Printer, image imparting system and body to be transferred

Abstract

To provide a printer which can efficiently print an image that can be imparted.SOLUTION: A printer includes a transport mechanism 80 for transporting a transfer body 10 having a base layer, a transfer layer having a thermoplastic resin, and a peeling layer formed between the base layer and the transfer layer, a printing mechanism 40 for printing an image on the transfer layer of the transfer body 10 transported by the transport mechanism 80 by aqueous pigment ink containing a binder, and a drying mechanism 50 for drying the transfer body 10 on which the image is printed. The printing mechanism has a plurality of print heads for discharging ink by an inkjet system, and the plurality of print heads are arranged in a stagger arrangement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, an image application system, and a receiver. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional techniques for printing images such as patterns on fabric include the sublimation transfer printing method and direct sublimation printing method shown in Cited Document 1, DTG (Direct To Garment), DTF (Direct To Film) printing method, and rubber transfer printing method.

[0003] In the dye-sublimation transfer printing method, a reverse image is printed on transfer paper using disperse dyes, and the transfer paper is then placed on polyester fabric and the image is transferred from the transfer paper to the fabric by applying heat and pressure.

[0004] In direct sublimation printing, no transfer paper is used, and the image is printed directly onto polyester fabric that has been coated with an adhesive to prevent ink bleeding, and then the image is heated to develop the color.

[0005] In DTG printing, an image is printed directly onto fabric such as a garment using pigment ink, and the color is developed and the ink is fixed using a heat press or other machine. Depending on the type or color of the fabric, a pretreatment agent may be applied, and after fixing using a heat press, the image is printed using pigment ink.

[0006] In the DTF printing method, a reverse image is printed on a plastic film transfer body using color inks, a concealing layer is formed on the image layer using white ink, a hot melt resin powder is sprinkled on top of the concealing layer as an adhesive, and the transfer body is then placed on a leaf medium such as a T-shirt and heat and pressure are applied to transfer the image from the transfer body to the fabric. The transfer body is then peeled off from the fabric.

[0007] In rubber transfer printing, an image is printed on one side of a rubber sheet that has an adhesive layer applied to it and is attached to a backing (release paper), the other side of the rubber sheet is then cut out to a size slightly larger than the printed image, and the unprinted portion (waste) is peeled off from the backing.The image portion is then attached to an application sheet, the backing is peeled off, and the rubber sheet is placed on fabric such as leaf media so that the adhesive layer is in contact with the fabric, and heat and slight pressure are applied to adhere the rubber sheet to the fabric, and the application sheet is then peeled off. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-168705 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] Both sublimation transfer printing and direct sublimation printing require disperse dyes as the only coloring materials, restricting the use of other materials, and limiting the fabric to which images are applied to polyester. Furthermore, various pre- and post-treatment processes are required to develop the dye color and fix it to the fabric, making them inefficient. These processes also generate large amounts of wastewater, potentially harming the environment and human health. In particular, direct sublimation printing, when using a belt-feeding system, requires a belt cleaning mechanism because the ink bleeds through to the back of the fabric when printed. Furthermore, in this case, a chemical called a "fabric adhesive" must be periodically applied to the belt and washed to ensure the fabric adheres to the belt. This inevitably results in the solvent odor of the chemicals and the generation of large amounts of contaminated water during washing.

[0010] With DTG printing, a pretreatment agent must be applied depending on the type and color of the fabric, and if the pretreatment agent is not applied evenly to the fabric, the finish may be affected. Also, traces of the pretreatment agent and odors may remain on the fabric. As with direct dye sublimation printing, the platen must be cleaned due to ink bleed-through, generating contaminated water. For this reason, DTG printing is also inefficient and may have adverse effects on the environment and human health.

[0011] In DTF printing, in addition to printing an image on a transfer sheet, it is necessary to form a masking layer and sprinkle hot-melt resin powder as an adhesive, which makes the process complicated and inefficient. Furthermore, the powder can generate dust during printing, which can have a negative impact on the environment and human health.

[0012] In the rubber transfer printing method, in addition to printing an image on a rubber sheet, excess rubber must be cut off and a finishing press must be performed, making the work process complicated and inefficient.

[0013] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing device capable of printing images that can be applied efficiently, an image application system including this printing device, and a transfer object to which an image has been applied by this image application system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The printing device of the present invention includes a transport mechanism that transports a transfer body having a base layer, a transfer layer having a thermoplastic resin, and a release layer formed between the base layer and the transfer layer, a printing mechanism that prints an image on the transfer layer of the transfer body transported by the transport mechanism using an aqueous pigment ink containing a binder, and a drying mechanism that dries the transfer body on which the image has been printed.

[0015] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the thermoplastic resin contained in the transfer layer of the transfer body can adhere or bond the colorant to the transferee body regardless of the properties of the colorant, so that it is possible to omit some or all of the complicated processes that have conventionally been required when transferring an image to the transferee body, thereby enabling the image to be efficiently applied to the transfer body.

[0016] The printing mechanism may have a plurality of print heads that eject ink by an inkjet method, and the plurality of print heads may be arranged in a staggered manner.

[0017] According to the above configuration, the amount of printing can be increased, and high-speed printing becomes possible.

[0018] The printing mechanism may store ink of a secondary color.

[0019] According to the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the amount of ink printed, making it possible to reproduce vivid colors. Furthermore, by reducing the amount of ink printed, it is possible to suppress ink bleeding.

[0020] The printing mechanism may include a plurality of print heads that eject ink using an inkjet method, and a cloth wiper that wipes off ink adhering to the plurality of print heads.

[0021] According to the above configuration, maintenance of the print head can be easily performed.

[0022] The printing mechanism may have a plurality of print heads that eject ink by an inkjet method, and may be capable of adjusting the distance between the plurality of print heads and the transfer body, which is the printing target, by moving the plurality of print heads.

[0023] With the above configuration, the head gap can be changed to an appropriate value depending on the size of the ink being ejected. Also, by ensuring an appropriate head gap, it is possible to prevent the print head from getting caught on a transfer body that has become wavy due to the ejected ink.

[0024] The drying mechanism may include a heater that heats the transfer body on which the image is printed from the back side of the printed surface to dry the ink.

[0025] According to the above-described configuration, the solvent can be volatilized while suppressing the formation of a binder film on the surface of the ink, thereby accelerating the drying of the ink.

[0026] The printing mechanism may be capable of changing the resolution of the image, and may be capable of changing the amount of ink ejected onto the transfer layer and the operation of the heater according to the resolution.

[0027] With the above configuration, ink can be ejected in an appropriate manner according to the resolution, and the drying of the ink can be controlled by changing the heater temperature according to the amount of ink that has landed, so that it is possible to appropriately respond to changes in the ink ejection manner that accompany changes in resolution.

[0028] The image application system of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned printing device, and a heating and pressurizing mechanism that transfers the image to the transfer object by applying heat and pressure to the transfer object and the transfer object on which the image is printed, which are transported by the transport mechanism and superimposed on each other.

[0029] According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide an image applying system having the above-mentioned effects.

[0030] The transport mechanism may unwind the transfer medium wound around a roll toward the printing device, and may also wind up the transfer medium onto the roll after transfer has been performed by the heating and pressurizing mechanism.

[0031] According to the above configuration, the transfer body and the transfer receiving body can be transported in a roll-to-roll system, and printing and transfer can be performed continuously, thereby efficiently applying an image to the transfer receiving body.

[0032] The image printed on the transfer medium by the printing device of the image application system is thermally transferred onto the transfer medium by the heating and pressing mechanism.

[0033] According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a transfer-receiving object on which an image is imparted by the image-applying system having the above-mentioned effects. [Effects of the Invention]

[0034] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printing device capable of printing images that can be applied efficiently, an image application system having this printing device, and a transfer object to which an image has been applied by this image application system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] These are cross-sectional schematic diagrams showing the process of transferring an image printed on a transfer material to a receiving material in the order of steps, where (a) shows the transfer material before the image is printed, (b) shows the transfer material with the image printed on it, and (c) shows the transfer material after the image has been printed. [Figure 2] Continuing from Figure 1, these are cross-sectional schematic diagrams showing the process of transferring an image in the order of steps. (a) shows the transfer body being placed on the transferee body, (b) shows the transfer body and transferee body during thermal transfer, and (c) shows the transfer body and transferee body after they have been peeled off after thermal transfer is complete. [Figure 3] These are images of the surface of a transfer body observed under a microscope: (a) the surface of the transfer layer; (b) a cross-section of the transfer body, showing a base layer of approximately 90 μm (left) and a transfer layer of approximately 40 μm (left); and (c) an image observed after printing a single dot on the surface. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image applying system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the required time under each printing condition in the image application system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing evaluations of inter-color bleeding on transfer bodies printed under various printing conditions in the image application system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing evaluation criteria for inter-color bleeding of a transfer body printed in the image application system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing evaluation of inter-color bleeding on a transfer body when the resolution is changed in the image application system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an image applying system according to another example of the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing ink duty (%) at which offset does not occur when a transfer body printed with a secondary color is wound up in the image application system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing ink duty (%) at which offset does not occur when a transfer body printed with tertiary colors is wound up in the image application system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing ink duty (%) at which ink does not bleed in the image application system according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] An image applying system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the image applying system 100 is a system for applying an image to at least a partial area of ​​a transfer target 20 by thermally transferring a reverse image printed on a transfer target 10 by inkjet printing onto the transfer target 20. Note that in this specification, the term "image" is not limited to photographic or detailed designs, but also includes simple designs, solid patterns in one color, character patterns, etc.

[0037] (Configuration of Transcript 10) The transfer body 10 is a sheet-like transfer medium that can be wound into a roll for storage and transportation. In this specification, the term "sheet" includes a film. The width of the transfer body 10 when wound into a roll is preferably equal to or less than the width of the transferee 20 when wound into a roll. As shown in FIG. 1(a), the transfer body 10 includes a base layer 11, a release layer 12 formed on one surface of the base layer 11, and a transfer layer 13 formed on one surface of the release layer 12. That is, the transfer body 10 has a three-layer structure in which the base layer 11, the release layer 12, and the transfer layer 13 are stacked in this order. The transfer body 10 is required to have at least these three layers, and may further include other layers.

[0038] The base layer 11 is a sheet made of any material. Examples of materials for the base layer 11 include paper, cloth, and plastic. The base layer 11 is preferably breathable, particularly to aid in drying of the ink printed on the transfer layer 13. Cellulose-based paper (wood fiber) is used as such a base layer 11. Other materials include a nonwoven fabric sheet, a fleece sheet, and a porous film.

[0039] The release layer 12 is formed between the base layer 11 and the transfer layer 13 to facilitate peeling of the transfer layer 13 from the base layer 11. For example, when peeling the transfer body 10, which is at a temperature higher than room temperature (e.g., 25°C) (e.g., 100 to 160°C), from the transferee 20 (so-called hot peeling), the material of the release layer can be a material that melts at the heating temperature during thermal transfer. Examples of such meltable materials include silicone, acrylate, and wax, and more preferably polyolefin waxes such as polypropylene wax and polyethylene wax that form a hydrophobic layer. The release layer 12 may further include additional polymers or silicones, rheology modifiers, surfactants, binders, pigments, and the like.

[0040] In this way, the release layer 12 forms a hydrophobic layer, and therefore functions as a penetration suppression layer that prevents the ink 15 ejected from the first print head 41a and the second print head 41b and landing on the transfer layer 13 from penetrating into the base layer 11, as shown in Figure 1(b).

[0041] The transfer layer 13 is a layer that can print an image using ink, as shown in FIG. 1(c), and can adhere to a transfer-receiving body 20 along with the image, as shown in FIG. 2(c). The surface of the transfer layer 13 has minute irregularities, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), and numerous minute spaces are formed within the transfer layer 13. These irregularities and minute spaces make it easier for the ink that lands to accumulate in the transfer layer 13. The ink that accumulates in the transfer layer 13 is absorbed and forms the image. This portion of the transfer layer 13 is called the image layer 14. The transfer layer 13 can be considered an ink-receiving layer used in inkjet printing media that has been given the ability to adhere to the transfer-receiving body 20. For this reason, the transfer layer 13 contains a thermoplastic resin that softens upon reaching its glass transition temperature or melting point. Examples of such thermoplastic resins include polyethylene-based resins. Other examples include polypropylene and polyamide. The transfer layer 13 may also contain a reactive polymer that is reactive with fabric, more preferably a crosslinkable polymer, particularly a self-crosslinkable polymer. Examples of such reactive polymers include polyethyleneamine, isocyanate, carbodiimide, and zirconium ammonium carbonate. The transfer layer 13 forms a thin film when adhered to the transfer-receiving body 20, thereby improving the adhesion and durability of the ink to the transfer-receiving body.

[0042] Natural fibers contain reactive groups, such as hydroxyl groups and ammonium groups, that react with such reactive polymers. These reactive groups are thought to originate from protein components and / or polysaccharide components, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and keratin, contained in natural fibers. The reaction between these reactive groups and the reactive polymer improves the adhesion or bonding of the colorant contained in the ink to the natural fibers. In particular, cotton, because the cellulose that constitutes it contains hydroxyl groups, has good reactivity with reactive polymers such as isocyanates, carbodiimides, and ammonium zirconium carbonate.

[0043] Furthermore, the transfer layer 13 may further include a binder, a rheology modifier, a pigment, a defoaming agent, a wetting agent, and the like.

[0044] When an image is thermally transferred from the transfer body 10 to the transferee body 20, first, as shown in Fig. 2(b), the transfer layer 13 on which the image layer 14 has been formed is brought into contact with the transferee body 20, and the transfer body 10 is pressed against the transferee body 20 while being heated and under pressure. When the transfer body 10 is then peeled off from the transferee body 20, as shown in Fig. 2(c), the transfer layer 13 and the image layer 14 adhered to the transferee body 20 peel off from the base layer 11 and remain on the transferee body 20, and the image is transferred onto the transferee body 20. At this time, at least a portion of the release layer 12 also remains on the transferee body 20.

[0045] For example, the transfer body 10 may be TEXCOL (trademark) (manufactured by Neenah Coldenhove).

[0046] (Ink composition for printing images) The ink for printing the image may be any inkjet ink that can be used for inkjet printing using the printing device 110 described below. For example, such ink may be an aqueous ink, particularly an aqueous pigment ink, whose solvent is water. Aqueous inks are highly safe and have no adverse effects on the environment or human health. The ink contains at least one type of resin as a binder. Examples of such resins include aqueous urethane resins and aqueous acrylic resins. These resins allow the ink to penetrate the irregularities and fine spaces of the transfer layer 13 and intertwine with the resin constituting the transfer layer 13, thereby retaining the colorant, particularly the pigment. They also aid in the adhesion or bonding of the transfer layer 13 to the transfer recipient 20. This improves the ink's adhesion and robustness to the transfer recipient. Considering factors such as ejection performance from the inkjet head and image quality, the ink viscosity is preferably 4 mPa·s to 10 mPa·s, and more preferably 5 mPa·s to 7 mPa·s. If the ink viscosity exceeds 10 mPa·s, it can be ejected from the inkjet head, but the ink will not spread well after landing, resulting in a noticeable graininess.On the other hand, if the ink viscosity is less than 4 mPa·s, it will tend to scatter and produce a mist the moment it is ejected, and the amount of droplets ejected is so small that it is difficult to achieve the desired size.

[0047] (Configuration of the transferred body 20) The transfer object 20 is a fabric such as a woven fabric, knitted fabric, or nonwoven fabric, and can be wound into a roll for storage or transportation. Examples of the fabric of the transfer object 20 include natural fibers such as cotton, silk, and linen, and synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, and wool.

[0048] (Configuration of image assignment system 100) As shown in Fig. 4, the image applying system 100 includes a printing device 110 and a transfer device 120. The image applying system 100 also includes a control unit that controls the printing device 110 and the transfer device 120. The operations of the printing device 110 and the transfer device 120 described below are performed under the control of the control unit. Note that instead of or in addition to a control unit that controls the entire image applying system 100, a control unit for controlling the operation of each of the printing device 110 and the transfer device 120 may be provided.

[0049] (Configuration of the printing device 110) The printing device 110 is an inkjet printer that prints an image on the transfer body 10 using the ink described above by an inkjet method. As shown in Fig. 4, the printing device 110 includes a transport mechanism 80, a printing mechanism 40, and a drying mechanism 50. Here, the transport mechanism 80 is a mechanism that is shared with the transfer device 120.

[0050] The transport mechanism 80 transports the transfer body 10 in a roll-to-roll manner along the transport direction (sub-scanning direction) and passes through the printing mechanism 40. The transport mechanism 80 includes a payout roller 31 that pays out the sheet of the transfer body 10 from the roll of the transfer body 10, a platen 32 that transports the paid-out transfer body 10 through the printing mechanism 40, and three guide rollers 81 that feed out the sheet of the transfer body 10 on which the image layer 14 has been formed and that has been transported by the platen 32. The transport mechanism 80 also includes one or more pinch rollers (not shown) as needed to prevent the transfer body 10 from lifting up from one or more of the rollers and the platen.

[0051] The printing mechanism 40 prints an image by ejecting ink onto the transfer body 10 being transported by the transport mechanism 80. The printing mechanism 40 includes an ink storage unit 43, an ink supply mechanism (not shown), a print head 41, a drive device 42 for the print head 41, and a cloth wiper 45 for cleaning the print head 41.

[0052] The ink storage unit 43 is composed of multiple tanks or bottles that store aqueous pigment inks containing binders, and supplies these inks to the print head 41 via an ink supply mechanism. The ink colors stored in the ink storage unit 43 include the three primary colors of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y), as well as black (K), and the secondary colors of red (R), green (G), and blue (B), and light black (LK). White (W) may also be added. By configuring the ink storage unit 43 to store and eject secondary color inks in this way, the amount of ink printed can be reduced, making it possible to reproduce vivid colors.

[0053] The print head 41 ejects ink onto the transfer body 10 using an inkjet method. Any inkjet method can be used for the print head 41, such as a piezo method or a thermal method. The print head 41 has a first print head 41a and a second print head 41b that are offset in the width direction of the transfer body 10, in a so-called staggered arrangement. The first print head 41a and the second print head 41b each have multiple nozzles that eject ink, but may also have only a single nozzle for each color of ink. By staggering the first print head 41a and the second print head 41b, the print volume onto the transfer body 10 is increased and high-speed printing is possible.

[0054] A drive device 42 for the print head 41 moves the print head 41 in a direction (main scanning direction) perpendicular to the transport direction of the transfer body 10, and in the vertical direction. The drive device 42 includes, for example, a carriage 42a that carries the print head 41a, a carriage 42b that carries the print head 41b, a guide rail 42c that supports the carriages 42a and 42b so that they can move in the vertical direction, a guide rail 42d that supports the guide rail 42c so that they can move in the main scanning direction, a towing rope, and a winding mechanism that winds up the towing rope.

[0055] The drive unit 42 moves the carriages 42a and 42b in the vertical direction to change the head gap G (FIG. 1(b)), which is the distance between the print head 41 and the transfer body 10 when ejecting ink onto the transfer body 10. Specifically, the drive unit 42 moves the print head 41 in a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the transfer body 10 depending on the resolution of the image to be printed. When printing an image with high resolution, the number of passes is increased to reduce the size of the ejected ink clumps, so the head gap G is reduced and the ink lands on the transfer body 10 before it dries. On the other hand, when printing an image with low resolution, the number of passes is decreased to reduce the size of the ejected ink clumps, so the head gap G is increased to prevent the ink from drying before it lands. In addition, by ensuring an appropriate head gap G, it is possible to prevent the print head 41 from getting caught on the transfer body 10 that has become wavy due to the ejected ink. The drive unit 42 may move the carriages 42a and 42b together or independently.

[0056] The cloth wiper 45 comes into contact with the print head 41 and wipes away excess ink that has adhered to it. The cloth wiper 45 is stretched over two rollers 44 and is moved by the rotation of the rollers 44. By installing the cloth wiper 45, maintenance of the print head 41 becomes easier.

[0057] The drying mechanism 50 heats the transfer body 10 in parallel with printing on the transfer body 10 by the printing mechanism 40 (drying process). The portion of the platen 32 facing the area where the print head 41 scans and ejects ink is defined as the platen center portion 32b, the portion of the platen 32 upstream of the platen center portion 32b in the transport direction is defined as the platen front portion 32a, and the portion of the platen 32 downstream of the platen center portion 32b in the transport direction is defined as the platen rear portion 32c. The drying mechanism 50 includes a preheater 51 that heats the platen front portion 32a, a print heater 52 that heats the platen center portion 32b, and an afterheater 53 that heats the platen rear portion 32c. The preheater 51, print heater 52, and afterheater 53 are platen heaters that heat the transfer body 10 sliding on the surface of the platen 32 to a predetermined temperature from below via the heat of the platen 32. Examples of such platen heaters include electric heaters using ceramic or nichrome wire.

[0058] The preheater 51 heats the transfer body 10 to a predetermined temperature, for example, 40 to 60°C, in order to shorten the time required for heating and drying by the print heater 52 and after heater 53. The preheater 51 helps fix the ink in a high-humidity environment by adjusting the moisture content of the transfer body 10. Furthermore, ink bleeding can be further suppressed by using the preheater 51 in combination with the print heater 52 or after heater 53 rather than by using it alone. However, the predetermined temperature to which the transfer body 10 is heated is not limited to these temperatures and can be set appropriately depending on the purpose or the amount of ink to be deposited.

[0059] The print heater 52 heats the transfer body 10 to a predetermined temperature, for example, 40 to 60°C, depending on the purpose or the amount of ink deposited. For example, heating is performed at 40 to 60°C to prevent ink bleeding, and at 50 to 60°C to prevent ink strike-through or offset. By drying the ink printed on the transfer body 10 in this manner, bleeding of the printed ink and transfer of ink to overlapping portions when the transfer body 10 is wound into a roll are suppressed or prevented. However, the predetermined temperature to which the transfer body 10 is heated is not limited to these temperatures and can be set appropriately depending on the purpose or the amount of ink deposited.

[0060] The after-heater 53 heats the transfer body 10 to a predetermined temperature, for example, 40 to 60°C, depending on the purpose or the amount of ink deposited. For example, heating is performed at 40 to 60°C to prevent ink bleeding, and at 50 to 60°C to prevent ink strike-through or offset. By drying the ink printed on the transfer body 10 in this manner, bleeding of the printed ink and transfer of ink to overlapping portions when the transfer body 10 is wound into a roll are further suppressed or prevented. However, the predetermined temperature to which the transfer body 10 is heated is not limited to these temperatures and can be set appropriately depending on the purpose or the amount of ink deposited.

[0061] In this way, the drying mechanism 50 has heaters below the transfer body 10 and heats the transfer body 10 from below. That is, each heater is arranged on the back side of the printed surface of the transfer body 10 and heats the transfer body 10 from the back side of the printed surface. This makes it possible to volatilize the solvent and promote drying of the ink. On the other hand, if the transfer body 10 is heated from above, a resin (binder) film will form on the surface of the ink, preventing the solvent from volatilizing and hindering drying.

[0062] (Configuration of transfer device 120) The transfer device 120 is a thermal transfer roller machine that thermally transfers an image on the transfer body 10 to the transfer receiving body 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer device 120 includes a transport mechanism 80 shared with the printing device 110, and a heating and pressurizing mechanism 70.

[0063] The transport mechanism 80 transports the transfer body 10 on which the image layer 14 has been formed and the transferee body 20 in a roll-to-roll manner. During this process, the transport mechanism 80 sends the transfer body 10 and the transferee body 20, which are overlapped so that the transfer layer 13 and the image layer 14 of the transfer body 10 contact the intended transfer surface of the transferee body 20, into the heating and pressing mechanism 70, and then peels the transfer body 10 and the transferee body 20 that have emerged from the heating and pressing mechanism 70 from each other. The transport mechanism 80 includes a guide roller 81 that feeds out the sheet of the transfer body 10 on which the image layer 14 has been formed, a feed-out roller 62 that feeds out the sheet of the transfer body 20 from the roll of the transfer body 20, one or more guide rollers 63 and a platen 64 that transport the thus-fed transfer body 10 and the transfer body 20 in an overlapping state to the heating and pressing mechanism 70, one or more guide rollers 65 that transport the transfer body and the transfer body 20 emerging from the heating and pressing mechanism 70 in different directions to separate them, a take-up roller 66 that winds up the sheet of the transfer body 20 on which the image layer 14 has been transferred, into a roll, and a take-up roller 67 that winds up the used transfer body 10 into a roll. The transport mechanism 80 also includes one or more pinch rollers (not shown) as needed to prevent the transfer body 10 and the transfer body 20 from lifting off one or more of the rollers and the platen.

[0064] To thermally transfer an image from the transfer body 10 to the transferee 20, the heating and pressing mechanism 70 applies a predetermined pressure (e.g., 4 to 8 bar) to the transfer body 10 and the transferee 20, which are stacked so that the transfer layer 13 and the image layer 14 of the transfer body 10 are in contact with the intended transfer surface of the transferee 20, while heating the transfer layer 13 and the image layer 14 of the transfer body 10 to a predetermined temperature (for example, 100 to 200°C, more preferably 160 to 200°C, although this temperature varies depending on the temperature at which the thermoplastic resin of the transfer layer 13 of the transfer body 10 softens (glass transition point or melting point) and the heat resistance of the transferee 20). The pressure and temperature are adjusted depending on the thickness and heat resistance of the substrate of the transferee 20. For example, this reduces wasted energy. The predetermined temperature may be, for example, a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature or melting point of the thermoplastic resin of the transfer layer 13 of the transfer body 10. The heating and pressing mechanism 70 includes a heating roller 71 and a pressure device 72.

[0065] The heating roller 71 rotates while sandwiching the transfer body 10 and the transferred body 20 between itself and a belt 72a of a pressure device 72 described later, and in the process of rotation, heats the transfer layer 13 from the back surface of the transfer body 10 opposite the transfer layer 13. The heating roller 71 includes, for example, a thermally conductive roller such as a metal roller, and an electric heater that heats the thermally conductive roller, thereby indirectly heating the transfer body 10 in contact with the thermally conductive roller.

[0066] The pressure device 72 conveys the transfer body 10 and the transferred body 20 in cooperation with the heating roller 71 while sandwiching them between the heating roller 71 and the transfer body 10 and applies pressure to the transfer body 10 and the transferred body 20 from the side of the transferred body 20 during the conveyance process. The pressure device 72 includes a belt 72a wound around the heating roller 71, a drive roller 72b that drives the belt 72a at a speed that matches the rotation speed of the heating roller 71, a driven roller 72c that supports the belt 72a so as to surround the heating roller 71, and a pressure roller 72d that adjusts the pressure that the belt 72a applies to the heating roller 71 and the transfer body 10 and the transferred body 20 thereon. The pressure roller 72d increases or decreases the distance between the belt 72a and the heating roller 71 by changing the position of the pressure roller 72d, thereby increasing or decreasing the slack in the belt 72a, and thereby increasing or decreasing the pressure that the belt 72a applies to the heating roller 71.

[0067] The distance over which the transfer body 10 and the transferee body 20 are separated from each other after they leave the heating and pressurizing mechanism 70 is set to a length that allows the transfer body 10 and the transferee body 20 to be separated while the temperature of the transfer body 10, particularly the temperatures of the transfer layer 13 and the image layer 14, is a temperature suitable for peeling (so-called hot peeling) at a temperature higher than room temperature (e.g., 25°C), for example, a temperature not lower than the temperature at which the thermoplastic resin of the transfer layer 13 of the transfer body 10 softens, that is, a temperature at which the thermoplastic resin does not harden. For example, the distance and the conveying speed of the transfer body 10 and the transferee body 20 are preferably such that the transfer body 10 and the transferee body 20 are separated immediately after they leave the heating and pressurizing mechanism 70, and preferably at least while the temperature is still low enough that the thermoplastic resin of the transfer layer 13 does not harden.

[0068] (Control unit) The control unit controls the printing device 110 and the transfer device 120 so that they perform the above operations.

[0069] The control unit includes a storage device (hard disk, flash memory, etc.) that stores programs and various data, a processor (CPU (Central Processing Unit), etc.) that executes the programs stored in the storage device and actually performs the printing process by using various data, a main memory for the processor, and various interfaces. The control unit may be configured, for example, by various types of computers such as personal computers.

[0070] (Method of applying an image to a transfer object) The control unit drives the transport mechanism 80 to transport the prepared transfer body 10 (preparation process) in a roll-to-roll manner, passing through the printing device 110 and the transfer device 120. During this process, the control unit causes the printing mechanism 40 to print on the transfer body 10 (printing process). Thereafter, the control unit causes the transport mechanism 80 to transport the transfer body 10 and the transfer recipient 20 along the transport path, overlapping them, and sending them into the heating and pressing mechanism 70, where the transfer body 10 and the transfer recipient 20 are separated from each other after leaving the heating and pressing mechanism 70. Finally, the control unit causes the transfer body 10 to be wound onto the take-up roller 67 and the transfer recipient 20 to be wound onto the take-up roller 66. During this process, the control unit causes the heating and pressing mechanism 70 to transfer an image from the transfer body 10 to the transfer recipient 20 (transfer process).

[0071] (Operation of the drying mechanism 50) Next, the function of the drying mechanism 50, which runs in parallel with printing by the printing mechanism 40, was confirmed using the image-applying system 100 of this embodiment. In the image-applying system 100 used for evaluation, the heater wire depth of the print heater 52 was 97 mm, the printing area depth was 73 mm, and the distance between the end of the print heater 52 and the beginning of the after-heater 53 was 57 mm. The printing conditions for the image-applying system 100 are as shown in FIG. 5. Here, the four colors when four colors are installed are cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). Furthermore, the eight colors when eight colors are installed are these four colors plus red (R), green (G), blue (B), and light black (LK). Here, the specified printing speed is the speed set in the image-applying system 100 and is an example of a speed selectable by the user. Furthermore, one scan time is the time (calculated value) for the head (carriage) to move across the printing width during one scan + the time required for one feed + α. The time α includes the time related to the influence of the nozzle frequency and the time related to the mask application (plus the feedback time when printing only in the forward direction). 2 The time per minute (s) is 1 m 2 The time required to print a single print is ((1 scan time x number of corresponding passes) / head nozzle length x print width)).

[0072] As shown in FIG. 5, in the image application system 100 according to this embodiment, when the same number of colors is installed, the print volume increases as the resolution increases. Also, at the same resolution, as the number of passes increases, the print volume increases by 1 m. 2 It can be seen that the time (s) required for each print increases.

[0073] As shown in Figure 6, the image application system 100 equipped with eight color ink tanks was used to evaluate the effect of the print heater 52 on the printing on the transfer body 10 when the same image was printed with different resolutions and pass counts. The evaluation of the printing on the transfer body 10 was performed by assigning a score to intercolor bleeding, as shown in Figure 7, with higher scores ranging from 1.0 to 5.0 representing better results. For example, a score of 1.0 indicates that intercolor bleeding is "quite noticeable," and a score of 5.0 indicates that there is "no intercolor bleeding."

[0074] Figure 8 shows data extracted from Figure 6 for which the number of passes was 8. As shown in Figure 8, the higher the resolution (dpi), the lower the score tended to be. This is thought to be because increasing the resolution (dpi) affects the amount of print. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6, the higher the number of passes at the same resolution, the higher the score tended to be. This is because, as shown in Figure 5, the higher the number of passes, the lower the print volume per 1m. 2 This is thought to be due to the increased time required for printing the final print, which increases the heating time by the print heater 52 during printing and the time for natural drying, allowing more ink to dry.

[0075] Also, operating the print heater 52 tended to increase the evaluation score. This is thought to be because the heat from the print heater 52 dries more ink during printing. Furthermore, increasing the heating temperature of the print heater 52 to 40°C, 50°C, and 60°C also tended to increase the evaluation score. This is thought to be because increasing the heating temperature of the print heater 52 dries more ink during printing. For example, as shown in Figure 8, when the number of passes was 8, using the print heater 52 or increasing the heating temperature of the print heater 52 made it possible to reduce the noticeable bleeding between colors at all resolutions (dpi).

[0076] As described above, the higher the resolution, the greater the print volume, making it more likely that bleeding between colors will occur, but bleeding can be reduced by increasing the number of passes and by using the print heater 52 and increasing the heating temperature. In particular, the aqueous ink used in the image application system 100 of this embodiment has a solvent (water) that does not evaporate easily, so increasing the number of passes and using the print heater 52 greatly contributes to reducing bleeding.

[0077] (Effects of this embodiment) According to the present embodiment, the thermoplastic resin contained in the transfer layer 13 of the transfer body 10 can adhere or bond the colorant to the fabric regardless of the properties of the colorant, so that some or all of the complicated processes that have conventionally been required when transferring an image to fabric can be omitted, thereby allowing the image to be efficiently applied to the fabric.

[0078] Furthermore, the transfer body 10 and the transferee body 20 can be transported in a roll-to-roll manner to perform printing and transfer continuously, thereby efficiently applying an image to the transferee body 20.

[0079] The print head 41 has a first print head 41a and a second print head 41b that are staggered, that is, shifted in the width direction of the transfer body 10. This allows for an increased amount of printing, enabling high-speed printing.

[0080] In addition, the ink storage section 43 stores the secondary color inks of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). By using the secondary color inks, the amount of ink printed can be reduced, making it possible to reproduce vivid colors. In addition, by reducing the amount of ink printed, it is possible to suppress ink bleeding.

[0081] Furthermore, by providing the cloth wiper 45 for wiping off dirt from the print head 41 and the roller 44 for transporting the cloth wiper 45, maintenance of the print head 41 becomes easy.

[0082] In addition, the head gap G (FIG. 1(b)), which is the distance between the print head 41 and the transfer body 10, can be adjusted, making it possible to ensure an appropriate head gap G when changing the resolution. Specifically, when printing an image with high resolution, the head gap G is made smaller so that the ink lands on the transfer body 10 before it dries. On the other hand, when printing an image with low resolution, the ejected ink clumps become larger, so the head gap G is made larger. Also, by ensuring an appropriate head gap G, it is possible to prevent the print head 41 from getting caught on the transfer body 10 that has become wavy due to the ejected ink.

[0083] The drying mechanism 50 also has heaters on the underside (behind the printed surface) of the transfer body 10, and heats the transfer body 10 from the underside (behind the printed surface). This allows the solvent to volatilize while suppressing the formation of a resin (binder) film on the ink surface, thereby promoting ink drying. Furthermore, the temperature of each heater can be appropriately set according to the amount of ink that has landed, allowing for appropriate response to changes in ink ejection patterns that accompany changes in resolution.

[0084] Furthermore, by forming minute irregularities on the surface of the transfer layer 13, which contains, for example, a polyethylene-based resin, the ink that has landed can be easily collected on the surface, suppressing ink bleeding. Also, the contact area with the fibers of the transfer recipient 20 can be increased, improving durability and color development.

[0085] Furthermore, by using a hydrophobic layer, such as a wax-based release layer, for the release layer 12, the ink 15 that has landed on the transfer body 10 is prevented from penetrating into the base layer 11. This makes it easier for the ink 15 to accumulate on the transfer body 10. Furthermore, by increasing the amount of ink 15 that is landed on the transfer body 10, the ink 15 can be piled up on the surface of the transfer body 10. The piled up ink 15 can be dried by the heaters.

[0086] In addition, the ink used is a water-based ink containing water as a solvent and a resin as a binder, which can improve adhesion and durability to the transfer-receiving body 20.

[0087] This invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible. In the above-described embodiment, the transfer body is transported by a single transport mechanism 80 from the printing device 110 to the transfer device 120 in a roll-to-roll manner. However, a transport mechanism may be provided for each of the printing device 110 and the transfer device 120, and as shown in Figure 9, the transfer body 10 that has finished printing in the printing device 210 may be wound up by a take-up roller 33, and the wound transfer body 10 may be unwound from a pay-out roller 61 installed in the transfer device 220 to perform transfer.

[0088] In the image application system 200 shown in Figure 9, when the transfer body 10 is taken up by the take-up roller 33, there is a concern that ink may transfer to the overlapping portion (offset). To address this offset, it was confirmed that providing an after-heater 53 in the drying mechanism 50 of the image application system 200 is effective in suppressing offset. In the image application system 200 used for evaluation, the depth of the heater wire of the print heater 52 was 97 mm, the depth of the printing area was 73 mm, and the distance between the end of the print heater 52 and the start of the after-heater 53 was 57 mm.

[0089] FIG. 10 shows the ink duty (%) at which offset does not occur under each printing condition when printing is performed on the transfer body 10 in secondary colors. Here, ink duty (%) is defined as the number of dots at the time of actual printing / (vertical resolution x horizontal resolution) x 100. The higher the ink duty (%), the more ink is used for printing. In addition, whether or not the printing on the transfer body 10 offsets was confirmed by using the transfer body 10 after it had passed through the after-heater 53, so that the conditions were the same as when it was taken up by the take-up roller 33.

[0090] As shown in Figure 10, when the print heater 52 and after-heater 53 are kept constant, the ink duty (%) that prevents offset tends to decrease as the resolution increases. This is thought to be because the print volume increases as the resolution increases.

[0091] It was also confirmed that the ink duty (%) at which offset does not occur can be slightly increased by turning on the print heater 52 or by increasing the heating temperature of the print heater 52. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the ink duty (%) at which offset does not occur can be significantly increased by turning on the after-heater 53 or by increasing the heating temperature of the after-heater 53. For example, when the resolution (dpi) is 600 x 900, the number of passes is 6, and the heating temperature of the print heater 52 is 40°C, the ink duty at which offset does not occur is 70% when the after-heater 53 is off. However, when the heating temperature of the after-heater 53 is set to 40°C, the ink duty can be increased to 80%, and when the heating temperature of the after-heater 53 is set to 50°C or 60°C, the ink duty can be increased to 100%.

[0092] In this way, it was also confirmed that the ink duty (%) that prevents offset can be increased by heating with the after-heater 53, even in the transfer body 10 printed with tertiary colors. Note that the conditions under which the results shown in Figure 11 were obtained and the results under which the results shown in Figure 10 were obtained differ only in whether tertiary colors or secondary colors were printed, and the other conditions were the same.

[0093] As shown in Figure 11, when the print heater 52 and after-heater 53 are kept under constant conditions, the ink duty (%) at which ink does not set off tends to decrease as the resolution increases. This is thought to be because the print volume increases as the resolution increases.

[0094] It was also confirmed that the ink duty (%) at which offset does not occur can be slightly increased by turning on the print heater 52 or by increasing the heating temperature of the print heater 52. On the other hand, it was confirmed that the ink duty (%) at which offset does not occur can be significantly increased by turning on the after-heater 53 or by increasing the heating temperature of the after-heater 53. For example, when the resolution (dpi) is 600 x 900, the number of passes is 6, and the heating temperature of the print heater 52 is 40°C, the ink duty at which offset does not occur is 50% when the after-heater 53 is off. However, when the heating temperature of the after-heater 53 is set to 40°C, the ink duty can be increased to 60%, when the heating temperature of the after-heater 53 is set to 50°C, the ink duty can be increased to 70%, and when the heating temperature of the after-heater 53 is set to 60°C, the ink duty can be increased to 80%.

[0095] In this way, whether printing in secondary colors or tertiary colors, it was confirmed that the ink duty (%) that prevents offset can be increased by heating with the after-heater 53 and further increasing the heating temperature.

[0096] FIG. 12 also shows the ink duty (%) at which the printed ink did not bleed when the number of passes was changed while the resolution (dpi) was kept constant at 600 × 900 and the heating temperatures of the print heater 52 and the after heater 53 were kept constant. When printing with primary and secondary colors, the ink did not bleed regardless of the number of passes by heating to 40°C by the print heater 52 and 50°C by the after heater 53, and the ink duty was 100%. On the other hand, when printing with tertiary colors, the ink volume was large, and when the number of passes was set to 6, the ink duty at which the ink did not bleed was 70%. However, by increasing the number of passes to 12, the ink duty could be increased to 90%. In this way, it was confirmed that the ink duty (%) at which the ink did not bleed could be increased by increasing the number of passes. This is because the ink bleed rate per 1 m increased as the number of passes increased. 2This is thought to be because the time required for printing a hit increases, which increases the heating time by the print heater 52 during printing and the heating time by the after-heater 53, causing more ink to dry.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the transfer material 10 and the transferee material 20 are supplied from their rolls to the printing device 110 and the transfer device 120, but instead, one or both of the transfer material 10 and the transferee material 20 may be supplied in a form other than a roll.

[0098] The printing device 110, and in particular the printing mechanism 40, can be any inkjet printer capable of printing an image on the transfer body 10 by inkjet printing.

[0099] In the above-described embodiment, the drying mechanism 50 is configured with a preheater 51, a print heater 52, and an afterheater 53, but either the print heater 52 or the afterheater 53 is sufficient. Furthermore, to prevent excessive drying of the image and obtain good drying results, the heating temperature of either or both of the print heater 52 and the afterheater 53, particularly the heating temperature of the print heater 52, may be adjusted according to the amount of ink ejected to print the image, so that the temperature is higher when the amount of ink is large and lower when the amount of ink is small. The heating temperature may be adjusted based on the actual amount of ink ejected, the amount of ink consumption estimated from data of the image to be printed, or the amount of ink consumption roughly calculated from the print density and / or the number of passes.

[0100] In the above embodiment, the drying mechanism 50 is configured from a platen heater, but any drying mechanism can be used instead as long as it can dry the transfer body 10 on which an image has been printed. For example, such a drying mechanism may be a blower dryer.

[0101] To reduce or prevent ink bleeding in the image, a drying mechanism is disposed on or near the transport path so as to perform a drying process during or immediately after printing by the printing device 110 .

[0102] In the above-described embodiment, a thermal transfer roller machine consisting of a heating roller 71 and a pressure device 72 is used as the transfer device 120, but any transfer device can be used as the transfer device 120 as long as it can transfer the image printed on the transfer layer 13 to the transfer target 20.

[0103] For example, a pressure roller may be used as the pressure device 72.

[0104] Furthermore, a heat press may be used as the transfer device 120.

[0105] In the above embodiment, two print heads 41a and 41b are provided, but only one print head may be provided, or three or more print heads may be provided.

[0106] The features described in the above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined in any manner unless they are inconsistent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 100 Image Addition System 110 Printing device 120 Transcription device 10 Transcripts 11 Base layer 12 Peeling layer 13 Transfer layer 14 Image Layer 15 Ink 20 Transferred object 31 Feed roller 32 Platen 32a Front of platen 32b Center of platen 32c rear platen 33 Winding roller 40 Printing mechanism 41 Printhead 41a print head 41b print head 42 Drive unit 42a Carriage 42b Carriage 42c guide rail 42d guide rail 43 Ink reservoir 44 Roller 45 Cloth wiper 50 Drying mechanism 51 Preheater 52 Print heater 53 Afterheater 61 Feed roller 62 Feed roller for transfer object 20 before transfer 63 Guide roller 64 Platen 65 Guide roller 66 Winding roller 67 Winding roller 70 Heating and pressurizing mechanism 71 Heating Roller 72 Pressure device 72a Belt 72b Drive roller 72c Driven roller 72d Pressure Roller 80 Conveyor mechanism 81 Guide roller 200 Image Addition System 210 Printing device 220 Transcription device G Head Gap

Claims

1. A transport mechanism for transporting a transfer body having a base layer, a transfer layer having a thermoplastic resin, and a release layer formed between the base layer and the transfer layer, A printing mechanism prints an image onto the transfer layer of the transfer body transported by the transport mechanism using an aqueous pigment ink containing a binder. A drying mechanism for drying the transfer body on which the aforementioned image is printed, A printing apparatus having, A heating and pressing mechanism that transfers the image to the transfer object by applying heat and pressure to the transfer object on which the image is printed, which are superimposed on each other, Equipped with, Image assignment system.

2. The drying mechanism includes a heater that heats the transfer body on which the image is printed from the back of the printed surface to dry the ink. The image assignment system according to claim 1.

3. The printing mechanism is capable of changing the resolution of the image, and can change the amount of ink ejected onto the transfer layer and the operation of the heater according to the resolution. The image assignment system according to claim 2.

4. The transport mechanism unwinds the transfer material wound on the roll toward the printing device and winds the transferred transfer material onto the roll using the heating and pressing mechanism. The image assignment system according to claim 1.

5. Fine irregularities are formed on the surface of the transfer layer of the transfer body, When transferring to the object to be transferred, at least a portion of the transfer layer is transferred to the object to be transferred together with the ink. The image assignment system according to claim 1.

6. The transfer layer comprises a thermoplastic resin that softens when it reaches a glass transition temperature or melting point. The image assignment system according to claim 5.

Images