JPH0288253A - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent unevenness of printing without generating a shrinking phenomenon of paper to be transferred by a method wherein a paper heating heat source is arranged by being arranged this side of a thermal head in the paper to be transferred feed path. CONSTITUTION:After paper 40 to be transferred is heated to a specific temperature with a paper heating heat source 42 this side of a thermal head 10, the paper 40 to be transferred is sent between the thermal head 10 and a platen roller 28. Besides, a transfer ribbon 14 is moved on the thermal head 10 accompanying rotation of a platen roller 28, and is wound around a take-up reel. The paper 10 to be transferred to which preheating is given with the heat source 12 and the transfer ribbon 14 on the thermal head 10 are pressed onto the thermal head 10 by pressing force of the platen roller 28 and the transfer ribbon 14 is thermally transferred to the paper 4 to be transferred.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to thermal transfer printers.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional thermal transfer printer is shown in FIG.

A transfer ribbon 6 is placed between the thermal head 2 and the platen roller 4.
The transfer paper 8 is fed in and the print information is thermally transferred onto the transfer paper 8 on the thermal head 2.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the above printer, in order to print on the transfer paper 8, it is necessary to bring the transfer ribbon 6 to a predetermined temperature (approximately 68 degrees Celsius). At this time, if the temperature of the transfer paper is low, the thermal head 2 requires excessive thermal energy to raise the temperature of the transfer ribbon 6.

Furthermore, when the transfer paper 8 is heated from the thermal head 2 at the thermal transfer printing position, the transfer paper 8 contracts. On the thermal head 2, the transfer paper 8 and the transfer ribbon 6 are pressed between the thermal head 2 and the platen roller 4, so they are in close contact with each other. Therefore, when the transfer paper 8 shrinks, the transfer ribbon There was a defect in that it caused wrinkles in No. 6 and caused uneven printing.

The present invention aims to eliminate the above defects.

[Means to solve problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention feeds a transfer ribbon and a transfer paper between a thermal head and a platen roller,
In an apparatus for thermally transferring printed information onto a transfer paper on a thermal head, a heat source for heating the paper is disposed in front of the thermal head on a transfer paper feeding path.

[Effect]

In the above configuration, the transfer paper that is fed onto the thermal head and comes into close contact with the transfer ribbon on the thermal head is preheated before the thermal head. Therefore, even when the transfer paper is heated on the thermal head, it does not shrink due to the heat, and clear printing without uneven printing is performed.

〔Example〕

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The configuration of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, 10 is a thermal head of a thermal transfer printer 12, 14 is a transfer ribbon, and a supply reel 16 is connected to guide rollers 18, 20, . on the thermal head 10;
The film passes through a guide roller 22 and is then wound onto a take-up reel 26. 28.30 is a platen roller linked to the rotation drive system, 32.34, 36.38 is a transfer paper 40
The guide roller 42 is a heat source for heating the paper, which includes a heater, etc., and the platen roller 3o is in contact with this.

In the above configuration, the platen roller 30°28 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG.
The paper is heated to a predetermined temperature by the paper heating heat source 42 before the thermal head 1o, and then sent between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 28. One side transfer ribbon 1
4 moves on the thermal head 1o as the platen roller 28 rotates, and is taken up by the take-up reel 24. A transfer paper 40 that has been preheated by a heat source 42;
The transfer ribbon 14 on the thermal head 10 is pressed against the thermal head 1o by the pressing force of the platen roller 28, and thermally printed information from the thermal head 1° is thermally transferred onto the transfer paper 4 according to a known principle.

〔effect〕

As described above, in the present invention, since the transfer paper is preheated before the thermal head, the transfer paper does not shrink on the thermal head, which causes wrinkles on the transfer ribbon and uneven printing. In addition, the amount of heat energy applied to the thermal head can be reduced, durability can be improved, and printing time can be shortened.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram, FIG. 2 is a sectional view, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the prior art. 2... Thermal head, 4... Platen roller, 6
・、. Transfer ribbon, 8... Transfer paper, 1o... Thermal head, 12... Printer, 14... Transfer ribbon, 1
6... Supply reel, 18, 20, 22... Guide roller, 26... Take-up reel, 28.30... Platen roller, 32, 34, 36. 38... Guide roller. 40... transfer paper,

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a device that feeds a transfer ribbon and a transfer paper between a thermal head and a platen roller and thermally transfers printed information to the transfer paper on the thermal head, the transfer ribbon is placed in front of the thermal head in the transfer paper feeding path. A thermal transfer printer characterized in that a heat source for heating paper is arranged at the top of the printer.