JPH03227255A - Recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording method for recording characters, figures, pictures, etc. on a recording medium such as recording paper.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, graphic displays using handheld computers and computers have come into widespread use. Along with this, there is a demand for converting these image results into hard copies. Further, various printers used in copying machines, food processors, etc. are being actively developed, and progress is being made in the direction of higher quality and faster speeds. There are many recording principles and methods such as thermal transfer, inkjet, electrostatic recording, and wire tod, and each of the above methods is further subdivided into various types.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, each of the principles and methods of the above-mentioned prior art has its merits and demerits, and it has not yet become definitive.

For example, the thermal transfer method is easy to use and has good image quality, but the running cost is high.The inkjet method is good in terms of running cost and image quality, but there are maintenance issues such as clogging that are unique to inkjet, and these need to be resolved. Therefore, a complex structure is added. Also,
Laser printers require special equipment such as the use of high voltage.

The present invention solves the problems of the prior art as described above, and aims to provide a recording method that has a simple configuration, is easy to maintain, and is capable of recording high-quality images. .

Means for Solving the Problem The technical solution of the present invention to achieve the above object is as follows:
contacting the liquid ink with an ink-repellent ink transfer medium;
The contact portion between the ink transfer medium and the liquid ink is selectively heated in response to a recording signal to deposit liquid ink on the ink transfer medium, and this liquid ink is transferred to the recording medium. .

The contact portion between the ink transfer medium and the liquid ink can be heated by heating elements arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the ink transfer medium.

Therefore, according to the present invention, at the contact portion between the liquid ink and the ink transfer medium, when the liquid ink is not heated, the liquid ink is peeled off from the ink transfer medium due to surface tension, and only when the liquid ink is heated, the liquid ink is attached to the ink transfer medium. The attached ink can be transferred to the recording medium.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view explaining the principle of a recording method in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2(a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views showing examples of ink transfer media used in the present invention, respectively. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing an example of the heating head used in the present invention. In FIG. The recording medium 2 is made to run. 3 is a roller, 4 is a heating head that can be heated arbitrarily, and 5 is a sheet-like ink transfer medium. , comes into contact with the recording medium 2 on the roller 1 on the roller 3 . 6 is ink bat, 7 is ink bat 6
The portion of the ink transfer medium 5 that runs on the heating head 4 comes into contact with the liquid ink 7 . 8 is a constant temperature body for maintaining the liquid ink 7 at a constant temperature.

An example of the liquid ink 7 is a polymer aqueous solution derived from a butadiene-maleic acid copolymer, using a solvent containing 15 to 20 ts as a solid content (commercially available product, Futatsuki TRG). This solvent has a heating temperature of 60 to 100
It has the property of causing a rapid increase in viscosity in the temperature range of °C, and reversibly decreasing the viscosity as the temperature decreases. Then, 1 to 30% of dye or pigment is added as a coloring material to this liquid.

The ink transfer medium 5 is formed in the form of a sheet of polymer, metal, or other ink-repellent material. This ink transfer medium 5 may have a smooth surface;
), (b), circular or irregular depressions and depressions may be formed regularly or irregularly.

In this case, the side walls of the depression may be angled, as shown in FIG. 2(a), or may be substantially vertical, as shown in FIG. 2(b).

As an example of the heating head 4, as shown in FIG. 3, resistance heating elements 9 are arranged on the surface in a comb-like pattern as heating elements, and these resistance heating elements 9 are perpendicular to the running direction of the ink transfer medium 5. Used in parallel in the direction.

In the above configuration, the constant speed rotation of the row 23 causes the ink transfer medium 5 to travel along the roller 3 and the heating head 4 at a constant speed. As the ink transfer medium 5 travels, it comes into contact with liquid ink 7 that is kept at a constant temperature by a constant temperature body 8 on the heating head 4 . Then, the ink transfer medium 5 is heated without heating the resistance heating element 9 of the heating head 4.
When the liquid ink 7 and the ink transfer medium 5 are not heated, the liquid ink attached to the ink transfer medium 5 is always pulled back due to the surface tension of the ink surface at the contact portion between the liquid ink 7 and the ink transfer medium 5, and as a result, The liquid ink 7 does not adhere to the ink transfer medium 5. On the other hand, when the resistance heating element 9 of the heating head 4 is heated to heat the contact portion of the ink transfer medium 5 with the liquid ink 7, the liquid ink 7 of the heated portion of the ink transfer medium 5 is also heated. When the viscosity increases (fluidity decreases) and the ink transfer medium 5 moves above the liquid level of the liquid ink 7, it overcomes the pulling back due to the surface tension of the liquid ink 7 and becomes attached to the ink transfer medium 5. Become. The liquid ink 7 deposited on the ink transfer medium 5 returns to its original temperature while the ink transfer medium 5 is running, and at the same time decreases to its original viscosity. The image is transferred by contacting the recording medium 2. At this time, by roughening the surface of the ink transfer medium 5 by forming irregularities as described above, the area of contact with the liquid ink 7 is expanded, and by controlling the amount of roughening, the condition of the transfer of the liquid ink 7 can be controlled. can be controlled. Then, by selectively heating the resistance heating element 9 of the heating head 4 shown in FIG. 3 in accordance with the recording signal, the liquid ink 7 can be deposited on an arbitrary position on the ink transfer medium 5.

Therefore, by transferring the liquid ink 7 adhering to the ink transfer medium 5 to the recording medium 2, desired characters, figures, etc. can be recorded.

Note that the heating element of the heating head 4 is not limited to the resistance heating element 9 and can be used as long as it can be heated in accordance with the recording signal. Furthermore, the liquid ink 7 is not limited to the above materials, but any material whose viscosity changes upon heating can be used.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, recording is performed by utilizing the difference between the force due to the surface tension of the liquid ink and the adhesion force to the ink transfer medium due to the increase in the viscosity of the liquid ink due to local heating. Since it is recorded on a medium, it is possible to record high-quality images with a simple configuration and easy maintenance.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view explaining the principle of a recording method in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2(a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views showing examples of ink transfer media used in the present invention, respectively. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing an example of a heating head used in the present invention. 0 1 - roller, 2 - recording medium, 3 - roller, 4...
Heating head, 5... Ink transfer medium, 6... Ink layer, 7... Liquid ink, 8... Constant temperature body, 9... Resistance heating body.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An ink-repellent ink transfer medium is brought into contact with the liquid ink, and the contact area between the ink transfer medium and the liquid ink is selectively heated in accordance with a recording signal to deposit the liquid ink onto the ink transfer medium. , a recording method characterized in that the adhered liquid ink is transferred to a recording medium. (2) The recording method according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion between the ink transfer medium and the liquid ink is heated by heating elements arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the ink transfer medium.