Decorative sheet and method for manufacturing a decorative sheet

Abstract

The present invention provides a decorative sheet that can suppress a decline in design quality and an increase in environmental burden, and a method for manufacturing the decorative sheet. [Solution] A decorative sheet 1 comprising a base layer 2, a printed layer 3 laminated on the base layer 2 and formed by an inkjet method using water-based ink, and a transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 laminated on the printed layer 3.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a decorative sheet and a method for manufacturing the decorative sheet.

Background Art

[0002] As a decorative sheet used for decoration of wall materials, floor materials, etc., for example, a decorative sheet disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. The decorative sheet disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a base material layer formed using a vinyl chloride-based resin, a printing layer formed using a photocurable ink and laminated on the base material layer, and an adhesive layer laminated on the printing layer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the printing layer of the decorative sheet disclosed in Patent Document 1 is formed using a photocurable ink, uneven portions are formed on the surface of the printing layer. Then, the uneven portions are flattened by the adhesive layer. However, in a decorative sheet having a configuration including an adhesive layer, the thickness of the adhesive layer varies due to the uneven portions, so there is a possibility that the design property may be reduced. As a decorative sheet having a configuration not including an adhesive layer, a decorative sheet in which a printing layer is formed using a solvent-based ink has been proposed, but a solvent-based ink may increase the environmental load as compared with a photocurable ink or the like.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a decorative sheet capable of suppressing a reduction in design property and an increase in environmental load, and a method for manufacturing the decorative sheet.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a decorative sheet comprising a base layer, a printed layer laminated on the base layer and formed using an aqueous ink, and a transparent thermoplastic resin layer laminated on the printed layer. Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a decorative sheet comprising a base layer, a printed layer laminated on the base layer and formed using aqueous ink, and a transparent thermoplastic resin layer laminated on the printed layer. The printed layer is formed using an inkjet method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a decorative sheet that can suppress a decrease in design quality and an increase in environmental burden, and a method for manufacturing the decorative sheet. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the decorative sheet in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of this technology will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted. Each drawing is schematic and may differ from reality. The embodiments shown below are illustrative examples of devices and methods for realizing the technical idea of ​​this technology, and the technical idea of ​​this technology is not limited to the devices and methods exemplified in the embodiments below. The technical idea of ​​this technology can be modified in various ways within the technical scope described in the claims. Furthermore, the directions "left and right" and "up and down" in the following description are merely definitions for the convenience of explanation and do not limit the technical idea of ​​the present invention. Therefore, for example, if the paper is rotated 90 degrees, "left and right" and "up and down" are swapped when read, and if the paper is rotated 180 degrees, "left" becomes "right" and "right" becomes "left," of course.

[0010] (First Embodiment) The configuration of the decorative sheet 1 will be described below with reference to Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, the decorative sheet 1 comprises a base layer 2, a printed layer 3, and a transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4. <Base material layer> The base layer 2 is formed using, for example, a vinyl chloride resin (polyvinyl chloride).

[0011] <Print layer> The printed layer 3 is laminated on one side of the substrate layer 2 (the upper side in Figure 1). Furthermore, the printed layer 3 is formed using water-based ink. For example, the LIOJETAP series (manufactured by Toyo Ink) is used as the water-based ink that forms the printed layer 3. For example, an inkjet method can be used to form the printed layer 3. The patterns formed by the printing layer 3 are, for example, wood grain patterns or stone patterns. Although not shown in the diagram, the printed layer 3 has sections with different thicknesses. The difference between the thickness of the thickest part of the printed layer 3 and the thickness of the thinnest part of the printed layer 3 is 5 [μm] or less. The thickness of the printed layer 3 is set, for example, within a range of 3 [μm] to 10 [μm].

[0012] <Transparent thermoplastic resin layer> The transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 is laminated on one side of the printed layer 3 (the upper side in Figure 1) in contact with the printed layer 3 (for example, in surface contact with the printed layer 3), and serves to protect the printed layer 3, thereby providing good surface properties such as abrasion resistance and solvent resistance. In addition, a surface protection layer may be provided on top of the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 (on top of the upper side in Figure 1) to further improve physical properties such as scratch resistance. The transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 is formed using, for example, a transparent vinyl chloride resin (transparent polyvinyl chloride). One method for forming the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 is, for example, heat fusion.

[0013] <Method for manufacturing a cosmetic sheet> A method for manufacturing the cosmetic sheet 1 will be described by way of an example. First, a resin material such as a vinyl chloride-based resin is extruded from, for example, an extruder and cooled by a cooling roll to form a film-like base material layer 2. Next, an aqueous ink is applied to one surface of the base material layer 2 using an inkjet method, and the applied aqueous ink is cured to form a printed layer 3. Then, a film formed using a thermoplastic resin material such as transparent polyvinyl chloride is thermally fused to one surface of the printed layer 3 to form a transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4. Note that when forming each layer, a surface treatment such as corona treatment may be performed on the coating surface. As described above, the cosmetic sheet 1 including the base material layer 2, the printed layer 3, and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 is manufactured. Note that the above-described first embodiment is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described first embodiment, and various modifications can be made according to design and the like as long as they do not depart from the technical idea of the present invention even in forms other than this embodiment.

[0014] (Effect of the first embodiment) In the case of the cosmetic sheet 1 of the first embodiment, the following-described effects can be achieved. (1) It includes the base material layer 2, the printed layer 3 laminated on the base material layer 2 and formed using an aqueous ink, and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 laminated on the printed layer 3. Therefore, the uneven portions formed on the surface of the printed layer 3, which are a factor causing a decrease in the adhesion between the printed layer 3 and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4, are reduced by forming the printed layer 3 using an aqueous ink. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of a gap between the printed layer 3 and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4, and the printed pattern formed on the printed layer 3 appears to be whitened because the portion where the gap has occurred looks white. Note that "gap" means that a space is formed between the printed layer 3 and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4. In addition, by forming the printing layer 3 using an aqueous ink, it becomes possible to suppress an increase in environmental load as compared with the case where the printing layer 3 is formed using a material that imposes a large load on the environment, such as a solvent-based material. As a result, it becomes possible to provide the decorative sheet 1 capable of suppressing a decrease in design property and an increase in environmental load.

[0015] Further, since the surface of the printing layer 3 becomes a smooth surface, the adhesion area between the printing layer 3 and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 increases, and it becomes possible to improve the adhesive force between the printing layer 3 and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4. Furthermore, it becomes possible to omit the step of forming a primer layer as an adhesive layer between the printing layer 3 and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4, and it becomes possible to reduce the manufacturing process and materials as compared with the configuration in which the primer layer is formed. In addition, it becomes possible to reduce the possibility that the design property of the decorative sheet 1 decreases as compared with the configuration in which the primer layer is formed.

[0016] (2) The difference between the thickness of the thickest part of the printing layer 3 and the thickness of the thinnest part of the printing layer 3 is 5 μm or less. As a result, it becomes possible to reduce the occurrence of uneven portions formed on the surface of the printing layer 3, which is a factor causing a decrease in the adhesion between the printing layer 3 and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4, and the printed pattern formed on the printing layer 3 appearing to be whitened.

[0017] (3) The transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 is laminated on the printing layer 3 in a state of being in contact with the printing layer 3. As a result, the ability of the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 to protect the printing layer 3 is improved as compared with a configuration in which the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 is laminated on the printing layer 3 in a state where a space is formed between the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 and the printing layer 3.

[0018] (4) The base material layer 2 is formed using a vinyl chloride-based resin. As a result, it becomes possible to form the base material layer 2 using a general material. (5) The transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 is formed using a transparent vinyl chloride resin. As a result, it becomes possible to form a transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 using common materials.

[0019] Furthermore, the manufacturing method for decorative sheets according to the first embodiment can achieve the following effects. (6) The printed layer 3 is formed using an inkjet method, and the printed layer 3 and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 are laminated by heat fusion. Therefore, by performing the process of forming the printed layer 3 on the substrate layer 2 using an inkjet method with water-based ink, it becomes possible to improve the adhesion between the printed layer 3 and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer 4 without forming a primer layer.

[0020] As a result, it becomes possible to provide a method for manufacturing decorative sheets that can suppress both a decline in design quality and an increase in environmental burden. Furthermore, compared to the method of forming a primer layer, it becomes possible to omit the step of forming a primer layer as an adhesive layer, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process. In addition, compared to the method of forming a primer layer, it becomes possible to reduce the possibility of a decrease in the aesthetic appearance of the decorative sheet 1. [Examples]

[0021] Referring to the first embodiment, the decorative sheets of Examples 1 and 2 and the decorative sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 6 will be described below. (Example 1) The base layer was formed using a vinyl chloride resin (polyvinyl chloride). The printed layer was formed on one side of the substrate layer using an inkjet (IJ) method with water-based ink. The pattern formed by the printed layer was a wood grain pattern. The transparent thermoplastic resin layer was formed by heat fusion using a transparent vinyl chloride resin film (polyvinyl chloride). (Example 2) The decorative sheet of Example 2 was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the pattern formed by the printed layer was a stone pattern.

[0022] (Comparative Example 1) A decorative sheet of Comparative Example 1 was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the printed layer was formed using an inkjet method with ultraviolet-curable ink (UV), and a primer layer was formed between the printed layer and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer. (Comparative Example 2) A decorative sheet of Comparative Example 2 was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the printed layer was formed using gravure printing (GR) with solvent-based ink.

[0023] (Comparative Example 3) The decorative sheet of Comparative Example 3 was formed in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the printed layer was formed using an inkjet method with UV-curable ink, and a primer layer was formed between the printed layer and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer. (Comparative Example 4) The decorative sheet of Comparative Example 4 was formed in the same manner as Comparative Example 2, except that the pattern formed by the printed layer was a stone pattern.

[0024] (Comparative Example 5) A decorative sheet of Comparative Example 5 was formed in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the printed layer was formed using an inkjet method with UV-curable ink. (Comparative Example 6) A decorative sheet of Comparative Example 6 was formed in the same manner as in Example 2, except that the printed layer was formed using an inkjet method with an ultraviolet-curable ink.

[0025] (Performance evaluation, evaluation results) The decorative sheets of Examples 1 and 2, and the decorative sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 6 were evaluated for their design aesthetics, environmental impact, and manufacturing efficiency. The evaluation methods used were as described below.

[0026] <Design> For each decorative sheet, the design quality was evaluated by visually comparing it with the design quality of a sample decorative sheet created using a known gravure printing method. The evaluation criteria were as follows: "◎" for excellent performance, "○" for good performance, and "×" for products that did not meet quality standards.

[0027] <Environmental load> For each decorative sheet, we examined the environmental impact of the materials used to form the printed layer and evaluated the environmental burden. The evaluation criteria were as follows: "◎" for no environmental impact, "〇" for minimal environmental impact, and "×" for any environmental impact.

[0028] <Manufacturing efficiency> For each decorative sheet, we evaluated its manufacturing efficiency by comparing the number of manufacturing steps and the amount of materials used. The evaluation criteria were as follows: "◎" was given to the case with the fewest number of manufacturing steps and materials, and "×" was given to the case with the most manufacturing steps and materials.

[0029] [Table 1]

[0030] Using the method described above, various performance tests were evaluated, and the decorative sheets of Examples 1 and 2 showed excellent performance in all evaluation tests. On the other hand, the decorative sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 6 were unable to show excellent performance in all evaluation tests. In particular, the decorative sheets of Examples 1 and 2 were found to have superior design qualities compared to the decorative sheets of Comparative Examples 5 and 6, due to the smaller gap formed between the printed layer and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the decorative sheets of Comparative Examples 5 and 6 appeared to exhibit whitening at the boundaries between the light and dark areas formed by the patterns.

[0031] Furthermore, in the decorative sheets of Comparative Examples 5 and 6, since the printed layer is formed using UV-curable ink, the difference between the thickness of the thickest and thinnest parts of the printed layer is within the range of approximately 15 [μm] to 20 [μm] in the dark-colored parts of the design, and within the range of approximately 7 [μm] to 10 [μm] in the light-colored parts of the design. In contrast, in the decorative sheets of Examples 1 and 2, since the printed layer is formed using water-based ink, the difference between the thickness of the thickest and thinnest parts of the printed layer is 5 μm or less in the dark and light parts of the design, respectively. As a result, the gap formed between the printed layer and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer becomes smaller, improving the aesthetic appeal.

[0032] Furthermore, the decorative sheets of Comparative Examples 1, 3, 5, and 6 use UV-curable inks to form the printed layer, while the decorative sheets of Comparative Examples 2 and 4 use solvent-based inks to form the printed layer. Therefore, unlike the decorative sheets of Examples 1 and 2, these contain elements that could affect the environment.

[0033] Furthermore, in the decorative sheets of Comparative Examples 1 and 3, the formation of a primer layer increases the number of manufacturing steps and the number of materials compared to the decorative sheets of Examples 1 and 2. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0034] 1…Decorative sheet, 2…Base layer, 3…Printed layer, 4…Transparent thermoplastic resin layer

Claims

1. A base layer and A printed layer laminated on the substrate layer and formed using an aqueous ink, The printed layer comprises a transparent thermoplastic resin layer laminated on the printed layer, The aforementioned printed layer has a pattern formed on it that includes dark-colored areas and light-colored areas. A decorative sheet in which the difference between the thickness of the thickest and thinnest parts of the printed layer in the dark-colored portion, and the difference between the thickness of the thickest and thinnest parts of the printed layer in the light-colored portion, is 5 μm or less.

2. The decorative sheet according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the printed layer is in the range of 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less.

3. The decorative sheet according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the base layer is formed using a vinyl chloride resin.

4. A base layer and A printed layer laminated on the substrate layer and formed using an aqueous ink, A method for manufacturing a decorative sheet comprising a transparent thermoplastic resin layer laminated on the printed layer, The aforementioned printed layer is formed using an inkjet method. The aforementioned printed layer has a pattern formed on it that includes dark-colored areas and light-colored areas. The printed layer and the transparent thermoplastic resin layer are laminated by heat fusion. A method for manufacturing a decorative sheet, wherein the difference between the thickness of the thickest and thinnest parts of the printed layer in the dark-colored portion, and the difference between the thickness of the thickest and thinnest parts of the printed layer in the light-colored portion, is 5 μm or less.

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