JP3324846B2 - 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 for recording a desired image or character on recording paper in response to an electric signal applied to a recording head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a recording apparatus using a heat-sensitive recording head is easy to handle because it is completely dry-type recording without requiring development and fixing, and does not require any mechanical operation for printing. As a low-noise and highly reliable recording apparatus, it is used in printers, digital copying machines, facsimile machines, and the like. However, in any case, there is an inconvenience that clear recording cannot be performed unless dedicated recording paper is used. Therefore, a recording apparatus using an intermediate transfer medium has been devised so that clear recording can be performed even on plain paper without using a dedicated recording sheet.

Hereinafter, an example of a conventional recording apparatus using an intermediate transfer medium will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 shows a configuration diagram of a conventional recording apparatus. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 1 denotes an intermediate transfer medium formed in a roller shape;
A silicone rubber layer 1A is coated on a metal tube 1B. Reference numeral 2 denotes a thermal head, on which a large number of heating elements 2A are arranged on the surface in contact with the intermediate transfer medium 1. Reference numeral 3 denotes an ink sheet, 4 denotes a heater for heating and keeping the intermediate transfer medium 1 at a predetermined temperature, 7 denotes a recording sheet, and 8 denotes a pressing roller.

[0004] The recording operation of the recording apparatus configured as described above is as follows. First, the intermediate transfer medium 1 is driven to rotate at the speed of V1. Then, the thermal head 2 is pressed against the rotating intermediate transfer medium 1 via the ink sheet 3. Next, according to a desired recording pattern, the thermal head 2
By selectively energizing the heating element 2A, the ink applied on the ink sheet 3 is heated to transfer and form the ink image 3A on the surface of the silicone rubber layer 1A. The ink image 3A is moved to the position of the pressing roller 8 by the rotation of the intermediate transfer medium 1, and then the pressing roller 8 is pressed against the intermediate transfer medium 1 via the recording paper 7 so that the pressing roller 8 and the intermediate transfer medium 1 are moved. During this time, the ink image 3A is transferred to the recording paper 7. At this time, since the silicone rubber layer 1A on the surface of the intermediate transfer medium 1 has flexibility, the ink image 3
A is faithfully transferred onto the paper surface of the recording paper 7 so that clear recording can be performed. The above recording apparatus is introduced in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-141486.

[0005]

However, in the recording apparatus having the above configuration, the intermediate transfer medium 1 is driven to rotate at a constant speed V1 during the recording operation, so that the thermal head 2 forms the ink image 3A. The transfer of the ink image 3A to the recording paper 7 by the pressing roller 8 is performed at the same speed. The rotational drive speed V1 of the intermediate transfer medium 1 is
The speed is determined as the optimum speed for forming the ink image 3A mainly in terms of the energizing energy to the thermal head 2 and the recording image quality, and is not always the optimum speed for transferring the ink image 3A. For this reason, when transferring the ink image 3A to the recording paper 7, the amount of heat required for the transfer cannot be sufficiently transmitted from the intermediate transfer medium 1 to the recording paper 7, and the entire amount of the ink image 3A is not transferred to the recording paper 7 and the intermediate transfer There is a problem that transfer failure occurs such that the ink image 3A remains on the medium 1 or is insufficiently fixed even when transferred, and the ink image 3A is peeled off the recording paper 7. In view of the above problems, the present invention makes it possible to improve the transfer characteristics of an ink image by making the speed of forming an ink image by a thermal head and the speed of transferring an ink image by a pressing roller different from each other so that the speed is optimal for each process. It is an object to provide a possible recording device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a recording apparatus according to the present invention provides a recording medium at a first speed on a surface of the intermediate transfer medium by supplying a current to the intermediate transfer medium in accordance with a desired recording pattern. an image forming means for performing image formation, the image forming hands
After the image formation on the intermediate transfer medium by the step is completed, a recording sheet is pressed against the intermediate transfer medium, and the image on the surface of the intermediate transfer medium is moved at a second speed lower than the first speed. also the in which Ru is constituted by a transfer means for transferring the recording paper.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the ink image transfer speed is optimized to be lower than the ink image forming speed by the above-mentioned structure .
Because, it is possible to fully convey the amount of heat required to transfer the recording sheet from the intermediate transfer medium, thereby improving the transfer characteristics becomes possible to whole amount transferred fix the ink image on the recording paper.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.
This will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show the configuration of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a roller-shaped intermediate transfer medium, and a silicone rubber layer 1 is formed on a metal tube 1B.
A is coated. 2 is a thermal head (image forming means), 3 is an ink sheet, 4 is a heater for heating and keeping the intermediate transfer medium 1 at a predetermined temperature, 7 is a recording sheet, 8
Denotes a pressing roller (transfer means). The intermediate transfer medium 1
Is set to be substantially equal to the length of one page of the recording paper 7.

The recording operation of the recording apparatus configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS.
The recording operation can be broadly divided into an ink image forming process (FIG. 1) for forming the ink image 3A on the intermediate transfer medium 1 and an ink image transferring process (FIG. 2) for transferring the ink image 3A to the recording paper 7. Then, the ink image 3A is formed at the first rotation of the intermediate transfer medium 1, and transferred at the second rotation.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, an ink image 3A is formed on the intermediate transfer medium 1 at the first rotation. The intermediate transfer medium 1 is driven to rotate at the speed V1 and the thermal head 2 is pressed against the intermediate transfer medium 1 via the ink sheet 3. The ink applied on the ink sheet 3 is heated by selectively energizing the heating element 2A of the thermal head 2 according to a desired recording pattern, and the ink image is formed on the surface of the silicone rubber layer 1A at a speed of V1. 3A is transferred and formed. The ink image 3A is formed over a length corresponding to one page of the recording paper 7 (almost the entire circumference of the intermediate transfer medium 1).

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the ink image 3A is transferred onto the recording paper 7 at the second rotation. At this time, the intermediate transfer medium 1
Is rotated at the speed V2, and the pressing roller 8 is
Is pressed against the intermediate transfer medium 1 via the. Then, the ink image 3A moved to the position of the pressing roller 8 is transferred between the pressing roller 8 and the intermediate transfer medium 1 at the speed of V2 by the recording paper 7.
Transfer to The transfer speed of the ink image 3A and the recording paper 7
FIG. 3 shows the relationship of the transfer characteristics to the transfer. Transfer characteristic is A
The area C is a state where the ink image 3A has not been transferred to the entire recording paper 7, and the area B is a state where the ink image 3A can be transferred to the recording paper 7 but the recording paper 7 is not. Above, the state is not sufficiently fixed, and the area A is a state where the transfer and fixing are sufficiently performed. When the transfer speed is reduced, the amount of heat transmitted from the intermediate transfer medium 1 to the recording paper 7 increases, so that the transfer characteristics improve as the transfer speed is reduced. The transfer characteristic required here is the area A in which both transfer and fixing are good, so the transfer speed V2 is set to a speed at which the characteristics in this area can be obtained. Generally, the transfer speed V2 is lower than the ink image 3A formation speed V1. Therefore, by transferring the ink image 3A onto the recording paper 7 at the speed V2, the ink image 3A on the intermediate transfer medium 1 is transferred.
Can be transferred to the recording paper 7 and fixed.

According to the present embodiment as described above, by optimizing the slowed rate of transcription transcription rate of the ink image 3A of the rate of formation of the ink image 3A to the intermediate transfer medium 1 on the recording paper 7 Transfer characteristics can be improved. In the present embodiment, the first rotation of the intermediate transfer medium 1 causes the ink image 3
A was formed and transferred to the recording paper 7 in the second rotation. However, the ink image 3A
The transfer may be performed at intervals of several rotations after forming the image. When performing color recording,
Yellow, magenta, and cyan ink images 3A at the third rotation
Is formed on the intermediate transfer medium 1 in a superimposed manner, and is transferred to recording paper at the fourth rotation.

In the above embodiment, the transfer speed to the recording paper is set to V2. However, as shown in FIG. 4, by lowering the transfer speed to, for example, V3, the heat retaining temperature of the intermediate transfer medium 1 can be reduced. Similarly, the pressing force of the pressing roller 8 against the intermediate transfer medium 1 can be reduced. As a result, the stress applied to the intermediate transfer medium 1 can be reduced, the deterioration of the intermediate transfer medium 1 can be reduced, and the life can be extended. Further, the heater 4 is provided inside the intermediate transfer medium 1 to heat and keep the intermediate transfer medium 1 at a predetermined temperature.
May be provided to heat and keep the pressing roller 8 at a predetermined temperature. Further, the intermediate transfer medium 1 is formed into a roller shape based on the metal tube 1B.
Silicone rubber layer 1 on base such as polyimide film
A may be formed to have a belt shape. At this time, a member that receives pressure by the pressing roller 8 is required at a position facing the pressing roller 8 with the intermediate transfer medium 1 interposed therebetween.

Ink image 3 formed on intermediate transfer medium 1
A is an image using a fused WAX type ink or an image in which a dyeing resin layer is first formed on the intermediate transfer medium 1 and a sublimable dye is recorded thereon. Also, the ink image 3 on the intermediate transfer medium 1
Although the means for forming A is the thermal head 2 and the ink sheet 3, the ink image 3A can also be formed by using an energized recording head and an energized recording sheet.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, the ink image transfer speed by the pressing roller is lower than the ink image forming speed by the thermal head without providing a new member.
By optimizing the ink image transfer speed is configured,
Since the amount of heat required for the transfer can be sufficiently transmitted from the intermediate transfer medium to the recording paper, the entire amount of the ink image on the intermediate transfer medium can be transferred to the recording paper, and the ink can be sufficiently fixed on the recording paper. Image transfer characteristics can be improved. Further, it is also possible to reduce the heat retaining temperature of the intermediate transfer medium and the pressing force of the pressing roller against the intermediate transfer medium, which has the effect of reducing the deterioration of the intermediate transfer medium and extending its life.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a recording apparatus (ink image forming process) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a recording apparatus (ink image transfer process) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship between a transfer speed by a pressing roller and transfer characteristics.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a transfer speed by a pressing roller, a temperature of an intermediate transfer medium, and transfer characteristics.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a conventional recording apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Intermediate transfer medium 1A Silicone rubber layer 1B
... metal tube, 2 ... thermal head (image forming means), 2A
... heating element, 3 ... ink sheet, 3A ... ink image,
4 heater, 7 recording paper, 8 pressing roller
(Pressing means).

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Masaki Yoshikawa 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Inside Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-5-261951 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/32 B41M 5/20 B41M 5/26

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An image forming unit configured to form an image on the surface of the intermediate transfer medium at a first speed by energizing the intermediate transfer medium according to a desired recording pattern ;
After the image formation on the intermediate transfer medium is completed, a recording sheet is pressed against the intermediate transfer medium, and an image on the surface of the intermediate transfer medium is pressed.
A recording apparatus comprising: a transfer unit configured to transfer the image onto the recording sheet at a second speed lower than the first speed .