JP6376358B2 - Masking tape cartridge, printing masking tape roll, and printing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a masking tape cartridge capable of supplying a masking tape, a printing masking tape roll formed by printing on the supplied masking tape, and a printing apparatus for performing the printing.

  A tape cassette including a roll around which a print-receiving tape is wound and a ribbon roll around which a thermal transfer ribbon (ink ribbon) is wound is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this conventional technology, the print-receiving tape (print-adhesive tape) includes, for example, a tape base layer (base layer) made of polyethylene or the like, and a transfer layer provided on one side in the thickness direction of the tape base layer. (Release agent layer) and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer provided on the other side in the thickness direction of the tape base material layer. In use, the transfer layer separated from the thermal transfer ribbon by heating by the print head of the printing apparatus equipped with the tape cassette adheres to the transfer target layer of the print target tape, thereby forming a print. At this time, in this prior art, the transfer value is improved by setting the SP value of the transfer layer of the thermal transfer ribbon and the SP value of the transfer layer of the print-receiving tape to be relatively close, thereby improving the print quality. It is illustrated.

JP 2014-70090 A

  In recent years, a so-called masking tape has been proposed as a print-receiving tape as described above, and is being used for various purposes. In this masking tape, the tape base layer including paper is used, and an ink layer is provided between the tape base layer and the transfer target layer, for example, to express the background color of the tape. ing. That is, an ink layer is provided on the tape base material layer, and the transferred layer is further provided thereon.

  In the case of such a laminated structure of masking tape, since the tape base layer provided with paper has irregularities, even when the transfer layer is provided as described above, the ink layer inside the tape is locally localized in some places. It may be exposed on the surface. In this case, some means for improving the fixing property of the transfer layer separated from the thermal transfer ribbon to the exposed ink layer is required. The above prior art has not taken such points into consideration.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a masking tape cartridge, a printing masking tape roll, and a printing apparatus capable of improving the fixing property at the time of transfer of the thermal transfer ribbon even when paper is included in the tape base layer and improving the printing quality. There is to do.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a masking tape cartridge that can be mounted on a printing apparatus and wound with a masking tape printed by a thermal transfer ribbon, the masking tape comprising a tape base containing paper. A material layer, provided on one side in the thickness direction of the tape base layer, an ink layer containing a nonpolar resin and ink, and provided adjacent to one side in the thickness direction of the ink layer; A transfer layer containing a resin , wherein the ink layer is locally exposed on one surface of the transfer layer .

  In the first invention of the present application, in the masking tape, an ink layer is provided on one side in the thickness direction of the tape base material layer, and a transferred layer is further provided on one side thereof. For example, the transfer layer separated from the thermal transfer ribbon adheres to the transfer layer, and printing is performed. At this time, since the non-polar resin is contained in the transferred layer of the masking tape, the adhesion of dust to the transferred layer can be suppressed, and the printing quality can be improved.

  Since the tape base layer is made of uneven paper, even when the transfer layer is provided as described above, the inner ink layer is locally exposed on the one side surface in some places. There is a case. In the present invention, since the nonpolar resin is also contained in the ink layer, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the transferred layer even in the exposed ink layer, and to improve the printing quality.

  According to the present invention, even when paper is included in the tape base material layer, it is possible to improve the fixability at the time of transfer of the thermal transfer ribbon and improve the printing quality.

It is a right view showing the appearance of the tape printer concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a sectional side view showing the internal structure of a tape printer. It is a right view showing the external appearance of the state which the 1st opening / closing cover and 2nd opening / closing cover of a tape printer opened. FIG. 4 is an exploded side view showing a state in which a masking tape cartridge and a ribbon cartridge are removed by opening a first opening / closing cover and a second opening / closing cover of the tape printer. It is a functional block diagram showing the control system of a tape printer. It is explanatory drawing showing the usage condition of a masking tape. It is explanatory drawing showing the lamination | stacking structure of a thermal transfer ribbon, and the transfer behavior to a masking tape. It is explanatory drawing showing the lamination | stacking state in the roll by which the masking tape after transcription | transfer was wound. It is a perspective view showing the whole structure of the tape printer concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the tape printer in the state where the detachable cover was removed. It is a top view showing the internal structure of a cartridge. It is explanatory drawing showing the lamination | stacking structure of a thermal transfer ribbon, and the transfer behavior to a masking tape.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, when there are notes “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “upper”, “lower” in the drawings, “front (front)” “rear (rear)” in the description in the specification “Left (left)”, “right (right)”, “upper (upper)” and “lower (lower)” refer to the noted direction.

<Schematic configuration of tape printer>
First, the schematic configuration of the tape printer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  1 to 4, a tape printing apparatus 101 (corresponding to a printing apparatus) of the present embodiment includes a casing 102 that constitutes the outer shell of the apparatus, a rear side opening / closing part 108, and a front side opening / closing cover 109. Yes.

  The housing 102 includes a housing main body 102a, a first storage portion 103 provided on the rear side of the housing main body 102a, a second storage portion 104 and a third storage portion provided on the front side of the housing main body 102a. 105.

  The rear opening / closing part 108 is connected to the upper part on the rear side of the housing main body 102a so as to be openable and closable. The rear opening / closing unit 108 can open and close above the first storage unit 103 by rotating. The rear opening / closing part 108 includes a first opening / closing cover 108a and a second opening / closing cover 108b.

  The first opening / closing cover 108a can be opened / closed on the front side of the first storage portion 103 by rotating around a predetermined rotation axis K1 provided at the upper part on the rear side of the housing body 102a. is there. A head holding portion 110 is provided inside the first opening / closing cover 108a (see FIG. 3). The first opening / closing cover 108a rotates around the rotation axis K1 so that the thermal head 111 (corresponding to the printing unit) provided in the head holding unit 110 is provided in the housing body 102a. Further, it is possible to move away from and approach relative to the transport roller 112 (corresponding to the transport unit).

  The second opening / closing cover 108b is provided on the rear side of the first opening / closing cover 108a, and rotates about a predetermined rotation axis K2 provided on the upper end portion on the rear side of the housing body 102a. Thus, the rear upper portion of the first storage portion 103 can be opened and closed separately from the opening and closing of the first opening and closing cover 108a.

  When the first opening / closing cover 108a and the second opening / closing cover 108b are in the closed state, the outer peripheral portion 118 of the first opening / closing cover 108a and the edge portion 119 of the second opening / closing cover 108b are substantially the same. It is configured to contact and cover substantially the entire upper part of the first storage unit 103.

  The front opening / closing cover 109 is connected to the upper part on the front side of the housing body 102a so as to be openable and closable. The front opening / closing cover 109 can open and close above the second storage portion 104 by rotating around a predetermined rotation axis K3 provided at the upper end of the front side of the housing body 102a. Specifically, the front opening / closing cover 109 is opened from the closed position (the state shown in FIGS. 1 to 3) covering the second storage unit 104 to expose the top of the second storage unit 104 (the state shown in FIG. 4). ).

  At this time, the masking tape cartridge TK of the present embodiment is detachably attached to the first predetermined position 113 below the front opening / closing cover 109 in the closed state of the housing body 102a. The masking tape cartridge TK includes a first roll R1 wound around an axis O1 and a connecting arm 116.

  The first roll R1 is supported on the rear side of the masking tape cartridge TK by the connecting arm 116, and is rotatable when the masking tape cartridge TK is mounted on the housing body 102a. In the first roll R1, a long masking tape 153 consumed by feeding is wound around the axis O1 in the left-right direction in advance. In each figure of the present embodiment, the masking tape 153 provided as the first roll R1 is omitted as appropriate (for the purpose of preventing complication of illustration), and is provided so as to sandwich both sides of the masking tape 153 in the width direction. Only the substantially circular roll flange portion is shown. In that case, for the sake of convenience, the roll flange portion is schematically shown with the symbol “R1”.

  At this time, when the masking tape cartridge TK is mounted, the first roll R1 is received from above and stored in a state in which the axis O1 of the winding of the masking tape 153 is in the left-right direction. . And the 1st roll R1 is a predetermined rotation direction (A direction in FIG. 2) in the said 1st accommodating part 103 in the state accommodated in the 1st accommodating part 103 (state in which masking tape cartridge TK was mounted | worn). , The masking tape 153 is fed out.

  As shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 2, the masking tape 153 has a surface on one side (upper surface in FIG. 2) finished to be substantially smooth so that printing is formed by the thermal head 111 ( The details are described later. That is, the tape printing apparatus 101 performs desired printing corresponding to print data from a PC 217 (see FIG. 5 described later) as an operation terminal on the printing surface of the masking tape 153 using the thermal head 111 described later. This is performed by thermal transfer of ink on the thermal transfer ribbon IB. This will be described later.

  Further, the transport roller 112 is provided on the middle upper side of the first storage unit 103 and the third storage unit 105 in the housing main body 102a. The transport roller 112 is driven by a transport motor M1 provided in the housing main body 102a via a gear mechanism (not shown), and thereby is masked from the first roll R1 stored in the first storage unit 103. The tape 153 is conveyed in a tape posture in which the tape width direction is the left-right direction.

<Masking tape>
As shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 2, the masking tape 153 is provided adjacent to the tape base layer 163 including paper and one side in the thickness direction of the tape base layer 163 (upper side in the enlarged view). , A printing ink layer 162 (corresponding to an ink layer) of an ink that develops a background color of the tape (for example, semi-transparent light red, light yellow, light green, light brown, light purple, etc.), and a printing ink layer 162 The peeling layer 161 (corresponding to the layer to be transferred) provided adjacent to one side in the thickness direction (upper side in the enlarged view) and the other side in the thickness direction of the tape base material layer 163 (lower side in the enlarged view) And a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 164 including a pressure-sensitive adhesive. At this time, particularly in the present embodiment, the surface roughness of the one-side surface 161a in the thickness direction of the masking tape 153 has a 10-point average roughness (Rz) value of 1 μm or more and 10 μm or less. Further, the thickness tp (see FIG. 7B described later) of the tape base material layer 163 is 60 μm or more and 80 μm or less. Further, the thickness tr of the peeling layer 161 (see FIG. 7 described later (b)) has a 0.05 g / ^{m 2} or more 0.1 g / ^{m 2} or less.

  The head holding unit 110 provided in the first opening / closing cover 108a is provided with the thermal head 111. The thermal head 111 includes a transport roller 112 in the first opening / closing cover 108a in the closed state of the head holding unit 110 so as to sandwich the masking tape 153 transported by the transport roller 112 in cooperation with the transport roller 112. It is arrange | positioned in the position which opposes above. Therefore, when the first opening / closing cover 108a is in the closed state, the thermal head 111 and the transport roller 112 are arranged to face each other in the vertical direction. Then, the thermal head 111 has a thermal transfer ribbon IB of a ribbon cartridge RK, which will be described later, on one side in the thickness direction of the masking tape 153 sandwiched between the conveying rollers 112 (the surface of a release layer 161 which will be described later). Is used to form a desired print to obtain a printed masking tape 153 ′.

  At this time, the ribbon cartridge RK is detachably mounted at a second predetermined position 114 below the first opening / closing cover 108a and above the masking tape cartridge TK in the closed state of the housing body 102a. The first predetermined position 113 and the second predetermined position correspond to the cartridge mounting portion described in each claim. The ribbon cartridge RK includes a housing RH (see FIGS. 3 and 4), a ribbon supply roll R4, and a ribbon take-up roll R5.

  The ribbon supply roll R4 is rotatably supported by the housing RH on the rear side of the ribbon cartridge RK, and winds the thermal transfer ribbon IB around a predetermined axis. The ribbon supply roll R4 rotates in a predetermined rotation direction (D direction in FIG. 2) in a state where the ribbon cartridge RK is mounted, so that the thermal transfer ribbon IB for performing print formation by the thermal head 111 is used. Pull out.

  The ribbon take-up roll R5 is rotatably supported by the housing RH on the front side of the ribbon cartridge RK, and rotates in a predetermined rotation direction (E direction in FIG. 2) when the ribbon cartridge RK is mounted. Thus, the used thermal transfer ribbon IB after the printing is formed is wound up.

  Further, a ribbon take-up roller (not shown) is provided on the downstream side of the thermal head 111 along the tape transport direction in the first opening / closing cover 108a. The ribbon take-up roller guides the used thermal transfer ribbon IB to the ribbon take-up roll R5.

  That is, the thermal transfer ribbon IB fed out from the ribbon supply roll R4 is further disposed on the thermal head 111 side of the masking tape 153 sandwiched between the thermal head 111 and the conveying roller 112 and contacts the lower side of the thermal head 111. To do. Then, after heating from the thermal head 111, a part of the layer (details will be described later) of the thermal transfer ribbon IB is separated, transferred (attached) to one side in the thickness direction of the masking tape 153, and printing is performed. The used thermal transfer ribbon IB is wound around the ribbon winding roll R5 while being guided by the ribbon winding roller.

The thermal transfer ribbon IB is provided adjacent to the ribbon base layer 155a and the other side (the lower side in the enlarged view) of the ribbon base layer 155a in the thickness direction, and melts by receiving heat to cause the ribbon base layer 155a. An undercoat layer 155b that is separated from the ink layer 155b, an ink layer 155c that is provided adjacent to the other side of the undercoat layer 155b in the thickness direction and that includes a pigment that gives a visual color as a print, and the ink layer 155c. An overcoat layer 155d (corresponding to a transfer layer) provided adjacent to the other side in the thickness direction and adhering to the transfer target, and adjacent to one side (upper side in the enlarged view) of the ribbon base layer 155a in the thickness direction And a backcoat layer 155e that serves as a heat-resistant coating for overheat protection. At this time, in particular, the thickness of the overcoat layer 155d is preferably 0.10 to 0.40 g / m ² . If the overcoat layer 155d is too small, sufficient fixability cannot be secured and sufficient print density cannot be obtained, and even if the overcoat layer is too thick, heat cannot be transmitted and sufficient fixability cannot be secured. is there.

<Details of ribbon substrate layer>
Examples of the ribbon base layer 155a include polyester films such as polyethylene terephthalate film (PET), polyethylene naphthalate film (PEN), polyarylate film (PAR), polybutylene terephthalate film (PBT), and other thermal transfer ribbon base materials. Various films that are generally used as a film for a film are used.

<Details of overcoat layer and ink layer>
Wax is added to the overcoat layer 155d and the ink layer 155c. Examples of the wax include natural wax such as beeswax (animal wax), carnauba wax, candelilla wax, wood wax, rice wax (vegetable wax), montan wax, ozokerite wax, cesilene wax (mineral wax), and paraffin. Among waxes, petroleum waxes such as microcrystalline wax, Fischer-Tropsch wax, polyethylene wax (hydrocarbon synthetic wax), higher fatty acid esters, fatty acid amides, ketones, amines, synthetic waxes such as hydrogenated oil, etc. One type or two or more types are used.

  The printed masking tape 153 ′ having been printed as described above is wound around the outer periphery of the winding mechanism 140 to form a second roll R <b> 2 (corresponding to a printing masking tape roll). . That is, the winding mechanism 140 for sequentially winding the printed masking tape 153 'is received in the second storage section 104 from above, and the winding axis O2 of the printed masking tape 153' is set in the left-right direction. In such a state, it is accommodated so as to be rotatably supported around the axis O2. Then, in a state where the winding mechanism 140 is stored in the second storage unit 104, the winding mechanism 140 is driven via the gear mechanism by the winding motor M <b> 2 provided in the housing body 102 a, and is predetermined within the second storage unit 104. The printed masking tape 153 'is wound and laminated (with the release layer 161 on the outer peripheral side) by rotating in the rotation direction (B direction in FIG. 2). As a result, the printed masking tape 153 ′ is sequentially wound around the outer peripheral side of the winding mechanism 140 to form the second roll R <b> 2. In each drawing of the present embodiment, the printed masking tape 153 ′ provided in the roll R2 is omitted as appropriate (for the purpose of preventing complication of illustration), and both sides of the printed masking tape 153 ′ in the width direction are sandwiched. Only the substantially circular roll flange portion provided as described above is shown. In this case, the roll flange portion is schematically shown with a symbol “R2”.

<Outline of operation of tape printer>
Next, an outline of the operation of the tape printer 101 will be described.

  That is, when the masking tape cartridge TK is mounted at the first predetermined position 113 (cartridge mounting portion), the first roll R1 positioned on the rear side of the masking tape cartridge TK is stored in the first storage portion 103 and masked. The front portion of the tape cartridge TK is stored in the third storage unit 105. The second storage unit 104 stores a winding mechanism 140 for forming the second roll R2.

  At this time, when the transport roller 112 is driven, the masking tape 153 fed out by the rotation of the first roll R1 stored in the first storage unit 103 is transported forward. Then, a desired print is formed by the thermal head 111 on the printing surface of the masking tape 153 being conveyed, and a printed masking tape 153 ′ is obtained. The printed masking tape 153 ′ is further conveyed forward, introduced into the second storage unit 104, and wound around the outer peripheral side of the winding mechanism 140 in the second storage unit 104 to form a second roll R 2. Is done. At that time, the cutter mechanism 130 provided on the front opening / closing cover 109 on the rear side of the second roll R2, that is, on the upstream side of the second roll R2 along the tape conveyance direction, cuts the masking tape 153 ′ that has been printed. . Thereby, the printed masking tape 153 ′ wound around the second roll R 2 is cut at a timing desired by the user (operator), and after the cutting, the second roll R 2 is taken out from the second storage unit 104. Can do.

  A chute 115 may be provided for switching the transport path of the printed masking tape 153 'between the side toward the second roll R2 and the side toward the discharge port (not shown). That is, by switching the tape path by the switching operation of the chute 115 by a switching lever (not shown), the casing 102 is kept as it is (without winding the printed masking tape 153 'which has been printed in the second storage unit 104). For example, it may be discharged to the outside of the housing 102 from a discharge port (not shown) provided on the second opening / closing cover 108b side.

<Control system>
Next, the control system of the tape printer 101 will be described. In FIG. 5, the tape printer 101 is provided with a CPU 212. The CPU 212 is connected to a RAM 213, a ROM 214, a display unit 215, and an operation unit 216. The CPU 212 performs signal processing according to a program stored in advance in the ROM 214 while using the temporary storage function of the RAM 213, thereby controlling the entire tape printer 101. The CPU 212 also controls the motor drive circuit 218 that controls the transport motor M1 that drives the transport roller 112, and the motor drive circuit that controls the drive of the winding motor M2 that drives the second roll R2. 219 and a print head control circuit 221 that controls energization of the heat generating elements of the thermal head 111.

The RAM 213 stores the print data in the image data format received from the PC 217 (or generated in response to the operation of the operation unit 216) as dot pattern data for printing on the masking tape 153 and stored therein. A buffer 213a is provided. In accordance with the print data stored in the image buffer 213a, the CPU 212 prints out the print by the thermal head 111 via the print head control circuit 221 while feeding the masking tape 153 by the transport roller 112 according to an appropriate control program stored in the ROM 214. Printing corresponding to the data is performed on the printing surface. In the present embodiment, under the control of the CPU 212, for example, the printing roller 112 and the thermal roller 112 and the thermal are printed by a known method so that the printing speed with respect to the masking tape 153 is 100 [mm / sec] or more and 200 [mm / sec]. The head 111 is cooperatively controlled in synchronization with each other.
<Usage example>
FIG. 6 shows an example of use of the printed masking tape 153 ′ printed as described above. In the example shown in FIG. 6A, for example, “A slow ball is thrown. A speed gun cant detect the speed of the ball. Article text such as “It's a mirror ...” is printed. In FIG. 6B, for example, in order for the user to mark this article, the printed masking tape 153 ′ on which the date “16/3/31” is printed as described above is pasted on the paper PA. Shows the state. In this case, the printed masking tape 153 ′ has a certain degree of transparency due to the configuration described later, and the letters “A slow” covered by the printed masking tape 153 ′ can be seen slightly through the masking tape 301. .

<Features of this embodiment>
The feature of this embodiment is that the masking tape 153 and the thermal transfer ribbon IB are provided with a nonpolar resin. The details will be described below with reference to FIG.

<Adhesion behavior of thermal transfer ribbon>
The laminated structure and transfer behavior of the thermal transfer ribbon IB in the present embodiment are shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B (see also FIG. 2 above).

  7A and 7B, as described above, the thermal transfer ribbon IB includes the ribbon base layer 155a, the undercoat layer 155b, the ink layer 155c, and the overcoat layer 155d. And the back coat layer 155e. Further, as described above, the masking tape 153 includes the tape base layer 163, the printing ink layer 162, the release layer 161, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 164.

  In the above, the undercoat layer 155b, the ink layer 155c, and the overcoat layer 155d of the thermal transfer ribbon IB are combined to form a transfer layer 155A, and a part of the transfer layer 155A is transferred to the release layer 161 of the masking tape 153. Is done. That is, as shown in FIG. 7B, the undercoat layer 155b is melted by heat received from the thermal head 111, so that the ribbon base layer 155a, the undercoat layer 155b, the ink layer 155c, and The transfer layer 155A composed of the overcoat layer 155d is separated. Then, the overcoat layer 155d side of the transfer layer 155A is transferred and adhered to the surface 161a on the one side in the thickness direction of the masking tape 153 to be transferred (that is, the upper surface of the release layer 161). As a result, printing is performed on the masking tape 153 by the thermal transfer ribbon IB, and the printed masking tape 153 'is generated.

  At this time, in this embodiment, the said peeling layer 161 of the masking tape 153 contains nonpolar resin. In the printing ink layer 162, a nonpolar resin is dispersed and mixed. Further, the transfer layer 155A of the thermal transfer ribbon IB (specifically, the overcoat layer 155d of the thermal transfer ribbon IB which is the outermost layer in this example) also contains a nonpolar resin.

<Specific examples of nonpolar resin>
The non-polar resin used for the overcoat layer 155d of the thermal transfer ribbon 55, the release layer 161 of the masking tape 153, and the printing ink layer 162 does not include any of oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, or halogen in the molecule. It refers to a resin that hardly generates polarization electronically. Specific examples include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyisoprene, polybutene, polyisobutylene, polybutadiene, polymethylpentene, and polystyrene. In particular, polyethylene and polypropylene are mainly used in this embodiment from the viewpoint of ease of processing and solubility.

  For example, when polyethylene is added to the overcoat layer 155d, the addition amount is preferably 10% to 30% of the overcoat layer 155d. This is because if the addition amount of polyethylene is too small, sufficient affinity with the release layer 161 of the masking tape 153 cannot be obtained, and if it is too much, the solubility is lowered, so that sufficient fixability can be secured. It is not possible.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since both the peeling layer 161 of the masking tape 301 and the overcoat layer 155d of the thermal transfer ribbon 55 contain the nonpolar resin, the two layers attract each other. Fixability can be improved. This is due to the following reason. That is, since a nonpolar resin has no side chain having an electron withdrawing group such as O or N in the molecule or a bond such as C═O in the main skeleton, the electrical δ− portion and δ + There is almost no part. Therefore, when both the release layer 161 and the overcoat layer 155d contain a nonpolar resin (a polar resin and a nonpolar resin in which an electrical δ− portion and a δ + portion exist in the resin) Since all resins are non-polarized and have high affinity and strong electrostatic interaction (compared to the case of mixing non-polar resin and polar resin) A bond is obtained. As a result, the fixing property of the transfer layer 155A separated from the thermal transfer ribbon IB to the release layer 161 is improved. Further, when viewed as a single release layer 161 before transfer, dust adhesion to the release layer 161 can be suppressed.

  At this time, the tape base material layer 163 includes paper and has some unevenness. For this reason, even when the release layer 161 is provided on the tape base material layer 163 as described above, the printing ink layer 162 inside thereof may be locally exposed on the surface 161a on the one side in some places. In the present embodiment, in correspondence with the above, the printing ink layer 163 also contains a nonpolar resin. Thereby, even in the above case, the fixability of the transfer layer 155A can be improved by the exposed printing ink layer 163 attracting the transfer layer 155A. Further, when viewed from the printing ink layer 163 alone before transfer, the adhesion of dust to the printing ink layer 163 can be suppressed.

  As a result, according to the present embodiment, good printing can be performed with high quality even on the masking tape 153 including paper in the tape base layer 163.

<Adhesive layer with polar resin>
Meanwhile, as another feature of the present embodiment, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 164 provided on the other side in the thickness direction of the masking tape 153 includes a polar resin. The polar resin contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 164 refers to a resin that contains at least one of oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and halogen in the molecule and that is electronically polarized in the molecule. Specifically, polyester, ethylene / vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene / methacrylic acid copolymer, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyimide, polyetherimide, polyetherketone, polyetheretherketone, nylon , Polyamide, polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyacrylonitrile, vinylon, polyurethane, triacetyl cell source, acetal resin, ABS resin, acetal resin, epoxy resin, phenol resin, melamine resin, xylene resin, urea resin, acrylic Such as resin. In the present embodiment, polyester or polyurethane is mainly used from the viewpoint of ease of processing and solubility.

  As described above, the significance that the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 164 contains a polar resin is as follows. That is, when the transfer layer 155A is transferred as described above, the printed masking tape 153 'is transferred to the transfer layer 155A, the release layer 161 (transfer target layer), the printing ink layer 162, and the tape base material. The layers 163 and the adhesive layer 164 are laminated in this order (see the enlarged view in FIG. 2). Then, the printed masking tape 153 ′ after transfer (printing) is wound around the outer periphery of the winding mechanism 140, thereby forming the second roll R <b> 2. Then, the printed masking tape 153 'is unwound from the second roll R2 and used. In this case, in the wound second roll R2, as shown in FIG. 8, the transfer layer 155A, the release layer 161, the printing ink layer 162, the tape base layer 163, the adhesive layer 164, the transfer layer 155A, A laminate structure such as a release layer 161, a printing ink layer 162, a tape base layer 163, an adhesive layer 164,... Is formed, and the adhesive layer 164 and the transfer layer 155A are in contact with each other. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as the pressure-sensitive adhesive for the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 164, one containing the polar resin is used. As a result, the affinity with the transfer layer 155A containing the nonpolar resin can be kept low as described above, so that the transfer layer is applied by the adhesive force of the adhesive layer 164 when it is fed out from the contacted state as described above. It is possible to prevent 155A from being peeled off from the release layer 161, and it is possible to prevent deterioration in print notation quality during use.

  As a result, according to the present embodiment, good printing can be performed with high quality even on the masking tape 153 including paper in the tape base layer 163.

  In this embodiment, in particular, the tape substrate layer 163 has a thickness tp of 60 μm or more, so that the necessary strength as a tape can be secured. Can be planned.

  Further, in this embodiment, in particular, it is possible to suppress the loss of texture as paper by setting the value of the ten-point average roughness (Rz) of the one surface 161a in the thickness direction of the masking tape 153 to 1 μm or more, In addition, when the thickness is 10 μm or less, it is possible to suppress deterioration in followability during transfer due to excessive unevenness.

In the present embodiment, in particular, the affinity tr of the thermal transfer ribbon IB with the transfer layer 155A can be ensured by setting the thickness tr of the release layer 161 to 0.05 g / m ² or more. with m ² or less, it can be secured texture as masking tape 153.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. In the following figures, if there are notes of “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, “upper”, “lower”, in the description in the specification, the front, rear, left, right Up, down refers to the noted direction.

<Appearance outline structure of the device>
As shown in FIG. 9, a tape printer 1 that is a printing device of the present embodiment is a so-called handy-type tape printer that is gripped by a user's (user, operator) hand. The casing 6 of the tape printer 1 includes a front cover 6A that constitutes the front face of the apparatus and a rear cover 6B that constitutes the rear face of the apparatus. Further, the rear cover 6B includes a rear cover body 6B1 incorporating various mechanisms, and a removable cover that can be removed from the rear cover body 6B1 when a cartridge 31 (see FIG. 11 described later) or a dry battery (not shown) is attached or detached. 6B2.

  On the upper side of the front cover 6A, a display unit 550 for displaying various setting screens and the like is provided. The front surface of the display unit 550 is covered with a cover panel 2A that is, for example, a transparent acrylic plate. An operation unit 3 for operating the tape printer 1 is provided below the color panel 2A. The operation unit 3 includes character keys such as characters, symbols, and numbers, various function keys, appropriate buttons, and the like. When the user inputs the content to be printed based on the operation of the operation unit 3, the corresponding print data is generated and the content is displayed on the display unit 550. A cut lever 4 for cutting the masking tape 301 (see FIG. 11 described later for details) on which printing is formed as described above is provided at the upper right side of the rear cover body 6B1.

<Internal structure of the device>
The internal structure of the tape printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, a frame 13 made of resin, for example, is disposed inside the front cover 6A and the rear cover body 6B1. A cartridge holder 7 having a rectangular shape in plan view formed in a concave shape for attaching / detaching a cartridge 31 (corresponding to a masking tape cartridge; see FIG. 11 described later) of the present embodiment is mounted on the rear upper portion of the frame 13. Equivalent to the cartridge mounting portion).

  Below the cartridge holder 7 is provided a motor storage portion 5 for storing a drive motor (not shown). A battery storage unit 9 for storing a dry cell is provided further below the motor storage unit 5.

  A discharge slit 24 for discharging the masking tape 301 (see FIG. 11 described later) to the outside is formed in the upper part of the frame 13. A roller holder 17 is provided on the upper right side of the frame 13. On the rear side of the roller holder 17, a plate portion 25 made of synthetic resin having a plate shape is provided so as to cover the roller holder 17. On the upper portion of the plate portion 25, a protruding portion insertion port 10 that is an opening portion is provided. Further, the upper end portion of the rear cover body 6B1 is provided with a lock hole 11, and the lower end portion is provided with two lock holes 12.

  A gear recess 26 formed in a concave shape is provided at a substantially central portion of the frame 13. The gear recess 26 is provided with a gear (not shown), and the gear tooth portion is covered with the concealing umbrella portion 114 and is not exposed. A ribbon take-up shaft 14 is erected on the rear side of the gear for taking up a thermal transfer ribbon 55 (see FIG. 11 described later).

  A rib 30 is provided upright on the right side of the ribbon take-up shaft 14. A heat sink 15 which is a rectangular heat sink is provided on the right side surface of the rib 30. A roller shaft 20 is erected between the rib 30 and the discharge slit 24. A convex portion 27 is erected on the left side of the roller shaft 20. The convex portion 27 is inserted into a concave portion (not shown) of the cartridge 31 to position the cartridge 31 in the front-rear direction.

  Further, a guide holder 40 that houses a cutter holder (not shown) having a cutter blade in the vicinity of the discharge slit 24 in the frame 13 is provided.

  A rib 42 is formed integrally with the frame 13 in the vicinity of the discharge slit 24. The rib 42 formed on the right side of the discharge slit 24 is erected vertically with respect to the planar rear surface portion 25A of the plate portion 25.

<Internal structure of cartridge>
The internal structure of the cartridge 31 of the present embodiment described above will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, a ribbon roll 52 around which a thermal transfer ribbon 55 is wound is rotatably arranged at the lower left side in a cassette case 33 (corresponding to a cartridge housing). The ribbon roll 52 is obtained by winding the thermal transfer ribbon 55 around a ribbon spool 56 having an axis in a direction perpendicular to the ribbon length direction (perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 3). is there. The thermal transfer ribbon 55 fed out from the ribbon roll 52 is guided toward the cartridge opening 371. A ribbon take-up spool 57 is rotatably arranged on the side of the ribbon roll 56 adjacent to the upper left side. The ribbon take-up spool 57 pulls out the thermal transfer ribbon 55 from the ribbon roll 56 and winds up the thermal transfer ribbon 55 consumed by printing characters and images.

In addition, as shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 11, the thermal transfer ribbon 55 in the present embodiment is the same as the ribbon base layer 155a, the undercoat layer 155b, and the ink layer 155c as in the first embodiment. And the overcoat layer 155d and the backcoat layer 155e. Preferably, the overcoat layer 155d has a thickness of 0.10 to 0.40 g / m ² .

  A masking tape roll 53 is provided on the upper left side of the cartridge 31. The masking tape roll 53 is obtained by winding the masking tape 301 around a reel portion 54 having an axis in a direction perpendicular to the tape length direction (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 3). is there.

In addition, as shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 11, the masking tape 301 in this embodiment is the same as that of the said 1st Embodiment, the said tape base material layer 163, the said printing ink layer 162, the said peeling layer 161, And the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 164 and a release material layer 165 that covers the other side (the lower right side in the enlarged view) of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 164 in the thickness direction. Also in this embodiment, the surface roughness of one surface (upper left in the enlarged view) 161a in the thickness direction of the masking tape 301 is the value of the ten-point average roughness (Rz), as in the first embodiment. Is not less than 1 μm and not more than 10 μm, the thickness tp (see FIG. 12B described later) of the tape base material layer 163 is not less than 60 μm and not more than 80 μm, and the thickness tr of the release layer 161 (refer to FIG. 12B described later). reference), has a 0.05 g / ^{m 2} or more 0.1 g / ^{m 2} or less.

  As described above, in this embodiment, one cartridge 31 is provided with the masking tape roll 53 around which the masking tape 301 is wound and the ribbon roll 56 around which the thermal transfer ribbon 55 is wound. Therefore, in other words, the masking tape cartridge including the masking tape 301 and the ribbon cartridge including the thermal transfer ribbon 55 are integrated as one common cartridge 31.

  On the right side of the cartridge 31 attached to the cartridge holder 7, an arm-shaped roller holder 17 having a platen roller unit 18 and a discharge roller unit 19 is provided so as to be swingable in the left-right direction around the shaft support portion 171. ing. When the detachable cover 6B2 is attached, the roller holder 17 is moved toward the cartridge 31 by a projection (not shown). As a result, the discharge roller unit 19 and the platen roller unit 18 provided in the roller holder 17 are moved to the printing position (position shown in FIG. 11).

  The platen roller unit 18 is disposed on the right side of the heat sink 15. The platen roller unit 18 is provided with a platen roller 182 (corresponding to a transport unit) and a platen roller gear (not shown). The platen roller 182 is disposed at a position facing the thermal head 16 provided on the right side surface of the heat sink 15.

  The thermal head 16 (corresponding to the printing unit) includes a plurality of heat generating elements. The heat generating elements heat the thermal transfer ribbon 55 to separate and attach a transfer layer 155A (details will be described later), thereby discharging the discharge roller 192. Then, desired printing is performed on the masking tape 301 conveyed by the platen roller 182 and the like. The platen roller gear is meshed with a gear (not shown) provided on the front side of the frame 13, and the platen roller gear 182 is rotated by the rotation of the platen roller gear to which power is transmitted from the drive motor. . Thus, when the platen roller unit 18 moves to the printing position, the platen roller 182 presses the masking tape 301 and the thermal transfer ribbon 55 against the thermal head 16 and rotates the masking tape 301 by the rotation of the masking tape 301. Transport in the direction of the unit 19.

  The discharge roller unit 19 is provided with a discharge roller 192 and a discharge roller gear (not shown). The discharge roller 192 is disposed at a position facing the roller shaft 20, and conveys the masking tape 301 along a conveyance path (see arrows A, A, and C in FIG. 11) toward the discharge slit 24. The roller shaft 20 includes a cylindrical portion 201 formed in a cylindrical shape and six ribs 202 formed radially from the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 201 to the outside. Further, the roller shaft 20 is inserted into a shaft hole 391 of a transport roller 39 provided in the cartridge 31, and supports the transport roller 39 so as to be rotatable.

  The discharge roller gear is meshed with a gear (not shown) provided on the front side of the frame 13, and the discharge roller 192 is rotated by rotation of the discharge roller gear to which power is transmitted from the drive motor. To do. Thus, when the discharge roller unit 19 moves to the printing position, the discharge roller 192 presses the masking tape 301 against the transport roller 39 that is rotatably supported by the roller shaft 20. As a result, the masking tape 301 printed by the thermal head 16 as described above is discharged from the discharge port 59. The subsequent transport path of the masking tape 301 is transported by the discharge roller 192 or the like, guided to the discharge slit 24, and discharged to the outside of the tape printer 1 from the discharge slit 24. Thereafter, when the user operates the cut lever 4, the masking tape 301 is cut by the cutter blade.

<Adhesion behavior of thermal transfer ribbon>
The laminated structure of the thermal transfer ribbon 55 and the transfer behavior thereof in this embodiment are shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B (see also FIG. 11).

  12 (a) and 12 (b), as described above, the thermal transfer ribbon 55 includes the ribbon base layer 155a, the undercoat layer 155b, the ink layer 155c, and the overcoat layer 155d. And the back coat layer 155e. Further, as described above, the masking tape 301 includes the tape base layer 163, the printing ink layer 162, the release layer 161, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 164.

  As in the first embodiment, the undercoat layer 155b, the ink layer 155c, and the overcoat layer 155d of the thermal transfer ribbon 55 are combined to form the transfer layer 155A, and a part of the transfer layer 155A is masked. Transferred to the release layer 161 of the tape 301. That is, as shown in FIG. 12B, the undercoat layer 155b is melted by receiving heat from the thermal head 16, so that the ribbon base layer 155a, the undercoat layer 155b, the ink layer 155c, and The transfer layer 155A composed of the overcoat layer 155d is separated. Then, the overcoat layer 155d side of the transfer layer 155A is transferred and attached to the surface 161a on one side in the thickness direction of the masking tape 301 to be transferred. As a result, the print formation on the masking tape 301 by the thermal transfer ribbon 55 is executed, and the masking tape 301 having been printed is generated.

  At this time, in this embodiment, the peeling layer 161 of the masking tape 301 contains a nonpolar resin. In the printing ink layer 162, a nonpolar resin is dispersed and mixed. Furthermore, the transfer layer 155A of the thermal transfer ribbon 55 (specifically, the overcoat layer 155d of the thermal transfer ribbon 55 which is the outermost layer in this example) also contains a nonpolar resin.

  As a result, as in the first embodiment, the fixing property of the transfer layer 155A separated from the thermal transfer ribbon 55 to the release layer 161 is improved, and the locally exposed printing ink layer 162 attracts the transfer layer 155A. As a result, the fixing property of the transfer layer 155A can be improved. As a result, according to the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, high quality and good printing can be performed on the masking tape 301 including the tape base material layer 163 including paper.

Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the strength necessary for the tape can be secured by setting the thickness tp of the tape base material layer 163 to 60 μm or more, and the masking tape can be set to 80 μm or less. The transmittance necessary for the application can be secured. In addition, since the ten-point average roughness (Rz) of the one surface 161aa in the thickness direction of the masking tape 301 is 1 μm or more, it is possible to suppress the loss of paper texture and to be 10 μm or less. Therefore, it is possible to suppress deterioration of followability during transfer due to excessive unevenness. Further, the thickness tr of the peeling layer 161 can be secured affinity between the transfer layer 155A of thermal transfer ribbon 55 by a 0.05 g / ^{m 2} or more, to 0.1 g / ^{m 2} or less As a result, the texture of the masking tape 301 can be secured.

  In addition, in the above description, when there are descriptions such as “vertical”, “parallel”, and “plane”, the descriptions are not strict. That is, the terms “vertical”, “parallel”, “plane”, etc., allow tolerances and errors in design and mean “substantially vertical”, “substantially parallel”, “substantially plane”, etc. It is.

  In addition, in the above description, when there are descriptions such as “same”, “equal”, “different”, etc., in terms of external dimensions and sizes, the descriptions are not strict. That is, the terms “same”, “equal”, “different”, etc. mean that “tolerance and error in design and manufacturing are allowed”, “substantially identical”, “substantially equal”, “substantially different”, It is. However, if there is a description of a value that becomes a predetermined judgment criterion or a value that becomes a delimiter, such as a threshold value or a reference value, for example, “same”, “equal”, “different”, etc. It is different and has a strict meaning.

  In addition, in the above, the arrow shown in FIG. 5 shows an example of a signal flow, and does not limit the signal flow direction.

  In addition to those already described above, the methods according to the above-described embodiments and modifications may be used in appropriate combination.

  In addition, although not illustrated one by one, the present invention is implemented with various modifications within a range not departing from the gist thereof.

1 Tape printer (printer)
7 Cartridge holder (cartridge mounting part)
16 Thermal head (printing part)
31 Tape cartridge (masking tape cartridge, ribbon cartridge)
33 Cassette case (cartridge housing)
52 Ribbon Roll 53 Masking Tape Roll 55 Thermal Transfer Ribbon 101 Tape Printer (Printer)
111 Thermal head (printing part)
112 Conveying roller (conveying unit)
113 1st predetermined position (cartridge mounting part)
114 Second predetermined position (cartridge mounting portion)
153 Masking tape 153 'Printed masking tape 155a Ribbon substrate layer 155b Undercoat layer 155c Ink layer 155d Overcoat layer (transfer layer)
182 Platen roller (conveyance unit)
IB Thermal transfer ribbon R2 2nd roll (printing masking tape roll)
RK Ribbon cartridge TK Masking tape cartridge tp Tape substrate layer thickness tr Release layer thickness

Claims (9)

A masking tape cartridge that can be mounted on a printing apparatus and wound with a masking tape printed by a thermal transfer ribbon,
The masking tape is
A tape substrate layer comprising paper;
An ink layer provided on one side in the thickness direction of the tape base material layer and containing a nonpolar resin and ink;
A transfer layer provided adjacent to one side in the thickness direction of the ink layer and containing a nonpolar resin;
Equipped with a,
The ink layer is
It is locally exposed on the surface of one side of the transferred layer,
A masking tape cartridge characterized by that. The masking tape cartridge according to claim 1,
The masking tape is
An adhesive layer provided on the other side in the thickness direction of the tape base material layer and made of an adhesive containing a polar resin;
A masking tape cartridge comprising: The masking tape cartridge according to claim 1 or 2,
The thickness of the tape base layer is
A masking tape cartridge having a thickness of 60 μm or more and 80 μm or less. The masking tape cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The surface roughness on one side of the thickness direction of the masking tape is
A masking tape cartridge having a ten-point average roughness value of 1 μm or more and 10 μm or less. The masking tape cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The thickness of the transferred layer of the masking tape is
Masking tape cartridge, characterized in that it is 0.05 g / ^{m 2} or more 0.1 g / ^{m 2} or less. The masking tape cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A masking tape roll around which the masking tape is wound;
A ribbon roll on which the thermal transfer ribbon is wound, comprising a ribbon base layer, and a transfer layer provided in the thickness direction of the ribbon base layer and containing a nonpolar resin;
The masking tape cartridge is characterized in that is rotatably arranged in the cartridge housing. A tape substrate layer comprising paper;
An ink layer provided on one side in the thickness direction of the tape base material layer and containing a nonpolar resin and ink;
A transfer layer provided adjacent to one side in the thickness direction of the ink layer, including a nonpolar resin, and having a print layer formed by a transfer layer including the nonpolar resin on a surface on one side in the thickness direction; ,
Provided on the other side of the thickness direction of the tape base material layer, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer containing a polar resin and a pressure-sensitive adhesive,
A printed masking tape in which the ink layer is locally exposed on one surface of the transferred layer ,
A printing masking tape roll, wherein the layer to be transferred is wound around an axis around the outer peripheral side. A tape base layer containing paper, provided on one side in the thickness direction of the tape base layer, adjacent to one side in the thickness direction of the ink layer, and an ink layer containing nonpolar resin and ink; A masking tape cartridge provided with a masking tape having a transferred layer including a nonpolar resin, a ribbon base layer, and a transfer including the nonpolar resin provided in the thickness direction of the ribbon base layer A cartridge mounting portion for mounting a ribbon cartridge including a thermal transfer ribbon that has a layer, and the ink layer is locally exposed on one surface of the transferred layer ,
A transport section for transporting the masking tape fed out from the masking tape cartridge and the thermal transfer ribbon fed out from the ribbon cartridge;
A printing section for transferring and printing the transfer layer of the thermal transfer ribbon to the transfer layer of the masking tape;
A printing apparatus comprising: The printing apparatus according to claim 8.
The masking tape cartridge and the ribbon cartridge are integrally configured as one cartridge,
The cartridge mounting part is
A printing apparatus having the one cartridge mounted thereon.

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