EP0376170A2 - Méthode et dispositif d'impression thermique pour grandes surfaces - Google Patents

Méthode et dispositif d'impression thermique pour grandes surfaces Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0376170A2
EP0376170A2 EP89123693A EP89123693A EP0376170A2 EP 0376170 A2 EP0376170 A2 EP 0376170A2 EP 89123693 A EP89123693 A EP 89123693A EP 89123693 A EP89123693 A EP 89123693A EP 0376170 A2 EP0376170 A2 EP 0376170A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
printing
carbon ribbon
track
patterns
ribbon
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
EP89123693A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0376170A3 (en
EP0376170B1 (fr
Inventor
Michiharu Tohdo
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.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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
Priority claimed from JP1240504A external-priority patent/JPH02263659A/ja
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to EP93109128A priority Critical patent/EP0566161B1/fr
Publication of EP0376170A2 publication Critical patent/EP0376170A2/fr
Publication of EP0376170A3 publication Critical patent/EP0376170A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0376170B1 publication Critical patent/EP0376170B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/0057—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material where an intermediate transfer member receives the ink before transferring it on the printing material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/315—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material
    • B41J2/32—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads
    • B41J2/325—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M3/00—Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns
    • 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
    • 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

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for thermal printing on a large printing area such as a surface of cardboard, wood, or concrete constituting a part of a box or a container.
  • a thermal printing has been utilized in printing on a small printing area, in which the printing is achieved by placing a carbon ribbon over a printing surface and moving a printing head over the carbon ribbon to thermally print desired patterns on the printing surface.
  • the conventional thermal printing is primarily concerned with a printing of a small printing area at a given printing position, so that when such a conventional thermal printing is applied for a printing of diverse patterns on a large area such as a printing of bar codes on a cardboard box, a large size printing apparatus was necessary and a cost of printing increased inevitably.
  • a method of thermally printing desired printing patterns on a printing object by using a carbon ribbon comprising the steps of: moving the carbon ribbon along a first track and then along a second track which are spatially separated from the first track; carrying a printing object along the second track below the carbon ribbon; imprinting the desired printing patterns on the carbon ribbon on the first track by a printing head means placed on the first track; and pressing the carbon ribbon onto the printing object by thermal transfer roller means placed on the second track so as to thermally transfer the desired printing patterns on the carbon ribbon to the printing object.
  • an apparatus for thermally printing desired printing patterns on a printing object by using a carbon ribbon comprising: means for moving the carbon ribbon along a first track and then along a second track which are spatially separated from the first track; conveyer means for carrying a printing object along the second track below the carbon ribbon; printing head means placed on the first track for imprinting the desired printing patterns on the carbon ribbon on the first track; and thermal transfer roller means placed on the second track for pressing the carbon ribbon onto the printing object on the conveyer means so as to thermally transfer the desired printing patterns on the carbon ribbon to the printing object.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown a first embodiment of an apparatus for thermal printing according to the present invention.
  • a ribbon winding reel 3 rotatable around an axis 5 which is connected to a motor (not shown), for winding a carbon ribbon 1, and a ribbon supplying reel 7, rotatable around an axis 9 which is connected to another motor (not shown), around which the carbon ribbon 1 is initially wound and from which the carbon ribbon 1 is taken out as it is wound around the ribbon winding reel 3.
  • the carbon ribbon 1 is suspended downwards from the ribbon winding reel 3 and the ribbon supplying reel 7 in a U-shape by means of a pair of guiding rollers 15 and 17 provided below the ribbon supplying reel 7 and the ribbon winding reel 3, respectively, so that starting from the ribbon supplying reel 7 the carbon ribbon 1 moves along its U-shaped track first along a first vertical track of a sufficient length in a vertical direction and then along a horizontal track of a sufficient length in a horizontal direction before wounded by the ribbon winding reel 3 along a second vertical track.
  • the carbon ribbon 1 has a front surface covered by carbon blacks which is facing outwards from an outer circumference of the U-shaped track.
  • a printing head 19 for imprinting desired patterns on the carbon ribbon 1.
  • This printing head 19 is pivotally supported such that it can be separated away from the carbon ribbon 1, and is controlled by a printing controller unit 27 in which prescribed printing patterns are pre-programmed such that various desired printing patterns can be obtained from combinations of the pre-programmed printing patterns.
  • a platen roller 21 for maintaining an accuracy of imprinting by the printing head 19 on the carbon ribbon 1.
  • a paper 29 is to be inserted on which extraneous negative (or positive) images are transferred by the heat from the printing head 19 so as to leave positive (or negative) images of the printing patterns on the carbon ribbon 1.
  • a belt conveyer 13 on which a printing object 13 is carried along the horizontal direction with a printing surface facing the carbon ribbon 1.
  • a thermal transfer roller 23 which rotates at such a speed that its circumference moves at the same speed as that of the carbon ribbon 1, and is vertically movable such that at its lowered position the carbon ribbon 1 moving underneath the thermal transfer roller 23 is pressed down on the printing surface of the printing object 11 moving below the carbon ribbon 1 on the belt conveyer 13.
  • the printing head 19 and the thermal transfer roller 23 are arranged to be spatially separated from each other substantially, as they are arrange along the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively.
  • This feature allows this embodiment of an apparatus for thermal printing to print large printing patterns on a large printing surface, since the imprinting by the printing head 19 can be done for the carbon ribbon 1 over a length of the vertical track beyond the printing head 19, while the thermal transfer by the thermal transfer roller 23 takes place at the spatiall separated horizontal track.
  • the ribbon winding reel 3 and the ribbon supplying reel 7 are controlled by a motor controller unit 25 which adjusts timings of activations as well as speeds of the motors connected to the axes 5 and 9 of the ribbon winding reel 3 and the ribbon supplying reel 7, respectively, so as to obtain a smooth and desirably controlled motion of the carbon ribbon 1 along its U-shaped track.
  • the operation of the thermal printing is performed by this first embodiment of an apparatus for thermal printing as follows.
  • the carbon ribbon 1 is set into an intermittent motion from the ribbon supplying reel 7 to the ribbon winding reel 3 along its U-shaped track, under the controlling by the motor controller unit 25.
  • the desired printing patterns are imprinted on the carbon ribbon 1 by the printing head 19 held in a position to make contact with the carbon ribbon 1, under the controlling by the printing controller unit 27.
  • the negative (or positive) images of the printing patterns are formed on the carbon ribbon 1 by means of the heat from the printing head 19 which transfers the extraneous carbon blacks on the carbon ribbon 1 onto the paper 29 such that desired positive (or negative) images of the printing patterns are left on the carbon ribbon 1 as it moves away from the printing head 19.
  • the carbon ribbon 1 moves on to the horizontal track, the carbon ribbon 1 carrying the imprinted positive (or negative) images of the printing patterns come into contact with the printing surface of the printing object 11 carried by the conveyer 13, and the carbon ribbon 1 and the printing object 11 moves at the same speed along the horizontal track.
  • the thermal transfer roller 23 is lowered to its lowered position such that the carbon ribbon 1 is pressed onto the printing surface of the printing object 11, so as to have the desired printing patterns printed on the desired locations on the printing surface of the printing object 11.
  • the printing object 11 is then carried away from the apparatus by the belt conveyer 13, while the carbon ribbon 1 is wound around the ribbon winding reel 3.
  • this first embodiment it is possible to thermally print diverse patterns on large printing areas, because the imprinting of the printing patterns on the carbon ribbon 1 by the printing head 19 and the thermal transfer of the printing patterns from the carbon ribbon 1 to the printing object 11 by the thermal transfer roller 23 are performed at spatially separated positions, i.e., on the vertical track and the horizontal track, respectively.
  • the thermal transfer takes place on the printing surface lying on a flat surface of the belt conveyer 13, so that the sufficient stability for achieving a high accuracy required for printing bar codes or other printing patterns requiring a high accuracy.
  • the printing head 19 do not contact with the printing surface of the printing object 11 directly, so that there is no need to make special protection for its logical circuits against the contact with the hard printing surface.
  • the printing head 19 and the printing controller unit 27 may be combined into a single controllable printing head.
  • thermal printing roller 23 described above is of vertically movable type, this can be replaced by a horizontally movable one which moves along with the carbon ribbon 1 and the printing object 11 in the horizontal direction while pressing the carbon ribbon 1 onto the printing surface of the printing object 11.
  • FIG. 2 there is shown a second embodiment of an apparatus for thermal printing according to the present invention.
  • those elements having corresponding elements in the first embodiment above are given the same reference numerals in the figures and their descriptions will be omitted.
  • the carbon ribbon 1 in the first embodiment above is replaced by the carbon ribbon 1 accompanied by a transparent polyester film 2, which are rolled together at the ribbon supply reel 7, as shown in Fig. 3.
  • This polyester film 2 plays a role of the paper 29 in the first embodiment above, i.e., to take extraneous negative (or positive) images of the printing patterns.
  • the polyester film 2 is turned at the platen roller 21 and wound around a film winding reel 4, rotatable around an axis 6 which is connected to a motor (not shown), provided behind the platen roller 21.
  • This film winding reel 4 is also controlled by the motor controller unit 25 along with the ribbon winding reel 3 and the ribbon supplying reel 7.
  • the supplying of the carbon ribbon 1 and the polyester film 2 are done at the same rate, so that they can be replaced by new ones at the same timing, which in turn secures a continuous operation of the apparatus for the entire length of the carbon ribbon 1.
  • FIG. 4 there is shown a third embodiment of an apparatus for thermal printing according to the present invention.
  • those elements having corresponding elements in the first embodiment above are given the same reference numerals in the figures and their descriptions will be omitted.
  • the paper 29 or the polyester film 2 in the first and second embodiments above is replaced by the used carbon ribbon 1 itself.
  • the carbon ribbon 1 utilized for printing at the first vertical track and the horizontal track is not wound around the ribbon winding reel 3 at the second vertical track, but taken around to be inserted between the platen roller 21 and the carbon ribbon 1 through additional rollers 31, 33, 35, and 37, such that the used carbon ribbon 1 moves in a direction opposite to new carbon ribbon 1 coming from the ribbon supplying reel 7.
  • This routing is necessary in order to bring the front surface of the used carbon ribbon 1 to face the printing head 19.
  • the front surface of the used carbon ribbon 1 must face the printing head 19 since for the carbon ribbon 1 to be able to receive the carbon blacks it is necessary to have a particular chemical treatment done, and this chemical treatment is usually given to the front surface of the carbon ribbon 1 which is being covered by carbon blacks initially.
  • the used carbon ribbon 1 is then wound around the ribbon winding reel 3 which is now provided in a vicinity of the platen roller 21.
  • the used carbon ribbon 1 is usable as the medium to take extraneous negative (or positive) images underneath the printing head 19, because after the printing is performed at the thermal transfer roller 23, all the carbon blacks covering the carbon ribbon 1 are transferred away from the carbon ribbon 1 such that after passing the horizontal track the carbon ribbon 1 is just a transparent sheet.
  • the carbon ribbon 1 is used both for printing the desired printing patterns as well as taking extraneous negative (or positive) images when the printing patterns are to be imprinted by the printing head 19, so that no separate medium for taking extraneous negative (or positive) images is required.

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  • Electronic Switches (AREA)
  • Impression-Transfer Materials And Handling Thereof (AREA)
EP19890123693 1988-12-28 1989-12-21 Méthode et dispositif d'impression thermique pour grandes surfaces Expired - Lifetime EP0376170B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP93109128A EP0566161B1 (fr) 1988-12-28 1989-12-21 Méthode et dispositif d'impression thermique pour grandes surfaces

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP33466888 1988-12-28
JP334668/89 1988-12-28
JP1240504A JPH02263659A (ja) 1988-12-28 1989-09-19 熱転写方法
JP240504/89 1989-09-19
JP315427/89 1989-12-06
JP31542789 1989-12-06

Related Child Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP93109128.4 Division-Into 1989-12-21

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0376170A2 true EP0376170A2 (fr) 1990-07-04
EP0376170A3 EP0376170A3 (en) 1990-11-07
EP0376170B1 EP0376170B1 (fr) 1994-08-10

Family

ID=27332834

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19890123693 Expired - Lifetime EP0376170B1 (fr) 1988-12-28 1989-12-21 Méthode et dispositif d'impression thermique pour grandes surfaces

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0376170B1 (fr)
DE (1) DE68924180T2 (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0575913A2 (fr) * 1992-06-19 1993-12-29 KEISOKU INDUSTRY CO., Ltd. Méthode et appareil pour l'impression thermique à haute précision
EP0589462A1 (fr) * 1992-09-24 1994-03-30 KEISOKU INDUSTRY CO., Ltd. Procédé et appareil pour l'impression de transfert thermique à grande vitesse
EP0780238A3 (fr) * 1995-12-18 1998-02-04 Ncr International Inc. Impression par transfert thermique
US6639618B2 (en) * 2001-05-14 2003-10-28 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Thermal transfer line printer properly used for forming intermediate transfer type image
WO2010013880A1 (fr) * 2008-07-28 2010-02-04 주식회사 프리즘테크놀로지 Procédé et appareil d'affichage de motifs sur un boîtier tridimensionnel d'un appareil électronique par le biais d'un procédé de transfert

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4739343A (en) * 1986-05-09 1988-04-19 Pitney Bowes Inc. Thermal printing system for postage meter mailing machine application
US4740798A (en) * 1985-09-10 1988-04-26 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Transfer-type thermal printing device

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4740798A (en) * 1985-09-10 1988-04-26 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Transfer-type thermal printing device
US4739343A (en) * 1986-05-09 1988-04-19 Pitney Bowes Inc. Thermal printing system for postage meter mailing machine application

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0575913A2 (fr) * 1992-06-19 1993-12-29 KEISOKU INDUSTRY CO., Ltd. Méthode et appareil pour l'impression thermique à haute précision
EP0575913A3 (en) * 1992-06-19 1995-08-23 Keisoku Industry Co Ltd Method and apparatus for high precision thermal printing
EP0589462A1 (fr) * 1992-09-24 1994-03-30 KEISOKU INDUSTRY CO., Ltd. Procédé et appareil pour l'impression de transfert thermique à grande vitesse
EP0780238A3 (fr) * 1995-12-18 1998-02-04 Ncr International Inc. Impression par transfert thermique
US6607811B1 (en) 1995-12-18 2003-08-19 Ncr Corporation Receptive layer for thermal transfer printing on cartons
US6639618B2 (en) * 2001-05-14 2003-10-28 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Thermal transfer line printer properly used for forming intermediate transfer type image
WO2010013880A1 (fr) * 2008-07-28 2010-02-04 주식회사 프리즘테크놀로지 Procédé et appareil d'affichage de motifs sur un boîtier tridimensionnel d'un appareil électronique par le biais d'un procédé de transfert

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0376170A3 (en) 1990-11-07
DE68924180D1 (de) 1995-10-12
EP0376170B1 (fr) 1994-08-10
DE68924180T2 (de) 1996-02-01

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