JPS6250172A - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently perform transfer to recording paper, by providing a thermal head wherein a magnetic film is held between a powdery magnetic colorant supply means and recording paper to melt a powdery colorant correspondingly to a recording signal and the molten colorant is transferred to the recording paper to color the same. CONSTITUTION:A magnetic belt 11 containing a formed toner layer 19 is superposed to recording paper 22 to be held between a thermal head 20 and a platen 21 and, when the recording signal from a circuit is applied to the thermal head circuit 20, the thermal head 20 generates heat correspondingly to the application of the recording signal. Only the toner 13a at the position of the toner layer 19 corresponding to the position where heat was generated is melted by the heat energy to be transferred to the surface of the recording paper 22 by the surface tension difference between the magnetic belt 11 and the recording paper 22. The toner 13b of the part not melted and transferred returns to a toner feeder in a state of being adhered to the magnetic belt 11 by the magnetic force of said belt 11.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a printer using a thermal transfer recording method.

[Prior art and its problems]

The basic configuration of a conventional thermal transfer recording printer is
As shown in the figure, on a film base 25 made of materials such as polyester paper, cellophane paper, and capacitor paper,
An ink film 2 on which an ink layer 22 is formed by coating a relatively low melting point ink made by mixing a coloring material with a low melting point material, for example, a wax-based material, and a recording paper 24 are placed between a platen 21 and a thermal head 23. The ink 22a is placed in between and heated by a thermal head 23, and only the heated portion of the ink 22a is thermally transferred onto the recording paper 24. One end of the ink film 2 is wound around a supply reel 4, and the other end is wound around a take-up reel 6. In addition, this thermal transfer recording method can be used not only for plain paper but also for OHP.
It has the advantage of being able to print on film-like resin materials such as polyester.

However, after the ink has been transferred to the recording medium, the ink film 2 is wound around the take-up reel 6 and therefore cannot be used again. Furthermore, ink is left on the ink film in areas other than those that have been thermally transferred (22b in the figure) and is discarded without being used, which is uneconomical. There was the problem of making it expensive.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve these problems and provide a thermal transfer recording printer that efficiently transfers ink to a recording medium and is inexpensive to use, that is, has high economic efficiency.

[Structure of the invention]

The thermal transfer printer of the present invention includes an endless belt-shaped magnetic film with good heat transfer characteristics that runs in the length direction, a magnetism generating means that uniformly magnetizes the magnetic film, and a magnetism generator that magnetizes one of the magnetized magnetic films. A colorant supplying means for supplying a powdery magnetic colorant made of magnetic powder coated with a resin dye having a low melting point on a surface thereof so that the powdery magnetic colorant is attached by magnetic force, and the magnetic film. The magnetic film is sandwiched between the recording paper with the surface to which the powdery magnetic colorant is attached and the recording surface of the recording paper facing each other, and the powdery magnetic coloring is applied in accordance with a recording signal. It is characterized by being equipped with a thermal head that melts the agent and transfers the color onto the recording paper.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, an endless belt-shaped magnetic film with good heat transfer characteristics is uniformly magnetized by the magnetism generating means and is run in the length direction. A powdered magnetic colorant composed of magnetic powder coated with a resin dye having a low melting point is supplied to the magnetized magnetic film by a colorant supply means. Here, since the magnetic film is uniformly magnetized, the supplied powdery magnetic colorant is attached to one side of the magnetic film by magnetic force, and the attached powdery magnetic colorant forms a layer of colorant. is formed. The magnetic film to which the colorant is attached is held between a platen and a magnetic head, with the side to which the colorant is attached and the recording surface of the recording paper facing each other. The head melts the colorant and transfers the color onto the recording paper. Since the magnetic film of the present invention has an endless belt shape and is run in the longitudinal direction, the portion of the film where the colorant has been transferred to the recording paper returns to the position of the colorant supply means and is consumed. Colorant is deposited and replenished by magnetic forces. As described above, since the consumed colorant is replenished, the magnetic film of the present invention can be used repeatedly.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a thermal transfer printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 11 is a magnetic belt as an endless belt-like magnetic film, and 12 is 1 magnetism generating means. The magnetic belt 11 is made of a magnetic material, such as Co-Cr.
Alternatively, it is constructed in the form of an endless belt of flexible Mylar material coated with Ba ferrite or the like, and stretched around the rollers 8a to 8d. This magnetic belt 11 is rotated so as to run in the length direction by a rotating means (not shown) such as a motor and a cooler. Magnetism generating means 12 constituted by a perpendicular magnetic head is provided at an intermediate position between rollers 8a and 8b on one side (inner side) of the rotating magnetic belt 11. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the perpendicular magnetic head, which is the magnetism generating means 12, has a core 12.
a and a coil 12b that is wound around a core 12a and connected to an AC power source.By passing an AC current through the coil 12b, an AC magnetic field is generated, and the magnetic belt 11 is entirely perpendicular to the belt surface. magnetize in the direction.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, a powder magnetic colorant 13 (hereinafter referred to as toner) is made of a resin having a low melting point of about 50° C. to 60° C. and an organic dye and coated with magnetic powder.
A toner supply device that supplies the toner to the magnetic belt 11 is the roller 18.
It is provided at the bottom of b. This toner supply device includes a sleeve 14. Magnet roll 15. Doctor Blade 16. and a toner tank 17, the sleeve 14 rotates at the same circumferential speed as the magnetic belt 11, and the magnet roll 15 is fixed. Also,
A thermal head 20 is disposed on the inner surface of the magnetic belt 11 at an intermediate position between the roller 8C and the roller 8d. A platen 21 is rotatably supported on the outer surface of the magnetic belt 11 so as to face the heat-sensitive head 20, and a layer 19 of toner of the magnetic belt 11 is attached between the heat-sensitive head 20 and the platen 21 by magnetic force. The magnetic belt 11 and the recording paper 22 are held in such a manner that the surface of the recording paper 22 faces the recording surface of the recording paper 22.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained below. magnetic belt 11
is run in the longitudinal direction by the rotating means, and is uniformly magnetized in the direction perpendicular to the belt surface by the magnetism generating means 12, as shown in FIG. 2(a).

Now, the toner 13 stored in the toner tank 17 is transferred to the rotating sleeve 1 by the magnetic force of the magnet roll 15.
4 and on the surface of the sleeve 14.
form 8. The toner supply layer 18 that rotates with the rotation of the sleeve 14 first comes into contact with the end of the doctor blade 16, and due to the gap between the sleeve 14 and the doctor blade 16, the toner supply layer 18 has a uniform thickness and is controlled to an appropriate amount. . Next, the toner 13 in the toner supply layer 18 contacts the magnetic belt 11 and moves from the sleeve 14 to the magnetic belt 11 by the magnetic force of the magnetic belt 11, as shown in FIG. Attached to the outside surface.

The attached toner forms a toner layer 19 on one side (outer side) of the magnetic belt 11, as shown in FIG.

The magnetic belt 11 containing the formed toner layer 19 is attached to a thermal head 20 and a platen 2 as in the conventional thermal transfer recording system.
1 and the recording paper 22, and when a recording signal from the circuit is applied to the thermal head 20, the thermal head 20 generates heat by the amount of the recording signal applied. Only the toner 13a at the position of the toner layer 19 corresponding to the position is melted by the thermal energy and transferred to the surface of the recording paper 22 due to the difference in interfacial tension between the magnetic belt 11 and the recording paper 22.

Then, the toner 13b in the portion that was not melted and was not transferred.
The toner 13 returns to the toner supply device while remaining attached to the magnetic belt 11 due to the magnetic force of the magnetic belt 11, and the toner 13 corresponding to the transferred amount is replenished in the above-described manner. As a result, the ink film composed of the magnetic bell 11 and the toner layer 19 can be used repeatedly at any time.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to solve the economic problems of conventional thermal transfer printers and to obtain a highly economically efficient thermal transfer printer that can efficiently transfer ink to recording paper.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a thermal transfer recording type printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 (a) and (b) are part of the operating process of a thermal transfer recording type printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a conventional thermal transfer recording type printer. 11 ...... Magnetic belt 12
...... Magnetism generating means 13 ・
・・・・・・・・・・・・ Toner 14 ・・・・・・
・・・・・・ Sleeve 15 ・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・ McNet Roll 16 ・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・・ Doctor Blade 19 ・・・・・・・・・・・・
・・Tonah Hiyori 20 ・・・・・・・・・・・・ Thermal head 22 ・・・・・・・・・・・・ Recording paper agent Patent attorney Yoshi Iwasa 2nd degree to Kozutsu Netsu Figure 1 (a) 15mak°° net troll (b) Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) An endless belt-shaped magnetic film with good heat transfer properties that runs in the length direction, a magnetism generating means that uniformly magnetizes the magnetic film, and one surface of the magnetized magnetic film that has a low melting point. a colorant supplying means for supplying the powdery magnetic colorant so that the powdery magnetic colorant is attached by magnetic force; and The magnetic film is sandwiched between the recording paper with the surface to which the magnetic colorant is attached facing the recording surface of the recording paper, and the powdery magnetic colorant is melted and recorded according to the recording symbol. A thermal transfer printer equipped with a thermal head that transfers color onto paper.