JPS6339363A - Thermal transfer color printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate positional shifting of recording dots in thermal transfer recording on and after second color recording, by providing an area not applied with a thermally fusible ink between areas applied with the thermally fusible ink on a substrate sheet and also performing the recording operation on said area not applied with the thermally fusible ink. CONSTITUTION:An ink sheet is carried in the direction of an arrow, and an area 11 not applied with a thermally fusible ink is first utilized for performing thermal transfer recording of such area as corresponding to the drawing range of thermal transfer recording. A thermal head 1 is heated to evaporate moisture contained in a recording paper 2 so as to shrink said paper. Thereafter, thermally fusible inks 4, 5, 6 are employed and thermal transfer recording is performed. Consequently, highly accurate positioning can be achieved between dots recorded by means of the thermally fusible inks 4, 5, 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a color printer using a thermal transfer recording method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A conventional color thermal transfer printer will be described below.

Fig. 2 shows the principle of color recording by the thermal transfer recording method, in which 1 is a thermal printhead, 2 is a recording paper, 3 is an ink sheet base material, and 3 is an ink sheet base material.
At least two or more colors of heat-melting ink are applied thereon, and in color recording, three colors of heat-melting ink are generally applied.

Here, three colors of heat-melting ink are applied, each of which is a first heat-melting ink 4, a second heat-melting ink 6, and a third heat-melting ink 6. The colors of the heat-melting inks are different, for example, 4-digit yellow, 6-digit magenta, and 6-digit cyan, and these components include pigment as a coloring agent, wax as a binder, oil, etc. 3, 4, and 5°6 are collectively referred to as a thermal transfer recording ink sheet. 08 is the heat-melting ink 4 transferred to the recording paper 2.
．． Reference numeral 9 denotes a platen roller that brings the thermal transfer recording ink sheet 7 and the recording paper 2 into close contact with each other and is in H-contact with the thermal head 1.

The principle of color thermal transfer recording with the following configuration will be explained below.

Thermal transfer recording is as shown in Figure 2.
・Place the shoe door and the recording paper 2 in close contact, and then press the platen roller 9.
The thermal head 1 is brought into pressure contact with the thermal head 1, and the thermal head 1 generates heat, thereby melting the heat-melting ink 4°6.6 and transferring it onto the recording paper 2. In this way, the colors are transferred in the order of yellow, magenta, and cyan. At this time, the thermal transfer recording ink sheet 7 advances in one direction of the arrow, so the recording paper 2 must be accurately returned to its original position each time the color changes. Transfer recording is performed by melting the heat-fusible ink by heating, penetrating and adhering onto the recording paper 2 or onto the heat-fusible ink that was transferred before it, and then cooling and solidifying.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention According to such a conventional configuration, when performing thermal transfer recording of the first color, the recording paper 2 is heated by the heat generated by the thermal head 1 and loses moisture stored inside. At that time, it contracts. For this reason, even if the recording paper 2 is returned to its original position C' precisely in order to perform thermal transfer recording of the second and third colors, there is a gap between the two colors where the second and third colors do not overlap accurately with the first color. Figure 3 is a graphical representation of the problems mentioned above.

FIG. In the figure, numeral 10 is a heating element of the thermal head 1, and the other parts are the same as in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state immediately after the first color thermal transfer recording is completed and the first heat-melting ink 4 is transferred onto the recording paper 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the first heat-melting ink 4 is transferred onto the recording paper 2 at a location corresponding to the position of the thermal head heating element 10. Since the water in the recording paper 2 is lost by evaporation and the recording paper 2 shrinks, the recording device f of the transferred tenth heat-melting ink 8 after the transfer recording is completed is different from the position of the heating element 10. FIG. 4 shows this situation. Here, it is assumed that the recording paper 2 contracts in the direction of the arrow in FIG.

Since the recording position of the heat-melting ink 8 transferred in this way is different from the position of the heat generating element 10, after the transfer recording of the first color is completed, in order to perform the transfer recording of the second and third colors, the recording paper 2 is Even if the dots are returned accurately to the position of 5/, -7, the recording dots of the second and third colors will be misplaced by f☆ compared to the first color.

The present invention (1) solves these conventional problems, and in thermal transfer recording of second and subsequent colors, recording dots from f to
The purpose is to eliminate r-misalignment.

Means for Solving the Problem In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a substrate sheet l-
1=, an area coated with thermofusible ink of two or more colors different from each other and an area located between the areas and not coated with thermofusible ink are provided at least in the maximum drawing range. An ink sheet for thermal transfer recording is constructed, and the recording operation is performed even in areas of the ink sheet for thermal transfer recording where no heat-melting ink is applied.

action The effect of this configuration is as follows.

That is, before thermal transfer recording of the first color is performed, thermal transfer recording is performed using an area of the thermal transfer recording sheet to which no heat-melting ink is applied. At this time, 6).7 The thermal head generates heat appropriately to heat the recording paper, evaporate the moisture contained inside, and cause it to shrink. Since no heat-melting ink is applied to the thermal transfer recording sheet 7-1-J2 used at this time, it does not affect the surface condition of the recording paper in any way.

Thereafter, even if thermal transfer recording is performed for the first, second, and third colors, the recording paper will not shrink as a result, and highly accurate alignment of recording dots can be achieved.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a top view of an ink sheet for color thermal transfer recording used in a color thermal transfer printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 indicates an area to which no heat-melting ink is applied, and the other parts are the same as in FIG. 2.

Now, the ink sheet is conveyed in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and using the area 11 not coated with the hot bath meltable ink to be washed, thermal transfer recording is performed for the area of the drawing range to be thermally transferred recorded. At this time, the thermal head 1 generates heat to evaporate the water contained in the gold layer on the imperial record paper 2, causing the recording paper 2 to shrink.

After that, if thermal transfer recording is performed using hot bath fusible inks 4 and 5.6, high-precision alignment can be obtained between the dots recorded with hot bath fusible inks 4 and 6.6. be.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to achieve the effect that recording dots can be aligned with extremely high precision.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an ink sheet for color thermal transfer recording used in a color thermal transfer printer according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the principle of conventional color thermal transfer recording;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which thermal transfer recording of the first color is being performed in a conventional color thermal transfer printer, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which thermal transfer recording of the first color is completed in a conventional color thermal transfer printer. It is a diagram. 4...First thermofusible ink, 5...
Second thermofusible ink, 6...Third thermofusible ink, 11...A region to which no thermofusible ink is applied.

Claims (1)

[Claims] On the base sheet, an area where heat-melt inks of two or more different colors are sequentially applied and an area located between the areas and where no heat-melt ink is applied are provided at least in an area of the maximum drawing range. A color thermal transfer printer comprising an ink sheet for thermal transfer recording and performing a recording operation even in areas of the ink sheet for thermal transfer recording where no heat-melting ink is applied.