JPH08281987A - Method and apparatus for thermal transfer recording - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To reduce the manufacturing cost of a multi-ink sheet by obliquely crossing a multi-ink sheet formed with respective color zones to a recording head and an image receiving material, conveying them and recording an image. CONSTITUTION: A supply roll 5 and a winding roll 8 of a multi-ink sheet 1 are obliquely disposed to the conveying direction of an image receiving-sheet 3 to set the conveying direction of the sheet 1 in the direction obliquely to the conveying direction of thermal heads 2y, 2m, 2c and the sheet 3. In the operation of a thermal transfer recorder of such a structure, the sheet 3 is first fed to set the image receiving area to a recording position by the head 2y, and the head 27 is brought into pressure contact with a platen roller via the sheet 1 and the sheet 3. Then, the head 27 is controlled to be driven in response to the transfer image, the roll 8, feed rolls 9, 10 are controlled to be driven to transfer the image of the color zone 1y of yellow Y is transferred to the sheet 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording method and apparatus, and more particularly to a thermal transfer recording method and apparatus for recording a color image using a multi-ink sheet capable of printing a plurality of times in which color bands of a plurality of colors are formed. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional thermal transfer recording apparatus, color bands of yellow (Y), magenta (M) and cyan (C) and, if necessary, black (Bk) are conveyed in a predetermined length in a conveying direction. Using a multi-ink sheet that can be printed multiple times sequentially in a circular order, press the multi-ink sheet against the image receiving paper between the thermal head and the platen roller, and the multi-ink sheet and the image receiving paper at a predetermined speed. While conveying in the same direction, the thermal head is driven according to the image data to transfer the ink of the multi-ink sheet to the image receiving paper and record the image.

[0003]

In order to manufacture a multi-ink sheet in which the color bands of the respective colors are sequentially formed in the transport direction in a cyclic order, such as the multi-ink sheet used in the above-mentioned conventional thermal transfer recording apparatus, a screen is used. Although it is necessary to apply the ink layer by a printing method or a microgravure printing method, such an application method has low productivity as compared with a coating method such as a roll coater or a die coater method for solid-painting a single color, and as a result, There is a problem that the manufacturing cost of the multi-ink sheet increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to use a manufacturing method having high productivity as a manufacturing method of a multi-ink sheet and to reduce the manufacturing cost thereof. .

[0005]

In order to solve the above problems, a thermal transfer recording method according to a first aspect of the present invention uses a multi-ink sheet capable of printing a plurality of times in which color bands of a plurality of colors are formed to form a color image. In a thermal transfer recording method for recording, a multi-ink sheet in which each of the color bands is formed in parallel with the conveyance direction,
A plurality of recording heads for transferring ink of each color band of the multi-ink sheet to the image receiving material are provided, and the multi-ink sheet is conveyed obliquely intersecting the recording heads and the image receiving material to record an image. .

A thermal transfer recording apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is a thermal transfer recording apparatus capable of recording a color image using a multi-ink sheet capable of printing a plurality of times in which color bands of a plurality of colors are formed. A multi-ink sheet forming each color band and a plurality of recording heads for transferring ink of each color band of the multi-ink sheet to the image receiving material are provided, and a conveying direction of the multi-ink sheet is set to the recording head and the image receiving material. It was set to intersect diagonally.

[0007]

According to the thermal transfer recording method and apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of recording heads and image receiving materials for transferring a multi-ink sheet in which each color belt is formed in parallel with the conveying direction to the ink of each color belt of the multi-ink sheet to the image receiving material. Since the recording is performed while obliquely intersecting with each other and being conveyed, each color band of the multi-ink sheet can be formed in parallel with the conveyance direction, and the manufacturing cost of the multi-ink sheet is reduced.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a schematic front view of a mechanical portion of a thermal transfer recording apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG.
This thermal transfer recording apparatus includes a multi-ink sheet 1 and three recording heads, thermal heads 2y, 2m and 2c.
An image receiving paper 3 which is a roll image receiving material, and three platen rollers 4y, 4m, 4c corresponding to the thermal heads 2y, 2m, 2c.

The multi-ink sheet 1 has a band shape in which heat sublimation (or heat melting) ink of each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M) and cyan (C) is formed in parallel with the transport direction (winding direction). It is a multi-ink sheet capable of being printed a plurality of times having color bands 1y, 1m, and 1c formed by applying it by the Dao coater method or the like. In addition, black (B
The present invention can be similarly applied to a multi-ink sheet having a color band of k), but a three-color configuration will be described here. This multi-ink sheet 1 is wound around a supply roll 5 in a roll shape, guided by guide rollers 6 and 7, and wound up by a winding roll 8 to be conveyed.

The thermal heads 2y, 2m, 2c are heads for transferring the color bands 1y, 1m, 1c of the multi-ink sheet 1 onto the image receiving paper 3, respectively. The image receiving paper 3 is conveyed by the image receiving paper feeding rollers 9 and 10 and cut into a predetermined length by a cutter 11. Here, the thermal heads 2y, 2
The m and 2c are arranged such that their longitudinal directions are orthogonal to the conveying direction of the image receiving paper 3.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the supply roll 5 and the take-up roll 8 of the multi-ink sheet 1 are arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the conveyance direction of the image receiving paper 3, whereby the multi-ink sheet 1 is conveyed in the thermal head. 2y, 2m,
2c and the image receiving paper 3 are set in a direction intersecting obliquely with the conveying direction.

The operation of the thermal transfer recording apparatus constructed as described above will be explained. First, the image receiving paper 3 is fed and the image receiving area is set at the recording position by the thermal head 2y to set the thermal head 2y to the multi-ink sheet 1 and the image receiving area. Paper 3
The thermal head 2y is driven and controlled according to the transferred image while being pressed against the platen roller 4y via the
While controlling the driving of the winding roll 8 and the image receiving paper feeding rollers 9 and 10 to control the conveyance of the multi-ink sheet 1 and the image receiving paper 3, the image in the color band 1y of yellow (Y) is transferred to the image receiving paper 3.

At this time, the multi-ink sheet 1 is conveyed at a conveying speed which is 1 / n (n = 1 or more) times the conveying speed of the image receiving paper 3. As a result, the multi-ink sheet 1 and the image receiving paper 3 are always transferred while slipping.

Thereafter, the pressure contact of the thermal head 2y is released, the multi-ink sheet 1 is returned to the transfer start position, and the image receiving paper 3 is fed to set the image receiving area to the thermal head 2.
In the state of being set at the recording position of m, the thermal head 2m is pressed to transfer the image of magenta (M) to the image receiving area of the image receiving paper 3 in the same manner as described above, and the thermal head 2c similarly performs the image receiving paper. An image of cyan (C) is transferred to the image receiving area of No. 3, and a color image for one screen is transferred. Then, the image receiving paper 3 is fed to the cutter 1
Cut into a predetermined length at 1.

As described above, the color bands 1y, 1m, and 1c of the colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C), respectively.
Even when the multi-ink sheet 1 formed in a strip shape in parallel with the transport direction is used, the transport direction of the ink sheet and the transport direction of the image receiving paper are not the same as in the conventional case.
Apply the multi-ink sheet 1 to the thermal heads 2y, 2m, 2
It is possible to record a color image by performing recording while conveying in a direction diagonally intersecting the conveying direction of c and the image receiving paper.

[0016]

As described above, according to the thermal transfer recording method and apparatus of the present invention, the multi-ink sheet is
Since the ink of each color band of the multi-ink sheet is transferred while being conveyed while being obliquely intersected with a plurality of recording heads that transfer the image to the image receiving material and the image receiving material, each color band of the multi-ink sheet is formed parallel to the conveying direction. The manufacturing method with high productivity can be used as a manufacturing method of the multi-ink sheet, and the cost is reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a mechanical portion of a thermal transfer recording apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Multi-ink sheet, 1y, 1m, 1c ... Color band, 2
y, 2m, 2c ... thermal head, 3 ... image receiving paper, 4y,
4m, 4c ... Platen roller, 5 ... Supply roll, 6 ... Winding roll.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A thermal transfer recording method for recording a color image using a multi-ink sheet capable of printing a plurality of times in which color bands of a plurality of colors are formed, and a multi-ink sheet in which each color band is formed in parallel with a conveying direction. And a plurality of recording heads that transfer the ink of each color band of the multi-ink sheet to the image receiving material, and the multi-ink sheet is conveyed by intersecting the recording head and the image receiving material at an angle. A thermal transfer recording method characterized by recording. 2. A thermal transfer recording apparatus capable of recording a color image by using a multi-ink sheet capable of printing a plurality of times in which color bands of a plurality of colors are formed, and a multi-ink forming each of the color bands in parallel with a transport direction. A sheet and a plurality of recording heads for transferring the ink of each color band of the multi-ink sheet to the image receiving material, and the conveying direction of the multi-ink sheet is a direction diagonally intersecting the recording head and the image receiving material. A thermal transfer recording device characterized by being set.