JPH11157165A - Device for forming protection film - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for forming a protection film capable of being miniaturized, of suppressing power consumption and of forming a protection film having sufficient weatherability, chemical resistance and abrasion resistance. SOLUTION: There is disclosed a protection film forming device that forms a protection film K on an image-printed face of a card body 1 having a predetermined rigidity by performing thermal transferring by conveying the card body 1. The device comprises a roller 5 which is provided to a rear side of the image- printed face and generates a conveyance force and a pressure required for the thermal transferring by obtaining a predetermined nip width by virtue of elastic deformation, a driving motor 6 for transmitting a rotational driving force to the roller 5, a thermal line head 3 having a heating section corresponding to the nip width, and continuous sheet body winding mechanism 10, 11, 12 for interposing a film base 2 having the protection film K provided on a base between a heating face and the image-printed face.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for forming a protective film, and more particularly, to a method for forming a transparent or light-transmissive image on a printing screen on which a predetermined printing has been performed by a recording apparatus employing a thermal sublimation recording method or a thermal transfer recording method. The present invention relates to a protective film forming apparatus configured to thermally transfer a protective film while transporting a recording medium to form the protective film.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A printing screen on which a predetermined printing has been performed by a recording apparatus employing a thermal sublimation type recording method or a thermal transfer recording method is very thin, so that it has poor durability and poor weather resistance. Lamination has been performed.

In this process, a device called a laminator is used. A rubber roller is heated by a heater, or a lamp is inserted into a metal tube to heat the metal tube, and the temperature is detected by a thermistor. A heat roller that is to be maintained, and a continuous sheet body in which a protective film on which a forgery prevention means such as a transparent or hologram image is printed in advance on the film base is laid on a film base, and the printing surface of the card body , And is substantially synchronized with the transport speed of the recording medium including the card body, and heat-transfers the protective film by applying a predetermined pressure to the printing screen. According to the laminator using such a heat roller, a thick protective film can be thermally transferred. However, the apparatus becomes large and the power consumption of the heat roll becomes extremely high.

Therefore, using a thermal line head used for a thermal sublimation type recording method or a thermal transfer recording method as it is, a continuous sheet body having a transparent protective film layer laid on a film base after printing each color layer of YMC is used as a card. It is interposed between the print surface of the printhead and the printhead, and is substantially synchronized with the transport speed of the card body, and is protected by a thermal line head using a predetermined pressure accompanying the elastic deformation of the platen roller provided on the back of the printout A printer device that is configured to form a film and also serves as a laminator has been partially put to practical use.

As described above, a continuous sheet having a transparent protective film layer laid on a film base is heated using a heat roller or a thermal line head for printing, and is transferred onto a printing screen. By forming, weather resistance, chemical resistance and abrasion resistance were also secured at the same time. The card body thus obtained can be used as various certificates and licenses for a long period of time.

[0006]

In the protective film formed as described above, according to the heat roller type apparatus, good results can be surely obtained, but the apparatus becomes large and the power consumption is increased. And the total cost is considerably increased. In addition, there is a problem that a long waiting time is required because it takes time before the heat roll can be used.

On the other hand, according to the apparatus using the thermal line head as it is, instead of the ink ribbon cartridge provided with each color layer of YMC, an ink ribbon provided with a continuous sheet body further provided with a transparent protective film layer on a film base. Since a protective film can be obtained by controlling the formation of a protective film after printing using a cartridge, the initial investment can be reduced at least compared to the above-described heat roller type device, and the heat up can be performed immediately. This has the advantage that the waiting time can be reduced. However, in a device using a thermal line head for printing as it is, a thick protective film cannot be formed due to a shortage of absolute heat amount, and a protective film having a thickness of only a few microns can be formed.
There has been a problem that it is not possible to obtain a card body used for a long period of time as various kinds of certificates, licenses and the like.

Therefore, the protective film forming apparatus of the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can be configured to be small in size, can reduce power consumption, and have sufficient weather resistance and durability. It is an object of the present invention to provide a protective film forming apparatus capable of forming a protective film ensuring chemical resistance and abrasion resistance.

Means for Solving the Problems The above-mentioned problems are solved,
In order to achieve the object, according to the present invention, the recording medium is conveyed to form a transparent or light-transmitting protective film on a printing surface of the recording medium including a card body having a predetermined rigidity. A protective film forming apparatus for thermally transferring the protective film while providing a predetermined nip width by elastic deformation to generate a conveying force and a pressing force required for the thermal transfer, the roller being provided on the back side of the printing screen. A driving unit that transmits a rotational driving force to the roller or conveys the recording medium, and a thermal line head that is disposed on the marking screen side and has a heating unit that is substantially equal to the nip width, A continuous sheet body winding means for interposing a continuous sheet body having the protective film laid on a base between a heat generating surface of the heat generating portion and the printing screen, and winding the sheet substantially in synchronization with a conveyance speed of the recording medium; It is characterized by having

[0009] Preferably, the heat-generating portion is provided such that a plurality of heat-generating members are arranged on a base of a thermal line head or a large number of heat-generating members are inclined with respect to the conveying direction of the recording medium. It is characterized by:

[0010] Preferably, the heat generating element is protected, and a low friction layer is formed on the heat generating surface to form a protective layer.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part in which a protective film forming apparatus and a recording apparatus of a thermal sublimation type recording system are provided side by side. In the drawing, the recording apparatus is provided with a detachable card case 116 on which the card body 1 is placed in a stacked state as shown in the drawing, and the rotational frictional force of a pickup roller 115 driven by a motor (not shown). Thus, the card body 1 can be sequentially conveyed to a downstream recording section, which is a portion sandwiched between the line thermal head 104 and the platen roller 105.

On the other hand, the color ribbon cartridge 200 includes a reel wound by a motor 113 and a clutch 11.
1, a base film 102 wound around a supply reel which generates back tension and provided with Y, M, C and, if necessary, a B color layer, forms a printing screen of the line thermal head 104 and the card body 1. 1a, the new color layer is moved while being wound up. Also, a motor 1 which is a step motor
In step 06, a predetermined printing pressure is obtained by a repulsive force when the platen roller 105 driven in synchronization with an image printing signal to the thermal line head 104 is elastically deformed. I try to print.

In the recording apparatus configured as described above, after the card body 1 is conveyed in the forward and reverse directions to perform predetermined printing and character recording, it is output and conveyed to the protective film forming apparatus. Thus, a protective film is formed on the printing screen 1a.

In the protective film forming apparatus, each component is disposed in a casing (not shown) as shown in the figure, and a transparent or light-transmissive device for preventing forgery is provided on the stamp screen 1a of the card body 1. In order to form a protective film on which a hologram or the like is printed, the card body 1 is transported in the direction of the arrow in the drawing while the protective film is thermally transferred, so that the number of components is reduced as much as possible. . In other words, the thermal line is configured so as to serve both as a card transfer mechanism and a thermal transfer mechanism. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The protective film may be formed while moving the head 3.

In FIG. 1, a roller 5 is provided integrally with a rubber material having excellent durability and heat resistance, such as silicone rubber, and is provided rotatably by a housing (not shown). While being provided with a driving force, it is arranged so as to be on the back side of the printing screen of the card body 1, and obtains a predetermined nip width (a deformation amount for obtaining a conveying friction force) by its elastic deformation. , So as to generate a conveying force and a pressing force necessary for thermal transfer.

A sufficient heat generation width is set around the line extending perpendicularly from the rotation center of the roller 5 and along the conveying direction of the card body 1 on the printing screen 1a side of the card body 1 as described later. The secured thermal line head 3 is provided so as to be able to move up and down by an up-down drive mechanism 4 for driving in the direction of the arrow in the figure.

Further, a protective film K of a predetermined resin material on which a transparent or light-transmitting or forgery-preventing hologram, marking or the like for forming the protective film is applied or pasted so as to be on the lower side in the figure. Film base 2
Is wound around a supply reel 10 which generates back tension by a reel 12 wound by a motor 13 and a clutch 11, and is turned by guide bars 2 and 9 as shown in FIG. Necessary tension is generated in the heating section.

In the structure described above, when the roller 5 is rotated with the driving of the motor 6 and the card body 1 is conveyed below the thermal line head 3, the thermal line head 3 descends to the vertical drive mechanism 4. Then, it is elastically deformed so as to secure the nip width by being sandwiched between the rollers 5 and brought into a state of maintaining a conveying force and a predetermined pressure required for thermal transfer.

In this state, the motor 6 and the motor 13 are driven, and a current is previously supplied to a low temperature so that the temperature can be reduced to a predetermined temperature in a short time, or the thermal head 3 to which no power is supplied is supplied. On the other hand, power is supplied to the thermal line head 3 at substantially the same timing as when the drive motor is started, and the protective film is thermally transferred onto the printing screen 1a, and is output to the outside after the protective film is formed on the entire surface. According to the card body 1 obtained as described above, a relatively thick protective film can be formed, so that sufficient weather resistance,
Chemical resistance and abrasion resistance can be secured.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the thermal line head 3 together with the roller 5. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the thermal line head 3. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 2A, as viewed from the heating surface side.

In both figures, the same reference numerals are given to the components already described, and the description is omitted. The roller 5 is moved by the thermal head 3 descending as described above.
Three heating elements 3 linearly formed on the thermal head 3
It is configured such that a predetermined pressure is generated by a repulsive action by deforming at a width substantially corresponding to the arrangement intervals P1, P2 of the arrangements 1, 32, 33. A protective layer 38 made of a glass layer is formed on the heating elements 31, 32 and 33 as shown in the figure, and a low friction layer 34 is formed on the surface thereof to prevent fusion in thermal transfer and reduce the friction coefficient. It is settable.

In FIG. 3, each heating element 31, 3
Electrodes 35 are disposed at both ends of the bases 39 at the edges of the bases 39, respectively. By supplying a predetermined power to the electrodes 35, the heating elements 31, 32, and 33 are simultaneously heated. Like that.

FIG. 4 is a view of the thermal line head 3 as viewed from the heat-generating surface side. Components that have already been described are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. In other words, in FIG. 4A, the heating elements 31, 32, and 33 are arranged so as to have a width corresponding to the nip width (P1 + P2).
A common electrode 36 on which a and 36b are formed is arranged as shown in the figure, and is configured so that a predetermined current is applied between the electrode 35 and the common electrode 36.

In FIG. 4B, the heating element 31 is provided so as to be inclined with respect to the conveying direction of the card within the range of the nip width (P1 + P2).
The heat distribution is made uniform.

Further, in FIG.
The heating element 32 and the heating element 32 are provided so as to be inclined with respect to the conveying direction of the card body (the direction of the arrow D) within the range of the nip width (P1 + P2), so that the heat generation distribution is further uniform. .

5A and 5B are comparison diagrams with a conventional protective film forming apparatus. FIG. 5A shows a case where a heat roll 203 is used, and FIG. 5B shows a thermal head of a thermal sublimation printer. If used, FIG. 5C shows the thermal head 3
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a case where the heat distribution curve is used together with a heat distribution curve H.
First, according to FIG. 5A, the heat distribution curve H has a maximum temperature in a portion extending from the center of the heat roll 203, and the temperature gradually decreases from the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction of the card body 1. . For this,
A sufficient temperature required for thermal transfer will be transmitted. However, as described above, there is a problem that a large amount of power is required and it takes time to start up.

On the other hand, according to FIG. 5B, the heat distribution curve H has a maximum temperature at the heat generating portion of the thermal line head 103, and the temperature rapidly decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction of the card body 1. ing. For this reason, the protective film becomes as thin as about several microns as described above, and there is a problem in durability.

Then, according to FIG. 5C, the heat distribution curve H
Are the heat generating parts 31, 32, 33 of the thermal line head 3.
Is the maximum temperature as each of the vertices H1, H2, H3, so that the temperature decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction of the card body 1 so that a sufficient temperature required for thermal transfer is transmitted. .

The protective film is not limited to the case where the protective film is formed on a printing screen by the thermal sublimation recording apparatus having the above-described configuration, and the present invention is applicable to various printers. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to a protective film forming apparatus of another recording method.

The size of the card as a recording medium is appropriately set, and a thermal line head having a required length is prepared accordingly. Further, the present invention can be applied to a case where monochrome recording is performed in addition to color recording.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Provided is a protective film forming apparatus which can be formed in a small size, can reduce power consumption, and can form a protective film with sufficient weather resistance, chemical resistance and abrasion resistance. Can be.

[0033]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part showing a usable state of a protective film forming apparatus and a recording apparatus.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a thermal line head 3 and a roller 5 of the protective film forming apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 2, and is a view of the thermal line head 3 as viewed from a heating surface side.

FIG. 4 is a view of the thermal line head 3 as viewed from a heating surface side.

FIG. 5 is a comparison diagram with a conventional protective film forming apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Card body (recording medium) 2 Film base 3 Thermal line head 4 Vertical movement mechanism 5 Roller 31 Heating body 32 Heating body 33 Heating body 38 Protective layer K Protective film N Nip width

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A protection for thermally transferring the protective film while transporting the recording medium to form a transparent or light-transmitting protective film on a printing surface of the recording medium including a card body having a predetermined rigidity. A film forming apparatus, comprising: a roller disposed on the back side of the printing screen to generate a predetermined nip width by elastic deformation to generate a conveying force and a pressing force required for the thermal transfer; A drive unit for transmitting force or transporting the recording medium; a thermal line head disposed on the printing screen side and having a heating unit substantially equivalent to the nip width; and the protection film laid on a base. A continuous sheet body winding means for interposing a continuous sheet body between the heat generating surface of the heat generating section and the printing screen, and winding the continuous sheet body substantially in synchronization with a conveyance speed of the recording medium. Protective film forming device. 2. The heating unit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of heating elements are arranged on the base of the thermal line head, or a plurality of heating elements are arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the conveying direction of the recording medium. The protective film forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The protective film according to claim 1, wherein a protective layer having a low friction layer formed on the heat generating surface is formed while protecting the heat generating element. Forming equipment.