JPS63264393A - Recording method and recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable inexpensive recording, by bringing a fluid ink into contact with a transfer medium, and supplying energy in a pattern according to an image signal to form an ink image according to the pattern on the medium. CONSTITUTION:A fluid ink 2 is an ink which does not show a pressure sensitive adhesive property and is provided with the property by application of energy thereto, can be obtained by, for example, maintaining water in a crosslinked structure of guar gum or the like. As an intermediate transfer roll 11 as a transfer medium is moved in the direction of an arrow A, the ink 2 is brought into contact with the surface of the roll 1 at an ink contact position 12a, but it is separated from the roll 1 at an ink separation position 12b, so that the ink is not adhered to the roll 1. The ink 2 being moved is supplied with energy, in a pattern according to an image signal, from a recording head 4 at the ink separation position at which it makes contact with the head 4, whereby the ink is provided with a selective pressure sensitive adhesive property, and is transferred onto the roll 1 to form an ink pattern 21. The ink pattern is fed from the ink separation position 12b to an ink image transferring position at which a recording material 5 makes contact with the roll 1, and a transfer- recorded image 22 is formed on the recording material 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a recording method and a recording apparatus that enable low-cost recording while maintaining the advantages of conventionally used recording methods.

! In recent years, with the rapid development of the information industry, various information processing systems have been developed, and recording methods and recording devices have been developed and adopted for each information processing system.

Among these, representative plain paper recording methods include electrophotography and laser beam printers generated from electrophotography, inkjet, thermal transfer, and impact printers (those using wire dots, daisy foils, etc.).

Impact printers make a lot of noise and are difficult to fully multi-print. Electrophotography, laser beam printers, etc. have high resolution images, but the bags are complicated and large.
Equipment cost is also a problem. Although inkjet ink jets have low consumable costs, they eject low-viscosity liquid ink from thin nozzles, which causes the ink to solidify and clog easily when not in use. Furthermore, since the ink used for inkjet is a low viscosity ink, it is easy to bleed and blur the image after the ink is rolled onto the paper.

In addition, the thermal transfer method is a method in which patterned heat is supplied to a solid ink layer provided on a sheet-like support, and the ink is melted and transferred onto plain paper, etc. The method is characterized in that a relatively small-sized device is used and the device cost is low. However, using an ink ribbon consisting of a solid ink layer on an expensive support,
Moreover, since this ribbon is used as a disposable ribbon, this thermal transfer method has the drawback of increasing the cost of consumables.

Summary of the Invention The main object of the present invention is to provide a recording method and a recording apparatus that eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional recording methods described in detail and enable low-cost recording.

As a result of intensive research, the present inventor has developed an ink that has fluidity at room temperature and that can selectively control the stickiness of the ink by co-supplying energy in a pattern (for example, electrochemically). The inventors have discovered a possible ink, and further discovered that it is possible to form an ink pattern on a transfer medium according to an image signal by utilizing the adhesive control of this fluid ink.

The recording method of the present invention is based on such knowledge, and more specifically, it uses a fluid ink that is substantially non-tacky and can be made sticky by applying energy, and uses the above-mentioned method. Bringing fluid ink into contact with a transfer medium, and supplying energy in a pattern according to an image signal to the fluid ink at a contact position of the ink with the transfer medium,
A recording method for forming an ink image on a transfer medium according to the energy supply pattern by selectively attaching the fluid ink to the transfer medium, the method comprising: applying the fluid ink from a recording electrode through the fluid ink to the transfer medium; The method is characterized in that the patterned energy is supplied to the fluid ink by energizing the transfer medium.

The fluid ink used in the method of the present invention preferably has a property of being able to restore its adhesiveness over time after being cut by an external force.

Furthermore, the recording apparatus of the present invention that can suitably carry out the above-mentioned recording method is an ink holding means having an ink supply section,
an ink holding means for holding the fluid ink so that the fluid ink can come into contact with a transfer medium transferred in the ink supply section; and supplying energy to the fluid ink in the ink supply section in accordance with an image signal. and an energy applying means that enables the ink supply unit to selectively adhere fluid ink to the transfer medium in response to the application of the energy, thereby forming an ink image on the transfer medium. The recording apparatus is characterized in that it is possible to apply electricity from the energy applying means to the transfer medium through the fluid ink.

In the image recording method of the present invention having the above-described configuration, the fluid ink is removed by bringing the fluid ink into contact with the transfer medium as it is, and applying electricity to the transfer medium from the energy application means through the fluid ink. directly (
(selective) tackiness to form an ink image on the transfer medium.

Therefore, in the recording method of the present invention, a layer of solid ink is formed by a complicated process on an expensive sheet-like support (which was essential in the conventional thermal transfer method).
Moreover, since disposable ink ribbons and ink sheets are not required, the cost of consumables can be significantly reduced.

Furthermore, since fluid ink is used in the present invention, it is extremely easy to repeatedly use ink that is not actually used for image formation, and from this aspect as well, it is possible to contribute to lowering recording costs.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings as necessary. In the following records, 1% represents the quantitative ratio.
"Parts" and "parts" are based on weight unless otherwise specified.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, which is a partial schematic side sectional view (viewed in the thickness direction of a transfer medium) showing an embodiment of the recording apparatus of the present invention, the basic configuration of the recording apparatus described above will be explained. I will explain about it.

Referring to FIG. 1, an intermediate transfer roll 1, which is a transfer medium whose surface is made of stainless steel or the like, is placed above the bottom surface of an ink container 3, which is an ink holding means for storing fluid ink 2 (the ink 2 of the ink container 3 is stored in the intermediate transfer roll 1). The ink 2 is rotatably arranged in the six directions of the arrow while being in contact with the ink 2.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the "ink contact position" where the fluid ink 2 and the intermediate transfer roll 1 come into contact is a zone having a constant length extending from the ink contact start position 12a to the ink separation position 12b. Further, the above-mentioned "ink supply section" defines a device part corresponding to this ink contact position.

At the ink separation position 12b, the intermediate transfer roll 1
A recording head 4, which is a means for applying energy according to an image signal to the fluid ink 2 with a certain gap between
is placed.

At the ink image transfer position downstream of the ink separation position, a recording material 5 made of plain paper or the like and transported in the direction of arrow B is placed on the surface (ink image forming surface) of the intermediate transfer roll 1. placed in contact with the surface. Further, a transfer roll 6, which is a transfer means, is provided which faces the intermediate transfer roll 1 and whose surface is made of silicone rubber or the like and which rotates in the direction of arrow C so that the recording material 5 can be held between the intermediate transfer roll 1 and the intermediate transfer roll 1.
is placed.

As described above, the ink separation position is used as an auxiliary means (and a means for stirring the ink 2) for (selectively) conveying the fluid ink 2 that contacts the intermediate transfer roll 1 to the intermediate transfer roll 1. An ink stirring roll 7 facing the surface of the intermediate transfer roll 1 with a constant gap is arranged as necessary. This ink stirring roll 7 is a cylindrical member whose surface is roughened by sandblasting or the like, and is a member that rotates in the direction of the arrow. It also has the function of promoting separation of the ink 2 from the intermediate transfer roll 1.

In addition, in order to improve the fixing properties of the transferred recorded image formed on the recording material 5, a known fixing means (for example, thermal rollers, pressure rollers, etc. (not shown) may also be provided.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a roll 1, which is an intermediate transfer medium, is used as the transfer medium, but a film or sheet-shaped recording material that can be transferred while in contact with the fluid ink 2 is used as the transfer medium. It can also be used as a transfer medium. In this case, it is desirable that the sheet-shaped recording material has a conductive layer as a base layer.

Although the basic configuration of the recording apparatus of the present invention is as described above, the following describes a typical embodiment of the recording method of the present invention when such a device system is used, and also serves as an explanation of the operation of the recording apparatus. This will be explained next.

Referring to FIG. 1, the fluid ink 2 in the ink holding container 3 is a fluid ink that is substantially non-tacky and that can be made sticky by the application of energy (for example, electrical energy). It is sexual ink. Such ink 2 is
For example, it can be obtained by holding a liquid dispersion medium made of water or the like in a crosslinked structure made of guar gum or the like.

The fluid ink 2 is transferred to the ink contact position 12a as the intermediate transfer roll 1, which is the transfer medium, is transferred in the six directions of the arrows.
However, since the ink 2 has substantially no adhesiveness, it flows as shown by arrow E (when no energy is applied) and is separated from the intermediate transfer roll 1 at the ink separation position 12b. Therefore, it does not substantially adhere or transfer to the roll 1.

The fluid ink 2 transported in this manner is transported near the ink separation position where this ink contacts the recording head 4.
Patterned energy is applied from the recording head 4 according to the image signal, and the fluid ink 2
is given selective tackiness.

The fluid ink 2 imparted with selective tackiness is indicated by arrow A.
The image is adhered and transferred onto the intermediate transfer roll 1 that is transferred in the direction of
An ink pattern 21 is formed.

This ink pattern 21 corresponds to arrow A on the intermediate transfer roll 1.
With the zero shift in the direction, the ink is transferred from the ink separation position 12b to the ink image transfer position where the recording material 5 contacts the surface of the roll 10, and is transferred to the recording material 5 at this ink image transfer position. Thus, a transferred recorded image 22 is formed.

This transferred recorded image 22 is visualized, if necessary, by a known visualizing means (for example, a visualizing means by adhering toner particles) provided on the recording material 5 downstream from the ink image transfer position. It may be visualized.

The basic configuration of the recording method of the present invention is as described above, but regarding the form of ink image (or pixel) 21 formation at the ink separation position M12b, the ink separation position 1 shown in FIG.
A more detailed explanation will be given below with reference to FIG. 2, which is an enlarged view of 12b.

Referring to Figure 2, intermediate transfer roll! As it rotates in the A direction, the fluid ink 2 that comes into contact with it moves in the E direction. In FIG. 2, the recording head 4 faces the intermediate transfer roll 1 at a distance d. The recording head 4 may have a structure as shown in a schematic perspective view in FIG. 3, for example, and may include recording electrodes 42 made of a rope or the like formed in stripes on a substrate 41, and further made of polyimide or the like. A recording head having an insulating layer 43 formed thereon is preferably used.

In this way, at the ink separation position 12b where the intermediate transfer roll 1 and the recording head 4 face each other, when energy is not applied from the recording head 4 to the fluid ink 2 (when no energy is applied), the ink 2 is From the point of view of good separation from the transfer roll 1, the above distance d is 0.
．． 05~3ali11 (moreover 0.05~0.3m
rn) is preferred.

Further, it is preferable that the recording head 4 is tilted in the moving direction of the roll l (direction of arrow A), and furthermore, it is preferable that the recording head 4 is tilted in the direction of movement of the roll l (direction of arrow A), and furthermore, θ(
That is, the angle formed by the tangent to the surface of the intermediate transfer roll 1 at the ink separation position in FIG.
≦θ≦135°) from the viewpoint of improving the selectivity of conveying the fluid ink 2 to the intermediate transfer roll 1 at this ink separation position.

As shown in FIG. 2, as a current based on the image information flows between the recording electrode 42 and the intermediate transfer roll 1 via the fluid ink 2, energy corresponding to the image signal is transferred to the ink 2. is applied, and in the vicinity thereof, a predetermined amount of ink 2 corresponding to the energy of the signal is given adhesiveness (or the viscosity of the ink 2 is reduced), and the ink 2 adheres to the recording medium 3, (not transferred, but transported) to form an ink image 21.

In the present invention, when the above-mentioned distance d is relatively small (for example, 0.3 mm or less), or when the ink 2 is energized to generate heat, either the recording head 4 or the intermediate transfer roll 1, which is the transfer medium, is used as the anode. Good too.

On the other hand, when imparting tackiness to the ink by utilizing the electrochemical reaction of the fluid ink 2, the side to which tackiness is selectively imparted (for example, using an anion as a crosslinking agent as described below) When gel ink is used, it is preferable to use the intermediate transfer roll 1 (anode side) from the viewpoint of preventing disturbance of the ink image 21.

In the present invention, instead of the stirring roll 7 made of a roughened stainless steel roll or the like in the recording apparatus of FIG. 1 described above, as shown in a schematic cross-sectional view in FIG. A porous hollow roll (for example, a plastic mesh made of polyamide or the like formed into a hollow cylindrical shape) 8 is used, and a recording head 4 placed in the hollow roll 8 is held on the porous roll. The intermediate transfer roll 1 serving as the transfer medium may be energized via the fluid ink 2 thus applied.

The plastic mesh material constituting the porous hollow roll 8 shown in FIG. 4 is preferably about 10 to 100 mesh. At this time, it is preferable that the distance d between the recording head 4 and the intermediate transfer roll 1 be relatively wide, about 1 to 51, so that the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 4 is suitable for forming relatively rough images.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 4, in order to prevent ink from flowing out at the bottom of the ink holding means 3, a sheet-like member 9 made of plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate is used.
They are placed as needed.

It is preferable to use a recording apparatus configured as shown in FIG. 4 because the stability of fluid ink separation at the ink separation position is improved.

Further, as another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in a schematic cross-sectional view in FIG. Then, at the ink separation position 12b,
The ink (layer) may be separated in the F direction using gravity.

In FIG. 5, the recording head holding member 11 has the function of holding the recording head 4 in the fluid ink 2 and also regulating the direction in which the ink 2 is transported.

Next, the fluid ink 2 suitably used in the above-described recording method or recording apparatus will be explained in some detail.

In the present invention, as the fluid ink 2, an ink that has fluidity and substantially no tackiness is used. More specifically, the following inks are preferably used. It will be done.

(1) Using a fluidity rotational viscometer (for example, Bismetron VS-AI type, manufactured by Shibaura System Co., Ltd.), 5U at room temperature (25 ° C.)
When using a rotor made of S27 with a diameter of approximately 3 ma+φ, the viscosity of the fluid ink used in the present invention is determined at a rotor rotation speed of 0.
1.0x104 to 2.0xlO'cp when 3rpn+
s (centipoise) (furthermore, 1.0xlO'~1
．． 0xlO”cps), rotation speed 1.5rp @5.
oxto”cps or more (1.0X104~4.0
x10'cps).

(2) Gently place a 5cm x 5cm piece of aluminum foil (after weighing accurately) on the surface of the fluid ink placed in a non-adhesive (or liquid dispersion medium retaining) container, and leave it at a temperature of 25°C.
After being left in an atmosphere with a humidity of 60% for 1 minute, the aluminum foil was gently peeled off from the surface of the fluid ink, and the aluminum foil was quickly and precisely weighed to determine the weight increase of the aluminum foil. In this case, in the fluid ink used in the present invention, solid components (for example, crosslinked structural substances) are not substantially transferred to the aluminum foil piece, and the weight increase of the aluminum foil is 0 to 101,000 II.
It is more preferable that the amount is about 1 to 100 mg.

In addition, when separating the entire fluid ink in the container from the aluminum foil, if necessary, the aluminum foil may be gently peeled off with a spatula or the like and accurately weighed.

If the non-adhesion of the fluid ink used in the present invention is weaker than the above-mentioned level, the fluid ink itself (for example, the liquid dispersion medium and the crosslinked structure material itself) may not be transferred to the transfer medium when no energy is applied. This becomes a non-negligible level, and the image quality deteriorates.

On the other hand, if the fluidity of the ink of the present invention is lower than the above-mentioned level, it will be difficult to smoothly replenish the ink, especially to control the ink layer thickness using a blade or the like.

The fluid ink having fluidity and non-adhesiveness as described above is an ink having a gel state in a broad sense in which a liquid dispersion medium is held by a cross-linked structure substance, or an ink having a relatively high viscosity (using the rotational viscometer described above). , rotor rotation speed 1.5r
Particles (with a particle size of preferably 0.1 to 10
A sludge-like ink obtained by dispersing particles (0 μm, more preferably 1 to 20 μm) is preferably used. Inks having properties of both gel-like inks and sludge-like inks are more preferably used.

Among these fluid inks, in the former gel-like ink, the liquid dispersion medium is well held in the crosslinked structure (except for a small amount of the liquid dispersion medium), so that the ink is not substantially transferred to the transfer medium 1. It is presumed that the data will not be transferred to the

In addition, in the latter sludge-like ink, the particles are arranged closely at the ink interface, which suppresses contact of the dispersion medium with the transfer medium 1, so that the ink is not substantially transferred to the transfer medium 1. considered to be a thing.

When pattern-like energy such as thermal energy is supplied to the above-mentioned gel-like ink or sludge-like ink, the cross-linked structure or arrangement of particles changes, resulting in pattern-like tackiness of these fluid inks. It is presumed that this will be granted.

The term "cross-linked substance" herein refers to a substance that can form a cross-linked structure by itself (e.g., a substance known as a binder or gelling agent) or other additives (e.g., borate ions, etc.). A substance that can form a crosslinked structure by adding a crosslinking agent consisting of an inorganic ion.

Further, the term "crosslinked structure" refers to a three-dimensional structure having "r-crosslinked bonds".

In the ink used in the present invention, this "cross-linking"
may be composed of covalent bonds, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, or van der Waals bonds (or a combination of 2flJ or more), but it is important to maintain the balance between ink fluidity and liquid dispersion medium retention as described above. In view of the above, it is preferable that the "cross-linking bond" is constituted by an ionic bond and/or a hydrogen bond.

In the ink of the present invention, the above-mentioned "crosslinked structure" is sufficient as long as it can obtain the desired liquid dispersion medium retention property. In other words, this crosslinked structure is, for example, network-like, honeycomb-like,
It may have any structure such as a spiral structure, and may not have a regular structure.

In the ink 2 used in the present invention, various inorganic or organic solvents that are liquid at room temperature can be used as the liquid dispersion medium, but they have relatively low volatility (
For example, it is preferable to use a solvent that is equivalent to or lower than water.

When a hydrophilic dispersion medium such as water or a water-containing dispersion medium is used as the liquid dispersion medium, hydrophilic (natural or synthetic) polymers known as thickeners and gelling agents are preferably used as the crosslinked structure substance. .

Examples of such wood-philic polymers include guar gum,
Plant polymers such as locust bean gum, gum arabic, taragant, carrageenan, pectin, mannan, and starch; Microbial polymers such as xanthan gum, dextrin, succinoglucan, and curdlan; Animal polymers such as gelatin, casein, albumin, and collagen. Polymers: Cellulose polymers such as methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, and hydroxyethylcellulose, starch polymers such as soluble starch, carboxymethyl starch, and methyl starch, alginic acid polymers such as propylene glycol alginate, and alginate, and other polysaccharides. Semi-synthetic polymers such as derivatives of polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl methyl ether, carboxyvinyl polymer, sodium polyacrylate, etc.Other vinyl polymers such as polyethylene glycol, ethylene oxide-propylene oxide block copolymers, etc. Synthetic polymers and the like are preferably used alone or in combination of 2f'ij or more if necessary.

These hydrophilic polymers are generally preferably used in an amount of 0.5 to 20 parts, particularly preferably 1 to 5 parts, per 100 parts of the liquid dispersion medium.

On the other hand, when using a dispersion medium made of oil such as mineral oil or an organic solvent such as toluene as the liquid dispersion medium,
Examples of crosslinked structural substances include metal salts of stearic acid such as aluminum stearate, magnesium stearate, and zinc stearate; metal soaps made of other similar metal salts of fatty acids such as palmitic acid, myristic acid, and lauric acid; Organic substances such as hydroxypropyl cellulose derivatives, dibenzylidene-D-sorbitol, sucrose fatty acid esters, dextrin fatty acid esters, etc. may be used alone or in combination of two or more as necessary (same as the hydrophilic polymers mentioned above). In plastisols and organosols obtained by mixing vinyl chloride resin and liquid plasticizer, fluidity with desired characteristics can be achieved by adjusting the mixing ratio, average particle size and particle size distribution of the resin, or adding stabilizers and fillers. You can also get sex ink.

When using the above-mentioned wood-philic polymers or metal soaps, the retention of the liquid dispersion medium and the fluidity of the ink will vary to some extent depending on the amount of these or the combination of these and the liquid dispersion medium. Change. Although it is somewhat difficult to unambiguously determine the amount or combination of these components, the ink of the present invention consisting of a liquid dispersion medium and a crosslinked structure substance (in the description of the fluid ink)
It is preferable to configure it to such a degree that it has non-adhesive properties (ability to retain liquid dispersion medium) and fluidity as described above.

Among the various crosslinked structural substances mentioned above, carrageenan, locust, etc. Hydrophilic polysaccharides such as bean gum, xanthan gum, guar gum, etc., or derivatives thereof are preferably used, and furthermore, mixed systems of carrageenan and locust bean gum, mixed systems of xanthan gum and locust bean gum; or guar gum (or Mixing a polymer having an OH group such as galactomannan or polyvinyl alcohol (modified guar gum) or locust bean gum with a boric acid source compound (a compound capable of liberating borate ions in an aqueous solution) as a crosslinking agent. system is particularly preferably used.

Here, guar gum refers to the guar plant (guar plant).
mannose and galactose. The boric acid source compound as a crosslinking agent is added to 100 parts of this guar gum (for example, sodium borate Na2 B407 ・10H2
In the form of 0), it is preferable to use about 1 to 20 parts.

Furthermore, locust bean gum is obtained from locust beans, a perennial legume, and is a polysaccharide mainly consisting of mannose and galactose. This locust bean gum has a block-like structure.

Furthermore, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide obtained from the secretions of bacteria of the genus Xanthomonas. This xanthan gum is added in an amount of 50 to 100 parts per 100 parts of the above locust bean gum.
It is preferable to use about 200 parts.

The fluid ink 2 preferably used in the present invention is composed of the above-mentioned liquid dispersion medium and a crosslinked structure substance, and if necessary, a coloring agent composed of a dye or pigment or colored fine particles is added to this fluid ink. , a color-forming compound that develops color when energy is applied, or an electrolyte that imparts the desired conductivity to the ink and enables the ink to generate heat when energized, and if necessary, the addition of a fungicide, preservative, etc. It may also contain substances.

As the above-mentioned colorant, dyes and pigments that are generally used in the fields of printing and recording, such as carbon black, can be used without particular restrictions, but liquid dispersion in the transfer medium (when no energy is applied) can be used. From the point of view of suppressing coloration due to adhesion of the medium as much as possible, it is preferable to use dyes and pigments (particularly pigments) that have a relatively low affinity for the liquid dispersion medium. It is preferable to use 1 to 70 parts (especially 5 to 50 parts).

As the coloring agent, colored fine particles (for example, toner particles of various colors used in electrophotography) obtained by dispersing the dye and pigment in a natural or synthetic resin and forming fine particles may be used. Fluid ink containing such colored particles exhibits giratant fluid-like behavior and is therefore particularly preferable from the standpoint of transferring the liquid dispersion medium to the transfer medium or suppressing coloring when no energy is applied.

Such colored fine particles are used in an amount of 1 part or more, more preferably 5 to 100 parts (especially 20 to 80 parts), per 100 parts of the liquid dispersion medium.
It is preferable to use it, and in general, when the fine particle size is increased, it is desirable to increase the fine particle content from the viewpoint of coloring property.

The particle size of the pigment or colored fine particles as the coloring agent mentioned above is as follows:
It is desirable that the thickness is 0.1 μa+ to lOOμ+a, and more preferably 1 to 20 μm.

If the weight of these particles is less than 0.1μ, when the ink comes into contact with a transfer medium such as an intermediate transfer medium (when no energy is applied) and a slight amount of the liquid dispersion medium is transferred to the transfer medium, pigment particles etc. It is not retained in the crosslinked structure and is transferred together with the liquid dispersion medium, which tends to cause image fogging. Also, the particle size is 100
If it exceeds μm, the resolution will be insufficient for a normal image.

On the other hand, color-forming compounds may be used in the same manner as the dyes and pigments mentioned above. As such color-forming compounds, if we use what is generally known as a pressure-sensitive dye or a heat-sensitive dye, that is, a dye that develops color in the presence of acid or heat, fluid ink can be used in the process of applying pattern energy. , can be diagnosed by selective color development.

From the viewpoint of stability against solvents, it is preferable to use the dyes and pigments or colored particles described above as the coloring agent.

In order to obtain the fluid ink 2 made of the above-mentioned components, for example, a liquid dispersion medium such as water and a crosslinked structure substance made of a hydrophilic polymer etc. (if necessary, a crosslinking agent, a coloring agent, an electrolyte, etc.) are used. The mixture is uniformly mixed with appropriate heating to form a viscous solution or dispersion, and then cooled to form a gel.

In addition, when using colored particles such as toner particles as a coloring agent, it is preferable to add the colored particles after heating and mixing the crosslinked structure substance and the liquid dispersion medium to make them uniform. It is also particularly preferable to mix at around room temperature in order to prevent aggregation of toner particles and the like.

In addition, when crosslinking a boric acid source compound with a galactomannan such as guar gum or locust bean gum, or a polymer having an OH group such as polyvinyl alcohol, the pH should be made acidic, or ethylene glycol, glycerin, etc. The viscosity can be easily made into a sol or reduced by adding a polyhydric alcohol, so by mixing colored particles in a sol state or a relatively low viscosity gel state, and then adjusting the pH to an alkaline side, or Gelation may be achieved by further adding a boric acid source compound.

In the fluid ink 2 obtained in this way, at least a part of the crosslinked structure is changed or destroyed by the heat generated by electricity (for example, when a carrageenan-locust bean gum mixed system or a chitintan gum-locust bean gum mixed system is used). As a result, the gel-like state becomes (reversibly) a sol-like state, and adhesiveness is imparted according to the energy application pattern.

In addition, this fluid ink 2 can be reversibly made into a patterned adhesive in the same way as described above by applying electrical energy in a pattern (for example, when using guar gum or polyvinyl alcohol crosslinked with boric acid ions). will be granted. The reason why selective tackiness is imparted when guar gum or the like is used is not necessarily clear, but (according to the inventor's experiments) the amount of energy required to impart tackiness is This tackification occurs near the anode, and
Since this adhesive change is reversible, it is presumed that at least a portion of the crosslinked structure is changed or destroyed by the electrochemical reaction.

In other words, according to the findings of the present inventors, this change in adhesiveness is presumed to be due to a reversible change in the bonding state between boric acid ions and guar gum or polyvinyl alcohol due to the transfer of electrons by the recording electrode. More specifically, it is estimated by the mechanism.

This fluid ink further contains an oxidizing agent, magnetic particles, and a surfactant for stabilizing the dispersibility of the magnetic particles, in addition to an electrolyte, if necessary. A humectant or the like may be mixed to prevent dryness.

As described above, according to the present invention, by using a specific fluid ink and selectively adhering this ink to a transfer medium, a high-density film having a solid ink layer (commonly used in the past) is produced. A recording method that eliminates the need for costly ink ribbons and realizes extremely low running costs, and a recording apparatus suitably used in this method are provided.

According to the recording method of the present invention, image recording is possible using a simple method and at a significantly lower recording cost than the thermal transfer recording method, and also eliminates the drawbacks of the inkjet method such as nozzle clogging and blurring of the recorded image. It becomes possible.

In particular, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention in which the crosslinked structure of the ink is changed by applying electricity, it is possible to record an image with approximately 1/10 the current amount of the conventional thermal transfer method (thermal head drive), reducing energy consumption. This also enables significant cost reductions.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to Examples.

After *iH1, the ink was allowed to stand at room temperature to obtain a highly water-retaining gel ink having an amorphous shape (having fluidity). At this time, the pH was adjusted to 7 to 11 using acid or alkali.

゛ In this gel-like ink, the C2 and C3 cis-OH groups of the mannose main chain of guar gum, and/or the C3 and C4 cis-OH groups of the galactose side chain,
It is presumed that it is crosslinked by borate ions.

By adding acid such as hydrochloric acid or acetic acid to this gel ink,
is set to 7 or less to form a viscous liquid sol, and to this,
50 parts of toner particles with a particle size of 10 μm obtained by uniformly dispersing a phthalocyanine pigment in a polyester resin (canon NP color copier cyan toner, no fluidity improver added externally) were uniformly mixed. After mixing with NaO
H was added to adjust the pH of the ink to about 8 to obtain a sludge-like gel ink.

When the viscosity of this ink was measured using a Vismetron VS-At type rotational viscometer manufactured by Shibaura System Co., Ltd., it was approximately 200,000 cps when the rotor rotation speed was 0.3 rpm, and approximately 100,000 cps when the rotor rotation speed was 1.5 rpm. Ta.

Referring to Figure 1, the iron 2 with rhodium-plated surface
Intermediate transfer roll 1 consisting of a smooth cylindrical roll of 0 maφ
and a stirring roll 7 made of a stainless steel cylindrical roll (20 mmφ) whose surface has been sandblasted to a roughness of 103 are opposed to each other with a gap of 8 ml 11 at the ink separation position, and the recording head is located at the ink separation position. 4 is relative to the intermediate transfer roll 1, d=0.5 mm, θ
Using the image recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1, which faces each other at an angle of =150° (FIG. 2), the sludge-like ink 2 of the present invention obtained as described above was charged into the ink container 3 of this apparatus.

The intermediate transfer roll 1 was rotated at a rotation speed of about 30 rpm in the six directions of the arrows, and the stirring roll 7 was rotated in the direction of the arrow at a rotation speed of about 35 rpm. At this time, when electrical energy was not supplied from the recording head 4 to the fluid ink 2, a very small amount of moisture was transferred onto the intermediate transfer roll 1, but the ink 2 was substantially transferred onto the intermediate transfer roll 1. It was not transferred to

At this time, it is better to set the circumferential speed of the agitation roll 7 to be the same or slightly faster than the circumferential speed of the intermediate transfer roll 1 (for example, about 1.1 to 2 times the circumferential speed of the roll 1) to improve fluidity. This was preferable from the viewpoint of stabilizing the flow of ink 2 in the E direction.

On the other hand, the area of the recording head 4 having the shape shown in FIG.
The recording electrode 42 of 0μl11) is used as a cathode, the intermediate transfer roll l is used as an anode, and a voltage of 15 V, 2m is applied via the ink 2.
When a pulse of 5 ec was applied, a current of about III^ flowed per one electrode element, and the ink 2 was selectively transferred onto the intermediate transfer roll 1, forming an ink pattern 21 (30
0 μm×150 μm) was formed.

When the distance d between the recording pad 4 and the roll 1 was increased, an ink pattern 21 was similarly obtained by increasing the voltage applied to the recording pad 4, but the size of the ink pattern 21 was determined by the voltage. There was a tendency for the value to increase as the value increased. This is considered to be because, as shown in FIG. 2, when d is large, the current path indicated by arrow G becomes wider.

Furthermore, when a change in tackiness due to a change in the crosslinked structure of the ink due to an electrochemical reaction of the ink is utilized as in this example, the solization of the ink 2 occurs only near the surface of the roll 1, which is the transfer medium. Therefore, no "tailing" in the image due to changes in the tackiness of the ink in areas other than where it was needed was observed.

Furthermore, if a metal with a strong tendency to electrochemically ionize is used as the anode, there is a risk that this metal will dissolve into the ink 2. Therefore, as in this embodiment, the surface of the roll 1 is replaced with a metal with a small tendency to ionize. Protection with metals such as rhodium or platinum was particularly preferred.

At the ink image transfer position, a transfer roll 6 (12 m + *4mm on a φ iron cylindrical roll
(with a thick silicone rubber layer) facing each other and applying slight pressure from the transfer roll 6, the ink pattern 2! was formed on the recording material 5. A cyan dot image corresponding to the image was obtained.

When this cyan dot image was fixed using a 180°C heated roll fixing device (not shown) provided on the recording material S downstream from the ink image transfer position, sufficient fixing performance was obtained. Ta.

5) Referring to FIG. 4, a porous hollow roll 8 made of polyamide mesh (50 mesh) is used in place of the stirring roll 7 in FIG. Head 4 (distance to intermediate transfer roll l)
= 3 am), except that the device shown in Figure 4 was used.
When an image was formed by applying energy to the fluid ink 2 in the same manner as in Example 1, an image similar to that in Example 1 (slightly rougher than in Example 1) was obtained on the recording material 5.

At this time, the fluid ink 2 and the intermediate transfer roll 1 could be separated more stably at the ink separation position than in Example 1.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1, 2, 4, and 5 are schematic side sectional views or partial schematic side sectional views showing embodiments of an apparatus system (recording apparatus of the present invention) for carrying out the recording method of the present invention. 3 are schematic perspective views showing a configuration example of a recording electrode suitably used in the recording method (apparatus) of the present invention. 1... Intermediate transfer roll 2... Fluid ink 3... Ink container 4... Recording head 5... Recorded material 6... Axial rotor roll 7... Stirring roll 8... Porous Quality Hollow Roll Phantom Snoring: Figure 1 Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Using a fluid ink that has substantially no tack and can be made tack by applying energy, bringing the fluid ink into contact with a transfer medium, and Supplying energy in a pattern according to an image signal to the fluid ink at a position where the ink contacts the transfer medium,
A recording method for forming an ink image on a transfer medium according to the energy supply pattern by selectively attaching the fluid ink to the transfer medium; A recording method characterized in that the patterned energy is supplied to the fluid ink by energizing the transfer medium. 2. The recording method according to claim 1, wherein energy is supplied to the fluid ink after the fluid ink is brought into contact with the transfer medium at the ink contact position. 3. The ink contact position is a zone having a constant length extending from the ink contact start position to the ink separation position,
The recording method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein energy is supplied to the fluid ink at the ink separation position to selectively adhere the fluid ink to the transfer medium. 4. Using an intermediate transfer medium as the transfer medium, and forming an ink image by transferring fluid ink selectively imparted with tackiness to the intermediate transfer medium by the energy supply, and then transferring the ink image to the intermediate transfer medium. A recording method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the image is transferred from an intermediate transfer medium to a recording material. 5. The recording method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the application of energy causes an electrochemical reaction in the fluid ink. 6. The recording method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein fluid ink is heated by the energy application. 7. Ink holding means having an ink supply section, the ink holding means holding the fluid ink so that the fluid ink can come into contact with the transfer medium transferred in the ink supply section; an energy applying means capable of supplying energy to the fluid ink in the supply section according to the image signal, and in the ink supply section, the fluid ink is selectively applied to the transfer medium in accordance with the application of the energy. A recording device capable of forming an ink image on a transfer medium by adhering the ink to the transfer medium, characterized in that the energy applying means can conduct electricity to the transfer medium via the fluid ink. Device. 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the ink supply section is capable of supplying energy to the fluid ink after the fluid ink is brought into contact with the transfer medium. 9. The ink supply section has a constant length extending from the ink contact start position to the ink separation position, and selectively covers the fluid ink at the ink separation position by supplying energy to the fluid ink. The recording device according to claim 7 or 8, which is capable of being attached to a transfer medium. 10. An intermediate in which the transfer medium is capable of transferring an ink image formed in the ink supply section onto a recording material facing the ink image transfer position downstream from the ink supply section. A recording device according to any one of claims 7 to 9, which is a transfer medium. 11. The recording device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the application of energy causes an electrochemical reaction to occur in the fluid ink. 12. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the fluid ink can be energized and heated by the energy application. 13. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the energy applying means is a recording electrode that faces the transfer medium at a constant gap in the ink supply section. 14. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 13, wherein the energy applying means is arranged so as to be inclined toward the downstream side in the transfer direction of the transfer medium. 15. Between the energy applying means and the transfer medium,
A recording device according to any one of claims 7 to 13, which comprises a porous insulating endless moving body. 16. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 15, wherein a fluid ink stirring means is disposed in the ink supply section so as to face the transfer medium. 17. Claim 16, wherein the ink stirring means has a cylindrical shape and is movable in the same direction as the transfer direction of the transfer medium at a circumferential speed faster than the moving speed of the transfer medium.
Recording device described in section.