JP2018183963A - Intermediate transfer medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an intermediate transfer medium having a positioning mark which does not require a diffraction grating sensor in an intermediate transfer medium using a dimetaholo film. An intermediate transfer medium 10 using a dimeta holo film used in an intermediate thermal transfer type printer, wherein a plurality of holo marks 2 and a plurality of sensor marks 1 are formed on one surface of a long film 3. The holomark is a transferable hologram with a pattern composed of a diffraction grating, and the sensor mark is a light-shielding pattern that can be detected by a transmissive optical sensor in the longitudinal direction of the film. , An intermediate transfer medium, characterized in that at least one positioning mark is arranged between the adjacent holomarks at equal intervals. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an intermediate transfer medium for an intermediate thermal transfer printer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a positioning mark when a demetaholo (demetallized hologram) transfer foil is used as an intermediate transfer medium.

  As a method for printing images such as characters and characters on a booklet or a card, there is a method using an intermediate transfer medium. An example of this method will be briefly described in the case of using a long film as an intermediate transfer medium.

  For example, a film / peeling layer / hologram layer / aluminum thin film layer / image receiving layer is formed on one surface of a long film used as an intermediate transfer medium, and a pattern is formed on the image receiving layer using a transfer ribbon. Is transcribed. Furthermore, by adopting a configuration in which the adhesive layer is transferred onto the pattern, the image and hologram on the film can be transferred to a booklet, a card or the like.

  Positioning and stopping at a position facing the transfer ribbon. When the film is positioned, the part corresponding to the printing pattern of the transfer ribbon is heated by the thermal head, and the coating side of the heated part becomes an image and the image receiving layer of the film is formed from the transfer ribbon. Is transcribed. When the image is transferred from the transfer ribbon to the film, the adhesive layer is further transferred, and then the film is transported in the longitudinal direction again, positioned and stopped at the position facing the booklet or card, and the transfer roll or the like is heated. The image and the adhesive layer on the film are transferred to a booklet, a card or the like by the pressing means.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, in the intermediate transfer medium 10 ′, a plurality of holographic marks 2, which are pictures on which holographic gratings are recorded, are formed in advance at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the film 3. The holo mark 2 may be an embossed hologram obtained by embossing the film 3, or a volume hologram can be attached. Simultaneously with the formation of the holo mark 2, the diffraction grating mark 4 is also formed. An aluminum thin film is formed thereon to form a reflective layer. Next, an image receiving layer is formed. In this way, an intermediate transfer medium 10 ′ is produced.

  The ink layer is transferred from the transfer ribbon to such an intermediate transfer medium 10 ′ by a thermal transfer printer, and a pattern and characters are formed. Finally, the adhesive layer is transferred to become a medium that can be thermally transferred to a transfer medium such as a booklet or a card.

  By the way, in the transfer method using the film 3, as described above, it is necessary to position the film 3 conveyed in the longitudinal direction at a position facing a transfer target such as a transfer ribbon, a booklet, or a card. Therefore, in order to reliably position the film 3, a plurality of position detection diffraction grating marks 4 (see FIG. 4) are provided on the film 3 at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction, and a transfer ribbon, booklet, card or the like is provided. The diffraction grating mark 4 is detected at a location facing the like.

  In order to detect the presence or absence of the diffraction grating, as illustrated in FIG. 5, for example, the diffraction grating mark 4 is irradiated with light from the light emitting part 5-1 of the diffraction grating sensor 5, and the diffraction light from the diffraction grating mark 4 is irradiated. A method of detecting by the light receiving unit 5-2 of the diffracted light sensor is conceivable. In this case, if the incident angle of the irradiation light with respect to the normal line of the diffraction grating mark 4 is set equal to the emission angle with respect to the normal line of the diffraction light, the reflected light emitted from the diffraction grating mark 4 at an angle equal to the incident angle of the irradiation light. And the diffracted light are difficult to distinguish from each other. Therefore, if the incident angle of the irradiation light is different from the emission angle of the diffracted light, it is possible to easily distinguish the reflected light from the diffracted light.

  However, since the outgoing angle of the diffracted light is determined only after the incident angle of the irradiated light is determined, both the incident direction of the irradiated light and the outgoing direction of the diffracted light have an angle with respect to the normal line of the diffraction grating mark 4. If it is set as described above, it is necessary to adjust the position of both the light emitting side of the irradiated light and the light receiving side of the diffracted light, and there is a problem that the adjustment becomes complicated.

  Furthermore, if the directivity of the diffracted light is increased, a slight misalignment of the diffraction grating in the plane in which the diffraction grating extends greatly affects the optical path of the diffracted light, and the diffracted light may not be introduced to the light receiving side. Therefore, it is desirable to take measures to correct the optical path deviation due to the deviation of the direction of the diffraction grating and to reliably guide the diffracted light to the light receiving side.

  As a technique for solving the above-mentioned problems, for example, in Patent Document 1, detection of the presence or absence of a diffraction grating such as detection of a holo mark on a film used as an intermediate transfer medium can be performed, and adjustment at the time of assembly and installation can be performed. A diffraction grating detection device suitable for detecting the presence or absence of a diffraction grating that can be easily configured and that is at least partially formed of a non-transparent member has been disclosed. The apparatus includes: a light emitting unit that outputs detection light having a single wavelength toward the diffraction grating; and a light receiving unit that receives the diffracted light from the diffraction grating irradiated with the detection light. The optical axis of the diffracted light is arranged in a direction parallel to the normal line of the diffraction grating, and the light receiving means is arranged in a direction parallel to the normal line, and the irradiation position of the detection light on the diffraction grating is It is characterized by being disposed at a location on the normal line that passes through.

Since this technique uses a diffraction grating that positions a holo mark by the reaction of three periodic diffracted lights as a positioning mark of the holo film, the positioning mark (same as the diffraction grating mark in FIG. 4) is detected. For this, an expensive diffraction grating sensor 5 as illustrated in FIG. 5 must be used. The diffraction grating sensor 5 emits light from the light emitting part 5-1 of the diffraction grating sensor to the diffraction grating mark 4 of the holographic film, and receives the light diffracted by the diffraction grating mark 4 by the light receiving part 5-2 of the diffraction grating sensor. Is used to read the diffraction grating mark 4.
When such an expensive diffraction grating sensor 5 is incorporated in a printer, there is a problem that the cost of the printer increases.

  Moreover, as a holographic film, there exists what is called a demetaholographic film (hologram which carried out the demetalization process). This is a holofilm that has been demetalized to remove unnecessary aluminum thin film by etching after forming an etching mask pattern on the aluminum thin film deposited as a reflective layer on the holofilm. It is. For example, it is possible to produce a holographic film from which an aluminum thin film other than a portion that becomes a reflection layer of a hologram is removed.

  Conventionally, the diffraction grating mark 5 has been used as a positioning mark also in an intermediate transfer medium using the dimetaholo film. Dimeta-holo film has a hologram holo mark at the part of the pattern to be transferred to the card, etc. Therefore, with a simple diffraction grating mark (positioning mark), the diffraction grating sensor also reacts to the holo mark (hologram pattern). There is a risk of malfunction. In addition, when the dimeta holo film is warped, the diffracted light does not enter the light receiving unit 5-2 and may malfunction.

Japanese Patent No. 2722984

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate transfer medium having a positioning mark that does not require a diffraction grating sensor in an intermediate transfer medium using a demetaholo film.

As means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is an intermediate transfer medium using a demetaholo film used in an intermediate thermal transfer type printer,
On one surface of the long film, a plurality of holo marks and a plurality of sensor marks are provided.
A holo mark is a transferable hologram with a pattern composed of a diffraction grating,
The sensor mark is a light shielding pattern that can be detected by a transmissive optical sensor, and is a positioning mark that is arranged at least one interval between adjacent holo marks in the longitudinal direction of the film at equal intervals. Is an intermediate transfer medium.

  According to the intermediate transfer medium of the present invention, at least one sensor mark, which is a positioning mark, can be detected by a transmissive optical sensor arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the film between the adjacent holo marks. Since this is a light-shielding pattern, the sensor mark of the intermediate transfer medium can be detected by the transmission type optical sensor, and an expensive diffraction grating sensor can be dispensed with.

  In addition, an intermediate thermal transfer type printer using the intermediate transfer medium of the present invention does not require an expensive diffraction grating sensor, and thus can be manufactured at low cost.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of an intermediate transfer medium according to the invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between the configuration of the intermediate transfer medium of the present invention and a sensor reading unit. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between the configuration of the intermediate transfer medium of the present invention and a sensor reading unit. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of a conventional intermediate transfer medium. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a method for reading a diffraction grating mark of a conventional intermediate transfer medium.

<Intermediate transfer medium>
The intermediate transfer medium of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The intermediate transfer medium 10 of the present invention is an intermediate transfer medium using a dimeta holo film used in an intermediate thermal transfer printer, and includes a plurality of holo marks 2 and a plurality of holo marks 2 on one surface of a long film 3. The sensor mark 1 is provided.

  Here, the demetaholo film is an abbreviation for a demetalized long hologram film, and refers to a film provided with a hologram obtained by etching and removing a portion other than a desired portion of a metal reflective layer such as an aluminum thin film of the hologram. . Demeta means demetallization (meaning that metal is removed).

The holo mark 2 is a transferable hologram having a pattern composed of a diffraction grating.
The sensor mark 1 is a light-shielding pattern that can be detected by a transmissive optical sensor, and is a positioning mark that is arranged at least one by one between the adjacent holomarks 2 at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the film 3. .

  As a configuration of the surface of the long film 3 provided with the holo mark 2 and the sensor mark 1, for example, a PET film / peeling layer / hologram layer / aluminum thin film layer / image receiving layer can be used.

<Film>
The film 3 is not particularly limited as long as it has mechanical strength as a support and flexibility that allows the film 3 to pass through the printer without any problem. For example, a resin film or sheet can be used. Examples of the resin include materials such as polyethylene terephthalate, but it is not necessary to limit to this.

<Holo Mark>
The holo mark 2 is a hologram to be transferred to a transfer object such as a card. As a diffractive structure constituting the pattern of the holo mark 2, at least one of a hologram and a diffraction grating is included. It may be an embossed hologram or a volume hologram. As the reflective layer, a metal thin film layer having a high reflectance in the visible light region, for example, an aluminum thin film is provided.

<Sensor mark>
The sensor mark 1 is a positioning mark composed of a light-shielding pattern formed by patterning a metal thin film layer that is a reflection layer of the holo mark 2. The positioning mark is an alignment mark formed on the intermediate transfer medium 10 of the present invention, and performs alignment with a card or the like as a transfer target.

  The sensor mark 1 is formed between adjacent holo marks 2 and holo marks 2 arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the film 3. The sensor mark 1 may be formed at any position in the longitudinal direction of the film 3 between the adjacent holo marks 2 and the holo marks 2, but is formed at the same pitch as the holo marks 2.

  In the intermediate transfer medium 10 of the present invention, the sensor mark 1 is formed by processing a metal thin film layer formed at the time of forming a reflective layer composed of the metal thin film layer of the holo mark 2. An etching mask pattern is formed by printing on a portion where the sensor mark 1 is formed and a metal thin film layer such as an aluminum thin film that is not etched away, and then an unnecessary metal thin film layer is removed by performing an etching process (demetallization processing). ). In this way, the sensor mark 1 composed of a light shielding pattern having an arbitrary shape can be formed.

  Thus, since the sensor mark 1 is a light-shielding pattern formed by demetalizing the metal thin film layer that is the reflection layer of the holo mark 2, it can be detected by a transmission type optical sensor, and an expensive diffraction grating sensor can be used. There is no need to use it, and the manufacturing process can be prevented from becoming complicated.

<Method for producing intermediate transfer medium>
Next, a method for manufacturing the intermediate transfer medium 10 of the present invention will be described.
The intermediate transfer medium 10 (also referred to as an intermediate transfer holofilm) of the present invention has, for example, a configuration of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film / peeling layer / hologram layer / demetallized aluminum layer / image receiving layer. First, an image is transferred to the image receiving layer of the intermediate transfer medium 10 using a thermal transfer ribbon (thermal transfer recording medium) to form an image forming layer. The color of the ribbon to be thermally transferred can be, for example, four colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. After transferring these color layers, the adhesive layer is finally transferred thereon. In this manner, an image forming layer and an adhesive layer are formed on the image receiving layer of the intermediate transfer medium 10, that is, a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film / peeling layer / hologram layer / demetallized reflective layer / image receiving layer. / Image forming layer / adhesive layer are formed.

In this state, the adhesive layer of the intermediate transfer medium 10 is pressure-bonded to a booklet such as a card or a passport, which is a transfer target, so that the demetalized reflective layer / image receiving layer / image forming layer / adhesive peeled from the release layer. A structure in which the layer is adhered to the transfer medium is formed.

  As a method for producing such an intermediate transfer medium 10, first, a step of forming a release layer, a step of forming a hologram layer, a step of forming a hologram layer on a resin film such as a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film, The manufacturing process includes a step of forming a reflective layer such as an aluminum thin film on the substrate, a demetalization step of removing other portions while leaving a desired portion of the reflective layer, and a step of forming an image receiving layer. Is possible.

(Resin film)
The resin film is, for example, a resin film or a sheet. The resin film is formed using a plastic material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene (PE), and the like.

(Step of forming a release layer)
The release layer is formed on the resin film. The release layer serves to stabilize the release of the hologram transfer foil from the resin film and promote adhesion to the transfer target. The release layer has optical transparency and is typically transparent. Examples of the release layer material include polycarbonate resin, acrylic resin, fluorine acrylic resin, silicone acrylic resin, epoxy acrylate resin, polystyrene resin, cycloolefin polymer, methylstyrene resin, fluorene resin, PET, polypropylene, and polyethylene. A resin obtained by adding silicone or a fluorine-based additive to a thermoplastic resin such as a terephthalate resin or a polyacetal resin, a fluorine-based acrylic resin, or a silicone-based acrylic resin may be used.

  The release layer is applied by, for example, a gravure coater. In coating with a gravure coater, a plate with a pattern is used as a gravure printing plate, so that the thickness varies slightly along the pattern (typically, the difference in thickness is approximately 0.2 μm or less). The release layer can be applied. Further, the release layer may be applied by a coating method in which the coating layer thickness is uniform in the surface, such as a lip coater.

(Process of forming hologram layer)
The hologram layer is formed on the release layer. Examples of the material of the hologram layer include polycarbonate resin, acrylic resin, fluorine acrylic resin, silicone acrylic resin, epoxy acrylate resin, polystyrene resin, cycloolefin polymer, methylstyrene resin, fluorene resin, PET, polypropylene, and other light. A curable resin may be used. Further, as a material for the hologram layer, thermosetting resins such as acrylonitrile styrene copolymer resin, phenol resin, melamine resin, urea resin, alkyd resin, and the like may be used. Furthermore, as a material for the hologram layer, a thermoplastic resin such as a polypropylene resin, a polyethylene terephthalate resin, or a polyacetal resin may be used. For example, the hologram layer is formed on the surface of the release layer by molding and curing the above resin into a desired structure.

  Note that all the cured products of the resin forming the hologram layer are light transmissive. The refractive index of the cured resin that forms the hologram layer is generally about 1.5. The film thickness of the hologram layer is preferably thin in order to improve heat resistance, foil breakage, and thermal transfer properties, and is preferably about 1.5 μm or less.

The hologram layer includes a hologram and / or a diffraction structure forming portion of a diffraction grating. As a parameter of this diffraction structure forming part,
(1) Spatial frequency of diffractive structure (pitch of grating lines: number of grating lines per unit length)
(2) Direction of diffraction structure (direction of lattice lines)
There is. In accordance with the above (1), the color of the image cell that appears shining changes. In accordance with (2) above, the direction in which the image cell appears shining changes.

  The diffractive structure forming unit may or may not have the same parameters (1) and (2), but preferably at least one of the parameters (1) and (2) is different. .

  The hologram layer may be a volume hologram.

<Step of forming a reflective layer>
As the reflective layer, for example, a metal reflective layer can be used. The metal reflective layer is formed by, for example, a vacuum film forming method such as vacuum deposition or sputtering.

  As the metal reflective layer, for example, a single metal such as chromium, nickel, aluminum, iron, titanium, silver, gold, or copper, or an alloy thereof is used. The thickness of the metal reflective layer is typically preferably about 50 nm or more and 100 nm or less.

(Process for forming a metal reflective layer that has been demetalized)
First, a metal reflective layer such as an aluminum thin film is formed on the hologram layer by vacuum deposition. The thickness of the metal reflective layer can be set to, for example, about 50 nm.

<Process for demetalizing the reflective layer>
Next, a liquid etching resist is printed by printing on the formed reflective layer made of a metal thin film, dried, etched using an etching solution for the metal foil film, and then the etching resist is stripped. By this treatment, it is possible to obtain a metal reflective layer that is etched away (demetallized) while leaving a desired portion of the metal thin film.

(Process for forming image receiving layer)
The image receiving layer is a layer having an image receiving ability that can be transferred and recorded by the image forming layer, the metal reflective layer, and the adhesive layer of the thermal transfer recording medium. The image receiving layer can be made of a mixed resin mainly containing, for example, a urethane resin, an acrylic resin, an epoxy resin, and the like.

  The means for forming the image receiving layer is not particularly limited as long as it can uniformly apply a coating liquid mainly containing a urethane resin, an acrylic resin, an epoxy resin, or the like. For example, it may be applied by applying onto a demetallized aluminum layer using an application means such as a gravure coater, a micro gravure coater, a roll coater, a die coater, or screen printing, and drying by volatilizing the solvent.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory view illustrating the positional relationship between the intermediate transfer medium of the present invention and the transmission type sensor 7 that reads the sensor mark 1, and the sensor reading unit 6 uses the film transfer direction of the intermediate transfer medium (intermediate transfer medium). It is positioned at the left end toward the downstream side (same as the longitudinal direction). The sensor reading unit 6 can be read by the transmission sensor 7 and positioned with respect to the transfer target.

FIG. 2 illustrates the case where the sensor reading unit 6 overlaps the holo mark 2, but FIG. 3 illustrates the case where the sensor reading unit 6 and the holo mark 2 do not overlap.
In the case of FIG. 2, since the holomark 2 and the sensor reading unit 6 overlap each other, if the holomark 2 has a reflective layer such as an aluminum vapor deposition layer, reading of the transmission sensor 7 is hindered. Therefore, it is desirable that the holo mark 2 and the sensor reading unit 6 do not overlap as shown in FIG.
Even in the configuration as shown in FIG. 2, when the reflective layer is not formed on the portion of the holo mark 2 that overlaps the sensor reading unit 6, reading of the transmission type sensor 7 is not hindered.

<Example 1>
Next, examples of the present invention will be described.
First, a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film / release layer / hologram layer / demetallized aluminum layer / image receiving layer were prepared.

  First, on the back surface of the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film as the long support with a thickness of 50 μm (the surface opposite to the side on which the release layer is formed), the adhesion to the thermal head is increased, and slipping is caused. A silicon acrylate layer for smoothness and good thermal conductivity was formed to a thickness of about 5 μm after drying.

  Next, a holo mark 2 (see FIG. 3), which is an embossed hologram layer, was formed. The holo mark 2 was formed by first applying and drying a thermoplastic transparent resin and then hot-pressing a mold for forming a diffraction structure. The holo mark 2 was formed at a pitch of 141 mm in the longitudinal direction of the long film.

  Next, an aluminum thin film layer was vacuum-deposited with a thickness of 50 nm on the entire surface including the holo mark 2.

  Next, an etching mask resist pattern was formed by screen printing so that a strip-shaped sensor mark 1 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the long PET film was formed, and then removed by etching with an aluminum etchant. Next, the etching mask resist pattern was removed by a peeling process to form a sensor mark 1 made of an aluminum thin film. The sensor mark 1 is a strip-shaped (rectangular) mark having a width of 4 mm in the longitudinal direction of a long PET film and extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. The aluminum thin film layer provides sufficient light shielding properties. The sensor mark 1 is an elongated sensor mark having a width of 4 mm, but can be detected using a light transmission type sensor provided in the printer, and can be used as a positioning mark.

  Next, an image receiving layer was formed. The image receiving layer is a layer having an image receiving property that can be transferred and recorded by the image forming layer of the thermal transfer recording medium and the adhesive layer thermally transferred from the image forming layer. The image receiving layer was prepared by applying and drying a mixed resin mainly containing a urethane resin.

  As described above, an intermediate transfer medium having a configuration of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film / release layer / hologram layer / demetalized aluminum thin film layer / image receiving layer was produced.

  Next, a roll of this intermediate transfer medium is mounted on a card printer (manufactured by Toppan Printing, CP500), and an image is transferred onto the image receiving layer using a thermal transfer ribbon. The adhesive layer was thermally transferred. Next, after positioning with the card, which is the transfer object, using the sensor mark 1, the holo mark 2 could be transferred to the card by crimping the card and the intermediate transfer medium.

  In this intermediate transfer medium, since the sensor mark 1 is a strip-like pattern having a width of 4 mm in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate transfer medium, the screen pitch for arranging the holo marks 2 in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate transfer medium may be 141 mm. did it.

<Comparative Example 1>
Next, a comparative example will be described.
The sensor mark was the same as that of Example 1 except that it was a diffraction grating mark. Since the sensor mark 1 is a diffraction grating mark, the screen pitch for arranging the holo mark in the longitudinal direction of the intermediate transfer medium was 154 mm. This is because the dimension of the diffraction grating mark in the longitudinal direction becomes large.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sensor mark 2 ... Holo mark 3 ... Film 4 ... Diffraction grating mark 5 ... Diffraction grating sensor 5-1 ... Light emission part 5-2 ... Light reception part 6 ... Sensor reading unit 7 ... Transmission type sensor 10, 10 '... Intermediate transfer medium

Claims (1)

An intermediate transfer medium using a dimeta holo film used in an intermediate thermal transfer printer,
On one surface of the long film, a plurality of holo marks and a plurality of sensor marks are provided.
A holo mark is a transferable hologram with a pattern composed of a diffraction grating,
The sensor mark is a light shielding pattern that can be detected by a transmissive optical sensor, and is a positioning mark that is arranged at least one interval between adjacent holo marks in the longitudinal direction of the film at equal intervals. An intermediate transfer medium.

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