JPH06183161A - Thermal transfer recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable many-time repeated use by making it possible to replenish a dye simultaneously with transfer with respect to a thermal transfer recording medium used in sublimation type thermal transfer recording and to make a transfer device used in this case compact. CONSTITUTION:In a thermal transfer recording medium superposed on an image receiving material and selectively heated to transfer a heat diffusible dye to the image receiving material, the thermal transfer recording medium 101 is composed of a housing 4 successively holding a dye supply layer 1 composed of the heat diffusible dye, a dye transport layer 2 consisting of the dye and a first medium and a dye flocculation layer 3 consisting of the dye and a second medium. The diffusion coefficient of the dye of the first medium of the dye transport layer 2 is larger than that of the second medium of the dye flocculation layer and the saturation solubility of the dye of the second medium of the dye flocculation layer 3 is larger than that of the first medium of the dye transport layer 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention uses a heating means such as a thermal head or a laser to transfer a heat diffusible dye to an object to be transferred according to an image signal to form a continuous gradation transfer image. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording medium that enables the thermal transfer recording medium to be repeatedly used many times by incorporating a dye replenishing mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an object to be transferred such as a printing paper and a thermal transfer recording medium such as an ink sheet are superposed and heated selectively by a heating means such as a thermal head or a laser according to an image signal. However, a thermal transfer recording method in which a dye is transferred from a thermal transfer recording medium to a transfer target to record an image is widely used. Among them, the so-called sublimation type thermal transfer recording method using a heat diffusible dye such as a sublimation dye as a dye to be transferred is a recording device which can be downsized and easily maintained, and has immediacy.
Moreover, since gradation can be obtained in a recorded image according to heating energy and a high-quality image equivalent to a silver salt color photograph can be obtained, in recent years, a hard copy of an image of a video camera, a television, computer graphics or the like It is attracting attention as a technology.

However, since the thermal transfer recording medium used for such thermal transfer recording is conventionally thrown away, a large amount of waste is generated, which is a problem from the viewpoint of resource saving and environmental protection.

Therefore, it is socially demanded to improve the utilization efficiency of the thermal transfer recording medium by reproducing the used thermal transfer recording medium.

As a method for improving the utilization efficiency of a thermal transfer recording medium, a coloring material layer of a thermal transfer recording medium can be reproduced and repeatedly used, such as a coloring material layer reproducing method or a multi-time coloring material layer construction method. And a method of effectively utilizing the thermal transfer recording medium such as a relative velocity method.

Of these, the color material layer reproduction method is a method in which the color material layer is melted by heat and transferred to the transfer target material so that the heat transfer recording medium used for heat melting type heat transfer recording can be repeatedly used. In this method, the thermal transfer recording medium is formed into an endless belt shape, and the color material layer of the thermal transfer recording medium consumed by the transfer is re-formed by applying a heat-melting ink (Japanese Patent Publication No. 49-26245).
No., Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-16932, etc.).

The multi-color material layer construction method is also a method applied to heat-melt type thermal transfer recording, and the color material layer of the ink sheet is
It is formed by impregnating the heat-melting ink into the porous network structure layer so that the ink exudes from the inside to the surface even when the ink on the surface of the ink sheet is consumed. Is enabled (Ozawa, Shimizu, IEICE National Convention, 1236 (1983)).

The relative velocity method is a method for improving the repetitive recording property of an ink sheet by changing the relative velocity of the ink sheet with respect to a transfer target in a thermal transfer recording method using a sublimable dye. Enables single transfer (Taguchi, et al., The Electrophotographic Society of Japan, vol2
4, No3, p17 (1985)).

[0009]

However, among the methods for improving the utilization efficiency of the conventional thermal transfer recording medium, the coloring material layer reproducing method and the multiple times coloring material layer forming method are the thermal transfer methods used for the thermal melting type thermal transfer recording. The present invention relates to re-formation of a recording medium and does not allow re-use of a thermal transfer recording medium used for sublimation type thermal transfer recording. Further, these methods have a problem that it is difficult to uniformly re-form the surface of the color material layer of the thermal transfer recording medium. Furthermore, in the color material layer recycling method, since the dye is supplied in a wet process, an organic solvent is required, so that the supply mechanism and the maintenance cannot be simplified. In the method, since the dye is not replenished from the outside to the color material layer once formed, there is a problem that the repetitive recording property of the ink sheet is limited to several times, and it is not possible to transfer many times. Therefore, these methods have not been put to practical use.

The relative velocity method relates to a thermal transfer recording medium used for sublimation type thermal transfer recording, but it has a problem that a mechanism for changing the relative velocity between a transfer object and an ink sheet becomes complicated, and this Depending on the method, the repetitive recording property of the ink sheet is limited to several times, and it is not possible to transfer more than that many times. Therefore, the relative velocity method has not been put to practical use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve such problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to make a thermal transfer recording medium used for sublimation type thermal transfer recording reusable many times by supplying a dye. Furthermore, when the thermal transfer recording medium is repeatedly used many times while supplying the dye in the thermal transfer recording apparatus, it is an object of the present invention to make the apparatus configuration more compact.

[0012]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The inventors of the present invention relate to a method for reproducing a thermal transfer recording medium using a thermal diffusible dye such as a sublimation dye. When a two-layer structure consisting of a dye transport layer having excellent properties and a dye aggregation layer that holds the dye at a high concentration and transfers the dye to the transfer target is brought into contact with the dye transport layer having a higher concentration and heating It was found that the consumed dye can be replenished more quickly from the dye supplier to the dye aggregation layer through the dye transport layer, and a thermal transfer recording medium having a two-layer structure of the dye transport layer and the dye aggregation layer or further a dye supply layer is provided. A thermal transfer recording medium and a reproducing method thereof have been proposed (Japanese Patent Application No. 4-322).
641). This thermal transfer recording medium comprises a dye transport layer and a dye aggregating layer, or a dye supply layer further laminated in a ribbon shape. At the time of transfer, the ribbon-shaped thermal transfer recording medium is run in a transfer device while a thermal head or laser is used. It is heated by light or the like.

However, as a result of further research by the present inventors, the dye replenishment can be more easily carried out by holding the dye transport layer, the dye aggregation layer and the dye supply layer of the thermal transfer recording medium in the housing. It has been found that it is not necessary to run the thermal transfer recording medium in the transfer device at the time of transfer, and the device structure can be made compact, and further the device structure can be made more compact by incorporating the transfer heating means in the housing. Has been completed.

That is, according to the present invention,
In a thermal transfer recording medium in which a thermal diffusible dye is transferred to a transfer target by selective heating, the thermal transfer recording medium comprises a dye supply layer comprising a dye, a dye transport layer comprising a dye and a first medium, and a dye and a second medium. Of the medium, the first medium of the dye transport layer has a larger dye diffusion coefficient than the second medium of the dye aggregation layer, and the second medium of the dye aggregation layer has a larger diffusion coefficient. The above medium provides a thermal transfer recording medium characterized in that the saturated solubility of the dye is higher than that of the first medium of the dye transport layer.

[0015]

In general, in the color material layer of the thermal transfer recording medium containing the diffusible dye, the diffusion coefficient of the diffusible dye and the saturation solubility are in a trade-off relationship. That is, in order to enable rapid replenishment of the dye, if the color material layer is configured so that the diffusion coefficient of the dye becomes high, the saturation solubility of the dye becomes low and the quality of the transferred image deteriorates, while the image quality becomes high. Therefore, if the color material layer is configured so that the saturated solubility of the dye becomes high, the diffusion coefficient of the dye becomes low and it becomes difficult to quickly supply the dye.

On the other hand, in the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, the portions corresponding to the conventional color material layer are the dye aggregation layer in which the saturated solubility of the dye is increased and the dye transport layer in which the diffusion coefficient of the dye is increased. Since it has a two-layer structure, it is possible to obtain a high image quality at the time of transfer and to quickly replenish the dye for reproduction.

Further, in the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, in addition to such a dye aggregation layer and a dye transport layer, a dye supply layer is provided so as to be constantly in contact with the dye transport layer, so that the dye is provided in the transfer device. It is possible to perform the reproduction in parallel with the transfer without separately forming a dye supplying body and a dye supplying mechanism for replenishing. Also, these dye aggregation layers,
Since the dye transport layer and the dye supply layer are held in the housing, it is not necessary to run the thermal transfer recording medium in the transfer device during transfer or reproduction, as compared with the conventional ribbon-type thermal transfer recording medium. The transport mechanism of is also unnecessary. Therefore, the transfer device can be made compact. Further, by incorporating the transfer heating means in this housing, the apparatus structure can be made more compact. Further, by incorporating the heating means for accelerating the dye supply, the dye can be replenished quickly, and the transfer speed can be increased.

By holding the dye aggregation layer, the dye transport layer and the dye supply layer in the housing, it is possible to easily supply the dye to the dye supply layer. For example, the dye is supplied in a cartridge system. It is also possible to do so.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals represent the same or equivalent constituent elements.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the basic aspect of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the thermal transfer recording medium 101 includes a dye supply layer 1 made of a dye,
It comprises a case in which a dye transport layer 2 composed of a dye and a first medium and a dye aggregation layer 3 composed of a dye and a second medium are sequentially held.

Here, the dye aggregating layer 3 is a layer that comes into contact with the transfer target at the time of transfer and supplies the dye to the transfer target. Therefore, the dye aggregation layer 3 is desired to have a high dye concentration and a uniform surface dye concentration so that a high-quality image can be formed on the transfer target. Therefore, the dye aggregation layer 3 is formed by using a resin having a high compatibility with the dye and a high solubility of the dye as a medium and holding the dye in the medium.
More specifically, as the medium of the dye aggregation layer 3, it is preferable to use a medium in which the saturated solubility of the dye is 5% by weight or more, and more preferably, the saturated solubility of the dye is 20%.
Use the one that is more than weight%.

The medium for the dye aggregation layer 3 is required to have high mechanical strength and heat resistance so that it can withstand repeated transfer, and the dye transport layer 2 is also used.
It is required that the dye has good affinity and adhesion with the constituent substance of (1) and is laminated on the dye transport layer 2 without any gap.

Examples of such a medium include polyesters, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl chlorides, cellulose esters, polystyrenes, polycarbonates, and copolymers thereof. In particular, when a silicone resin is used as the resin forming the dye transport layer 2, the dye aggregation layer 3
When a general-purpose resin is used as the medium, the adhesiveness between the dye transport layer 2 and the dye aggregation layer 3 is significantly reduced, so it is preferable to use a resin containing a silicone component such as a silicone-modified polyester resin.

The thickness of the dye aggregation layer 3 is 0.1 μm.
It is preferably not less than 10 μm and more preferably not less than 0.5 μm and not more than 2 μm. If it is less than 0.1 μm, a sufficient amount of dye cannot be secured during transfer, and it becomes difficult to form a transferred image with high sensitivity. On the other hand, when the thickness of the dye aggregation layer 3 exceeds 10 μm, it takes a long time to diffuse the dye, which makes it difficult to quickly replenish the dye.

There is no particular limitation on the method of holding the dye in the medium in the dye aggregation layer 3, and for example, the dye transport layer 2 to be described later may be applied to the medium in which the dye is not retained in the dye aggregation layer 3. The dye supply layer 1 may be brought into contact with the dye supply layer 1 through the medium to diffuse the dye from the dye supply layer 1 to the medium of the dye aggregation layer 3.

As the dye aggregation layer 3, after the layer composed of the resin and the dye as described above is formed, the dye transport layer 2 is further formed.
The surface thereof may be modified in order to improve the affinity and the adhesion with.

When the laser light is used as the transfer heating means, the dye aggregation layer 3 may contain a laser light absorber. As the laser light absorber, for example, carbon black, aluminum phthalocyanine chloride, cyanine dye or the like can be used. In addition,
The laser light absorber may be contained in the dye transport layer 2, but by mainly containing it in the dye aggregation layer 3, it is possible to narrow the region heated by the laser light,
It is preferable because the transfer sensitivity can be increased.

The dye transport layer 2 is a layer having a function of supplying the dye to the dye aggregation layer 3 in which the dye is consumed at the time of transfer. In this case, the dye transport layer 2 is simply the dye aggregation layer 3
In addition to replenishing the dye, the dye has a buffer function of the dye consumed in the dye aggregating layer 3, so that the dye can be stably supplied to the dye aggregating layer 3 in a short time. The dye transport layer 2 also has a function of imparting mechanical strength so that the thermal transfer recording medium can withstand repeated use.

The dye transporting layer 2 is formed by holding a heat diffusible dye in a medium such as a dye diffusing resin, a porous substance or a gel-like substance having a high diffusion rate of the dye. In particular, the medium for the dye transport layer 2 has a dye diffusion coefficient of 1 when the dye transport layer 2 is heated during dye replenishment.
It is preferable to use a dye having a ^{viscosity of} × 10 ^-6 cm ² / sec or more. Further, in order to complete dye replenishment within a normal transfer time, the diffusion coefficient of the dye is 1 ×.
It is preferable to use one having a pressure of 10 ⁻⁴ cm ² / sec or more. More specifically, as the dye-diffusing resin,
Examples thereof include silicone resin and polyvinyl chloride containing a large amount of plasticizer, and examples of the porous substance include polyolefin porous bodies and polytetrafluoroethylene porous bodies.

The thickness of the dye transport layer 2 is 1 μm.
It is preferably not less than m and not more than 1000 μm, more preferably not less than 10 μm and not more than 100 μm. If it is less than 1 μm, the buffer function of the dye transport layer 1 is deteriorated, and the dye cannot be rapidly supplied to the dye aggregation layer 2 at the time of replenishing the dye after transfer, and the same portion of the dye aggregation layer 2 is used again. When performing transfer, a sufficient dye concentration cannot be ensured, and transfer unevenness may occur. Further, if the thickness of the dye transport layer 2 is too thin, the mechanical strength will be insufficient. On the other hand, when the thickness of the dye transport layer 2 exceeds 1000 μm, the distance between the dye supply layer 1 and the dye aggregation layer 3 becomes too large at the time of dye replenishment, and the dye is replenished to the dye aggregation layer 3 via the dye transport layer 2. Can be difficult.

The method for holding the dye in the medium of the dye transport layer 2 is not particularly limited as in the case of holding the dye in the dye aggregation layer 3 described above. For example, in the medium in which the dye is not held, On the other hand, the dye supply layer may be brought into contact and heated sufficiently to diffuse the dye from the dye supply layer to the medium of the dye transport layer 2.

The dye supply layer 1 is a layer that functions as a reservoir for the dye that is replenished to the dye aggregation layer 3 through the dye transport layer 2, and is formed of a dye.

Here, as the dye, a heat-diffusing dye having a low melting point such as a disperse dye, a leuco dye, an oil-solubilized acidic dye, an oil-solubilized cationic dye, etc., which can be easily thermally transferred to a transfer target. Can be arbitrarily selected and used. In particular, those having a low melting point, having an alkyl group, a hydrophobic group such as a phenyl group in the molecule, and showing high compatibility with the image receiving layer of the transferred material are preferable, and further, having a small molecular weight,
It is preferable that the diffusion coefficient in the medium is large.

Further, as the dye, a dye that completely fixes the image on the transfer medium by forming a covalent bond or an ionic bond with the polymer in the image receiving layer of the transfer medium can be used. In particular, the previously proposed Japanese Patent Application No. 4-
As disclosed in the specification of No. 322641, it is preferable to use a reactive disperse dye which forms a covalent bond with the active hydrogen compound contained in the image receiving layer of the transferred material. A reactive disperse dye is used as the dye of the thermal transfer recording medium, and a reverse transfer of the dye once transferred to the transfer target is prevented by using a transfer target containing an active hydrogen compound in its image receiving layer, A good color image can be obtained even if the thermal transfer recording medium is repeatedly used. Examples of such reactive disperse dyes include reactive groups of the following formula (1)

[0035]

[Chemical 1] (Wherein, X and Y are each Cl, F, is selected from -OCH ₃ and -N _{(CH 3) 2,} at least one of X and Y in this case is Cl or F), - SO _{2
CH = CH 2, -SO 2 F} , -NH-CO-CHC
_{l 2, -N (C 2 H} 4 Cl) 2, -SO 2 CH 2 CH 2
Cl, -NH-CO-CH = CH 2 or the following formula (2)
Reactive group of

[0036]

[Chemical 2] (In the formula, X, Y and Z are respectively Cl, F and -OCH.
₃ and is selected from -N _{(CH 3) 2,} in this case, X, at least one of Y and Z can be used preferably disperse dyes having a a) Cl or F. As specific examples of such reactive disperse dyes, those shown in Table 1 can be exemplified.

[0037]

[Table 1] The dye supply layer 1 may be formed only from the dyes described above, but the dye supply speed (diffusion speed) to the dye transport layer 2
In order to increase the temperature, it may be formed from a mixture of a dye with a resin binder or a low molecular weight organic compound, if necessary.

The kind of the resin binder and the low molecular weight organic compound is appropriately selected according to the kind of the dye to be used. For example, when a disperse dye is used, the resin binder may be polyester, polyvinyl chloride or acetic acid. Cellulose, nitrocellulose, polyvinyl butyral, polycarbonate and the like can be preferably used. Also,
As the low molecular weight organic compound, a plasticizer such as dibutyl phthalic acid, diethyl phthalic acid or dicyclohexyl phthalate, or an organic solvent such as acetone, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol or cyclohexanone can be used.

Even when a resin binder or a low molecular weight organic compound is used together with the dye in forming the dye supply layer 1, the dye is rapidly heated from the dye supply layer 1 to the dye aggregation layer 3 via the dye transport layer 2. In order to diffuse, the volume fraction of the dye in the dye supply layer 1 needs to be higher than the volume fraction of the dye in the dye aggregation layer 3. Therefore, generally, the concentration of the resin binder or the low molecular weight organic compound in the dye supply layer 3 is 80% by weight or less, and more preferably 1 to 50% by weight.

In the present invention, the dye aggregation layer 3, the dye transport layer 2, and the dye supply layer 1 as described above are not laminated in a ribbon shape like the conventional thermal transfer recording medium, but are shown in FIG. Thus, it is held in the housing 4. The material of the housing 4 is not particularly limited as long as it has mechanical strength capable of holding the laminate of the dye aggregation layer 3, the dye transport layer 2, and the dye supply layer 1.

Such a case-shaped thermal transfer recording medium 101
The method of transfer using is basically the same as when using a conventional ribbon-like thermal transfer recording medium, using a laser beam or a thermal head as a transfer heating means for performing selective heating during transfer. Can be done by However, the transfer system for the thermal transfer recording medium at the time of transfer does not require the conventional transfer mechanism for moving the ribbon-shaped thermal transfer recording medium, and the transfer device can be made compact.

For example, when a semiconductor laser is used as the heating means for transfer, as shown in FIG. 13, a platen roller 5 made of a material (for example, transparent glass) having a sufficient transmittance in the wavelength range of the semiconductor laser. In addition, a material having a sufficient transmittance in the wavelength range of the semiconductor laser (for example, PE
A transfer-receiving body (image-receiving paper) 6 made of a T film or the like is wound, the thermal transfer recording medium 101 in the form of a casing is arranged on the wound body, and a semiconductor laser exposure device 7 is provided inside the platen roller 5. The semiconductor laser exposure device 7 irradiates a laser beam as indicated by an arrow A to transfer the dye from the thermal transfer recording medium 101 to the transfer target 6. Further, the platen roller 5 is rotated as indicated by an arrow B to convey the transferred body 6. In this case, as a method of scanning the laser light from the semiconductor laser exposure device 7, as shown in FIG. 14A, the semiconductor laser exposure device 7 may be scanned in the platen roller 5 as shown by an arrow C. As shown in FIG. 14B, an inline multi-beam laser may be used as the semiconductor laser exposure device 7. In addition, FIG.
As shown in (c), the case-like thermal transfer recording medium 101
When the width is smaller than the width of the transfer target, the thermal transfer recording medium 101 may be conveyed as indicated by the arrow D in correspondence with the scanning of the laser beam indicated by the arrow C.

When forming a multicolor image, for example, as shown in FIG. 15A, a thermal transfer recording medium 101Y for transferring a yellow dye, a thermal transfer recording medium 101M for transferring a magenta dye, and a cyan dye are used. It suffices to provide the thermal transfer recording medium 101C to be transferred in a linear shape, convey them at the time of transfer as shown by an arrow E, and sequentially transfer the three colors. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15B, the three color thermal transfer recording media 101Y, 101M and 101C are provided on concentric circles,
A multicolor image may be formed by scanning laser light. This is preferable because it is possible to transfer three colors substantially at the same time.

When a thermal head is used as the transfer heating means, for example, as shown in FIG.
The thermal transfer recording medium 101 may be placed on the transfer medium 6, the thermal head 9 may be brought into contact with the back surface of the transfer medium 6 to heat it, and the transfer medium may be conveyed as indicated by arrow B.
In this case, it is preferable to use a thin film (for example, a PET film having a thickness of about 5 μm) as a substrate for the transferred body 6 so that the heat from the thermal head 9 can be efficiently transmitted. .

As described above, the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, which can be applied to various heating means for transfer, can further take various aspects. For example, in FIG.
Like the thermal transfer recording medium 102 shown in FIG.
A porous substrate layer 8 can be provided between the dye supply layer 1 and the dye supply layer 1. Thereby, as a method of supplying the dye to the dye supply layer 1, it is sufficient to simply supply the powdery dye onto the porous base material layer 8. In addition, it is possible to replace the dye supply layer by a cartridge method, and it is possible to simplify the supply of the dye, which is preferable. As a base material forming such a porous base material layer 8, for example, a resin mesh, punching metal or the like can be used.

The case-like thermal transfer recording medium (1
01, 102) may be regenerated by heating the vicinity of the dye transport layer 2 so that the dye is supplied from the dye supply layer 1 through the dye supply layer 2 to the dye aggregation layer 3 by diffusion. The heating for this can be performed by the heat at the time of transfer. However, as described below, it is also possible to provide a heating means for regeneration.

That is, in the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, in order to promote the supply of the dye from the dye supply layer to the dye transport layer and the dye coagulation layer and to enable the transfer speed to be increased, A heating means for promoting dye supply can be provided.
As a specific mode in which such heating means for accelerating the dye supply is provided, for example, the thermal transfer recording medium 103 shown in FIG. 3 is the same thermal transfer recording medium as that shown in FIG. In which a heater 10a made of a nichrome wire mesh or the like is embedded in a portion of the wall of the sheet adjacent to the dye transport layer 2, or the thermal transfer recording medium 10 shown in FIG.
4, the thin film heater 10b may be disposed at the boundary between the dye transport layer 2 and the dye supply layer 1, or may be embedded in the dye transport layer. Alternatively, the dye transport layer 2 of the thermal transfer recording medium 101 as shown in FIG. 1 may contain conductive powder such as carbon black, and the dye transport layer 2 itself may be used as a heating resistor.

Even when the heating means for accelerating the dye supply is provided as described above, the porous base material layer can be provided between the dye transport layer and the dye supply layer. For example, like the thermal transfer recording medium 105 shown in FIG. 5, at the boundary between the dye transport layer 2 and the dye supply layer 1, from the dye transport layer 2 side to the thin film heater 10b.
The porous base material layer 8 may be sequentially arranged.

In the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, in addition to the heating means for dye supply provided in the housing as described above,
Furthermore, a transfer heating means for performing selective heating during transfer can be provided. By incorporating the transfer heating means in the thermal transfer recording medium, it is not necessary to separately provide the transfer heating means in the transfer device, which is preferable because the transfer device can be made compact. As a specific embodiment of such a thermal transfer recording medium, for example, FIG.
As in the thermal transfer recording medium 106 shown in FIG. 1, the heater 11a is used as the transfer heating means, and the dye aggregation layer 3 in the wall of the housing 4 is used.
Can be embedded in a portion close to ((a) sectional view of the same figure, (b) bottom view of the same figure). In this case, as shown in the bottom view of FIG. 11B, a large number of dye aggregation layers 3 each having the heater 11a in the vicinity can be arranged as recording pixels. Further, as the thermal transfer recording medium having the transfer heating means incorporated therein, the thermal transfer recording medium 10 shown in FIG.
7, a thin film heater 11b can be provided as a transfer heating means in the vicinity of the dye aggregation layer 3 (a sectional view of FIG. 7A and a bottom view of FIG. 7B). A lead wire 12 is provided on the thin film heater 11b.

Such a transfer heating means can be provided on the thermal transfer recording medium together with the above-mentioned dye supply heating means. For example, as a thermal transfer recording medium 108 shown in FIG. 8 which is a modification of the thermal transfer recording medium shown in FIG. 1, as a heating means for supplying a dye to a portion in the wall of the housing 4 close to the dye transport layer 2. The heater 1 is embedded in the heater 10a, and the heater 1 is used as a transfer heating unit in a portion close to the dye aggregation layer 3.
1a can be embedded.

As described above, the thermal transfer recording medium (106, 107, 108) in which the heater is incorporated as the transfer heating means.
For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the transfer is performed by using a case-shaped thermal transfer recording medium in which a transfer target (image receiving paper) 6 is wound around a platen roller 5 and a heater is incorporated therein. (106, 107 or 108) may be provided, and the platen roller 5 may be rotated at the time of transfer as indicated by an arrow B to convey the transfer target 6. As described above, it is not necessary to provide the semiconductor laser exposure device or the thermal head in the platen roller 5.

In the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention, the shape of the housing can be changed according to the transfer heating means used and the mode of use thereof. For example, like the thermal transfer recording medium 109 shown in FIG. 9, the laser beam transmitting window 13 can be provided in the portion of the housing 4 surrounding the dye transport layer 2. As a result, when laser light is used as the transfer heating means, the semiconductor laser exposure device 7 is provided inside the platen roller 5 as shown in FIG.
Instead of irradiating the dye aggregation layer of the thermal transfer recording medium 101 from the side, the semiconductor laser exposure device 7 is provided outside the platen roller 5 as shown in FIG. 18, and laser light is passed through the dye transport layer of the thermal transfer recording medium 109. It is possible to irradiate the dye aggregation layer. Therefore, the platen roller 5
It is not necessary to limit the material of the base material of the transfer target 6 to a material having a sufficient transmittance in the wavelength range of the laser light, and the range of selection thereof is widened.

The thermal transfer recording medium having the laser beam transmitting window thus formed can have various shapes depending on the irradiation mode of the laser beam. For example, as shown in FIG. 19A, when the semiconductor laser exposure device 7 is installed at a fixed position to scan a laser beam, or when a transfer image is formed by multi-dots, it is shown in FIG. As described above, it is preferable to widen the laser beam transmitting window 13 of the thermal transfer recording medium 109 shown in FIG. 9 in the longitudinal direction (a perspective view of the same figure, a top view of the same figure, a bottom view of the same figure). ). Further, in the case of forming a transfer image with a single dot, it is preferable to open the window 13 for transmitting laser light in a circular shape as shown in FIG. 20 (a perspective view of the same figure, a top view of the same figure). , (C) bottom view). Further, when the laser beam transmitting window formed on the thermal transfer recording medium is made to correspond to the recording pixel,
As in the thermal transfer recording medium 110 shown in FIG. 10, it is preferable that the dye aggregation layer 3 located below the laser beam transmitting window 13 is formed small and a large number of recording pixels composed of such dye aggregation layer 3 are arranged. .

The thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention may incorporate a dye supply promoting heating means and a transfer heating means even when the laser beam transmitting window 13 is formed as described above. For example, the thermal transfer recording medium 11 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the thermal transfer recording medium of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the heater 1 is provided in a portion in the wall of the housing 4 close to the dye transport layer 2 and in which the laser light transmitting window 13 is not formed.
0a can be embedded. Further, like the thermal transfer recording medium 112 shown in FIG. 12, in the thermal transfer recording medium of the aspect shown in FIG. 10, the thin film heater 10b is formed in the portion where the dye transport layer 2 is placed on the housing 4. You can

[0055]

According to the present invention, since the dye can be replenished in parallel with the transfer in the thermal transfer recording medium used in the sublimation type thermal transfer recording, it is possible to use the dye repeatedly, and to use it in that case. It becomes possible to make the transfer device compact.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention (FIG. 6A).
And a bottom view (the same figure b).

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention (FIG. 7A).
And a bottom view (the same figure b).

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a transfer method using the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a transfer method using the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of a transfer method using the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a transfer method using the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of a transfer method using the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a transfer method using the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view (same figure a), a top view (same figure b) and a bottom view (same figure c) of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view (same figure a), a top view (same figure b) and a bottom view (same figure c) of the thermal transfer recording medium of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Dye Supply Layer 2 Dye Transport Layer 3 Dye Aggregation Layer 4 Housing 5 Platen Roller 6 Transfer Target 7 Semiconductor Laser Exposure Device 8 Porous Base Material Layer 9 Thermal Head 10a Heater (Dye Supply Accelerating Heating Means) 10b Thin Film Heater ( Dye supply acceleration heating means) 11a Heater (transfer heating means) 11b Thin film heater (transfer heating means) 12 Lead wire 13 Laser light transmission window 101-112 Thermal transfer recording medium

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Mari Natori 6-735 Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Corporation

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A thermal transfer recording medium in which a thermal diffusible dye is transferred to a transferred body by being superposed on the transferred body and selectively heated, wherein the thermal transfer recording medium comprises a dye supply layer made of a dye, a dye and a first layer. A dye transport layer composed of a medium, and a housing which holds a dye aggregation layer composed of a dye and a second medium in sequence, wherein the first medium of the dye transport layer is formed of the dye more than the second medium of the dye aggregation layer. A thermal transfer recording medium having a large diffusion coefficient and a second medium of the dye aggregation layer having a higher saturated solubility of the dye than the first medium of the dye transport layer. 2. The thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, further comprising heating means for promoting dye supply in the housing. 3. The thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, further comprising transfer heating means for performing selective heating in the housing. 4. The thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 3, wherein the transfer heating means is a heater provided near the dye aggregation layer. 5. The thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the dye aggregation layer contains a laser light absorber. 6. The dye transport layer of the housing is surrounded so that a laser beam used as a transfer heating means is incident on the dye transport layer from outside the housing, passes through the dye transport layer, and heats the dye aggregation layer. 6. A window for transmitting a laser beam is provided in the portion.
The thermal transfer recording medium described. 7. The dye supply layer comprises a dye alone or a dye and
The thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, comprising 0% by weight or less of a resin binder or a low molecular weight organic compound. 8. The diffusion coefficient of the dye in the dye transport layer is
1 × 10 ⁻⁶ by heating with a heating means for promoting dye supply
The thermal transfer recording medium according to any one of claims 2 to 7, which has a cm ² / sec or more. 9. The thermal transfer recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the dye has a saturated solubility of 5% by weight or more in the dye aggregation layer.