JPH01216878A - Lapping film cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a recording head to be lapped at arbitrary time and obtain constantly high-quality images, by providing cams for moving laterally a payout core and a take-up core, and a cassette casing containing a lapping film, the payout core, the take-up core and the cams. CONSTITUTION:A lapping film 101, a cassette casing 102, a payout core 103, a take-up core 104, cams for moving the cores laterally, and springs 106 providing restoring forces for returning the moved cores to initial positions are provided. When the lapping film cassette is inserted into an electrothermal transfer type printer in which only end faces of recording electrodes 401 of a recording head are retracted from an end face of a head support plate 402, the head is lapped by the lapping film 101. In this case, the lapping film 101 is moved from the payout core 103 to the take-up core 104 while being moved leftward and rightward by the functions of the cams 105 provided adjacently to the cores 104, 105. Even when the lapping film has a few mars or ununiformity in grain diameter, the head is lapped uniformly, so that stability of image quality can be enhanced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to the structure of an abrasive film cassette used in an electrical thermal transfer recording type printer.

[Prior Art] An electric thermal transfer method in which thermally activated ink is transferred to an image receiving paper for printing will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Overlaid image receiving paper (general term for ink transfer material that receives melted ink and leaves a printed image as a record) 20
6 and an ink film 205 are arranged between the platen 207 and the recording head 202. By controlling the rotation of the ink film take-up core 208 and the supply core 209 and the rotation of the image receiving paper support rollers 210 and 211, the ink film and image receiving paper are moved between the recording head and the platen while being synchronized with the recording signal sent to the recording head. move between An example of the structure of the ink film is shown in FIG. 30
Reference numeral 1 denotes a resistance layer, which is generally a layer in which metal powder or carbon particles are dispersed in a resin. Reference numeral 302 denotes a support layer, which is generally a 5-6 μm thick polyester film (resin film generally called PET), and an ink layer 30.
3 is a layer in which pigment or dye is dispersed in wax or resin, which has the property of being activated at 60 to 80°C, and has a thickness of about 3 μm. By bringing the recording electrode 201 of the recording head into contact with the resistive layer of the ink film and applying a potential difference between the recording electrodes, a current flows through the resistive layer and generates 2 joule heat, which activates the ink and transfers it to the image receiving paper, printing or printing. Printing is done. In order to achieve a good electrical connection between the recording electrode and the resistive layer and to improve ink transferability, the recording head is usually pressed around the rotating shaft 203 by a spring 204 against the resistive layer and further against the platen.

When the recording electrode is repeatedly printed, the fourth
As shown in the figure, only the end face of the recording electrode 401 retreats from the end face of the head support substrate 402, resulting in poor electrical connection with the resistance layer, uneven pressure on the platen, and incomplete ink transfer. The quality of the printed image will deteriorate significantly.

Therefore, in the past, as in JP-A-59-165080, a polishing film such as abrasive paper or a wrapping film was attached to a part of the ink film of the ink film cassette until the end surface of the recording electrode, which had retreated during use of the ink film cassette, recovered. The recording head was being scraped.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional technology, if the ink film cassette is replaced before the part to which the polishing film is attached is used, the end surface of the recording head electrode is not polished.
The problem is that the printed image quality deteriorates due to unstable conduction and uneven pressurizing force, and the condition of the abrasive paper (scratches,
Due to variations in particle size), the recording electrodes arranged in a line may not be polished uniformly, which is a factor in deteriorating image quality. .

The present invention is intended to solve these problems, and its purpose is to provide a polishing method that allows the recording head to be polished at any time and also allows stable polishing of the recording electrodes regardless of the condition of the polishing paper. Our goal is to provide film cassettes.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A polishing film, a supply core for winding and supplying the polishing film, a winding core for winding the polishing film, and a cam for laterally moving the supply core and the winding core. and a cassette case that accommodates the polishing film, a supply core, a winding core, and a force K.

[Effect]

According to the above structure of the present invention, it is possible to scrape the recording head until the end face of the recording electrode, which has retreated due to mechanical wear caused by sliding with the resistance layer and electric discharge caused by the potential difference with the resistance layer, is recovered, and the recording head is kept in the state of abrasive paper. Since printing can be performed stably without any fluctuation, it is possible to maintain good printing quality.

[Example] FIG. 1 shows an example of the present invention, in which 101 is a polishing film, 102 is a cassette case, 103 is a supply core, 1
04 represents a winding core, 105 a cam for laterally moving the core, and 106 a spring serving as a restoring force to return the moved core to its original position. An electrical thermal transfer printer in which only the end surface of the recording electrode 401 of the recording head has retreated from the end surface of the head support substrate 402 due to mechanical abrasion due to repeated printing and sliding with the resistive layer and potential difference with the resistive layer. When this polishing film cassette is inserted into the recording head, the lapping film polishes the recording head. At this time, the wrapping film is moved from the supply core to the take-up core while moving from side to side by the cam adjacent to the take-up core and the supply core.

FIG. 5 shows a state in which a certain point on the wrapping film is focused and that point moves. The horizontal axis is the time axis, and the vertical axis shows the amount by which the wrapping film moves laterally. In this figure, T is determined by the polishing speed and the diameter of the core, and A is determined by the stroke of the cam. In this example, T
Polishing was performed by setting A to 2 cm for 2 seconds. After that, the polishing film cassette is taken out, the ink film cassette loaded with the ink film of the electrical thermal transfer method and the image receiving paper are inserted into the printer, and a recording signal is given to the recording head to perform printing.

When a wrapping film with scratches as shown in Fig. 6 was polished using the conventional method, black streaks were observed on the print as shown in Fig. 7, which was a factor in degrading the image quality. When the film was loaded into a polishing film cassette and polished, the printed image was good. As shown in Figure 5, this is because the scratched part is polished while moving laterally by the period T″rA, so the electrode is not affected by the scratches on the wrapping film and is polished uniformly. be.

For example, in the printer of the electric thermal transfer method,
78772, the amount of ink to be transferred changes and gradation can be expressed by changing the time during which electricity is applied to the recording electrodes. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the amount of transferred ink expressed as an OD value and the relationship with the current application time. 801 indicates the OD of a printed image when polishing is performed using the polishing film cassette of this embodiment, and 802 indicates the OD of a printed image when polishing is performed using a conventional polishing film cassette. As the polishing film, a carefully selected lapping film with a constant grain size and no scratches was used. It can be seen from this figure that the OD value in the low concentration area where the current application time is short is improved by polishing based on this example. FIG. 9 shows an enlarged view of the recording electrode after polishing by each method. As can be seen from this figure, the surface of the recording electrode 90-1 polished according to this embodiment is smooth, whereas fine scratches can be seen on the electrode in the polishing direction using the conventional method 902. Therefore, it can be seen that in the low concentration area, there was a difference in contact between the two, and the OD values were different.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present application, since the cam is attached to the core of the polishing film cassette and the recording head is polished while moving the polishing film laterally, 1. There may be some scratches on the polishing film and variations in particle size. Since the recording head is polished uniformly even if there is a problem such as the like, the stability of the image quality is increased.

2. An inexpensive polishing film can be used because the recording head is polished uniformly even if the polishing film has some scratches or variations in grain size.

3. Since it has a structure called a polishing film cassette, polishing can be performed at any time, and high-quality images can always be obtained.

There are other effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are a main sectional view and a top view showing one embodiment of the polishing film cassette of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101... Polishing film 102... Cassette case 103... Supply core 104... Winding core 105... Cam 106... Spring FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the configuration of an electrical thermal transfer type printer. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an ink film structure of an electric thermal transfer method. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a recording head using an electric thermal transfer method that has been used for a long time. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the state of the polishing film moving in the lateral direction. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a wrapping film with scratches in the polishing direction. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a printed matter with black streaks. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between energization time and printing OD value when printing with an energized thermal transfer recording type printer. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the recording electrode. Applicants Seiko Epson Corporation Agent Patent Attorney Tsutomu Mogami and 1 other person (b) Figure 2 Figure 5 11111 and 5°, h: /7”7/) & AX square Figure 6 2:: 7th 'Lotus Emperor's Flute, Figure 8, Anger Q Figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] A polishing film, a supply core for winding and supplying the polishing film, a winding core for winding the polishing film, a cam for laterally moving the supply core and the winding core, and the polishing film, the supply core, and the winding core. A polishing film cassette comprising a cassette case that houses a core and a cam.