JPS58158283A - Heat transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To exactly perform the heat transfer of ink to ordinary papers by using a system in which a thin metal melt having fine concaved or through holes on its surface is run endlessly and a solid ink coater is set. CONSTITUTION:Thermal heads 1 are contacted through a protective film on the surface of a heating element with ink belts 2 and 3 which run at the same speed as usual papers 1 and 2. The belts 2 and 3 are preferably made of a stainless steel or an alloy of an intermediate heat conductivity, and have a thickness of 20-40mu by the reason that the belts are driven by a convexed wheel running along sprocket holes provided on both sides of the belts with width of printing paper. Also, the ink side of the belt is provided with concaved portions several microns in depth and 20-30mu in diameter or through holes 20-30mu in diameter. Ink is packed in the concaved portions or through holes and heat from the thermal heads is transmitted to usual papers without spreading of the heat. The ink is expanded by the heat from the thermal heads, melted, and adhered to the ordinary papers. Thus, printing is ended.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a plain paper printing device that can be used repeatedly by eliminating solid ink in printers and facsimile machines that print using a thermal head.

In order to print using conventional heat or paper, (7) Either use thermal paper coated with a heat-sensitive coloring material on the surface, or (a) Print with a thermal head made by overlapping plain paper and carden paper. As shown in Figure 1, a thin layer of solid ink is applied to the platen roller, heat is applied from the back side of the plain paper, and the heat that penetrates the paper is applied to the roller surface. There is a method of melting ink and printing on plain paper. 1.1 is a thermal head, 1.2 is plain paper, 1.3 is a platen roller, 1.4 is an auxiliary roller with a heater for melting and applying ink, 1 .5 is a solid ink, and (7) is a slightly special thermal paper, which also has the disadvantage of discoloration if left unused.For (a), the card paper is somewhat expensive, and after one use, the card will be discolored. Cancer paper has the disadvantage that it cannot be reused.

Also, (■) is because the thermal head 9 heats the plain paper from the back side, so the thickness of the plain paper must be limited to an extremely thin one, the power of the head must be strong, and the ink of the platen roller. There were drawbacks such as difficulty in controlling temperature changes in the application area and printing area, and of course, difficulty in precision printing of 8 dots or more.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate these drawbacks by applying solid ink to a thin sheet-like metal film to enable transfer printing on any plain paper, and will be described in detail below.

FIG. 2 shows the first embodiment of the present invention, in which 1.1 is a thermal head, 2.1 is a paper feeding platen, 2.2 is an auxiliary roller, 1.2 is a plain paper, and 2.3 is a paper feeding platen. is a belt for solid ink; 2.
4 is an ink coating device.

The heating head of 1.1 is the same as the conventional heating head, and it contacts the ink belt of 2.3 through the protective film on the surface of the heating element, and is the same as plain paper 1.2. This belt is fed at speed. 2.3 The solid ink belt is the third
Suitable material for the ink belt having the structure shown in the figure is stainless steel or an alloy having intermediate thermal conductivity. The belt has stripe rocket holes on both sides of the printing paper, and the appropriate thickness of the belt, which is driven by a convex wheel using these holes, is about 20 to 40 μm, and the ink side of the belt has stripes as shown in Figure 3. A recess of several microns in depth and 20 to 30 μm in diameter as shown in FIG. Or a complete hole with a diameter of 20 to 30μ (a hole that penetrates to the bottom surface)
It fills with ink and serves to conduct heat from the inside to the plain paper without spreading it. to heat,
The ink expands and melts due to the heat from the paper and adheres to the plain paper, completing printing.

When the ink belt that has finished printing arrives at the ink applicator in 2.4, it is reapplied with ink that has been melted by heat, and the excess ink is transferred to the outlet vector (,,2
, 5, :) and the belt circulates again. During this time, the ink solidifies. The belt is driven using sprockets at both ends of the belt.

As explained above, the first embodiment has the advantage of carrying the ink and reliably performing transfer printing on plain paper due to the structure in which minute recesses for ink are created in the sprocket and the metal belt with grooves. In the first embodiment, printing in a single color such as black in a dome shape was described on a flat surface, but as shown in FIG. 4, a second embodiment in which printing is performed using a horizontal thermal head will be described.

4, z is a transverse thermal head, 4.2 is a thin tape-shaped belt etched into stainless steel or the like and solid ink is applied thereon, and 4.3 is a solid ink applicator. 16 to 64 to 12 during one heat cycle, 16 to 64 to 12 during C printing
Eight lines are printed at once. During this time, the plain paper and ink belt remain stopped. When the thermal head finishes running and returns to its original position, it remains separated from the ink belt, and at this time the ink belt is fed the length of the paper to set the desired ink-coated area. While the ink belt is running again for printing, the used ink belt is coated with new ink by the movement of the solid ink applicator 4.3, and is prepared for the next run. In the case of the second embodiment, ink applicators for two colors, black and red, are provided separately, and each ink applicator is magnetically controlled so that the ink tape is applied to the ink tape in two colors, black and red, with a length corresponding to the length of the received printing paper. If the black tape part is located at the bottom of the top or bottom of the screen, then black printing is performed, and if the red tape part is located at the bottom of the bottom of the top or bottom, red printing is performed.Two-color printing can be easily performed. Can be done. You can print in three colors by applying tape in three colors.

As explained above, the present invention can be operated stably at low cost by running a thin metal belt endlessly and installing a solid ink coating device to heat transfer ink onto plain paper.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a diagram explaining the method of printing using heat and de.
FIG. 2 is a diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a diagram of a solid ink belt unique to the present invention, and FIG. 4M is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention. 1.1... Thermal head, 2.1... Paper feeding platen, 1.2... Plain paper, 2.3... Solid ink belt, 2.4... Ink coating device . -Ajiha Sakuya

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a plain paper thermal printing device that has a thermal head, an endless thin belt, and a solid ink melt applicator, a thin metal belt with minute recesses or through holes on its surface is used to convey the solid ink. A thermal transfer printing device characterized by: