JPH0143243Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording device that transfers thermal ink, which becomes gas or liquid upon heating, onto a recording medium using a thermal head.

In addition to ordinary thermal transfer recording devices using a thermal transfer film, thermal transfer recording devices are already known in which thermal ink is heated and melted and transferred from the back side of a recording paper using a thermal head that faces the thermal ink through the recording paper.

However, this type of device that has been proposed so far has the advantage of not requiring an expensive thermal transfer film and has good gradation characteristics, but on the other hand, because it heats the recording paper from the back side,
It has the disadvantages of lower energy efficiency and lower recording quality than normal thermal transfer.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a new thermal transfer recording device that has high energy efficiency and good recording quality.

The gist of the present invention is to achieve the above object by heat-transferring thermal ink from the back side of a very thin transparent film and adhering it to a base paper.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a melting roll that has a heater inside and has a stainless steel outer periphery; 2 is a thermal ink made of wax, pigment, etc. whose melting point is adjusted to 50°C; 3 is an ink reservoir; 4 is an ink holding roll made of butyl rubber; 5 is 5μm thick
A polyester film 6, a thermal head 7, and a base paper 70 μm thick, the surface of which is coated with an adhesive 8, constitute a laminated film 9. Reference numeral 10 uses a release tape to prevent the laminated films 9 wound into a roll from sticking to each other. 11 is a peeling roll that peels off the peeling tape 10. 1
2 is a lamination roll for laminating the polyester film 5 and the laminated film 9 provided downstream from the thermal head 6 along the moving direction of the polyester film 5; 13 is a cut member for cutting the polyester film 5 after lamination; A brake roll 14 is provided upstream of the thermal head 6 along the moving direction of the polyester film 5 so as to sandwich the polyester film 5 therebetween.

The operation of the above configuration will be explained. The temperature of the melting roll 1 is controlled at about 90°C, and the thermal ink 2 in the ink reservoir 3 is melted and applied onto the circumference of the ink holding roll 4. On the other hand, the lamination roll 12 is rotated in the direction of the arrow by the driving force of a motor (not shown) while laminating the film 9 to be laminated and the polyester film 5. Along with this, the polyester film is sent in the direction of arrow A,
The ink holding roll 4 also rotates in synchronization with this.
The heat-sensitive ink 2 on the ink holding roll 4 has a temperature below its melting point and is solidified at the position where it contacts the polyester film 5. A voltage is applied to the thermal head 6 by a signal from a control circuit (not shown), and a voltage is applied to the surface of the opposing polyester film 5.
The thermal ink 2 on the surface of the ink holding roll 4 is melted and transferred. The polyester film 5 on which the thermal ink 2' has been transferred is transferred to the lamination roll 12.
The film is laminated onto the film 9 to be laminated, and after predetermined recording is performed, it is cut into a predetermined size by a cutting member 13. The brake roll 14 functions to apply tension to the polyester film 5 and bring it into close contact with the ink holding roll.

As can be seen from the above examples, conventional recording paper
For the thickness of 50 μm to 150 μm, in this invention, the thermal ink 2 on the circumference of the ink holding roll 4 is heated through the polyester film 5 with a thickness of 5 μm, so the thermal efficiency is comparable to that of a thermal transfer device using a normal thermal transfer film. Rise to the same level. Furthermore, since the thickness of the thermal ink 2' transferred onto the polyester film 5 changes depending on the amount of energy applied to the thermal head 6, the contrast characteristics are improved compared to normal thermal transfer recording where the transferred thickness is approximately constant. . In other words, low-density gradations can be produced without difficulty.

In addition, since the polyester film is thin, there is less heat escaping in the lateral direction, allowing for sharp recording and improved recording quality.

Furthermore, since the surface of polyester film is much smoother than the surface roughness of recording paper, the transfer of thermal ink is reliably and evenly performed even if the energy applied to the head is small.

Furthermore, since the thermal ink in the laminated recording medium is sandwiched between the polyester film and the laminated film, the viscosity decreases even at a certain high temperature, and there is no possibility that it will be re-transferred to other objects and stain them. do not have. In other words, records have good storage stability not only at room temperature but also at high temperatures. Furthermore, the surface of the recording medium is coated with a film, giving it a glossy finish and high recording quality.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the material of the melting roll is stainless steel, the material of the ink holding roll 4 is butyl rubber, and the material of the thin film is polyester. In this case, the wettability of the thermal ink 2 during melting is less than stainless steel. Butyl rubber < polyester, so ink transfer is good. In addition, ceramic can be used as the melting roll, silicone rubber or neoprene rubber can be used as the ink holding roll, and cellophane, vinylidene chloride, polycarbonate, nylon can be used as the thin film. The thickness of the thin film is preferably 30μm or less, and 10μm or less.
m or less, stable recording without unevenness can be obtained.

In the above embodiments, a roll-shaped member is used as the ink holding member, but belt-shaped, flat plate-shaped, etc. are also possible. Further, although a base paper coated with an adhesive is used as the film to be laminated, a separate adhesive coating means may be provided. Furthermore, although monochrome recording is performed in the embodiment, multicolor recording using various types of ink is also possible.

Further, in the examples, an ink similar to a heat-melting ink used in normal thermal transfer recording is used, but a heat-sublimable ink may also be used.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1... Melting roll, 2... Thermal ink, 4...
Ink holding roll, 5... Polyester film, 6... Thermal head, 7... Base paper, 8... Adhesive, 9... Film to be laminated, 12... Lamination roll.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) An ink retaining member that retains heat-sensitive ink that becomes gas or liquid upon heating on its surface; and a heat-sensitive member disposed opposite to the ink retaining member that heats the ink on the surface of the ink retaining member. A thermal transfer recording device comprising: a head; and a film disposed between the ink retaining member and the thermal head to which the ink heated by the thermal head is transferred from the ink retaining member; The thermal ink transferred thereon is composed of a thin transparent film on which the thickness changes depending on the amount of thermal energy applied from the thermal head, and the thermal ink is transferred from the thermal head along the direction of movement of the film. A thermal transfer recording apparatus characterized in that a laminating means is provided on the downstream side for laminating a film to be laminated to serve as a base paper on the film so as to sandwich the transferred thermal ink. (2) The thermal transfer recording device according to claim 1, wherein the film is made of a member whose wettability when melted by the thermal ink is greater than that of the holding member.