JP2851434B2 - Sublimation ink layer forming device for recording - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a recording ink layer forming apparatus that forms a new recording ink layer by removing all residual sublimation ink in a sublimation recycling system that reuses sublimation ink. .

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in a sublimation recycling type printer, sublimation ink recorded on a sublimation ink carrying sheet and remaining sublimation ink has been removed mechanically, mechanically by a scraper, or by chemical means using heat or a solvent. One example of this is
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 1-305299 (JP-A-3-166980). That is, when an experiment was conducted on the entire removal of the residual sublimation ink, removal by mechanical rubbing force caused deterioration of the sheet, and it was impossible to remove the entire surface, and it was difficult to remove the entire surface by melting with heat. There was a problem that the removal was not enough for the rotation speed of the sublimation ink-carrying sheet, and it was difficult to remove the entire surface by using a solvent, and the apparatus became large.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a recording ink layer forming apparatus which does not have the conventional disadvantages.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present inventor has filed Japanese Patent Application No. Hei.
No. 80), which is an improvement of the present invention. That is, the invention of the present application provides a seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet that forms a sublimation ink layer on the outside, is partially sublimated in the recording unit, and carries the remaining remaining sublimation ink and moves. Passed,
A sublimation heater roll that supplies sublimable heat to the remaining sublimation ink, and is horizontally separated from the sublimation heater roll, the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet is stretched over, and the solvent can be vaporized from the applied sublimation ink layer. A solvent removal heater roll for supplying heat that the sublimation ink does not sublimate, in contact with an outer intermediate portion of the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet bridged between the solvent removal heater roll and the sublimation heater roll. Provided, an application roll for applying the sublimation ink, supplying a sublimation ink containing a solvent to the application roll, receiving the sublimation ink sublimated by the sublimation heater roll, and removing the solvent released by the solvent removal heater roll. A tray for storing sublimation ink, wherein a closed space is formed between the endless sublimation ink carrying sheet and the endless sublimation ink carrying sheet; And a recording sublimation ink layer forming apparatus characterized by comprising a.

According to the present invention, the remaining sublimation ink can be entirely removed with a simple configuration. Therefore, high image quality can be stably obtained, the printer speed can be increased, and the size of the apparatus can be extremely reduced. Specifically, a roll heater is provided on the inner surface of the seamless sublimation ink-carrying sheet, and the maximum remaining sublimation ink of the seamless sublimation ink-carrying sheet, that is, it generates heat enough to sublimate the entire thickness of the formed sublimation ink layer. This is due to the fact that the roll heater has as much heat as possible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a physical principle diagram of a three-phase change of a sublimation ink in a recording ink layer forming apparatus of the present invention.
It changes near the triple point of the liquid layer and gas layer. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the configuration of the recording ink layer forming apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a product in which the recording ink layer forming apparatuses shown in FIG. 2 according to the present invention are arranged corresponding to four colors or three colors.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the figure, reference numeral 5 denotes a wide seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet which carries a sublimation ink layer and moves. With the thermal head roll S1 at the top, a sublimation heater roll S2, which is a ceramic heater, and a solvent removal heater roll S3, are disposed horizontally, and the seamless sublimation ink-carrying sheet 5 stretched over them is an isosceles triangle or positive. It is made to be in the state of being stretched in a triangle. The seamless sublimation ink-carrying sheet 5 is formed of a heat conductive anisotropic polymer having a fast heat conduction in its thickness direction and a slow heat conduction in its in-plane direction. Thermal head roll
S1 forms a recording unit with a sublimation recording head in the form of a roll. The three rolls S1, S2, S3 have the same roll diameter and rotate at the same speed to prevent the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5 from being slackened.

The receiving tray 6 is provided below the horizontally sublimated seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5, and is formed in an S-shaped spring form outside the sublimation heater roll S2 and the solvent removal heater roll S3. 5 lightly pressed against the ink layer carried on it without damaging it,
The seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5 forms a closed space.

Further, an application roll R1 is provided between the sublimation heater roll S2 and the solvent removal heater roll S3 so as to contact the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5 from below. Then, the application roll R1 is immersed in the solvent and the sublimation ink that are mixed and stored in the tray 6. The solvent or the sublimation ink can be replenished, or the entire tray 6 can be replaced. Although there are various solvents, water is one of them. The application roll R1 has the same forward direction as the moving direction of the seamless sublimation ink transport sheet 5 and the same speed as the sublimation heater roll S2 and the solvent removal roll S3.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. 2 will be described. First, when a seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5 carrying a sublimation ink layer formed by being uniformly applied passes through a thermal head roll S1, which is a sublimation recording head of a sublimation recording apparatus, heat is transferred to the seamless sublimation ink at a pinpoint. The sublimation ink is transferred to the carrier sheet 5, and is sublimated therefrom, and is transferred, for example, printed, to a recording medium such as paper (not shown) in contact therewith via the seamless sublimation ink carrier sheet 5. The sublimation portion increases according to the information amount, and that portion corresponds to the portion of the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5 where the sublimation ink is gone. The unused sublimation ink is carried as the remaining sublimation ink while being attached to the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5.

This portion refers to the horizontal portion in FIG. 1 showing the principle of the three-phase change of the sublimation ink, and the sublimation ink was heated by the thermal head roll S1 from the state of exhibiting the uniform coated solid phase. The part is sublimated to exhibit a gas phase, and the remaining part remains in a solid state and still exhibits a solid phase.

The remaining sublimation ink receives heat at the sublimation temperature or higher at the sublimation heater roll S2 at the entrance of the tray 6, changes from a solid phase to a gas phase, and is completely removed from the seamless ink transport sheet 5. This sublimation heater roll S2 has a configuration in which heat is radiated and added in the direction of the tray 6 containing the solvent. The vaporized sublimation ink dissolves in the solvent in the tray 6 and liquefies.

This part is along the right slope line in FIG.
The remaining sublimation ink, which is a solid phase, is supplied to the sublimation heater roll S2.
The sublimation of the present invention is performed by receiving heat through the seamless sublimation ink-carrying sheet 5 from the seamless sublimation ink-carrying sheet 5 and becomes a gas-phase sublimation ink. That is, the remaining sublimation ink can be completely removed from the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5. The removed sublimation ink is mixed in a liquid dispersed between molecules of the solvent or mixed in a liquid dispersed so as to float in the solvent.

At the same time as the application roll R1 rotates, this portion of the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5 from which the remaining sublimation ink has been completely removed moves horizontally, and the sublimation ink containing the solvent to which the application roll R1 adheres becomes a seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet. 5 is evenly applied. The seamless sublimation ink-carrying sheet 5 floats the heat from the sublimation heater roll S2 to give the sublimation heat of the remaining sublimation ink, but moves horizontally beyond the application roll R1 in a state where the residual heat is held. . Therefore, the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5
The solvent is gradually removed from the sublimation ink applied to the substrate 6, and the removed solvent is returned to the receiving tray 6. Then, the seamless sublimation ink-carrying sheet 5 is heated by the solvent removing heater roll S3.
Is reached, heat sufficient to blow off the solvent is transmitted from the solvent removal heater roll S3 to the sublimation ink layer via the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5 to release the solvent, most of which is returned to the tray 6. As a result, the sublimation ink dries and a solid layer having a uniform thickness is formed again on the outer surface of the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5.

This part is along the left slope line in FIG.
The liquid or the sublimation ink mixed in the liquid is applied and the solvent is released to form a solid phase, and a uniform coated solid is re-formed on the outer surface of the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5.

In this way, the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet 5 having a portion used for printing or the like is moved by a predetermined amount, and the sublimation ink layer is sequentially reproduced, and this cycle is repeated.

FIG. 3 shows a case in which the sublimation recording apparatuses having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 are arranged for each color, and the left side has four colors and the right side has three colors. 1 is yellow, 2 is magenta, 3 is cyan, and 4 is black sublimation ink. A desired color can be provided by a combination of these colors. Each of these colors, even if the entire sublimation recording device is a cartridge type,
The tray 6 may be a cartridge type, or only the ink may be replenished.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the present invention can be applied to full-color printers such as copiers, video devices, and recording color printers, as well as general printers. The present invention provides a printer which is low cost, has excellent image stability, and is effective in terms of simple operability, and bears next-generation photographic technology having higher image quality than photographs.

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Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet which forms a sublimation ink layer on the outside, partially sublimates in a recording section, and carries the remaining sublimation ink, and moves over the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet. A sublimation heater roll that supplies sublimable heat to the remaining sublimation ink, and is horizontally separated from the sublimation heater roll, the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet is stretched over, and the solvent is vaporized from the applied sublimation ink layer. A solvent removal heater roll capable of supplying heat that cannot be sublimated by the sublimation ink, and an outer intermediate portion of the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet stretched between the solvent removal heater roll and the sublimation heater roll. An application roll that is provided in contact with and applies the sublimation ink, and supplies a sublimation ink containing a solvent to the application roll, A receiver for receiving sublimation ink sublimated by a heater roll and forming a sealed space between the seamless sublimation ink carrier sheet and the seamless sublimation ink carrier sheet to receive the solvent released by the solvent removal heater roll. A recording sublimation ink layer forming apparatus characterized by the following. 2. The recording sublimation ink layer forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording section is a thermal head roll, and the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet is stretched over the recording sheet. 3. A sublimation heater roll and a solvent removal heater roll are disposed horizontally apart from each other with the thermal head roll as a vertex, and a seamless sublimation ink-carrying sheet is stretched over these to form an isosceles triangle or equilateral triangle. 3. The apparatus for forming a sublimation ink layer for recording according to claim 2, wherein: 4. The tray according to claim 1, wherein an S-shaped portion of the tray is pressed on the upper part of the sublimation heater roll and the solvent removal heater roll via the seamless sublimation ink carrying sheet. The recording sublimation ink layer forming apparatus according to the above. 5. The sublimation heater roll transfers residual heat to the seamless sublimation ink-carrying sheet with heat sufficient to sublimate the remaining sublimation ink and to help the solvent to fly from the sublimation ink applied by the application roll. 2. The recording sublimation ink layer forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sublimation ink layer is added. 6. The seamless sublimation ink-carrying sheet,
2. The apparatus for forming a sublimation ink layer for recording according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a heat conductive anisotropic polymer having good heat conductivity in a thickness direction and poor heat conductivity in a plane direction.