JPH04364989A - Thermocompression transfer ink sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a thermocompression transfer ink sheet wherein an ink sheet reflecting plate to be used for a thermocompression transfer recorder for forming full color image is unnecessary and erroneous operation for reading marking part on ink sheet does not occur even if the recorder is used for a long time. CONSTITUTION:Ink 1 having a plurality of colors and an ink sheet 2 wherein the colors of the ink 1 are applied separately are provided. Between the separately applied ink 1, a marking part 5 made of magnetic dye is provided. The magnetic marking part 5 formed on the ink sheet 2 is detected by a magnetic induction sensor 9 attached to a device body. In this structure, an ink sheet reflecting plate is unnecessary and erroneous operation for detecting the marking part 5 on the ink sheet 2 can be prevented even if a recorder is used for a long time. In addition, the cost of a thermocompression transfer recorder can be reduced and a thermocompression transfer ink sheet which raises reliability can be obtained.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable to yellow, magenta,
For thermo-pressure transfer recording devices where a thermal head sequentially heats an ink sheet coated with multiple colors of sublimable dye ink, such as cyan, to transfer the ink to receiver paper under heat and pressure, forming a full-color image. This invention relates to a thermopressure transfer ink sheet.

0002

[Prior Art] In general, in a thermopressure transfer recording device that heats ink applied to an ink sheet with a thermal head and transfers the heat and pressure to an image receiving paper, in order to obtain a full-color image without color shift, it is necessary to It is necessary to detect the head of the transfer start color and the head of the next color (two or more colors). For this purpose, marking portions are applied between the inks of multiple colors applied to the ink sheet. Conventionally, a reflective optical sensor is installed in a thermopressure transfer recording device as a means for detecting the marking portion.

A conventional thermopressure transfer ink sheet will be explained below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a thermopressure transfer section of a conventional thermopressure transfer recording apparatus. As shown in FIG. 2, an ink sheet 2 is coated with ink 20 such as sublimable dye of multiple colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, etc.).
The supply reel 22 on which the ink sheet 21 is wound is wound up by a take-up reel 23 while stretching the ink sheet 21 thereon. The marking part 24 is formed by applying black paint to a part of the transparent part between the ink 20 dividedly painted on the ink sheet 21. The ink 20 coated on the ink sheet 21 is heated by the thermal head 25 according to an input signal. The image receiving paper 26 has a dyed layer onto which the ink 20 heated by the thermal head 25 is transferred by heat and pressure. The platen roller 27 is pressed by the thermal head 25 with the ink sheet 21 and image receiving paper 26 sandwiched therebetween. Reflective light sensor 28
This device optically detects the marking portion 24 applied to the ink sheet 21, and is composed of a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion. The reflective optical sensor 28 is held by a sensor holding member 29 via a printed circuit board. The ink sheet reflector 30 is attached to the main body of the apparatus so as to face the reflective optical sensor 28, and reflects the light that is emitted from the light emitting part of the reflective optical sensor 28 and passes through the ink sheet 21 (other than the marking part). , passes through the ink sheet 21 again and returns to the light receiving section.

The operation of the thermopressure transfer ink sheet constructed as described above will be explained below. First, when the head pressing mechanism (not shown) presses the thermal head 25 against the platen roller 27 in a released state, the image receiving paper 2
is drawn into the gap between the thermal head 25 and the platen roller 27 by a drive mechanism (not shown) for the image receiving paper 26 . Next, the take-up reel 23 starts rotating in the direction to wind up the ink sheet 21. This take-up reel continues to rotate until the reflective optical sensor 28 attached to the sensor holding member 29 detects the marking part 24 at the head of the thermopressure transfer start color of the ink applied to the ink sheet 21. be exposed. The detection method is such that the light emitted from the light emitting part of the reflective optical sensor 28 is absorbed by the marking part 24 formed by applying black paint. In areas other than the marking part 24, the light from the light emitting part passes through the ink sheet 21, is reflected by the ink sheet reflection plate 30, returns to the light receiving part, and is not detected. Next, the thermal head 25 presses the platen roller 27 with the image receiving paper 26 and the ink sheet 21 sandwiched therebetween by a head pressing mechanism (not shown), thereby heating the ink sheet 21. When heated, the ink 20 is transferred to the dyed layer of the receiver paper 26. For the next color, the marking part 24 on the head of the next color is detected in the same way, and the ink is transferred by heat and pressure to the dyed layer of the image receiving paper 26, thereby forming a full-color image. Become.

[0005]

However, in such a conventional configuration, since the marking portion 24 provided on the ink sheet 21 is detected by the reflective optical sensor 28, it is necessary to return the light from the light emitting portion to the light receiving portion. , an ink sheet reflection plate 30 is required in the main body of the apparatus. Furthermore, due to the sensitivity characteristics of the sensor,
It is necessary to strictly control the distance between the ink sheet reflector 30 and the reflective optical sensor 28, and high assembly accuracy is required. Furthermore, if the thermopressure transfer recording device is used for a long time, dust will adhere to the ink sheet reflector 30, and the light from the light emitting part of the reflective optical sensor 28 will be absorbed by the dust, causing it to be misjudged as the marking part 24 and color. There was a problem in that misalignment caused malfunctions.

The present invention solves these problems, and does not require an ink sheet reflector, and does not cause malfunction in reading the marking portion of the ink sheet even if the thermopressure transfer recording device is used for a long time. The object of the present invention is to provide a thermopressure transfer ink sheet that realizes a low-cost, highly reliable thermopressure transfer recording device.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problem] In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides an ink sheet formed by separately applying inks of a plurality of colors, and a marking portion formed of a magnetic material between the separately applied inks. At least one or more are provided to detect the ink portion.

[0008]

[Operation] In this configuration, a marking portion coated with a magnetic material paint on an ink sheet is detected by a magnetically sensitive sensor attached to the main body of the apparatus. Therefore, there is no need for an ink sheet reflector, and even if the thermopressure transfer recording device is used for a long time, the magnetically sensitive sensor will not be affected by dust, thereby eliminating detection errors in the marking portion of the ink sheet. This makes it possible to realize a thermopressure transfer ink sheet that reduces the cost of a thermopressure transfer recording device and increases its reliability.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a supply reel 3 is wound with an ink sheet 2 coated with ink 1 such as sublimation ink of multiple colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, etc.).
The ink sheet 2 is wound up while being stretched by a take-up reel 4. In the marking part 5, a magnetic material paint is applied to a part of the transparent part 11 between the ink sheets 2 which are painted in a plurality of colors. The ink 1 coated on the ink sheet 2 is heated by the thermal head 6 according to an input signal. The image-receiving paper 7 has a dyeing layer onto which the inks 1 of a plurality of colors heated by the thermal head 6 are transferred by heat and pressure. The platen roller 8 presses the ink sheet 2 and the image receiving paper 7 with the thermal head 6 between them. The magnetically sensitive sensor 18 detects the marking portion 5 applied to the ink sheet 2. The magnetically sensitive sensor 9 is held by a sensor holding member 10 via a printed circuit board.

The operation of the thermopressure transfer ink sheet of this embodiment constructed as described above will be explained with reference to FIG. First, when the head pressing mechanism (not shown) presses the thermal head 6 against the platen roller 8 in a released state, the image receiving paper 7 is moved between the thermal head 6 and the platen roller by the driving mechanism (not shown) for the image receiving paper 7. 8 is drawn into the gap. Next, the take-up reel 4 starts rotating in a direction to wind up the ink sheet 2. This rotation of the take-up reel 4 is caused by a magnetically sensitive sensor 9 fixed to the sensor holding member 10, which is applied with magnetic material paint at the head of the thermopressure transfer start color of the ink applied to the ink sheet 2. This is continued until the marking part 5 is detected. Next, a head pressing mechanism (not shown) holds the image receiving paper 7 and the ink sheet 2 between them, and the thermal head 6 heats the ink sheet 2 while pressing the platen roller 8. The heated portion of the ink 1 is transferred to the dyed layer of the image receiving paper 7. For the next color, the marking portion 5 on the head of the next color is detected in the same way, and the ink 1 of the next color is also transferred by thermopressure. By repeating this process, inks of three or more colors are thermally and pressure-transferred onto the dyed layer of the image receiving paper 7, forming a full-color image.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the marking portion coated with magnetic material paint on the ink sheet is detected by the magnetic sensor attached to the main body of the apparatus, thereby eliminating the need for an ink sheet reflector. In addition, even if the thermopressure transfer recording device is used for a long time, it uses a magnetically sensitive sensor, so it will not malfunction due to the influence of dust, and it will eliminate malfunctions in the detection of the marking part of the ink sheet. can. As a result, it is possible to realize a thermopressure transfer ink sheet that reduces the cost and improves the reliability of a thermopressure transfer recording device.

[0013]

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the description of the embodiments above, the heat-pressure transfer sheet of the present invention includes an ink sheet on which inks of multiple colors (yellow, magenta, cyan, etc.) are applied separately. At least one marking portion coated with a magnetic material paint is provided between the ink and detected by a magnetic sensor. Therefore, there is no need for an ink sheet reflector, and even if the thermopressure transfer recording device is used for a long time, it is detected using a magnetically sensitive sensor, so it is not affected by dust, so the ink sheet can be marked easily. It is possible to eliminate detection errors in the parts, thereby realizing a thermopressure transfer ink sheet that reduces the cost of a thermopressure transfer recording device and increases reliability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of essential parts of a thermopressure transfer recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Fig. 2] A perspective view of the main parts of a conventional thermopressure transfer recording device

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Ink 2 Ink sheet 3 Supply reel 4 Take-up reel 5 Marking part 6 Thermal head 7 Receiving paper 8 Platen roller 9 Magnetic sensitive sensor 10 Sensor holding member 11 Transparent part

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A thermopressure transfer ink sheet comprising a plurality of colors of ink applied separately, and at least one marking portion made of a magnetic material is provided between the separately applied inks.