JP4419236B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printer that records information such as characters and images on a recording medium such as photographic paper, and more particularly to a printer that includes a plurality of transfer units arranged in a line of one or more rows.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, for example, a color image processed by a personal computer or a color image captured by a video camera, an electronic still camera, or the like is printed out for viewing or other purposes. For this reason, there is an increasing need for a printer capable of obtaining a high-quality full-color image. In particular, it is a relatively inexpensive printer for personal use, for example, a small office called “small office” or “home office”. On the other hand, it is beginning to be required to obtain a high-quality full-color image.
[0003]
As the color printing method, conventionally, a sublimation type thermal transfer method (or dye diffusion thermal transfer method), a melt thermal transfer method, an ink jet method, an electrophotographic method, a heat development silver salt method, and the like have been proposed. A dye diffusion thermal transfer system and an ink jet system can be mentioned as examples that can easily output a high-quality image with a relatively simple device.
[0004]
In the dye diffusion thermal transfer method, an ink layer in which a high-concentration transfer dye is dispersed in an appropriate binder resin is applied to an ink ribbon or sheet, and this is coated with a dye resin that receives the transferred dye. The so-called thermal transfer paper is brought into close contact with a certain pressure, heat is applied from the ink ribbon or sheet by a thermal printer head (thermal head), and the transfer dye is thermally transferred from the ink ribbon or sheet to the thermal transfer paper according to the amount of heat. It is.
[0005]
By repeating this operation for each of the image signals decomposed into yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C), which are the three primary colors of subtractive color mixing, for example, a full color image having continuous gradation is obtained. Can do.
[0006]
The thermal head is disposed opposite the platen roller, and between them, for example, an ink sheet having an ink layer provided on a base film, and a thermal transfer paper in which a dyeing resin layer (dye receiving layer) is coated on the surface of the paper Travels while being pressed against the thermal head by the rotating platen roller.
[0007]
Then, according to the image to be printed, the ink in the ink layer selectively heated by the thermal head is thermally diffused into the dyeing resin layer of the thermal transfer paper heated in contact with the ink layer, for example, dot The pattern is transferred.
[0008]
This dye diffusion thermal transfer system is an excellent technique that makes it easy to downsize and maintain a printer, has immediacy, and can obtain a high-quality image comparable to a silver salt color photograph. However, in this method, the generation of a large amount of waste resulting from the disposable use of the ink ribbon or the sheet and the high running cost are major drawbacks. In addition, it is necessary to use a thermal transfer paper, and there is a problem that the cost is increased in this respect.
[0009]
The melt heat transfer method can transfer a plain paper, but still uses an ink ribbon or a sheet, so there are problems of generation of a large amount of waste and high running cost due to the disposable. Also, the image quality was not as good as silver halide photography.
[0010]
Although the heat-development silver salt method has high image quality, the running cost is high due to the use of dedicated photographic paper and disposable ribbons or sheets, and this method also has the problem of high device cost. It was.
[0011]
On the other hand, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-59911 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-217, the ink jet method is an electrostatic attraction method, a continuous vibration generation method (piezo method), a thermal method (bubble method). The ink droplets are ejected from nozzles provided in the printer head by a method such as a jet method, and the ink droplets are attached to printer paper or the like to perform printing.
[0012]
Therefore, plain paper can be transferred, and since no ink ribbon or the like is used, the running cost is low, and there is almost no generation of waste as in the case of using the ink ribbon or the like. Recently, since color images can be printed easily, the spread has been increasing.
[0013]
Recently, a method for realizing density gradation of several steps in the same pixel by modulating the size of ejected ink droplets to 2 to 3 types or using 2 to 3 types of ink density using light color ink. However, in the inkjet method, in principle, continuous density gradation within the same pixel is difficult, the image quality is inferior to silver halide photography, and the unit is used to improve the image quality. Since the area of the pixel is reduced, there is a disadvantage that the recording time is very long.
[0014]
On the other hand, the electrophotographic method has a low running cost and a high transfer speed, but not only the image quality does not reach that of silver halide photography but also the apparatus cost is extremely high.
[0015]
That is, none of the methods described above satisfy all the requirements such as image quality, running cost, apparatus cost, and transfer time.
[0016]
Therefore, as a color printing method capable of satisfying all of these requirements, for example, a thermal transfer recording method as described in JP-A-9-183239 has been proposed.
[0017]
In this method, ink is heated at the transfer portion of the printer head, and the ink is ejected as fine particles, which are then transferred to the surface of a transfer medium such as printer paper that is disposed to face each other with a gap of about 50 to 150 μm. The transfer is performed by attaching to the surface.
[0018]
For example, the transfer portion is provided with an ink holding structure having a concavo-convex structure in which a large number of columnar bodies having a width or diameter of about 3 μm and a height of about 6 μm are erected at a minute interval of about 3 μm. A heater is provided below to constitute a transfer portion.
[0019]
By providing such an ink holding structure in the transfer portion, the following effects can be obtained. That is,
(1) Ink is spontaneously supplied to the transfer section by capillary action.
[0020]
(2) The ink can be efficiently heated due to the large surface area.
[0021]
(3) By appropriately setting the height of the columnar body, a predetermined amount of ink can always be held in the transfer portion.
[0022]
(4) Since the surface tension of the liquid generally has a negative temperature coefficient, the locally heated ink receives a force toward the outer peripheral portion having a low temperature, but its movement is suppressed to the minimum by the ink holding structure. Therefore, a decrease in transfer sensitivity is prevented.
[0023]
Therefore, by providing such an ink holding structure, it is possible to fly an amount of ink according to the heating in the transfer unit and transfer it to printer paper or the like, and to continuously control the ink transfer amount, that is, Density gradation within the pixel is possible. As a result, for example, a high-quality image comparable to a silver salt color photograph can be obtained.
[0024]
In addition, since there is no need to use an ink ribbon, etc., the running cost is low, and it is equivalent to plain paper by using ink that has good absorbency for plain paper, or by coating an ink receiving layer on plain paper. The transfer to a very inexpensive recording paper is also possible, so the running cost is low.
[0025]
In addition, since this method uses ejection by thermal action on ink, that is, dye, it is not possible to press the transfer portion of the printer head that heats the ink against a transfer medium such as printer paper with high pressure. Of course, there is no need for contact, and therefore, there is no problem of thermal fusion between the ink heating unit such as an ink ribbon and printer paper, which often occurs in other thermal transfer systems.
[0026]
In other words, this thermal transfer recording system, like the dye diffusion thermal transfer system described above, has features such as downsizing and ease of maintenance of the printer, immediacy, and high quality of the image, as well as ink ribbons and the like. It is possible to achieve a reduction in waste and a reduction in running cost due to non-use, and further a reduction in cost due to the use of plain paper.
[0027]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, among the printers as described above, for example, in an ink jet printer or a printer that ejects ink from a thermal transfer recording printer head, the ink does not naturally move between the transfer portion and the transfer target. Thus, it is necessary to provide a space (hereinafter referred to as a head gap). The length of the head gap is determined from the ink flight distance, the ejection direction, the ejection speed, and the like so that the positional accuracy when the ink reaches the transfer medium maintains a specified value. The head gap length needs to be kept at a very small distance of about 100 μm, for example. Therefore, if dust larger than the length of the head gap adheres on the transfer target, the dust contacts the transfer part and covers the transfer part, so that the transfer is not performed partially, The ink may permeate into the transfer medium through the dust adhering to the transfer portion, and bleeding may occur. Also, if transfer is performed with dust attached to the transfer area, the dust will adhere to the transferred material together with the ink during transfer, and the ink will also peel off when the dust is removed from the transferred material. As a result, the color may be lost. As a result, the transferred image quality is significantly reduced.
[0028]
As a method of dealing with this problem, there is a method of preventing dust from coming into contact with the transfer portion by increasing the distance between the transfer portion and the transfer target, that is, by setting the length of the gap long. As an adverse effect, it may take time for the ink ejected from the transfer portion to reach the transfer target. As a result, the head is scanned or the transfer target is scanned to transfer the ink. In this case, there is a problem in that the transfer portion and the ink arrival position are largely shifted by the ink flying time. Further, the ejected ink interferes with the ink droplets of other neighboring pixels in the flying space, and it is difficult to increase the resolution of the transfer portion. Therefore, a high resolution is obtained by scanning a head having a low resolution transfer portion a plurality of times. Furthermore, since the head gap length is long, it is necessary to make the ink ejection direction accurate in order to maintain the accuracy of the ink arrival position, and measures such as providing a highly accurate orifice hole in the transfer section are necessary. It was. Even when these measures are taken, if the dust adhering to the transfer material is peeled off after the image is transferred, the ink is peeled off together, resulting in color loss.
[0029]
Accordingly, the present invention has been developed in view of the above-described conventional situation, and has a structure in which bleeding and color loss due to dust adhering to the transfer target are not likely to occur, and high-quality transfer is possible. An object is to provide a printer.
[0030]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The printer according to the present invention is A printer head having a plurality of transfer sections arranged in a line in accordance with the printing width of the photographic paper in one or more rows in a direction substantially perpendicular to the running direction of the photographic paper, and heating the ink in the transfer section A line type printer that causes the ink to fly as fine particles, and the fine particles of the ink are arranged to face the printer head and adhere to the surface of the photographic paper that runs against the printer head. A heat dissipating fin provided on the printer head; and a heat dissipating fin fixed to the heat dissipating fin and provided on a photographic paper entrance side of the printer head, and attached to a surface to which fine particles of ink of the photographic paper adhere. The cleaner has an L-shaped base, and one surface of the L-shaped base is on the surface of the radiating fin on the entry side of the photographic paper. The other surface is a surface facing the photographic paper, and the other surface of the base is in contact with the surface on which the fine particles of ink of the photographic paper are adhered, and the fine particles of ink of the photographic paper are adhered. A contact part is provided to remove dust adhering to the surface. It is characterized by this.
[0031]
The printer according to the present invention includes a cleaner for removing dust adhering to the surface on which the transfer of the transfer object is performed at a position on the entry side of the transfer object of the printer head. Therefore, in the printer according to the present invention, before the image is transferred to the transfer body by the cleaner, dust attached to the surface of the transfer body where the image is transferred is removed.
[0032]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0033]
FIG. 1 shows a main configuration of a full-color printer to which the present invention is applied.
[0034]
The printer shown in FIG. 1 includes a printer head having a plurality of transfer portions arranged in a line of one or more rows, and heats the ink in the transfer portion to fly the ink as fine particles. Then, the ejected ink is arranged so as to be opposed to the printer head through a predetermined head gap, and is transferred to a surface of a transfer medium such as printer paper that moves in a predetermined direction with respect to the printer head, so-called transfer. This is a thermal transfer recording type printer.
[0035]
The printer includes a printer head 1, a head fixing bracket 2, an ink tank 3, a paper feed roller 4 for feeding a photographic paper as a transfer target, a photographic paper double insertion preventing claw 5, a photographic paper case 6, a photographic paper 7, a platen Belt 8, platen belt drive roller 9, pressure roller 10 corresponding to each color of yellow, magenta, and cyan, paper feed guide roller 11, paper discharge roller 12, drive motor 13 for driving the platen belt, drive coupling mechanism 14, a controller and power storage unit 15, a printer head signal line 16, a radiation fin 17, and a cleaner 18.
[0036]
The printer head 1 is provided with dedicated printer heads for three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan.
[0037]
The ink tank 3 holds ink to be supplied to the dedicated printer heads for three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan, and a dedicated tank is provided for each color.
[0038]
The platen belt drive roller 9 has a surface layer covered with, for example, silicon rubber, and has a diameter of 16 mm, for example.
[0039]
The cleaner 18 is provided at a position adjacent to the printer head and in the direction in which the photographic paper moves, that is, in the direction of the photographic paper case as viewed from the printer head. The cleaner 18 is provided in parallel with the printer head and across the width direction of the printer head. The cleaner 18 has a length equal to or greater than the width of the photographic paper and its lower surface is in contact with the surface on which the image of the photographic paper is transferred. It is done. The cleaner 18 does not need to be disposed adjacent to the printer head 1 and can be disposed at any position between the printer head 1 and the paper feed roller 4.
[0040]
The cleaner 18 includes a base 19 and a contact portion 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the base 19 has a contact portion 20 fixed to the lower surface thereof, that is, the surface facing the photographic paper 7, and supports the contact portion 20 so that it does not shift. When viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1, the base 19 has an L shape as shown in FIG. 2, and the radiating fin 17 has a surface B facing the radiating fin 17 in FIG. 2. It is fixed by screwing. The fixing method of the base 19 to the radiating fins 17 is not limited to screwing, and may be fixed by fitting or the like.
[0041]
Any material can be used for the base 19 as long as it can hold the cleaner 18. For example, a plastic molded product, a metal processed product, or the like can be used.
[0042]
The contact portion 20 is fixed to the lower surface of the base 19, that is, the surface facing the photographic paper 7 with an adhesive and contacts the surface on which the image of the photographic paper 7 is transferred, so that the image on the photographic paper 7 is transferred. The dust 43 adhering to the surface to be removed is removed.
[0043]
The material of the contact portion 20 is a material that can wipe off the dust 43 attached on the surface of the photographic paper 7 on which the image is transferred, or the dust 43 attached on the surface of the photographic paper 7 on which the image is transferred. Any material that can be adsorbed can be used. Here, what can wipe off the dust 43 has no adhesiveness to the photographic paper 7 and the dust 43 and can prevent the dust 43 on the photographic paper 7 by the contact portion 20. As such a material, a non-woven cloth, a cloth having a fine fiber structure represented by Toraysee (trade name, manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.), a natural material such as deer skin or cowhide, or artificial leather can be suitably used. . In addition, what can adsorb the dust 43 attached to the surface of the photographic paper 7 on which the image is transferred has adhesiveness to the dust 43 and adsorbs it, but does not adhere to the photographic paper 7. It has no sex. As such a material, an elastic body such as butyl rubber, silicon rubber or natural rubber, or an adhesive substance such as an acrylic resin adhesive or glue can be suitably used.
[0044]
Next, the operation of the printer will be described. When a printing command is input to the printer, the controller causes a current to flow through the drive motor 13 and the printing paper 7 is discharged from the printing paper case 6 by the paper feed roller 4 via the drive coupling mechanism 14. At this time, the photographic paper is peeled off by the photographic paper double insertion preventing claw 5 so that the photographic paper is not inserted and discharged, and is guided by the paper feed guide roller 11. The photographic paper 7 discharged from the photographic paper case 6 is sandwiched between the printer head 1 and the platen belt 8 driven by the platen belt driving roller 9 and is pressed in the direction of the printer head by the pressure roller 10. While being conveyed in the direction of the discharge roller 12.
[0045]
At this time, the photographic paper 7 comes into contact with the cleaner 18 immediately before the image is transferred by the printer head 1 as shown in FIG. Here, the dust 43 adhering to the surface on which the image of the photographic paper 7 is transferred comes into contact with the contact portion 20 of the cleaner 18 and is peeled off from the photographic paper 7 at the contact portion 20 and is blocked. It is not carried to the head 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the shape of the contact portion may be formed so that the contact portion with the photographic paper 7 is substantially perpendicular to the photographic paper 7, or an acute angle with the photographic paper 7 as shown in FIG. However, the dust 43 may be blocked in the space between the contact portion 20 and the photographic paper 7. Further, the above is a case where a material capable of wiping off the above-described dust 43 is used as the material of the contact portion 20, and when a material capable of adsorbing the above-described dust 43 is used as the material of the contact portion 20. 5 and 6 can be configured. 6 is a view of FIG. 5 viewed from the direction of arrow C. FIG. That is, the contact portion 20 is formed in a roller shape, and can be configured to be pivotally attached to the base 19 so that the lowermost portion of the contact portion 20 is in contact with the photographic paper 7 via the roller shaft 21. . In this case, the contact portion 20 is rotated in the direction of the printer head 1 by the force with which the photographic paper 7 is fed, and adsorbs the dust 43 attached to the contact portion with the photographic paper 7 when contacting the photographic paper 7. . In this case, the same effect can be obtained even if a roller is made of a material different from that of the contact portion 20 and a material capable of adsorbing the dust 43 is adhered to the surface thereof.
[0046]
Then, the photographic paper 7 from which the dust 43 adhering to the surface on which the image is transferred by the cleaner 18 is removed is sent to the printer head 1. At this time, according to the signal from the controller, for example, the printer head 1 first discharges yellow ink and performs transfer onto the photographic paper 7. The remaining two colors are sequentially ejected onto the photographic paper 7 to complete full-color printing. Finally, the photographic paper 7 is discharged out of the printer while being guided by the paper discharge roller 13.
[0047]
FIG. 7 shows a schematic perspective view of the printer head 1.
[0048]
The printer head 1 includes a printer head signal line 16, a heater chip 22, a base plate 23, an ink flow path plate 24, a driver IC (Integrated circuit) 25, an ink flow path 26, a transfer section 27, and an edge section 28. Is done.
[0049]
The heater chip 22 is bonded and fixed on the base plate 23.
[0050]
For example, 1216 transfer portions 27 are arranged in the vicinity of the tip of the heater chip 22 with a predetermined interval, for example, 84 μm interval, that is, an interval corresponding to 300 dpi, and each transfer portion 27 has a heater (not shown). Further, for example, ten dummy transfer portions (not shown) are arranged at equal intervals on both sides of the transfer portion 27.
[0051]
The edge portion 28 is formed substantially in parallel with the row of the transfer portions 27 and abuts on the photographic paper 7. Further, by fixing the heater chip 22 and the photographic paper 7 at a predetermined angle, the distance between the edge portion 28 and the transferred transfer portion 27 and the photographic paper 7 is maintained at, for example, 100 μm.
[0052]
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the printer head 1 performs transfer to photographic paper.
[0053]
The printer head 1 has a base plate 23 made of, for example, aluminum that also serves as a heat sink. A heater chip 22 having a transfer portion or the like formed on, for example, a silicon substrate is bonded to a portion near the lower end of the base plate 23 with, for example, a silicon-based adhesive. In FIG. 8, the position indicated by the one-dot oblique line is the ink flight center in each transfer unit 27. In addition, a groove 30 is provided on the surface of the base plate 23 so that the heater chip 22 is uniformly bonded to the bonding portion of the heater chip 22, and excess adhesive when bonding the heater chip 22 is added to the groove. It is supposed to escape to 30.
[0054]
A printed circuit board 31 on which a driver IC 42 for driving heat generation and the like is mounted is also bonded to the base plate 23 with a silicon-based adhesive. As shown in FIG. 8, the mounting portion of the base plate 23 of the printed board 31 is formed with a concave portion that is lower by the thickness of the printed board 31, and when the printed board 31 is attached to the concave portion, The height including the mounted driver IC 42 is configured to be substantially the same as the upper surface of the heater chip 22 attached in parallel to the printed circuit board 31.
[0055]
In addition, for example, a bonding wire (not shown) for connection at each connection portion is provided at a connection portion between the electrode pattern on the heater chip 22 and the driver IC 42 and a connection portion between the driver IC 42 and the wiring pattern of the printed circuit board 31. For example, a silicon-based coating agent JCR (Junction Coating Resin) 32 is applied and thermally cured.
[0056]
Next, the operation of the printer head will be described. When a print command is input to the printer, a drive signal corresponding to the image data is sent from the controller to the driver IC 25 via the printer head signal line 16 and is synchronized with the drive pulse of the paper feed motor. It is converted into a voltage pulse signal for turning on / off the heater. The ink of each color described above passes through the gap between the ink flow path 26 and the ink flow path plate 24 in the base plate 23 from the ink tank 3 dedicated to each color, and is supplied to each transfer unit 27 by capillary action.
[0057]
9 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the transfer unit 27, FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the transfer unit 27 provided at the tip of the heater chip 22, and FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the transfer unit.
[0058]
As shown in FIG. 9, the heater chip 22 has a substrate 33 made of, for example, silicon, and silicon oxide (SiO 2) is formed on the substrate 33. ₂ ) A polysilicon film 35 to be the heater 44 is formed through the film 34. The polysilicon film 35 includes a high resistance portion 35b serving as a heating element, and a low resistance portion 35a connected to a common electrode 36 and an individual electrode 37 each formed of, for example, an aluminum wiring pattern. Here, as the aluminum, one added with a second element such as Al—Si or Al—Cu can also be used. For example, when a thermally insulating substrate 33 such as a quartz substrate is used as the substrate 33, SiO 2 is used. ₂ The polysilicon film 35 may be formed directly on the substrate 33 without providing a heat insulating layer such as the film 34.
[0059]
On the polysilicon film 35, for example, a SiO2 film 38 is formed as a protective film, and a window for energizing the common electrode 36 and the individual electrode 37 is opened only on the low resistance silicon film 32b. Between the aluminum electrode pattern and the polysilicon film 35, for example, a barrier metal layer 39 made of a refractory metal such as Ti or Cr is formed to prevent the diffusion of Al into the polysilicon film 35. ing. Of the polysilicon film 35, the high resistance portion functions as a heater portion by resistance heating. Since the high resistance portion of the polysilicon film 35 is not in direct contact with the electrode and the barrier metal layer 39, Al does not diffuse into the high resistance portion of the polysilicon film 35 functioning as the heater 44. Therefore, the heat generation in the same head can be performed by heat treatment in the process of forming the common electrode 36 and the individual electrode 37, or by self-heating when the polysilicon film 35 is driven as a heating element during printing with the printer head. It is possible to sufficiently suppress the phenomenon that the resistance value changes and causes a deviation. Then, the high resistance portion of the polysilicon film 35 selected by the common electrode 36 and the individual electrode 37 according to the image information to be printed is heated, and the ink on the high resistance portion is ejected to be transferred onto a transfer medium such as paper. To do.
[0060]
For example, in one heater chip, 1216 heater portions having a size of about 20 μm × 20 μm are formed with a period of about 84 μm, so that one heater 44 corresponds to one dot transfer, so 300 dpi Resolution is realized.
[0061]
As shown in FIG. 9, on the heater chip, the entire surface including the common electrode 36 and the individual electrode 37 is covered with SiO as a protective film. ₂ 35 is formed. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, each transfer unit 27 is surrounded by a partition wall 41 that defines a supply path 40 for supplying ink to each transfer unit 27, and each transfer unit 27 has an ink holding mechanism. A columnar body 42 to be formed is formed as a part of the SiO 2 film 38. That is, for example, SiO formed in a predetermined film thickness by CVD (chemical vapor deposition) method. ₂ The film is anisotropically etched by a predetermined depth using an etching mask having a predetermined pattern, for example, by RIE (Reactive Ion Etching) method, so that the partition wall 41, each columnar body 42, and other protective film portions are formed. It is formed at the same time.
[0062]
As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, each transfer portion 27 is formed with a columnar body 42 in, for example, a 9 × 9 square matrix shape, of which 3 × 3 in the center are positioned on the heater portion. is doing. The size of each columnar body 42 is, for example, about 0.2 to 10 μm in width and about 2 to 15 μm in height, and these are arranged at intervals of about 0.2 to 10 μm, for example. In addition, the shape of each columnar body 42 is not limited to a square columnar shape as in the illustrated example, and may be a columnar shape, for example.
[0063]
As shown in FIG. 10, the supply path 40 for supplying ink to each transfer unit 27 is defined by a partition wall 41 having the same height as the columnar body 42 in each transfer unit 27. In the supply path 40, an auxiliary wall is provided at a substantially central position of the pair of partition walls 41 that partition the supply path 40. Further, the ink holding structure pattern by the columnar body 42 in the transfer unit 27 is provided so as to extend to a portion between the pair of partition walls 41 and the auxiliary wall that define the supply path 40. This auxiliary wall is, for example, SiO ₂ The film is formed simultaneously with the partition wall 41 and the columnar body 42 described above. Therefore, the auxiliary wall has substantially the same height as the partition wall 41 and the columnar body 42 described above.
[0064]
Then, as shown in FIG. 10, an ink flow (not shown) for supplying ink from an ink reservoir (not shown) to these supply passages 40 is formed on the inside by a technique such as etching. The road plate 24 is attached to a predetermined position of the heater chip using an epoxy adhesive or the like.
[0065]
At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, in the transfer unit 27, the end of the ink flow path plate 24 is provided to a position retreated by, for example, about 350 μm from the center of the heater unit of the transfer unit 27. With this configuration, excessive ink supply to the transfer unit 27 is prevented. If more ink than necessary is supplied onto the heater section, the energy required to eject the ink increases and the transfer efficiency decreases. Further, by providing the ink flow path plate 24 so as to be retracted, it also means that the ink flow path plate 24 is prevented from coming into contact with a transfer medium such as a sheet disposed opposite to the transfer portion 27.
[0066]
The ink that has flowed through the ink flow path in the ink flow path plate 24 is separated on the partition wall 41 that divides the supply path 40 in front of each transfer unit 27 and flows into each supply path 40 as the liquid level decreases. . In the supply path 40, the ink is held at substantially the same height as the upper surfaces of the partition wall 41, the auxiliary wall, and the columnar body 42, and the ink can be reliably supplied to the transfer unit. Further, in each transfer portion 27, the ink is held at substantially the same height as the upper surfaces of the partition walls 41 and the columnar bodies 42. Thus, by providing an ink holding mechanism including the columnar body 42 in each transfer unit 27, it is possible to always hold a certain amount of ink in each transfer unit 27.
[0067]
In each transfer unit 27, the ink consumed by heating the heater unit is spontaneously replenished on the heater unit by capillary action due to the presence of the columnar body 42. The flow of ink from the ink storage portion to each transfer portion 27 described above is all due to the spontaneous flow of this ink.
[0068]
The ink used in the printer configured as described above is composed of a dye, a solvent, and additives that are added as necessary, so as to optimize transfer sensitivity, thermal stability, image quality, and storage stability. The selection of materials and the ratio of composition components are prepared.
[0069]
The dye suitable for the printer has an appropriate vaporization rate, sufficient heat resistance, sufficient solubility in a solvent described later, low toxicity to the human body, and sufficient on a photographic paper. Any dye can be used as long as it has excellent storage stability. Specifically, disperse dyes, oil-soluble dyes, basic dyes and the like are preferable. Particularly preferred dyes include dicyanostyryl yellow dyes, tricyanostyryl magenta dyes, anthraquinone magenta dyes described in JP-A-8-244363, JP-A-8-244364, and JP-A-8-244366. And dyes and anthraquinone cyan dyes. These dyes are used after being purified by some means such as sublimation purification method, recrystallization method, zone melting method, column purification method, etc. in order to reduce vaporization residue and prevent thermal decomposition products from adhering to the recording area. It is desirable to do.
[0070]
The ink solvent suitable for the printer has a melting point of less than 50 ° C., a boiling point in the range of 150 ° C. or more and less than 500 ° C., a thermal decomposition temperature higher than the boiling point, a high compatibility with the dye, and a human body. Any compound can be used as long as it is low in toxicity and colorless. Specifically, dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, diheptyl phthalate, dioctyl phthalate, diisodecyl phthalate, dibutyl sebacate, dioctyl sebacate, dioctyl adipate, diisodecyl adipate, Fatty acid dibasic acid esters such as dioctyl azelate and dioctyl tetrahydrophthalate, phosphate esters such as tricresyl phosphate and trioctyl phosphate, tributyl acetyl citrate, butyl phthalyl butyl glycolate, etc. Generally called plasticizers for plastics Organic compounds and the like can be used.
[0071]
Moreover, in order to adjust the physical property value of an ink, suitable additives, such as surfactant, a viscosity modifier, and an antiseptic | preservative, can be added to an ink as needed. However, these additives need to have the same boiling point as the solvent and dye. Specifically, as the surfactant, fluorinated fatty acid ester, silylated fatty acid ester, silicone oil and the like can be used. Moreover, glycerin, tetraethylene glycol, etc. can be used as a viscosity modifier.
[0072]
The ink is prepared by dissolving the above-described dye in a proportion of 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, and more preferably 20% by weight or more with respect to the solvent described above. At this time, in order to increase the solubility of the dye, two or more dyes may be mixed and used. Moreover, in a solvent, you may mix and use 2 or more types. And what is necessary is just to add an additive as needed.
[0073]
The photographic paper suitable for the printer is plain paper such as PPC paper, high-quality paper such as art paper, etc. In order to obtain a high-quality image with particularly high gradation and density, disperse dyes or oil-soluble As the resin for coloring the dye, a special paper prepared by applying polyester, polycarbonate, acetate, CAB, polyvinyl chloride, or the like onto the base paper can also be used. In order to improve the ink absorption rate, a large effect can be obtained by adding a porous pigment such as silica or alumina. In particular, from the viewpoint of high-quality recording, for example, smoothness, color developability, glossiness, and ink absorption speed, a porous pigment having a size of 0.1 μm or less in order to give glossiness to a film base such as a PET film. A photographic paper having an image receiving layer to which is added is excellent. In order to improve the storage stability of the transferred image, an effect can be obtained by adding an additive such as an ultraviolet absorber or a radical quencher to the image receiving layer. It is also effective to laminate a resin film on the photographic paper after transfer.
[0074]
The printer configured as described above is provided with a cleaner 18 for removing dust adhering to the surface of the photographic paper 7 on which the image is transferred. The cleaner 18 is configured to come into contact with the cleaner 18 before the photographic paper 7 reaches the position of the printer head 1. Accordingly, the dust adhering to the surface of the photographic paper 7 on which the image is transferred is removed by the cleaner 18 before the image is transferred, so that it can be carried to the transfer section provided in the printer head. In other words, the dust contacts the transfer portion and covers the transfer portion, so that the transfer is not performed in part, or the ink penetrates into the transfer medium through the dust attached to the transfer portion, causing blurring. Can be prevented. In addition, since dust does not adhere to the transfer portion, the dust attached to the transfer portion adheres to the transferred material together with the ink at the time of transfer, and the ink is also removed when the dust is peeled off from the transferred material. It is also possible to prevent color loss by peeling together. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the image quality from being deteriorated due to dust adhering to the surface on which the image of the photographic paper 7 is transferred.
[0075]
In the above description, the case where the present invention is applied to a thermal transfer recording type printer has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above description, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. is there.
[0076]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, the printer according to the present invention includes a cleaner for removing dust adhering to the surface on which the transfer of the transfer target is performed at the position on the entry side of the transfer target of the printer head. As a result, in the printer according to the present invention, before the image is transferred to the transfer target by the cleaner, dust attached to the surface of the transfer target on which the image is transferred is removed.
[0077]
Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printer that has a structure in which bleeding and color loss due to dust attached to the transfer target are unlikely to occur, and capable of high-quality transfer.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of a printer according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration in the vicinity of a cleaner.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which dust adhering to a surface on which a photographic paper image is transferred is removed by a cleaner.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where dust attached to a surface on which an image of a photographic paper is transferred by a cleaner is removed.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state where dust attached to a surface on which an image of a photographic paper is transferred by a cleaner is removed.
6 is a view as seen from above (in the direction of arrow C) in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a printer head.
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which transfer is performed on photographic paper by a printer head.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of a transfer portion.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of a transfer portion provided at a tip portion of a heater chip.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a transfer portion provided at a tip portion of a heater chip.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Printer head, 7 photographic paper, 17 Heat radiation fin, 18 Cleaner, 19 Base, 20 Contact part

Claims (3)

A printer head having a plurality of transfer portions arranged in a line in accordance with the printing width of the photographic paper in one or more rows in a direction substantially perpendicular to the running direction of the photographic paper, and heating the ink in the transfer portion A line type printer that causes the ink to fly as fine particles, and the fine particles of the ink are disposed opposite to the printer head and adhere to the surface of the photographic paper that runs against the printer head. There,
A heat dissipating fin provided on the printer head;
A cleaner that is fixed to the heat radiating fin and provided on the photographic paper entrance side of the printer head, and that removes dust adhering to the surface of the photographic paper on which the fine particles of ink are adhered ,
The cleaner has an L-shaped base, one surface of the L-shaped base is fixed to the surface of the radiation fin on the entry side of the photographic paper, and the other surface is a surface facing the photographic paper, The other surface of the base is in contact with the surface on which the fine particles of ink of the photographic paper are adhered, and a contact portion for removing dust adhering to the surface of the photographic paper on which fine particles of ink are adhered is provided. Printer. The contact portion, the printer according to claim 1, wherein the ink microparticles of the photographic paper Ru is formed by a material capable of wiping the dust adhering to the surface to be deposited. The contact portion, the printer according to claim 1, wherein that will be formed by the adsorbable material dust adhering to the surface of fine particles in the ink of the printing paper is attached.

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