JPS5916948B2 - Transfer printing method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to transfer printing onto three-dimensional objects such as curved objects.

Regarding transfer to a three-dimensional object, there have been several conventional methods, and the following methods are common as methods that have recently attracted particular attention.

This method uses a three-dimensional object, a transfer sheet, and a liquid tank 5. Briefly, a transfer sheet made by printing a pattern on a thin film is floated on a liquid in a liquid tank. A three-dimensional object held by a holding mechanism is placed on top of the three-dimensional object, and the three-dimensional object placed on the holding mechanism is immersed in the liquid in the liquid tank with a transfer sheet interposed.The liquid pressure is applied to the entire three-dimensional object. The pressure is applied uniformly over the area, and the pressure is used to transfer the image.

However, in this method, the object to be transferred, which is a three-dimensional object, is directly submerged in the liquid tank with a transfer sheet in between, so only the liquid pressure in the liquid tank is applied to the object to be transferred, so there is a slight lack of pressure. In addition, since the transfer sheet is floated directly on the liquid, the material of the transfer sheet and the properties of the liquid must be carefully selected to prevent the transfer sheet, which is made of a thin film, from being deteriorated by the liquid in the liquid tank. Various problems could occur if the correlations were not completely understood.

Furthermore, since the three-dimensional object is supported by a holding mechanism, it is not possible to transfer the pattern onto the entire surface of the three-dimensional object.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional method by applying a stretchable thin film such as a rubber film to the liquid surface or gas surface in a tank containing liquid or gas to prevent deterioration of the transfer sheet and to prevent the transfer sheet from deteriorating. Alternatively, by sandwiching the transferred object between two or more transfer units that prevent gas leakage and solve transfer defects due to lack of pressure by installing a pressurizing device such as a pump in the tank, the entire surface of the three-dimensional object can be coated. The purpose is to transfer the pattern on the transfer sheet.

The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, a stretchable thin film 3 is stretched over the top of a tank 4 having a pressurizing device 7, and the inside of the tank is filled with liquid or gas 5. Next, a desired pattern is applied to the flexible sheet using paint, printing ink, etc., and transfer sheet 2 is created.
The transfer unit 6 is placed on a stretchable thin film.
Configure. The configuration of this transfer sheet is such that if at least one of the flexible sheet and the paint or printing ink has releasability, good transfer can be performed with just the sheet and the pattern. Even when using a non-coated sheet, paint, printing ink, or the like, or even when using a sheet with releasable properties, providing a release varnish layer between the sheet and the pattern will allow for more complete transfer. Further, if an adhesive layer is provided on the pattern layer, the transfer can be performed more easily. Next, as shown in FIG. 2, two or more of the transfer units 6 are prepared, the object to be transferred is sandwiched between them, and the object to be transferred is pushed into the tank of each unit, and at the same time, pressure is applied by a pump or the like installed in the tank. When a predetermined pressure is applied to the liquid or gas in the tank by the device, uniform pressure is applied to the entire surface of the object to be transferred via the stretchable thin film, and even minute irregularities on the surface of the object to be transferred can be transferred. The sheets stick together,
Complete transcription is possible.

Thereafter, by taking out the transfer object from the tank and removing the flexible sheet, the pattern on the transfer sheet can be faithfully reproduced on the entire surface of the transfer object. Although transfer is possible by simply applying pressure due to the effects of flexible sheets, paints, printing inks, release varnish layers, adhesive layers, etc., it is possible to transfer more easily and completely by applying heat. In such cases, it is effective to heat the liquid or gas in the tank.

The heating method includes a method in which preheated liquid or gas is sent into the tank using a pressurizing device and mixed with or replaced with the liquid or gas previously placed in the tank;
Alternatively, there is a method in which a heating device is installed in the tank to heat the liquid or gas already in the tank, and then the object to be transferred is pushed into the tank, or while heating the liquid or gas already in the tank. One possible method is to push the transferred object into the tank. In addition, the transfer sheet and the object to be transferred can be heated in advance. It may be heated. As a result, for example,
In the case of a transfer sheet using a thermoplastic sheet, the sheet is softened by heating and adheres well to the finely uneven surface of the object to be transferred. Next, each component of the present invention will be explained.

The object to be transferred is mainly a three-dimensional object with an uneven surface, such as wood, metal, plastic, or other molded objects, but is of course not limited to this, and may be composed only of smooth surfaces. It also includes three-dimensional objects or flat plates.

Any flexible sheet can be used as long as it is flexible and printable; for example, polyethylene sheets, polypropylene sheets, vinyl chloride sheets, polyester sheets, nylon sheets, etc. can be used.

Patterns include letters, symbols, wood grain patterns, abstract patterns,
You can arbitrarily select from various patterns such as marble pattern.

The stretchable thin film may be any natural rubber, synthetic rubber, or other sheet that stretches with a relatively small force and has a relatively large stretch.

As described above, the method of the present invention uses a stretchable thin film stretched over the top of the tank to prevent deterioration of the transfer sheet, prevent leakage of liquid or gas in the tank, and also prevents the leakage of liquid or gas in the tank. By sandwiching the transferred object between two or more transfer units that are equipped with a pressure device to solve transfer defects due to insufficient pressure, a transfer sheet can be applied to the entire surface of a three-dimensional object that has minute irregularities on the surface. This made it possible to completely transfer the pattern.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] The drawings are explanatory diagrams showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating the configuration of a transfer unit, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a transfer object sandwiched between two transfer units. , an explanatory view of the state of being pushed into each tank. 1... Transferred object, 2... Transfer sheet,
3...Stretchable thin film, 4...tank, 5
. . . Liquid or gas, 6 . . . Transfer unit, 7 . . . Pressure device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A transfer sheet, which is a flexible sheet with a pattern applied to it using paint, printing ink, etc., is placed on a device in which a stretchable thin film is stretched over the top of a tank containing liquid or gas. The printed surface is placed on the thin film to form a transfer unit, and two or more of the units are used to narrow the transfer object and push the transfer object into the tank of each unit, and at the same time, The pattern is transferred by applying a predetermined pressure to the liquid or gas in the tank using a pressure device such as a pump installed in each tank, and applying pressure uniformly to the entire surface of the object to be transferred. 1. A transfer printing method comprising transferring to the entire surface of a body, and then removing the flexible sheet from the surface of the body. 2. The transfer printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid or gas in the tank is preheated, or mixed or replaced with the preheated liquid or gas. 3. The transfer printing method according to claim 1, characterized in that while heating the liquid or gas in the tank, the object to be transferred is pushed into the tank and at the same time pressure is applied by a pressure device. 4. The transfer printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the transfer sheet is heated in advance. 5. The transfer printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the transfer target is heated in advance. 6. The transfer printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the transfer sheet and the object to be transferred are heated in advance.