EP0106663A2 - Thermische Markierungs-Druckvorrichtung - Google Patents

Thermische Markierungs-Druckvorrichtung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0106663A2
EP0106663A2 EP83306185A EP83306185A EP0106663A2 EP 0106663 A2 EP0106663 A2 EP 0106663A2 EP 83306185 A EP83306185 A EP 83306185A EP 83306185 A EP83306185 A EP 83306185A EP 0106663 A2 EP0106663 A2 EP 0106663A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
recording sheet
transferred
station
sheet
ink
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP83306185A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0106663A3 (de
Inventor
Richard Kellerman
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Xerox Corp
Original Assignee
Xerox Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Xerox Corp filed Critical Xerox Corp
Publication of EP0106663A2 publication Critical patent/EP0106663A2/de
Publication of EP0106663A3 publication Critical patent/EP0106663A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
    • B41M5/26—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used
    • B41M5/382—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes
    • B41M5/38207—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes characterised by aspects not provided for in groups B41M5/385 - B41M5/395
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M7/00—After-treatment of prints, e.g. heating, irradiating, setting of the ink, protection of the printed stock
    • B41M7/009—After-treatment of prints, e.g. heating, irradiating, setting of the ink, protection of the printed stock using thermal means, e.g. infrared radiation, heat

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a thermal marking printing apparatus and, more particularly, to such an apparatus of the kind which includes a printhead having selectively addressable, discrete, heating elements; means for moving a donor web member bearing a heat-sensitive coloring substance on one surface thereof into contact with said printhead; and means for bringing a recording sheet into contact with said web member whereby portions of said coloring substance undergoing localized heating are transferred to said recording sheet;
  • Thermal printers are finding increasing acceptance In the office environment as facsimile terminals, printer plotters and computer output terminals.
  • the main advantages of such printers are reliability, quietness, clean operation, compactness, speed and low cost.
  • Thermal printers fall into two broad functional categories: direct printing and transfer printing.
  • direct printing a paper having a thermally sensitive wax coating is selectively heated causing color changes in the coating.
  • This type of system has not found wide acceptance due to the cost of the coating, the unpleasant feel and appearance of the coating materials and gradual fading of the output copy.
  • a donor ribbon with a coated marking material (typically a heat sensitive ink) is transported between a thermal printhead and a plain paper recording sheet.
  • the printhead is electrically activated to selectively apply heat to the donor sheet causing melting and transfer of portions of the marking material onto the paper in a desired image configuration.
  • This system does not have the above noted disadvantages associated with the direct transfer papers but does have additional problems which have hitherto not been completely resolved.
  • One problem has been an unsatisfactory "fix" of the thermally transferred ink on the paper recording sheets.
  • transfer-type devices such as those disclosed in U. S.
  • Patents 2,917,996; 3,453,648 and 3,855,448, the particular marking material is transferred at a print station where a selectively energized printhead is brought into contact with a donor web interposed between the printhead and the recording sheet.
  • the discrete segments of heated marking materials melt and flow from the donor web to the surface of the recording paper, only superficially penetrating or wetting, the recording sheet surface.
  • the transferred marking material resolidifies very quickly and, on exiting from the print-transfer zone, the final image mainly resides on, rather than In, the paper surface.
  • the final images therefore comprise semi-glossy solid areas which are highly susceptible to handling-induced gloss and line-edge raggedness.
  • a related drawback to these prior art systems is that an optimum transfer can be enabled only by using "thin" inks.
  • Use of thicker inks would be more desirable but their use has hitherto not been possible because the thicker inks result in even more unacceptable glossy output images and, more seriously, even less abrasion/smudge resistance.
  • the present Invention is intended to provide a thermal marking printing apparatus of the kind specified in which these disadvantages of known thermal marking systems are overcome.
  • the apparatus of the invention is characterised by a post-transfer fusing station, adjacent the path of said recording sheet, adapted to fuse said transferred portions onto said recording sheet. This increases ink penetration Into the paper thereby producing more of a matte-like finish to the final image.
  • This post-transfer enhancement permits greater latitude in selection of the heat sensitive ink since the operating parameters of the fusing operation can be selected to match the ink characteristics.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a thermal printing system according to the present invention.
  • a recording sheet 10 is fed from the top of a supply tray 12 by means of feed roller 14, into a thermal printing zone generally designated as 16.
  • Printing zone 16 is defined by a full width thermal print head 30 and opposed backup roller 32.
  • the printing face of a thermal printhead comprises an array of individually addressable, resistive elements. Upon receipt of input signals from a remote source, corresponding to information to be printed, selected elements are heated.
  • a representative printhead construction is Rohm KH-106 Thermal Print Head.
  • the printhead face extending the full width of sheet 10 is brought into contact with the back of the inked ribbon in printing zone 16, localized heating and melting of the normally solid surface ink layer occurs. Liquid fluidized ink segments are then transferred to recording sheet 10, forming an image thereon.
  • recording sheet 10 leaves the printing zone 16, it passes through a fusing station 34 where the paper, as well as the transferred image, is thermally treated so as to enhance the quality of the transferred image. Further details of the printing and fusing station will be presented below. On emerging from station 34, recording sheet 10 may be collected by any appropriate means.
  • Figure 2 shows an electrical schematic in block diagram form of a control system for controlling the operation of the various electrically activated components shown in Figure 1.
  • Circuit 40 is a sequence controller which, in conjunction with receipt of a print signal, sequentially controls the following:
  • the additional input to controller 40 is a print signal from the remote source
  • a sheet of paper 10 is removed from tray 12 by means of feed roll 14.
  • Feed roll 14 is driven in the indicated direction by step motor 44.
  • the paper advances into print zone 16 where a portion of the inked ribbon 18 has also been advanced into the print zone by the takeup roll 24 operated by step motor 52.
  • the passage through the print zone is sufficiently constricted so that sheet 10, ribbon 18 and printhead 30 are in contact with each other.
  • a print signal is applied to printhead 30 selectively energizing resistive elements on the printhead and causing localized heating and melting of the ink.
  • the fluidized ink is transferred to the sheet 10.
  • Sheet 10 continues to move through zone 16, a fresh portion of ribbon 16 is advanced and the print operation is repeated until sheet 10 has been completely marked with the information contained in that particular series of print signals.
  • Figure 3 Is an enlarged view of the ink printing station 16 and the fusing station 34 during an image transfer sequence.
  • ribbon 18, as it advances into printing zone 16, is seen to consist of a thin dielectric film 40, upon which is formed a layer 42 of a normally solid but thermally fusible Ink.
  • film 40 Is a 10 - 15 11 m thick condenser paper and layer 42 comprises carnuba wax, dispersed in a carbon pigment and hot melted coated onto film 40 to a thickness of about 6 G/m 2 .
  • segment 42a (The total thickness of a typical plain paper recording sheet is 95-100 ⁇ .)
  • the remainder of transferred segment 42a is torn away from film 40 arid forms the visible image overlying the surface of the paper. It is this raised portion of segment 42a which constitutes the output copy gloss in the prior art systems referred to above and which leads to subsequent handling problems.
  • Station 34 consists of two radiant type fusers 35, each having a plurality of resistance elements 36 connected to a power source (not shown).
  • An exemplary fuser of this type is disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,965,868.
  • Fusers 35 apply heat at a temperature of 100° C to sheet 10 and to transferred ink segments 42a. Upon initial application of heat, segments 42a begin to melt, spreading slightly and becoming even more glossy. But then the reheated transferred segments rapidly matte as the ink penetrates further into the paper surface. At a temperature of ⁇ 100° C for a period of Nl6 seconds, the reheated ink will have penetrated a total depth of w' (5 ⁇ ) as shown by the dotted line. As sheet 10 emerges from station 34, the finished sheet has a transferred image in a full matte configuration which is both more visually attractive and abrasion-resistant. For a 1024 receiver sheet, the optical density is slightly reduced from 1.39 to 1.17.
  • the invention enables the use of a thicker, thermally-fusible ink, which has a melting range of 60° to 80°C.
  • Thicker inks are known to produce higher quality output print since the print density improves due to the greater covering power of the ink.
  • a thicker transferral ink is also mechanically deformable and so promotes closer conformation of the donor sheet to the receiver sheet in the print station than is possible with prior art print systems using thinner type inks. This conformation is highly desirable since it lessens the line/edge raggedness due to the roughness of the typical receiver sheet surface.
  • the post-transfer fusing parameters can be made to "match" the characteristics of the thicker ink.
  • FIG. 6 An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 6.
  • a pre-transfer station 34a consisting of a third radiant fuser 35' has been positioned upstream of the printing station 16.
  • paper 10 is heated before entering the print station so as to achieve an initial penetration depth w (during transfer) greater than that achieved by the unassisted transfer.
  • the present invention is also particularly useful for color thermal transfer systems.
  • two or more ink transfer operations are involved, each transfer resulting in a transferred ink layer of a different color with the cumulative transferred image being the final desired color image. Since the receiving sheet will have more than one transferred layer on its surface, the problem of gloss and subsequently handling are even more acute than the single transfer step.
  • a color transfer system 60 comprising three recording stations 62, 64, 66.
  • Station 62 comprises a first back roller 70, a donor sheet 72 comprising a layer of magenta ink coated on a substrate, first thermal recording head 74, feed roll 76 and takeup roll 78 for moving sheet 72 through printing zone 80.
  • Station 64 comprises a second back roller 82, a donor sheet 84 comprising a layer of yellow ink coated on a substrate, second thermal recording head 86, roll 88 and takeup roll 90 move sheet 84 through printing zone_92.
  • Station 66 comprises a third back roller 94, a donor sheet 96 comprising a layer of cyan ink coated on a substrate, third recording head 98, roll 100 and takeup roll 102 moving sheet 96 through print zone 104.
  • Fusing stations 106, 108 and 110 are located downstream from stations 62, 64, 66 respectively.
  • a transfer sheet 112 is fed into the first recording zone 80 wherein the magenta ink is transferred in accordance with the selective heating applied to printhead 74.
  • This transferred layer Is heated at fusing station 106 to cause further penetration of the transferred ink into the surface of sheet 112.
  • sheet 112 passes through stations 64 and 66 receiving additional transferred layers of the yellow and cyan ink where it is thermally fused at fusing stations 108, 110.
  • sheet 112 Upon emergence from fusing station 110, sheet 112 has thereon the desired color image having the preferred matte-like finish.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Electronic Switches (AREA)
  • Thermal Transfer Or Thermal Recording In General (AREA)
  • Impression-Transfer Materials And Handling Thereof (AREA)
  • Fax Reproducing Arrangements (AREA)
EP83306185A 1982-10-20 1983-10-13 Thermische Markierungs-Druckvorrichtung Withdrawn EP0106663A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US43551982A 1982-10-20 1982-10-20
US435519 1982-10-20

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0106663A2 true EP0106663A2 (de) 1984-04-25
EP0106663A3 EP0106663A3 (de) 1985-12-18

Family

ID=23728730

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP83306185A Withdrawn EP0106663A3 (de) 1982-10-20 1983-10-13 Thermische Markierungs-Druckvorrichtung

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0106663A3 (de)
JP (1) JPS59135172A (de)

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2558111A1 (fr) * 1984-01-12 1985-07-19 Rhone Poulenc Syst Procede de transfert thermique d'informations sur un support recepteur et dispositif de mise en oeuvre dudit procede
EP0251170A2 (de) * 1986-06-27 1988-01-07 EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY (a New Jersey corporation) Nicht bildmässiges Wiederwärmen von Übertragenen Farbstoffen in Elementen, die auf thermischer Farbstoffübertragung beruhen
EP0257578A2 (de) * 1986-08-22 1988-03-02 EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY (a New Jersey corporation) Verfahren zum Wiedererhitzen eines Farbstoffempfangselementes, das einen Stabilisator enthält
EP0269585A2 (de) * 1986-11-26 1988-06-01 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Thermisches Übertragungsaufzeichnungsverfahren und thermisches Übertragungsaufzeichnungsmittel
US4762431A (en) * 1986-04-28 1988-08-09 International Business Machines Corporation Modified thermal printing using a heated roller and with lift-off correction
WO1990005640A1 (en) * 1988-11-18 1990-05-31 The De La Rue Company Plc Imaging plastics articles
EP0380920A2 (de) * 1989-02-03 1990-08-08 Pelikan GmbH Thermofarbband, Verfahren zu dessen Herstellung und seine Verwendung
WO1991019221A1 (en) * 1990-05-29 1991-12-12 Eastman Kodak Company Method and apparatus for producing thermal slide transparencies
EP0582529A2 (de) * 1992-08-05 1994-02-09 Eastman Kodak Company Fixiervorrichtung für Thermotransferdrucker

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3904875A (en) * 1973-12-27 1975-09-09 Xerox Corp Single radiation ray path for thermographic imaging and transfixing or fusing
JPS5333158A (en) * 1976-09-08 1978-03-28 Fujitsu Ltd Thermal transfer recorder
DE3018342A1 (de) * 1979-05-14 1980-11-27 Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd Tintenstrahlaufzeichnungsverfahren
JPS5876276A (ja) * 1981-10-30 1983-05-09 Canon Inc 熱転写プリンタ
JPS58124674A (ja) * 1982-01-20 1983-07-25 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd 熱転写型感熱記録装置
JPS58128878A (ja) * 1982-01-29 1983-08-01 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd 転写感熱記録装置

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3904875A (en) * 1973-12-27 1975-09-09 Xerox Corp Single radiation ray path for thermographic imaging and transfixing or fusing
JPS5333158A (en) * 1976-09-08 1978-03-28 Fujitsu Ltd Thermal transfer recorder
DE3018342A1 (de) * 1979-05-14 1980-11-27 Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd Tintenstrahlaufzeichnungsverfahren
JPS5876276A (ja) * 1981-10-30 1983-05-09 Canon Inc 熱転写プリンタ
JPS58124674A (ja) * 1982-01-20 1983-07-25 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd 熱転写型感熱記録装置
JPS58128878A (ja) * 1982-01-29 1983-08-01 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd 転写感熱記録装置

Non-Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
IBM TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE BULLETIN, vol. 19, no. 4, September 1976, page 1409, New York, US; W. CROOKS et al.: "Coated paper for thermal transfer printing" *
PATENTS ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 1, no. 92, 25th August 1977, page 2373 E 78; & JP - A - 53 33 158 (FUJITSU K.K.) 28-03-1978 *
PATENTS ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 7, no. 173 (M-232)[1318], 30th July 1983; & JP - A - 58 76 276 (CANON K.K.) 09-05-1983 *
PATENTS ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 7, no. 230 (M-251)[1385], 25th October 1983; & JP - A - 58 128 878 (FUJI XEROX K.K.) 01-08-1983 *
PATENTS ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 7, no. 237 (M-250)[1382], 21st October 1983; & JP - A - 58 124 674 (FUJI XEROX K.K.) 25-07-1983 *
XEROX DISCLOSURE JOURNAL, vol. 2, no. 3, May/June 1977, page 35, Stamford, Connecticut, US; W.L. GOFFE: "Radiant thermal biasing for laser induced thermal marking" *

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2558111A1 (fr) * 1984-01-12 1985-07-19 Rhone Poulenc Syst Procede de transfert thermique d'informations sur un support recepteur et dispositif de mise en oeuvre dudit procede
US4762431A (en) * 1986-04-28 1988-08-09 International Business Machines Corporation Modified thermal printing using a heated roller and with lift-off correction
EP0251170A2 (de) * 1986-06-27 1988-01-07 EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY (a New Jersey corporation) Nicht bildmässiges Wiederwärmen von Übertragenen Farbstoffen in Elementen, die auf thermischer Farbstoffübertragung beruhen
EP0251170A3 (de) * 1986-06-27 1989-08-09 EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY (a New Jersey corporation) Nicht bildmässiges Wiederwärmen von Übertragenen Farbstoffen in Elementen, die auf thermischer Farbstoffübertragung beruhen
EP0257578A2 (de) * 1986-08-22 1988-03-02 EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY (a New Jersey corporation) Verfahren zum Wiedererhitzen eines Farbstoffempfangselementes, das einen Stabilisator enthält
EP0257578A3 (en) * 1986-08-22 1989-06-07 Eastman Kodak Company Process for reheating dye-receiving element containing stabilizer
US5529408A (en) * 1986-11-26 1996-06-25 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Thermal transfer recording method including preheating thermal transfer recording medium
EP0269585A2 (de) * 1986-11-26 1988-06-01 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Thermisches Übertragungsaufzeichnungsverfahren und thermisches Übertragungsaufzeichnungsmittel
EP0269585A3 (en) * 1986-11-26 1989-11-29 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Thermal transfer recording method and thermal transfer recording medium
WO1990005640A1 (en) * 1988-11-18 1990-05-31 The De La Rue Company Plc Imaging plastics articles
EP0380920A3 (de) * 1989-02-03 1991-02-06 Pelikan GmbH Thermofarbband, Verfahren zu dessen Herstellung und seine Verwendung
US5158813A (en) * 1989-02-03 1992-10-27 Pelikan Ag Thermal printing ribbon
EP0380920A2 (de) * 1989-02-03 1990-08-08 Pelikan GmbH Thermofarbband, Verfahren zu dessen Herstellung und seine Verwendung
WO1991019221A1 (en) * 1990-05-29 1991-12-12 Eastman Kodak Company Method and apparatus for producing thermal slide transparencies
EP0582529A2 (de) * 1992-08-05 1994-02-09 Eastman Kodak Company Fixiervorrichtung für Thermotransferdrucker
EP0582529A3 (de) * 1992-08-05 1995-03-29 Eastman Kodak Co Fixiervorrichtung für Thermotransferdrucker.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS59135172A (ja) 1984-08-03
EP0106663A3 (de) 1985-12-18

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