JPH08150788A - Ink ribbon and printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve the energy efficiency to a large extent and print more quickly with less energy or same energy. CONSTITUTION: Laser beam L is emitted to a layer 1, 30 to be emitted composed of a deposit layer 30 of a laser beam absorbent disposed on a base film layer 1, and the light and heat conversion is carried out for the laser beam L on the layer 1, 30 to be emitted to melt or sublime ink in an ink layer 8 and transfer a printing data to a recording layer 4. Heat is transferred more efficiently to the ink in the ink layer 8 compared with an example in which a layer to be emitted composed of a laser beam absorbent containing a binder resin is used by the arrangement, and printing can be carried out more quickly by using less energy or same energy.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink ribbon and a printer device, and more particularly, a so-called laser for transferring and recording ink by melting or sublimating ink by heat obtained by converting laser light (hereinafter referred to as photothermal conversion). It can be applied to a thermal transfer printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in thermal transfer recording using a laser beam in a laser thermal transfer printer, an ink ribbon 3 having an ink layer 2 formed on one surface of a transparent base film layer 1 as shown in FIG. Layer 2 is image receiving paper 4
The laser light L emitted from the laser element 5 is condensed and imaged by the lens 6 so as to come into contact with the image receiving surface 4A of the above, and then the ink layer 2 is irradiated through the base film layer 1. To do. The ink layer 2 is formed of an infrared absorbent and a meltable or sublimable ink, and the ink ribbon 3
The infrared absorbing agent photothermally converts the laser light L to melt or sublimate the ink on the image receiving surface 4A of the image receiving paper 4 and transfer the ink to obtain a desired printing result.

As the ink ribbon 3, as shown in FIG. 5, a carbon layer 7 and an ink layer 8 made of a meltable or sublimable ink are formed on one surface of a base film layer 1, and a laser is formed on the carbon layer 7. The light L is photothermally converted and the obtained heat transfers the ink of the ink layer 8 to the image receiving surface 4A of the image receiving paper 4, or as shown in FIG. 6, the ink layer is formed on one surface of the base film 9 containing carbon. 8 is formed and the base film 9 photothermally converts the laser light L to transfer the ink of the ink layer 8 to the image receiving surface 4A of the image receiving paper 4.

[0004]

By the way, FIG. 4 and FIG.
The ink layers 2 and 8 and the carbon layer 7 described above have layers in which inks are bonded to each other and carbon is bonded to each other by a binder resin (adhesive). Therefore, even if the infrared absorber or carbon in each layer generates heat, the binder resin exists and energy is lost until the heat is transferred to the ink to be transferred.

Further, as described above with reference to FIG. 6, even when the base film 9 containing carbon is used, the heat generated by the carbon is passed through the inside of the base film before being transferred to the ink. However, the same problem as in the case of the binder resin occurs.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object thereof is to propose an ink ribbon and a printer apparatus which can markedly improve energy efficiency and can print faster with less energy or at the same energy. It is a thing.

[0007]

In order to solve such a problem, in the present invention, the irradiation target layer (1, 30) is irradiated with laser light (L) based on the supplied print data, and the irradiation target layer is irradiated. In an ink ribbon of a printer device for converting the laser light (L) into a photothermal conversion at (1, 30) to melt or sublimate the ink in the ink layer (8) and transfer the print data to the recording target (4) for recording. Irradiation target layer (1, 30)
Of the laser light absorber deposited on the base film layer (1).

In the present invention, the irradiation target layer (1, 30) of the ink ribbon is irradiated with laser light (L) based on the supplied print data, and the irradiation target layer (1, 3) is irradiated.
0) laser light (L) is photothermally converted to melt or sublimate the ink in the ink layer (8) of the ink ribbon, and print data is transferred to the recording target (4) and recorded. The layers to be irradiated (1, 30) were made to be the vapor deposition layer (30) of the laser light absorber vapor-deposited on the base film layer (1).

[0009]

The irradiation target layer (1, 30) formed of a vapor deposition layer (30) of a laser light absorbent in which the laser light (L) is vapor deposited on the base film layer (1) based on the supplied print data.
The laser light (L) is photothermally converted by the irradiation target layer (1, 30) to melt or sublimate the ink in the ink layer (8), and the print data is transferred to the recording target (4). , Heat is efficiently transferred to the ink of the ink layer (8) compared to the case of using the irradiation target layer made of a laser light absorber containing a binder resin, and printing is performed with less energy or with the same energy faster. obtain.

[0010]

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

In the laser thermal transfer printer, when printing an image of a certain size, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a laser element 5 and an image forming lens 2 for forming an image of a laser beam L.
0 and 1 are accommodated in one casing 21, and while keeping the casing 21 so that the laser light L forms an image on the ink ribbon 3,
By reciprocating in the width direction of the ink ribbon 3 by using a lead screw 22 or a belt or the like, the laser beam L scans the ink ribbon 3, or as shown in FIG. In some cases, only the imaging lens 20 connected to the element 5 is housed in the housing 21.

In FIG. 1, it is used in a so-called laser thermal transfer printer in which a laser beam L is irradiated to an irradiation target based on the supplied print data, so that the irradiation target is photothermally converted to record the print data on the recording target. An ink ribbon is shown. In this ink ribbon, a carbon vapor deposition layer 30 is provided on a transparent or semitransparent base film 1, and an ink layer 8 is formed on the carbon vapor deposition layer 30. In practice, the laser beam L emitted from the laser element 5 or the optical fiber 23 or the like is imaged on the carbon vapor deposition layer 30 by the lens 20 or the like. The laser beam L is photothermally converted in the carbon vapor deposition layer 30, and the heat causes the ink in the ink layer 8 to be transferred to the image receiving surface 4A on the image receiving paper 4 by melting or sublimation, and an output image can be obtained.

Here, since the thickness of the carbon layer 30 is not "0", the degree to which the carbon that has generated heat within a certain predetermined time (while the laser is currently irradiating the current writing portion) contributes to the transfer of ink is determined. , And varies depending on the distance from the ink layer 8. That is, the greater the distance from the ink layer 8, the smaller the degree of contribution to the ink transfer, and the closer the distance, the greater the contribution. Further, the laser light is absorbed by the carbon while passing through the carbon layer (heat is generated by the absorption), and the power thereof is gradually weakened. That is, the farther the distance from the ink layer is, the stronger the heat generation of carbon becomes, and the closer the distance is, the weaker the heat becomes.

Taking these points into consideration, the transfer efficiency will be improved by making the carbon layer extremely thin and irradiating the carbon near the ink layer without weakening the power of the laser beam. If the carbon layer is thin in this way, the reflected light from the image receiving paper also contributes to the transfer of ink. However, if the carbon layer is too thin, the absolute amount of carbon that generates heat will be insufficient, and the amount of laser light that will be reflected back to the image receiving paper 4 will only increase, which will adversely affect the transfer efficiency. In the ink ribbon of a conventional laser thermal transfer printer, the carbon layer absorbs a laser beam of an amount close to 100% (for example, 99.9% or more) to increase the heat generation amount of the entire ink ribbon, thereby increasing the transfer efficiency. I was trying.

However, this means that the heat generated in the portion that is far from the ink layer 8 and does not contribute to the transfer of the ink weakens the laser light that reaches the ink in the portion that contributes to the transfer, and conversely reduces the transfer efficiency. I will end up. After all, in order to maximize the transfer efficiency, an unnecessary heat generation is eliminated in the carbon layer in the portion distant from the ink layer 8, and the absorption of the laser light reflected back to the paper is taken into consideration to obtain an appropriate thinness. The carbon layer may be formed. For this reason, in this embodiment, this idea is further advanced, and the carbon layer containing the conventional binder resin is replaced with the carbon vapor deposition layer 30 to increase the density of carbon and obtain a larger heat generation in the portion close to the ink layer 8. As a result, the transfer efficiency is improved.

According to the above configuration, the carbon vapor deposition layer 30
By forming the above, the thermal efficiency is improved as compared with the case where the carbon layer containing the binder resin is used, and it becomes possible to obtain an output image faster with less energy or with the same energy in the laser thermal transfer printer.

In the above embodiments, the case where carbon is used as an example of the laser light absorber has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and another substance that absorbs laser light may be used. Alternatively, if the carbon vapor deposition layer is replaced with a vapor deposition layer of a laser light absorber capable of vapor deposition, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be realized.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention, a laser beam is irradiated to a layer to be irradiated, which is a vapor-deposited layer of a laser light absorber vapor-deposited on a base film layer, based on the supplied print data, When an irradiation target layer made of a laser light absorber containing a binder resin is used by photothermal conversion of laser light in the irradiation target layer to melt or sublimate the ink in the ink layer and transfer the print data to the recording target. In comparison with the above, the heat can be efficiently transferred to the ink in the ink layer, and an ink ribbon and a printer device that can print faster with less energy or with the same energy can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an ink ribbon according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a laser thermal transfer printer as an explanation of a laser thermal transfer scanning method.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a laser thermal transfer printer as an explanation of a laser thermal transfer scanning method.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the principle of laser thermal transfer recording.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a conventional ink ribbon.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a conventional ink ribbon.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 9 ... Base film, 2, 8 ... Ink layer, 3 ...
... Ink ribbon, 4 ... Image receiving paper, 4A ... Image receiving surface, 5 ...
... laser element, 6 ... lens, 7 ... carbon layer, 10
...... Roller, 20 …… Imaging lens, 21 …… Case, 22
...... Lead screw, 23 ...... Optical fiber cable, 30
…… Carbon vapor deposition layer.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI Technical display location B41J 31/00 C B41M 5/26 5/38 B41J 3/20 109 A 7416-2H B41M 5/26 Z 7416-2H Q 7416-2H 101 F (72) Inventor Toshio Fukuda 6-735 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Corporation (72) Takashi Aihara 6-7 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo No.35 Sony Corporation

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An irradiation target layer is irradiated with laser light based on the supplied print data, and the laser light is photothermally converted in the irradiation target layer to melt or sublimate the ink in the ink layer to obtain the print data. In an ink ribbon of a printer for transferring to a recording object for recording, the irradiation target layer is a vapor deposition layer of a laser light absorber vapor-deposited on a base film layer. 2. The ink ribbon according to claim 1, wherein the laser light absorber is made of carbon. 3. An irradiation target layer of the ink ribbon is irradiated with laser light based on the supplied print data, and the laser light is photothermally converted in the irradiation target layer to melt the ink in the ink layer of the ink ribbon or In a printer device for sublimating and transferring the print data to a recording object for recording, the irradiation target layer of the ink ribbon is a vapor deposition layer of a laser light absorber vapor-deposited on a base film layer. apparatus. 4. The printer device according to claim 3, wherein the laser light absorber of the ink ribbon is made of carbon.