Record receiver having plural interactive leaves or a colorless – Having plural interactive leaves
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-17
2001-09-04
Hess, Bruce H. (Department: 1774)
Record receiver having plural interactive leaves or a colorless
Having plural interactive leaves
C156S235000, C428S042200, C428S042300, C428S043000, C428S195100, C428S913000, C428S914000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06284708
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an intermediate transfer recording medium which is used to form an image on a transfer-receiving member and a protective layer on the image to thereby impart durability to the image and which can simply transfer the protective layer to the image with accuracy. The present invention also relates to an image forming method.
Conventionally, various thermal transfer methods have been known in which, a thermal transfer sheet formed with a color transfer layer on a substrate sheet is heated imagewise from the backface thereof by using a thermal head to thermally transfer the above color transfer layer to the surface of a thermal transfer image-receiving sheet thereby forming an image.
These thermal transfer methods are loosely classified into two systems, namely, a sublimation transfer type and a heat melting transfer type depending upon the structure of the color transfer layer. The two systems enable the formation of a full-color image. For instance, thermal transfer sheets with three colors of yellow, magenta and cyan or with four colors including a black color as required in addition to the above three colors are prepared and each color image is overlapped on and thermally transferred to the same thermal transfer image-receiving sheet to form a full-color image.
With the progresses of various hardware and software applications in relation to multimedia, markets for the thermal transfer method have been broaden in the fields of full-color hard copy systems used for computer graphics, static images sent by satellite communications, digital images represented by those of CD ROMs and the like and analog images of videos and the like.
Specific applications of the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet used in this thermal transfer method are diversified. Typical examples of the application include proof of printing, outputs of images, outputs of layout and design in CAD/CAM, output applications for various medical analysis or measuring instruments, e.g., CT scans and endscope cameras, substitutions for instant photographs, outputs of photographs of a face and the like in papers of identification, ID cards, credit cards and other cards, combination photographs and commemorative photographs handled in amusement facilities, e.g., amusement parks, game centers, museums and aquariums.
Along with the diversification of applications as aforementioned, there has been an increased demand for forming a thermal transfer image on an optional subject. As one of measures devised to deal with the demand, a method is proposed in which using an intermediate transfer recording medium provided peelably with a receptor layer on a substrate wherein a thermal transfer sheet having a dye layer is used as the receptor layer, a dye is transferred to form an image and thereafter the intermediate transfer recording medium is heated to transfer the receptor layer to a transfer-receiving member (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-238791).
When a sublimation transfer-type thermal transfer sheet is used to form an image, gradational images such as photographs of a face can be formed precisely. However, this method has weak points that, unlike an image formed by usual printing ink, the formed image lacks in durability regarding, for example, weatherability, friction resistance and chemical resistance.
To solve the problem, a protective layer thermal transfer film having a thermal transfer resin layer is overlapped on a thermal transfer image and the thermal transfer resin layer having transparency is transferred using a thermal head or heating roll to form a protective layer on the image.
The above protective layer must have layer-cuttability because it must be transferred in part when it is transferred using a thermal head or a heating roll. In this case, it is inevitable that the protective layer is formed of a resin film with a thickness of about several microns and it is hence impossible to make the protective layer possess durability regarding, for example, strong resistance to abrasion and chemical resistance.
Also, a protective layer to be formed on an intermediate transfer recording medium is not made to have durability regarding, for example, strong resistance to abrasion and chemical resistance in view of the necessity of layer cuttability.
There will be a method in which an image is formed on a transfer-receiving member by using an intermediate transfer recording medium and a resin film is laminated so as to cover the image on the transfer-receiving member to form a protective layer. However, it is considered that wrinkles are formed on the resin film when laminatig, depending upon the shape of the transfer-receiving member and it is hence necessary to treat these wrinkles using a special machine such as a laminator, leading to increased steps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above problem, therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an intermediate transfer recording medium which is used to form an image on a transfer-receiving member and a protective layer on the image to thereby impart durability to the image perfectly and which can simply transfer the protective layer to the image accurately and to provide an image forming method.
The above object can be attained by the provision of an intermediate transfer recording medium according to the present invention, the intermediate transfer recording medium, in which a sheet substrate provided with a resin layer and a transparent sheet provided with a receptor layer are laminated on each other and the resin layer, is to be peeled from the transparent sheet, wherein a portion of the transparent sheet including the receptor layer is half-cut.
It is preferable to peel a portion, excluding an image-formed portion, in advance at the half-cut portion as the boundary to remove it.
Preferably a formation of the intermediate transfer recording medium is of a continuous rolling type.
It is desirable to provide a discrimination mark to detect the half-cut portion.
An image forming method according to the present invention comprises forming a transfer image on a receptor layer by using the aforementioned intermediate transfer recording medium and retransferring only the portion, on which the image is formed, to a transfer-receiving member to form an image.
In the image forming method, a transfer image is formed on a receptor layer using the aforementioned intermediate transfer recording medium, an adhesive layer is transferred to the receptor layer and only the portion on which the image and the adhesive layer are formed is retransferred to a transfer-receiving member to form an image.
The intermediate transfer recording medium of the present invention is characterized in that a sheet substrate provided with a resin layer and a transparent sheet provided with a receptor layer are laminated on each other such that the resin layer being to be peeled from the transparent sheet, wherein a portion of the transparent sheet including the receptor layer is provided with half-cut treatment. Using the intermediate transfer recording medium, a transfer image is formed on the receptor layer and only the image-formed portion is retransferred to the transfer-receiving member to form an image. At this time, a portion of the transparent sheet is cut at the half-cut portion as the boundary, forming a structure in which the transparent sheet covers the image-formed portion. Because the transparent sheet functions as a uniform and strong protective layer, necessary durability is imparted perfectly to the image. Also, since a portion of the transparent sheet is clearly cut at the half-cut portion, the protective layer can be simply transferred onto the image with high accuracy.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4923848 (1990-05-01), Akada et al.
patent: 62238791 (1987-10-01), None
Kurokawa Shinichi
Oshima Katsuyuki
Yamazaki Masayasu
Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.
Hess Bruce H.
Ladas & Parry
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