Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes – Multicolor
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-27
2001-11-13
Tran, Huan (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Multicolor
C347S212000, C347S176000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317149
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lamination transfer object producing apparatus and method in which a specific material layer is transferred to a transfer target object under heat and pressure, and particularly to a lamination transfer object producing apparatus and method in which a transfer underlayer is placed between the specific material layer and the transfer target object to control an adhesive force therebetween.
A metal foil is used to fabricate an electromagnetic circuitry such as an antenna on a shoplift protecting radio tag or conferring glossiness on a label or seal affixed to a vessel, paper, or the like. The metal foil is adhered to a transfer target material such as the radio tag, label, and seal by sticking or hot stamping. In hot stamping, the metal foil is hot-pressed on the transfer target object with a transfer underlayer by means of a metal die.
Conventional hot stamping will be described with reference to FIG.
19
. This hot stamping is performed by using a press table for receiving a stack of a transfer target object and a transfer film, and a hot metal die for pressing the transfer film onto the transfer target object. The transfer film is formed of a metal foil and a base film which supports the metal foil, and the transfer target object is covered with a transfer underlayer of good adhesiveness to the metal foil. The metal foil on the base film is adhered to the transfer target object by heat and pressure applied by the metal die. This adhesive force is stronger than that to the base film. The metal foil is separated from the base film and retained on the transfer target object when the transfer film is removed after the metal die. In this way, a lamination transfer object is formed of the metal foil and the transfer target object.
In the hot stamping, the transfer target object is generally coat paper which is coated with resin to form the adhesive transfer underlayer. In the case where the transfer target object is a resin sheet, a surface treatment is given on the surface of the sheet to attain adhesiveness with the specific material layer.
The Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-336947 discloses a transport apparatus has been contrived to correct a positional displacement between the metal die and the transfer target object. The Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-122184 discloses a technique of producing a lamination transfer object without using a process of hot stamping. In this technique, an intermediate transfer medium is used transfer to eliminate a positional displacement. In both cases, positional displacement cannot be fully eliminated. In addition, there is a patterning process performed to attain a lamination transfer object with a high precision pattern. In this process, a specific material layer made of a metal foil is patterned in advance on a transfer film, for example, by etching.
As mentioned above, in hot stamping with a die, there are problems on apparatus and running costs. Besides, a problem of a floor space arises as in the case of a press machine and learning of a technique is also required. Furthermore, an etching process has similar problems.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, in light of the above mentioned problems, objects of the present invention to provide a lamination transfer object producing apparatus and method which can transfer a specific material layer made of metal or ink to a transfer target object in high positional precision without a die nor a form plate.
According to the present invention, there is provided a lamination transfer object producing apparatus which comprises a variable area heating unit for applying heat with pressure to a transfer film having a specific material layer, arranged to cover a transfer underlayer of a desired pattern formed on a transfer target object, and removed to transfer the specific material layer toward the transfer target object; and a controller for controlling the variable area heating unit such that the transfer film is heated with a heating pattern larger than the pattern of the transfer underlayer by at least a margin for positional displacement between the transfer underlayer and the variable area heating unit, so as to obtain a lamination transfer object in which a contour of the specific material layer is aligned with that of the transfer underlayer by an adhesive force between the specific material layer and the transfer underlayer.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a lamination transfer object producing method which comprises a step of applying heat with pressure by a variable area heating unit to a transfer film having a specific material layer, arranged to cover a transfer underlayer of a desired pattern formed on a transfer target object, and removed to transfer the specific material layer toward the transfer target object; and a step of controlling the variable area heating unit such that the transfer film is heated with a heating pattern larger than the pattern of the transfer underlayer by at least a margin for positional displacement between the transfer underlayer and the variable area heating unit, so as to obtain a lamination transfer object in which a contour of the specific material layer is aligned with that of the transfer underlayer by an adhesive force between the specific material layer and the transfer underlayer.
With the lamination transfer object producing apparatus and method, the variable area heating unit is used instead of a die or form plate so as to obtain a lamination transfer object in which the specific material layer such as a metal foil is transferred to the transfer target object in a desired pattern determined on demand. There is no special technique to be learned by an operator. Further, the heating pattern of the transfer film is set larger by at least a margin for a positional displacement between the variable area heating unit and the transfer underlayer. Therefore, the specific material layer can be shaped in the desired pattern according to the transfer underlayer.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinbefore.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4012552 (1977-03-01), Watts
patent: 4527171 (1985-07-01), Takanashi et al.
patent: 4704615 (1987-11-01), Tanaka
patent: 0191592 A2 (1986-08-01), None
patent: 0487724 A1 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 0700791 A1 (1996-03-01), None
patent: 2697466 (1994-05-01), None
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 011, No. 199 (M-602), Jun. 26, 1987 & JP 62 021585 A (Kowa Sangyo KK), Jan. 29, 1987.
Endo Mitsuharu
Mochida Yasuhiko
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
Tran Huan
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