JPS6172574A - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To permit a thermal transfer ink ribbon to be used many times by providing a pressing means to smoothen the surface of the ink layer of the ink ribbon for the inside of the printer. CONSTITUTION:A press roller 11 to be touched by a guide roller 5 set near a winding roller 7 is set on a setting base 12. The surface of the roller 11 is processed with a resin, e.g., Teflon, etc., for preventing the adherence of ink.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable to a thermal transfer printer, especially when an ink ribbon for thermal transfer recording is used for multiple transfers.

The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer that takes measures to smooth the surface of an ink layer of an ink ribbon so as to enable high-quality printing and recording.

A heat-melting ink made of a dye and a low-melting point material is applied to a stone wall-like void constructed from a filler such as carbon black on a base material such as a polyester film via an intermediate adhesive layer such as a polyester resin. A filled ink layer is provided to form an ink sheet. This ink sheet is pressed against a thermal print head whose predetermined portions are partially heated according to the printed information, thereby partially heating the ink sheet and partially melting the heat-melting ink layer of this ink sheet. The thermal transfer recording method, which transfers and records this molten ink onto recording paper, does not generate any noise when recording, and has recently become a non-impact printer that requires a quiet environment such as an office. It is designed to be used in places where

[Conventional technology]

The main parts of such a thermal transfer printer will be explained using the main part plan view of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, which is a cut of FIG. 3 along line mm'. Figure 2.

In Fig. 3, 1 is a platen, 2 is a recording paper wound on the platen, 3 is an ink ribbon for thermal transfer recording, 4 is a thermal print head, 5 is an ink ribbon guide roller, and 6 is an ink ribbon guide bar. , 7 is an ink ribbon take-up roller, 8 is an ink ribbon delivery roller, and 9 is a thermal print head installation jig.

The operation of recording prints on recording paper using such a thermal transfer printer will be described. First, the thermal printing pad 4 is installed at one end A of the recording paper 2, and while pressing the ink ribbon 3 and the recording paper 2 against the platen 1,
direction and print the thermal print head 4 according to the print information.
A large number of heating elements (not shown) constituting the ink ribbon are selectively heated, and the selectively heated heating elements melt the hot-melt ink on the ink ribbon and transfer printed dots onto the recording paper. Then, when one line of characters or symbols is printed on the recording paper 2, the thermal print head 4
reaches the other end C. At this point, the thermal print head 4 is moved by a cam (not shown) in the direction of the arrow E, and then the platen 1 is rotated in the direction of the arrow E to move the recording paper 2 by a predetermined amount.

1. Next, the thermal print head 4 is moved to the above-described position of point A on the recording paper 2, and at the same time, the ink ribbon 3 is wound up by a predetermined amount on the take-up roller, and printing and recording are performed as described above. When the transfer of this ink ribbon is completed, the thermal print head 4 is moved in the direction of the arrow, and the ink ribbon 3 used on the feed roller 8 is moved.
The rolled ink ribbon is then reused for the next thermal transfer recording.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The ink ribbon used for such thermal transfer recording has an intermediate adhesive layer made of polyester resin formed on a base material made of polyester film, and a heat-melting ink layer made of filler, dye, and low-melting point material formed thereon. It consists of a structure. Here, press the thermal print head from the base material side,
The ink layer on the heated portion of the base material is melted and transferred onto recording paper.

Therefore, the ink layer of the ink ribbon after thermal transfer has a shape in which the ink layer in the melted portion is partially removed, and has an uneven shape. In addition, if you examine the surface of recording paper in detail, you will find that it has an uneven surface, and since printing is performed by pressing an ink ribbon against the uneven recording paper, the surface of the recording paper has an uneven surface. The ink layer also becomes uneven. Therefore, when thermal transfer recording is performed again on recording paper using an ink ribbon with such an uneven ink layer, the uneven ink layer is pressed against the recording paper, resulting in a thin line around the print that is formed. There is a problem in that good print recording is not possible because unnecessary thin lines or dots appear on the recording paper.

[Means for solving problems]

The above problem can be solved by the present invention, which is equipped with a pressure means for smoothing the surface of the ink layer of the ink ribbon in a thermal transfer printer that melts the heat-melting ink of the ink ribbon and transfers and records it onto recording paper. The solution is a thermal transfer printer.

[Effect]

That is, the thermal transfer printer of the present invention presses the ink layer side of the ink ribbon using a pressure roller or the like before or after thermal transfer recording is performed on the recording paper, so that the surface of the ink layer is pressed. This method takes measures to flatten the surface.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a plan view of main parts showing the configuration of the thermal transfer printer of the present invention, in which a pressure roller 11 is installed so as to come into contact with a guide roller 5 installed close to a take-up roller ruff as shown in the figure. The pressure roller 11 is placed on a stand 12, and the pressure roller 11 is treated with a resin such as Teflon to prevent ink from adhering to the surface. A margin is provided between the rotating shaft 13 of the pressure roller 11 and a bearing (not shown). A plate-like member 16 is attached to the rotating shaft 13, one end of which is supported by a fulcrum 14 provided on the installation stand 12, and the other end of which is provided with a spring 15. Also spring 15
One end portion is provided on the installation stand 12 and is fixed by a support 17 whose installation position can be moved.

The case where thermal transfer recording is performed on recording paper using the thermal transfer printer of this embodiment will be described.

First, when printing and recording, move the position of the support 17 and loosen the spring 15 to release the guide roller 5 and pressure roller 11.
Then, when printing is completed and the used ink ribbon 3 is wound up at the delivery port 8 in FIG. 2, the position of the support 17 is moved and the spring 15 tensile force is 100g7B2~1000g/n
2 so that the pressure roller 11 is brought into pressure contact with the guide roller 5.

In this way, the ink layer side of the ink ribbon, which has an uneven shape after transfer, is pressed by the pressure roller 5, so its surface becomes flat, and thermal transfer recording can be performed using such an ink ribbon. For example, good print records can be obtained.

Further, in this embodiment, the pressure roller 11 is arranged to face the guide roller 5 close to the take-up roller luff, but the pressure roller 11 is arranged opposite to the guide roller 5 close to the feed roller 8. In addition, a feed roller,
Alternatively, a structure may be adopted in which two pressure rollers are disposed opposite guide rollers close to each of the winding rollers.

〔Effect of the invention〕

1. As mentioned above, the thermal transfer film of the present invention
According to this, the ink layer of the ink ribbon after thermal transfer becomes flat, good transfer recording can be obtained, and the ink ribbon also has the effect of being able to withstand many transfer recordings.

Furthermore, although the above embodiments have been described using examples of serial printers, the present invention is also applicable to line printers.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the main parts of the thermal transfer printer of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the main parts of a conventional thermal transfer printer, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2 cut along the line m-m'. In the figure, 3 is an ink ribbon, 5 is a guide roller, 7 is a take-up roller, 11 is a pressure roller, 12 is an installation table, 1
3 is a rotating shaft, 14 is a fulcrum, 15 is a spring, 16 is a plate member, and 17 is a support. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A thermal transfer printer that melts heat-melting ink on an ink ribbon and transfers and records it onto a recording paper, the thermal transfer printer being equipped with a pressure means for smoothing the surface of the ink layer of the ink ribbon.