed out the recording medium while sandwiching it, but there is no need to limit it to this.
Any material may be used as long as it can transport the recording medium stably at a desired speed.

-Energy application means- This energy application means is necessary to apply heat or other energy to the recording medium.

In other words, the adhesive force between the coloring material layer and the substrate in the area to which energy is applied is greater than the adhesive force between the coloring material layer and the substrate in the area to which no energy is applied, or the adhesive force contained in the coloring material layer is caused by the applied energy. Necessary for colorant transfer.

Specifically, a thermal head is generally used, but other methods such as electromagnetic waves, pressurization, an ultrasonic head, and energization may also be used.

In addition, when applying energy, especially when applying thermal energy with a thermal head, if it is necessary to prevent the coloring material layer from adhering to the head, use a head that has been subjected to mold release treatment, or use a head made of Teflon or other It is desirable to use a head contamination prevention means such as a heat-resistant release film.

1. Peeling and Removal Means 1. This peeling means is provided to peel and remove the portion of the coloring material layer to which the energy is not applied (i.e., unnecessary portion) in the above-mentioned cohesive failure/interfacial failure type coloring material layer from the substrate. .

In addition, in the case of a coloring material transfer type coloring material, the entire coloring material layer (unnecessary portion) including the coloring material layer after one coloring material layer is peeled off and removed from the substrate.

Therefore, this peeling force needs to be greater than the adhesive force of the unnecessary portion to the substrate.

As this peeling means, an adhesive tape 7 is used between the shells as shown in FIG. Or, as shown in Figure 3 (B), apply adhesive 9 on the surface of the roll 5! ! It is preferable to use a method in which the roll 5 is brought into contact with the recording medium after applying energy.

According to the former method, the unnecessary portion 2b of the coloring material layer adheres to the adhesive surface 7a of the adhesive tape 7 and peels off from the substrate l.

According to the latter method, the unnecessary portion 2b of one color material layer is adhered to the surface of the roll 5 and peeled off from the substrate l.

In either method, the portion of the coloring material layer 2a to which energy has been applied remains adhered to the substrate l, and an image is formed.

The above is an example of the cohesive failure/interfacial failure type, but the difference is that in the case of the colorant migration type, the five colorant layers themselves are removed as unnecessary parts.

Furthermore, in the present invention, in addition to these methods, there is also a method in which magnetic powder is contained in the color material layer of the recording medium in advance and the unnecessary color material layer is peeled off using magnetic force. A method can be adopted in which the coloring material layer contains metal powder, the surface of the coloring material layer is charged, and the unnecessary coloring material layer is peeled off and removed using electrostatic force.

In any case, the coloring material layer in the area where energy was applied in the above process or the coloring material transferred due to the application of energy has a stronger adhesive force with the substrate than the area unnecessary for final image formation. The unnecessary portion can be smoothly peeled off and removed from the base by the peeling and removing means.

The present invention will be explained below based on preferred embodiments.

In the method of the present invention, as shown in FIG. The recording medium is conveyed in the direction of the arrow, and heat is imagewise applied to the recording medium from the side of the coloring material layer 2 or the substrate 1 by energy applying means, for example, heating means of the thermal head 4.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1(a), only the heated portion 2a of the coloring material layer 2 becomes molten, resulting in the adhesive strength between the heated coloring material layer 2a and the substrate l. is larger than the adhesive force between the coloring material layer 2b and the substrate l to which no heat is applied.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1(B), the coloring material 2C activated by thermal energy moves to the substrate 1 side, where fusion or dyeing occurs.

In such a state, the adhesive tape 7 fed out from the peeling/removing means, for example, the roll 5, is transferred to the thermal head 4.
When the coloring material M2b is brought into contact with the coloring material layer 2 through the adhesive tape 7, in the case of FIG. The portion 2 of the coloring material layer 2 that is wound onto the roll 6 while being adhered to the surface and is heated is applied.
The portion 2C where a or the coloring material has been thermally transferred remains adhered to the surface of the substrate l.

In this way, the coloring material layer 2a, which remains adhered to the surface of the substrate l,
An image is formed by the transition portion 2C.
is disposed earlier than in the case of FIG. 1, and shows a step in which the adhesive tape 7 comes into contact with the heat-applied recording medium via the roll 8.

In addition, in FIG. 2(b), heat is applied by the thermal head 4 through the head contamination prevention film 10.

This step can also produce the same effects as in FIG. 1.

However, in the present invention, the energy application means is not limited to the heating means described above, and electromagnetic waves, pressurization, ultrasonic waves, energization, etc. can be employed.

[Example] Next, the present invention will be explained in more detail based on Examples.

Note that in the following, [1s] indicates [weight III].

Ru.

(Example 1) A coating layer having the following composition and having a thickness of 10 ILm was formed on a high-quality paper having a thickness of 60 ILm sealed with polyvinyl alcohol to form a base.

1 u'' 1 gluing calcium carbonate polyester resin paraffin wax (solvent: methyl ethyl ketone) 100 parts 0 m 20 parts Furthermore, a coloring material layer having the following composition and thickness IJLm was formed on the above coating layer to obtain a recording medium. .

Polyvinyl butyral functional carbon black [solvent: isopropyl alcohol, 1 part, 80 parts, 20 parts of polyimide film, silicone-modified acrylic resin layer on both sides of the film with a thickness of 0.57 parts],
Thermal energy was applied imagewise to the recording medium using a thermal head.

The thermal head conditions are: applied energy 1 m
J/dot, head pressure 3kg, line printer (heating element density 8 dot/mm)
It was printed with.

Next, by contacting this recording medium with an adhesive tape (made of an acrylic emulsion adhesive coated on a polypropylene film) and peeling off the coloring material layer from the substrate, a clear image could be obtained. .

(Example 2) A recording medium was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that one coloring material layer had the following composition in Example 1, and when thermal energy was applied and the coloring material layer was peeled off, I was able to get a clear image.

Next, a 7 μm thick film WλE was used as a head contamination prevention film.
50 parts of ethyl cellulose resin 50 parts of sublimable dye (solvent is isopropyl alcohol) (Example 3) On the transfer body treated with a release agent, a color material layer and a weak adhesive layer with the following compositions were applied in this order to a thickness of IILm. A recording medium was produced by pressure transferring these layers onto a coated paper having a smoothness of 200 seconds.

Shikido 11 Fresh Salmon Calcium Carbonate Polyacrylate Ester Crystal Violet Lactone Bisphenol A 20 parts 40 parts 20 parts 20 parts Hounong mλ Hongroku Acrylic Emulsion Weak Adhesive Baraffin Wax Emulgene 90 parts 10 parts Next, the above record After printing the body using a thermal head, we were able to obtain a clear image by peeling off the unnecessary parts using an adhesive roll.

Incidentally, since the unnecessary portion of the adhesive layer wound onto the roll is exposed to the outside, this roll can be used as it is as a peeling and removing means.

(Example 4) A recording medium was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 3 except that the composition of the coloring material layer was changed to the following.

Colored clay 1 part Zhu Tianwei Vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer 30 parts Nigrosine dye 20 parts Stearic acid
50 parts [Solvent is methyl ethyl ketone] Next, heat energy was applied to this recording body using a thermal head, and unnecessary portions were peeled off using an adhesive roll, and a clear image was obtained.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the print recording method of the present invention, image-wise energy is applied to a recording medium formed by laminating a color material layer on a substrate, and then unnecessary color material layers are peeled off from the substrate. Since it is possible to obtain a substrate with an image, unlike conventional thermal transfer methods, there is no need for ribbons that are cumbersome to operate and come with wrinkles and other problems, and unlike thermal methods, there are also problems with storage stability after recording. It is possible to perform highly reliable printing records.

Furthermore, unlike electrophotographic systems, the printing and recording apparatus of the present invention does not require a transfer body such as a photoreceptor drum or large-scale developing and fixing means, and can be downsized to a size of 1, allowing easy operation and device configuration. It is possible to perform print recording under

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 (a) and (b) are process diagrams of a print recording method showing one embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 2 (a) and (b) are print records showing other embodiments of the present invention, respectively. The process diagram of the method, FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), are sectional views each showing an example of a peeling means used in carrying out the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Substrate, 2...Coloring material layer, 2m...Coloring material layer in the part where energy is applied, 2b...Coloring material layer in the part where energy is not applied, 2c...Coloring material by applying energy Coloring material transferred from the layer onto the substrate, 4... Thermal head, 7... Adhesive tape, 8... Roll, 9...
Adhesive substance, 10...Head contamination prevention film.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) After applying imagewise energy using an energy application means onto a recording medium having a coloring material layer provided on a substrate, an image is formed on the substrate by peeling off and removing unnecessary coloring material layers from the substrate. A print recording method characterized by forming. (2) A conveyance means for conveying a recording medium having a coloring material layer provided on a substrate, an energy application means for applying imagewise energy to this recording body, and an unnecessary coloring material layer of this recording body. 1. A printing and recording device comprising a means for peeling and removing.