JPH02155662A - Thermal transfer recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to supply a solvent to a recording surface of a recording medium in the manner of not making contact with the surface by providing a recording medium comprising a porous material permeable to the solvent, and a solvent-supplying means for supplying the solvent from one side of the medium. CONSTITUTION:A sheet-shaped transfer material 10 and a recording paper 30 as a recording medium are fed at the same velocity in a rotating direction of a recording platen 50. With the paper 30 thus fed, a coater 60 is first brought into contact with the rear side of the paper 30, whereby a solvent 20 is applied to the rear side of the paper 30 by the coater 60. The paper 30 comprises a porous material permeable to the solvent 20, so that the solvent 20 applied to the rear side permeates the paper 30 through capillary, whereby the paper 30 is impregnated with the solvent.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording apparatus that thermally transfers and records gradation images and the like using a thermal head or the like.

BACKGROUND ART Conventional thermal transfer recording devices include, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1986-8
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 3891, it has a recording medium and a transfer body having a recording material on one side of a base, and the solubility of at least one of the constituent components of this recording material increases with temperature. A liquid solvent, which increases with the temperature, is brought into pressure contact between the recording medium and the recording material, and the temperature of the recording material is selectively heated and written by a thermal head, a laser beam, etc., and the recording material is heated. There is a method of selectively transferring and recording onto the recording medium.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional structural diagram of this conventional thermal transfer recording device, in which 110 is a sheet-like substrate, 120 is a colored layered recording material, and 100 is a sheet-like structure in which a recording material 120 is coated on the surface of the substrate 110. 200 is a liquid solvent, 300 is a recording paper, 400 is a thermal head, 500 is a transfer body, 200 is a liquid solvent, 300 is a recording paper, 400 is a thermal head;
600 is a recording platen, 600 is a coater that supplies the solvent 200 to the recording surface of the recording paper 300, and 700 is a heater that dries the recording paper 300 after recording. Note that, considering the drying properties of the recording paper 300 after recording, the solvent 200 is desirably a highly volatile solvent that can easily evaporate.

In the conventional thermal transfer recording apparatus configured as described above, a recording paper 300 is placed on the side of the recording platen 500 between the recording platen 500 and the thermal head facing the recording platen 500.
A sheet-shaped transfer body 100 having a recording material 120 on the side that contacts the recording paper 300 is sandwiched and pressed into contact with the recording material 120, and the thermal head 400 controls heating and writing of the recording material 120, and transfers the recording material 120 to the recording paper 300. It is in a relationship of moving and peeling off from the body 100. Prior to this temperature increase writing control, a liquid solvent 200 whose solubility for at least one of the constituent components of the recording material 120 increases as the temperature rises is supplied and coated on the recording surface of the recording paper 300 by the coater 600. The temperature increase writing control of this solvent 2
Next, the recording paper 300 on which recording has been completed is dried by the heater 700, and recording for one color is completed.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the above configuration has the following problems.

The first problem is that when performing multicolor recording, the solvent 200 is applied in contact with the recording surface of the recording paper 300 by the coater 600, so that the recording material 120 that has already been transferred onto the recording paper 300 is coated with the solvent 200. If the film comes into contact with the coater while immersed in water and is rubbed, it becomes unstable and may cause damage to the recorded image, such as bleeding.

The second problem is as follows. When recording is completed, the recording paper 300 is impregnated with the solvent 200, but since it is desirable that the recording paper 300 is dry after recording has been completed, the solvent 200 needs to have the property of being more easily evaporated. There is.

However, the solvent 200 during the temperature increase write control
Since recording characteristics vary greatly depending on the amount of solvent 200, the amount of solvent 200 needs to be stable. In other words, the coating supply amount of the solvent 200 to the recording paper 300 of the coater 600 should be stable, and the amount of evaporation of the solvent 200 should be as small as possible while supplying and coating the recording paper 300° until the temperature rises and the writing is completed. is necessary. Therefore, the solvent 20
In order to minimize the amount of evaporation of 0, the solvent 20
The coater 600 that supplies and coats the recording paper 300 and the solvent application point a where the recording paper 300 contacts are connected to the recording platen 5.
It is desirable to bring the pressure contact point of the thermal head 400 closer to the thermal head 400.However, in the above configuration, there is a limit to how close the solvent application point a and the pressure contact point A can be due to the positional relationship with the thermal head. It is difficult to supply the solvent material 200 just beforehand.

Furthermore, there is a third problem as follows. That is, even after image recording, the recording paper 300 is impregnated, and the recording paper 300
The solvent 200 remains on the 0, and in order to dry this more quickly, it is necessary to make the solvent 200 more volatile or to provide a drying process using a heater 700 or the like.

However, as mentioned before, too much solvent
If 0 is highly volatile, the supply of the solvent 200 may become unstable, and if a drying process such as a heater 700 is provided, the apparatus will become large and complicated.

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer recording device that is capable of supplying a solvent to the recording surface of a recording medium in a non-contact manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer recording device that does not require a drying process and can be made smaller and simpler.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the thermal transfer recording device of the present invention includes a transfer body having a recording material that is solid at room temperature on one side of a base body, and at least one component constituting this recording material that is dissolved. a recording medium composed of a porous body that can transmit the solvent, a supply means for supplying the solvent from the back side of the recording medium, and the recording medium and the transfer body are brought into contact with them. Pressure welding means for press-welding in the presence of the solvent;
By selectively raising the temperature of the supplied solvent together with the recording material in this pressure-contact state, the solubility of at least one component constituting the recording material in the solvent is controlled;
The present invention is characterized by comprising means for performing write control.

The thermal transfer recording device of the present invention also includes one characterized in that at least the surface of the pressure contact means is made of a porous body that is elastically deformed by the pressure contact force, and the surface also serves as a solvent supply means. .

Effect of the Invention With the above-described configuration, the present invention makes it possible to supply the solvent to the recording surface without contacting it by supplying the solvent from the back side of the recording medium, and when performing multicolor recording, the recording on the surface of the recording medium is completed. This makes it possible to prevent recorded images from being damaged, such as blurring, due to contact application of a solvent to the affected area.

In addition to the above-mentioned effects, the present invention further provides that at least the surface of the pressure welding means is composed of a porous body that undergoes compression-elastic deformation during pressure welding, so that the porous body that is elastically deformed during pressure welding can It restores itself from the state that was elastically deformed when coming into contact with and separating from the pressure contact means, and absorbs into the porous body the unnecessary solvent that was present on the recording medium or impregnated in the recording medium at that time. This not only makes it possible to eliminate the drying process by improving the drying properties of the recording medium, but also makes it possible to simplify the size of the apparatus by using both the pressure contact means and the supply means.

EXAMPLE A first example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional structural diagram of a thermal transfer recording apparatus in this embodiment. In FIG. 1, 10 is, for example, PE
A sheet-like transfer body in which a colored recording material 12 is coated in a layer on the surface of a sheet-like substrate 11 made of T (polyethylene terephthalate), 20 is a highly volatile liquid solvent such as alcohol, and 30 is, for example, 64 g/ A recording paper is a recording medium made of a porous material that allows the solvent 20 to permeate, such as a PPC paper of m2, 40 is a thermal head which is a writing control means, 50 is a recording platen which is a pressure contact means, and 60 is a recording paper. A coater 70 is a supply means that supplies and coats the solvent 20 from the back side of the recording paper 30 immediately before recording, and a heater 70 dries the recording paper 30.

Note that the recording material 12 is in a solid state at room temperature and is composed of a pigment and a binder material. This binder material has a property that its solubility in the solvent 20 increases as the temperature rises. For example, when the solvent 20 is aqueous, a water-based resin for paint is used as the binder material. Furthermore, in consideration of the storage stability of the transfer body 10, the binder material may be altered or hardened by air, moisture, light, etc., or may harden naturally, making it impossible to thermally dissolve it with the solvent material 20. Therefore, it is necessary to select a so-called reversible dissolving material that does not change or harden naturally. Furthermore, it is necessary to select a material for the recording platen 50 that is not altered by the solvent 20.

Further, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the recording platen 50 and
A sheet-shaped transfer body 10 having a recording paper 30 on the recording platen 50 side and a recording material 12 on the side in contact with the recording paper 30 is sandwiched between this and the opposing thermal head 40 and is pressed into contact with the recording paper 30. , the thermal head 40 performs heating writing control on the recording material 12 and moves and separates the recording paper 30 from the transfer body 1o. A coater 60 coats the recording paper 3 with a liquid solvent 20 whose solubility for one component increases as the temperature rises.
0 is composed of a porous material, the solvent 20 is the recording paper 3.
0, the solvent 20 reaches the recording surface of the recording paper 3o as shown in the shaded area 30a in the figure, and in the pressurized state, the solvent 20 is impregnated into the recording paper 30a. 20 is in contact with the recording material 12, and the above-mentioned temperature increase writing control is performed in the presence of this solvent 2o. In addition, the solvent 20 should be of low viscosity so that it easily permeates into the recording paper 30, and if considering the drying properties of the recording paper 30 after recording, it should be of high volatility that can easily evaporate. desirable.

The operation of the thermal transfer recording apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained below. Sheet-shaped transfer body 1
0 and recording paper 30, which is a recording medium, are pressed into contact between a recording platen 50 made of rubber or metal and a thermal head 40, which is intermittently rotated by a synchronous motor (not shown), and a driving power source (not shown). The recording platen 50 is conveyed at the same speed in the rotational direction of the recording platen 50 as indicated by the arrow a by a paper conveying means (not shown) that is synchronized with the line-sequential temperature increase writing of the thermal head 40 based on recording signals from the printer. The recording paper 30 is fed in this manner, and the coater 60 first comes into contact with the back surface of the recording paper 30. Here, the solvent 20 is applied and supplied to the back surface of the recording paper 30 by the coater 60 . At this time, record paper 3
Since 0 is made of a porous material that allows the solvent 20 to pass through, the solvent 20 applied from the back side penetrates into the recording paper 30 by capillary action, and as shown at 30a in the figure, the solvent 20 Next, the recording paper 3 is impregnated with
0 comes into contact with the transfer body 10, and the recording paper 30 and the transfer body 10 are pressed against each other by the recording platen 50 and the thermal bed 40. In this pressure-contact state, the solvent 20 impregnated in the recording paper 30a is in contact with the recording material 12, and the temperature of the transfer body 10 and the recording paper 30 is selectively raised by the thermal head 40 under the intervention of the solvent 20. Recording material 1
The solubility of one component of the component 2 increases as the temperature rises, the amount of the recording material 12 dissolved in the solvent 20 is controlled, and the recording material 12 is dissolved in the solvent 20 impregnated into the recording paper 30a. The portion of the recording paper 30 where the transfer recording has been completed is dried by the heater 70, and the recording of one color on the recording paper 30 is completed. Note that the portion indicated by 30b in the figure represents the portion where the recording material 12 has been transferred to the recording paper 30. After the recording of one color is completed, the coater 60 is moved away from the recording paper 30,
With the thermal head 40 separated from the press-contact state, the recording paper 30 is fed by a paper conveying means (not shown) in the opposite direction to that during recording, and returned to the predetermined position where recording is started. At the same time, the transfer body 10 is sent in the same direction as during recording to a predetermined position for starting the next recording.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the solvent 20 is transferred to the recording paper 3.
By providing a coater 60 that coats the solvent 20 on the back side of the recording paper 30, the solvent 20 can be applied without contacting the recording surface of the recording paper 30.
When performing multicolor recording,
It is possible to eliminate image disturbances such as blurring caused by contact application of a solvent to the portion of the recording surface of the recording paper where recording has been completed.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional structural diagram of the thermal transfer recording apparatus in this embodiment. The device of this embodiment shown in FIG. 2 basically has the same configuration as the device of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Omit detailed explanation.

In FIG. 2, 51 is a porous polyurethane portion 5 on the surface.
2 and a core material 53, the solvent supply recording platen 51 contacts the recording paper 30 with the porous polyurethane portion 52 on the surface impregnated with the solvent 20. , the porous polyurethane portion 52 is compressively and elastically deformed by the pressing force. Further, as the porous polyurethane, for example, polyurethane microporous sponge (specifically, manufactured by Toyo Polymer Co., Ltd.,
Rubicellulol EA type) etc.

The operation of the thermal transfer recording apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained below. Sheet-shaped transfer body 1
0 and recording paper 30, which is a recording medium, are connected to a solvent supply recording platen 5 that is intermittently rotated by a synchronous motor (not shown).
1 and a thermal head 40, which receives a recording signal from a driving power source (not shown).
By rotating the solvent supply recording platen 51 in the direction of arrow a in synchronization with the line-sequential temperature increase writing of 0, the paper is fed at the same speed. Further, as the solvent supply recording platen 51 rotates, the porous polyurethane portion 52 on the surface of the solvent supply recording platen 51 is impregnated with the solvent 20, and as shown in section 52a in the figure, the porous polyurethane portion on the surface of the solvent supply recording platen 51 is impregnated with the solvent 20. 52 is immersed in the solvent 20, and becomes impregnated with the solvent 20 as shown by 52a in the figure, and the recording paper 30 is fed as described above and comes into contact with the solvent supply recording platen 51. At this time, the transfer body 10 and the recording paper 30 are brought into pressure contact by the solvent supply recording platen 51 and the thermal head 40, and the porous polyurethane portion 52 on the surface of the solvent supply recording platen 51 is elastically deformed due to this pressure contact force, thereby causing impregnation. The solvent 20 oozes out and is supplied to the back surface of the recording paper 30.

At this time, since the recording paper 30 is made of a porous material that allows the solvent 20 to pass through, the solvent 20 supplied from the back side
penetrates into the recording paper 30 due to capillary action,
As shown at 30a in the figure, the recording paper 30 is impregnated with the solvent 20. In this pressure-contact state, the recording paper 30
The transfer body 10 is in contact with the portion 30a impregnated with the solvent 20, and the temperature of the transfer body 10 and the recording paper 30 is selectively raised by the thermal head 40 in the presence of the solvent 20. As the solubility of one of the constituent components of the material 12 increases as the temperature rises, the amount of the recording material 12 dissolved in the solvent 20 is controlled, and the recording material 12 dissolved in the solvent 20 impregnated in the recording paper 30a is It is recorded and transferred to 30.

Next, when the porous polyurethane portion 52 on the surface of the solvent supply recording platen 51 is restored from the compressed and deformed state when the recording paper 30 comes into contact with and separates from the solvent supply recording platen 51, the back surface of the recording paper 30a portion or The unnecessary solvent 20 impregnated in the recording paper 30a is absorbed. with this,
The process of completing the recording of one color on the recording paper 30 and moving on to the recording of the zero-order color is basically the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the surface of the solvent supply recording platen 51 is made of a porous polyurethane material that can be impregnated with the solvent 20, and the coater 60 supplies the solvent 20 to the surface of the solvent supply recording platen 51. By providing a pressure contact means and a supply means, it is possible to supply the solvent 20 from the back side of the recording paper 30 without contacting the recording surface, and when performing multicolor recording. In addition, it is possible to prevent damage to the recorded image, such as bleeding, caused by contact application of the solvent 20 to the portion of the recording surface of the recording paper 30 where recording has been completed, and also to avoid damage to the recorded image, such as bleeding, immediately before recording by the thermal head 40. Since the solvent can be stably supplied by supplying the solvent 20 to When the porous polyurethane portion 52 recovers from its compressed and deformed state, it absorbs the waste solvent 20d on the back side of the recording paper 30 or impregnated in the recording paper 30, thereby improving the dryness of the recording paper 30. In addition to improving the performance, the device can be made smaller and simpler.

Note that the configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment (in this embodiment, the case where a thermal head is used as a means for performing write control has been explained as an example, but the above embodiments are not limited to laser beams or Temperature recording may be controlled by light beams using a light emitting diode array, the solvent material may be composed of a single material or multiple materials, and the recording material may be a dye alone. Any of a mold, a dye binder type, a pigment-binder type, a dye/pigment mixture-binder type can be used.Furthermore, each of the dye, pigment, and binder as a coloring agent may contain multiple types of materials. In addition, the binder itself may contain auxiliary agents such as surfactants.In other words, in recording materials, the binder is interpreted as materials other than colorants.In these four ink formats, dyes, pigments, etc. It is desirable that all of the binders are soluble in a liquid solvent at an elevated temperature, but this is not necessarily the case. It is sufficient that the solubility increases as the temperature increases.

Effects of the Invention (1) As explained above, according to the present invention, by supplying the solvent from the back side of the recording medium, it is possible to supply the solvent to the recording surface without contacting it, and when performing multicolor recording. of,
This has a great practical effect since the recorded image is no longer damaged by bleeding due to contact application of the solvent to the portion of the surface of the recording medium where recording has been completed.

(2) Also, according to the present invention, in addition to the effect of (1) above,
Furthermore, since the surface of the pressure welding means is composed of a porous body that is compressively and elastically deformed during pressure welding, the porous body that was elastically deformed during pressure welding is elastically deformed when it comes into contact with and leaves the pressure welding means. By improving the drying properties of the recording medium by absorbing into the porous body the unused solvent that was present on the recording medium or impregnated in the recording medium at that time, In addition to making it possible to eliminate the drying process, it also makes it possible to simplify the size of the device by using both the pressure contact means and the supply means, which has a great practical effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of a thermal transfer recording device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of a thermal transfer recording device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of a thermal transfer recording device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the thermal transfer recording device of FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Transfer body, 11... Substrate, 12... Recording material, 20... Solvent, 30... Recording paper (recording medium),
40... Thermal head (writing control means), 50
...Recording platen (pressure contact means), 51...Solvent supply recording platen (pressure contact means), 52...Porous polyurethane section (solvent supply means), 60...Coater (solvent supply means), 70. ... Name of heater agent Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano and 1 other person Figure 3

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Consisting of a transfer body that has a recording material that is solid at room temperature on one side of a base, a solvent that can dissolve at least one component constituting this recording material, and a porous body that allows the solvent to pass through. A recording medium, a solvent supply means for supplying the solvent from one side of the recording medium, and the other side of the recording medium and the side of the transfer body having the recording material are brought into contact with these. The solubility of at least one component constituting the recording material in the solvent is increased by using a pressure contact means that presses the recording material in the presence of the solvent, and selectively raising the temperature of the supplied solvent together with the recording material in this pressure contact state. What is claimed is: 1. A thermal transfer recording device comprising a write control means for controlling writing. (2) The thermal transfer recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least the surface of the pressure contact means is made of a porous material that is elastically deformed by the pressure contact force, and the surface also serves as the solvent supply means.