JPH05238127A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent adjacent thermal elements from interfering with each other and thereby perform satisfactory printing. CONSTITUTION:An area which indicates a contact angle of sweepback in response to a heating temperature is formed on the surface of a recording medium 3 to form a latent image by allowing a heating element 1 to come in contact with a contact material selectively in a heated state, when the surface of the recording medium 3 is maintained in contact with a latent image forming liquid 2 as the contact material. Alternatively a latent image is formed using a recording agent 5 containing a developer as a contact material and at the same time, the latent image thus formed is developed. This recording device incorporating the above function has the recording medium segmented to a specified form on a substrate.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention forms a region on the surface of a recording material which selectively or selectively and reversibly exhibits a receding contact angle according to a heating temperature, and contains a developer in this region. The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that supplies a recording agent to visualize a recording material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional recording apparatus, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-17
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 8478. The recording device selectively heats the surface of the recording material in contact with the contact material, or makes the surface of the recording material contact with the contact material in the selectively heated state so that the surface of the recording material is A region showing a receding contact angle according to the heating temperature is formed, and a recording agent containing a developer is supplied to this region to visualize it, or a recording agent containing a developer is used as a contact material. The latent image is made visible at the same time as the latent image is formed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the shape of the heating element in this recording apparatus is, for example, a length Lx in the main scanning direction (x direction) of 100 μm and a length Ly in the sub scanning direction (y direction) of 150 μm. The gap d between the adjacent heating elements 20 is 20
It is defined in each μm. The ideal temperature distribution in the main scanning direction of the recording medium heated by the heating element 20 and the receding contact angle change follow the shape of the heating element 20 faithfully as shown in FIG. Is desirable. Under such ideal conditions, the SN ratio of the receding contact angle between the heating portion and the gap portion is increased, and mutual interference between adjacent dots (heating elements) is prevented. However, the actual temperature distribution in the heating element 20 is elliptical as shown in FIG. 10 (a), and the development area thereof is shown by hatching in FIG. 10 (b).

[0004]

However, as shown in FIG. 10, the heating element 20 in the above-described conventional recording apparatus has the same shape as the heating element 20 on the recording element due to heat diffusion during actual heating. It is difficult to obtain the development ethics. Also, the receding contact angle change with heating temperature is
As shown in FIG. 11, in the gap d between the adjacent heating elements 20, there is a temperature distribution in the region of ΔT of the heating temperature of 60 ° C. to 80 ° C. Therefore, mutual interference occurs when the developing speed is increased. There was a problem to do.

Therefore, this heat generation solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, prevents mutual interference between adjacent heating elements, and provides a recording apparatus of a simple structure capable of performing good printing. I am trying.

[0006]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The gist of the present invention is to provide a surface of a recording medium having a surface having a receding contact angle which is reduced when heated and brought into contact with a liquid, liquid, vapor and the recording medium. The liquid becomes liquid at the initial temperature or lower during the decrease of the receding contact angle in, or is selectively heated in a state of being brought into contact with a contact material carried from a liquid or a solid that generates vapor,
Alternatively, recording is performed on a substrate in a recording apparatus in which a region showing a receding contact angle corresponding to a heating temperature is formed on the surface of the recording body by bringing the surface of the recording body into contact with the contact material while being selectively heated. It is provided that the body is divided into a predetermined shape.

[0007]

Therefore, by providing the recording body in a predetermined shape on the substrate, the SN ratio of the receding contact angle on the substrate is increased, and mutual interference between adjacent heating elements can be prevented.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a recording apparatus according to the present invention,
In the figure, the belt-shaped recording body 3 is supported by the support rollers 8a and 8b. The thermal head 1 and a latent image forming part 4 having a latent image forming liquid 2 as a contact material, and a developing part 6 having a recording material (ink) 5 containing a color developer are provided in the vicinity of the periphery of the belt-shaped recording material 3. A transfer roller 9 that presses the recording medium 3 through the recording paper 7, a cleaning unit 10 that removes residual ink, an image removing unit 11 that erases a latent image, and the like are arranged.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention.
A developing unit 12 having the functions of both the latent image forming unit 4 and the developing unit 6 is provided, and the other portions are the same as the configuration of FIG. 1 (the same members are designated by the same reference numerals).

As described above, the shape of the heating elements in these recording apparatuses is, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the length Lx in the main scanning direction (x direction) is 100 μm, and the length between adjacent heating elements 20 is 20 μm. Gap d is 20 μm. On the other hand, the shape of the recording body 13 (the belt-shaped recording body 3 is a generic name including the substrate 15, the base material 14 and the recording body 13 described later) is the same as the shape of the heating element 20. The recording body 13 is formed separately from the base material 14.
With this configuration, by increasing the receding contact angle of the base material 14, it is possible to increase the SN ratio of the receding contact angle. Further, as another example of the recording body, as shown in FIG. 4, the length Lx in the main scanning direction is the same as that of the heating element 20, and the recording body 13 ′ having a continuous shape in the sub scanning direction is a base material. It is provided separately from 14. Further, the recording body 13 ″ shown in FIG. 5 has a length L′ x in the main scanning direction that is much smaller than the length Lx of the heating element 20 and is a finely divided shape. 'y is Ly of the heating element 20
Is the same length as. In this recording body 13 ″, for example, L′ x in the main scanning direction can be 10 μm, and the distance d ′ between adjacent recording bodies 13 ″ can be 10 μm. In this case, the sub-scanning direction may have a continuous shape like the recording body 13 ′ shown in FIG.

In the arrangements shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a certain degree of accuracy is required for the alignment of the heating element 20 and the recording element 13 (13 ').
Even if the two recording bodies 13 are heated, mutual interference is prevented because the receding contact angle of the gap portion d is large. Moreover, in the embodiment of FIGS.
Although the relationship between the heating element and the recording material is shown for dpi, the same configuration can be used for other resolutions.

Next, a method of classifying the recording medium of the above embodiment will be described. In FIG. 6A, a polyimide film (thickness t ₁ = 25 μm) having excellent heat resistance is used as the substrate 15.
m) is used. This substrate 15 is coated with a substrate 14 of fluororesin such as Teflon FEP (thickness t ₂ =
2.5 μm). This fluororesin substrate 14
Is partially removed by etching with an excimer laser or the like as shown in (b) of the same figure, and as shown in (c) of FIG. As shown in (), the recording body 13 is mechanically removed by lapping or the like, and the recording body 13 is left only in the concave portion, so that the recording body 13 is provided separately.

As another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a substrate 15 of fluororesin is coated (t ₂ = 2.5) on a substrate 15 of polyimide film (t ₁ = 25 μm).
μm) (same as the embodiment of FIG. 6)
4 is partially roughened by sputter etching through a mask 16 as shown in FIG.
By this sputter etching process, a large number of minute recesses 17 are formed on the surface of the base material 14. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3C, after the recording body 13 is applied to the recess 17, the recording body 13 on the base material 14 is removed to remove the recording body 13.
Divide. In the embodiments of FIGS. 6 and 7, the substrate 15 and the base material 14 are separate members, but they may be the same member (integrated).

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the recording body is provided on the substrate in a predetermined shape, the receding contact angle has a large S / N ratio, and the mutual heating between adjacent heating elements is increased. Interference can be prevented and good printing can be performed. Further, by selecting a material having a large receding contact angle such as a fluororesin for the substrate and having excellent abrasion resistance during transfer, durability can be significantly improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a heating element and recording elements of various shapes corresponding thereto.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an example of a heating element and various recording elements corresponding to the heating element.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a heating element and various recording elements corresponding to the heating element.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of a method for forming a divided recording body.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a method for forming a divided recording body.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the shape of a conventional heating element.

FIG. 9 is a characteristic diagram showing ideal heating element temperature distribution and receding contact angle.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a temperature distribution of a heating element and a developing area.

FIG. 11 is a characteristic diagram showing changes in heating temperature and receding contact angle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Thermal Head 2 Latent Image Forming Liquid 3 Belt-shaped Recording Material 5 Recording Agent 13, 13 ', 13 "Recording Material 15 Substrate

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A surface of a recording medium having a surface whose receding contact angle decreases when heated and brought into contact with a liquid;
It becomes a liquid at a temperature below the temperature at which the receding contact angle of the vapor and the receding contact angle decreases, or is selectively heated in a state of contact with a contact material selected from a liquid or a solid that generates vapor, or the recording medium. In a recording apparatus that forms a region showing a receding contact angle according to the heating temperature on the surface of the recording medium by bringing the surface of the recording medium into contact with the contact material while selectively heating the recording medium on the substrate. A recording device characterized by being provided in a shape divided into shapes. 2. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a latent image is formed on a recording material containing a color developer and the latent image is formed and developed at the same time. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the substrate is subjected to an etching treatment, and the recording body is provided in a concave portion of the substrate subjected to the etching treatment.