Apparatus and method for forming thermal transfer printing sheet, thermal transfer printing sheet and thermal transfer printing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636904-B2
Application number	US-201615086697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Sep 26, 2011
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A method for forming a thermal transfer printing sheet, including (a) feeding a release sheet having a release surface; (b) transferring an image, which is to be thermally transferred and printed on a transfer medium, onto the release surface of the release sheet; (c) forming a thermoplastic resin pattern, which corresponds to the image as a transfer base material and which is to be colorless and transparent by heat and pressure, and transferring the thermoplastic resin pattern onto the release surface of the release sheet; and (d) fixing the image and the thermoplastic resin pattern onto the release surface of the release sheet in a film shape, through heat and pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for forming a thermal transfer printing sheet, the method comprising:
(a) feeding a release sheet having a release surface;
(b) transferring an image, which is a mirror image to be thermally transferred and printed on a transfer medium to form a normal image on the transfer medium after thermal transfer and printing, onto the release surface of the release sheet;
(c) forming a thermoplastic resin pattern, which corresponds to the transfer medium and the image as a transfer base material and which is to be colorless and transparent by heat and pressure, and transferring the thermoplastic resin pattern onto the release surface of the release sheet; and
(d) fixing the image and the thermoplastic resin pattern onto the release surface of the release sheet in a film shape, through heat and pressure.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding feeds the release sheet which includes a transparent release surface.

3. A method for forming a thermal transfer printing sheet, the method comprising:
(a) feeding a release sheet having a release surface;
(b) transferring an image, which is a mirror image to be thermally transferred and printed on a transfer medium to form a normal image on the transfer medium after thermal transfer and printing, onto the release surface of the release sheet;
(c) forming a thermoplastic resin pattern, which corresponds to the transfer medium and the image as a transfer base material and which is to be opaque and colored, and transferring the thermoplastic resin pattern onto the release surface of the release sheet; and
(d) fixing the image and the thermoplastic resin pattern onto the release surface of the release sheet in a film shape, through heat and pressure.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the thermoplastic resin pattern is white, and
wherein the forming forms the thermoplastic resin pattern so as to cover the image in an area including the image on the release sheet.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the feeding feeds the release sheet which includes a transparent release surface.

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sano Tomohumi
• Kanamura Toshiaki
• Mitsui Satoshi

Classifications

• B41M5/03

  by pressure · CPC title

• B41C1/06 Primary

  Transferring (B41C1/10, B41C1/18 take precedence) · CPC title

• G03G15/00

  Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern (G03G16/00, G03G17/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• B41M5/0256

  the transferable ink pattern being obtained by means of a computer driven printer, e.g. an ink jet or laser printer, or by electrographic means · CPC title

• B41M3/12 Primary

  Transfer pictures or the like, e.g. decalcomanias {(processes for producing decorative surface effects B44C1/00; B41M5/0256 takes precedence)} · CPC title