JPH0558056A - Recording method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To certainly prevent the lowering or deterioration of the image quality of a visible image such as the image recorded on a recording material and to efficiently preserve the recording material. CONSTITUTION:A recording apparatus is equipped with a feed mechanism 14 for feeding a multicolor thermal recording material 12, a recording mechanism 16 for supplying the heat energies corresponding to the color forming layers of the multicolor thermal recording material 12 to successively develops the colors of the respective color forming layers, a fixing mechanism 18 fir fixing the color forming layers developed by the recording mechanism 16, and a laminating mechanism 20 fir applying laminating treatment to the recording surface of the multicolor thermal recording material 12 after the completion of recording. By said laminating treatment, the lowering or deterioration of the image quality of the recording surface is prevented through the laminated film welded to the recording surface.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording method and apparatus for performing a laminating process after recording on a recording material having a recording medium provided on a support.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In facsimiles, printers and the like, for example, a thermal recording device is widely used to visualize information such as characters and images. In this type of thermal recording device, a thermal recording material prepared by coating a recording medium such as a coloring agent or a color developer on a support such as paper or synthetic paper is prepared, and the thermal head is operated by the thermal head based on the electric signal corresponding to the original. By heating the heat-sensitive recording material, information such as characters and images carried on the original document is recorded as a visible image on the heat-sensitive recording material.

[0003]

By the way, when the heat-sensitive recording material after recording is preserved, the density of the recorded portion is lowered by the ambient light, while the density of the unrecorded portion is increased and the image quality is remarkably deteriorated. There is a problem that it will end up. Moreover,
In particular, when the recording surface is irradiated with ultraviolet light, the dye may cause color separation, which may cause deterioration of image quality. Also, if water, solvent, etc., adheres to the recording surface or stains occur,
Image quality will be deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in view of this type of problem, and it is possible to reliably prevent the image quality of a visible image such as an image recorded on a recording material from being deteriorated or deteriorated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording method and apparatus capable of effectively storing materials.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a process of loading a recording material having a recording medium provided on a support into an apparatus, and a recording head on the recording material. A step of performing recording via a recording medium, a step of performing a laminating process on the recording surface side of the recording material, and a step of discharging the recording material after the laminating process to the outside of the apparatus, following the recording step. Is characterized by.

Further, according to the present invention, a transport mechanism for transporting a recording material having a recording medium provided on a support, a recording mechanism for recording on the recording material, and the recording material after the recording is completed. The recording surface side is provided with a laminating mechanism for performing a laminating process.

[0007]

According to the recording method of the present invention, after recording an image or the like on the recording material carried into the apparatus through the recording head,
Since a laminate film is provided on the recording surface side,
The recording surface can be surely protected from unnecessary external light, moisture and the like, and the deterioration or deterioration of the image quality is not caused even after long-term storage.

Further, in the recording apparatus of the present invention, after the recording operation is performed on the recording material conveyed to the recording mechanism by the conveying mechanism, the laminating mechanism automatically forms the laminating film on the recording surface side. Is provided for the purpose. Therefore, it is possible to reliably maintain the image quality of the recording surface.

[0009]

The recording method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates a recording apparatus according to this embodiment. The recording apparatus 10 supplies heat energy corresponding to a transport mechanism 14 that transports the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 and a color-developing layer (described later) of the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 to sequentially develop each color-developing layer. A recording mechanism 16, a fixing mechanism 18 for fixing each color forming layer formed by the recording mechanism 16, and a laminating mechanism 20 for performing a laminating process on the recording surface side of the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 after recording is completed. Equipped with.

A magazine 24 accommodating a plurality of multicolor thermosensitive recording materials 12 is provided on a side portion of a main body 22 constituting the recording apparatus 10.
And a recovery magazine 26 for discharging the multicolor heat-sensitive recording material 12 after the recording and laminating processes are removably mounted.

The transfer mechanism 14 arranged in the main body 22 is
A multi-color thermosensitive recording material 12 taken out from the magazine 24 is conveyed to the recording mechanism 16 by being provided with a take-out roller 28 which can enter the opening 24a of the magazine 24, a plurality of conveying roller pairs 30, a guide roller 32 and a guide plate 34. ..

The recording mechanism 16 is provided with a recording drum 38 having a relatively large diameter that is driven to rotate in the direction of arrow A. On the outer peripheral portion of this recording drum 38, each coloring layer, which will be described later, of the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 is formed. Thermal heads 40a to 40c for sequentially developing color from the upper layer side are arranged so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from each other. A first light source 42a that constitutes the fixing mechanism 18 is arranged between the thermal heads 40a and 40b, and a second light source 42b is arranged between the thermal heads 40b and 40c.

The laminating mechanism 20 is provided with a laminating film 44 which is wound in a roll shape and is rotated in the direction of arrow B via a drive source (not shown). This laminated film 44 is made of, for example, triacetate cellulose (TA
It is formed by mixing 0.5% by weight of a benzotriazole-based ultraviolet absorber during the film formation of C). Examples of this type of ultraviolet absorber include SE manufactured by Cypro Kasei Co., Ltd.
ESORB 703 is known. A hot-melt adhesive that adheres by heat is applied to the laminate film 44.

A heat roller pair 46 for welding the laminate film 44 to the recording surface side of the multicolor heat-sensitive recording material 12 is arranged above the laminate film 44, and in proximity to the heat roller pair 46. A cutter 48 for cutting the laminate film 44 in accordance with the length of the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 is provided with a support 50 made of paper or film, and a bend preventing back coat 52 is provided on one side of the support 50. A C (cyan) color-developing layer 54, an M (magenta) color-developing layer 56, and a Y (yellow) color-developing layer 58 are laminated on the other surface side of the support 50 via intermediate layers 60a and 60b.
A protective layer 62 is provided on the Y coloring layer 58.

Next, the recording device 10 configured as described above.
The operation will be described in relation to the recording method according to this embodiment.

First, when the magazine 24 accommodating a plurality of multicolor thermosensitive recording materials 12 is loaded into the main body 22, the opening 24a is opened and the take-out roller 28 constituting the transport mechanism 14 is rotationally driven, The highest multicolor recording material 1
2 is taken into this body 22.

The multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 is conveyed to the recording mechanism 16 side via the conveying roller pair 30 and the guide plate 34 with the support 50 side facing downward. When the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 is inserted between the thermal head 40a and the recording drum 38, the thermal head 40a presses the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 toward the recording drum 38 with a predetermined pressing force. At the same time, heat energy corresponding to the Y coloring layer 58 is supplied to the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 to cause the Y coloring layer 58 to develop color. This applied heat energy is, as shown in FIG.
The Y-coloring layer 58, the M-coloring layer 56, and the C-coloring layer 54 are set in order of increasing size.

The multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 is transferred in the direction of arrow A through the recording drum 38, and the fixing operation of the Y coloring layer 58 is performed under the action of the first light source 42a constituting the fixing mechanism 18. .. The multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 is sandwiched between the thermal head 40b and the recording drum 38, and thermal energy corresponding to the M coloring layer 56 is supplied from the thermal head 40b, so that the M coloring layer 56 is colored. The M color developing layer 56 after the color development is subjected to the fixing process under the action of the second light source 42b forming the fixing mechanism 18. Further, the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 includes a thermal head 40c and a recording drum 38.
The C color developing layer 54 is sandwiched between and to perform the color developing operation. After the C color developing layer 54 is colored, the heat roller pair 46 superimposes it on the laminate film 44.

The heat roller pair 46 is set to a temperature lower than the color forming temperature of the C color forming layer 54 of the multicolor heat sensitive recording material 12, and the recording surface side of the multicolor heat sensitive recording material 12 (support 50 and The laminated film 44 is heated while being pressed to the opposite side), and the laminated film 44 is welded to the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12.

The multicolor heat-sensitive recording material 12 which has been subjected to the above-mentioned laminating process is collected by the collecting magazine 2 through the pair of conveying rollers 30.
6 is discharged. At that time, the laminate film 44 is cut through the cutter 48 in accordance with the length of the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12.

In this case, in the present embodiment, the recording surface side of the multicolor heat-sensitive recording material 12 after recording is laminated and the laminate film 44 is welded, so that the gloss of this recording surface is reduced and the image quality is improved. Does not deteriorate, or the density of the ambient light changes during storage to prevent deterioration of image quality.

That is, the applicant of the present invention welded a multi-color heat-sensitive recording material 12 after recording with a laminated film composed only of a film of triacetate cellulose (TAC) (Experimental Example 1), triacetate cellulose containing an ultraviolet absorber. A laminated film made of (1) was welded (Experimental Example 2) and a laminated film was not provided (Experimental Example 3), and an experiment was conducted to detect a change in black density with a Macbeth reflection densitometer. The result is shown in Figure 4.
Is shown in. From this, it was found that the residual density of the black color recorded on the multicolor heat-sensitive recording material 12 was improved by providing the laminated film.

In particular, by using the laminated film 44 of this embodiment containing an ultraviolet absorber, it is possible to avoid the adverse effect of ultraviolet rays on the image and prevent the deterioration of the image quality due to the decrease in density as much as possible. The remarkable effect that it can be obtained was obtained.

Further, even in the case of a laminated film containing no ultraviolet absorber, the residual density ratio is improved and
There is an advantage that this recording surface can be effectively protected because the recording surface is not directly touched by water, solvent or human hands.

Next, a recording device 70 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same reference numerals as those of the recording device 10 described above indicate the same components, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A recording mechanism 72 constituting the recording device 70.
Comprises a single recording head 74,
A laminating mechanism 76 is disposed in the vicinity of. The laminating mechanism 76 includes a pressure roller 78 and
The light source for welding the laminate film 44 to the multicolor heat-sensitive recording material 12 is also used as the first and second light sources 42a and 42b constituting the fixing mechanism 18.

In such a structure, when the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 conveyed in the direction of the arrow is sandwiched by the recording drum 38 and the recording head 74, the Y color forming layer 58 of the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 is formed. Color development work is performed, and the Y color development layer 58 is formed on the first light source 42a and / or the second light source 42b.
Is fixed through. Further, the recording drum 38 is indicated by an arrow X.
The multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 is rotated again in this direction to be sandwiched between the recording drum 38 and the recording head 74 again, and the M coloring layer 56 is colored, and then the M coloring layer 56 is fixed.

Then, the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 is rotated by the recording drum 38 and the recording head 7 while the recording drum 38 is rotated.
4, the C-coloring layer 54 is colored, and then the UV-adhesive laminating film 44 is attached to the recording surface side of the multicolor thermosensitive recording material 12 via a pressure roller 78 which constitutes a laminating mechanism 76. Is pressed. Then, the laminate film 44 is hardened and adhered to the multicolor heat-sensitive recording material 12 under the action of the first light source 42a and / or the second light source 42b, and the multicolor heat-sensitive recording material 12 after the lamination process is stored in a recovery magazine (not shown). Is discharged to.

In this recording device 70, in addition to the same effects as those of the recording device 10 described above, the first mechanism which constitutes the fixing mechanism 18 is provided.
Since the light source 42a and / or the second light source 42b also have a function as a heat roller pair, there is an advantage that the configuration is simplified.

Although the heat roller pair 46 is used in the recording apparatus 10, a pressure roller and an ultraviolet lamp may be used instead of the heat roller pair 46.

Although the laminate film 44 is made of triacetate cellulose, it is possible to use a substantially transparent film such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). .. Furthermore, although a benzotriazole type is used as the ultraviolet absorber, a benzophenone type or the like may be used as long as it can substantially absorb the ultraviolet region.

Furthermore, the case where the multicolor thermal recording material 12 is used as the recording material has been described.
The same applies to a fixing type heat-sensitive paper or an optical recording heat-coloring paper.

[0035]

According to the recording method and apparatus of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

After recording an image or the like on the recording material carried into the apparatus through the recording head, since a laminate film is provided on the recording surface side, moisture or the like may be directly attached to the recording surface. , No unnecessary external light is emitted. This makes it possible to reliably maintain a desired high image quality without causing deterioration or deterioration of the image quality even when stored for a long period of time.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional explanatory view of a multicolor thermosensitive recording material used in the recording apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of heat energy supplied to each color forming layer of the multicolor thermosensitive recording material.

FIG. 4 is an experimental result of the residual density of black when two kinds of laminate films are provided and when no laminate film is provided.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part of a recording apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Recording device 12 ... Multicolor thermosensitive recording material 14 ... Conveying mechanism 16 ... Recording mechanism 18 ... Fixing mechanism 20 ... Laminating mechanism 22 ... Main body 24 ... Magazine 38 ... Recording drums 40a-40c ... Thermal heads 42a, 42b ... Light source 44 ... Laminate film 46 ... Heat roller pair 48 ... Cutter 70 ... Recording device 72 ... Recording mechanism 74 ... Recording head 76 ... Laminating mechanism 78 ... Pressing roller

Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display area // B29C 65/02 6122-4F

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A process of carrying a recording material having a recording medium provided on a support into an apparatus, a process of recording on the recording material via a recording head, and a step of recording the recording material after the recording step. A recording method comprising: a step of laminating a recording surface of a recording material; and a step of discharging the laminated recording material to the outside of the apparatus. 2. A transport mechanism for transporting a recording material having a recording medium provided on a support, a recording mechanism for performing recording on the recording material, and a recording surface side of the recording material after recording. And a laminating mechanism for performing a laminating process. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the laminating film used for laminating is made of a material that transmits visible light and absorbs ultraviolet light.