JPS59118493A - Filmless thermal transfer recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable thermal transfer recording without using a base film, by arranging and fixing semi-solid ink so as to contact the same with a running recording medium while operating a heat generating means corresponding to an image signal. CONSTITUTION:A sponge 6 impregnated with semi-solid ink is obtained by making a material such as nitrile rubber porous. When the heat generating body 4 of a thermal head 3 generates heat corresponding to an image signal, the sponge 6 is heated through recording paper 2 and the ink in the sponge 6 is melted to be transferred to the recording paper 2. By this method, there is no generation of a used transfer film, a base film becomes unnecessary and it is economical.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording method used in facsimiles, printers, etc., which makes it possible to remove a base film.

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the principle of the conventional thermal transfer recording method.
1 is a transfer film, 2 is a recording paper (recording medium), 3 is a thermal heater, 4 is a heating element, and 5 is a pressure roller. As shown in the figure, the transfer film 1 is made by coating a base film la such as mylar film or capacitor paper with an ink layer 1b.
illt 2 is in pressure contact with the pressure roller 5, and when the heating element 4 in the thermal head 3 generates heat according to the image signal, the ink layer lb close to the heating element 4 melts, and the recording paper 2
The ink is transferred to. As a result, an ink image is formed on the recording paper 2. Note that at the same time as the recording paper 2 runs, the transfer film 1 also runs, and a new ink layer is always fed out.

However, in the case of this conventional thermal transfer recording method, since the transfer film l is constantly fed out, used transfer film is generated every time a desired recorded image is obtained.

Therefore, although the device has a built-in mechanism for winding up the used transfer film l, it is necessary to dispose of the used transfer film l after each batch. Although the recording paper 2 is plain paper and is often inexpensive, the transfer film 1 is expensive, and the recording cost per paper is high, and the transfer film 1 has the drawbacks of being time-consuming to attach and dispose of. there were.

In order to eliminate such conventional drawbacks, the present invention disposes and fixes semi-solid ink so as to be in contact with a traveling recording medium, and operates a heat generating means in accordance with both signals. The ink is melted or transferred to a recording medium.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the thermal transfer recording method of the present invention, and hereinafter, the same parts as in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals. In the figure, 6 is a corpus cavernosum impregnated with semi-solid ink. This dU cotton body 6 is made of a porous material such as Nidol rubber, and is impregnated with a large amount of semi-solid ink. Then, in response to both signals, the heating element 4 of the thermal radar 3
When it generates heat, it heats the corpus cavernosum 6 through the recording paper 2, melts (translocates) the ink in the corpus cavernosum 6, and the ink is transferred to the recording paper 2. Here, the ink in the corpus cavernosum 6 is semi-solid, and M: can move in the corpus cavernosum, and if it is not heated, it will not be transferred even if the f1σ corpus cavernosum 6 and the running recording paper 2 rub against each other. It has fluidity and viscosity. When the ink is transferred, the amount of ink decreases at the location in the corpus cavernosum 6 where the ink is transferred, but ink is replenished from the surrounding area. That is, in addition to the fact that the ink in the /1 cotton body 6 originally has fluidity, heat is also applied around the ink transferred to the recording paper 2, so that the ink at the location where the ink is transferred is The fluidity of the ink is extremely high, and the more ink is transferred to the recording paper 2, the more ink is immediately replenished from the surroundings, making continuous transfer recording possible.

Note that the cavernous substance has the effect of holding semi-solid ink and at the same time forming an ink supply route.

In other words, the semi-solid ink penetrates into the porous corpus cavernosum,
Ink is supplied to areas where ink is insufficient, and since the heated corpus cavernosum 6 is not immediately cooled down, the residual heat of the corpus cavernosum 6 has the effect of promoting ink supply.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, in which 7 is a recording electrode, 8 is a counter electrode, and 9 is an interelectrode gap.

In this example, as in the case of FIG. 2, the semi-solid ink in the /1tj cotton paste 6 is transferred to the recording paper 2 by heat, or the means for applying heat is different. That is, applying a voltage between electrodes 8 and 9,
Electrical energy is converted into thermal energy in the gap 9. In this case, if one or both of the ink impregnated into the corpus cavernosum 6 has conductivity, an electric current will flow through the gap 9 and the nol heat will be generated. Occurs. In order to determine the conductivity of the corpus cavernosum 6, a known conductive polymer may be used as a material, and in order to increase the conductivity of the ink, carbon or the like may be mixed. As described above, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the semi-solid ink existing in the gap 9 is directly heated by electricity supply, so the heat transfer efficiency is better than in the example shown in FIG. 2, and recording can be performed with less energy. Note that by increasing the number of recording electrodes 7, horizontal scanning can be easily realized.

FIG. 71 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, in which 1° is semi-solid ink. As is clear from the same figure, unlike the J gifts shown in Figures 21 and 3, the corpus cavernosum is not used. Zunawaji In this example, fill the ink tank with 1 o of semi-solid ink,
The semi-solid ink θ is directly heated to transfer the ink onto the recording paper 2. In the third and third embodiment, if there is no spongy body as an ink-retaining material, the semi-solid ink 10 can be formed by attaching a membranous substance 11 in the gap 9 as shown in FIG.
This makes it easy to maintain. This mesh-like material 11 may be selected from a material through which ink can pass through only when the ink is melted. Further, in order to conduct JM electricity to the gap 9, the semi-solid ink lθ may be made conductive, or the mesh-like substance 11 may be made conductive.

By the way, in the example shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 3, if a certain amount of semi-solid ink in the corpus cavernosum 6 is consumed, it becomes impossible to record, and new ink is impregnated (although it is necessary to replace the corpus cavernosum 6). If the structure is as shown in Fig. 6, there is no need to replace the /1σ cotton body.In other words, in the example in step 61, a 1"1' positioning body is placed on the ink-impregnated cotton body 6. With the ink 10 present 9, the semi-solid ink 10 is melted by the heater 12 and delivered to the corpus cavernosum 6.
Since the ink is constantly replenished, the replacement of the corpus cavernosum 6 is unnecessary, and the operator simply adds semi-solid ink 1θ. All you need to do is give +li.

As explained in detail above, according to the present invention: 1. Since it is possible to perform thermal transfer recording without a base film, compared to conventional thermal transfer recording devices, there is no need to generate 11 units of used transfer film, and there is no need for a base film, making it more economical. It has the following effects: 1) It is easy to handle because there is no need to attach or dispose of the transfer film.

Although the embodiment has been described using recording paper as the recording medium, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, an OHP notebook or the like can also be used as the recording medium.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that if three recording heads of the present invention are provided and ink of each color of yellow, magenta, and cyan is used, a full-color recorded image can be easily obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the principle of the conventional thermal transfer recording method, and Figures 2~
FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the thermal transfer recording method of the present invention. 1. Transfer film, 2. Recording paper, 3. Thermal head, 4. Heating element, 5. Pressure roller, 6. Cavernous body impregnated with semi-solid ink, 7. Recording electrode, 8・・・
- Counter electrode, 9... @ gap between electrodes, 10 semi-solid ink, 11... mesh-like substance, 12... heater. ]1ri1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Meat Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Semi-solid ink is fixedly arranged in contact with a traveling recording medium, and a heat generating means is operated in accordance with an image signal to directly or indirectly melt or sublimate the ink. A filmless thermal transfer recording method characterized by transferring onto a recording medium. 2. A patent characterized in that a thermal head is used as a heat generating means, a semi-solid ink is impregnated into a corpus cavernosum, and the thermal head and the semi-solid ink impregnated into the corpus cavernosum are arranged facing each other with a recording medium interposed therebetween. A filmless thermal transfer recording method according to claim 1. 3. The heat generating means according to claim 1, wherein a recording electrode and a counter electrode arranged opposite to each other with a certain gap are brought into contact with semi-solid ink, and a voltage is applied between the recording electrode and the counter electrode. Filmless thermal transfer recording method. 4. The filmless thermal transfer recording method according to claim 3, wherein the corpus cavernosum is impregnated with semi-solid ink. 5. The filmless thermal transfer recording method according to claims 3 and 4, wherein the semi-solid ink is electrically conductive. 6. The filmless thermal transfer recording method according to claim 4, wherein the corpus cavernosum is electrically conductive. 7. The filmless thermal transfer recording method according to claim 4, wherein a mesh-like material is installed in the gap between the recording electrode and the counter electrode to hold semi-solid ink. 8. The filmless thermal transfer recording method according to claim 7, wherein the menon-like substance is electrically conductive.