EP0415387B1 - Procédé et dispositif pour renouveler un ruban encreur - Google Patents

Procédé et dispositif pour renouveler un ruban encreur Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0415387B1
EP0415387B1 EP19900116571 EP90116571A EP0415387B1 EP 0415387 B1 EP0415387 B1 EP 0415387B1 EP 19900116571 EP19900116571 EP 19900116571 EP 90116571 A EP90116571 A EP 90116571A EP 0415387 B1 EP0415387 B1 EP 0415387B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ink
electrically conductive
intermediate roller
layer
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19900116571
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP0415387A1 (fr
Inventor
Eiji Shimura
Hajime Kurihara
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.)
Seiko Epson Corp
Original Assignee
Seiko Epson Corp
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Seiko Epson Corp filed Critical Seiko Epson Corp
Publication of EP0415387A1 publication Critical patent/EP0415387A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0415387B1 publication Critical patent/EP0415387B1/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
    • B41J31/00—Ink ribbons; Renovating or testing ink ribbons
    • B41J31/14—Renovating or testing ink ribbons

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and device for regenerating an ink sheet or ribbon as it is used in a so-called thermal-transfer system wherein, by applying heat, ink is transferred from the ink sheet or ribbon to a recording medium or the like, as in a printer, facsimile machine or others.
  • the ink normally is transferred from selective portions of the ink sheet so that after the transfer the ink sheet has portions where ink is still present (non-transferred portions) and other portions where due to the transfer ink is absent (transferred portions).
  • the purpose of the regeneration of such an ink sheet or ribbon is to fill up with ink again those portions of the ink sheet or ribbon where ink is absent.
  • a method for regenerating an ink sheet is disclosed in SID 1985 DIGEST, pages 143 - 145.
  • This known method makes use of a so-called direct ink layer regeneration by supplying heat-melted ink to the ink sheet to be regenerated.
  • the known method involves some problems in that it requires a large apparatus and a complicated mechanism. It needs a warming-up time in order to melt the ink by a heat source and has a large electric power consumption in order to keep the ink in a melted state. Furthermore, ink cannot be supplied selectively to only those portions of an ink sheet from which the ink was transferred and became absent. An additional mechanism is needed in order to make the thickness of the regenerated ink layer constant and an additional mechanism in order to remove melted ink from the ink sheet after switching off a power source. Also, the maintenance of the apparatus used to perform the known method is complicated.
  • US-A-4,467,332 discloses another method for regenerating an ink sheet, using a powder ink.
  • This known method is used for an ink sheet composed of an ink layer on an electrically conductive layer, and a voltage drop occurs corresponding to the residue of ink in portions where ink is still present.
  • the powder ink also adheres to portions of the ink sheet where ink is still present (non-transferred portions), though the adhering amount of the powder ink can be varied at the transferred and non-transferred portions of the ink layer.
  • a potential distribution is generated at the interface between transferred and non-transferred portions of the ink layer (that is to say, an edge effect), so that the amount of ink adhering in the neighborhood of such interfaces increases.
  • the JP-A-55-126475 discloses another method and apparatus for regenerating an ink sheet.
  • the ink sheet comprises a conductive substrate coated with heat-melted ink of an insulating material.
  • the conductive substrate is earthed and the remaining portions of the ink layer are precharged by means of an electrifier.
  • Ink particles charged to the same polarity as those precharged remaining ink portions on the ink sheet are made to selectively adhere to those portions of the ink sheet where the ink layer has been removed.
  • a magnetic sleeve is used to transport the charged ink particles from a container into the vicinity of the ink sheet.
  • JP-A-01-295876/1989 discloses an epochmaking regenerating method which allows to have electrically conductive ink selectively adhere at only the transferred portions of the ink layer of an ink sheet by using a simple mechanism.
  • the present invention is intended to solve the above stated problems of the prior art and to further develop the method disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application No. 36116/1988.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for regenerating an ink sheet which allows to regenerate the ink layer of the ink sheet with a simple mechanism.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for regenerating an ink sheet by which ink can be selectively supplied to adhere to only the transferred portions of the ink layer of the ink sheet and the amount of adhering ink can be controlled.
  • Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for regenerating an ink sheet by which a high quality of regeneration is achieved such that by using the regenerated ink sheet, excellent images having no deterioration of the image quality are obtained.
  • an electric charge is applied to the electrically conductive ink by charge-injection so that the ink adheres to the intermediate roller by electrostatic force.
  • the ink thus carried by the intermediate roller is brought into contact with the ink sheet having the non-transferred portions with the ink layer still being present and the transferred portions where the ink layer has been removed in a preceding image forming process.
  • the electrically conductive ink is polarized and has a charge Q1 at the side of the intermediate roller and a charge Q2 at the side of the ink sheet.
  • the polarized ink is subjected to a first electrostatic force F keeping it to the intermediate roller and a second electrostatic force f drawing it to the ink sheet.
  • the electrically conductive ink will adhere to the insulating transferred portions of the ink sheet so that these portions are replenished with the ink.
  • the electrically conductive ink is in contact with the electrically conductive ink layer of the ink sheet so that its charge Q2 is released to the electrically conductive portion of the ink sheet and no second electrostatic force f is acting on the ink which, thus, keeps to adhere on the intermediate roller. In this way, it is possible that the electrically conductive ink is replenished selectively only in the transferred portions of the ink sheet.
  • the intermediate roller has an electrically conductive layer and a dielectric layer on the conductive layer.
  • the dielectric layer may be composed of a photo-electrically conductive layer which, as long as it is not irradiated with light within its sensitivity range, behaves like a dielectric layer.
  • powder ink is used as the electrically conductive ink, it is possible to supply the powder ink to only the transferred portions of the ink sheet in the state of almost a single particle layer, so that the replenishing amount of ink can be easily controlled.
  • FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a device for regenerating an ink sheet according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • a multi-layer intermediate roller 3 comprises a dielectric layer 2 on an electrically conductive layer 1. The roller 3 is rotated in the direction of an arrow 4a by operating means not shown.
  • a first electrode 5a is arranged at a fixed distance from the intermediate roller 3 and is rotated in the direction of an arrow 4b by operating means not shown.
  • Electrically conductive ink 7 filled in a hopper 6 is supplied to an aperture between the intermediate roller 3 and the first electrode 5a.
  • a voltage V is applied between the layer 1 of the intermediate roller 3 and the first electrode 5a by means of a power source 8a.
  • the ink sheet 12 is conveyed in the direction of an arrow 4o by operating means not shown.
  • the ink sheet 12 is a multi-layer sheet or ribbon, having an ink layer 10 on an insulating layer 9.
  • the ink sheet 12 has portions 11a where the ink layer is still present (non-transferred portions) and which are thus electrically conductive, and portions 11b where the ink layer 10 is not present (transferred portions) and where the insulating layer 9 is exposed.
  • the transferred portions 11b are the result of the ink sheet having been used in an image forming process.
  • the ink sheet 12 is arranged to be moved between the intermediate roller 3 and a second electrode 5b so that the intermediate roller 3 with the ink 7 adhering to it contacts the ink layer 10, whereas the second electrode 5b contacts the insulating layer 9.
  • This charge is determined by the voltage V, the voltage v, the electrostatic capacity C of the dielectric layer 2 of the intermediate roller 3 and the electrostatic capacity c of the insulating layer 9 (-Q1 is the charge induced in the electrically conductive layer 1 of the intermediate roller 3 and Q2 is the charge induced in the second electrode 5b).
  • the ink 7 can be transferred from the intermediate roller 3 to the transferred portions 11b of the ink sheet 12. That is, by an appropriate selection of the voltage V, the voltage v, the capacity C and the capacity c, the transferred portions (insulated portions) 11b of the ink sheet 12 can be replenished with the electrically conductive ink 7.
  • the electrically conductive ink 7 contacts the electrically conducting non-transferred portions 11a of the ink sheet 12, it retains the charge Q1 and keeps to adhere to the intermediate roller by the electrostatic force (the electrically conductive portions 11a of the ink sheet 12 have the charge Q2). Therefore, the ink 7 does not adhere to the non-transferred portions 11a of the ink sheet 12 and, thus, the ink 7 can be selectively supplied to only the transferred portions 11b of the ink sheet 12.
  • C corresponds to the capacity C, c to the capacity c, -Q1 to the charge induced in the electrically conductive layer 1 of the intermediate roller 3, Q2 to the charge induced in the second electrode 5b, V to the voltage V, v to the voltage v, and R to the resistance of the electricity passage formed by the electrically conductive ink 7 to the first electrode 5a.
  • Fig. 3 the ordinate shows the voltage v and the abscissa the thickness d of the insulating layer 9.
  • the powder ink can be filled into the transferred portions of the ink sheet 12 almost in the state of a single particle layer, which is desirable because the selectivity of the adhesion and the adhering amount can both be controlled.
  • the intermediate roller 3 contains at least the dielectric layer 2 at the surface and the electrically conductive layer 1 just beneath the dielectric layer 2.
  • an electrically conductive base roller or the like may be used.
  • the dielectric layer 2 is desired to be composed of materials having a resistivity of 1012 ⁇ cm or more (for example fluororesin, polyester, polyaramide, SiO2, SiC, Si3N4), and further materials having a poor wettability (for example fluororesin).
  • the first electrode 5a should have a slightly rough surface in order to convey the electrically conductive ink easily.
  • the electrically conductive ink 7 contains at least one kind of an electrically conductive agent such as carbon black (for example, furnace black, acetylene black), metal oxide (for example, ITO powder, SnO2 powder), metal powder (for example Ag powder, Al powder), salt (for example, quaternary ammonium salt), resin having electrical conductivity (for example, polyacetylene, polypyrol).
  • an electrically conductive agent such as carbon black (for example, furnace black, acetylene black), metal oxide (for example, ITO powder, SnO2 powder), metal powder (for example Ag powder, Al powder), salt (for example, quaternary ammonium salt), resin having electrical conductivity (for example, polyacetylene, polypyrol).
  • the ink 7 contains substances selected from the following groups of substances:
  • the resistivity of the electrically conductive ink 7, calculated from the so-called pressure-cell-resistance-value in the state of applying a voltage of 5V/mm under a pressure of 1N/mm2, is 108 ⁇ cm or less, preferably 105 ⁇ cm or less.
  • the ink 7 can be powder ink, paste ink, melted and dissolved ink, half-melted and half-dissolved ink, but preferable is powder ink. If powder ink is used the volume-mean-particle size is preferably from 5 to 50 ⁇ m. In the drawings powder ink is shown although the invention is not limited to powder ink.
  • the ink sheet 12 contains as components at least an ink layer 10 having electrical conductivity and an insulating layer 9 just beneath the ink layer 10.
  • the insulating layer may be composed of several layers and the insulating layer and the ink layer may be formed in a multi-layer structure on an electrically conductive support.
  • a heat-resistant layer, an abrasion-resistant layer and so on can be formed at the side of the ink sheet 12 opposite to the ink layer.
  • the insulating layer 9 is preferred to be a film which can be easily formed (for example a poylester, polysulfon, polyimide or polyaramide film).
  • the resistivity of the ink layer is preferably 1010 ⁇ cm or less, even more preferably 108 ⁇ cm or less.
  • a fixing means for fixing the electrically conductive ink 7 on the ink sheet 12 is needed especially if electrically conductive powder ink is used.
  • a fixing is not always necessary.
  • the fixing may be performed by pressing a roller heated by a built-in lamp against the back of the ink sheet, by passing the ink sheet through the space between such a heated roller and a metal roller, by exposing the ink layer side of the ink sheet to the heat radiation from a lamp or by passing the ink sheet through the space of a couple of pressed-metal rollers.
  • Fig. 4 schematically illustrates a device similar to that shown in Fig. 1, for explaining a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • the same reference signs are used for elements same as or similar to those of Fig. 1, and only the differences between the two embodiments will be explained below.
  • the intermediate roller 23 has a photo-electrically conductive layer 22 instead of the dielectric layer 2 shown in Fig. 1.
  • the intermediate roller 23 is not exposed to light within the sensitivity range of the photo-electrically conductive layer 22, at least not during the time during which the electrically conductive ink 7 adheres to the intermediate roller 23 until it has been transferred to the ink sheet 12.
  • the photo-electrically conductive layer 22 may be either a single layer type or a multi-layer type. Photoconducting materials having a resistivity of 1012 ⁇ cm or more as long as they are not exposed to light within their sensitivity range are suitable.
  • this layer acts as a dielectric layer so that the method for regenerating the ink sheet or ribbon 12 with this embodiment is practically the same as that with the first mentioned embodiment.
  • Fig. 5 schematically illustrates a device for regenerating an ink sheet according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
  • Ink 7 remaining on the surface portion of the intermediate roller 3 coming off the ink sheet 12 is removed from the intermediate roller 3 by a blade 13 pressed against the intermediate roller 3. Further, the surface charge of the dielectric layer 2 is removed by an earthed charge-removing roller 14 contacting the intermediate roller 3 and rotating in the direction of an arrow 4d.
  • the blade 13 is preferably made of a resin having a relatively low hardness, for example gum (urethane gum, silicon gum) or an elastomer (urethane-type, fluororesin-type).
  • Alternative means for removing ink remaining on the intermediate roller are a tacky roller having a tacky substance at its surface so that the ink adheres to the roller, suction means and so on.
  • any other means can be used suitable for removing the surface charge of the dielectric layer 2.
  • a charge-removing roller for applying a charge of a polarity opposite to the surface charge of the dielectric layer to compensate the latter could be pressed against the intermediate roller.
  • a charge of a polarity opposite to the surface charge of the dielectric layer to be removed could be applied by a DC corona discharge means.
  • the charge-removing roller may be an electrically conductive roller having a resistivity of 108 ⁇ cm or less.
  • a roller formed of an electrically conductive gum having a relatively low hardness at the surface (CR-type gum, NBR-type gum, Si-type gum) is preferred.
  • a conductive brush, a corotron etc. may be used.
  • Fig. 6 schematically illustrates a device for regenerating an ink sheet according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
  • a charge-removing lamp 24 is used instead of the charge-removing roller 14 shown in Fig. 5.
  • a photo-electrically conductive layer 22 is used instead of the dielectric layer 2 of the first and the third embodiment.
  • the charge-removing lamp is composed of a light source whose wavelength is within the sensitivity range of the photo-electrically conductive layer 22 of the intermediate roller 23.
  • Fig. 7 schematically illustrates an image forming apparatus making use of a device according to Fig. 1 for regenerating an ink ribbon.
  • the ink ribbon 101 is comprised of a heat-resistant layer 100, the ink layer 10 and the insulating layer 9 between both.
  • the ink ribbon is conveyed in the direction of arrow 4o from a supply roller 102a.
  • a thermal head 103 By means of a thermal head 103 selective portions of the ink ribbon 101 are heated corresponding to an image signal and the ink of the heated portions is transferred to a recording medium 104 to form an image corresponding to the image signal.
  • the recording medium 104 is moved in the direction of an arrow 4e at the same rate as the ink ribbon 101. Because of this image forming process, the transferred portions 11b and the non-transferred portions 11a of the ink layer 10 are formed on the ink ribbon 101.
  • a thin layer of electrically conductive powder ink 7 is formed on the circumferential surface of the intermediate roller 3 in order to regenerate the used ink ribbon passing between the intermediate roller 3 and the second electrode 5b.
  • the ink ribbon 101 after having been replenished with ink again, passes over an electrically heated body 106 contacting the heat-resistant layer 100 of the ink ribbon. Thereby, the electrically conductive powder ink 7 is fixed onto the ink ribbon 101. The thus regenerated ink ribbon is then wound onto to a take-up roller 102b.
  • the supply roller 102a and the take-up roller 102b can be exchanged for a repeated use of the ink ribbon. Experiments revealed that by the repeated use of the ink ribbon, no change of the image quality could be observed.
  • the image forming process is carried out by using a thermal head.
  • the image forming process can also be carried out by a heat-resistance head, when a heat-resistance layer is provided at the back of the ink ribbon 101 to generate Joule heat in selected portions of the heat-resistance layer by means of the head.
  • the image forming apparatus has been described as using the device of Fig. 1 for regenerating the ink ribbon. Needless to say that any of the devices of Figs. 4 and especially Fig. 5 or Fig. 6 could be used instead.
  • the advantages of the removal of remaining ink and of the charge removal from the intermediate roller 3, 23 have been explained before and need not be repeated here.
  • Fig. 8 schematically illustrates another image forming apparatus using any of the above described devices and methods for regenerating an ink ribbon.
  • the ink ribbon 201 is conveyed in the direction of arrow 4o and comprises ink layers 200y, 200c, 200m and 200b.
  • the letters y, c, m and b refer to the colors yellow, cyan, magenta and black of the respective ink layers.
  • the ink layers are formed one after the other on the insulating layer 9 in a repeated pattern.
  • Devices 204y, 204c, 204m and 204b for regenerating the ink ribbon 201 with the respective colors of y, c, m and b are arranged one after the other.
  • the devices are provided with a built-in color sensor to ensure that each of the devices supplies its ink to only those portions of the ink ribbon having the same color.
  • the principle or method of regenerating the ink ribbon by each of the devices 204y, 204c, 204m and 204b is, however, the same as it has been described in detail before.

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  • Impression-Transfer Materials And Handling Thereof (AREA)

Claims (10)

  1. Un procédé pour régénérer une feuille ou un ruban d'encrage comportant, sur une couche isolante (9), une couche d'encre (10) dont des parties sont enlevées, ce procédé comprenant les étapes suivantes :
       on fait adhérer une encre conductrice de l'électricité (7), qui a fait l'objet d'une opération d'injection de charge ou d'induction de charge, sur un rouleau intermédiaire (3, 23), contenant au moins une couche conductrice de l'électricité (1) et une couche diélectrique (2, 22) formée sur la couche conductrice de l'électricité,
       on fournit une charge au côté de la coucne isolante (9) de la feuille ou du ruban d'encrage (12), et
       on transfère l'encre conductrice de l'électricité (7), par une force électrostatique, du rouleau intermédiaire (3, 23) vers les parties de la feuille ou du ruban d'encrage (12) dans lesquelles la couche d'encre (10) a été enlevée.
  2. Le procédé selon la revendication 1, dans lequel la couche diélectrique (22) du rouleau intermédiaire (23) est une couche à conduction photoélectrique.
  3. Le procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel l'encre conductrice de l'électricité (7) est une poudre ayant des particules dont le volume moyen correspond à une taille de 5 à 50 µm.
  4. Le procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel les étapes suivantes sont accomplies après que les parties de la feuille ou du ruban d'encrage (12) où la couche d'encre a été enlevée, ont été regarnies avec l'encre conductrice de l'électricité (7) provenant du rouleau intermédiaire (3, 23),
       on élimine l'encre conductrice de l'électricité (7) qui reste sur le rouleau intermédiaire (3, 23), et
       on élimine la charge électrique du rouleau intermédiaire.
  5. Un dispositif pour régénérer une feuille ou un ruban d'encrage comprenant, sur une couche isolante (9), une couche d'encre (10) dont des parties ont été enlevées, comprenant
       un rouleau intermédiaire (3, 23) ayant une couche conductrice de l'électricité (1) ou un rouleau de base conducteur de l'électricité, et une couche diélectrique (2, 22) sur la couche conductrice de l'électricité (1) ou sur le rouleau de base conducteur de l'électricité,
       des moyens (6) pour fournir une encre conductrice de l'électricité (7) à la surface périphérique du rouleau intermédiaire (3, 23),
       des moyens (5a, 8a) pour établir une première force électrostatique (F) maintenant l'encre (7) sur le rouleau intermédiaire (3, 23),
       des moyens pour amener la surface périphérique du rouleau intermédiaire (3, 23) en contact avec la feuille ou le ruban d'encrage (12), et
       des moyens (5b, 8b) pour établir une seconde force électrostatique (f) entre l'encre (7) sur le rouleau intermédiaire et les parties (11b) de la feuille ou du ruban d'encrage (12) dans lesquelles la couche d'encre (10) a été enlevée,
       cette seconde force électrostatique (f) étant supérieure à la première force électrostatique, de façon à transférer l'encre (7) du rouleau intermédiaire vers les parties (11b) de la feuille ou du ruban d'encrage (12) dans lesquelles la couche d'encre (10) a été enlevée.
  6. Le dispositif selon la revendication 5, dans lequel le rouleau intermédiaire (23) comprend, pour la couche diélectrique, une couche à conduction photoélectrique (22) ayant une propriété diélectrique aussi longtemps qu'elle n'est pas exposée à de la lumière dans sa gamme de sensibilité.
  7. Le dispositif selon la revendication 5 ou 5, comprenant en outre des moyens (13) pour éliminer l'encre conductrice de l'électricité (7) qui reste sur le rouleau intermédiaire (3, 23) après que l'encre a été transférée vers la feuille ou le ruban d'encrage (12), et avant d'appliquer à nouveau l'encre conductrice de l'électricité (7) sur le rouleau intermédiaire.
  8. Le dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications 5 à 7, comprenant en outre des moyens (14, 24) pour éliminer des charges électriques se trouvant sur le rouleau intermédiaire (3, 23) après que l'encre (7) a été transférée vers la feuille ou le ruban d'encrage (12) et avant d'appliquer à nouveau l'encre conductrice de l'électricité (7) sur le rouleau intermédiaire.
  9. Le dispositif selon les revendications 6 et 8, dans lequel les moyens d'élimination de charge (24) comprennent une lampe émettant de la lumière d'une longueur d'onde comprise dans la gamme de sensibilité de la couche à conduction photoélectrique (22).
  10. Le dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications 5 à 9, dans lequel l'encre conductrice de l'électricité (7) est une poudre ayant des particules dont le volume moyen correspond à une taille de 5 à 50 µm.
EP19900116571 1989-08-29 1990-08-29 Procédé et dispositif pour renouveler un ruban encreur Expired - Lifetime EP0415387B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP22203189 1989-08-29
JP222031/89 1989-08-29
JP22203289 1989-08-29
JP222032/89 1989-08-29

Publications (2)

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EP0415387A1 EP0415387A1 (fr) 1991-03-06
EP0415387B1 true EP0415387B1 (fr) 1994-11-09

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EP19900116571 Expired - Lifetime EP0415387B1 (fr) 1989-08-29 1990-08-29 Procédé et dispositif pour renouveler un ruban encreur

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DE (1) DE69014023T2 (fr)

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JPH04122668A (ja) * 1990-01-25 1992-04-23 Seiko Epson Corp インクシートの再生法およびその装置

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DE69014023D1 (de) 1994-12-15
DE69014023T2 (de) 1995-04-13
EP0415387A1 (fr) 1991-03-06

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