JP2901450B2 - Toner fusion transfer recording method and toner fusion transfer recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a non-impact serial recording type toner fusion transfer recording method using a toner and a toner fusion transfer recording apparatus used in the practice thereof. Melt-transfer toner onto recording paper by thermal head,
The present invention relates to a toner fusion transfer recording method suitable for a serial recording type printer and a toner fusion transfer recording apparatus used for carrying out the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an example of a printer using a thermal head, there is a printer using a transfer film in which an ink layer is applied on a base film. This printer employs a configuration in which a transfer film is selectively heated by a thermal head in accordance with print data, and printing (recording) is performed on recording paper passed between the thermal head and a platen roller.

Another example of a printer uses toner instead of a transfer film. A typical example of such a printer is a printer to which electrophotography is applied.
There is one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5971.

Further, as a non-impact recording type printer, there is an ink jet recording type printer which performs recording by spraying ink onto recording paper.

[0005]

By the way, in the printer of the recording system using the above-mentioned transfer film, since the ink layer at the transfer portion is removed by printing, the portion once used for printing cannot be reused. Therefore, when printing proceeds and the printable area is exhausted, it is necessary to replace the transfer film with a new one. That is, since the transfer film is a consumable and cannot be reused, there is a disadvantage that the running cost is high.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned printer to which the electrophotographic method is applied requires a corona charger for charging a dielectric film and requires a high voltage, which is not preferable in that ozone is generated.

Further, in the ink jet recording type printer, there is a problem that, depending on the type of the recording paper, the recorded characters and images are blurred, or when the recording paper is wet by mistake, the characters flow and become unreadable. . For this reason, there is anxiety about using the ink jet method as a recording method of an important official document.

[0008] The present invention is to solve such problems of the prior art, and does not generate consumables in the printing process.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an economical toner fusion transfer recording method capable of enjoying good print quality and a toner fusion transfer recording apparatus used for carrying out the method.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a toner fusion transfer recording method capable of reducing the size and cost of the apparatus and a toner fusion transfer recording apparatus used for carrying out the method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner fusion transfer recording method capable of recording information on an important official document irrespective of the type of recording paper and a toner fusion transfer recording method used in the method. A recording device is provided.

[0011]

According to the present invention, there is provided a toner fusion transfer recording method comprising the steps of: adhering a toner in a toner cartridge to a peripheral surface of a toner charging and coating elastic roller; Rotating the toner transport film in a state of sliding contact with the toner transport film, charging the toner and the toner transport film to opposite polarities, and adsorbing the toner on the toner transport film, And selectively heating the toner transport film with the thermal head to melt-transfer the toner onto recording paper, thereby achieving the object described above.

Further, the toner fusion transfer recording apparatus according to the present invention includes a toner transport film that moves around, a toner cartridge provided in a movement area of the toner transport film and containing toner, and a toner cartridge near the toner cartridge. A toner charging coating that is provided so as to be slidably contacted with the toner transport film, charges the toner adhered to the peripheral surface from the toner cartridge and the toner transport film with opposite characteristics, and attracts the toner to the toner transport film. An elastic roller and a thermal transfer medium which is disposed opposite to a platen across the recording paper in a moving area of the toner transport film and selectively heats the toner transport film to which the toner is adsorbed to melt-transfer the toner onto the recording paper. With a head,
Thereby, the above object is achieved.

[0013]

In the above construction, the toner in the toner box is sufficiently contained on the outer peripheral surface of the elastic roller for charging and applying toner, and the elastic roller for applying and charging toner is transferred to the toner conveying film conveyed to this position. When slid and rotated, the toner and the toner transport film are charged to opposite polarities. Therefore, the toner is absorbed on the toner transport film. Therefore, as the material of the toner transport film, a material having a charging property of a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner is selected.

The toner adsorbed on the toner transport film is transported to the position of a thermal head, which is a printing unit, where the thermal head selectively heats the toner according to print data (print information) and prints it on recording paper. It is melt-transferred. The toner in the non-print portion that does not contribute to printing is transported while being attracted to the toner transport film, and reaches the toner cartridge. Then, new toner is charged and applied to the outer peripheral surface of the elastic roller for applying and charging toner by the toner cartridge.

According to such a configuration, since the endless toner transport film is not a consumable, it can be used repeatedly.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 shows a toner fusion transfer recording apparatus used for carrying out the toner fusion transfer recording method of the present invention. The print cartridge 1 is opposed to the platen roller 6 rotatable about the axis at a predetermined interval. Recording paper, such as plain paper, is passed between the platen roller 6 and the print cartridge 1 in the direction of the front and back of the paper.

In the print cartridge 1, a pair of rollers 11 and 12 composed of a driving roller and a driven roller are arranged to face each other at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction in FIG. Roller 1
A thermal head 4 is provided at a position in the middle of the facing direction of 1 and 12 and in the vicinity of the platen roller 6. An endless toner transport film 3 is wound around the rollers 11 and 12 and the thermal head 4 in a loop. The toner transport film 3 moves around as the rollers 11 and 12 rotate.

As the material of the toner transport film 3, a material having excellent heat resistance and having a chargeability opposite to the charge polarity of the toner 10 described later is selected. For example, when a positively charged toner is used as the toner 10, a polyethylene film having a negatively charged sequence is preferable.
When a toner for negative charging is used as the toner 10, a nylon-based film having a positive charging sequence is preferable.

In addition, at a position between the thermal head 4 and the roller 12 on the left side in the figure and at a position desired in the moving area of the toner transport film 3, a toner cartridge 2 for storing the toner 10 therein is disposed. I have. An elastic roller 7 for applying toner charge is provided at a portion of the toner cartridge 2 which is desired in the movement area of the toner transport film 3 so as to be rotatable clockwise as indicated by an arrow. The toner 10 in the toner cartridge 2
Is sufficiently adhered (applied), and the toner charging / applying elastic roller 7 supplies the toner 10 on the outer peripheral surface to the toner transport film 3 by its rotation. For this reason, as the material of the toner charging and applying elastic roller 7, a material which can sufficiently contain the toner 10 on the outer peripheral surface thereof is preferable, and for example, a urethane sponge is preferable. When the sponge is used, the toner 10 in the toner cartridge 2 can be sufficiently contained, and as a result, the toner 10 can be stably applied to the toner transport film 3.

The elastic roller 7 for applying toner charge rotates while being in contact with the toner transport film 3. That is,
The toner transport film 3 is rotated in a state of sliding contact with the toner transport film 3, and the toner transport film 3 is charged to a polarity opposite to that of the toner 10 by the sliding contact rotation operation. Is adsorbed on the toner transport film 3.

The absorbed toner 10 is transported to the position of the thermal head 4 as the toner transport film 3 moves around. Then, the thermal head 4 selectively heats the toner transport film 3 in accordance with the print data, and the toner 10 at the heated location is melt-transferred onto the recording paper 5 to perform printing.

The thermal head 4 is movable in the axial direction of the platen roller 6 together with the print cartridge 1, and prints in the main scanning direction. Printing in the sub-scanning direction is performed by rotation of the platen roller 6.

Next, the printing process will be described a little more specifically with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A, when the toner charging and coating elastic roller 7 having the toner 10 in the toner cartridge 2 attached to the outer peripheral surface rotates toward the toner transport film 3, the toner charging and coating elastic roller 7 It rotates while sliding on the surface of the transport film 3. When the material of the toner transport film 3 is selected as described above, frictional charges of opposite polarities are applied to the toner 10 and the toner transport film 3 by the rotating operation of the elastic roller 7 for applying and charging the toner. It is adsorbed on the transport film 3. Subsequently, the adsorbed toner 10 is conveyed to the position of the thermal head 4 which is a printing unit as the toner conveying film 3 moves.

The toner 10 conveyed to this position is
As shown in FIG. 2B, the heater 8 disposed on the thermal head 4 is selectively heated according to the print data, and the toner 10 in the heated portion is melt-transferred onto the recording paper 5. Subsequently, in the process shown in FIG. 2C, the toner 10 that has been melt-transferred onto the recording paper 5 is fixed.

The toner 10 in the non-printing area which is not heated by the heater 8 is collected while being attracted to the toner transport film 3 and reaches the toner cartridge 2 where the new toner 10 is applied to the toner charging and applying elastic roller 7. Is charged and applied. Subsequently, the next printing operation is performed in the same manner.

[0027]

According to the present invention, the toner in the toner cartridge is attracted to the orbiting toner transport film by the elastic roller for applying and charging the toner, and then the toner transport film and the toner are printed by the thermal head. , The printing operation is performed by selectively heating according to the above formula, so that no consumables are generated in the printing process. Therefore, it is possible to realize an economical printing device that does not require running costs. Further, since toner is used, high quality printing can be performed.

Also, unlike an apparatus to which electrophotography is applied, since no corona charger is required, a high voltage is not required and no ozone is generated.

Further, high quality printing can be performed regardless of the type of recording paper, such as postcards and plain paper, without the problem that the recording paper is susceptible to moisture as in the ink jet recording system. As a result, important official documents can be printed with confidence.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a toner fusion transfer recording apparatus used for carrying out a toner fusion transfer recording method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the principle of a printing process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Print cartridge 2 Toner cartridge 3 Toner transport film 4 Thermal head 5 Recording paper 6 Platen roller 7 Toner charge application elastic roller 8 Heater 10 Toner

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A step of adhering toner in a toner cartridge to a peripheral surface of a toner charging / coating elastic roller, and rotating the toner charging / coating elastic roller in sliding contact with a circulating toner transport film; Charging the toner and the toner transport film to opposite polarities to adsorb the toner to the toner transport film; transporting the attracted toner to a thermal head position; Selectively heating to melt-transfer the toner onto recording paper. 2. A toner transport film that moves around, a toner cartridge that is provided in a movement area of the toner transport film and stores toner, and is provided near the toner cartridge so as to be in sliding contact with the toner transport film. An elastic roller for applying a toner charge to charge the toner adhered to the peripheral surface from the toner cartridge and the toner transport film with opposite characteristics to adsorb the toner to the toner transport film; and moving the toner transport film. And a thermal head for selectively heating the toner transport film adsorbed with the toner and melting and transferring the toner to the recording paper, the thermal head being disposed to face the platen with the recording paper interposed therebetween. .