JPH09226161A - Heat transfer recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize perfecting with a smple constitution by neither turning recording paper upside down in a device nor providing recording mechanisms on both the sides of the recording paper as for a heat transfer recording device using sublimation dyes. SOLUTION: By transferring the Y, M and C coloring materials of an ink sheet 2 onto a dyeing sheet 6, on which a dyeing layer is formed, in response to image information with a thermal head 1 so as to form two frames of color images 12a and 12b. After the color image 12a is transferred onto the outer peripheral surface of a transfer roller 9, both the color images 12a and 12b are simultaneously transferred to both the sides of a recording paper 7 with a heater roller 8 and the transfer roller 9.

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 apparatus using a sublimation dye, and it is particularly intended to realize double-sided printing with a simple structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A thermal transfer recording apparatus using a sublimation dye is known as a recording apparatus capable of providing a high quality image comparable to a color photograph. FIG. 4 shows such a conventional example, and in the figure, 1 is a thermal head. 2
Is yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C)
An ink sheet in which four color material layers including colors or black (Bk) are sequentially formed, 2a is a take-up reel thereof, and 2b is a supply reel thereof. 3 is a platen roller facing the thermal head 1, 4 is a capstan roller, and 5 is a pinch roller paired with it. 6 is a dyeing sheet in which a dyeing layer is formed on a flexible film, 6a is a take-up reel thereof, and 6b is a supply reel thereof. Reference numeral 7 is a recording paper, 8 is a heater roller, 9 is a transfer roller, 10 is a paper discharge roller, and 11 is a paper feed roller.

In this printing procedure, the thermal head 1 is pressed against the platen roller 3 at the Y position of the ink sheet 2, and the dyeing sheet 6 is nipped by the capstan roller 4 and the pinch roller 5 and conveyed. The Y image is transferred to the dyeing layer of the dyeing sheet 6 by selectively heating the thermal head 1 in accordance with the image information while winding the ink sheet 2 in synchronization with the ink sheet 2.

Next, the thermal head 1 is released, the dyeing sheet 6 is rewound on the side of the supply reel 6b, and cueing is performed at the position of the Y image. Then, the thermal head 1 is pressed again against the M of the ink sheet 2, and the images of M are transferred in an overlapping manner. Similarly, the images of C are also transferred in an overlapping manner to form the color image 12 on the dyeing sheet.

Color image 12 formed on the dyeing sheet 6
Is moved downstream from the heater roller 8 and the transfer roller 9. Then, by reversing the conveyance direction, the recording paper 7 supplied from the paper supply roller 11 is opposed to the recording paper 7 as shown in FIG. 5, and the heater roller 8 and the transfer roller are pressed to transfer the color material layer. The dyeing layer on which the color image 12 is formed is transferred onto the recording paper 7. Then, the recording paper 7 is discharged by the paper discharge roller 10.

[0006]

By the way, in the thermal transfer recording apparatus having the above structure, when recording is to be performed on both sides of a recording sheet, recording is performed on one side, the recording sheet is discharged, and then the other side is recorded again. In order to perform the above, the recording paper has to be turned over and fed, which is troublesome. Without such a trouble, if the paper is turned inside the apparatus or a thermal head or an ink sheet is separately provided, the mechanism becomes complicated and the apparatus becomes large.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the thermal transfer recording apparatus of the present invention forms two images to be recorded on both sides of a recording sheet on the same side of a dyeing sheet, By transferring one of the images to the transfer roller facing the heater roller through the dyeing sheet, the other image remaining on the dyeing sheet and the image transferred to the transfer roller are positioned to face each other. Then, the recording sheet supplied between the dyeing sheet and the transfer roller is thermocompression-bonded by the heater roller and the transfer roller,
The two images are simultaneously transferred and fixed on both sides of the recording paper.

Thus, double-sided printing can be performed with a simple structure without turning over the recording paper or separately providing a recording mechanism on the dyeing sheet.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention, a dyeing sheet in which a dyeing layer is formed on a film and an ink sheet in which a coloring material layer is formed are brought into close contact with each other to form an image signal. In accordance with the above, by heating the thermal head to selectively transfer the coloring material layer to the dyeing layer, two images to be formed on both surfaces of the recording paper are printed on the same dyeing sheet. Image formed on the surface, and by transferring one of the images to the transfer roller facing the heater roller through the dyeing sheet, the other image remaining on the dyeing sheet and the image transferred to the transfer roller. And 2 are opposed to each other, and the recording paper supplied between the dyeing sheet and the transfer roller is thermocompression bonded by the heater roller and the transfer roller to simultaneously record the two images on both sides of the recording paper. To do It is characterized in that the.
This enables double-sided printing with a simple configuration without turning over the recording paper or separately providing a recording mechanism on the dyeing sheet.

Embodiments of the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Since the configuration is almost the same as that of the above-described conventional example and only the printing operation is different, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals and will be described below.

In this embodiment for double-sided printing, the difference from the conventional printing operation is as shown in FIG.
When forming a color image from the ink sheet 2 on the dyeing sheet 6, two screens of color images formed on both surfaces of the recording paper 7 are formed. In this forming process, the color image forming process for one screen by overlapping the above Y, M, and C is repeatedly performed, and the color image 12a to be formed on one surface of the recording paper 7 and the remaining other surface should be formed. The color image 12b is continuously formed on the dyeing sheet 6.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the two color images 12a and 12b are transferred to the heater roller 8 and the transfer roller 9.
Move it further downstream. Then, the heated heater roller 8 and the transfer roller 9 are pressed against each other, and the dyeing sheet 6 is driven in the paper discharge direction indicated by the arrow. As a result, the color image 12a
Only the dyeing layer is transferred to the transfer roller 9. At this time, the outer peripheral length of the transfer roller 9 is naturally set to the color image 12 at this time.
It should be longer than a so that the color images 12a do not overlap.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the paper feed roller 11
When the recording paper 7 is supplied between the dyeing sheet 6 and the transfer roller 9, the color image 12a on the transfer roller 9 is formed on one surface of the recording paper 7, and the color image on the dyeing sheet 6 is formed on the other surface. 12b is located. Both of these images are thermocompression bonded by the heater roller 8 and the transfer roller 9 and simultaneously transferred and fixed on the recording paper 7. That is, color image 1
The color images 12a formed by transferring the color material layer to the dyeing layer by aligning the respective leading ends of 2a and 12b with the print start position of the recording paper 7 and driving them in synchronization , 12b together with the dyeing layer are recorded on the recording paper 7.
Then, the recording paper 7 on which double-sided recording has been carried out
Eject from 0.

The color image 12a formed on the dyeing layer
In order to transfer the dye from the dyeing sheet 6 to the transfer roller 9 and from the transfer roller 9 to the recording paper 7, the adhesion between the dyeing layer and the dyeing sheet is used to attach the dyeing layer to the transfer roller. It is necessary to increase the adhesion force and further increase the adhesion force between the dyeing layer and the recording paper.

[0015]

As described above, according to the thermal transfer recording apparatus of the present invention, the recording sheet is turned inside the apparatus, and the transfer mechanism from the ink sheet to the dyeing sheet or from the dyeing sheet to the recording sheet is provided. Double-sided printing can be realized with a simple configuration without providing two.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a process chart showing a recording operation of a thermal transfer recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is another process diagram showing the recording operation of the thermal transfer apparatus.

FIG. 3 is another process diagram showing the recording operation of the thermal transfer device.

FIG. 4 is a process chart showing a recording operation of a conventional thermal transfer recording apparatus.

FIG. 5 is another process diagram showing the recording operation of the thermal transfer apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Thermal Head 2 Ink Sheet 6 Dyeing Sheet 7 Recording Paper 8 Heater Roller 9 Transfer Roller 12a, 12b Color Image

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A dyeing sheet having a dyeing layer formed on a film and an ink sheet having a colorant layer formed thereon are brought into close contact with each other, and a thermal head is heated in accordance with an image signal to produce the colorant layer. By selectively transferring to the dyeing layer, two images to be formed on both surfaces of the recording sheet are formed on the same surface of the dyeing sheet, and one of the images is By transferring to the transfer roller facing the heater roller through the dyeing sheet,
The other image remaining on the dyeing sheet and the image transferred to the transfer roller are positioned so as to face each other, and the recording paper supplied between the dyeing sheet and the transfer roller is transferred to the heater roller and the transfer roller. The thermal transfer recording apparatus is characterized in that the two images are simultaneously recorded on both sides of the recording paper by thermocompression bonding.