JPS61297180A - Thermal transfer recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print with favorable quality even on a paper having a low surface smoothness and provide a function of correcting misprinting, by a method wherein an intermediate transfer drum is set into the condition of not making contact with a recording medium or a thermally transferrable ink layer, and an ink pattern on the drum is corrected. CONSTITUTION:The intermediate transfer drum 5 and a platen roll 6 are moved downward to release the contact of the drum 5 with the ink layer 2a and the recording medium 7. An ink pattern 2b to be corrected on the drum 5 is brought to a correcting position by rotating the drum 5 by a correction-controlling mechanism 10. The ink pattern 2b is removed by a correction sheet 9a on a correction roll 9b brought into contact with the ink pattern 2b by a laterally moving mechanism 9c. Further, by rotating the drum 5 forward or reversely and operating a vertically moving mechanism 8a, the part derived of the ink pattern 2b is brought into contact with the ink layer 2a, and a correct ink pattern 2b is transferred to the drum 5, after which the drum is returned to the position before the correction, by the mechanism 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording method that provides good quality printing even on recording media with poor surface smoothness and that has an added correction function.

11. Heat Transfer Recording Methods Conventionally, thermal transfer recording methods including thermal transfer recording methods and energized thermal transfer recording methods have been known as recording methods capable of recording on plain paper.

In the thermal transfer recording method, generally, on a sheet-like support,
A heat-sensitive transfer material made by melt-coating a heat-transferable ink consisting of a colorant dispersed in a heat-melting binder is used, and this heat-sensitive transfer material is superimposed on a recording medium so that the heat-transferable ink layer is in contact with the recording medium. , by supplying heat with a thermal head from the support side of a heat-sensitive transfer material and transferring a melted ink layer to a recording medium, a transferred ink image corresponding to the shape of the heat supply is formed on the recording medium.

In the electrically conductive thermal transfer recording method, the support sheet of the above-mentioned thermal transfer material is made electrically conductive, and A
A conductive layer such as an I vapor deposition layer is provided, the conductive layer is connected to a return electrode, a current-carrying head is brought into contact with the support sheet, and the current-carrying head→
Forming a circuit of support sheet → conductive layer → return electrode, Joule heat is generated in a pattern in the base film directly under the current-carrying head, melting the ink layer in contact with the support in a pattern and transferring it to recording paper. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58-83585, etc.). In some cases, Joule heat may be generated preferentially directly under the current-carrying head while passing current in the in-plane direction of the base film (+ink layer) without providing an AI conductive layer (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 127AO 1983). Public notices, etc.).

In general, the electrically conductive thermal transfer recording method has the advantage of higher thermal energy efficiency and improved printing speed than the aforementioned thermal transfer recording method, but the cost of the thermal transfer material increases slightly.

Thermal transfer recording methods, including the above-mentioned thermal transfer recording method and electrically conductive thermal transfer recording method, have advantages such as a lightweight and compact apparatus, no noise, and little deterioration of the recording material and recorded image. However, paper with low surface smoothness may cause problems such as missing prints or blurred edges, and it is extremely difficult to correct ink images adhered to the recording medium. There was a drawback.

The main object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, to provide a high-quality print even on a recording medium with poor surface smoothness, and to have a function for correcting erroneous printing. An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer recording method.

According to the research conducted by the present inventors, it has been found that the above object can be achieved by a thermal transfer recording method that uses an intermediate transfer medium and includes a correction process on the intermediate transfer medium. It was done.

That is, in the thermal transfer recording method of the present invention, an ink pattern obtained by thermally softening or thermally melting a thermally transferable ink layer on a support in a pattern according to an image signal and once transferred to an intermediate transfer drum is transferred to a recording medium. Thermal transfer recording that forms a recorded image by retransferring to In the recording method, if necessary,
This method is characterized in that the intermediate transfer drum is not in contact with the recording medium and the thermally transferable ink layer, and that the ink pattern is corrected on the intermediate transfer drum.

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

FIG. 1 is a schematic side sectional view of an example of an apparatus system for carrying out the thermal transfer recording method according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, this device system is made of metal, glass, polycarbonate, fluororesin, silicone resin, polyimide, etc., and is reinforced with an appropriate frame made of metal etc. as necessary. An ink applicator 3 containing thermally transferable ink 2 is disposed upstream of the transfer position of the outer periphery of the drum-shaped support l of 5 to 50 ILm, preferably 5 to 20 ILm, and the transfer position (in the figure) A thermal head 4 is arranged on the inner periphery of the lower part. Further, below the support drum 1, there are intermediate transfer drums 5 each made of metal, glass, rubber, plastic, etc.
and a platen roller 6 are arranged in sequence, and a recording medium 7 such as paper is inserted between the intermediate transfer drum 5 and the platen roller 6. Further, the respective axes of the intermediate transfer drum 5 and the platen roller 6 are
It is connected to vertical movement mechanisms 8a and 8b using springs or cylinders. Further, the intermediate transfer drum 5 is connected to a correction control mechanism 10 so as to be rotationally controllable. On the other hand, on the left side of the intermediate transfer drum 5, a correction roll 9b on which a correction sheet 9a made of adhesive tape or the like is wrapped is disposed, and its shaft is connected to a horizontal movement mechanism 8C using a spring or cylinder. There is. Further, cleaning means such as a cleaning blade 11 is provided on the outer periphery of the intermediate transfer drum 5 on the downstream side of the transfer position to the recording medium 7.

Next, a thermal transfer recording method using the above apparatus will be explained.

Thermal transfer ink 2 is applied by an ink applicator 3 onto a support drum 1 that rotates continuously or intermittently in the direction of arrow A at a predetermined speed. This heat-sensitive transfer ink 2 is generally mixed with a heat-melting or softening binder to
It can be obtained by mixing and dispersing carbon black and other various dyes or pigments used in fields such as printing and recording in an amount of about 4 to 40 parts per 0 parts. Heat-melting or softening binders include natural waxes such as carnauba, wax, wood wax, and beeswax, polyethylene,
Synthetic wax such as paraffin wax, epoxy resin,
Wax or low-melting point resin such as polyester, acrylic resin, vinyl chloride resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyurethane resin, etc., and, if necessary, animal and vegetable oils such as cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, and whale oil; or motor oil, spindle oil, and dynamo oil. Mineral oils such as sleeves, esters such as octyl oleate and sorbitan aliquots, and semi-solid resins such as lanolin, vaseline and lard are used. The thermal transfer ink 2 generally has a melting point or softening point in the range of 30 to 70°C.

The thermal transfer ink 2 described above is applied onto the support drum 1 in a heated molten state or by dissolving or dispersing it in an appropriate solvent to reduce the viscosity, and the dry thickness is 0.5.
The ink layer 2a is formed to have a thickness of ~1 OJL, preferably 1 μm to 5 μL.

Next, the ink layer 2a that has reached the transfer position due to the rotation of the support drum 1 is heated in a pattern through the support l according to the image signal by the thermal head 4, softens or melts, and is transferred to the intermediate transfer drum 5. to form an ink pattern 2b. Furthermore, the ink pattern 2b on the intermediate transfer drum 5 is retransferred onto the recording medium 7 pressed against the drum 5 by the platen roller 6 to provide a recorded image 2C. At this time, in order to promote the transfer to the recording medium 7, the platen roll 6 and intermediate transfer drum 5 are heated as necessary. If an ink pattern remains on the intermediate transfer drum 5 downstream of the transfer position to the recording medium 7, the intermediate transfer drum 5 may be cleaned by cleaning means such as the cleaning blade 11 or a lint removal device as necessary.
Clean the transfer surface.

In the above-described transfer operation, the pressing force of the intermediate transfer drum 5 against the recording medium 7 is set to be larger than the latter, independently of the pressing force against the ink layer 2a, and hence the thermal head 4. This provides good transfer conditions to the recording medium 7 without accelerating wear and tear on the thermal head 4.

In the above-described constant transfer operation, the support drum 1, the intermediate transfer drum 5 and the platen roller 6 are connected to the thermal head 4.
In conjunction with the image signal applied to the image signal, the two rotate in a mutually interlocked state (for example, this is done by an interlocking gear, but its illustration is omitted). Here, if correction is necessary, the feeding of the recording medium 7 is stopped, the rotation of the support drum 1 is stopped, and the drive mechanisms 8a and 8b are activated to 5 the intermediate transfer drum 5.
and by moving the platen roll 6 downward,
The contact between the intermediate transfer drum 5, the ink layer 2a, and the recording medium 7 is released. After that, in order to place the ink pattern 2b to be corrected on the intermediate transfer drum 5 in the correction position,
This ink pattern 2b removal section rotates the intermediate transfer drum 5 by a correction control mechanism, and removes the ink pattern 2b by a correction sheet 9a on a correction roll 9b brought into contact with the ink pattern 2b by a left-right movement mechanism 8c. Then, the intermediate transfer drum 5 is rotated in the forward or reverse direction and the up-and-down movement mechanism 8a is operated to bring the ink layer 2a into contact with the ink layer 2a to transfer and apply the correct ink pattern 2b.

The correction control mechanism 10 returns it to the pre-correction position.

Furthermore, it is configured as a control mechanism integrated with a control mechanism (not shown) for interlocking with the thermal head 4, ink support drum 1, etc. in the above-mentioned normal thermal transfer operation.

FIG. 2 shows that instead of the combination of ink carrier drum l and in-situ formed applied ink layer 2a of FIG.
A film coated in advance on a support film 11 made of a heat-resistant plastic film, etc.
1 shows an example of a thermal transfer device system using a thermal transfer material in the form of a disposable ink ribbon 20 in combination with a thermal transferable ink layer 12a of L, preferably 1 to 5 layers.

The thermal transfer recording method using this device is physically the same as that using the device shown in FIG. The thermal head 4 is lowered -1- by the moving mechanism 8d, and the axial position of the intermediate transfer roll 5 is fixed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of an example of an apparatus system for carrying out the electrical thermal transfer recording method according to the present invention.

This device system is made of, for example, polycarbonate, fluororesin,
A film formed by mixing conductive powder such as carbon black, titanium black, metal powder, or 5N02 into a heat-resistant resin such as silicone resin or polyimide has a thickness of 5 to 5011. , volume resistivity is 10-10'Ω・cm, especially 1ON103Ω*c
The outer surface of the film 31a with a thickness of 0. AI for O1 to 1 river level.

A support drum 31 is provided with a conductive film 31b made of Cu or the like and reinforced with an appropriate frame made of metal or the like if necessary, and the return electrode 35 and power source 36 that are in contact with the conductive film 31b are separated. The device system is the same as the system shown in FIG. 1, except that an energizing head 34 (consisting of electrode needles arranged according to dots) is used.

Therefore, the heat-transferable ink layer 2a is generated by the Joule heat generated by the patterned current flowing from the current-carrying head 34 through the high-resistance film 31a immediately below it to the conductive film 31b.
The electrical thermal transfer recording mode and the correction mode using this apparatus are the same as those explained in FIG. 1, except that the transfer is performed by softening or melting the material and the application form of the heating pattern is different. Note that, in place of the return electrode 35, an energizing head (Japanese Patent Application No. 102,624/1988) by the present applicant, which is capable of generating a local current according to the heating dot, may be used.

As described above, according to the present invention, when performing thermal transfer recording or electrical thermal transfer recording, the above-mentioned thermal transfer can be achieved by using an intermediate transfer medium and correcting the ink pattern on the intermediate transfer medium. It becomes possible to solve the problem of deterioration of print quality and difficulty of repair on recording media with poor surface smoothness, which are common drawbacks of recording methods.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 are schematic side views of examples of apparatus systems for carrying out the method of the present invention, respectively. FIG. 1 is a thermal transfer recording device using an ink support drum, and FIG. A thermal transfer recording device using a ribbon, and FIG. 3 shows an electric thermal transfer recording device. l, 31... Support drum, 11... Support film, 2a, 12a... Thermal transfer ink layer, 5... Intermediate transfer drum, 6... Platen roll, 7... Recording medium , 8a, 8b, 8d... Vertical movement mechanism, 8C... Left and right movement mechanism, 9a... Correction tape, 9b... Correction roller, lO
...Modified control mechanism, Ryo 11: Figure 1. Figure 1 18b Figure 2 Town 8d Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] A recorded image is formed by thermally softening or thermally melting a thermally transferable ink layer on a support in a pattern according to an image signal, and transferring the obtained ink pattern to an intermediate transfer drum again to a recording medium. A thermal transfer recording method characterized in that, if necessary, the intermediate transfer drum is brought into a non-contact state with the recording medium and the thermal transferable ink layer, and an ink pattern correction process is performed on the intermediate transfer drum. .