EP0360218A2 - Wärmeempfindliche heissschmelzende Bildübertragungsschicht - Google Patents

Wärmeempfindliche heissschmelzende Bildübertragungsschicht Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0360218A2
EP0360218A2 EP89117297A EP89117297A EP0360218A2 EP 0360218 A2 EP0360218 A2 EP 0360218A2 EP 89117297 A EP89117297 A EP 89117297A EP 89117297 A EP89117297 A EP 89117297A EP 0360218 A2 EP0360218 A2 EP 0360218A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
hot
melt
heat
image transfer
transfer sheet
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP89117297A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0360218A3 (de
EP0360218B1 (de
Inventor
Toshinori Takahashi
Itsuo Takanashi
Hideshi Tanaka
Hiroki Kitamura
Toru Nibe
Tadao Shinya
Yutaka Mizoguchi
Katsuhiko Terada
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.)
Victor Company of Japan Ltd
Original Assignee
Victor Company of Japan Ltd
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 Victor Company of Japan Ltd filed Critical Victor Company of Japan Ltd
Priority to EP96118692A priority Critical patent/EP0767073A1/de
Publication of EP0360218A2 publication Critical patent/EP0360218A2/de
Publication of EP0360218A3 publication Critical patent/EP0360218A3/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0360218B1 publication Critical patent/EP0360218B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
    • G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
    • G03G15/01—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for producing multicoloured copies
    • 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
    • B41M5/38278—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes using ink-containing structures, e.g. porous or microporous layers, alveoles or cellules
    • 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

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a heat-sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheet for use in a thermal printer.
  • One con­ventional heat-sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheet com­prises a base of polyester having a thickness ranging from 3 ⁇ m to 9 ⁇ m and a layer of hot-melt ink coated uniformly on one surface of the base.
  • the heat-sensitive hot-­melt image transfer sheet is set in a thermal printer while the hot-melt ink layer is being held in contact with an image recording sheet and the reverse side of the image transfer sheet is in contact with the thermal head of the printer. Then, an electric current representative of an image to be transferred is supplied to the thermal head to heat the same.
  • the hot-melt ink is thus melted in a selected pattern such as characters or a graphic figure by the het of the thermal head, and the melted ink pattern is transferred to the image recording sheet.
  • a heat-­sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheet which comprises a base coated with full-page patterns of hot-melt inks of dif­ferent colors such as yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.
  • the hot-melt inks are successively melted by the thermal head in selected image patterns which are transferred overlappingly onto the recording sheet, thus producing a colored image thereon.
  • the electric current or currents supplied to the thermal head to record a desired monochromatic or colored image are varied to vary the amount of the melted ink or the amounts of melted inks, so that the area or areas in which the hot-melt ink or inks are transferred to the recording sheet are controlled to achieve a desired gradation of den­sity of the recorded image.
  • the level of the electric current fed to the thermal head to reproduce the density is also low. Therefore, the heat applied by the thermal head to the hot-­melt ink corresponding to that image portion is absorbed by the surrounding hot-melt ink, reducing the region in which the hot-melt ink is actually melted, so that the hot-melt ink will not be sufficiently transferred from the base of the image transfer sheet. As a result, dots formed on the recording sheet by the transferred hot-melt ink may lack portions thereof or become irregular in shape. When the hot-melt ink is heated to a lower temperature, its viscosity remains higher, making it difficult for an intended quantity of hot-melt ink to be separated from the image transfer sheet base.
  • the level of the supplied electric current to accomplish the density is also high.
  • the hot-­melt ink may then be melted and transferred excessively, with the result that adjacent ink dots on the recording sheet may be joined to or combined with each other.
  • the hot-melt ink is heated to a higher temperature, its vis­cosity becomes lower, with the result that surrounding areas of hot-melt ink as well as intended area thereof will be separated from the image transfer sheet base.
  • an excessive amount of hot-melt ink tends to be supplied from the image transfer sheet.
  • the hot-melt ink or inks are hot melted and transferred in a desired amount or amounts, the area or areas on the recording medium in which the melted ink or inks are present tend to vary from a desired size or sizes. Then, the gradations of density of the image to be recorded cannot accurately be controlled, the image cannot sharply be recorded, and, if the image is colored, the desired colors cannot be reproduced exactly.
  • the ink or inks of the conventional heat-sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheets are coated uniformly on the entire surface of their bases.
  • a special ink coat applica­tor has heretofore been required in the production of the heat-sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheets. It has been difficult and costly to manufacture the heat-sensitive hot-­melt image transfer sheets.
  • a heat-sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheet for transferring an image to a recording sheet, comprising a base, and a matrix of hot-melt ink dots coated on a surface of the base at a regular pitch and selectively meltable with heat applied through the base for transferring an ink image to the recording sheet held against the matrix of hot-melt ink dots.
  • the total area of the hot-melt ink dots ranges from 50 % to 90 % of the total area of the surface of the base.
  • a heat-sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheet for transferring a colored image to a recording sheet, comprising a base, and a plurality of matrices of hot-melt ink dots of different ink colors coated on a surface of the base at a regular pitch and selectively meltable with heat applied through the base for transferring respective ink images to the recording sheet held against the matrices of hot-melt ink dots.
  • the matrices of hot-melt ink dots have corresponding dot arrays inclined at respec tive different angles to the direction of an array of heat­ing elements of the thermal head of a thermal printer by which the image is recorded on the recording sheet through the heat-sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheet.
  • the heat applied to the correspond­ing ink dots 11 is not absorbed by hot-melt ink dots 11 in a non-recording area adjacent to the low-density image portion, and hence the melted ink region prevented from being reduced.
  • the hot-melt ink dots 11 in the low-density image portion are thus well transferred sufficiently from the heat-sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheet to the recording sheet without lacking portions of these dots 11.
  • the hot-melt ink dots 11 can be coated on the base 10 by a conventional printing process such as the offset printing process.
  • the heat-sensitive hot-melt ink dots 11 can be manufactured with ease and at a reduced cost.
  • the base 10 is coated with matrices of hot-melt ink dots 11Y, 11M, 11C of different colors such as yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C), for example.
  • the hot-melt ink dots 11Y, 11M, 11C have corresponding dot arrays inclined at respective angles ⁇ Y, ⁇ M, ⁇ C with respect to the direction of the array of heating elements of the thermal head or the direction in which the image transfer sheet is fed.
  • the angles ⁇ Y, ⁇ M, ⁇ C may be 90°, 60°, and 45°, respectively, for example.
  • a binder 12 is coated on a sur­face of the base 10 at the leading end thereof in front of the hot-melt ink dots 11.
  • the binder 12 is applied to the recording sheet as it is placed on the heat-sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheet, so that the surface of the recording sheet can be smoothed. Consequently, even when an image is recorded on a sheet of ordinary paper, the image can well be recorded on the ordi­nary paper sheet by employing the heat-sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheet.
  • the hot-melt dots may be of other shapes than the circular shape, e.g., they may be square, hexagonal, or loz­enged in shape.
  • a heat-sensitive hot-melt image transfer sheet transfers an ink image to a recording sheet when selectively heated by the heating element of the thermal head of a ther­mal printer.
  • the image transfer sheet comprises a base coated on a surface thereof with a matrix of circular hot-­melt ink dots at a regular pitch.
  • the hot-melt ink dots are selectively meltable with heat applied through the base by the heating elements for transferring an ink image to the recording sheet held against the matrix of hot-melt ink dots.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Transfer Or Thermal Recording In General (AREA)
  • Electronic Switches (AREA)
  • Impression-Transfer Materials And Handling Thereof (AREA)
EP89117297A 1988-09-20 1989-09-19 Wärmeempfindliche heissschmelzende Bildübertragungsschicht Expired - Lifetime EP0360218B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP96118692A EP0767073A1 (de) 1988-09-20 1989-09-19 Wärmeempfindliche heissschmelzende Bildübertragungsschicht

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP235406/88 1988-09-20
JP63235406A JPH0281668A (ja) 1988-09-20 1988-09-20 感熱溶融転写紙

Related Child Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96118692.1 Division-Into 1996-11-21

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0360218A2 true EP0360218A2 (de) 1990-03-28
EP0360218A3 EP0360218A3 (de) 1991-03-20
EP0360218B1 EP0360218B1 (de) 1997-06-11

Family

ID=16985621

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96118692A Withdrawn EP0767073A1 (de) 1988-09-20 1989-09-19 Wärmeempfindliche heissschmelzende Bildübertragungsschicht
EP89117297A Expired - Lifetime EP0360218B1 (de) 1988-09-20 1989-09-19 Wärmeempfindliche heissschmelzende Bildübertragungsschicht

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP96118692A Withdrawn EP0767073A1 (de) 1988-09-20 1989-09-19 Wärmeempfindliche heissschmelzende Bildübertragungsschicht

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (2) EP0767073A1 (de)
JP (1) JPH0281668A (de)
KR (1) KR930001380B1 (de)
DE (1) DE68928118T2 (de)

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4250511A (en) * 1979-08-16 1981-02-10 Tektronix, Inc. Thermal transfer color printer
JPS58212993A (ja) * 1983-05-26 1983-12-10 Canon Inc 熱転写記録方法
JPS59207285A (ja) * 1983-05-11 1984-11-24 Ricoh Co Ltd 印写方法およびその装置
JPS60192692A (ja) * 1984-03-14 1985-10-01 Seiko Epson Corp 熱転写インクシ−ト
JPS6283186A (ja) * 1985-10-09 1987-04-16 Canon Inc 感熱転写材

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH06283186A (ja) * 1993-03-25 1994-10-07 Youyuu Tansanengata Nenryo Denchi Hatsuden Syst Gijutsu Kenkyu Kumiai 溶融炭酸塩型燃料電池の燃料排ガスの処理方法及びそのための装置

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4250511A (en) * 1979-08-16 1981-02-10 Tektronix, Inc. Thermal transfer color printer
JPS59207285A (ja) * 1983-05-11 1984-11-24 Ricoh Co Ltd 印写方法およびその装置
JPS58212993A (ja) * 1983-05-26 1983-12-10 Canon Inc 熱転写記録方法
JPS60192692A (ja) * 1984-03-14 1985-10-01 Seiko Epson Corp 熱転写インクシ−ト
JPS6283186A (ja) * 1985-10-09 1987-04-16 Canon Inc 感熱転写材

Non-Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 10, no. 40 (M-454)(2097) 18 February 1986, & JP-A-60 192692 (SUWA SEIKOSHA K.K.) 01 October 1985, *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 11, no. 289 (M-625)(2736) 18 September 1987, & JP-A-62 83186 (CANON INC.) 16 April 1987, *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 8, no. 64 (M-285)(1501) 27 March 1984, & JP-A-58 212993 (CANON K.K.) 10 December 1983, *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 9, no. 77 (M-369)(1800) 06 April 1985, & JP-A-59 207285 (RICOH K.K.) 24 November 1984, *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR900005243A (ko) 1990-04-13
JPH0281668A (ja) 1990-03-22
KR930001380B1 (ko) 1993-02-27
DE68928118T2 (de) 1998-01-15
DE68928118D1 (de) 1997-07-17
EP0360218A3 (de) 1991-03-20
EP0360218B1 (de) 1997-06-11
EP0767073A1 (de) 1997-04-09

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