JPS6295263A - Printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a printing apparatus enhanced in a transfer property, imparting good image quality and reduced in recording energy, by mounting a mechanism for arranging the end surface of a recording substrate in almost parallel to a platen to press the same and a feed-in mechanism wherein the angle formed by the recording substrate and the feed-in direction of an ink film is smaller than the angle formed by the recording substrate and the platen. CONSTITUTION:The angle 20(theta1) formed by a recording substrate 6 and the end surface 7 thereof is almost the same as the angle 21(theta2) formed by the recording substrate 6 and a platen 11 and the end surface 7 is arranged in almost parallel to the platen 11 to be pressed to said platen 11. By pressing an ink film 10 and receiving paper 12 to the platen 11 by the whole of the end surface 7, a transfer part 9 is secured directly below the end surface 7 of the recording substrate and, further, the ink film 10 is pulled in the direction shown by an arrow 15 and tension is applied to said film to penetrate the leading end part of a recording needle 5 into a resistance layer 3 to secure a current supply part 8. The film 10 is fed to a recording head at the angle 22 (theta3) formed by the film and the recording substrate 6. The angle theta3 is smaller than the angle or theta2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a printing device, and more specifically to a printing device using an electrically conductive thermal transfer recording method.

[Prior Art] As a technology for realizing a full-color printing device that uses a conventional current-carrying thermal transfer recording method and is high speed, high image quality, high reliability, and low cost, there is a "printing device" (Japanese Patent Application No. 186496/1983).
No.) was there. The outline will be explained below.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the structure of the ink film 10 for electrically conductive thermal transfer recording. Melting ink layer 1 is a layer in which pigment or pigment and dye are dispersed in wax at 60 to 80°C.
The support layer 2, which has the property of melting at a certain temperature, is a resin film made of PET or the like or a capacitor paper. The resistance layer 3 is a layer in which fine carbon powder is dispersed in a resin and is electrically conductive. FIG. 3 shows a recording section of a recording head of an energized thermal transfer recording method. The recording section of the recording head 4 is composed of a plurality of recording needles 5 and a recording substrate 6 provided with the recording needles. The angle 20 formed between the end surface 7 of the recording substrate and the recording substrate 6 is θ as shown in the figure.
Set to 1. FIG. 4 shows a conventional method of contacting the recording head 4 and the ink film 10. The transfer paper 12 and the ink film 10 are placed on the platen 11, and the recording head is pressed (pressing direction 13). To perform recording, the platen 11, transfer paper 12, and ink film 10 are moved at a constant speed in the direction of an arrow 14. The angle 21 between the platen and the recording substrate is shown as θ2 in the figure, and by making θ2 smaller than θ1, a good electrical connection can be achieved between the recording needle and the resistive layer. In this way, the tip of the recording needle is pressed against the resistive layer and a voltage is applied between adjacent recording needles to energize the resistive layer and generate heat, melting the melting ink layer and transferring it to the transfer paper. to form pixels. Conventional printing apparatuses have been constructed using the above recording method.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, the transferability deteriorates, and image quality deteriorates and recording energy increases due to transfer unevenness. The angle 20 formed by the end surface 7 of the recording substrate and the recording substrate 6 is defined as θ1 as shown in the figure. Figure 4 shows a conventional recording head 4 and an ink film 1.
0 contact method was shown. Transfer paper 1 is placed on the platen 11.
2 and the ink film 10, and press the recording head (pressing direction 13). Platen 11 for recording
The transfer paper 12 and the ink film 10 are moved at a constant speed in the direction of an arrow 14. The angle 21 between the platen and the recording substrate is θ2 as shown in the figure, and θ2 is θ1.
By making the angle smaller, good electrical connection is achieved between the recording needle and the resistive layer. In this way, the tip of the recording needle is pressed against the resistive layer and a voltage is applied between adjacent recording needles to energize the resistive layer and generate heat, melting the melting ink layer and transferring it to the transfer paper. to form pixels. Conventional printing apparatuses have been constructed using the above recording method.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, with the above-mentioned conventional technology, the transferability deteriorates, the image quality deteriorates due to transfer unevenness, and the recording energy is applied to the resistive layer to generate heat and melt the molten ink layer. In a printing device that forms pixels by transferring onto paper, there is a mechanism for arranging and pressing the end surface of the recording substrate almost parallel to the platen, and an angle between the recording substrate and the platen. The present invention is characterized by comprising a carry-in mechanism that forms a small angle with the ink film carry-in direction.

[Example] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method of contacting a recording head 4 and an ink film 10 in an example of the present invention. The difference from the conventional example shown in FIG. 4 is that the recording head 4 is pressed at an angle. In this embodiment, the angle 20 (θ1) between the recording substrate 6 and the end surface 7 of the recording substrate and the angle 20 (θ1) between the recording substrate 6 and the platen 11 are
The angle 21 (θ2) formed by the recording substrates is approximately the same, and the end surface 7 of the recording substrate is placed approximately parallel to the platen 11 and pressed. In the present invention, by pressing the ink film 10 and transfer paper 12 against the platen 11 with the entire end surface 7 of the recording substrate, the transfer section 9 is secured directly under the end surface 7 of the recording substrate, and the melted ink is reliably covered from the ink film. It has a structure that allows it to be transferred onto transfer paper. Furthermore, in order to ensure electrical contact and conduct electricity, the recording needle was pulled in the direction of the arrow 15, tension was applied, and the tip of the recording needle was embedded in the resistance layer 3, thereby securing the electricity-carrying portion 8. ink film 10
The carrying direction (arrow 16) is opposite to arrow 15.

The ink film 10 is carried into the recording head 4 at an angle of 22 (θ3) with respect to the recording substrate 6.

θ3 is an angle smaller than θ1 or θ2.

The present invention recognizes that both electrical conductivity and transferability are important in the recording mechanism of the current-conducting thermal transfer recording system, and in particular, the pressure dependence is This was realized by focusing on the fact that the current-carrying area is large.The conventional example shown in Fig. 4 is a pressing method that focuses on electrical contact, so the transfer part is attached to the periphery of the current-carrying part. , because the pressure at the transfer area was uneven, image quality deteriorated due to uneven transfer, and in addition, the pressure was low and the ink film and the receiving paper were only in contact with each other without pressure. Because of this, the transfer efficiency was low and a correspondingly high recording energy was required.

On the other hand, when recording was carried out using a printing device constructed using the method of contact between the recording head and the ink film according to the embodiment of the present invention, the image quality was significantly improved, and almost no image deterioration due to uneven transfer was observed. Furthermore, the recording energy can be reduced by about 10 to 15% compared to the conventional method.

[Effects] The present invention separates the two functions of energization and transfer into the energization section and the transfer section in the recording mechanism of the energized thermal transfer recording method, thereby making both functions work fully, improving transferability, and improving image quality. It provides a printing device that is high quality and uses less recording energy. Moreover, it is a revolutionary printing device that does not increase the price by simply pressing the edge of the recording substrate almost parallel to the platen. It is something to do.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method of contact between a recording head and an ink film in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of an ink film for electrically conductive thermal transfer recording. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a recording section of a recording head of an energized thermal transfer recording method. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a conventional method of contacting a recording head with an ink film. Melting ink layer 10.1, resistance layer 06.3, transfer paper , 12, ink film , 10, recording substrate...6, recording needle 00.5, recording head...4, recording substrate End face 09.7, Platen , 11, Ink film carrying direction , 16 or more

Claims (1)

[Claims] Using an ink film having a resistive layer and a melting ink layer,
Using a recording head consisting of a plurality of recording needles and a recording substrate with the recording needles on one surface, the recording needles are brought into contact with the resistance layer, and a voltage is applied between the adjacent recording needles to increase the resistance. In a printing device that energizes a layer to generate heat to melt the molten ink layer and transfer it to transfer paper to form pixels, a mechanism for arranging and pressing an end surface of the recording substrate substantially parallel to a platen; 1. A printing device comprising a carrying mechanism in which an angle between the recording substrate and the ink film carrying direction is smaller than an angle between the recording substrate and the platen.