JP3365876B2 - Recording device and recording medium - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording device and a recording medium for recording various information such as characters or images on both sides of a recording medium used as an ID card, a credit card, a prepaid card or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Identification cards, credit cards, prepaid cards and the like have their distinguishability improved by carrying a color image such as a color photograph on the surface thereof. Conventionally, in order to form a color image on the surface of this type of card, a thermal head is brought into contact with the thermal recording material side while the sublimation type thermal recording material is placed on a support to form an image on the thermal recording material. At the same time, the image is transferred to the support. On the other hand, to add text information to the back of the card,
Character information is printed on the support in advance, and a color image is formed on the surface of the support on which the character information is printed. Therefore, as the character information, general-purpose information common to all cards is carried, not card-specific information.

Therefore, in order to carry the individual information on the back surface of the card, it is conceivable to adopt the same recording system as the front surface. In order to record on the back side in the same manner as the front side, it is conceivable to print on the back side with a thermal head in a state where a sublimation-type heat-sensitive recording material is superposed on a support. Even if a single thermal transfer recording device is provided, after the thermal transfer recording is performed on the surface of the support, the support is turned over and inserted again into the device, and the thermal transfer recording is similarly performed on the back surface. , Images and characters can be recorded on the front and back of the support.

[0004]

However, in the conventional recording apparatus described above, when the thermal transfer recording configuration is such that the same sublimation type thermal recording material is used on both sides of the card like the former, the recording mechanism has a recording medium. Since they are provided so as to face each other, there is a problem that the size of the entire apparatus increases and the cost increases. Further, in the latter recording apparatus, various information cannot be recorded on both sides of the recording medium at the same time, so that there is a problem that recording requires a lot of trouble and time. Furthermore, in the conventional thermal sublimation type thermal recording, since it is necessary to use vinyl chloride as a support, there is a problem that chlorine gas is generated when the waste is incinerated, which adversely affects the environment.

It is an object of the present invention to record various information on both sides of a recording medium rapidly, and to reduce the size and cost of the recording device, and the environmental impact at the time of waste incineration. It is to provide a recording medium that does not reach.

[0006]

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following constitutions. (1) In a recording apparatus for recording various information on both sides of a recording medium, a direct thermal recording unit provided facing one surface of a conveyed recording medium and a direct thermal recording unit opposed to the other surface of the conveyed recording medium. And the thermal transfer recording part
The surface on which thermal transfer recording is performed is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to be photo-cured.
Direct fixing by the first fixing section and the direct thermal recording section
A second fixing unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays on the surface on which thermal recording is performed
The recording medium includes the first fixing unit and the second fixing unit.
A recording device, wherein the recording device is provided so as to face each other with a pinch in between . (2) At least one surface of the support has a direct thermal recording layer capable of direct thermal recording, and the other surface has a thermal transfer recording layer capable of thermal transfer recording and having photocurability after thermal transfer. A recording medium characterized by the above.

(3) On at least one surface of the support,
It has a direct thermal recording layer that enables direct thermal recording.
Recording medium to collect. (4) Direct thermal recording on one side of the support
It has a thermal recording layer, and thermal transfer recording is possible on the other side.
A recording medium having a thermal transfer image-receiving layer.

(5) The direct thermal recording layer is an optical fixing type
The recording medium according to (2) above. (6) The thermal transfer image-receiving layer is a photocurable type.
The recording medium as described in (2) above.

[0009]

In the recording apparatus according to the present invention, since the recording medium has the heat-sensitive recording layer directly on at least one surface, a large-scale mechanism such as a transfer device is not necessary, and the thermal head is brought into contact with the recording layer. Since recording is easily performed with a simple configuration that only requires driving, a compact recording device can be provided. The heat-sensitive recording layer on the other surface of the recording medium may be a heat-sensitive transfer recording layer or a direct heat-sensitive recording layer. If the other surface is also a direct heat-sensitive recording layer, the size of the recording device will be further reduced.

In the recording medium of the present invention, the direct thermosensitive recording layer is preferably of the optical fixing type. As a result, the heat-sensitive recording is directly performed on the light-fixing type direct heat-sensitive recording layer, and the fixing process is performed by irradiating, for example, ultraviolet rays. Further, in the recording medium of the present invention, it is preferable that the thermal transfer image receiving layer is a photocurable type. As a result, thermal transfer recording is performed on the photo-curable thermal transfer image-receiving layer, and at the same time, fixing treatment by curing is performed by irradiating ultraviolet rays.

As the direct heat-sensitive recording layer in the present invention,
There is a heat-sensitive recording material in which a color-developed portion by heating is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to fix the density. This heat-sensitive recording material can be used in two cases, black and white and color. In the case of color, as described in JP-A-2-141279, it has three thermosensitive coloring layers for coloring different colors, and full color can be developed depending on the degree of coloring of each layer. Specifically, the thermosensitive recording material is provided with a first thermosensitive coloring layer, a second thermosensitive coloring layer, and a third thermosensitive coloring layer in this order from the surface side, and each layer is heated by a thermal head. . In the heat-sensitive recording material, the heat-sensitive color development temperature is set lower toward the surface side layer, and at least the two layers from the top have the dye fixed by ultraviolet rays after color development. Therefore, the coloring density of the already-colored layer does not increase when the lower layer of the layer that has already been colored by heating is being heated. This material is commercially available as Thermo Auto Chrome Paper (manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.), and this can be used. In the case of black and white, the fixing type thermal film T
A material commercially available as FF (manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) can be used.

The thermal transfer recording material in the present invention includes a thin film peeling type thermal recording material and an image receiving material described in Japanese Patent Application No. 5-263695. The coloring material layer of the heat-sensitive recording material has a coloring material content of 40% by weight or more and a layer thickness of 0.
It is 2 μm to 1.0 μm, and the coloring material content is high despite the fact that the layer thickness is thinner than the conventional coloring material layer. Therefore,
The coloring material layer has a small shearing force (a force that enables peeling of the coloring material layer) due to the layer thickness, and can be peeled into a fine dot shape. Moreover, since the coloring material layer has a much higher coloring material content than in the conventional case, a high density can be obtained even if the coloring material layer is peeled off with fine dots and transferred to the image receiving material. The content of the coloring material of 40% by weight or more means that the amount of the coloring material per unit area is significantly larger than that of the conventional one. As described above, when the amount of coloring material per unit area is large, even a minute dot can express a gradation by coloring at a predetermined density, and the gradation range is widened.

On the other hand, the image receiving material has a cushion layer and an image receiving layer which are layered on a support. The cushion layer has a softening temperature of 80 ° C. or less and a thickness of 3 to 100 as measured by a Vicat method (specifically, a polymer softening point measuring method according to American Material Testing Method ASTMD-1235).
μm, and can be deformed by pressing. In addition,
The image receiving layer can also be deformed following the deformation of the cushion layer.

Specific examples of the material having a softening temperature of 80 ° C. or lower as measured by the Vicat method for the cushion layer include polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, ethylene and vinyl acetate, and ethylene and ethylene copolymers such as acrylate. ,PVC,
Vinyl chloride copolymers such as vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate, polyvinylidene chloride and its copolymers, polystyrene, styrene copolymers such as styrene and (meth) acrylic acid ester, polyvinyltoluene, vinyltoluene and (meth) acrylic acid Vinyltoluene copolymers such as esters, poly (meth) acrylic acid esters, copolymers of (meth) acrylic acid esters such as butyl (meth) acrylate and vinyl acetate, acetic acid copolymer nylon, copolymer nylon, N -It is preferable to select at least one of polyamide resins such as alkoxymethylated nylon, polybutadiene, polyisoprene and their copolymers (rubber-based polymers), and organic polymer substances such as chlorinated rubber. (Japan Plastics Industry Federation, All Japan Plastics Industry Association ed., Industrial Committee issued, it is possible to softening temperature by the issued Oct. 25, 1968) is to use an organic polymer material of less than or equal to about 80 ℃.
It is also possible to add various plasticizers compatible with the high molecular weight substance to these organic high molecular weight substances to lower the substantial softening point. Furthermore, it is also possible to substantially lower the softening point to 80 ° C. or lower by adding a plasticizer compatible with an organic polymer substance having a softening point of 80 ° C. or higher. In addition, in these organic polymer substances, a substantial softening point is set to 8 in order to adjust the adhesive force with the support or the photosensitive layer.
It is also possible to add various polymers, adhesion improvers or surfactants, and release agents within the range not exceeding 0 ° C.

As an example, when an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer is used as a cushion layer on a polyethylene terephthalate film, the addition of a trace amount of polyethylene chloride is particularly effective. The thickness of the intermediate layer is not particularly limited as long as the total thickness with the thickness of the image receiving layer is about 8 μm or more, but preferably the cushion layer has a thickness of 3 μm to 100 μm.
Particularly preferably, it is 10 μm to 50 μm.

The cushion layer may be prepared by dissolving the above-mentioned polymer in a suitable solvent and coating it on a support, or by forming a layer previously formed on another temporary support by a method such as coating and melt extrusion. It may be transferred onto a support.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, a recording medium 50 is conveyed leftward in the drawing by a conveying roller 10, various information is recorded on both sides by a thermal transfer recording unit 20 and a direct thermal recording unit 30, and a fixing unit (first fixing unit) is also used. ) 40, constant
The fixing process of the information recorded in the fixing unit (second fixing unit) 41 is performed. The processed recording medium 50 is used as an ID card, a credit card, a prepaid card, or the like.

The thermal transfer recording section 20 is provided so as to face the surface (upper surface in the drawing) of the recording medium 50 being conveyed, and for example, character information and color image information such as color photographs are recorded on the surface of the recording medium 50. To do. That is, the thermal transfer recording unit 20
In the above, the recording head 21 heats the toner sheet 22 to transfer various information to the thermal transfer image receiving layer 52 provided on the surface of the recording medium 50. Toner sheet 22
Is sent to the recording head 21 by the feed roller 23,
It is wound by the winding roller 24. Toner layers (not shown) for each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) are provided on the toner sheet 22 in a frame order along the feeding direction of the toner sheet 22. To be In addition to the toner layer for each color, the toner sheet 22 may be provided with a transparent protective layer next to the black (K) toner layer along the feeding direction of the toner sheet 22, and the transparent protective layer is provided. It may be UV curable. As the recording head 21, for example, a thermal head KBE-57-12MGL7-SP manufactured by Kyocera Corp. is preferably used.

The recording method is a variable dot method (VD) in which the dot size is changed in accordance with the shading of an image.
S), that is, by changing the pulse width of the voltage applied to the heating element (not shown) of the recording head 21 in accordance with the density of the image, the heating energy to the toner sheet 22 is controlled and each dot to be transferred is controlled. This is a method in which the size is changed according to the shade of the image. As a result, high image quality comparable to that of the sublimation type thermal transfer system can be obtained at low cost.

The direct thermal recording section 30 is provided so as to face the back surface (lower surface in the drawing) of the recording medium 50 being conveyed,
Character information, for example, is recorded on the back surface of the recording medium 50. That is, in the direct thermal recording unit 30, the recording head 31
However, the direct thermal recording layer 5 provided on the back surface of the recording medium 50
Directly heat 3 and record various information. Recording head 3
The first is the thermal head KBE-57-12M manufactured by Kyocera Corporation.
GL7-SP is preferably used.

The fixing units 40 and 41 are provided so as to face each other on both sides of the recording medium 50 being conveyed. Recording medium 5
The fixing unit 40 facing the surface of 0 (hereinafter, the surface fixing unit 40
Is for resin curing provided with the first UV fluorescent lamp 42, and the fixing unit 41 (hereinafter, referred to as the rear surface fixing unit 41) facing the back surface of the recording medium 50 is the second UV fluorescent lamp 43.
It is for heat-sensitive fixing. As the first UV fluorescent lamp 42, fluorescent lamp PC-37 (wavelength 3 manufactured by Nippon PII Co., Ltd.) is used.
65 nm and an aperture angle of 75 °) are preferably used. As the second UV fluorescent lamp 43, a fluorescent lamp PC-42 (wavelength 420 nm, aperture angle 75 °) manufactured by Nippon PII Co., Ltd. is preferably used.

As the recording medium 50, a white PET film is used as a support 51, and a photocurable thermal transfer image receiving layer 52 as an image receiving material used together with the above-mentioned thin film peeling type thermal recording material is provided on the surface. An optical fixing type direct thermal recording layer 53 is provided on the back surface. As a specific example, as shown in FIG. 2, a fixing type thermosensitive film (manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) 55 in which the support 54 is replaced by a white PET film U7 (manufactured by Teijin Ltd.) 75 μ, and a support 56. Color art CR-T3 (manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) in which white PET film U7 (manufactured by Teijin Ltd.) is changed to 50 μm
It is preferable to use 57, which is bonded to the support surfaces 54, 56 at the joint surfaces 58, 59 with an adhesive. In this case, thermal transfer recording is performed on Color Art CR-T3 (manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) 57, and direct thermal recording is performed on a fixing type thermal film (manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) 55. Both the recording medium 50 of FIG. 1 and FIG.
PET films are used as the supports 51, 54, 56, and unlike the conventional recording media using a vinyl chloride resin as the supports, no harmful substances such as chlorine are generated at the time of disposal and incineration. The effect of is minimized.

The operation of this embodiment will be described. Recording medium 50
Various information is recorded on the front and back surfaces by the thermal transfer recording unit 20 and the direct thermal recording unit 30, and the recorded information is fixed by the front and back fixing units 40 and 41. That is, in the thermal transfer recording unit 20, the recording head 21 heats the toner layer of the toner sheet 22 by the variable dot method, and thus the recording medium 5
Character information and color image information such as color photographs are transferred to the thermal transfer image receiving layer 52 on the 0 surface.

In the direct thermal recording section 30, the recording head 31 directly causes the direct thermal recording layer 53 on the back surface of the recording medium 50 to be directly sensitive to recording, for example, character information. Surface fixing unit 4
At 0, the thermal transfer image receiving layer 52 on the surface of the recording medium 50 is hardened by the irradiation of the ultraviolet rays from the first UV fluorescent lamp 42, the additional recording by the thermal transfer toner cannot be performed thereafter, and the counterfeiting is prevented and the surface is prevented. Hardness increases and scratches are less likely to occur. Further, when a UV-curable transparent protective layer (not shown) covering the thermal transfer image-receiving layer 52 is provided, it is even more resistant to scratches and the like. In the rear surface fixing section 41, by the ultraviolet irradiation by the second UV fluorescent lamp 43,
The photosensitive diazo compound contained in the direct thermosensitive recording layer 53 on the back surface of the recording medium 50 is decomposed, and thereafter, a state in which additional recording cannot be performed by direct thermosensitivity.

With the above structure, the ID card 49 and the like shown in FIG. 3A can be manufactured. As shown in the section A-A of FIG. 3A, the ID card 49 is
A thermal transfer image receiving layer 52 for receiving an image from a thin film peeling type thermal recording material is provided on the front surface side, and a thermal recording layer 53 is provided directly on the back surface side.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the recording medium 50 includes the thermal transfer recording section 20 and the direct thermal recording section 3.
0, various information is recorded on the thermal transfer image-receiving layer 52 on the front surface and the direct thermal recording layer 53 on the rear surface.
Various information can be quickly recorded on both sides of the
It is possible to reduce the size of the device and reduce the cost. That is, information recording is performed on the surface of the recording medium 50 by a fusion thermal transfer method using variable dots, and the recording medium 5
Since information recording is directly performed on the back surface of No. 0 by heat sensitivity, it is possible to obtain high image quality comparable to that of the sublimation type thermal transfer system at low cost, but the conventional recording apparatus using the sublimation type thermal transfer system does not have a recording medium. The PET film that could not be used as the support of the recording medium 50 can be used as the support 51, 54, 56 of the recording medium 50. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the generation of harmful substances such as chlorine when the recording medium 50 is discarded and incinerated, and it is possible to minimize the influence on the environment. The recording medium 50
Since the recording information is fixed by the front and back fixing portions 40 and 41, the recording information is less likely to be peeled off, and the forgery and the like, which has been a problem in the conventional recording medium by the thermal transfer method, can be surely prevented. can do.

FIG. 4 is an overall schematic view showing a recording apparatus which is a second embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, a surface direct thermal recording unit 70 is provided at a position facing the surface (upper surface in the figure) of the recording medium 60 being conveyed, and for example, character information and color photographs are provided on the surface of the recording medium 60. Record color image information. A back surface direct thermal recording section 71 having the same structure as the direct thermal recording section 30 of the first embodiment is provided at a position facing the back surface of the recording medium 60. Surface fixing part 7
2 is the same first and second UV fluorescent lamp 4 of the first embodiment.
2 and 43 for heat-sensitive fixing, and the back side fixing portion 73
Has the same configuration as the back surface fixing unit 41 of the first embodiment.
As the recording medium 60, a white PET film is used as the support 61.
As the light-fixing type direct thermal recording layer 6 on the front surface and the back surface,
Those provided with 2, 63 are used. The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment.

In such a recording apparatus, the recording medium 6
In the case of 0, various information is recorded on the front and back sides by the front and back direct thermal recording units 70 and 71, and the recorded information is fixed by the front and back fixing units 72 and 73. That is, in the front surface direct thermal recording section 70, the recording head 74 is used to direct the direct thermal recording layer 6 on the surface of the recording medium 60.
2 is directly heat-sensed to record character information and color image information such as color photographs. In the back surface direct thermal recording section 71, the recording head 75 directly heats the direct thermal recording layer 63 on the back surface of the recording medium 60, and records, for example, character information. In the front and back fixing portions 72 and 73, the photosensitive diazo contained in the direct heat-sensitive recording layers 62 and 63 on the front and back surfaces of the recording medium 60 is irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the first and second UV fluorescent lamps 42 and 43, respectively. After the compound is decomposed, it becomes impossible to record further by direct heat.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the recording medium 60 has the front and back direct thermal recording sections 70 and 71.
Since various information is directly recorded on the front and back thermosensitive recording layers 62 and 63, various information can be quickly recorded on both sides of the recording medium 60, and the size and cost of the apparatus can be reduced. You can Further, since information recording is performed on the front surface and the back surface of the recording medium 60 by direct heat sensitivity, PET which cannot be used as a support for the recording medium in the conventional recording apparatus of the sublimation type thermal transfer system.
The film can be used as the support 61 of the recording medium 60. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent generation of harmful substances such as chlorine when the recording medium 60 is discarded and incinerated, and it is possible to minimize the influence on the environment. Further, since the recording information is fixed on the recording medium 60 by the front surface and rear surface fixing portions 72 and 73, the recording information is less likely to be peeled off. , Can be surely prevented.

In the first or second embodiment, the following measures (1) to (3) for detecting forgery may be taken. (1) Toner sheet 22 of thermal transfer recording unit 20 shown in FIG.
Fluorescent substance is mixed in the toner layer of No. 1, and the genuine product and the counterfeit product are discriminated by whether or not to emit light by ultraviolet irradiation from a UV lamp. (2) Depending on whether or not a fluorescent coloring agent is mixed in the direct heat-sensitive recording layers 53, 62, 63 of the recording media 50, 60 shown in FIGS. , Distinguish between genuine and fake. (3) In the recording medium shown in FIG.
Appropriate marks are printed with black ink on the joint surfaces 58 and 59 of No. 6, and when the recording medium is watermarked, it is discriminated whether the mark is visible or not.

[0031]

As described above, according to the recording apparatus of the present invention, the direct thermal recording section directly performs thermal recording on one side of the recording medium, and the thermal transfer recording section performs thermal transfer recording on the other side of the recording medium. Then, the surface on which the thermal transfer recording is performed by the first fixing unit is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to be photo-cured, whereby the surface hardness of the surface on which the thermal transfer recording is performed is increased and scratches are less likely to occur, and the recording medium is Various information can be quickly recorded on both sides of. In addition, the second fixing unit
By directly irradiating the surface on which the thermal recording has been performed with ultraviolet rays,
It is possible to disable the additional recording due to direct heat sensitivity.
It Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the size and cost of the device.
it can.

According to the recording medium of the present invention, a direct thermal recording layer capable of direct thermal recording is provided on at least one surface of the support, and thermal transfer recording is possible on the other surface.
By providing a thermal transfer image-receiving layer having photocurability after thermal transfer, thermal recording can be directly performed on one surface of the support and thermal transfer recording can be performed on the other surface. According to the recording medium of the present invention, it is possible to directly perform heat-sensitive recording on the photo-fixing type direct heat-sensitive recording layer, and to perform the fixing process by irradiating, for example, ultraviolet rays. According to the recording medium of the present invention, it is possible to perform thermal transfer recording on the photocurable thermal transfer image-receiving layer and to perform fixing processing by curing by irradiating with ultraviolet rays, for example.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram showing a recording apparatus that is a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of a recording medium.

3A is a perspective view of an ID card manufactured according to the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an overall schematic diagram showing a recording apparatus that is a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 Thermal transfer recording section 21 recording head 22 Toner sheet 30 Direct thermal recording section 31 recording head 40,41 fixing unit 42,43 UV fluorescent lamp 49 ID card 50 recording media 51 Support 52 Thermal transfer image-receiving layer 53 Direct thermal recording layer

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Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A recording apparatus for recording various information on both sides of a recording medium, wherein a direct thermal recording section is provided facing one side of a conveyed recording medium, and the other side of the conveyed recording medium. Ultraviolet rays are applied to the thermal transfer recording section provided facing each other and the surface on which thermal transfer recording is performed by the thermal transfer recording section.
The first fixing section for irradiating with light to photo-cure, and the surface directly subjected to the thermal recording by the direct thermal recording section are purple.
A second fixing unit that irradiates an outside line, and sandwiches the recording medium between the first fixing unit and the second fixing unit.
A recording device characterized by being provided so as to face each other. 2. A direct feeling is provided on at least one surface of the support.
Has a direct heat-sensitive recording layer capable of heat recording, and the other surface
Thermal transfer recording is possible, and photocurable after the thermal transfer recording
Recording having a photocurable thermal transfer image-receiving layer
Medium. 3. The direct heat-sensitive recording layer is a light fixing type.
The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein: 4. A fluorescent substance is mixed in the thermal transfer image-receiving layer.
The toner layer of the toner sheet is transferred.
The recording medium according to claim 2, 5. The direct heat-sensitive recording layer is a fluorescent color former.
The recording medium according to claim 2, wherein the recording medium is mixed.
body.