JP2005178291A - Surface treatment device and image recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a surface treatment device which can easily and efficiently impart a plurality of desired surface properties to any one sheet body, selected from among a sheet for an inkjet, a sheet for thermal recording, a sheet for heat developing, a sheet for an electrophotograph and a sheet for a silver halide photograph, by using one device and one sheet body, and an image recording apparatus which is equipped with the surface treatment device. <P>SOLUTION: Characteristically, this surface treatment device comprises: an abutting member; a surface treatment unit which has a sheet-body heating means for heating the sheet body in the state of making the sheet body abut on the abutting member, and a sheet-body cooling means for cooling the heated sheet body in the state of making the heated sheet body abut on the abutting member; and a surface-property selecting means for imparting the desired surface properties to the sheet body by selecting the surface treatment unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention provides an apparatus having a desired surface property for any sheet body selected from an inkjet sheet, a thermal recording sheet, a heat developing sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, and a silver halide photographic sheet, The present invention relates to a surface treatment apparatus capable of easily and efficiently imparting a plurality of types of surface properties by using one type of sheet body, and an image recording apparatus provided with the surface treatment apparatus.

  Conventionally, image recording by various methods such as a silver halide photographic method, a thermal development method, an ink jet recording method, a thermal recording method, and an electrophotographic method has been actively performed. Conventionally, little is known about a technique for controlling the glossiness of the surface of an image print obtained by the various methods.

  By the way, in Patent Document 1, in addition to a processor unit that develops a photographic paper subjected to printing exposure to produce a printed photograph, a photo including a drying unit and a surface type processing unit for finishing the printed photograph. A manufacturing apparatus has been proposed. The surface type processing unit of the photo making apparatus sets a pressure roller having irregularities formed on the surface for processing the surface of the printed photograph into a desired surface type, and a state in which the pressure roller can be pressed against the printed photograph. And a shift mechanism. As a result, it is possible to easily obtain a printed photograph having a desired surface type without replacing the photographic paper and without interrupting the printing exposure.

  However, the surface seed processing unit in the photographic production apparatus of Patent Document 1 pressurizes the surface of the print photograph using a pressure roller having a desired transfer roughness, and transfers the unevenness on the surface of the pressure roller to the print photograph. The surface seed processing portion of the photographic production apparatus is adapted only to a silver halide photographic sheet. Also, in order to realize multiple surface types, it is necessary to prepare a roller having a surface roughness corresponding to the number of surface types, and in reality, the surface type has not been changed. .

  Patent Documents 2 to 5 disclose image forming methods using a belt and a roller in order to thermoplastically deform the surface quality by heat and pressure for the purpose of forming a matte surface. In this case, the image quality cannot be changed unless the belts and rollers having different surface shapes are replaced, and it has been difficult to select and perform surface treatments having different surface properties with a single image recording apparatus.

  Therefore, in the said patent documents 1-5, only uniform surface treatment can be performed, there is no versatility as a system, and it did not have the performance which can fully be satisfied in terms of work efficiency and energy efficiency.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-05288 Japanese Patent No. 3185254 JP-A-2-162382 JP 2000-66466 A JP 2001-125411 A

  An object of the present invention is to solve the conventional problems and achieve the following objects. That is, the present invention relates to one device, one type for any sheet body selected from an inkjet sheet, a thermal recording sheet, a heat developing sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, and a silver halide photographic sheet. An object of the present invention is to provide a surface treatment apparatus capable of easily and efficiently imparting a desired plurality of types of surface properties using the sheet body, and an image recording apparatus provided with the surface treatment apparatus.

Means for solving the problems are as follows. That is,
<1> A contact member, a sheet body heating unit that heats the sheet member in contact with the contact member, and a sheet that cools the heated sheet member in contact with the contact member A surface treatment apparatus comprising: a surface treatment unit having a body cooling means; and a surface texture selection means for imparting a desired surface texture to the sheet body by selecting the surface treatment unit. In the surface treatment apparatus according to <1>, the surface treatment unit includes a contact member, a sheet body heating unit, and a sheet body cooling unit, and the sheet body is surface-treated by the sheet body heating unit. Is heated. The sheet body is cooled by the sheet body cooling means. By the operation of the surface texture selection means, a surface treatment unit that imparts a desired surface texture to the sheet body is selected, and the surface texture of the sheet body is changed. As a result, it is possible to easily and efficiently impart a desired plurality of types of surface properties with one device and one type of sheet.

<2> The surface treatment apparatus according to <1>, wherein the contact member is any one selected from a roller, an endless belt, and a texture sheet.
<3> A plurality of surface treatment units are arranged in parallel, each surface treatment unit has an endless belt having a different surface property, and the surface treatment unit is activated according to the surface property applied to the sheet body by operating the surface property selection means. It is a surface treatment apparatus as described in said <2> which can be selected.
<4> The surface treatment apparatus according to <3>, wherein two or more surface treatment units are arranged in parallel.
In the surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <2> to <4>, a plurality of surface treatment units are arranged in parallel, and each surface treatment unit has an endless belt having a different surface property. Then, by operating the surface texture selection means and selecting the surface treatment unit according to the surface texture to be applied to the sheet body, it is easy to obtain a desired plurality of types of surface textures with one device and one sheet body. And can be applied efficiently.

<5> The endless belt in the surface treatment unit has a surface division portion that is divided into different surface properties along the conveying direction of the sheet body, and depending on the surface properties that are applied to the sheet body by operating the surface texture selection means It is a surface treatment apparatus as described in said <2> which can select the surface division part in the said endless belt.
<6> The surface treatment apparatus according to <5>, wherein the endless belt has two or more surface division parts.
In the surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <5> and <6>, the surface treatment unit has an endless belt including a surface division portion divided into different surface properties along the sheet conveyance direction. Then, by operating the surface texture selection means and selecting the surface treatment unit according to the surface texture to be applied to the sheet body, it is easy to obtain a desired plurality of types of surface textures with one device and one sheet body. And can be applied efficiently.

<7> The surface treatment unit includes at least one pair of heating rollers disposed downstream of the sheet body cooling unit, and operates the surface property selection unit to apply the pair of the pair according to the surface property applied to the sheet body. It is the surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <1> to <2>, wherein either pressing or passing in the heating roller can be selected.
<8> The surface treatment unit has at least one pair of heating rollers arranged upstream of the sheet body heating unit, and operates the surface property selection unit to apply the pair of pairs according to the surface property to be applied to the sheet body. It is the surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <1> to <2>, wherein either pressing or passing in the heating roller can be selected.
<9> The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <7> to <8>, wherein the pair of heating rollers is two or more having different surface properties.
<10> The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <7> to <9>, wherein the height of the unevenness applied to the sheet body is adjusted by changing at least one of temperature and pressure in the heating roller.
In the surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <7> to <10>, the surface treatment unit has at least one pair of heating rollers disposed downstream of the sheet body cooling means, or the sheet body heating It has at least one pair of heating rollers arranged upstream of the means. Then, by operating the surface texture selection means and selecting the surface treatment unit according to the surface texture to be applied to the sheet body, it is easy to obtain a desired plurality of types of surface textures with one device and one sheet body. And can be applied efficiently.

<11> The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <1> to <10>, wherein the surface property is at least one selected from gloss, matte, raster, and emboss.
<12> The surface treatment according to any one of <1> to <11>, including user information providing means for providing user information including surface texture data, and providing the user information to the surface texture selecting means Device. The surface treatment apparatus according to <12> further includes a user information providing unit. As a result, it is possible to easily and efficiently impart desired types of surface properties with one device and one type of sheet according to the user's request.

<13> Any one of the items <1> to <12>, wherein the sheet body heating unit includes an endless belt and a pair of heating rollers disposed so as to press the endless belt from the inside and the outside. The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1.
<14> The sheet body has at least a thermoplastic resin layer and an image recording layer on the substrate, and the surface properties are transferred to the image recording layer surface and the boundary surface of the thermoplastic resin layer on the image recording layer side. The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <1> to <13>.

  <15> The surface treatment apparatus according to <14>, wherein the sheet body is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin in the thermoplastic resin layer by a sheet body heating unit. In the surface treatment apparatus according to <15>, the sheet body heating unit heats the thermoplastic resin layer of the sheet body to a temperature higher than the softening point of the thermoplastic resin. Thereby, the surface (interface) of the thermoplastic resin layer is easily plastically deformed, and the concave / convex pattern of the concave / convex forming means can be pressure-transferred to the thermoplastic resin layer even at a relatively low pressure. Furthermore, it is more preferable to heat at a temperature equal to or higher than the softening point temperature of the image recording layer.

  <16> The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of <14> to <15>, wherein the sheet body cooling unit cools the thermoplastic resin layer below the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin layer. In the surface treatment apparatus according to <16>, the sheet body cooling means cools the thermoplastic resin layer of the sheet body to a temperature lower than the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin. As a result, the concavo-convex pattern transferred (formed) to the thermoplastic resin layer is in a state where plastic deformation is unlikely to occur any more, and the desired concavo-convex pattern is reliably obtained by peeling the contact member in this state. be able to. Further, it is more preferable to cool the image recording layer at a temperature lower than the softening point temperature.

  <17> From <1> to <1>, wherein the sheet body is selected from a thermal recording sheet, an inkjet sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, a heat developing sheet, a silver halide photographic sheet, and a silver halide digital photographic sheet. 16>. The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of 16). In the surface treatment apparatus described in <17>, selected from a thermal recording sheet, an ink jet sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, a heat developing sheet, a silver halide photographic sheet, and a silver halide digital photographic sheet. The surface to be treated in the sheet body is surface-treated, and different types of surface properties can be imparted.

  <18> Image recording means for recording an image on a sheet body, and surface treatment means according to any one of <1> to <17>, wherein surface treatment is performed on the sheet body on which an image is recorded by the image recording means. It is an image recording device characterized by having. In the image recording apparatus according to <18>, the image recording unit records an image on a sheet member. The surface treatment means performs a surface treatment on the sheet body on which an image is recorded by the image recording means. Then, a desired surface property can be imparted to the sheet body on which an image is recorded.

  <19> The surface treatment unit according to any one of <1> to <17> that performs surface treatment on the sheet body, and an image recording unit that records an image of the sheet body surface-treated by the surface treatment unit. This is an image recording apparatus. In the image recording apparatus according to <19>, a surface treatment is performed on the sheet body by the surface treatment unit. An image is recorded on the sheet body surface-treated by the surface treatment means. Then, a desired surface property can be imparted to the sheet body on which an image is recorded.

  According to the present invention, conventional problems can be solved, and for any sheet body selected from an inkjet sheet, a thermal recording sheet, a thermal development sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, and a silver halide photographic sheet, Using one device and one type of sheet body, it is possible to easily and efficiently impart a desired plurality of types of surface properties that satisfy the user's needs.

(Surface treatment equipment)
The surface treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a contact member, a sheet body heating unit, a surface treatment unit having a sheet body cooling unit, and a surface property selection unit, and provides user information provision unit, and other units as necessary. Have

-Sheet body heating means-
The sheet body heating means is not particularly limited as long as the sheet body can be heated to a temperature at which the thermoplastic resin layer can be softened and deformed, and the surface property can be transferred by pressurization. For example, a fixing device used in a known electrophotographic apparatus may be used, and a pair of heating rollers (a heating roller and a pressure roller) may be preferably used. It is done.

The contact member is not particularly limited in shape, structure, size, material, and the like, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, a roller, a sheet cut into a desired size , Texture sheets, endless belts and the like. In the case of a cut sheet and a texture sheet, it is advantageous in that the surface state can be changed for each cut sheet, and in the case of an endless belt, continuous processing is easy, and the contact member and the endless belt This is advantageous in that it can be easily peeled off.
The texture sheet is not particularly limited in size, material, shape and the like and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, when forming a mat-like surface, a metal thin plate (for example, thickness t = 0.3 mm or less), and a uniform surface roughness or pattern formed on the entire surface. In addition, it is preferable to form the surface roughness of the texture sheet to a surface roughness that is 20% to 10% higher than the desired roughness on the sheet body.

When the endless belt is used as the contact member, the endless belt preferably has a smooth surface. In this case, an embossed surface, a matte surface, a glossy surface, and the like can be arbitrarily formed on the surface of the sheet body by appropriately changing the surface treatment conditions of the sheet body.
When the endless belt is used as the abutting member, the sheet body heating means includes the endless belt and a pair of heating rollers disposed so as to press the endless belt from the inside and the outside. Those are particularly preferred.

  The endless belt is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. Preferred examples thereof include belts used in belt fixing devices in known electrophotographic apparatuses, and the materials and the like thereof. There is no restriction | limiting in particular and it can select suitably from well-known things. Note that the surface of the endless belt may be surface-treated with a surface treatment agent such as silicone or fluorine for the purpose of improving the peelability of the sheet.

  The pair of heating rollers is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, the pair of heating rollers can be appropriately selected from a pair of heating rollers used in a known electrophotographic apparatus. It is preferable to adjust the nip pressure, the heating temperature, and the like.

  The material of the contact member is not particularly limited as long as it can impart desired surface properties to the sheet body, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, a polyethylene terephthalate film, Examples thereof include materials having heat resistance at a temperature equal to or higher than the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin layer imparting surface properties, such as polyethylene film, polypropylene film, nylon film, polyimide film, polystyrene film, and fluorinated olefin film.

It is preferable that the surface property of the contact member is any one of a glossy surface, a raster surface, a matte surface, and an embossed surface corresponding to a user's request.
The glossy surface imparts smoothness and gloss to the surface of the sheet body by applying heat and pressure between nip rollers such as a super calender or gloss calender whose surface is smoothed and then cooling and peeling.

The mat surface can be obtained by subjecting the convex reflecting surface to a roughening treatment (mat treatment). Examples of the mat processing method include sand blasting, hot rolling processing, and plasma ion processing.
Note that a coating layer containing transparent beads can be provided on the surface of the sheet body as a treatment for obtaining an effect substantially equivalent to the mat treatment.

The embossed surface is obtained by an embossing process. It is the process which gives an unevenness | corrugation to material by rolling using the embossing roller which carved the etching or the uneven | corrugated pattern.
The embossing roller is a metal roller having a diameter of 100 to 500 mm in which protrusions corresponding to the recesses are engraved on the surface, and the material is rolled between a pair of rollers (preferably an elastic roller having a flat surface). Thus, a recess is formed on the surface of the material. The rolling temperature is preferably 80 to 200 ° C., the speed is 30 to 150 m / min, and the pressure is about 1000 to 20000 kgf / m ² .
For embossing, for example, “Surface Technology Handbook (Edited by Surface Technology Association, published by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (1998))”, “New Paper Processing Handbook (Edited by Sangyo Times Company, Sangyo Times Company) Issued (Showa 55)).

  With the pair of heating rollers, the nip formed between the pair of heating rollers is heated in conjunction with the rotation of the pair of heating rollers while the sheet member and the contact member are overlapped with each other. Pass while being. When the nip portion is pressurized, the sheet member and the abutting member pass through the nip portion while being heated and pressurized while being overlapped with each other.

The heating temperature by the sheet body heating means is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the sheet body type, but is a temperature equal to or higher than the softening point of the thermoplastic resin in the thermoplastic resin layer of the sheet body. It is preferable. For example, it is usually 80 ° C. or higher and 120 ° C. or lower, and when the thermoplastic resin layer is a polyethylene resin layer, 95 to 110 ° C. is more preferable. Furthermore, it is more preferable to heat at a temperature equal to or higher than the softening point temperature of the image recording layer.
As the pressurization by the sheet body heating means, a pressurization range of 7 to ²⁰ kgf / cm ² is preferable at the nip portion.

-Sheet body cooling means-
The surface treatment apparatus of the present invention has sheet body cooling means. The sheet body cooling means is not particularly limited as long as the surface to be processed in the sheet body heated and pressurized by the sheet body heating means can be cooled while being in contact with the contact member. Depending on the purpose, it can be appropriately selected from among known cooling devices, but among them, it is preferable that the cooling air can be blown and the cooling temperature and the like can be adjusted in that the cooling conditions can be adjusted. . In addition, there is no restriction | limiting in particular about the number of said sheet | seat body cooling means, It can select suitably according to the objective.

  The position at which the sheet body cooling means is provided is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected according to the purpose, but is usually on the downstream side of the sheet body heating means in the transport direction of the sheet body. . When the sheet body heating means includes the pair of heating rollers and the endless belt, the pair of heating rollers and a rotating roller that rotatably stretches the endless belt together with the pair of heating rollers. And in the vicinity of the endless belt. In this case, the sheet body is cooled by the sheet body cooling means while moving between the pair of heating rollers and the rotating roller.

  The cooling temperature by the sheet body cooling means can be appropriately selected according to the sheet body type, but is not particularly limited as long as the temperature is lower than the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin in the thermoplastic resin layer of the sheet body. However, it can be suitably selected according to the purpose, and is preferably less than 80 ° C. Further, it is more preferable to cool the image recording layer at a temperature lower than the softening point temperature.

-Surface texture selection means-
The surface texture selection means is a means for imparting a desired surface texture to the sheet body by selecting the surface treatment unit.
The surface texture selection means is not particularly limited as long as it is a means capable of selecting the surface texture to be applied to the sheet body, and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, (1) the surface treatment unit is An aspect in which a plurality of end surface belts arranged in parallel and having different surface properties for each surface treatment unit can be selected according to the surface properties to be applied to the sheet body by operating the surface property selection means, (2) The endless belt has a surface dividing portion that is divided into different surface properties along the conveying direction of the sheet body, and operates the surface texture selecting means to apply the surface property to the endless belt according to the surface properties applied to the sheet body. A mode in which the surface dividing portion can be selected, (3) the surface treatment unit has at least one pair of heating rollers disposed downstream of the sheet body cooling means, and has a surface property A mode in which either the pressurization or the passage in the heating roller can be selected according to the surface property applied to the sheet body by operating the selection means, (4) the surface treatment unit is arranged upstream of the sheet body heating means A mode in which at least one pair of heating rollers is provided, and the surface texture selection means is operated to select either pressurization or passage in the heating roller according to the surface texture to be applied to the sheet body, etc. Is mentioned.

  In the aspect (1), two or more surface treatment units are preferably arranged in parallel, and more preferably three or more surface treatment units are arranged in parallel. In the aspect (1), for example, when the surface property of the endless belt has three surface treatment units of a mirror surface, a matte surface, and a raster surface, the surface property of the endless belt is changed by the operation of the surface property selection means. When a surface treatment unit that is a mirror surface is selected, the sheet body is mirror-finished and a glossy surface is obtained. When a surface treatment unit in which the surface property of the endless belt is a mat surface is selected, the sheet body is converted to a mat surface and a mat surface is obtained. When a surface processing unit whose surface property of the endless belt is a raster surface is selected, the sheet body is converted into a raster surface, and a raster surface is obtained.

  In the aspect (2), the endless belt preferably has two or more surface division parts, and more preferably has three or more surface division parts. In this aspect (2), for example, when the surface of the endless belt has a matte surface and a mirror surface and a surface treatment unit divided into two along the sheet conveyance direction, the surface property selection means is operated. When the mat surface is selected, the sheet body is turned into a mat surface to obtain a mat surface. On the other hand, when a mirror surface is selected, the sheet body is mirror-finished and a glossy surface is obtained.

  In the above aspects (3) and (4), the pair of heating rollers is preferably two or more, more preferably three or more, having different surface properties. In this case, it is preferable to adjust the height of the unevenness imparted to the sheet body by changing at least one of temperature and pressure in the heating roller. In the aspect (3), for example, when the surface texture of the pair of heating rollers has a mat surface, when the pair of heating rollers are pressurized by the operation of the surface texture selection means, the sheet body is Matt processed. On the other hand, when the heating roller is passed, the sheet body is glossed.

  The method for selecting the surface treatment unit in the surface texture selection means is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, the surface treatment unit can be selected according to the surface texture to be applied to the sheet body. Those having a control means are suitable, and examples include an electric switching device and a manual switching device. Note that user information including surface texture can be provided from the user information providing means described later to the surface texture selecting means, and the surface texture to be applied to the sheet body can be selected according to the user's order.

  In the present invention, as the contact member, any one selected from a roller, an endless belt, and a texture sheet is used, and any one of the pressure condition, the heating temperature, and the cooling temperature in the corresponding contact member is changed and the surface property is changed. Is preferably adjusted. As a result, images having different surface properties in units of sheets or images having different surface properties can be formed in one sheet. In addition, a roller, a belt and a texture sheet having a plurality of types of surface roughness are not required, and a switching facility is not necessary. In addition, by making it possible to change any of the pressing conditions, heating temperature, and cooling temperature in one sheet, the visual effect by gradation is provided by changing the surface properties in one sheet body. Is obtained.

In this case, the method for changing the pressure condition in the sheet body heating means is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, a method for changing the spring length of the nip springs at both ends of the pressure roller. , Etc. Examples of the method for changing the spring length include a method by rotating a cam and a method by changing the position of a mechanical stopper.
Moreover, there is no restriction | limiting in particular as a changing method of the heating conditions in the said sheet | seat heating means, According to the objective, it can select suitably, For example, the temperature variable method of the heater in a heating roller etc. are mentioned. Examples of the temperature variable method include a method in which a temperature detection device is disposed on the surface of the roller other than the sheet passing portion and the temperature is controlled to a desired temperature.

  Actually, as the contact member, any one selected from a roller, an endless belt, and a texture sheet can be used to appropriately change the surface properties of the sheet body as shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.

In Tables 1 and 2, ◯ represents good and x represents poor.

From Table 1 and Table 2, the following relationship is recognized.
In the case of glossy treatment (surface smoothing), (1) the higher the heating temperature, the smoother the surface. (2) The higher the pressure, the smoother the surface. And (3) If the temperature of the peeled portion is equal to or higher than the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin of the thermoplastic resin layer, the surface becomes rough.
In the case of mat treatment (giving unevenness), (1) the unevenness becomes deeper as the heating temperature is higher. (2) The higher the pressure, the deeper the unevenness. And (3) The unevenness | corrugation becomes shallow as the temperature of a peeling part is more than the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin of a thermoplastic resin layer.
In this way, by controlling at least one of the heating temperature, the applied pressure, and the cooling temperature as parameters of the surface treatment conditions, even when the same contact member is used, images having different surface properties in units of sheets, or one sheet Images having different surface properties depending on the location of the image in the sheet can be formed.
For example, when surface treatment is performed using a contact member for glossy treatment with high surface smoothness, if the heating temperature is 110 ° C. and the applied pressure is 1.96 MPa (20 kgf / cm ² ), the contact member is smooth. High degree of surface irregularity can be transferred almost faithfully to the image surface (including the boundary surface between the image recording layer and the thermoplastic resin layer). On the other hand, when the heating temperature is 95 ° C. and the applied pressure is 7 kgf / cm ² , the surface unevenness with high smoothness of the abutting member is relaxed and transferred to the image surface, and an image with reduced glossiness is obtained. . Further, by changing the set value within the range of heating temperature of 95 to 110 ° C. and pressure of 0.68 to 1.96 MPa (7 to 20 kgf / cm ² ), the degree of reproduction of the surface irregularity transfer of the contact member can be changed. It becomes possible to control. Furthermore, with regard to the cooling temperature, the degree of reproduction of the surface unevenness transfer of the contact member can also be changed by changing the setting value in the temperature range lower than the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin layer by about 5 to 30 ° C. It is possible to control.

  Here, as a method of forming an image having different surface properties depending on the location of the image in one sheet, for example, a heating roller and a pressure roller (for example, 21 and 24 in FIG. 8) are used in the sheet conveyance direction. And a method of providing a heating control means (heater and temperature sensor) or nip force control means for each heating roller and pressure roller. In addition, as a method of changing the heating temperature in the sheet conveyance direction, although there is a slight difficulty in the temperature followability, the control of the nip force has good response, so the surface property is also improved in the sheet conveyance direction. It is possible to make it different.

-User information provision means-
The surface treatment apparatus of the present invention has user information providing means. There is no restriction | limiting in particular as this user information provision means, According to the objective, it can select suitably, For example, the manual input from a user, online, via the internet, a portable terminal, etc. are mentioned. The user information is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, the surface property of the contact member (for example, glossy surface, matte surface and embossed surface), the number of processed sheets, the size of the paper (A4, B4, A3, B5, etc.).

-Sheet-
The sheet body has at least a thermoplastic resin layer and an image recording layer on a substrate, and if necessary, a surface protective layer, an intermediate layer, an undercoat layer, a cushion layer, a charge control (prevention) layer, Examples include a reflective layer, a tint adjusting layer, a storage stability improving layer, an adhesion preventing layer, an anti-curl layer, and a smoothing layer.

According to the surface treatment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the sheet body 10 has not only the surface of the image recording layer 5 but also the boundary surface with the image recording layer of the thermoplastic resin layer 3 located on the image recording layer side. The surface property of the contact member can be transferred to 3a. As shown in the cross-sectional photograph (magnification: 138 times) in FIG. 3, the image recording layer 5 is also deformed following the deformation of the thermoplastic resin layer 3 in the cross section of the sheet after the surface treatment. In addition, it is recognized that the surface properties are transferred not only to the image recording layer but also to the thermoplastic resin layer. In addition, it is recognized that the film thickness of the image recording layer 5 is substantially constant even after the surface treatment.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, when the sheet body 10 includes the intermediate layer 7 between the thermoplastic resin layer 3 and the image recording layer 5, the surface of the image recording layer 5, the thermoplastic resin layer 3, and The surface property of the contact member can be transferred to the boundary surface 3 a with the intermediate layer 7.

-Substrate-
Examples of the substrate include synthetic paper (for example, synthetic paper such as polyolefin and polystyrene), fine paper, art paper, (double-sided) coated paper, (double-sided) cast-coated paper, synthetic resin pulp such as polyethylene, and natural pulp. Paper support such as mixed paper, Yankee paper, baryta paper, wallpaper, backing paper, synthetic resin or emulsion impregnated paper, synthetic rubber latex impregnated paper, synthetic resin internal paper, paperboard, cellulose fiber paper, polyolefin, Various plastic films or sheets such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene methacrylate, polyethylene naphthalate, polycarbonate polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyimide, celluloses (for example, triacetyl cellulose), the plastic film or sheet White impart reflectivity processing (e.g., pigmented like to incorporate such titanium oxide into the film) in the applied film or sheet, fabric, metal, glasses, and the like.
These may be used individually by 1 type and may use 2 or more types together as a laminated body.

Examples of the substrate further include JP-A-62-253159, pages (29) to (31), JP-A-1-61236, pages (14) to (17), JP-A-63-331648, Examples include the substrates described in Kaihei 2-22651, JP-A-3-56955, US Pat. No. 5,001,033, and the like.
As thickness of the said base | substrate, 25-300 micrometers is preferable normally, 50-260 micrometers is more preferable, 75-220 micrometers is still more preferable.
The stiffness of the substrate is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the intended purpose. However, a substrate close to a color silver salt photograph substrate is preferable for a photographic image receiving paper.

Various additives appropriately selected according to the purpose can be added to the substrate within a range not impairing the effects of the present invention.
Examples of the additive include whitening agents, conductive agents, fillers, pigments such as titanium oxide, ultramarine blue, and carbon black, and dyes.

In addition, one surface or both surfaces of the substrate may be subjected to various surface treatments and undercoating treatments for the purpose of improving adhesion with a layer provided thereon.
Examples of the surface treatment include a glossy surface, or a fine surface, a mat surface, or a silk surface described in JP-A-55-26507, a corona discharge treatment, a flame treatment, a glow discharge treatment, a plasma treatment, and the like. And the like.
These treatments may be performed singly, or after performing the above-mentioned mold forming treatment or the like, the above-mentioned activation treatment may be performed, and further, after the surface treatment such as the above-mentioned activation treatment, the above-mentioned undercoat treatment is performed. It may be combined arbitrarily.

  In the substrate, a hydrophilic binder, a semiconductive metal oxide such as alumina sol or tin oxide, and carbon black or other antistatic agent may be applied on the surface or the back surface of the substrate, or a combination thereof. . Specific examples of such a substrate include a support described in JP-A No. 63-220246.

-Thermoplastic resin layer-
There is no restriction | limiting in particular as a thermoplastic resin in the said thermoplastic resin layer, According to the objective, it can select suitably, For example, polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, a polyethylene terephthalate, a polystyrene, a polymethacrylate, a polycarbonate, a polyimide, a triacetyl Examples thereof include cellulose, and among these, polyolefin is preferable. These resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  In general, the polyolefin is often formed using low-density polyethylene. In order to improve the heat resistance of the substrate, polypropylene, a blend of polypropylene and polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene are used. It is preferable to use a blend or the like. Among these, it is most preferable to use a blend of high-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene, particularly from the viewpoints of cost, suitability for lamination, and the like.

The blend of the high-density polyethylene and the low-density polyethylene has, for example, a blend ratio (mass ratio) of preferably 1/9 to 9/1, more preferably 2/8 to 8/2, and 3/7 to 7 / 3 is more preferable. When forming a thermoplastic resin layer on both surfaces of the substrate, it is preferable to form the back surface of the substrate using, for example, high-density polyethylene or a blend of high-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene. Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular as the molecular weight of the said polyethylene, The melt index is 1.0-40 g / 10min about any of a high density polyethylene and a low density polyethylene, and what has an extrudability is preferable.
In addition, you may perform the process which gives white reflectivity to these sheets or films. Examples of such a treatment method include a method of blending a pigment such as titanium oxide in these sheets or films.

-Image recording layer-
In the case of silver salt photography, the image recording layer corresponds to an emulsion layer that develops color in YMC. In the present invention, it means both the emulsion layer before the exposure phenomenon and the emulsion layer after the exposure phenomenon.
In the case of inkjet, it corresponds to an ink image-receiving layer that receives and holds ink. In the present invention, it means both an ink image-receiving layer to which no ink is attached and an ink image-receiving layer after ink is attached.
In the case of electrophotography, it corresponds to a toner image-receiving layer, and in the present invention, it means both a toner image-receiving layer with no toner attached and a toner image-receiving layer after toner adhesion.
The image recording layer and the thermoplastic resin layer may be the same.

  The sheet body is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected depending on the purpose. For example, an ink jet sheet, a thermal recording sheet, a heat developing sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, a silver halide photographic sheet, Etc. can be used. The sheet member may be either before recording an image or after recording an image.

  The inkjet sheet has, for example, a porous color material-receiving layer on a support, and water-based ink (using a dye or pigment as a color material) and oil-based ink are used in the color material-receiving layer. An image is formed by absorbing liquid ink or solid ink that is solid at room temperature and melted and liquefied and used for printing.

  The electrophotographic sheet has, for example, at least a toner image receiving layer on a support, and the toner image receiving layer receives at least one of a color toner and a black toner to form an image.

  As the heat-sensitive recording sheet, for example, those described in JP-A-6-130632 are suitable, and specifically, at least a heat-meltable ink layer as an image recording layer is provided on a support. At least a heat-diffusible dye on a heat-sensitive transfer sheet used in a method of melting and transferring ink from a heat-meltable ink layer onto a heat-sensitive transfer recording image-receiving sheet by heating with a heat-sensitive head (E.g., sublimation dye) containing an ink layer, and a sensitivity used in a sublimation transfer method in which a thermal diffusible dye is transferred from an ink layer onto a thermal transfer recording image-receiving sheet by heating with a thermal head. A thermal autoclave that has at least a thermal coloring layer on a thermal transfer sheet and support, and forms an image by repeating heating with a thermal head and fixing with ultraviolet rays. Sensitive materials used in chromatography beam system (TA type) and the like.

-Sheet body peeling means-
The sheet body peeling means is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected according to the purpose. For example, the diameter of the tension roller is set so that the sheet body peels from the belt with its own rigidity (waist strength). Method, etc. Then, in the sheet body peeling means, the contact member after the sheet body is peeled can be sent again to the sheet body heating means via the contact member selection means so that it can be reused.

-Other means-
There is no restriction | limiting in particular as said other means, According to the objective, it can select suitably, For example, a positioning means, a preheating means, a control means, etc. are mentioned suitably.

The alignment means is means for aligning the sheet body and the contact member. The alignment means is advantageous in that the surface treatment can be performed without causing a positional shift on the surface to be treated of the sheet body, and the surface treatment efficiency and reliability are excellent.
There is no restriction | limiting in particular as a specific example of the said alignment means, According to the objective, it can select suitably, A sensor etc. are mentioned suitably. There is no restriction | limiting in particular as this sensor, For example, the sensor etc. which detect reflected light, reflected sound, etc. are mentioned.

The preheating means is means for preheating the sheet body before heating by the sheet body heating means.
With the preheating means, the amount of heat required for heating by the sheet body heating means is sufficient, and there is no insufficient heating, and the surface to be treated in the sheet body is surely partially softened. This is advantageous in that it can be brought into a molten state. The preheating means is effective when using a thermal head that has a small heat capacity and heats the sheet body while it is transported, and the heating time must be shortened.

A specific example of the preheating means is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected according to the purpose. A heating roller, a heater, a heating unit of an image recording apparatus (for example, a drying unit of a silver salt photography minilab, an electronic device) Suitable examples include a fixing unit of a photographic apparatus). At this time, the heating unit and the surface treatment apparatus need to be arranged close to the extent that the temperature of the photographic paper heated in the drying unit does not greatly decrease.
In this case, when used for inkjet, an ink drying means can be used as the preheating means. Thereby, size reduction and energy saving of an apparatus can be achieved.

(Image recording device)
In the first embodiment, the image recording apparatus of the present invention includes a surface treatment unit and an image recording unit in this order, and further includes other units appropriately selected as necessary.
The image recording apparatus according to the first aspect is configured such that the surface property of the contact member can be transferred to a sheet body before image recording by a surface treatment means.
The image recording apparatus according to the first embodiment is suitable when an inkjet sheet is used as the sheet body.

The inkjet sheet has, for example, a porous color material-receiving layer on a support, and water-based ink (using a dye or pigment as a color material) and oil-based ink are used in the color material-receiving layer. An image is formed by absorbing liquid ink or solid ink that is solid at room temperature and melted and liquefied and used for printing.
In this case, when an inkjet sheet having a porous ink-receiving layer containing a thermoplastic resin or the like is used as a sheet body, the porous structure on the inkjet sheet surface is hermetically sealed during the surface treatment after image recording by inkjet, There is an effect that fading due to ozone can be prevented.

In the second embodiment, the image recording apparatus of the present invention includes an image recording unit and a surface treatment unit in this order, and further includes other units appropriately selected as necessary.
The image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment is configured such that the surface property of the abutting member can be transferred to the sheet body after image recording by the surface treatment means, and the surface treatment is continuously performed from the image recording. Can be performed efficiently.
The image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment is suitable when any one of a silver halide photographic sheet, a heat developing sheet, a thermal recording sheet, and an electrophotographic sheet is used as the sheet member.

  The electrophotographic sheet has, for example, at least a toner image receiving layer on a support, and the toner image receiving layer receives at least one of a color toner and a black toner to form an image.

  The heat-sensitive recording sheet has, for example, a structure in which at least a heat-meltable ink layer as an image recording layer is provided on a support, and heat-transfers ink from the heat-meltable ink layer by heating with a heat-sensitive head. Heat transfer sheet used in the method of melting and transferring onto a recording image-receiving sheet, and a structure in which an ink layer containing at least a heat-diffusible dye (sublimation dye) is provided on a support, heated by a heat-sensitive head A thermal transfer sheet used in a sublimation transfer method for transferring a thermal diffusible dye from an ink layer onto a thermal transfer recording image-receiving sheet, and a structure in which at least a thermal coloring layer is provided on a support, and heating by a thermal head And a thermosensitive material used in a thermoautochrome system (TA system) for recording an image by repeated fixing with ultraviolet rays.

-Image recording means-
The image recording means is not particularly limited as long as an image can be recorded on the sheet, and is a known image recording method, for example, an ink jet recording method, a thermal recording method, a silver halide photographic method, a heat development recording. It is only necessary to be able to record an image by a method, an electrophotographic method, or the like, and it can be appropriately selected from known image recording devices.

-Surface treatment means-
The surface treatment means is not particularly limited and may be appropriately selected as long as the surface treatment can be performed on the sheet body on which the image is recorded by the image recording means. Can be used particularly preferably.
In the image recording apparatus, the surface treatment means may be built in the image recording means or may be externally attached to the image recording means.

-Other means-
There is no restriction | limiting in particular as said other means, Although it can select suitably according to the objective, For example, a control means etc. are mentioned suitably.
The control means is not particularly limited and includes those used in known image recording apparatuses. For example, the surface treatment means is driven or stopped to control the presence or absence of surface treatment of the sheet member. What can be done is preferred. The control means may not be provided independently, and the function of the control means may be achieved by the treatment control means in the surface treatment apparatus.
In the case of having the control means, if the control means stops driving the surface treatment means, the image recorded by the image recording means is directly passed from the image recording apparatus without passing through the surface treatment means. Can be discharged (bypass route). Further, when the surface processing means is driven, the image recorded by the image recording means can be discharged from the image recording apparatus after passing through the surface processing means and performing the surface treatment.

  According to the image recording apparatus of the present invention, the entire surface or a part of the surface of the obtained image can be brought into a desired state such as gloss, matte, emboss, etc. For example, even the same image has different surface properties. Multiple things can be obtained.

  Hereinafter, although one example of the present invention is described concretely using a drawing, the present invention is not limited to this example at all.

(Example 1)
The image recording apparatus in Embodiment 1 includes an image recording unit (not shown) and a surface treatment unit.

  In this embodiment, the image recording means is a silver halide digital color photographic apparatus. As the silver halide digital color photographic apparatus, a known one was used.

  As the surface treatment means, the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention was used. This surface processing apparatus is connected to a discharge tray of the image recording means, takes in a sheet body (for example, a digital color photograph) discharged to the discharge tray when the surface processing apparatus is driven, and has a predetermined surface. Designed to allow processing.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the surface treatment apparatus in this embodiment has three surface treatment units 50, 51, and 52, and surface property selection means (not shown). Each of the three surface treatment units includes a sheet body heating unit 11 and a sheet body cooling unit 16.

The sheet body heating means 11 includes a pair of heating rollers 12 a and 12 b and an endless belt 13.
The heating rollers 12a and 12b each have a built-in heater and are designed to be temperature adjustable. The heating roller 12b is rotatably disposed inside the endless belt 13 and in contact with the inner surface of the endless belt 13. The heating roller 12a abuts the outer surface of the endless belt 13 and the outer surface of the endless belt 13 so as to press the heating roller 12b, and is rotatably disposed.

The three surface treatment units 50, 51, and 52 have endless belts having different surface properties. For example, in the surface treatment unit 50, the entire surface of the endless belt 13 is a mirror surface. In the surface treatment unit 51, the entire surface of the endless belt 13 is a mat surface. In the surface treatment unit 52, the entire surface of the endless belt 13 is formed of a raster surface.
As shown in FIG. 4, the three surface treatment units 50, 51, 52 are arranged in parallel, and surface treatment is performed in one of the three surface treatment units by the operation of the surface property selection means (not shown). For example, when the surface treatment unit 50 is selected, the sheet body is subjected to gloss processing. When the surface treatment unit 51 is selected, the sheet body is subjected to mat processing. When the surface processing unit 52 is selected, the sheet body is subjected to raster processing. Further, as the surface treatment unit, the embossing process may be performed by using the endless belt whose entire surface is constituted by an embossed surface.
In this embodiment, the surface texture selection means (not shown) is an electric switching device, and is controlled so that the surface treatment unit is selected according to the surface texture applied to the sheet body by the control means.

As shown in FIG. 4, the endless belt 13 is stretched by a heating roller 12 b and a rotating roller 14 disposed inside the endless belt 13.
In this embodiment, the sheet body cooling means 16 is a cooling device with a blowing function, and is disposed inside the endless belt 13 and between the heating roller 12 b and the rotating roller 14.

  In this surface treatment apparatus, first, when driven, a sheet body (digital color photograph) 10 to be processed is conveyed by a conveyance roller 15 from a discharge tray in the image recording apparatus into the surface treatment apparatus. At this time, the surface texture selection means (not shown) is activated, and the surface treatment unit is selected according to the surface texture to be applied to the sheet body. For example, when the gloss treatment is performed on the sheet body, the surface treatment unit 50 is selected. Then, the sheet body (digital color photograph) 10 is inserted into a nip portion formed between the pair of heating rollers 2a and 2b. The sheet body (digital color photograph) 10 inserted into the nip portion is brought into contact with the surface of the endless belt 13 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pair of heating rollers 12a and 12b. The rotating roller 14 may be rotated in conjunction with the rotation of the endless belt 13, or may be designed to be rotationally driven so that the endless belt 13 can be rotated together with the pair of heating rollers 12 a and 12 b. Good. In this embodiment, the rotating roller 14 is designed as in the former.

  At this time, the heating rollers 12a and 12b are heated to a temperature at which the thermoplastic resin layer in the sheet body 10 shown in FIG. 1 can be softened, and the sheet body 10 inserted into the nip portion is The thermoplastic resin layer 3 and the image recording layer 5 are heated to a temperature at which they can be softened and deformed. In the nip, the thermoplastic resin layer 3 and the image recording layer 5 are softened and deformable. At this time, since the nip portion is pressed by the pressing force of the heating roller 12a, when the sheet body 10 passes through the nip portion while being pressed and overlapped with a predetermined position of the endless belt 13, The thermoplastic resin layer 3 and the image recording layer 5 that are in a soft state in the body 10 are deformed while being pressed by a pair of heating rollers 12 a and 12 b, and the gloss that is the surface property of the endless belt 13 is formed on the surface of the sheet body 10. Transcribed. And the sheet | seat body 10 passes the said nip part, and is conveyed with the state closely_contact | adhered to the surface of the endless belt 13. FIG.

  Next, the sheet body 10 is cooled by the cooling device 16 while being in close contact with the surface of the endless belt 13, and the thermoplastic resin layer 3 and the image recording layer 5 are solidified. Then, it is conveyed as it is to the rotating roller 14. Since the conveyance direction of the endless belt 13 changes by 90 degrees or more at the rotating roller 14, the sheet body 10 is peeled off from the surface of the endless belt 13 that rapidly changes the conveyance direction. The sheet body 10 peeled from the endless belt 13 is accommodated in a tray (not shown).

  The surface of the sheet body 10 thus obtained is transferred with a mirror surface which is the surface property of the endless belt 13 in the surface treatment unit 50, and the entire surface of the sheet body is mirror-finished to be a glossy surface. In addition, when the surface treatment unit 51 is selected by the operation of the surface property selection means, the sheet body is matted to become a matte surface. When the surface processing unit 52 is selected, the sheet body is rasterized to become a raster surface.

(Example 2)
In the surface treatment means of Example 1, Example 1 was used except that an endless belt 13 as shown in FIG. 5 divided into two different surface properties along the sheet conveyance direction was used as the surface treatment unit. The surface treatment was performed in the same manner as described above.
In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the surface of the endless belt 13 is divided into a mat surface 53a and a mirror surface 53b in two along the sheet conveyance direction. When the mat surface 53a is selected by the operation of the surface texture selection means (not shown), the sheet body is matted to become a mat surface. On the other hand, when the mirror surface 53b is selected, the sheet body is glossed to become a glossy surface.

(Example 3)
In the surface treatment means of Example 1, as shown in FIG. 6, the surface treatment unit is the same as that of Example 1 except that a pair of heating rollers 60 and 70 are disposed downstream of the sheet body cooling means. Similarly, the surface treatment was performed.
In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the surface property of the pair of heating rollers 60 and 70 is a mat surface, and the pair of heating rollers 60 and 70 are operated by operating a surface property selection means (not shown). It is possible to select and switch between pressurization and passing without pressurization. And when it presses with a pair of heating roller, a sheet body is mat-processed and becomes a mat surface. On the other hand, when the pair of heating rollers are passed, the sheet body is subjected to a gloss treatment.

Example 4
In the surface treatment means of Example 1, as shown in FIG. 7, the surface treatment unit is the same as that of Example 1 except that a pair of heating rollers 60 and 70 are arranged upstream of the sheet body heating means. Similarly, the surface treatment was performed.
In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the surface texture of the pair of heating rollers 60, 70 is a mat surface, and by operating a surface texture selection means (not shown), the pair of heating rollers 60, 70 It is possible to switch between pressurization at 70 and passage without pressurization. When pressure is applied with a heating roller, the sheet body is matted to form a matte surface. On the other hand, when the heating roller is passed, the sheet body is subjected to a gloss process.
The sheet body that has been subjected to the mat processing or the gloss processing is subjected to the gloss processing by the endless belt 13 having a mirror surface as in the first embodiment. The mat-treated sheet body has a unique surface property because the mat treatment remains after the gloss treatment.

(Example 5)
In Example 3, as shown in FIG. 8, Example 3 was used except that a surface treatment unit having three pairs of pressure rollers having different surface properties arranged downstream of the sheet body cooling means was used. Surface treatment was performed in the same manner as described above.
In Example 5, as shown in FIG. 8, the surface properties of the three pairs of heating rollers (60, 70), (61, 71), and (62, 72) are respectively a mat surface, a raster surface, And an embossed surface. By operating the surface texture selection means (not shown), the three pairs of heating rollers (60, 70), (61, 71), and (62, 72) are pressurized or not pressurized. It can be switched to pass. When the heating rollers (60, 70) are pressed, the sheet body is matted. When the heating rollers (60, 70) are passed and the heating rollers (61, 71) are pressurized, the sheet body is subjected to raster processing. When the heating roller (60, 70) and the heating roller (61, 71) are passed through and the heating roller (62, 72) is pressurized, the sheet body is embossed. When the heating rollers (60, 70), the heating rollers (61, 71), and the heating rollers (61, 71) are passed, the sheet body is subjected to a gloss process.

  Although the embodiments of the surface treatment apparatus and the image recording apparatus of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. .

  The surface treatment apparatus of the present invention can perform a plurality of surface treatments with one apparatus and one type of sheet according to the user's request, and as a result, desired surface properties can be easily applied to the surface of the sheet. And can be applied efficiently. Further, since the image recording apparatus of the present invention has the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention, it is selected from an inkjet sheet, a thermal recording sheet, a heat developing sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, and a silver halide photographic sheet. It can be suitably used for any of the above.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the sheet body of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a sheet body according to another aspect of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional photograph of the sheet body after the surface treatment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention in which three surface treatment units are arranged in parallel. FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing an example of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention having a surface treatment unit obtained by dividing the surface of an endless belt into two parts. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing an example of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention having a surface treatment unit in which a pair of heating rollers are arranged downstream of the sheet body cooling means. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an example of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention having a surface treatment unit in which a pair of heating rollers are arranged upstream of the sheet body heating means. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an example of the surface treatment apparatus of the present invention having a surface treatment unit in which three pairs of heating rollers are arranged upstream of the sheet body heating means.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base paper 3 Thermoplastic resin layer 5 Image recording layer 7 Intermediate | middle layer 10 Sheet body 11 Sheet body heating means 12a Heating roller (pressure roller)
12b Heating roller 13 Endless belt (contact member)
14 Rotating roller 15 Conveying roller 16 Cooling device 50, 51, 52, 53, 54 Surface treatment unit 60, 61, 62, 70, 71, 72 A pair of heating rollers

Claims (19)

  Contact member, sheet body heating means for heating the sheet body in contact with the contact member, and sheet body cooling means for cooling the heated sheet body in contact with the contact member A surface treatment apparatus comprising: a surface treatment unit comprising: a surface treatment unit that selects a surface treatment unit to give a desired surface property to the sheet body.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contact member is any one selected from a roller, an endless belt, and a texture sheet.   Multiple surface treatment units are arranged in parallel, each surface treatment unit has an endless belt with different surface properties, and the surface treatment unit can be selected according to the surface properties to be applied to the sheet body by operating the surface property selection means The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 2.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein two or more surface treatment units are arranged in parallel.   The endless belt in the surface treatment unit has a surface dividing portion that is divided into different surface properties along the conveying direction of the sheet body, and the endless belt according to the surface properties applied to the sheet body by operating the surface texture selection means The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a surface division unit in the surface can be selected.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the endless belt has two or more surface division portions.   The surface treatment unit has at least one pair of heating rollers disposed downstream of the sheet body cooling unit, and operates the surface property selection unit to apply the surface properties to the sheet body according to the surface properties. The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein either pressurization or passage can be selected.   The surface treatment unit has at least one pair of heating rollers disposed upstream of the sheet body heating means, and operates the surface texture selection means to apply the surface texture to the sheet body in the pair of heating rollers. The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein either pressurization or passage can be selected.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pair of heating rollers is two or more having different surface properties.   The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the height of the unevenness imparted to the sheet body is adjusted by changing at least one of temperature and pressure in the heating roller.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface property is at least one selected from gloss, matte, raster, and emboss.   12. The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising user information providing means for providing user information including surface texture data, and providing the user information to the surface texture selecting means.   The surface treatment according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the sheet body heating means includes an endless belt and a pair of heating rollers disposed so as to press the endless belt from the inside and the outside thereof. apparatus.   The sheet body has at least a thermoplastic resin layer and an image recording layer on a substrate, and transfers the surface properties to the surface of the image recording layer and the boundary surface on the image recording layer side of the thermoplastic resin layer. The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of 1 to 13.   The surface treatment apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the sheet body heating unit heats the thermoplastic resin layer to a temperature equal to or higher than a softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin.   The surface treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 15, wherein the sheet body cooling means cools the thermoplastic resin layer below the softening point temperature of the thermoplastic resin layer.   17. The sheet body according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the sheet body is selected from a thermal recording sheet, an inkjet sheet, an electrophotographic sheet, a heat developing sheet, a silver halide photographic sheet, and a silver halide digital photographic sheet. The surface treatment apparatus as described.   An image recording means for recording an image on a sheet body, and a surface treatment means according to any one of claims 1 to 17 for performing a surface treatment on the sheet body on which an image is recorded by the image recording means. Image recording device. 18. An image comprising: the surface treatment unit according to claim 1 that performs surface treatment on the sheet body; and an image recording unit that records an image of the sheet body surface-treated by the surface treatment unit. Recording device.