Combination of intermediate transfer sheet and thermal transfer medium, and print forming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10500883-B2
Application number	US-201716077816-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2017
Priority date	Feb 25, 2016
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A thermal transfer sheet and intermediate transfer medium, and a print forming method, capable of forming a thermal transfer image having good transferability when transferring a transfer layer including a receiving layer onto a transfer receiving article, and capable of improving the durability of a print obtained by transferring the transfer layer including the receiving layer, on which the thermal transfer image has been formed, onto a transfer receiving article. The thermal transfer sheet includes a substrate, primer layer and colorant layer, wherein the primer layer contains one or more selected from the group consisting of particles derived from colloidal inorganic particles, polyvinyl alcohol resins, polyvinyl pyrrolidone resins, and polyurethane resins. The intermediate transfer medium includes another substrate, a protective layer, and a receiving layer, wherein the protective layer and the receiving layer are layered in this order on one surface of the another substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A combination of a thermal transfer sheet and an intermediate transfer medium,
the thermal transfer sheet comprising a substrate, a primer layer, and a colorant layer, wherein the primer layer and the colorant layer are layered in this order on one surface of the substrate, and wherein the primer layer contains one or more selected from the group consisting of particles derived from colloidal inorganic particles, polyvinyl alcohol resins, polyvinyl pyrrolidone resins, and polyurethane resins, and
the intermediate transfer medium comprising another substrate, a protective layer, and a receiving layer, wherein the protective layer and the receiving layer are layered in this order on one surface of the another substrate.

2. The combination of a thermal transfer sheet and an intermediate transfer medium according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving layer of the intermediate transfer medium contains a resin having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of not less than 6000 and not more than 35000.

3. The combination of a thermal transfer sheet and an intermediate transfer medium according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving layer of the intermediate transfer medium contains a resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of not less than 60° C. and not more than 100° C.

4. The combination of a thermal transfer sheet and an intermediate transfer medium according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving layer of the intermediate transfer medium contains a release agent in an amount of not more than 15% by mass on a basis of a total mass of the receiving layer.

5. A print forming method comprising:
providing: a thermal transfer sheet comprising a substrate, a primer layer, and a colorant layer, wherein the primer layer and the colorant layer are layered in this order on one surface of the substrate; an intermediate transfer medium comprising another substrate, a protective layer, and a receiving layer, wherein the protective layer and the receiving layer are layered in this order on one surface of the another substrate; and a transfer receiving article;
forming a thermal transfer image: transferring a colorant contained in the colorant layer of the thermal transfer sheet onto the receiving layer of the intermediate transfer medium to form a thermal transfer image on the receiving layer; and
forming a print: transferring the receiving layer, on which the thermal transfer image has been formed, onto the transfer receiving article together with the protective layer,
wherein the primer layer of the thermal transfer sheet used to form the thermal transfer image contains one or more selected from the group consisting of particles derived from colloidal inorganic particles, polyvinyl alcohol resins, polyvinyl pyrrolidone resins, and polyurethane resins.

6. The print forming method according to claim 5 , wherein the receiving layer of the intermediate transfer medium contains a resin having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of not less than 6000 and not more than 35000.

7. The print forming method according to claim 5 , wherein the receiving layer of the intermediate transfer medium contains a resin having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of not less than 60° C. and not more than 100° C.

8. The print forming method according to claim 5 , wherein the receiving layer of the intermediate transfer medium contains a release agent in an amount of not more than 15% by mass on a basis of a total mass of the receiving layer.

Assignees

• Dainippon Printing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoda Shinya
• Matsuba Emi

Classifications

• B41M5/44 Primary

  characterised by the macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• B41M2205/30

  Thermal donors, e.g. thermal ribbons · CPC title

• B32B27/40

  comprising polyurethanes · CPC title

• B41M5/38214 Primary

  Structural details, e.g. multilayer systems (composition of individual layers B41M5/42) · CPC title

• B32B27/30

  comprising vinyl {(co)polymers; comprising acrylic (co)polymers} · CPC title