JPH022085A - Printing recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform printing recording by an image signal of reduced quantity of electricity by supplying a current to the anisotropic conductive layer of an ink recording medium before applying a signal current to heat an ink recording medium to temp. equal to or less than the m.p. of a heat-meltable ink layer. CONSTITUTION:A current is allowed to flow to be entire surface of an ink recording medium 1 in predetermined quantity by current supply means 5, 6 provided in close vicinity to a printing part before the ink recording medium 1 is fed to a printing part. The current is supplied to a heat generating resistor layer 12 from an anisotropic conductive layer 11 to generate heat from the heat generating resistor layer 12 and the ink recording medium 1 is preheated to predetermined temp. When a signal current is applied subsequently, the current from the anisotropic conductive layer 11 is subjected to electricity/energy conversion in the heat generating resistor layer 12 to generate heat energy but, since the heat generating resistor layer 12 is preheated, the quantity of electricity for generating heat energy for melting a heat-meltable ink layer 15 is reduced. Therefore, printing recording can be performed by an image signal of reduced quantity of electricity. By controlling the supply of a current to the current supply means 5, 6, the correspondence to environmental change can be also performed easily.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an ink recording medium that converts an electrical signal into thermal energy and transfers an ink image to a transfer material to perform print recording;
and a print recording method using the same.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, when recording an image corresponding to a predetermined digital image signal on a recording medium, such as plain paper, a recording method using a thermal transfer recording medium such as an ink donor film is widely known.

Such recording methods include, for example, 1) thermal head transfer method (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 53-84735), 2) electrical transfer method in which electricity is applied to the ink (Image Electrophotography Society Journal: 198
2, V01.11, Nα1, p3-9), 3) Current thermal transfer recording method using a print recording medium in which a heat generating layer and a return electrode are provided on a medium resistance non-ink support (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-93585
4) An electric thermal transfer recording method has been proposed in which a return electrode is provided on the same side as the needle electrode, a current path to the return electrode is formed in the heat generating layer of the print recording medium, and the heat generated in the heat generating layer is utilized. has been done.

Among these recording methods, the electrical thermal transfer recording methods 3) and 4) have the advantages of relatively fast printing speed, no need to impart conductivity to the ink, and a high degree of freedom in selecting ink materials. Inevitably, various proposals have been made. However, in these electrical thermal transfer recording methods, the ink support does not have anisotropic conductivity, so the dots spread, the leakage current is large, the energy efficiency is poor, or the applied current passes through the heat generating layer twice. This causes a lot of energy loss, and since the sliding contact is made twice with the needle electrode and the return electrode, there is also a lot of heat loss due to contact resistance. There are drawbacks such as the need for a certain degree of resistance in the conductive layer in the recording medium, and increased heat loss in the conductive layer.

In order to solve this problem, an anisotropic conductive layer consisting of an isolated conductive pattern is provided on the heating resistor layer, an ink recording medium with an anisotropic conductive layer as the support layer, and a conductive layer on both side edges. Using an ink recording medium with exposed side end electrodes,
It has been proposed to perform print recording by bringing a conductive sliding member or a conductive roll into contact with the side end electrode portion.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention By the way, it is possible to use an ink recording medium formed by laminating an anisotropic conductive layer, a heating resistor layer that generates heat upon input of an electric signal, a conductive layer, an ink peeling layer, and a heat-melting ink layer. When performing print recording, in order to obtain print records of sufficient quality, it is necessary to input an image signal having a certain amount of current.
There is a problem in that the current flow path in the heating resistor layer is subjected to stress due to current flow or stress due to heat generation, and the change in resistance value increases, resulting in deterioration of the durability of the ink recording medium. Another problem is that when the environment changes, it is difficult to adjust the amount of electricity of the image signal required to provide the necessary heating energy.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional technology.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a print recording method that enables print recording using an image signal with a small amount of electricity, prevents deterioration of the heating resistor layer of an ink recording medium, and that can be used for a long period of time. Our goal is to provide the following.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a print recording method that allows heating energy to be easily controlled in response to changes in the environment.

Still another object of the present invention is to have high heat generation energy efficiency;
The purpose is to provide a print recording method that consumes less energy.

Another object of the present invention is to enable repeated printing and recording, to enable high-speed printing and high-density energy manual operation, to reproduce high-quality color images, and to record robust images with multiple gradations. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink recording method that allows printing.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides an ink recording medium in which an anisotropic conductive layer, a heating resistor layer that generates heat upon input of an electric signal, a conductive layer, an ink peeling layer, and a heat-melting ink layer are sequentially laminated. A printing recording method in which a heat-melting ink layer is brought into contact with a transfer material in a printing section, and a signal current corresponding to an image signal is applied from the anisotropic conductive layer side to transfer the ink onto the transfer material. Before applying the , the anisotropic conductive layer of the ink recording medium is energized by an energizing means disposed near the printing part to heat the ink recording medium to a temperature below the melting point of the hot-melt ink layer. It is characterized by

In the present invention, the heating temperature of the ink recording medium heated by energization by the energizing means needs to be below the melting point of the heat-fusible ink layer, but is at least 10 degrees lower than the melting point of the heat-fusible ink layer. Temperatures as low as 0.degree. C. are preferred.

In the print recording method of the present invention, various means can be used as the energizing means. For example, a conductive roll electrode or a flade electrode may be provided so as to be in contact with the surface of an anisotropic conductive layer of an ink recording medium. Any material can be used for the conductive roll electrode and the blade electrode as long as it has a volume resistivity of 100 cm or less.

In the present invention, a pressure roll having a low surface energy surface having a critical surface tension lower than that of the ink release layer is disposed at a position facing the current supply means on the heat-melting ink layer side of the ink recording medium. It is preferable that the pressure roller is pressed against the ink recording medium and energized.

Materials for forming such a low surface energy layer include:
For example, thermosetting silicone resins and fluorine-containing resins can be used. Further, a metal roll made of the above material and subjected to a surface energy reduction treatment can also be used.

Next, the ink recording medium used in the present invention will be explained.

The anisotropic conductive layer has the function of reducing current loss due to current conduction resistance when current is applied in the thickness direction, and also reduces heat loss and heat generation damage due to contact resistance between the needle electrode and the surface of the ink recording medium. It may be a conductive isolated pattern layer consisting of an electrode, or it may be a layer in which a conductive path made of a conductive substance such as metal powder or conductive ceramic particles is formed in an insulating material such as ceramic or synthetic resin. There may be. In the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, if the anisotropic conductive layer is necessarily a layer consisting of an isolated conductive pattern, the heating resistor layer may have a function as a support;
In the case of an anisotropic conductive layer that is not a conductive isolated pattern, the anisotropic conductive layer itself may have a function as a support, and a thin film heating resistor layer may be formed on the negative side of the anisotropic conductive layer.

The heating resistor layer is a layer that generates heat from the current from the anisotropic conductive layer using Joule heat to melt the ink and transfer it to the transfer material. Conductive layer made of heat-resistant resin (polyimide resin, polyimide amide resin, silicone resin, fluororesin, epoxy resin, etc.), ZrO2, A 1.203
,S! 02 high resistance materials and Ti, AI, Ta
, Qu, ALI, ZR, and other conductive materials are used. It is preferable that the volume resistivity of the heat generating resistor layer is set in the range of 10<-2> to 10<2 >[Omega].cm, and the film thickness is set in the range of 10<-2 >ohm to 500<->ohm. Those within this range have excellent properties in terms of film deposition stability, film adhesion, etc.

The conductive layer serves as an electrode for diffusing and refluxing the current flowing into the heating resistor layer, and has a volume resistivity of 10-
It is made of a material with a resistance of 1Ω·α or less, and is created by vapor deposition, sputtering, or other thin film forming methods. The film thickness is preferably set in the range of 500 to 500 mm, and particularly preferably in the range of 1000 to 2000 in terms of heat leakage and necessary conductive properties.

The ink release layer is a thin film having a low surface energy function, and basically has a critical surface tension lower than the surface energy of the recording paper, that is, the transfer material.

For example, if the transfer material is plain paper, the critical surface tension is 40
Dynes/CrIt or less, preferably 38 dynes/cm
The following is a thin layer. The thickness of the ink release layer itself is 500
From the point of view of energy transfer efficiency, it is preferable to set the thickness as thin as possible within the range of 6 to 6 inches. Examples of materials constituting the ink release layer include thermosetting silicone resin,
Fluorine-containing resin etc. can be used.

The heat-melting ink layer provided on the ink release layer is formed by dispersing a known dye or pigment such as carbon black in a thermoplastic resin having a melting point of 140° C. or less. The thickness of the heat-melting ink layer is 3 to 15 Jl! It is preferable to set it in the range of 11.

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining an embodiment of the print recording method of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is an ink recording medium, which is composed of an anisotropic conductive layer 11, a heating resistor @12, a conductive layer 13, an ink peeling layer 14, and a heat-melting ink layer 15.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a print recording head, which is configured to slide on the surface of the anisotropic conductive layer of the ink recording medium.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a transfer material, which is pressed against the heat-melting ink layer of the ink recording medium by a back pressure roll 4°. Further, 5 is a conductive roll electrode provided near the printed part, and 6 is a pressure roll.

The ink recording medium 1 is conveyed to the printing section by a driving means (not shown), and a predetermined amount of current is applied to the entire surface of the ink recording medium from a conductive roll electrode disposed in front of the printing section. The current flows from the anisotropic conductive layer to the conductive layer via the heating resistor layer, and is connected to ground or a bias power source through a branch electrode circuit (not shown).
The heating resistor layer generates heat to preheat the ink recording medium to a predetermined temperature. The ink recording medium conveyed to the printing section is
It comes into contact with the print recording head 2 in one motion state, and an image signal is input to the surface of the anisotropic conductive layer 11 of the ink recording medium 1 .

A signal current flows from the anisotropic conductive layer to the conductive layer via the heating resistor layer, and is connected to ground or a bias power source via side conductive rolls (not shown).

At this time, electricity-to-energy conversion is performed in the heating resistor layer, and the generated thermal energy is thermally propagated to the heat-melting ink layer through the conductive layer and the ink release layer, and the heat-melting ink is is melted and transferred onto recording paper.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining another embodiment of the print recording method of the present invention. In this embodiment, a blade electrode 7 is used as the current supply means. The blade electrode 7 is provided so as to slide in contact with the anisotropic conductive layer near the printed portion.

In the present invention, a predetermined amount of current is applied to the entire surface of the ink-recording B medium by a current supply means provided in the vicinity of the printing section before being conveyed to the printing section. Current flows from the anisotropic conductive layer to the conductive layer via the heat generating resistor layer and is connected to ground or a bias power source through a branch electrode circuit (not shown), but at this time, the heat generating resistor layer generates heat and ink is recorded. Preheat the medium to a predetermined temperature. Next, when a signal current is applied, the current from the anisotropic conductive layer undergoes electricity-to-energy conversion in the heating resistor layer to generate thermal energy. Since the heat generating resistor layer is preheated by the heating resistor layer, the amount of electricity required to generate the thermal energy required to melt the heat-fusible ink layer can be reduced. Therefore, in the present invention, print recording can be performed using an image signal with a smaller amount of electricity than the amount of electricity conventionally required. Furthermore, by controlling the energization by the energizing means, it is possible to easily respond to changes in the environment.

Example Next, the present invention will be explained by examples.

Example 1 Qr was applied to one side of a carbon-dispersed conductive polyimide film with a volume resistivity of 4Ω・cm and a thickness of 42IJI11.
A film was deposited by a C sputter deposition method to form a 4000-thick Cr@ film. Next, a photoresist is formed on this Or layer, dried at 90°C for 8 minutes, and has a film thickness of 1.2 μm.
A resist film of m was formed. This resist film was exposed through a mask having a rectangular pattern of 15 angles on the entire surface with a pitch of 20×11 rt, developed, and then heated in an oven at 110° C. for 15 minutes in an N2 atmosphere to harden the resist film. Next, etching was performed using dilute hydrochloric acid in the presence of zinc particles to remove Cr from areas where there was no photoresist film. After thoroughly rinsing with water, it was placed in an acetone bath and subjected to ultrasonic waves to remove the resist film, completing the creation of an anisotropic conductive layer consisting of a conductive pattern.

Next, A1 was deposited on the other side of the conductive polyimide film by vacuum evaporation to form a conductive layer with a thickness of 2,000 layers. A thermosetting silicone resin was applied onto this conductive layer and cured by heating at 150°C for 19 hours, resulting in a film thickness of 0.2
The cocoon formed an ink release layer with a critical surface tension of 32 dynes/cm. Glue both ends of the 1q film-like material and
An end belt was formed. On top of the ink release layer, melting point 95°
A colored thermofusible ink layer having a film thickness of 51 url and containing thermoplastic resin C as a main component was provided to form an endless belt-shaped ink recording medium.

Print recording was performed using the above ink recording medium as shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the ink recording medium 1 includes transport rolls 21a 1.21b, 2IC, 21
conductive roll N on the pressure roll 6.
Current is applied from pole 5. Next, in the printing section, the paper roll 25 is
The information is printed on recording paper 26 from . After printing is finished,
The ink recording medium 1 is regenerated by applying powdered heat-melting ink by the powder supply unit 23 and then uniformizing it by the leveling unit 24, thereby completing one printing cycle.

First, a stainless steel roll electrode with a diameter of 30 m is pressed into contact with the anisotropic conductive layer of the ink recording medium that is transported to the printing section.
A current was applied at a current value of 0.4 A/cm to cause the heating resistor layer to generate heat, thereby preheating the ink recording medium. A pressure roll having a diameter of 40 seconds and having a silicone rubber layer with a wall thickness of 3# and a critical surface tension of 19 dynes/cm on its surface was disposed at a position facing the roll electrode.

Next, an electrical signal with a current amount of 10 mA with a pulse width of 600 μs was applied to the anisotropic conductive layer by pressure using 8 stylus heads/#, and was printed and recorded on the recording paper that was in contact with the back pressure roll.

After printing was completed, hot-melt ink was supplied to the ink recording medium after the ink was transferred, and the colored hot-melt ink layer was leveled, temporarily fixed, and regenerated.

Repeat the above printing cycle 1,000 times, 10.
When the printing was repeated 000 times and 50,000 times, good printed images were obtained in both cases.

Comparative Example 1 Using the same ink recording medium as in Example 1, print recording was performed in the same manner. However, the preheating step before being conveyed to the printing unit was omitted, and no preheating by energization was performed. When the input current suitable for printing in this case was determined, it was confirmed to be 2811^. When an electrical signal of 28 mA from the stylus head was applied and the printing cycle was repeated, a good printed image was obtained up to 1,000 times, but after 10,000 times, the printed image had thick lines. occurred. Moreover, after 50,000 times, the lines of the printed image became thin, resulting in a printed image in which the thin lines were discontinued.

Example 2 Instead of the roll electrode in Example 1, the tip was made with a radius of 4
Using a 1 m thick stainless steel blade electrode bent at 110° with a curvature of m, pressure was applied from the anisotropic conductive layer side.
．． A current was applied at a current value of 3 A/cm. Thereby,
The ink recording medium was preheated. Note that a pressure roll similar to that in Example 1 was provided at a position facing the blade electrode in order to stabilize the pressure contact of the blade electrode.

A print recording test was conducted in the same manner as in Example 1.

As the print input current, the current amount is 1 with a pulse width of 600tis.
When the printing cycle was repeated under 3 mA/dot, the printing cycle was repeated for the first time, 1,000 times, io, ooo times and 5 times.
A good printed image was obtained in all cases of 0.000 times.

Effects of the Invention In the present invention, the ink recording medium inserted into the printing section is energized by the energizing means provided close to the printing section,
Since preheating is performed, the amount of current required for the electric-energy conversion of the signal current in the heating resistor layer may be small. Therefore, in the present invention, print recording can be performed using an image signal with a smaller amount of electricity than conventionally required, so deterioration of the heating resistor layer can be prevented and its life can be extended. . Therefore, it becomes possible to repeatedly print and record over a long period of time. Furthermore, by controlling the energization by the energizing means, it is possible to easily respond to changes in the environment. Furthermore, the printing and recording method of the present invention has the advantage of high heat generation energy efficiency and low energy consumption.

Further, according to the present invention, high-speed printing and high-density energy manual operation are possible, high-quality color images can be reproduced, and multi-gradation and robust images can be recorded.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining one embodiment of the print recording method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining another embodiment of the print recording method of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining an embodiment of the print recording method of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of a print recording process to which the invention is applied. 1... Ink recording 8 medium, 2... Print recording head, 3
... Transfer material, 4... Back pressure roll, 5... Conductive roll electrode, 6... Pressure roll, 7... Blade electrode, 11... Anisotropic conductive layer, 12... Heat generating resistor layer, 13... Conductive layer, 14... Ink release layer, 15.
...Thermofusible ink layer, 21a-d...Transportation roll,
22... Stylus head, 23... Powder supply unit, 24... Surface leveling unit, 25... Paper roll,
26... Recording paper. Patent applicant Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Agent
Patent Attorney Tsuyoshi Okibe Figure 2

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A thermofusible ink layer of an ink recording medium formed by sequentially laminating an anisotropic conductive layer, a heating resistor layer that generates heat upon input of an electric signal, a conductive layer, an ink release layer, and a thermofusible ink layer, In a print recording method in which ink is transferred onto the transfer material by contacting the transfer material at the printing section and applying a signal current according to an image signal from the anisotropic conductive cylinder side, the printing section is brought into contact with the transfer material before applying the signal current. Printing characterized in that the anisotropic conductive layer of the ink recording medium is heated by a current supply means disposed nearby to heat the ink recording medium to a temperature below the melting point of the heat-melting ink layer. Recording method. (2) The print recording method according to claim 1, wherein the current supply means is a current supply roll electrode provided on the anisotropically conductive layer side of the ink recording medium. (3) disposing a pressure roll having a low surface energy surface having a critical surface tension lower than the critical surface tension of the ink release layer at a position facing the current supply means on the heat-melting ink layer side of the ink recording medium; 2. The printing and recording method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure roller is pressed against the ink recording medium and energized.