JP3260845B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus using a recording medium having a surface whose receding contact angle decreases when it is brought into contact with a liquid in a heated state.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The present applicant has previously used a recording medium having a surface in which the receding contact angle is reduced when the recording medium is brought into contact with a liquid in a heated state. The recording medium is selectively heated while being in contact with a contact material selected from liquids or liquids or vapor-generating solids at or below the temperature at which the receding contact angle starts decreasing, or the surface of the recording medium is heated. By selectively contacting the contact material with the contact material in a heated state, a region (a desired pattern region, referred to as a latent image or a latent image region) having a receding contact angle corresponding to the heating temperature is formed on the surface of the recording medium. A recording method characterized in that the surface of a recording medium, in which the receding contact angle is reduced when heated and in contact with a liquid, is selectively contacted with a recording agent containing a color developing material. Or the surface of the recording medium By contact with the recording material while heating to 択的 was proposed a recording method for forming a visible image corresponding to the heating temperature on the recording surface (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-178478).

That is, the invention described in the above-mentioned publication uses a member having a surface having a receding contact angle which is low (increases liquid adhesion) when heated and brought into contact with a liquid, as the recording medium. The present invention provides a recording method in which a desired pattern area (latent image area) can be selectively or selectively and reversibly formed on the surface of the recording medium by an easy means. By supplying a recording agent (for example, liquid ink), a good visible image can be obtained from the beginning, and this visible image can be fixed on the surface of the recording medium as it is, or the visible image can be transferred to plain paper without fixing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording method in which a clear image with gradation is obtained by fixing the image. Further, according to the invention, in all of the processes such as formation / erasing, visualization, and transfer of a desired pattern region (latent image), a recording medium having excellent storage stability and stability is used to reversibly form a plurality of images. A recording method is provided in which the above steps can be performed.

[0004] As described in detail in the above-mentioned publication, the receding contact angle of the recording medium is reduced when the recording medium is brought into contact with a contact material such as liquid or vapor in a heated state (the liquid adhesion is high). However, if the recording medium surface is heated in the absence of the contact material, no interaction with the contact material occurs, and the recording medium returns to the original receding contact angle and the latent image is erased. (Image removal). Therefore, by providing a means for heating in contact with the contact material and a means for heating in the absence of the contact material, it is possible to form a recording apparatus capable of easily performing recording and erasing.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a recording apparatus using the recording method described in the above publication.
Is a thermal head, 2 is a belt-shaped recording body, 3 is a latent image forming liquid holding member, 4 is a developing sponge, 5 is a recording paper, 6 is a cleaner for cleaning, 7 is a heater for removing images, 1
Reference numeral 3 denotes a recording medium feed roller, and reference numeral 14 denotes a transfer roller. The recording apparatus selectively heats the latent image forming liquid in contact with the surface of the recording medium 2 by the thermal head 1 to form a latent image on the heated portion by forming a receding contact angle. The image is developed with the ink of the developing sponge 4 to form a visible image on the surface of the recording medium 2, and the visible image is transferred to the recording paper 5 for recording. Further, after the surface of the recording medium 2 after the transfer is cleaned by the cleaner 6, the heater 7 for removing the image is used.
And the latent image is erased (de-imaged).

[0006]

By the way, in the recording apparatus as shown in FIG. 2, the check of the image and the layout cannot be known unless the development and transfer are actually performed after the formation of the latent image. At this time, if the image and the layout are not good, there is a problem that the ink and the cleaner are wasted. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a recording apparatus capable of checking an image such as a layout before performing development and transfer.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 comprises a recording body having a surface whose receding contact angle is reduced when the recording medium is brought into contact with a liquid in a heated state. A latent image is formed on the heating portion by a method in which a contact material made of liquid or vapor or a solid which becomes liquid by heating is selectively heated in contact with the surface of the body to form a receding contact angle corresponding to the heating temperature. Forming a visible image by contacting the latent image with a recording material containing a colorant and developing the latent image, and transferring the visible image to recording paper to record an image; The recording medium is characterized in that a recording medium material layer is provided on one surface of a substrate, and a thermally transferable ink layer is provided on the other surface of the substrate.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording medium having a surface in which a receding contact angle is reduced when the recording medium is in a heated state and is brought into contact with a liquid, and the surface of the recording medium is liquid or vapor or liquid or vapor heated. Forming a latent image on the heating portion by a method of selectively heating in contact with a contact material made of a solid to be formed and forming a receding contact angle according to the heating temperature,
The latent image is brought into contact with a recording material containing a coloring material and developed to form a visible image. After transferring this visible image to recording paper, a means for erasing (removing the image) by heating is provided. A recording medium having a recording material layer provided on one surface of a substrate and a thermally transferable ink layer provided on the other surface of the substrate, and reproducing the thermally transferable ink layer during image removal. It is characterized by having.

[0009]

In the recording apparatus according to the first aspect, the recording body is provided with a recording material layer on one side of the substrate, and a thermally transferable ink layer on the other side of the substrate. Since the heat transferable ink layer on the back surface of the substrate can be transferred to paper or the like by using the heat when writing the latent image on the substrate, the image check can be performed simultaneously with the formation of the latent image. In the recording apparatus of the second aspect, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, at the time of image removal, there is provided a means for reproducing the thermally transferable ink layer, so that the recording medium can be reused.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIGS. 1A and 1B are views showing an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a recording body, and FIG. 1B is a schematic main part configuration of a recording apparatus using the recording body shown in FIG. FIG. In FIG. 1A, the recording body 2 has a receding contact angle that is low when one side of a recording body substrate 9 is brought into contact with a recording material layer (in a heated state and with a contact material such as liquid or vapor (liquid adhesion). More likely)
A layer having a surface (hereinafter, referred to as a recording layer) 10 is provided, and an ink layer 8 for thermal transfer is provided on the other surface of the substrate 9. As an apparatus configuration using such a recording medium 2, as shown in FIG. 1B, the thermal head 1 and the latent image forming liquid 11 are opposed to the surface of the recording medium 2 on the recording layer 10 side. The recording paper 5 and the thermal transfer ink transfer roller 15 are disposed at a position facing the thermal head 1 on the side of the thermal transfer ink layer 8 on the back surface of the recording medium.

In the recording apparatus shown in FIG.
The thermal transfer ink on the back side of the substrate 9 is transferred to the recording paper 5 by utilizing heat generated when a latent image is written on the recording layer 10 by the thermal head 1. As a result, printing of the latent image on the recording layer 10 and printing of the image with the thermal transfer ink are simultaneously performed, so that the image can be checked without performing the recording process of development and transfer.
Then, if there is no problem in the result of the image check, printing may be performed by performing a normal development and transfer recording process. Further, if there is a problem, in the case of a sheet-shaped recording medium, the recording medium may be discarded and a new recording medium may be used to write a latent image and create a proof. When an endless belt-shaped recording medium is used, the latent image on the recording layer 10 of the recording medium 2 that has been used once is erased (removed), and the thermal transfer ink layer 8 is applied again to reproduce the recording medium. And may be used repeatedly. In this case, the latent image is erased by heating with a heater or the like as in the example shown in FIG.
For regenerating the thermal transfer ink layer, a conventional thermal transfer ink ribbon regenerating method such as recoating can be used.

Hereinafter, more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described. [Example 1] Recording medium: Fluorine-containing acrylate material TG-702 (manufactured by Daikin Industries, Ltd.) was diluted three times in volume ratio with Freon 113, and this diluted solution was used as a thermal transfer ink in which a thermal transfer ink layer was formed on a sheet-like substrate. The sheet was coated on the back side (the side not coated with ink) and then dried at 130 ° C. for 30 minutes to prepare a sheet. Result: When the latent image was written on the recording layer 10 by the thermal head 1 and the thermal transfer ink 8 was simultaneously recorded on the recording paper 5 by the apparatus configuration of FIG. 1B, the image was developed without performing development and transfer. And check the layout. Thereafter, the latent image on the recording layer 10 was erased by heating the recording medium, and the recording medium could be reproduced by repainting the thermal transfer ink layer 8.

Example 2 Recording medium: Fluorine-containing acrylate material Biscoat 17F
(Manufactured by Osaka Organic Chemical Industry) is subjected to solution polymerization (solution 1-1-1 trichloroethane), diluted with Freon 113, and the diluted solution is applied to the back side of the thermal transfer ink sheet having the thermal transfer ink layer formed on the sheet substrate (ink , And then dried at 130 ° C. for 30 minutes. Result: When the latent image was written on the recording layer 10 by the thermal head 1 and the thermal transfer ink 8 was simultaneously recorded on the recording paper 5 by the apparatus configuration of FIG. 1B, the image was developed without performing development and transfer. And check the layout. Thereafter, the latent image on the recording layer 10 was erased by heating the recording medium, and the recording medium could be reproduced by repainting the thermal transfer ink layer 8.

[0014]

As described above, in the recording apparatus according to the first aspect, the recording body is provided with a recording material layer on one side of the substrate and an ink layer capable of thermally transferring on the other side of the substrate. By forming the proof by thermal transfer simultaneously with the formation of the latent image, it is possible to transfer the heat transferable ink layer on the back surface of the substrate to paper or the like by utilizing heat when writing the latent image on the recording material layer. Development,
Images and layouts can be checked without transferring, and time and ink can be saved. In the recording apparatus according to the second aspect, in addition to the operation and effect of the first aspect, at the time of image elimination, there is provided a means for reproducing the thermally transferable ink layer, so that the recording medium can be reused. Can be eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a recording body, and FIG. 1B is a schematic main part of a recording apparatus using the recording body shown in FIG. It is a block diagram.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a recording apparatus showing an example of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Thermal head (Hot source for latent image formation) 2 ... Recording body 3 ... Latent image forming liquid holding member 4 ... Developing sponge 5 ... Recording paper 6 ... Cleaner 7 ... -Heater for image removal 8-Thermal transfer ink layer 9-Recorder substrate 10-Recorder material layer (recording layer) 11-Latent image forming liquid 12-Latent image 15-Thermal transfer Ink transfer roller

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tetsuo Watanabe 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Ricoh Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-1-209178 (JP, A) JP Hei 4-201477 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41M 1/00 B41M 5/00 B41M 5/26

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A contact material comprising a recording body having a surface whose receding contact angle is reduced in a heated state when brought into contact with a liquid, wherein the recording material has a surface made of a liquid, a vapor, or a solid which becomes a liquid by heating. A latent image is formed on the heating section by a method of selectively heating in a state where the image is in contact and forming a receding contact angle according to the heating temperature, and a developing agent containing a coloring material is brought into contact with the latent image and developed. Forming a visible image by transferring the visible image onto a recording paper to record the image, wherein the recording medium is provided with a recording material layer on one surface of the substrate, and A recording apparatus comprising a heat transferable ink layer provided on one surface. 2. A recording medium having a surface in which the receding contact angle is reduced when the recording medium is brought into contact with a liquid in a heated state, wherein the recording medium is made of a liquid or vapor or a solid which becomes a liquid or vapor by heating. Forming a latent image on the heating section by a method of forming a receding contact angle according to the heating temperature by selectively heating the contact material in contact with the contact material, and contacting the latent image with a recording material containing a coloring material. A recording apparatus having means for forming a visible image by developing, transferring the visible image to recording paper, and then erasing (removing the image) by heating, wherein the recording medium is recorded on one side of a substrate. A body material layer is provided, and a heat transferable ink layer is provided on the other surface of the substrate,
A recording apparatus comprising means for reproducing a thermally transferable ink layer during image removal.