JPS62286767A - Thermal transfer printer - 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 3. Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer, and more specifically, to a thermal transfer material having a plurality of thermal transfer agent layers with different tones on a support. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer to be used.

[Prior Art] Thermal transfer printers have the general characteristics of thermal recording methods, such as being lightweight, compact, noiseless, and easy to operate and maintain, as well as eliminating the need for thermochromic processed paper. , which also has the feature of excellent durability of recorded images, has recently begun to be widely used.

This thermal transfer printer generally uses a thermal transfer agent (made by dispersing a coloring agent in a heat-melting binder) on a sheet-like support.
This thermal transfer material is applied onto the recording medium so that the ink layer is in contact with the recording medium, and a thermal head, which is a heating means, is applied from the support side of the thermal transfer material. By transferring an ink layer melted by supplying heat to a recording medium, a transferred ink image corresponding to the shape of the heat supply is formed on the recording medium.

On the other hand, there is a strong market demand for two-color printing while taking advantage of the advantages of the thermal transfer recording method, and various techniques for obtaining two-color printing have been proposed.

Conventionally, as a method for printing in two colors on plain paper using a thermal transfer recording method, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 148591/1987 discloses two heat-melting high melting point inks containing different colorants on a base material. Layer A and low melting point ink layer B are sequentially laminated from the base material side, and in the case of low heat application energy, only the low melting point ink layer B is transferred onto the plain paper, and in the case of high heat application energy, the heat melting ink layer A is transferred onto the plain paper. , B are both transcribed, 2
A two-color thermal transfer recording element is disclosed that provides a color record.

Furthermore, JP-A-59-84389 discloses a two-color thermal transfer ink in which an ink layer consisting of an ink that melts and leaches by heating and an ink that melts and peels off at a temperature higher than the melting and leaching temperature is provided on a base material. The sheet is disclosed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In these methods, two-color printing is performed by changing the temperature of the reink layer by changing the energy applied to the thermal head in two stages. When the ink layer is heated to a high temperature by giving
Due to the diffusion of heat, a relatively low temperature area is created around the high temperature area, which causes fringing of colors printed at low temperature around the area printed at high temperature.Furthermore, if high energy is applied to the thermal head, However, it takes a relatively long time for the temperature to decrease, and therefore has the disadvantage that the color printed at a low temperature tends to trail behind the area printed at a high temperature.

In addition, in either method, there is a restriction that a material with a relatively low melting point must be used as an ink material for printing at a low temperature, which causes problems such as background smearing and reduced maintainability.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a method for applying heat from the support side of a thermal transfer material in which a plurality of thermal transfer agent layers with different tones are formed on a support. A structure including a heating means and a pressing force variable means that can change the pressing force of the heating means against the recording medium as necessary is adopted.

[Function] When the above-described structure is adopted, the pressing force of the thermal head against the thermal transfer material can be changed simply by operating the pressing force variable means.
Multi-color recording can be performed selectively.

[Example] The present invention will be described in detail based on the example shown in the following five drawings.

First, FIG. 6 shows a thermal transfer material to which this example is applied.

That is, a first ink layer 2 and a second ink R3 having mutually different tones are provided on the support 1 from the support 1 side, and the thermal transfer material 4 is
It is said that

To perform recording using this thermal transfer material 4, the second ink layer is brought into contact with the recording medium, and when thermal energy is applied from the support side by the thermal head according to the recording information, the thermal head and the support are connected. The second ink layer or both the first ink layer and the second ink layer are selectively transferred to the recording medium by applying thermal energy from the thermal head while relatively different contact pressures are applied. .

As a result, when the thermal head preferably applies thermal energy when the contact pressure between the thermal head and the support is relatively small, the second ink layer 3 is transferred to the recording medium, and the thermal energy is transferred to the recording medium. When the application is carried out when the contact pressure between the heating head and the support is relatively small: pj
It becomes possible to transfer both the first ink layer 2 and the second ink layer 3 to the recording medium.

When carrying out the above-described recording, the relative change in the contact pressure between the thermal head and the support of the thermal transfer material is carried out by the means shown in the first and second embodiments described below.

[First Embodiment] FIGS. 1 to 9 illustrate a first embodiment of the present invention, and in FIG. 1, "" shows a pressing force variable means.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 5 indicates a platen, and a head holder 6 is disposed on the front side of the platen, with its base end rotatably supported via a shaft 7. head holder 6
A spring 8 is stretched between the vicinity of the upper end of the head holder 6 and a fixed part of the apparatus (on the opposite side from the platen), giving the head holder 6 the ability to rotate in a direction away from the platen 5.

At the upper end of the head holder 6 on the side of the platen 5 there is a heating pad 9.
is fixed. 10 is a recording paper, and 4 is a thermal transfer material.

On the other hand, on the opposite side of the platen 5 across the head holder 6, a lever 11 is rotatably supported at its lower end via a shaft 12. A roller 1 is rotatably supported on the upper end of the lever 11, and a cam 14 is disposed at a position where it can come into contact with the roller 13. The cam 14 is rotated via a shaft 15 by a motor (not shown).

This cam 14 has a three-stage cam surface, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, for example.

On the other hand, on the side of the lever 11, there are a pair of left and right stoppers 16.
17 is provided in a protruding manner, and left and right arms 18a, 18b of a torsion coil spring 18 wound around the shaft 12 are loaded between the two.

Next, the operation of this embodiment having the structure described above will be explained.

In this embodiment, the shape of the cam 14 is as shown in FIGS.
As shown in the figure, since the structure has three ridges with radii ro, rl, and r2, when the cam 14 rotates, the fifth
As shown in the figure, the distance from the center changes in three stages.

During non-recording, the cam 14 has its cam surface with the minimum radius ro facing the roller 13, as shown in FIG. 1, and the head holder 6 is pulled away from the platen 5 by the force of the spring 8. The lever 11 is rotated clockwise in the figure via one arm 18a of the torsion coil spring 18, and the cam surface of the cam 14 with the radius rO is rotated against the roller 1.
It is in contact with 3.

On the other hand, when it is desired to perform recording using the color tone of the second ink layer 3, the cam 14 is rotated counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 2, and the radius r! The cam surface of the roller 13 contacts the roller 13.

As a result, the lever 11 is rotated counterclockwise, the RAD holder 6 is pushed toward the platen (via the arm 18a of the torsion coil spring 18), and the thermal head 9 is transferred to the platen 5 along with the recording paper 10 via the thermal transfer material 4. Pressed to the side.

In this state, the thermal pad 9 generates heat, and only the second ink layer 3 is transferred to the recording medium.

On the other hand, when it is desired to perform recording using the color tone of the first ink layer 2, the cam 14 is further rotated counterclockwise as shown in FIG. is in contact with the roller 13.

Therefore, the thermal head l is the arm 18a of the coil spring 18.
is pressed even more strongly toward the platen 5 through the .

As a result, the first and second ink layers are transferred to the recording paper 10 side, and the recorded image has the color tone of the first ink layer 2, or the color tone of the first and second ink absorbing layers is mixed. It becomes the color tone.

In this way, by changing the pressing force of the thermal transfer material against the thermal transfer material, recording with different tones can be selectively performed.

Incidentally, the shape of the cam 14 is not limited to the stepwise shape shown in FIGS. 4 and 15, but may also be of a stepless shape as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

Further, the thermal transfer material 4 is not limited to a two-color material as shown in FIG. 6, but may have a structure similar to a so-called correction ribbon.

An example of a modified ribbon structure is shown in FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the second ink layer 3 is a white ink layer 3a.

The color tone of this white ink layer 3a is usually -, but may be other colors.

The recording and correction operations are the same as in the embodiment described above, and when the cam surface with radius r1 is used, only the white ink layer 3a is transferred, covering the already recorded characters, etc., and correction is performed. .

Normal recording is performed by pressing the thermal head toward the platen using a cam surface of radius r2. In this case, recording is performed using the color tone of the first ink layer.

[Second Embodiment] Figures 10 and 11 illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention, and in this embodiment, an example is shown in which a solenoid is used as the pressing force variable means. There is.

That is, in this embodiment, the head holder 6 is not a rotating type, but has a retracted type structure that moves straight forward and backward, and is driven by the first and second solenoids 19 and 20. It will be done.

The solenoid 19 has a rod 21, the tip of which is slidably fitted into the head holder 6.

A stopper 22 is fixed to the tip of the rod 21, and a spring receiver 23 and a head holder 7 provided in the middle of the stopper 22 are fixed to the tip of the rod 21.
A spring 24 is loaded between the two.

Further, a spring 25 is stretched between the rod 21 and a fixed part of the device, and the platen 8 is connected to the rod 21.
It gives them the habit of moving away from the.

On the other hand, the second solenoid 20 has the same structure, and the rod 26. stopper 27, - has a spring receiver 28;
A spring 2 is installed between the spring receiver 28 and the head holder 6.
9 is loaded.

Further, a spring 30 is stretched between the rod 26 and a fixed portion of the device, giving the rod 26 a tendency to move away from the platen 5.

Next, the operation of this embodiment configured as above will be explained.

That is, when it is desired to perform recording based on the color tone of the second ink layer 3, the first solenoid 19 is energized and the rod 21 is energized.
advance. Then, the spring 24 is deflected, and its pressing force presses the thermal pad 9 toward the platen via the head holder 6, and recording is performed using the color tone of the second ink layer 3.

On the other hand, when it is desired to perform recording based on the color tone of the first ink layer 2, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the thermal head 9 is pressed toward the platen 5 by the pressing force of the springs 24 and 29.
By applying a strong pressing force, recording is performed using the color tone of the first ink layer 2 or a mixed color tone of the first and second ink layers.

Of course, the same applies when a modified ribbon structure is used.

By the way, although the above-mentioned embodiment has been explained using the case of two-color recording as an example, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and
It can also be applied when performing multi-color recording of more than one color.

[Effects] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, a structure is adopted in which a means for varying the pressing force of the thermal head, which is the heating means, against the recording medium is provided, so that the pressing force can be changed. With this, multi-color recording can be selectively performed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 9 explain the first embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 1 to 3 are side views explaining the operation, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the cam, and FIG. Cam characteristic diagrams, Figures 6 and 7 are enlarged sectional views of different thermal transfer materials, Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram of different cams, Figure 9 is a cam characteristic diagram, and Figures 10 and 7 are FIG. 11 is a side view of a pressing force variable means illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention. 4... Thermal transfer material 9... Thermal head 10...
Recording paper 14...Cam 18.24.29...
Spring 19...First solenoid 26...Second solenoid

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) Requires a heating means for applying heat from the support side of a thermal transfer material on which a plurality of thermal transfer agent layers with different tones are formed, and a pressing force of the heating means against the recording medium. A thermal transfer printer characterized by having a pressing force variable means that can be changed according to. 2) The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the pressing force variable means is a cam. 3) The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the pressing force variable means is a solenoid.