JPH08197858A - Ink ribbon - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enable an image with a fine retransferring to be printed on the photographical paper by allowing lubrication oil to be impregnated in a coloring matter contained layer to be printed last of ink ribbon formed in a predetermined order in parallel with a plurality of coloring matter contained layers having a different coloration on the belt-like base body. CONSTITUTION: This ink ribbon 21 has each sublimation coloring matter of yellow Y, magenta M, or cyan C impregnated in an arbitrarily resin on a belt- like base body, and it is formed repeatedly in parallel in this order. After the yellow coloring matter is transferred, the ink ribbon 21 is now traveled until a magenta coloring matter containing layer is viewed from the whole window by an index of the coloring head mark 26, and then it is heat-transferred on the necessary part of the photographic paper by a thermal head being put on the photographic paper. At the last the cyan coloring matter containing layer C is traveled and an image is completed. Since the cyan coloring matter contained layer C has a silicon oil contained therein, good slippage is imparted on the photographic paper through its transference to the photographic paper.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink ribbon for printing an image from a video scanner, a video camera or the like on photographic paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, image output from a video scanner, a video camera or the like is converted into a thermal sublimation printer (video printer)
Printed out on photographic paper can be handled in the same way as silver halide photographs, and due to its widespread use, various images can be enjoyed easily.

Under such circumstances, a method of enjoying different from silver halide photography has been attempted, and a new product in which an output image of a video printer is transferred to an arbitrary subject, for example, a ceramic cup (so-called mug) is also developed. Has been done. If it is possible to transfer a snapshot taken by an electronic still camera or the like to a mug or the like and sell it at an event venue or the like, the product value will be extremely great.

In this video printer, for example, an ink ribbon in which dye-containing layers containing yellow, magenta, and cyan dyes are formed in parallel in a predetermined order on a belt-shaped substrate, is used. An image is printed by thermally transferring each of the dyes to photographic paper based on the image information. Then, the surface on which the image of this photographic paper is printed is superposed on the surface of the transfer target such as a mug,
The image is retransferred to the transfer target by heating and pressurizing.

[0005]

However, the photographic printing paper on which this image is printed has a receiving layer made of a resin material formed on a substrate, and due to its material structure, a transfer-receiving member such as a mug is formed. Almost no slip on the surface of Therefore, when air bubbles enter between the printing paper and the transfer target during heating / pressurization, they act as a heat insulating layer without coming out, and the dye around the air bubbles causes wrinkles to form. There is an untransferred part that is not transferred.

Therefore, by interrupting the heating / pressurization during the transfer and rubbing the top of the photographic paper with a spatula made of plastic, bubbles are escaped from the space between the photographic paper and the material to be transferred, and wrinkles of the photographic paper are wrinkled. However, the workability is very poor and improvement is desired.

Therefore, the present invention has been proposed in view of such conventional circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink ribbon capable of printing an image having a good retransfer property on a printing paper.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention, as shown in FIG.
In an ink ribbon in which a plurality of dye-containing layers 2 having different colors are formed in parallel in a predetermined order, the dye-containing layer to be printed last contains a lubricant.

The plurality of dye-containing layers 2 are formed by containing dyes such as yellow, magenta, and cyan in an arbitrary resin material. For example, as shown in FIG. The dye-containing layer M and the cyan dye-containing layer C are repeatedly formed in parallel on the belt-shaped substrate 1 in this order. In this ink ribbon, among the three dye-containing layers, the cyan dye-containing layer C, which is printed last, contains a lubricant for improving the slippage of the surface of the printing paper.

That is, in the ink ribbon 3, the dye-containing layers Y, M, and C are sequentially superposed on the photographic paper in the order of their arrangement, and the superposed dye-containing layer and the photographic paper are provided to the video printer. Depending on the captured image information, the yellow dye, magenta dye, or cyan dye is partially heated so that it is transferred to the required area on the printing paper.
The image is printed by applying pressure.

On the other hand, the photographic printing paper on which the image is transferred by the ink ribbon 3 is constructed by having a receiving layer 5 on which a dye is transferred on a substrate 4, as shown in FIG.

When the photographic paper 6 and the dye-containing layer of the ink ribbon 3 are heated and pressed, the dyes y, m, and c from the dye-containing layer are superposed on the receiving layer 5 as shown in FIG. Will be transcribed.

Here, when the cyan dye-containing layer C to be printed last contains a lubricant, the cyan dye-containing layer C is contained when the cyan dye-containing layer C is superposed on the printing paper 6 and heated and pressed. The applied lubricant also transfers to and adheres to the surface of the printing paper 6 and imparts good slipperiness to the surface of the printing paper 6.

In the photographic printing paper 6 to which the good sliding property is given, when re-transferring the superposed image with the transferred material such as a mug, the bubbles that have entered between the photographic printing paper 6 and the transferred material come out. Easily escapes and wrinkles are less likely to occur. Therefore, a good image having no untransferred portion can be retransferred to the transfer target without performing an operation such as rubbing the top of the printing paper 6 with a spatula.

It is also possible to apply a lubricant directly to the surface of the photographic paper or the surface of the transferred material to provide good slippage, but the number of steps is increased and the operator's hands are contaminated with the lubricant. There is an inconvenience. According to the present invention, the effect can be obtained while avoiding such inconvenience, and it can be said that this is a very advantageous method.

As the lubricant, one which is not usually used and which does not adversely affect the transfer of the dye and the color development is selected. For example, silicone oil is suitable. In addition, higher fatty acids such as myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, and the like, metal salts or amine salts of these higher fatty acids, ester compounds of fatty acids and alcohols, alkyl phosphates, perfluoropolyethers And its modified products can be used.

The ink ribbon 5 and the printing paper 6 are protected from heat generated by the thermal head on the surface of the bases 1 and 4 opposite to the side on which the dye-containing layer 2 or the receiving layer 5 is formed. You may make it provide the protective layers 7 and 8 for it.

Further, in the ink ribbon of the present invention, instead of containing a lubricant in the dye-containing layer to be printed last, as shown in FIG. 5, the dye-containing layer is finally printed separately from the dye-containing layer. The lubricant containing layer 9 may be formed next to the dye containing layer (in this case, after the cyan dye containing layer C).

In the ink ribbon 3 provided with the lubricant-containing layer 9, the yellow dye-containing layer Y, the magenta dye-containing layer M, and the cyan dye-containing layer C are sequentially superposed on the photographic paper and heated and pressed. After that, the lubricant-containing layer 9 is finally superposed on the photographic printing paper and heated and pressed. At this time,
The lubricant contained in the lubricant-containing layer 9 moves to and adheres to the surface of the photographic paper 6 to give the surface of the photographic paper 6 good slipperiness. When the dye-containing layer contains a lubricant, the heating / pressurization is partial depending on the image information, so that there is a concern that the amount of the lubricant transferred to the photographic printing paper 6 may be somewhat uneven. If the lubricant-containing layer 9 is separately provided in this manner, the entire surface can be uniformly heated and pressed, and the lubricant can be evenly transferred onto the photographic printing paper 6.

The lubricant contained in the lubricant-containing layer 9 is selected from the same viewpoint as described above, and silicone oil is also suitable.

[0021]

In an ink ribbon in which a plurality of dye-containing layers having different colors are formed in parallel in a predetermined order on a belt-shaped substrate, the dye-containing layer to be printed last contains a lubricant or When a lubricant-containing layer is formed next to the dye-containing layer to be printed, the lubricant contained in the dye-containing layer or the lubricant-containing layer is printed when an image is printed by heating and pressurizing this ink ribbon on photographic paper. Move to the surface of the photographic paper and adhere.

The printing paper to which the lubricant is attached in this way is
Good lubricity is imparted by the lubricant, and when re-transferring an image to be transferred with a transfer target such as a mug, air bubbles that have entered between the printing paper and the subject easily escape to the outside, and wrinkles hardly occur. Therefore, a good image without an untransferred portion can be retransferred to the transfer target without performing an operation such as rubbing the printing paper with a spatula.

[0023]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The present embodiment is an example in which an output image from a video printer is transferred to a mug, which is a ceramic cup.

At the time of transfer, as shown in FIG. 6, a video camera 12 or a video scanner 13 is connected to a thermal sublimation printer 11 such as a video printer, and an arbitrary image output is taken in to sublimate on a photographic printing paper 14. Print out the dye image.

FIG. 7 shows a system for synthesizing and outputting a subject and a superimposed image by superimposing.

That is, in this system, the subject 16 in front of the screen 15 is photographed by the input camera 17. Then, an arbitrary one is selected from several kinds of prepared superimposing images 18, and a superimposing device 19 superimposes an image taken by the input camera 17 and outputs the superposed image to the thermal sublimation printer 11. At this time, the output image can be recognized by the monitor 20, and the desired superimposed image can be printed out on the photographic printing paper 14.

The thermal sublimation printer 11 for printing out this image on the photographic paper 14 thermally transfers the dye of the built-in ink ribbon cassette onto the photographic paper by the thermal head based on the image information output from the superimposing device 19. .

As shown in FIG. 8, this ink ribbon cassette is constructed by incorporating a winding bobbin 22 and a winding bobbin 23, around which an ink ribbon 21 is stretched, in a cassette shell 24.

The ink ribbon 21 is composed of a belt-shaped substrate containing sublimable dyes of yellow, magenta or cyan in any resin, and as shown in FIG. The magenta dye-containing layer M and the cyan dye-containing layer C are repeatedly formed in parallel in this order. Silicon oil is contained in the cyan dye-containing layer C that is printed last among the three types of dye-containing layers. The ink ribbon 21 is provided with a ribbon cue mark 25 immediately before the yellow dye-containing layer Y to be printed first, and between the yellow dye-containing layer Y and the magenta dye-containing layer M and the magenta dye-containing layer. Color head marks 26 are provided between M and the cyan dye-containing layer C, respectively.

The cassette shell 24 is provided with a pair of substantially cylindrical reel accommodating portions 28 at opposite ends of a plate having a window 27. It should be noted that the pair of reel accommodating portions 28 are formed with slits 28a for passing the ink ribbon 21 on the opposite sides. The take-up reel 22 and the take-up reel 23 on which the ink ribbon 21 is wound are respectively accommodated in the pair of roll accommodating portions 28 in a direction in which the dye-containing layer side of the ink ribbon 21 is exposed through the window of the cassette shell 24. Has been done.

On the other hand, the photographic paper 14 on which the image is printed
Has a receiving layer on which a dye is transferred, which is formed on a rectangular substrate.

The thermal head has a large number of heating elements, and each of these heating elements generates heat on the basis of the image information taken in by the thermal sublimation printer.

In the thermal sublimation printer, the printing paper 14 is
The cassette shell 24 is set at a predetermined position so as to face the dye-containing layer of the ink ribbon 21 exposed through the window 27 of the cassette shell 24.

On the other hand, in the ink ribbon 21 incorporated in the cassette shell 24, until the yellow dye-containing layer Y, which is the first in the order, is exposed from the entire window portion 27 of the cassette shell,
The ribbon cue mark 25 is used as an index for traveling. Then, the yellow dye-containing layer Y exposed through the window portion 27 and the photographic printing paper 14 set in conformity with the window portion 27 are overlapped with each other, and the thermal head is applied to the back side of the ink ribbon 21 to form the yellow dye-containing layer. The Y yellow dye is thermally transferred to the required portion of the photographic paper.

In this way, after the yellow dye has been transferred, the ink ribbon 21 runs this time until the magenta dye-containing layer M located at the second position is exposed from the entire window, using the color head mark 26 as an index. And is overlaid on photographic paper. Then, similarly, the magenta dye of the magenta dye-containing layer M is thermally transferred to a necessary portion of the printing paper by the thermal head.

Finally, with the color head mark 26 as an index, the ink ribbon 21 is run until the cyan dye containing layer C is exposed from the entire window portion 27, and is superposed on the printing paper. Then, the dye of the cyan dye containing layer C is thermally transferred to a necessary portion of the printing paper by the thermal head to complete the image.

Here, in the ink ribbon 21, since the cyan dye-containing layer C contains silicon oil, the silicon oil contained when the cyan dye-containing layer C is thermally transferred is also transferred to the printing paper to print. Good slippage is imparted to the paper surface.

As described above, the image printed on the photographic paper is retransferred to the mug having the receiving layer on the surface of which the dye is transferred.

First, as shown in FIG. 10, the printed-out photographic printing paper 14 is attached to the surface of the mug 31 so that the image overlaps with the receiving layer, and re-transferred by heating and pressurizing with a so-called mag press machine 33.

The mug press machine 33 has a mug support portion 33a in which a cylinder is divided into two parts corresponding to the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the mug 31, and the operation lever 33b is operated to open / close the mug support portion 33a. The operation is performed. Further, the mug support portion 33a has a heating mechanism and can be heated to any temperature. Further, a timer is incorporated in the mug press machine 33, so that the heating / pressurizing time by the mug supporting portion 33a can be arbitrarily set.

When the mug 31 is attached to the mug press 33 and a predetermined pressure and heat are applied, the image on the photographic paper 14 is transferred to the receiving layer on the surface of the mug 31 by these pressure and heat as shown in FIG. To do.

At this time, the surface of the photographic printing paper 14 is provided with good slipperiness by the silicone oil, and the friction between the surface of the photographic printing paper 14 and the surface of the mug 31 is low. Therefore, the bubbles that have entered between the photographic printing paper 14 and the mug 31 are likely to escape to the outside, and wrinkles are less likely to occur.
Therefore, a good image without an untransferred portion is transferred to the mug 31 without performing an operation such as rubbing the top of the printing paper 14 with a spatula.

The substrate to be transferred may be something other than a mug, for example, a hat 37 and a dish 3 as shown in FIG.
It may be 8, tile 39, T-shirt 40, or the like. Then, when transferring the sublimable dye image printed on the printing paper to these transfer substrates, as shown in FIG. 13, attach an attachment 41 corresponding to the shape of each transfer substrate to the press machine 42. Good. Then, by exchanging the attachment 41 with one corresponding to the shape of the transferred substrate, the sublimable dye image can be transferred to various transferred substrates.

The above description is of an example using an ink ribbon of a type in which a cyan dye-containing layer contains a lubricant, but in addition to the dye-containing layer, a cyan dye-containing layer and a yellow dye-containing layer are used. When an ink ribbon having a lubricant-containing layer containing a lubricant interposed therebetween is used, the lubricant can be evenly attached to the entire surface of the printing paper, and a better dye image can be transferred to the mug surface.

[0046]

As is clear from the above description, the ink ribbon of the present invention comprises a plurality of dye-containing layers of different colors formed in parallel in a predetermined order on a belt-shaped substrate. Of these, the dye-containing layer to be printed last contains a lubricant, or the lubricant-containing layer is formed next to the dye-containing layer to be printed last. It is possible to give the paper good slipperiness.

When the photographic printing paper provided with good sliding property is heated and pressed against the transfer receiving medium to transfer the image to the transfer receiving medium, the air bubbles that have entered between the photographic printing paper and the subject are exposed to the outside. Easily escapes and wrinkles are less likely to occur. Therefore, a good image having no untransferred portion can be transferred to the transfer target.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing one configuration example of an ink ribbon to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ink ribbon.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a printing paper on which an image is printed by the ink ribbon of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a dye is transferred to the printing paper.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing another configuration example of the ink ribbon to which the invention is applied.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an image output system using a thermal sublimation printer.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an image output system by superimposing.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing an ink ribbon cassette incorporating an ink ribbon to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an ink ribbon incorporated in the ink ribbon cassette.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a transfer process by a mag press machine.

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which an image is transferred to a transfer target.

FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective view showing a hat, a plate, a tile, and a T-shirt that are examples of a transfer target.

FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration example of a press machine with an attachment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Base 2 Dye-containing layer 9 Lubricant-containing layer Y Yellow dye-containing layer M Magenta dye-containing layer C Cyan dye-containing layer

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Reference number within the agency FI Technical display location B41M 1/34 5/30 (72) Inventor Satoshi Nakamura 6-735 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo No. Sony Corporation

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An ink ribbon in which a plurality of dye-containing layers having different colors are formed in parallel in a predetermined order on a belt-shaped substrate, and the dye-containing layer to be printed last contains a lubricant. Ink ribbon characterized by. 2. An ink ribbon in which a plurality of dye-containing layers having different colors are formed in parallel in a predetermined order on a strip-shaped substrate, and a lubricant-containing layer is provided next to the dye-containing layer to be printed last. An ink ribbon characterized by being formed. 3. The ink ribbon according to claim 1, wherein the lubricant is silicone oil.