JPS6049995A - Thermal transfer recording system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively use an ink and simplify construction, by a method wherein a heating member having minute holes for forming picture elements is provided at a surface faced to a printing paper of a container filled with a heat- fusible ink, and the heating member is heated. CONSTITUTION:The heating member 11 is provided with the minute holes 11a the number of which is a number required for forming picture elements fof printing. When the heating member 11 is heated, an ink 7 pressurized by a pressure plate 9 is melted in the vicinity of desired ones of the holes 11a, and is pressed out through the holes 11a to form the picture elements on a printing paper 12. By this process, a desired pattern such as a character or a desired image can be obtained. To heat the vicinity of the desired minute hole 11a, the heating member 11 is provided with a resistor pattern 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a printing system, and particularly to a thermal transfer recording system using powdered or highly viscous hot-melt ink.

[Prior art]

Conventional thermal transfer recording methods generally involve heating a polyester film or capacitor paper coated with a thin layer of heat-melting ink with a thermal head, and transferring the melted ink onto printing paper.

However, this method requires a mechanism to sequentially feed a film coated with hot-melt ink (hereinafter referred to as a thermal transfer ribbon) in response to printing, and the thermal transfer ribbon, which serves as an ink supply means, is consumed each time printing is performed. The disadvantage was that the cost was low due to the large size.

A printer shown in FIG. 1 was devised to eliminate this drawback. In the figure, a transfer belt 3 is provided between the latin 1 and the thermal head 20. The transfer belt 3 rotates while being coated with hot melt ink 4 at a predetermined position. The device for applying the hot melt ink 4 is composed of a heater 5 and a transfer roll 6. The hot melt ink 4 is pulled up by the rotation of the transfer roll 6, and is transferred to the bath by the heat of the heater 5 fixed inside the transfer belt 3. It is melted and applied to the transfer belt 3. The applied heat-melting ink 4 moves according to the rotation of the transfer belt 3, is melted again by the heat of the thermal head 2, and is transferred to the printing paper.

transcribed.

In this method, the transfer belt 3 is constantly coated with the heat-melting ink 4, so the disadvantage that the heat transfer ribbon is consumed every time printing is eliminated. However, this time, a mechanism for rotating the transfer belt 3 is required, and the addition of an ink applying device complicates the overall structure. Moreover, it also has the disadvantage that it is necessary to rotate the transfer roll 6 and heat the heater 5 in order to apply the ink, which consumes a large amount of electric power.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional art, and its purpose is to provide a compact and inexpensive thermal transfer recording method that uses ink effectively and does not require excessive power. .

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a print head and its surrounding area, showing an embodiment of the thermal transfer recording method according to the present invention. In the figure, a powdery or highly viscous hot melt ink 7 (hereinafter referred to as ink 7) is used, and is stored in a container 8. A pressure plate 9 is slidably attached within the container 8 and is pressed by a sgelling 10 to apply full pressure to the ink 7.

A heating member 11 is fixed to the side of the container 8 facing the pressure plate 9, and faces the platen 13 with the printing paper 12 in between.

The heating member 11 is provided with the necessary number of microholes 11a to form printing pixels. The ink 7 pressurized by the pressure plate 9 is heated by the heating member 11 and melts in the vicinity of the desired micropore 11a.
are pushed out to form print pixels on the print paper 12.

In order to heat the vicinity of the desired microhole 11a, the heating member 11 has a resistor and a mother turn 14 as shown in FIG. Four resistor turns 14 surround each microhole 11a separately, and terminals 15 to which a voltage is applied are connected to these resistor patterns 14, respectively. Therefore, in order to heat the vicinity of the microhole 11a located at a desired position, a voltage may be applied to the terminal 15 connected to the resistor torque 14 surrounding the microhole 11a.

In this way, the ink 7 melted in the vicinity of the desired microhole 111 is pushed out from the microhole 11a, forming only the necessary pixels on the printing paper 12, and obtaining a pattern or image such as a desired character. I can do it.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the print head shown in FIG. 2. Identical parts are numbered the same as in FIG. 2.

Note that the (''-shaped head shown in this embodiment) can be refilled with ink simply by replacing the container, and does not require any special mechanism for refilling ink.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above in detail, the thermal transfer recording method according to the present invention supplies ink only to the areas necessary for printing to form pixels, so ink is used effectively and the structure is simple. This has the great effect of significantly improving costs.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional thermal transfer ink application method, FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a print head and its surrounding area, showing an example of a thermal transfer recording method according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing details of the heating member shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the print head shown in FIG. 2. 7... Ink, 8... Container, 9... Pressure plate, 10
...Spring, 11... Heating member, 12... Printing paper, 14 River resistance pattern JP-A-49995 (3) Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 1 Fig. 4

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) Fill a container with ink that melts when heated, and install a heating member with micro holes for forming pixels on one side of the container facing the printing paper. A thermal transfer recording method characterized in that the ink is transferred onto the printing paper. (2) The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ink is in powder form. (3) The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ink is a highly viscous ink. (4) The thermal transfer recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ink is filled into the container under pressure.