JPS62207689A - Thermal transfer medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a thermal transfer medium enhanced in printing quality, by constituting an ink layer or a multiplicity of discrete first ink parts comprising a mixture of a resin with a coloring material and a second ink part comprising a mixture of a wax with a coloring material having a color similar to the color of the coloring material constituting the first ink parts. CONSTITUTION:In an ink layer 22, a multiplicity of discrete first ink parts 23, 23... comprising a resin as a main raw material are dispersely provided in a second ink part 24 comprising a wax as a main raw material. An ink of the first ink parts 23 having a high cohesive force is mainly adhered to a recording paper 19, and the adhesion is not affected by a rugged surface condition of the paper 19. Therefore, blurring of the ink will not occur even when transferring the ink to a recording paper 19 having a low smoothness. In addition, since the ink layer 22 is cut up at small width parts of the second ink part 24, clear-cut property of edges of printed images is favorable. According ly, printing quality can be enhanced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a thermal transfer medium for a thermal transfer printer used as an output device for typewriters, word processors, computers, etc. Concerning layer improvement.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, as shown in FIG. 3, a thermal transfer printer has a cylindrical support shaft 3 that carries a grindstone in the longitudinal direction of the platen 1, which is disposed downwardly in front of the platen 1 and has a platen rubber 2 stretched on the front surface.
A gear 4, which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the platen 1, is disposed along the support shaft 3.

A ribbon cassette l-5 containing an ink ribbon 6 as an example of a thermal transfer medium is mounted on the carriage 4, and a thermal head 8 supported by a head mounting member 7 is mounted on the platen 1 integrally with the carriage 4. Move in the long direction! It is arranged so that 11JJ can be seen. The head mounting member 7 is swingably supported by the support shaft 3, and the head mounting fJ member 7 is provided with a guide plate 9 that projects rearward. At the rear end of this guide plate 9, a U-shaped portion 12 at the tip of a rotating shaft 11, which is supported by a bin 10 so as to be swingable, is attached so as to be relatively movable.
11 is attached to one end of the spring 13, and this spring 1
3, the head mounting member 7 is attached to the rotating shaft 11 and the guide plate 9.
The thermal head 8 is constantly urged in a direction in which it comes into pressure contact with the platen 1 via the thermal head 8 . A solenoid 14 is connected to the rotating shaft 11, and when the solenoid 14 is driven, the head mounting member 7 rotates clockwise in FIG. 5 against the spring force of the spring 13. The thermal head 8 is released from the bonded state with the platen 1.

FIG. 4 (shows a specific example of the ribbon cassette 5 described above), in which the ink ribbon 6 stored in the ribbon cassette 5 has its intermediate portion formed on the front surface of the ribbon force set 1-5. The ink ribbon 6, which is led out from the take-out [ ] 5Δ and is located outside, is drawn into the ribbon force sets 1 to 5 from the ribbon intake port 5B.Then, the rotation of the rotating drum 15 in the direction of the arrow The ink ribbon 6 is configured to run in the shape of a running line.Furthermore, the ribbon cassette 5 on the back of the ink ribbon 6 facing the outside has a recess 1.
6 is formed, and the square head 8 faces into this recess 16. Furthermore, wire 1
7, the carriage 4 is moved along the support shaft 3 in FIG. 3, and has a recess 18 into which the head mounting member 7 is fitted
is formed, and the head mounting member 7 moves in the direction toward and away from the platen 1 within this recess 18 by the action of the spring 13 and solenoid 14 shown in FIG.

According to the above-described structure, when the drive of the solenoid 14 is stopped, the head mounting member 7 swings counterclockwise in FIG. 3 due to the action of the spring 13, and the head mounting member 7 in FIG. The head mounting member 7 moves from the state shown in FIG. 6 to the state in which it protrudes toward the platen 1 side, and at this time, the thermal head 8 attaches the ink ribbon 6 and the recording paper 19 (FIG. 3) to the platen 1. sandwiched between
The heat of the thermal head 8 causes ink at a predetermined position on the ink ribbon 6 to be transferred onto the recording paper 19.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

By the way, the ink ribbon 6, which is a conventional thermal transfer medium, is
As shown in Figure 2, polyethylene terephthalate (P
It was constructed by laminating an ink layer 21 on a base 20 made of a material such as ETP, but this ink layer 21 is made by mixing a coloring material with wax such as paraffin wax, micro wax, or ester wax. As a result, the ink collection force is weak, and as a result, the recording paper 19 has low smoothness due to the unevenness of the surface of the recording paper 19.
When ink is transferred to the ink, the ink becomes blurred and the print quality deteriorates considerably.

To overcome these drawbacks of the conventional ink ribbon 6, resins such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), evulene-ethyl acrylate copolymer (EEΔ), the above-mentioned waxes and colors can be used. An ink ribbon 6 equipped with an ink Ση21 mixed with a material has already been developed, and according to such an ink layer 21, the cohesive force of the ink is strengthened by the resin, so that the uneven state of the surface of the record 4119 can be improved. Even if the ink is transferred to the recording paper 19, which has relatively low smoothness, the ink does not fade. However, in such a conventional ink ribbon 6, since the ink has a strong cohesive force, the ink does not cut easily at the edges of the print, and there is a risk that the ink becomes stringy and the print quality deteriorates.

The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned problems in the conventional media, and provides a thermal transfer medium in which the ink has a strong aSI ability and the ink drains well at the edges of printing, and therefore the printing quality is improved compared to the conventional media. The purpose is to

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides a thermal transfer medium having an ink layer laminated on a base, including a plurality of first ink parts made of a resin mixed with a coloring material and scattered at mutually spaced intervals; The ink layer is formed by a second ink portion interposed between the first ink portion, which is formed by mixing the coloring material of one ink portion and a coloring material of a similar color.

[For production]

According to the present invention, since the cohesive force of the ink is strengthened by the resin, the ink does not fade even if the smoothness of the recording paper is low, and the second ink part made of wax is interposed between the first ink part made of resin. By cutting the ink portion, the ink can be easily cut at the edges of the print, thus improving the print quality.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained below with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the main parts of an ink ribbon 6 as an example of a thermal transfer medium of the present invention.
is constructed by laminating an ink layer 22 on a base 20 made of a material such as polyethylene terephthalate. As shown in detail in FIG. 1B, this ink layer 22 has a large number of columnar shapes made by mixing a coloring material with a resin such as an ethylene-vinyl h1-acrylate copolymer or a J-ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer. The first ink parts 23, 23... are scattered at intervals, and paraffin wax and microphones are placed between adjacent first ink parts 23, 23.
A second ink portion 24 is formed by mixing wax such as wax or ester wax with a coloring material similar to the coloring material of the first ink portion 23.

The first ink portion 23 and the second ink portion 24 are each formed to reach the base 20, and the maximum length of the first ink portion 23 in a planar state is 0.
1 am or less, and the maximum width of the second ink portion 24 is preferably 0.01 am+ or less as narrow as possible. Therefore, the surface of the metal article 1 of each first ink portion 23 +a
is much larger than the surface area of the second ink portion 24.

According to the above-described structure, the ink layer 22 has a large number of island-shaped first ink parts 23, 23, etc. made of resin as the main raw material scattered within the second ink part 24 made of wax as the main raw material. J
: Since the ink of each first ink portion 23 having a strong cohesive force mainly adheres to the recording paper 19, the recording paper 19 can be smoothed without being affected by the unevenness of the surface. Even when ink is transferred to a recording paper 19 with a low strength, ink does not fade. Furthermore, since the ink layer 22 is cut at the narrow second ink section 24, the ink can be easily cut at the edges of the print.

Therefore, printing quality can be improved compared to conventional ones.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, if the present invention is J:, the ink does not fade on the recording paper, and the ink does not become stringy, so thermal transfer with good print quality can be performed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main part showing an embodiment of the heat-sensitive transfer medium according to the present invention, FIG. 1B is an enlarged plan view of the main part of FIG. 1,
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the main parts of a conventional thermal transfer medium, Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of a general thermal transfer printer, Fig. 4 is a plan view of a ribbon cassette used in the thermal transfer printer shown in Fig. 3; 5 and 6 are schematic plan views showing the operation of the thermal transfer printer of FIG. 3, respectively. 1... Platen, 3... Support shaft, 4... Carriage, 5... Ribbon cassette, 6... Ink ribbon,
8... Thermal head, 13... Spring, 14...
Solenoid, 19... Recording paper, 20... Base, 2
1.22..., ink layer, 23... first ink part,
24...Second ink section. Figure 1 A B Figure 2 Cause 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A thermal transfer medium formed by laminating an ink layer on a base, including a number of first ink parts made of a resin mixed with a coloring material and scattered at intervals, and a wax part. and a second ink portion interposed between the first ink portions, the ink layer being formed by mixing a coloring material of a similar color to the coloring material of the first ink portion. 2) The maximum length of each first ink portion is 0.1 mm.
A thermal transfer medium according to claim 1 below. 3) The thermal transfer medium according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second ink portion has a maximum width of 0.01 mm or less.