JPH0336048A - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize good printing quality even on low smooth recording paper such as bond paper or the like by a method wherein heating is performed again in an oven heater in the rear of a recording part, and ink is made to permeate the recording paper. CONSTITUTION:Inserted recording paper 5 is superimposed on an ink film 1 to be sent in the arrow direction. When it passes by being pushed on a recording part of a thermal head 3 by a back up roller 2 a heating resistor of the thermal head 3 is selectively heated by electrification according to image information to dissolve ink of the ink film 1, which is transferred to a surface of the recording paper 5 to perform recording. The recording paper 5 which has passed a thermal transfer recording part is separated from the ink film at a position of a guide axle 2b, and is sent into an oven heater 7. When it passes through this oven heater 7, the recording surface of the recording paper 5 is heated again, and ink thermally transferred to the surface of the reheated recording paper 5 is made to permeate a dent of the recording paper 5. Besides, a variable device 8 varies heating energy of the oven heater according to smoothness of the recording paper to be emitted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to the structure of a thermal transfer printer that performs thermal transfer recording using an ink film.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this Hinoki thermal transfer printing system employs a thermal transfer recording method in which an ink film and a thermal head are used to selectively transfer ink from the ink film to a recording paper according to image information. This thermal transfer recording method generates heat through the heat generating resistor of the thermal head while pressing the ink film and recording paper closely between a thematic head and a backup roller arranged opposite to it. Then, the hot bath-meltable ink on the ink film is dissolved and transferred to the recording paper.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

For this reason, the print quality of the recording results may vary depending on the recording surface of the recording paper.
It is greatly affected by the smoothness, such as bond paper with low smoothness,
In other words, when recording paper with a high degree of microscopic irregularities is used, the transferability of the heat-melting ink to the surface of the recording paper becomes uneven, resulting in a fatal deterioration of print quality. There was a drawback.

[Means to solve taste M]

The present invention includes a thermal head and a pack-up roller #4 that brings the ink film and recording paper into close contact during recording and presses against the heating resistor of the thermal head to perform thermal transfer.
A thermal transfer printer equipped with a powerful recording section,
An oven heater is provided behind the thermal transfer recording unit, and a variable device is provided to vary the heat generation energy of the oven heater, and the oven heater emits thermal energy corresponding to the smoothness of the recording surface of the recording paper. This thermal transfer printer is capable of producing high-quality prints even on less smooth recording paper by reheating the recording surface of the recording paper and allowing the ink transferred to the convex portions of the recording surface to penetrate into the concave portions of the recording surface. It is.

〔Example〕

Next, the 5j of the present invention! Example rC will be explained with reference to Figure rM.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the recording section of a thermal transfer printer showing an embodiment of the present invention. lVi both ends are spool l
The ink film is wound in the direction of the arrow through guide shafts 2a, 2b and f. 3
Reference numeral 4 indicates a thermal head, and numeral 4 indicates an ink film 1 overlaid with a recording paper 5 and pressed against the recording portion of the thermal head 1 to perform thermal transfer recording. 6 is a paper feed roller for inserting the recording paper 5 into the backup roller 4VC.

It is also a 7-bar oven heater, which heats the recording surface after thermal transfer recording. 8 is a variable device for varying the heat generation energy of the oven heater. The apparatus configured as described above operates as follows.

First, the ink film l is fed in the direction of arrow A, and at the same time the recording paper 5 is transferred to the backup roller 4 by the paper feed roller 6.
inserted into. The inserted recording paper 5 is an ink film l
When the ink film 1 is superimposed on the ink film 1 and sent in the direction of the arrow, and is pressed by the backup roller 2 and passes through the recording section of the thermal head 3, the heating resistor of the thermal head 3 is selectively energized and heated in accordance with the image information, and the ink film 1 is The ink is dissolved in a bath and transferred to the surface of the recording paper 5 for recording.

The recording JtkSFi that has passed through the thermal transfer recording section 1 is separated from the ink film at the guide shaft 2b and sent to the oven heater 7. When passing through the oven heater 7, the recording surface of the recording paper 5 is reheated and the surface of the recording paper 5 ( convex part on fj)
The thermally transferred ink is allowed to penetrate into the recessed portions of the recording paper 5. On the other hand, the variable device 8 is used to vary the heat generated energy of the oven heater in accordance with the smoothness of the recording surface of the recording paper.

According to the present invention, as described above, by reheating the oven heater at the rear of the recording section and allowing the ink to penetrate into the record 1I11, high quality printing can be achieved even on recording paper with low smoothness such as bond paper. It can be realized.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention has the effect that high quality printing can be achieved even on recording paper with low smoothness by reheating the recording surface using the oven heater placed behind the recording section.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a recording section of a thermal transfer printer showing an embodiment of the present invention. l... Ink film, 3... To thermal, G, 4... Pack up roller, 5...
... Recording paper, 7 ... Oven heater, 8.
...Variable device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A thermal head having a heat-generating resistor that selectively generates heat according to image information, an ink film having heat-melting ink applied to at least one surface of a base material such as a resin film, and a recording paper are brought into close contact with each other, In a thermal transfer printer equipped with a recording section comprising a backup roller that performs thermal transfer recording by applying pressure to the heating resistor of the thermal head, the recording surface of the recording paper on which thermal transfer recording has been performed is reheated, and the A thermal transfer characterized in that an open heater for penetrating the heat-melting ink into the recording paper is disposed behind the thermal transfer recording section, and a variable device capable of varying the thermal energy emitted by the open heater. printer.