JPH05116428A - Cleaning tape for thermal head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a cleaning tape for a thermal head, which is used for removing substances adhering to the thermal head of a thermal transfer printer for thermal transfer recording. CONSTITUTION:A cleaning tape for a thermal head, which is used for removing substances adhering to the thermal head of a thermal transfer printer for recording an image with said thermal head by using a thermal transfer dye- donating material and a thermal transfer image-receiving material, has a binder and fine solid particles of organic or inorganic substances, and/or antistatic agents on the face of the tape, where the tape is brought into contact with the thermal head as a support.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cleaning tape for a thermal head of a thermal transfer printer used for thermal transfer recording.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, thermal transfer systems have been developed for obtaining prints from images electronically formed by color video cameras. According to one method of obtaining such prints, an electronic image is first color separated with color filters. Next, the color-separated images are exchanged for electrical signals. Subsequently, these signals are manipulated to generate yellow, magenta and cyan electrical signals. These signals are then transmitted to the thermal printer. To obtain the print, a yellow, magenta or cyan dye-donor element is placed face-to-face with a dye-image receiving element. Subsequently, the both are inserted between the thermal head and the platen roller. A line type thermal head is used to heat from the back side of the dye-donor element. The thermal head has multiple heating elements and is heated up sequentially in response to the yellow, magenta and cyan signals. This process is then repeated for the other two colors. In this way, a color hard copy corresponding to the original image viewed on the screen is obtained.

[0003]

In the method of thermally obtaining a print using the above-mentioned thermal head, dust or the like that has entered between the thermal head and the dye-donating material adheres to the thermal head due to heat, pressure or static electricity. I have something to do. The deposits on the thermal head make it difficult to transfer the thermal energy of the thermal head corresponding to the image signal to the dye-donor material, or the contact between the thermal head and the dye-donor material becomes insufficient, resulting in an image of the image-receiving material. The surface of the recording medium is scratched, and a problem such as an untransferred portion of the dye, such as white streaks, is caused, and the image quality of the recording is remarkably deteriorated. The object of the present invention is to find means for solving these problems.

[0004]

The above and other objects are achieved by the present invention described below. That is, a thermal transfer dye-donating material having a dye-donating layer containing a heat-migrating dye on a support and a thermal transfer image-receiving material having a dye-receiving layer for receiving a heat-migrating dye on a support are used to form an image with a thermal head. A cleaning tape for a thermal head for removing deposits adhering to a thermal head of a thermal transfer printer for recording an image on the thermal transfer image receiving material by performing heating according to a signal, and supporting the cleaning tape for the thermal head. Binder and organic or inorganic fine particle solid and / or on the surface of the body that contacts the thermal head
Alternatively, it can be achieved by using a cleaning tape for a thermal head, which contains an antistatic agent. The dye-donor material, the image-receiving material, the cleaning tape and the thermal head will be described below.

Any conventionally known support can be used as the support of the thermal transfer dye-providing material. Examples thereof include polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polycarbonate, glassine paper, condenser paper, cellulose ester, fluoropolymer, polyether, polyacetal, polyolefin, polyimide, polyphenylene sulfide, polypropylene, polysulfone, and cellophane. The thickness of the support of the thermal transfer dye-providing material is generally 2 to
It is 30 μm. An undercoat layer may be provided if necessary.

A thermal transfer dye-donor material using a heat-transferable dye basically has a dye-donor layer containing a dye and a binder which are movable by heat on a support. This thermal transfer dye-donating material is prepared by dissolving or dispersing a conventionally known dye that becomes sublimable or becomes mobile and a binder resin in an appropriate solvent to prepare a coating solution, and prepares a coating liquid from the conventionally known thermal transfer dye-donating material. On one side of the support for the material, for example about 0.2-5 μm, preferably 0.4-2 μm.
It can be obtained by coating and drying at a coating amount to give a dry film thickness of m to form a dye-donor layer. The dye-donor layer may be formed of one layer, but may be formed of two or more layers for use in a method of repeatedly using a large number of times.
In this case, the dye content and dye / binder ratio in each layer may be different.

As the dye useful for forming such a dye-donor layer, any of the dyes conventionally used in thermal transfer dye-donor materials can be used, but the particularly preferred dye in the present invention is about 150 to 800. Has a small molecular weight, and is selected in consideration of transfer temperature, hue, light resistance, solubility in ink and binder resin, dispersibility and the like.

Specific examples include disperse dyes, basic dyes and oil-soluble dyes. Further, as the binder resin used together with the above dye, any of the conventionally known binder resins for such purpose can be used, and usually has high heat resistance and does not prevent migration of the dye when heated. Things are selected. For example, polyamide-based resin, polyester-based resin, epoxy-based resin, polyurethane-based resin, polyacrylic-based resin (eg, polymethylmethacrylate, polyacrylamide, polystyrene-2-acrylonitrile), vinyl-based resin such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, polychlorinated Vinyl resin (for example, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer), polycarbonate resin, polystyrene, polyphenylene oxide, cellulose resin (for example, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate hydrogen phthalate, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, Cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose triacetate), polyvinyl alcohol resins (eg polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl) Partially saponified polyvinyl alcohol such as butyral),
Petroleum resin, rosin derivative, coumarone-indene resin,
A terpene resin, a polyolefin resin (for example, polyethylene, polypropylene) or the like is used.

Such a binder resin is preferably used in a ratio of about 80 to 600 parts by weight, for example, per 100 parts by weight of the dye. In the present invention, conventionally known ink solvents can be freely used as the ink solvent for dissolving or dispersing the dye and the binder resin.

In order to prevent sticking due to the heat of the thermal head and to improve the slippage when printing from the back side of the dye-donor material, it is preferable to carry out anti-sticking treatment on the side of the support on which the dye-donor layer is not provided. .. For example,
It is preferable to provide a heat-resistant slip layer mainly containing a reaction product of polyvinyl butyral resin and isocyanate, an alkali metal salt or alkaline earth metal salt of phosphoric acid ester, and a filler. The polyvinyl butyral resin has a molecular weight of about 60,000 to 200,000 and a glass transition point of 80.
From about 110 ° C. and from the viewpoint that there are many reaction sites with isocyanate, the weight percentage of vinyl butyral portion is 1
5 to 40% is preferable. As the alkali metal salt or alkaline earth metal salt of a phosphoric acid ester, Gafac RD720 manufactured by Toho Kagaku Co., Ltd. is used, which is 1 to 50% by weight, preferably 10 to 4% by weight based on the polyvinyl butyral resin.
It is recommended to use about 0% by weight.

It is desirable that the lower layer of the heat-resistant slip layer is accompanied by heat resistance, and a combination of a synthetic resin which can be cured by heating and a curing agent therefor, such as polyvinyl butyral and polyvalent isocyanate, acrylic polyol and polyvalent isocyanate,
A combination of cellulose acetate and a titanium chelating agent or a combination of polyester and an organic titanium compound may be provided by coating. The dye-donor element may be provided with an undercoat layer between the support and the dye-donor layer. Preferred specific examples include (acrylonitrile / vinylidene chloride / acrylic acid) copolymer (weight ratio 14: 80: 6), (butyl acrylate / -2-aminoethyl methacrylate / -2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) copolymer. Polymer (weight ratio 30: 2
0:50), linear / saturated polyester such as BOSTIC 7650 (Mhart, BOSTIC CHEMICAL
Group) or chlorinated high density poly (ethylene-trichloroethylene) resins. The coating amount of the undercoat layer is not particularly limited, but it is usually used in an amount of 0.1 to 2.0 g / m ² .

The dye-donor layer is formed by selecting a dye so that a desired hue can be transferred when printed, and by arranging two or more dye-donor layers having different hues side by side with one thermal transfer dye-donor material, if necessary. May be. For example, when an image such as a color photograph is formed by repeating printing of each color according to the color separation signal, it is desirable that the hue when printing is cyan, magenta, and yellow, and such a hue is provided. Line up the three dye-donor layers containing the dye. Alternatively, in addition to cyan, magenta, and yellow, a dye-donor layer containing a dye that imparts a black hue may be added. It is preferable to provide a mark for position detection at the same time when any one of the dye-donor layers is formed at the time of forming these dye-donor layers, because an ink or a printing step different from the dye-donor layer formation is not required.

In the present invention, the support used for the thermal transfer image receiving material can withstand the transfer temperature, and satisfies the requirements in terms of smoothness, whiteness, slipperiness, frictional property, antistatic property, and dent after transfer. Anything that can be used can be used. For example, synthetic paper (polyolefin-based, polystyrene-based, etc.), fine paper, art paper, coated paper, cast coated paper, wallpaper, backing paper, synthetic resin or emulsion impregnated paper, synthetic rubber latex impregnated paper, synthetic resin Paper support such as paper, paperboard, cellulose fiber paper, polyolefin coated paper (especially paper coated on both sides with polyethylene), various plastic films or sheets such as polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene methacrylate, polycarbonate, etc. Films or sheets that have been treated to impart white reflectivity to the plastic, and laminates of any combination of the above may also be used.

The thermal transfer image receiving material is provided with an image receiving layer.
This image-receiving layer contains a substance capable of receiving the heat-transferable dye, which has a function of dyeing the heat-transferable dye, which receives the heat-transferable dye transferred from the heat-transfer dye-providing material during printing. Or with other binder substances, it is preferable that the coating has a thickness of about 0.5 to 50 μm. The following resins are examples of polymers that are typical examples of substances that can receive a heat transferable dye.

(A) Those having an ester bond: dicarboxylic acid components such as terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid and succinic acid (these dicarboxylic acid components may be substituted with a sulfonic acid group or a carboxyl group) and ethylene. Polyester resin obtained by condensation of glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, bisphenol A:

(B) Those having a urethane bond Polyurethane resin and the like. (C) Those having an amide bond Polyamide resin and the like. (D) Those having a urea bond, such as urea resin. (E) Those having a sulfone bond Polysulfone resin, etc. (F) Others having a highly polar bond Polycaprolactone resin, styrene-maleic anhydride resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, polyacrylonitrile resin, etc. In addition to the synthetic resin as described above, a mixture or copolymer of these may be used.

The thermal transfer image-receiving material, particularly the image-receiving layer, may contain a high-boiling organic solvent or a thermal solvent as a substance capable of receiving the heat-transferable dye or as a diffusion aid of the dye.

In the present invention, the image-receiving layer of the thermal transfer image-receiving material may have a structure in which a substance capable of receiving the heat transferable dye is dispersed and carried in a water-soluble binder. As the water-soluble binder used in this case, various known water-soluble polymers can be used, but water-soluble polymers having a group capable of undergoing a crosslinking reaction by a hardening agent are preferable, and gelatins are particularly preferable. The image receiving layer may be composed of two or more layers. In that case, a synthetic resin having a low glass transition point is used for the layer closer to the support, or a dye having a high boiling point organic solvent or a heat solvent is used to enhance the dyeing property, and the outermost layer has a glass transition point. Use a synthetic resin with a higher point, reduce the amount of high boiling organic solvent or thermal solvent to the required minimum amount or do not use it, and make the surface sticky, adhere to other substances, re-transfer to other substances after transfer. It is desirable to have a structure that prevents troubles such as transfer and blocking with a thermal transfer dye-providing material. The total thickness of the image receiving layer is 0.5 to 50 μm, especially 3 to 50 μm.
The range of 30 μm is preferable. In the case of a two-layer structure, the outermost layer preferably has a thickness of 0.1 to 2 μm, particularly 0.2 to 1 μm.

In the present invention, the thermal transfer image-receiving material may have an intermediate layer between the support and the image-receiving layer. The intermediate layer is a cushion layer, a porous layer, a dye diffusion preventing layer, or a layer having two or more of these functions depending on the constituent material, and may also serve as an adhesive in some cases. The dye diffusion-preventing layer serves to prevent the heat transferable dye from diffusing into the support. The binder constituting the diffusion preventing layer may be water-soluble or organic solvent-soluble, but a water-soluble binder is preferable, and examples thereof include the water-soluble binders mentioned above as the binder for the image-receiving layer, particularly gelatin. The porous layer is
This layer serves to prevent the heat applied at the time of thermal transfer from diffusing from the image receiving layer to the support and to effectively utilize the applied heat.

In the present invention, silica, clay, talc, diatomaceous earth, calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, and the like are used as the image receiving layer, cushion layer, porous layer, diffusion preventing layer, adhesive layer and the like which constitute the thermal transfer image receiving material. Fine powders of aluminum silicate, synthetic zeolite, zinc oxide, lithopone, titanium oxide, alumina and the like may be contained.
A fluorescent whitening agent may be used in the thermal transfer image receiving material. The fluorescent whitening agent can be used in combination with an anti-fading agent.

In the present invention, in order to improve the releasability of the thermal transfer dye-donor material and the thermal transfer image-receiving material, in the layers constituting the dye-donor element and / or the image-receiving material, particularly preferably the surface of both materials in contact with each other. It is preferable to add a release agent to the outermost layer corresponding to the above. As the release agent, polyethylene wax, amide wax, fine powder of silicone resin,
Solid or wax-like substance such as fine powder of fluorocarbon resin: Fluorine-based, phosphoric acid ester-based surfactants: Paraffin-based, silicone-based, fluorine-based oils, etc. However, silicone oil is particularly preferable.

The layers constituting the thermal transfer dye-donor element and thermal transfer image-receiving element used in the present invention may be hardened with a hardener. In the case of curing an organic solvent-based polymer, JP-A Nos. 61-199997 and 58-21539.
The hardeners described in No. 8 and the like can be used. It is particularly preferable to use an isocyanate type hardener for the polyester resin. For curing water-soluble polymers, U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,739, column 41, JP-A-59-1166.
55, 62-245261 and 61-18942.
The hardeners described in the publications are suitable for use.

An anti-fading agent may be used in the thermal transfer dye-providing material and the thermal transfer image-receiving material. As the anti-fading agent, there are, for example, an antioxidant, an ultraviolet absorber, or a metal complex of some kind. Examples of antioxidants include chroman compounds, coumarane compounds, phenol compounds (eg, hindered phenols), hydroquinone derivatives, hindered amine derivatives, and spiroindane compounds.
The compounds described in JP-A-61-159644 are also effective.

As the ultraviolet absorber, benzotriazole compounds (US Pat. No. 3,533,794, etc.),
4-thiazolidone compounds (US Pat. No. 3,352,68
No. 1), benzophenone compounds (JP-A-56-2)
No. 784, etc.), Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 54-48535,
There are compounds described in JP-A-62-136641, JP-A-61-188256 and the like. Further, the ultraviolet absorbing polymer described in JP-A-62-260152 is also effective. Examples of the metal complex include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,241,155 and 4,2,4.
45,018, columns 3 to 36, ibid., 4,254,195.
Nos. 3-8, JP-A-62-174741, 61-
88256, pages (27) to (29), JP-A-1-755.
68, JP-A-63-199248 and the like.

Examples of useful anti-fading agents are disclosed in JP-A-62-21.
5272 (125)-(137). An anti-fading agent for preventing discoloration of the dye transferred to the image receiving material may be contained in the image receiving material in advance, or may be supplied to the image receiving material from the outside by a method such as transferring from the dye providing material. May be. The above-mentioned antioxidant, ultraviolet absorber, and metal complex may be used in combination with each other.

Various surfactants can be used in the constituent layers of the thermal transfer dye-donating material and the thermal transfer image-receiving material for the purpose of coating aid, improvement of peeling property, improvement of sliding property, antistatic property, acceleration of development and the like. Nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants and cationic surfactants can be used. Specific examples of these are disclosed in JP-A-62-1734.
63, 62-183457 and the like.

When a substance capable of receiving a heat transferable dye, a release agent, an anti-fading agent, an ultraviolet absorber, an optical brightening agent, and other hydrophobic compounds are dispersed in a water-soluble binder, they are dispersed. It is preferable to use a surfactant as an auxiliary agent.
For this purpose, in addition to the above-mentioned surfactants, the surfactants described on pages 37 to 38 of JP-A-59-157636 are particularly preferably used.

A matting agent can be used in the thermal transfer dye-providing material and the thermal transfer image-receiving material. As the matting agent, in addition to the compounds described in JP-A-61-88256, page 29, such as silicon dioxide, polyolefin or polymethacrylate, benzoguanamine resin beads, polycarbonate resin beads, AS resin beads and the like are disclosed in JP-A-63-27.
There are compounds described in Nos. 4944 and 63-274952. The dye-donor element of the invention is used in sheet form or as a continuous roll or ribbon. If a continuous roll or ribbon is used, it may have only one type of dye or may be a zone of different dyes such as heat transfer cyan and / or magenta and / or yellow and / or black and other dyes. Have separately. That is, one-color, two-color, three-color, or four-color materials (or even multi-color materials) are included within the scope of the present invention.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dye-donor element comprises a polyethylene terephthalate support coated in successive repeating areas of a cyan dye, a magenta dye and a yellow dye, the steps being carried out sequentially for each color to give a three-part dye. Form a color transfer image. Of course, when this process is performed in a single color, a monochrome transfer image is obtained.

The cleaning tape for a thermal head used in the present invention is obtained by forming a layer containing a binder and an organic or inorganic fine particle solid and / or an antistatic agent on the surface of the support which is in contact with the thermal head. The support used for the cleaning tape is the same as the support used for the dye-donor element. The thickness is preferably 2 μm to 20 μm. Polyimide and polyethylene terephthalate are preferable as the material.
As the binder used in the cleaning tape, the binder resin used in the dye-donor material or dye-image receiving material is used. Crosslinkable resins such as polyurethane resins and polyvinyl butyral resins are preferred. The amount of the binder used in the present invention is 0.05 g / m ^{2 to 20} g / m ^2.
Is preferred.

The organic or inorganic fine particle solid used in the cleaning tape is preferably incompatible with the binder resin. Further, it is preferable that it is less deformed by heat. Examples of inorganic fine particle solids include oxides (eg, silicon dioxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, etc.), alkaline earth metal salts (eg, sulfates and carbonates, Are barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, etc.), glass, clay, talc, diatomaceous earth,
Aluminum silicate, synthetic zeolite, lithobon, etc. can be used.

Further, it is desirable that the organic fine particle solid does not soften by heat at 60 ° C. or lower. Examples thereof include cellulose ester (eg, cellulose acetate propionate), cellulose ether (eg, ethyl cellulose), synthetic resin and the like. Examples of synthetic resins include, for example, alkyl methacrylate, alkoxyalkyl methacrylate, glycidyl methacrylate, acrylamide, methacrylamide,
A styrene or the like alone or in combination, or with these, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, α, β-unsaturated dicarboxylic acid,
A polymer having a combination of hydroxyalkyl-acrylate or -methacrylate, sulfone alkyl-acrylate or -methacrylate, styrene sulfonic acid and the like as a monomer component can be used. Among them, polymethylmethacrylate is preferable. Further, a vinyl synthetic resin such as polyethylene, a fluorine synthetic resin such as Teflon, a benzoguanamine resin, a polycarbonate resin, an AS resin or the like can also be used.

The amount of the fine particle material used is 0.05 to 50 wt%, preferably 0.1 to 20 wt% of the amount of the binder resin used in the cleaning tape. The particle shape and particle diameter of the fine particle material are not particularly limited, but particles having an average particle diameter of usually 0.1 to 50 μm, particularly 1 to 10 μm are preferable.

A surfactant can be used as an antistatic agent used in the cleaning tape of the present invention.
For example, saponins (steroids), alkylene oxide derivatives (eg polyethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol alkyl ethers, polyethylene glycol alkyl aryl ethers, polyethylene glycol esters, polyethylene glycol sorbitan esters, polyalkylene glycol alkylamines or amides, silicones Polyethylene oxide adducts), glycidol derivatives (eg, alkenyl succinic acid polyglyceride, alkylphenol polyglyceride), fatty acid esters of polyhydric alcohols, alkyl esters of sugars, etc., nonionic surfactants: alkyl carboxylates, Alkyl sulfonates, alkyl naphthalene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, alkyl phosphates N-acyl-N-alkyl taurines, sulfosuccinates, sulfoalkyl polyethylene alkyl phenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkyl phosphates, and other carboxy groups, sulfo groups, phospho groups, sulfate ester groups, phosphate ester groups Anionic surfactants containing acidic groups such as: Amino acids, aminoalkyl sulfonic acids, aminoalkyl sulfates or phosphoric acid esters, alkylbetaines, amine oxides and other amphoteric surfactants: alkylamine salts, aliphatic or aromatic Group 4 quaternary ammonium salts, heterocyclic quaternary ammonium salts such as pyridinium and imidazolium, and cationic surfactants such as aliphatic or heterocycle-containing phosphonium or sulfonium salts can be used. Specific examples of these are disclosed in JP-A-62-62.
Nos. 1733463 and 62-183457.

Further, an organic fluoro compound may be contained as an antistatic agent. As typical examples of organic fluoro compounds, JP-B-57-9053, columns 8 to 17, JP-A-Sho 6 can be used.
1-20944, 62-135826 and the like, fluorine-based surfactants, or oily fluorine-based compounds such as fluorine oil or fine powders such as fluorine-based resins such as tetrafluoroethylene resin. .. Further, it is effective to contain a silicone oil containing a polyether group for the above purpose. Further, the combined use of the polyether-modified silicone oil and a fine powder of a fluororesin is also effective.

These antistatic agents are used by dissolving or dispersing them in the binder resin and an organic solvent or water. The fine particle solid may be used in combination. The antistatic agent is preferably used by adding 0.5 to 30% by weight to the binder resin. The layer of the binder resin containing the solid fine particles and / or the antistatic agent formed on the support of the cleaning tape of the present invention preferably has a thickness of the binder resin after drying of 0.1 to 10 μm, particularly 0.5 to 3 μm is preferable. Further, it is preferable that the fine particle solids protrude from the layer of the binder resin on the surface. That is, for example, 1
When forming a layer of a binder resin having a thickness of μm, it is preferable to use a fine particle solid having a particle size of 1.5 to 3 μm.

The cleaning tape is for cleaning the thermal head of the thermal transfer printer, and it is preferable to clean the attached matter by running the thermal head while the cleaning tape is in contact with the thermal head. For this reason, the cleaning tape preferably has the same form as that of the dye-donor material supplying member of the thermal transfer printer. For example, when it is supplied as a so-called ink ribbon cassette, it is preferable to wind the cleaning tape in the same shape cassette, set the cleaning tape cassette in the printer instead of the ink ribbon cassette, and run the tape.

[0038]

EXAMPLES The effects of the present invention will be described in more detail below by showing specific examples of the present invention. Example 1 Video printer VP-80 manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
00 and its paper ink set PI-HG50A were used to print TV images. At this time, when the ink cassette was left in the room for a while, dust adhered to the upper surface of the ink cassette (the side in contact with the thermal head).
When the ink cassette was set in the printer as it was and printing was performed, scratches were formed on the surface of the image receiving material parallel to the running direction of the image receiving material. When the print was repeated, scratches were found at the same position on the image receiving material. Therefore, a cleaning tape 1 was prepared by applying the following composition onto 6 μm polyethylene terephthalate so that the thickness after drying was 1 μm. Wrap this cleaning tape 1 in the same cassette as the ink cassette,
A cleaning tape cassette was created. The cleaning tape cassette was taken out of the ink cassette in the printer and replaced, and the printing operation was performed. When the cleaning tape was fed out by about 50 cm, the printing operation was stopped, and the ink cassette was replaced with another printing, the image receiving material was not scratched. The cleaning tape was rewound in order to check the deposits on the thermal head, and when examined, dust was found. When the dust was analyzed by an infrared spectrophotometer, it was found to be nylon.

Cleaning tape composition (cleaning tape 1) Alumina fine particles (particle size: about 1.5 μm) 0.5 g Polyvinyl butyral resin 20 g Methyl ethyl ketone 50 ml Toluene 50 ml Polyisocyanate (Takenate D-110N, Takeda Chemical Co., Ltd.) 0.5 ml

Examples 2 to 6 and Comparative Examples a and b A cleaning tape was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 using the fine particles, antistatic agent and binder shown in Table 1 below.

[0041]

[Table 1]

When the ink cassette was struck to make dust from the cassette come out and then the ink cassette was set in a printer and printed, white spots and scratches were observed on the image receiving material.
When the thermal head was cleaned using the above cleaning tapes 2 to 6, no scratch was found on the next printed surface. However, with the cleaning tapes of Comparative Examples a and b, the deposits on the thermal head could not be removed, and the scratches remained. In addition, the dust collected on the cleaning tape was found to be polystyrene as a result of analysis. From the above results, it was found that by using the cleaning tape of the present invention, it is possible to remove deposits attached to the thermal head during printing, and to obtain clear recording without scratching the image receiving material. ..

[0043]

According to the present invention, it is possible to completely remove the adhering substances adhering to the thermal head of the thermal transfer printer used for thermal transfer recording, and to obtain a clear and high quality image of transfer recording.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location 8305-2H B41M 5/26 G

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A thermal transfer dye-providing material comprising a support and a dye-donating layer containing a heat-transferable dye, and a thermal transfer image-receiving material comprising a support and a dye-receiving layer for receiving the heat-transferable dye. A cleaning tape for a thermal head for removing deposits attached to a thermal head of a thermal transfer printer for recording an image on the thermal transfer image receiving material by performing heating according to an image signal by a head,
A cleaning tape for a thermal head, characterized in that a binder and an organic or inorganic fine particle solid and / or an antistatic agent are contained on the surface of the support of the thermal head cleaning tape that contacts the thermal head.