JP5581695B2 - Thermal transfer image forming apparatus and image forming method - Google Patents

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer image forming apparatus and an image forming method, which processes a thermal transfer ribbon in which a negative image after transfer is processed, makes it impossible to read transfer information from the negative image, and The present invention relates to an apparatus for protecting confidential information.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a thermal transfer ribbon used in a thermal transfer image forming apparatus. The thermal transfer ribbon A is a ribbon base material A1 provided with a thermal transfer layer A2. As the thermal transfer ribbon A, a sublimation type thermal transfer ribbon and a thermal melting type thermal transfer ribbon are known. In either case, the cross section can be illustrated as shown in FIG. In the case of a sublimation type thermal transfer ribbon, a sublimation dye is contained in the thermal transfer layer A2, and this dye moves to a transfer material in response to heating by a thermal head. In the case of a heat-melting type thermal transfer ribbon, the thermal transfer layer A2 contains a heat-sensitive adhesive resin and a colorant, and the thermal transfer layer A2 peels off from the ribbon base material A1 in response to heating by the thermal head. Move to transfer material.

  The thermal transfer image forming apparatus has a direct transfer method and an intermediate transfer method. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of a printing mechanism of a direct transfer type thermal transfer type image forming apparatus. In this direct transfer type, a transfer material is a printing paper C. The thermal transfer ribbon A is supplied from the ribbon unwinding roll 1, and after passing through one or more rolls, a ribbon of the thermal transfer ribbon A is formed by a thermal head 6 in which a plurality of heating elements that generate heat by applying voltage are arranged. It is pressed from the substrate A1 surface. The printing paper C is supplied from the printing paper unwinding roll 31 and comes into contact with the thermal transfer layer A2 of the thermal transfer ribbon A pressed on the platen roll 4, and is transferred onto the printing paper C to form an image. After the transfer, the thermal transfer ribbon debris A 'is passed through one or more rolls and then taken up by the ribbon take-up roll 11. Although a roll sheet is illustrated as the printing paper C, a sheet or a card may be used as the printing paper C.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of a printing mechanism of an intermediate transfer type thermal transfer type image forming apparatus. In this intermediate transfer type, the transfer material is an intermediate transfer film B. The thermal transfer ribbon A is supplied from the ribbon unwinding roll 1 and is pressed from the surface of the ribbon base A1 of the thermal transfer ribbon A by the thermal head 6 after passing through one or more rolls. On the other hand, the intermediate transfer film B is supplied from the intermediate transfer film unwinding roll 2, passes through one or two or more rolls, and is then transferred in contact with the thermal transfer layer A 2 of the thermal transfer ribbon A pressed on the platen roll 4. The printing paper C is supplied from the printing paper unwinding roll 31, and the transfer layer transferred to the intermediate transfer film B is transferred to the printing paper C by the secondary transfer unit 9, and an image is formed on the printing paper C. After the transfer, the intermediate transfer film B ′ is wound around the intermediate transfer film winding roll 21. Further, the thermal transfer ribbon residue A ′ after being transferred on the platen roll 4 is taken up by the thermal transfer ribbon take-up roll 11. Although a roll sheet is illustrated as the printing paper C, it is a matter of course that a sheet or card may be used as the printing paper C. In FIG. 3, the secondary transfer unit 9 transfers between the two rolls, but may transfer between the thermal head and the platen roll.

  The thermal transfer image forming apparatus is characterized by its small size, low price, easy maintenance, low noise, etc., both of the direct transfer method and the intermediate transfer method, and is widely used. When used for printing, such as a driver's license, passport, or trade secret information, the transferred thermal transfer ribbon A destroys the negative image of the transferred image remaining on the thermal transfer ribbon debris A ′ after the thermal transfer. It is necessary to attempt to leak personal information and confidential information.

  Conventionally, in order to destroy the negative image of the transferred image, a method (Patent Document 1) having means for scraping the ink downstream of the thermal transfer head, or a method of overprinting characters based on random numbers with the second head (Patent Document 2) and a method (Patent Document 3) in which a cutting means is provided downstream of the head have been proposed.

JP 2005-305799 A JP 2004-82595 A JP 2005-305798 A

  However, according to the conventional method, since a blade for cutting is used, it cannot be said to be a safe method. There is also a problem that dust is generated. Further, when overwriting using a thermal transfer ribbon, there is a problem that a new consumable material is required.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a thermal transfer image forming apparatus and an image forming method for safely and reliably processing a negative image of a transfer image remaining on a thermal transfer ribbon debris after thermal transfer and preventing leakage of personal information and secret information. Let it be an issue.

That is, the invention according to claim 1 is a thermal transfer in which a thermal transfer ribbon is supplied from an unwinding roll, a transfer image is formed on a transfer material using a thermal head, and then the thermal transfer ribbon remains are wound on a winding roll. In the image forming apparatus, the transfer is formed between the unwinding roll, the winding roll, and the unwinding roll and the winding roll along the transfer path of the thermal transfer ribbon, and forms a transfer image on the transfer material. A transfer roll that is disposed between the transfer mechanism and the take-up roll along the transfer path of the thermal transfer ribbon, and transfers a negative image of the transfer image remaining on the thermal transfer ribbon remnant after the thermal transfer , The heat transfer image forming apparatus is characterized in that the surface of the transfer roll is black .

  According to the present invention, since the negative image remaining on the thermal transfer ribbon remains after the thermal transfer is transferred to the transfer roll, no trace of the transfer image remains on the thermal transfer ribbon remains wound on the take-up roll. The in-line negative image can be processed safely and reliably, and personal information and secret information can be prevented from leaking from the thermal transfer ribbon remains.

  In addition, the negative image is overwritten and transferred over and over the transfer roll as the transfer roll rotates, so that no information leaks from the transfer roll.

Next, the invention according to claim 1 is a thermal transfer type image forming apparatus, wherein the surface of the transfer roll is black . According to the present invention, it is possible to more reliably prevent information leakage from the transferred roll.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the thermal transfer type image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the material of the surface of the transferred roll is rubber. According to this invention, the thermal transfer ribbon remains can be pressed against the surface of the rubber transfer roll, and the thermal transfer ribbon remains can be conveyed without slipping.

Next, the invention according to claim 3 is a negative image of the transfer image remaining on the thermal transfer ribbon debris after the thermal transfer ribbon is supplied from the unwinding roll and a transfer image is formed on the transfer material using the thermal head. Is transferred to a black transfer roll, and then the thermal transfer ribbon residue is taken up on a take-up roll.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to safely and reliably process the negative image remaining on the thermal transfer ribbon residue after the thermal transfer, and to prevent information leakage.

Cross-sectional view of thermal transfer ribbon used in thermal transfer image forming device The figure which shows the outline of the printing mechanism of the thermal transfer type image forming apparatus of the direct transfer method The figure which shows the outline of the printing mechanism of the thermal transfer type image forming apparatus of the intermediate transfer type The figure which shows the outline of the Example of this invention which concerns on the thermal transfer image forming apparatus of an intermediate transfer system

  Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of an embodiment of the present invention relating to an intermediate transfer type thermal transfer image forming apparatus. In this case, the transfer material is the intermediate transfer film B.

  That is, the thermal transfer ribbon A is supplied from the ribbon unwinding roll 1, passed through one or more rolls, and then transferred to the thermal transfer ribbon A by the thermal head 6 in the transfer mechanism constituted by the thermal head 6 and the platen roll 4. It is pressed from the ribbon base A1 surface. On the other hand, the intermediate transfer film B is supplied from the intermediate transfer film unwinding roll 2, passes through one or more rolls, and then comes into contact with the thermal transfer layer A 2 of the thermal transfer ribbon A pressed on the platen roll 4 to transfer the intermediate transfer film B An image is formed on film B. The sheet-like printing paper C is supplied from the feeder unit 3, and the image transferred to the intermediate transfer film B is transferred to the printing paper C by the secondary transfer unit 9, and an image is formed on the printing paper C. After the transfer, the intermediate transfer film B ′ is wound around the intermediate transfer film winding roll 21. Further, the thermal transfer ribbon remnant A ′ after being transferred on the platen roll 4 is first heated and pressed between the thermal head 8 and the transfer roll 7, and a negative image of the transfer image remaining on the thermal transfer ribbon remnant A ′ is obtained. The image is transferred to the transfer roll 7 and then wound on the thermal transfer ribbon winding roll 11. Since the thermal transfer ribbon A needs to be intermittently fed in order to transfer to the entire surface of the transfer material, the transfer roll 7 also rotates intermittently in synchronization with the transfer of the thermal transfer ribbon A. The intermediate transfer film B and the printing paper C are both known, but for example, a card or a booklet such as a passport can be used instead of the printing paper C.

  The intermediate transfer type thermal transfer image forming apparatus has been described above as an example, but the present invention can also be configured as a direct transfer type thermal transfer image forming apparatus. In the case of the intermediate transfer method, the transfer material on which the image is formed by the thermal transfer ribbon A is the intermediate transfer film B. However, in the case of the direct transfer method, the transfer material is a roll or sheet-like printing paper, a card, or It is possible to use a booklet such as a passport.

  Next, as the transfer roll 7, it is desirable that the surface is made of a rubber material. For example, a roll in which the surface of a metal roll is covered with a synthetic rubber or the like. Further, the color of the surface of the transfer roll 7 is preferably a dark color, more preferably black.

As the thermal transfer ribbon A, either a sublimation type thermal transfer ribbon or a thermal melting type thermal transfer ribbon can be used, but it is desirable to use a thermal melting type thermal transfer ribbon. In this case, when the thermal transfer layer A2 remaining on the thermal transfer ribbon debris A 'is transferred to the transfer roll 7, the thermal transfer layer A2 is peeled off from the ribbon base material A1 and all of it is transferred to the transfer material. The residue of the thermal transfer layer A2 does not remain in '. Further, as the thermal transfer ribbon A, a composite thermal transfer ribbon in which the surface is divided into a plurality of regions along the longitudinal direction and thermal transfer layers having different colors are provided in the respective regions can be used. For example, a color ribbon configured by sequentially arranging a yellow thermal transfer layer, a red thermal transfer layer, a blue thermal transfer layer, and a black thermal transfer layer.

A Thermal transfer ribbon A ′ Thermal transfer ribbon debris B Intermediate transfer film C Printing paper 1 Ribbon unwinding roll 11 Ribbon winding roll 2 Intermediate transfer film unwinding roll 21 Intermediate transfer film winding roll 3 Printing paper feeder 4 Platen roll 5 Transfer Roll 6 Thermal head 7 Transfer roll 8 Thermal head

Claims (3)

In the thermal transfer type image forming apparatus in which the thermal transfer ribbon is supplied from an unwinding roll and a transfer image is formed on a transfer material using a thermal head, and then the thermal transfer ribbon remains on the winding roll.
The unwinding roll;
The winding roll;
A transfer mechanism that is disposed between the unwinding roll and the winding roll along the transfer path of the thermal transfer ribbon, and forms a transfer image on the transfer material;
A transfer roll disposed between the transfer mechanism and the take-up roll along the transfer path of the thermal transfer ribbon and transferring a negative image of the transfer image remaining on the thermal transfer ribbon residue after the thermal transfer, and the transfer target A thermal transfer image forming apparatus , wherein the surface of the roll is black . Said mounting serial to claim 1, the material of the surface of the transfer roll, characterized in that a rubber thermal transfer type image forming apparatus. After supplying the thermal transfer ribbon from the unwinding roll and forming a transfer image on the transfer material using the thermal head, transfer the negative image of the transfer image remaining on the thermal transfer ribbon debris to the black transfer roll, then A thermal transfer image forming method, wherein the thermal transfer ribbon remains are wound on a winding roll.