JPH03248855A - Thermal transfer type picture forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a picture having high density and low strain by a method wherein recording paper is made by laminating a base body, consisting of transparent material, a light absorbing layer, generating heat by laser beam, and an ink receiving layer, adhered to a transfer paper and receiving ink, while laser beam is projected from the side of the base body of the recording paper. CONSTITUTION:Recording paper 11 is made by laminating a reflection preventing film 18, a light absorbing layer 19 and an ink receiving layer 20 on a base film 17 while the ink receiving layer 20 is adhered to a transfer paper 12. Laser beam LB is projected from the side of the base film 17 and arrives at the light absorbing layer 19 through the base film 17 while the part of the light absorbing layer 19, which is projected by the laser beam LB, generates heat. The heat is transferred to the ink layer 25 of the transfer paper 12 through the ink receiving layer 20 while thermo-fusible ink is fused and is moved to the ink receiving layer 20 whereby the ink is adsorbed to the ink receiving layer 20 and a picture is formed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a thermal transfer image forming apparatus that transfers an image onto transparent recording paper. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer type image forming apparatus that transfers an image using heat obtained by converting it into energy.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in a thermal transfer image forming apparatus, a thermal head is provided with a plurality of heat generating resistive elements arranged in a row, the heat generating resistive elements are selectively energized to generate heat, and the heat generated by the heat generating resistive elements is used to transfer the transfer paper. There is known a method in which a heat-melting ink or a heat-sublimable dye contained in a transfer paper is transferred to a recording paper by heating the recording paper (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11370/1983, etc.).

However, in such conventional thermal transfer image forming apparatuses, the thermal head is provided with a large number of heat generating resistive elements, and it is essential to protect these heat generating resistive elements by covering them with a protective film, so it is difficult to manufacture the thermal head. There is a problem in that microfabrication is essential and the manufacturing cost is high, and the heat generated by the heat generating resistor element is diffused in the protective film, making it difficult to obtain a clear image.

Therefore, the applicant first proposed a thermal transfer image forming device that has low manufacturing costs and can obtain clear images, and a transfer paper suitable for this image forming device (December 27, 1999). (patent application submitted). This thermal transfer image forming device is
The transfer paper is irradiated with a laser beam, and the laser beam heats the transfer paper to transfer the image onto the recording paper. The transfer paper is provided with a light absorption layer on one side of the base that converts the light energy of the laser beam into heat energy, and an ink layer on the other side of the base to convert the light energy of the laser beam into heat energy. be performed with high efficiency.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the thermal transfer image forming apparatus according to the above-mentioned prior application, a light absorption layer and an ink layer are provided on one surface of the substrate, and the heat generated in the light absorption layer is transferred to the substrate. The temperature of the recording paper is lower than that of the transfer paper because it is conducted to the ink layer through
There is a problem in that the molten ink melted on the transfer paper cannot be smoothly transferred to the recording paper, resulting in a decrease in image density and image distortion.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer type image forming apparatus that can form images with high density without causing distortion.

(Means for Solving the Problem) This invention irradiates a laser beam with a recording paper and a transfer paper in close contact with each other, heats the transfer paper with the laser beam, and transfers the ink on the transfer paper to the recording paper. A thermal transfer image forming apparatus for transferring the recording paper to a substrate made of a transparent material, in which a light absorption layer that generates heat by a laser beam and an ink reception layer that receives ink in close contact with the transfer paper are laminated on a base made of a transparent material. The main point is to configure the recording paper as follows and irradiate the laser beam from the base side of the recording paper.

(Function) In the thermal transfer image forming apparatus of the present invention, a laser beam is irradiated from the recording paper side, the laser beam passes through the substrate and reaches the light absorption layer, and the light energy of the laser beam is converted into heat in the light absorption layer. The energy is converted into energy, and the portion of the light absorption layer that is irradiated with the laser beam generates heat. The heat generated in this light absorbing layer is transferred to the ink receiving layer, and the part of the ink receiving layer corresponding to the heat generating part of the light absorbing layer is heated, and the heat is transferred to the transfer paper through the heated part of the ink receiving layer. Since the transfer paper is heated by the heat transfer, the ink melted (sublimated) on the transfer paper can smoothly move to the ink receiving layer. Therefore, a clear image with high density and little distortion can be obtained.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 show a thermal transfer image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of the main parts, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view, and FIG. 3 is a schematic side view. It is.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, 11 is recording paper, 12 is transfer paper, and above the recording paper 11 is a pair of paper pressing rollers 13L and 13R, and a laser beam emitter 14 is below the transfer paper 12. Paper press rollers 15L and 15R and a platen roller 16 are provided. Paper press roller 13L,
13R, 15L, and 15R are rotationally driven by a motor (not shown) to pinch the recording paper 11 and feed it in the left-right direction A in the figure. The platen roller 16 is supported so as to be able to rise and fall by an elevating mechanism (not shown), and when an image is formed (during recording operation), it rises to come into contact with the transfer paper 12 (solid line position in FIG. 3), and transports the transfer paper 12. At the same time, it descends and separates from the transfer paper 12 (
(Position of broken line in Figure 3).

The laser beam emitter 14 includes a semiconductor laser, a modulator, a reflecting mirror, an f/theta lens, and the like. This laser beam emitter 14 modulates a laser beam LB outputted from a semiconductor laser by a modulator in accordance with an image to form a laser beam, and also manipulates this modulated laser beam LB by rotating a reflecting mirror or the like to produce a recording paper. 11. Note that this laser beam emitter 14 is almost the same as that used in a well-known laser printer or the like, so a description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the recording paper 11 has a base film (
An antireflection film 18 , a light absorption layer 19 , and an ink receiving layer 20 are laminated on a substrate 17 , and the ink receiving layer 20 is in close contact with the transfer paper 12 . The base film 17 is made of a translucent material such as polyethylene terephthalate or polycarbonate, and the light absorption layer 19 is made of a material that converts the light energy of the laser beam LB into heat energy, such as tantalum T or TVram Tb. This recording paper 11 is irradiated with a laser beam LB from the base film 17 side (see FIG. 2.3), and this laser beam LB passes through the base film 17 and reaches the light absorption layer 19. The portion irradiated with the laser beam LB generates heat, and the heat is conducted to the transfer paper 12 via the ink receiving layer 20.

The transfer paper 12 is hung between the supply roller 20 and the take-up roller 21 via the upper part of the platen roller 16.
With rotations of 0 and 21, it is sent in the left-right direction A in the figure. This transfer paper 12 has a base film 23 and an ink penetration prevention layer 24.
and an ink layer 25 are laminated, and the ink layer 25 is in close contact with the ink receiving layer 20 of the recording paper 11. The base film 23 is made of polyethylene terephthalate or glassine paper, and the ink layer 25 is made of a pigment dispersed in a binder such as carnauba wax and has heat-melting properties. This ink layer 25 has yellow Y, magenta M,
It is color-coded into cyan C and black. The heat conducted from the recording paper 11 causes the transfer paper 12 to form an ink layer 25.
The heat-melting ink melts and adheres to the recording paper 11. Note that the ink layer 25 of the transfer paper 12 can also be configured using heat-sublimable ink.

The thermal transfer image forming apparatus of this embodiment forms images in colors such as yellow, magenta, cyan, and black on recording paper 11, and obtains a multicolor image as a composite image of these images.

For example, when forming a yellow image, the platen roller 16 is lowered to feed the transfer paper 12 until the yellow portion of the ink layer 25 is positioned on the platen roller 16, and then the platen roller 16 is brought into contact with the transfer paper 12. The transfer paper 12 and the recording paper 11 are brought into close contact with each other on the platen roller 16 by being raised until they touch each other. And the laser beam emitter 14
Accordingly, a laser beam LB corresponding to a yellow image is irradiated toward the recording paper 11 from above the recording paper 11, and this laser beam LB passes through the base film 17 of the recording paper 11 and reaches the light absorption layer 19. Therefore, the light absorption layer 19 generates heat and the heat is conducted to the ink layer 25 of the transfer paper 12 via the ink receiving layer 20, and from the ink layer 25 the heat-melting ink (
The ink (small arrow in FIG. 1) melts and moves to the ink receiving layer 2o, and this ink is adsorbed to the ink receiving layer 20 to form an image. During image formation, the light absorbing layer 19 generates heat in a portion irradiated with the laser beam LB (heat generating portion), and the ink receiving layer 20 generates heat in the heat generating portion due to heat conducted from the heat generating portion of the light absorbing layer 19. A portion (heated portion) corresponding to the heated portion of the ink layer 25 is heated, and a portion (heated portion) of the ink layer 25 corresponding to the heated portion is heated by heat conducted from the heated portion of the ink receiving layer 20.
from the heated portion of the ink receiving layer 20 to the heated portion of the ink receiving layer 20 . Therefore, the molten ink is transferred from the transfer paper 12 to the recording paper 11.
can be moved smoothly to obtain images with high density and little distortion.

Note that when this yellow image formation is completed, images of other colors (magenta, etc.) are successively formed, and the formation of these color images is performed in the same manner as the yellow image described above.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the thermal transfer image forming apparatus according to the present invention, a light absorption layer that converts the optical energy of a laser beam into thermal energy is formed on the recording paper, and the laser beam is applied to the recording paper. The light absorbing layer generates heat by irradiating it, and the heat generated by the light absorbing layer heats the transfer paper, allowing ink to move smoothly from the transfer paper to the recording paper, making it possible to form a high-density image with little distortion.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 show a thermal transfer image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of this description, and FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the main part;
tS2 is a schematic perspective view of the whole, and FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the whole. 11... Recording paper, 12... Transfer paper, 14... Laser beam emitter, 17... Base film (substrate),
19... Light absorption layer, 20... Ink receiving layer, 23.
...Base film, 25... Ink layer. Patent applicant: Victor Japan Co., Ltd. 11...
°・Recording paper 12...Transfer paper 14...Laser beam emitter 17...Base film (substrate) 19°°°゛Light absorption layer 20°°°°Ink receiving layer 23°°° °Base film 25... Ink layer R... Laser beam Fig. 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] A thermal transfer image forming apparatus that irradiates a laser beam with recording paper and transfer paper in close contact with each other, heats the transfer paper with the laser beam, and transfers ink from the transfer paper to the recording paper. The recording paper is constructed by laminating a light absorbing layer that generates heat by a laser beam on a base made of a transparent material, and an ink receiving layer that receives ink in close contact with the transfer paper, and the laser beam is recorded on the recording paper. A thermal transfer image forming device characterized by irradiating paper from the base side.