JP2009028967A - Thermal transfer printer and thermal transfer method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely peel a foil and to surely perform transfer through the use of a thermal head, even in the case of using a thick transfer foil, without causing the damage in the thermal head due to excessive heating. <P>SOLUTION: The thermal transfer printer includes: a support 5 for supporting a material to be transferred 31; the thermal head 2 for pressurizing the transfer foil 21 overlaid on the material 31 at the support 5 and peeling the transfer layer of the transfer foil 21 and transferring it to the material to be transferred 31 by heating; and a head heater 3 for preheating the thermal head 2; and a preheater 4 for preheating the transfer foil 21 before the transfer process by the thermal head 2 or a material-to-be-transferred preheater 7 for heating the material to be transferred 31. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer that thermally transfers and prints on a transfer material by pressing and heating the transfer foil, and in particular, a book, notebook, even a thick transfer foil having a metal layer or the like in the transfer layer. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer that can be transferred to an album, a decorative ribbon, or the like for printing.

  Conventionally, title letters and personal names in a transfer layer (hereinafter referred to as a metal transfer layer) provided with a metallic layer having a metallic luster on books, notebooks, etc. made of this kind of paper, board, synthetic resin, leather, etc. Printing a mark or the like is performed. This printing is generally performed by a hot stamping method such as foil stamping in which a transfer foil is transferred to a transfer material by thermocompression bonding. Specifically, the transfer foil is formed by laminating a transfer layer made of pigment, vapor deposited metal, or the like on a base material made of a film or the like. For such a thick transfer foil, in the foil stamping, a transfer mold having a predetermined print pattern is pressed from the transfer foil side, and the print pattern is transferred to the transfer material by thermocompression bonding. In hot stamp printing, a transfer foil formed of thermal transfer ink is used to transfer to a transfer material using a hot plate or a hot roll.

  However, the conventional method is costly and expensive because a transfer mold or plate having a desired printing pattern must be individually created for each transfer material. In addition, the printing apparatus itself is large. In order to partially correct the printing pattern, it is necessary to correct the transfer mold or plate or newly create it again.

  Therefore, instead of using a conventional transfer mold or plate, a method of printing by transferring the transfer layer from the transfer foil using a thermal transfer printer that presses the thermal head against a transfer foil such as an ink ribbon and heats it is considered. It is done. This thermal transfer printer heats the pigment-based ink applied to the ink ribbon by a thermal head equipped with a heating element based on a signal sent from a personal computer or the like, and transfers it to paper or the like. According to this, there is no need to create a transfer mold or plate for each transfer material. However, transfer foils (hereinafter referred to as metal transfer foils) provided with a metal layer or the like in the transfer layer are formed of a thick film or the like, unlike an ink ribbon or the like used in a normal thermal transfer printer. In addition, since it is very difficult to activate the adhesive layer of the metal transfer foil and apply the thermal energy necessary to peel off the transfer layer in a thermal head in which a large number of fine heating elements are arranged, Conventionally, it has not been practiced to transfer a thick transfer foil such as a metal transfer foil using this thermal transfer printer.

Under such circumstances, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-169858 proposes a thermal printer device for hot stamp foil. The thermal printer apparatus includes a thermal head including a plurality of resistors by a thermal transfer printer and a driver IC for energizing the resistors, a support portion for sandwiching the foil and the transfer material, and pressing the thermal head against the support portion. A pressing unit is provided to control and apply heat generated by selecting and supplying each resistor of the thermal head and enlarging the pressing force of the thermal head to directly transfer the metal transfer layer to the transfer material. It is something to be made.
JP 2005-169858 A

  However, although the thermal printer apparatus described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-169858 has a possibility of transferring a metal transfer foil by applying a pressing force with a thermal head and heating it, the metal transfer layer is sufficiently and cleanly provided. It has not come off. This is because if the thermal head having small dots is heated to a great extent, the thermal head itself is damaged, and it is considered that there is a limit in dealing with only the thermal head portion.

  Therefore, even if the transfer foil is thick, the present invention can use the thermal head to reliably peel and transfer the transfer layer without damaging the thermal head due to excessive heating. An object is to provide a thermal transfer printer.

The present invention is as follows.
1. A support portion that supports the transfer material, and a thermal head that presses and heats the transfer foil superimposed on the transfer material at the support portion to peel the transfer layer on the transfer foil and transfer it to the transfer material And a thermal head preheating part for preheating the thermal head, and a preheating part for preheating the transfer foil before transfer by the thermal head.
2. In the thermal head, the pressing portion for pressing the transfer foil is formed on the end surface. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
3. The transfer path of the transfer foil is linearly formed in the range of 20 mm or more in the forward and backward directions in the moving direction of the thermal head. Or 2. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
4). The preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit is 40 to 70 ° C. To 3. A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
5). The preheating temperature by the preheating part is 40 to 80 ° C. To 4. A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
6). The application pulse applied to the thermal head is controlled to apply the application pulse even outside the printing range. To 5. A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
7). The transfer foil is a transfer foil having a metal layer on the transfer layer. To 6. A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
8). Transfer foils having different thicknesses can be used by changing the pressing force for pressing the transfer foil, the preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit, and the preheating temperature for preheating the transfer foil. To 6. 8. Thermal transfer printer according to any one of A support portion that supports the transfer material, and a thermal head that presses and heats the transfer foil superimposed on the transfer material at the support portion to peel the transfer layer on the transfer foil and transfer it to the transfer material And a thermal head preheating portion for preheating the thermal head, and a transfer material preheating portion for preheating the transfer material before transfer by the thermal head.
10. The support part is a transport roller for transporting the transfer material,
The above-mentioned transfer material preheating portion is provided on the rotating shaft portion of the transport roller. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
11. 1. A re-peeling portion that re-peels an unnecessary transfer layer portion that has been unnecessarily transferred from the transfer material onto which the transfer layer has been transferred. To 10. A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
12 The re-peeling portion re-peels the unnecessary transfer layer portion with an adhesive material. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
13. In the thermal head, the pressing portion that presses the transfer foil is formed on an end surface,
The transfer path of the transfer foil is linearly formed in a range of 20 mm or more in the forward and backward directions in the moving direction of the thermal head, the preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit is 40 to 70 ° C., and the preheating The preheating temperature by the part is 40 to 80 ° C., and the application pulse applied to the thermal head is controlled to apply the application pulse even outside the printing range, and the transfer foil is a metal layer on the transfer layer. A transfer foil comprising
A re-peeling portion for re-peeling the unnecessary transfer layer portion transferred unnecessarily from the transfer material onto which the transfer layer has been transferred,
The re-peeling portion re-peels the unnecessary transfer layer portion with an adhesive. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.

  The thermal transfer printer of the present invention includes a thermal head that transfers and transfers a transfer layer to a transfer material by pressing and heating the transfer foil, a thermal head preheating portion that preheats the thermal head, and the transfer foil before being transferred by the thermal head. And a preheating portion for preheating the. Therefore, even if the transfer foil is thick, such as a metal transfer foil, thermal energy is applied to the thermal head in advance by the thermal head preheating unit, and thermal energy is applied to the transfer foil in advance by the preheating unit. Without damaging the thermal head, sufficient thermal energy is applied to the transfer foil during printing, and the pre-heated thermal head is pressed and heated to activate the transfer foil adhesive layer and transfer the transfer layer. be able to. As a result, it is possible to reliably transfer and print using a thermal head, so that it is not necessary to create a transfer mold or plate for each transfer material as in the prior art, and the printing cost can be reduced.

In addition, when the pressing part with the transfer foil in the thermal head is formed on the end face, the stress is concentrated on the narrow part by pressing at the corner edge part etc. of the thermal head, and the transfer layer is wrinkled and cracked. It is possible to prevent the appearance of the transferred transfer layer from being deteriorated.
Furthermore, if the transfer path of the transfer foil is linearly formed in the range of 20 mm or more in the forward and backward directions of the thermal head movement direction, the transfer foil is bent in the vicinity of the thermal head to cause a large tension. By preventing the generation of stress and securing a straight conveyance path, the tensile stress can be relaxed and adjusted. As a result, wrinkles, cracks and the like can be prevented from occurring in the transferred transfer layer, so that the transfer layer can be given gloss and the appearance can be improved.
In addition, when the preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit is set to 40 to 70 ° C., the transfer layer can be stably peeled from the transfer foil, and accurate printing with fine resolution can be performed. .
Furthermore, when the preheating temperature by a preheating part is set to 40-80 degreeC, a transfer layer can be peeled stably from transfer foil.
Further, when the application pulse applied to the thermal head is controlled to be applied even outside the printing range, printing with fine resolution can be performed and accurate printing can be performed.
Furthermore, when changing the pressing force to press the transfer foil, the preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit, and the preheating temperature to preheat the transfer foil, the optimum printing is possible even in printing using different thicknesses of transfer foil. It can be performed.
Furthermore, when the re-peeling part re-peels the unnecessary transfer layer part with the adhesive material, the unnecessary transfer layer part can be re-peeled, and a desired print pattern can be printed more accurately.

The thermal transfer printer of the present invention includes a thermal head that transfers and transfers a transfer layer to a transfer material by pressing and heating a transfer foil, a thermal head preheating portion that preheats the thermal head, and a transfer material before being transferred by the thermal head. A transfer material preheating portion for preheating the recording material. Therefore, even if the transfer foil is thick, such as a metal transfer foil, thermal energy is applied to the thermal head in advance by the thermal head preheating unit, and thermal energy is applied to the transfer material in advance by the transfer material preheating unit. Therefore, without damaging the thermal head due to excessive heating, sufficient thermal energy is applied to the transfer material during printing, and further, the adhesive layer of the transfer foil is activated by pressing and heating with the preheated thermal head. The transfer layer can be transferred. As a result, it is possible to reliably transfer and print using the thermal head.
Furthermore, the support portion is a conveyance roller that conveys the material to be transferred, and the transfer material preheating portion is provided in the rotating shaft portion of the conveyance roller, and in the thermal transfer printer having a more compact structure, the metal transfer Printing using a thick transfer foil such as a foil can be performed.
In addition, when a re-peeling part for re-peeling the unnecessary transfer layer part that has been transferred unnecessarily from the transfer material onto which the transfer layer has been transferred is further provided, a desired print pattern can be printed accurately.
Furthermore, when the re-peeling part re-peels the unnecessary transfer layer part with the adhesive material, the unnecessary transfer layer part can be re-peeled more reliably, and a desired print pattern can be printed more accurately.
The present invention is particularly effective in printing on a thick transfer foil such as a metal transfer foil.

(Embodiment 1)
The thermal transfer printer according to the present embodiment includes a support unit that supports a transfer material, a thermal head, a thermal head preheating unit, and a preheating unit, which will be described below. The thermal transfer printer can further include, for example, a re-peeling portion described later.

  The “support portion” is not particularly limited in its structure, shape, material and the like as long as it supports the transfer material. The support portion supports the material to be transferred, and also functions as a support material when the transfer foil is superimposed on the transfer material and pressed with the thermal head. For example, the support portion can be configured to place a rubber sheet on a plate material and to place and support a material to be transferred thereon, and for a bulky material to be transferred such as a book, a clamp or the like can be used as necessary. You may enable it to position in a predetermined location. Further, when the transfer foil is in the form of a long band, it can be formed in a long band corresponding to the shape.

As long as the above “thermal head” presses and heats the transfer foil, activates the release layer and the adhesive layer of the transfer foil, peels off the transfer layer from the substrate, and transfers it to the transfer material. The structure, shape, material, etc. are not particularly limited. The thermal head receives an energization signal, presses and heats the transfer foil for each dot, activates the release layer and the adhesive layer, peels the transfer layer from the substrate, and transfers it to the transfer material. The transfer foil can be heated by using a normal heater and attaching it to a thermal head, but is not limited to this means.
In the thermal head, it is desirable that a pressing portion with the transfer foil is formed on the end surface. This is to prevent stress from concentrating on a narrow portion and causing the transfer layer to be wrinkled or cracked, and to prevent the appearance of the transferred transfer layer from being deteriorated.

  Here, examples of the “transfer foil” include a metal transfer foil provided with a metal layer made of aluminum or the like in the transfer layer, or a transfer foil provided with a hologram whose color changes due to light reflection on the transfer layer. If thermal energy is not applied, the main application targets are those in which the release layer and the adhesive layer are not activated. Of course, the thermal transfer printer of this embodiment can change printing conditions such as pressing force and preheating temperature. Therefore, it can be applied to a transfer foil such as a normal thin thermal transfer ribbon. In addition, the transfer foil may be of various shapes such as a rectangular fixed size or a long strip.

  The transfer path of the transfer foil is desirably formed linearly in the range of 20 mm or more in the forward and backward directions of the thermal head. The transfer foil is bent at the corner edge in the vicinity of the thermal head to prevent a large tensile stress from being generated in this narrow part, and the tensile stress is relaxed and adjusted by securing a straight conveyance path. This is because wrinkles, cracks and the like are prevented from occurring in the transfer layer, gloss can be imparted to the transfer foil, and the appearance can be improved.

  Examples of the “material to be transferred” include a book, a notebook, an album, a decorative ribbon, and the like, but the thermal transfer printer of this embodiment can naturally print on a normal sheet.

  The “thermal head preheating part” is not particularly limited in its structure, shape, material and the like as long as it preheats the thermal head. The preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating part is desirably 40 to 70 ° C., and most preferably in the range of 58 to 68 degrees. When the temperature is lower than 40 ° C., the temperature applied during printing is used to heat the thermal head itself, and the thermal energy applied to the transfer foil is insufficient, and the transfer layer is stably peeled from the transfer foil. It is difficult to print accurately with fine resolution. On the other hand, if it exceeds 70 ° C., the thermal head itself may be damaged.

  The “preheating part” is not particularly limited in structure, shape, material, etc. as long as the transfer foil is preheated before being transferred by the thermal head. The preheating part is provided separately from the thermal head and preliminarily gives thermal energy that is insufficient to melt the transfer foil by heating with the thermal head. After preheating the transfer foil, it will disappear to the outside. It is desirable to install it in front of the thermal head as much as possible. The preheating unit can be configured as a preheating head including a heater, for example.

  The preheating temperature by the preheating part is desirably 40 to 80 ° C., and most preferably 60 to 70 degrees. This is because the transfer layer can be stably peeled from the transfer foil. In addition, if it is less than 40 degreeC, it is difficult to activate a contact bonding layer, and it is difficult to acquire a peeling effect reliably. On the other hand, if it exceeds 80 ° C., the transfer layer peels off at this preheated portion, and there is a possibility that accurate printing cannot be performed.

  The “re-peeling part” is not particularly limited in its structure, shape, material, and the like as long as the unnecessary transfer layer part unnecessarily transferred from the transfer material onto which the transfer layer has been transferred can be re-peeled. It is desirable that the re-peeling part is installed after the thermal head and re-peeled in a series of flows of the transfer process. In addition, the re-peeling portion can be configured to re-peel the unnecessary transfer layer portion with an adhesive material.

  In the thermal transfer printer, in particular, a pressing portion that presses the transfer foil is formed on the end face of the thermal head, and the transfer path of the transfer foil is linearly formed in a range of 20 mm or more in the front and rear in the moving direction of the thermal head. The preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit is 40 to 70 ° C., the preheating temperature by the preheating unit is 40 to 80 ° C., and the control of the applied pulse applied to the thermal head is controlled to apply the applied pulse even outside the printing range. The transfer foil is a transfer foil made of a metal foil, and further includes a re-peeling portion for re-peeling the unnecessary transfer layer portion unnecessarily transferred from the material to which the transfer layer has been transferred. The unnecessary transfer layer portion can be peeled off again with an adhesive material.

(Embodiment 2)
The thermal transfer printer according to the present embodiment includes a support unit that supports a transfer material, a thermal head, a thermal head preheating unit, and a transfer material preheating unit described below. The thermal transfer printer can further include, for example, a re-peeling portion described later.

  The “support portion” is not particularly limited in its structure, shape, material and the like as long as it supports the transfer material. The support portion supports the material to be transferred, and also functions as a support material when the transfer foil is superimposed on the transfer material and pressed with the thermal head. For example, the support portion can be configured to place a rubber sheet on a plate material and to place and support a transfer material thereon. Further, the support portion is a transport roller that transports the transfer material, and the roller surface can be provided with a resin lining such as silicon.

  As long as the above “thermal head” presses and heats the transfer foil, activates the release layer and the adhesive layer of the transfer foil, peels off the transfer layer from the substrate, and transfers it to the transfer material. The structure, shape, material, etc. are not particularly limited. The thermal head receives an energization signal, presses and heats the transfer foil for each dot, activates the release layer and the adhesive layer, peels the transfer layer from the substrate, and transfers it to the transfer material. The transfer foil can be heated by using a normal heater and attaching it to a thermal head, but is not limited to this means.

  Here, examples of the “transfer foil” include a metal transfer foil provided with a metal layer made of aluminum or the like in the transfer layer, or a transfer foil provided with a hologram whose color changes due to light reflection on the transfer layer. If thermal energy is not applied, the main application targets are those in which the release layer and the adhesive layer are not activated. In addition, the shape of the transfer foil may include a long strip shape. Furthermore, the transfer foil can be configured to be easily replaceable by a cartridge type or the like.

Examples of the above-mentioned “material to be transferred” include a decorative ribbon.
The “thermal head preheating part” is not particularly limited in its structure, shape, material and the like as long as it preheats the thermal head.

  The “transfer material preheating portion” is not particularly limited in its structure, shape, material, and the like as long as the transfer material is preheated before being transferred by the thermal head. Since the transfer material preheating portion is provided separately from the thermal head, the transfer material is preliminarily provided with heat energy insufficient for the activation of the adhesive layer and the release layer in the transfer foil by heating with the thermal head. After preheating the transfer material, it is desirable to install it in front of the thermal head as much as possible so as not to disappear outside. For example, the preheating unit is provided in the support unit and can be configured such that heat is transferred from the preheated support unit to the transfer material and the transfer material is preheated. In addition, the transfer material preheating portion can be provided on the rotation shaft portion of the transport roller, particularly when the support portion is a transport roller for transporting the transfer material.

  The “re-peeling part” is not particularly limited in its structure, shape, material, and the like as long as the unnecessary transfer layer part unnecessarily transferred from the transfer material onto which the transfer layer has been transferred can be re-peeled. It is desirable that the re-peeling part is installed after the thermal head and re-peeled in a series of flows of the transfer process. Moreover, the re-peeling part can be configured to re-peel the unnecessary transfer layer part with an adhesive material, for example.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
Example 1
As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal transfer printer 1 according to this embodiment includes a support portion 5 that supports a material to be transferred 31 such as a book or a notebook, and a transfer foil 21 that is superimposed on the material to be transferred 31 in the support portion 5. A thermal head 2 that is transferred to the transfer material 31 by pressing and heating, a head heater 3 that preheats the thermal head 2, and a preheating heater as a preheating portion that preheats the transfer foil 21 before transfer by the thermal head 2. 4 and a re-peeling portion 6 for re-peeling the unnecessary transfer layer portion 241 transferred unnecessarily from the transfer material 31 onto which the transfer layer 24 has been transferred, with an adhesive material 61. The preheater 4 is installed in the vicinity of the thermal head 2. Further, the thermal transfer printer 1 includes a feeding mechanism 11 for feeding the transfer foil 21 to the thermal head 2, and the transfer foil 21 is fed from the feed roller 12 via a drive motor (not shown) and passes through the first auxiliary roller 13. It moves on the transfer material 31 in the horizontal direction, passes through the preheating heater 4 and then the thermal head 2, and then is wound up by the winding roller 15 through the second auxiliary roller 14. The thermal head 2 and the preheater 4 are integrated with the feed mechanism 11 and are not shown, but can be moved in the left-right direction in FIG. 1 by a driving means, and are orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 1 as necessary. You can also move in the direction you want.
Further, the thermal transfer printer 1 includes a re-peeling unit 6. The re-peeling unit 6 includes an adhesive material feeding mechanism for feeding the adhesive material 61 to the transfer material 31. The adhesive material 61 follows the transfer material 31 from the adhesive material feed roller 62 via a drive motor (not shown). It is sent out at a speed to be wound, and is taken up by the adhesive material take-up roller 64 through the re-peeling roller 63.

  The thermal head 2 is composed of a resistor in which a large number of heating elements are arranged, receives each input signal from a personal computer or the like, and each heating element contacts and separates from the transfer foil 21, presses the transfer foil 21 in accordance with the printing pattern, and heats it. It is supposed to be. The head heater 3 includes a heating element, and preheats the thermal head 2 to 40 to 70 ° C. Moreover, the press part which presses the transfer foil 21 is formed in the end surface 2a. Here, the pressing force of the thermal head 2 against the transfer foil 21 is the entire pressing portion, and in the case of the normal thermal transfer printer 1, the heating element 25.4 mm (1 inch) in the row direction of the heating elements arranged in series. While it is 0.98 to 1.47 N per width, it is set large as 9.8 to 24.5 N. Further, in the conveyance path 16 of the transfer foil 21 from the feed roller 12 to the take-up roller 15, the distance L1 between the first auxiliary roller 13 and the thermal head 2 and the distance L2 between the thermal head 2 and the second auxiliary roller 14 are respectively. It is set to 20 mm or more, that is, the portions of 20 mm or more in front of and behind the thermal head 2 in the conveyance path 16 are formed linearly. This is to prevent wrinkles and the like from occurring on the transfer foil 21 due to bending of the conveyance path 16 in this portion.

  On the other hand, the preheater 4 is installed in front of the thermal head 2 in the conveyance path 16, the surface facing the transfer foil 21 is formed on a flat end surface, is provided with a heating element, and the transfer foil 21 directly below is placed in the range 40-80. Preheat to ℃. The preheater 4 is preferably installed as close to the thermal head 2 as possible in order to prevent the thermal energy from being lost and cooled until the transfer foil 21 reaches the thermal head 2.

  As an example, the transfer foil 21 uses a metal transfer foil having an aluminum transfer layer. As shown in FIG. 2, a release layer 23 and a transfer layer are sequentially formed on the surface of a base material 22 made of various plastic films or the like. 24 and the adhesive layer 25 are laminated. The transfer foil 21 has a base material 22 having a thickness of about 16 μm and a transfer layer 24 having a thickness of about 0.9 μm. Generally, the thermal transfer ribbon used in the thermal transfer printer 1 is 2.5 to 6 μm as a whole. It is quite thick. Therefore, unless a considerable amount of heat energy is applied, the release layer 23 and the adhesive layer 25 of the transfer foil 21 are not activated, and the transfer layer 24 is difficult to peel from the release layer 23. Note that the tension of the transfer foil 21 is adjusted by controlling a drive motor and a brake (not shown) provided in the feed mechanism 11.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the adhesive material 61 is formed on the surface of an adhesive base material 611 made of various plastic films or the like, on a silicon resin or non-silicon resin (acrylic resin, natural rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, isoprene). A pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 612 made of a rubber or the like. Further, the adhesive layer 612 is not limited to the above-mentioned solvent-based adhesive, and a non-solvent-based adhesive may be used. In addition, the tension | tensile_strength of the adhesive material 61 is adjusted by controlling the drive motor and brake which are not shown in figure provided in the re-peeling part 6. FIG.

Next, a method of performing thermal transfer on the transfer material 31 using the thermal transfer printer 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above and printing will be described.
First, the transfer foil 21 is attached to the feed mechanism 11, and the transfer material 31 is placed on the support portion 5 and positioned. Next, conditions such as a pressing force of the thermal head 2, an applied temperature, and a printing pattern are set by a personal computer (not shown). Further, the adhesive material 61 is attached to the re-peeling portion 6.

  When the preparation is completed, printing is started, and the thermal head 2 and the preheating heater 4 are driven and controlled to move from the printing start position to the printing end position. Further, the transfer foil 21 is conveyed from the left direction to the right direction in FIG. 1 while being driven by the take-up roller 15 by driving the drive motor. At this time, the head heater 3 is preheated in the range of 40 to 70 ° C., and the preheating heater 4 is preheated in the range of 40 to 80 ° C. In this state, the thermal head 2 is placed on the transfer foil 21 in accordance with a predetermined printing pattern in the row direction of the heating elements arranged in series, and 9.8-24. Press and heat with 5N force. As a result, the release layer 23 and the adhesive layer 25 of the dot portion thermocompression bonded in the transfer foil 21 are activated. At this time, although the release layer 23 and the adhesive layer 25 are activated, the adhesive force between the transfer layer 24 and the transfer material 31 by the adhesive layer 25 is the adhesive force between the transfer layer 24 and the substrate 22 by the release layer 23. Since the transfer layer 24 is set larger, the transfer layer 24 is peeled off from the release layer 23, pulled by the transfer material 31, and extracted thereon. Then, the adhesive layer 25 is deactivated again, and the transfer layer 24 of the dot portion pressed and heated on the transfer foil 21 is transferred onto the transfer material via the adhesive layer 25.

Here, since the pressing portion with the transfer foil 21 in the thermal head is formed on the end surface, stress is concentrated on a narrow portion, and the transfer layer 24 is prevented from being wrinkled or cracked, and the appearance is deteriorated. Is prevented.
In addition, since the preheating temperature by the head heater 3 is set to 40 to 70 ° C., the temperature applied during printing is not used for heating the thermal head 2, and sufficient thermal energy is applied to the transfer foil 21. Therefore, it is possible to perform stable printing of the transfer layer 24 from the release layer 23 and accurate printing with fine resolution.
Furthermore, since the preheating temperature by the preheating head is set to 40 to 80 ° C., the transfer foil 21 is given sufficient thermal energy when the thermal head 2 is pressed, and the mold is released even if the transfer foil 21 is thick. The layer 23 is activated, and the transfer layer 24 can be peeled stably.
Further, since the transfer foil 21 is linearly formed in the range of 20 mm or more forward and backward from the thermal head 2 in the transport path 16, the tensile stress of the transfer foil 21 is relieved. As a result, generation of wrinkles, cracks and the like in the transfer layer 24 is prevented, a desired gloss is imparted, a sense of quality is increased, and an appearance is improved.

Here, a method of controlling the applied pulse applied to the thermal head 2 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the graph of FIG. 3, the horizontal axis represents the application time, and the vertical axis represents the applied temperature.
Now, a Chinese character “tree” is exemplified as a print pattern, and the graph shows an application time and an application temperature on a center line indicated by a one-dot chain line. In this case, according to the conventional method of simply applying an applied pulse, a constant temperature T2 indicated by a two-dot chain line at the time of printing is changed from the temperature T0 of the head that has not been preheated only for the time A as the printing range. Apply. With this method, delicate printing with fine resolution could not be performed. In contrast, in this embodiment, the temperature T3 at the start of printing is applied from the preheated temperature T1 of the thermal head 2, and then the applied temperature is gradually decreased. In addition, the duty is controlled by further dividing the number of pulses in one-dot printing into a plurality of pulses, and further, the application is continued after the printing range is exited. That is, while applying to the range of B, the application completion timing and the applied temperature are finely adjusted. Thereby, printing with fine resolution can be performed, and accurate printing can be performed. A specific control method after leaving the printing range is a control method in which the applied pulse is 3 dots and the applied temperature is gradually reduced from about 10% of the applied temperature at the end of the printing range.

  The transfer layer 24 transferred to the transfer material 31 is not separated from the transfer layer around the transferred portion, particularly when transferring a fine print pattern. It may be peeled off and transferred as an unnecessary transfer layer portion 241. However, since the unnecessary transfer layer portion 241 does not have sufficient adhesive force with the transfer material 31 by the adhesive layer 25 and is smaller than the adhesive force with the unnecessary transfer layer portion 241 by the adhesive layer 612, the re-peeling portion 6 It can be easily peeled off from the transfer material 31.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the transfer layer 24 transferred to the transfer material 31, the transfer layer portion 242 to be transferred and the unnecessary transfer layer portion 241 transferred unnecessarily are transferred to the transfer material 31. In this case, the adhesive material 61 is appropriately pressed against the surface of the transfer layer 24 transferred to the transfer material 31 by the re-peeling roller 63, and the adhesive layer 612 adheres to the transfer layer 24. As shown in FIG. 5, when the adhesive material 61 is fed out at a speed that follows the material to be transferred 31 and is separated from the surface of the material to be transferred 31, the transfer layer portion 242 adheres to the material to be transferred 31 by the adhesive layer 25. Is sufficient, and this adhesive force is larger than the adhesive force with the transfer layer portion 241 required by the adhesive layer 612, so that it is still transferred to the surface of the transfer material 31, but the unnecessary transfer layer portion 241 is formed by the adhesive layer 25. Since the adhesive force with the transfer material 31 is not sufficient, and this adhesive force is smaller than the adhesive force with the unnecessary transfer layer portion 241 by the adhesive layer 612, it is peeled again from the surface of the transfer material 31.

  The thermal transfer printer 1 of the present embodiment can also transfer a thin thermal transfer ribbon that is generally used for thermal transfer in the same manner. In this case, the pressing force of the thermal head 2 against the transfer foil 21 can be set low. Printing can be performed by setting a low preheating temperature in the head heater 3 and the preheating heater 4 or by a normal operation without preheating with the preheating heater 4.

Next, the operation of the thermal transfer printer 1 of this embodiment configured as described above will be described.
The thermal transfer printer 1 of the present embodiment preheats the transfer foil 21 before the thermal head 2 is transferred, and a head heater 3 that preheats the thermal head 2 that is transferred to the transfer material 31 by pressing and heating the transfer foil 21. The preheating heater 4 is provided. Accordingly, even if the transfer foil 21 is thick, the thermal head 2 is preheated by the head heater 3 and thermal energy is applied to the transfer foil 21 by the preheater 4, so that an excessive applied temperature is applied to the thermal head during printing. Since there is no need, the thermal head 2 is not damaged, and sufficient thermal energy is applied to the transfer foil 21 during printing. When the thermal head 2 is pressed and heated, the transfer layer 24 of the transfer foil 21 is peeled off and bonded. The layer 25 adheres to the transfer material 31 and is transferred to the transfer material 31. Further, the unnecessary transfer layer portion 241 that has been unnecessarily transferred to the transfer material 31 by the re-peeling portion 6 is peeled off from the transfer material 31 again. As a result, since the thermal head 2 can be used for reliable transfer and printing, there is no need to create a transfer mold or plate for each material to be transferred 31 as in the prior art, and the printing cost can be reduced. it can.

  By the way, the thermal transfer printer 1 of the first embodiment is provided with the preheater 4 as the preheater. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a conveyance path between the first auxiliary roller 13 and the thermal head 2. A small preheating furnace may be attached along 16 or preheated by means such as hot air.

(Example 2)
As shown in FIG. 6, the thermal transfer printer 1 according to this embodiment includes a support portion 5 that supports a transfer material 31 such as a decoration ribbon, and a transfer foil 21 that is superimposed on the transfer material 31 in the support portion 5. The thermal head 2 that is transferred to the transfer material 31 by pressing and heating, the head heater 3 that preheats the thermal head 2, and the transfer material preheating portion that preheats the transfer material 31 before being transferred by the thermal head 2. The transfer material preheating heater 7 is provided. The support unit 5 is a conveyance roller that conveys the transfer material 31 and is rotated by a driving motor (not shown). After the transfer material 31 is fed from the transfer material feed roller 16 at a predetermined speed and passes through the thermal head 2, It is supposed to be discharged. Further, the roller surface of the support portion 5 is provided with a resin lining such as silicon. The transfer material preheating heater 7 is provided on the rotating shaft portion of the support portion 5, and heat is transferred from the preheated support portion to the transfer material to preheat the transfer material. Further, the thermal transfer printer 1 is provided with a feeding mechanism 11 for feeding the transfer foil 21 to the thermal head 2, and the transfer foil 21 is fed from the feed roller 12 via a drive motor (not shown) and passes through the first auxiliary roller 13. It moves on the transfer material 31 in the horizontal direction, passes through the preheating heater 4 and then the thermal head 2, and then is wound up by the winding roller 15 through the second auxiliary roller 14.

  The thermal head 2 is composed of a resistor in which a large number of heating elements are arranged, receives each input signal from a personal computer or the like, and each heating element contacts and separates from the transfer foil 21, presses the transfer foil 21 in accordance with the printing pattern, and heats it. It is supposed to be. The head heater 3 includes a heating element and preheats the thermal head 2. Moreover, the press part which presses the transfer foil 21 is formed in the end surface 2a.

  The transfer foil 21 has a structure in which a release layer 23, a transfer layer 24, and an adhesive layer 25 are sequentially laminated on the surface of a base material 22 made of various plastic films. Note that the tension of the transfer foil 21 is adjusted by controlling a drive motor and a brake (not shown) provided in the feed mechanism 11.

  By the way, the thermal transfer printer 1 of the second embodiment may further include a re-peeling portion 6 behind the thermal head 2 as in the first embodiment.

Next, a method of performing thermal transfer on the transfer material 31 using the thermal transfer printer 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above and printing will be described.
First, the transfer foil 21 is attached to the feed mechanism 11, and the transfer material 31 is placed on the support portion 5 and positioned. Next, conditions such as a pressing force of the thermal head 2, an applied temperature, and a printing pattern are set by a personal computer (not shown).

  When the preparation is completed, printing is started, and the transfer material 31 is conveyed from the left direction to the right direction in FIG. Further, the transfer motor 21 is conveyed from the left direction to the right direction in FIG. 6 while being driven by the take-up roller 15 at a speed that follows the conveyance speed of the transfer material 31 by driving the drive motor. In this state, the thermal head 2 is pressed against the transfer foil 21 according to a predetermined printing pattern and heated. As a result, the release layer 23 and the adhesive layer 25 of the dot portion thermocompression bonded in the transfer foil 21 are activated. At this time, although the release layer 23 and the adhesive layer 25 are activated, the adhesive force between the transfer layer 24 and the transfer material 31 by the adhesive layer 25 is the adhesive force between the transfer layer 24 and the substrate 22 by the release layer 23. Since the transfer layer 24 is set larger, the transfer layer 24 is peeled off from the release layer 23, pulled by the transfer material 31, and extracted thereon. Then, the adhesive layer 25 is deactivated again, and the transfer layer 24 of the dot portion pressed and heated on the transfer foil 21 is transferred onto the transfer material via the adhesive layer 25.

Next, the operation of the thermal transfer printer 1 of this embodiment configured as described above will be described.
The thermal transfer printer 1 of this embodiment presses the transfer foil 21 and heats it to preheat the thermal head 2 to be transferred to the transfer target material 31 and the transfer target material 31 before the transfer of the thermal head 2. A transfer material preheating heater 7 for preheating is provided. Therefore, even if the transfer foil 21 is thick, the thermal head 2 is preheated by the head heater 3 and thermal energy is applied to the transfer material 31 by the transfer material preheating heater 7, so that an excessively applied temperature during printing is applied. Since there is no need to add a thermal head, sufficient thermal energy is applied to the transfer foil 21 during printing without damaging the thermal head 2, and when the thermal head 2 is pressed and heated, the transfer layer 24 of the transfer foil 21 is formed. It peels off, adheres to the transfer material 31 by the adhesive layer 25, and is transferred to the transfer material 31. As a result, since the thermal head 2 can be used for reliable transfer and printing, there is no need to create a transfer mold or plate for each material to be transferred 31 as in the prior art, and the printing cost can be reduced. it can. Further, since the transfer foil 21 is an integrated cartridge type from the feed roller 12 to the take-up roller 15, when transferring using various transfer foils 21, the transfer foil 21 can be easily replaced. .

It is a principal part front view of the thermal transfer printer of embodiment of this invention. It is a principal part enlarged view of the thermal head of FIG. 1, a preheating heater, and transfer foil. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the application time of the thermal head in a character pattern, and the applied temperature applied. It is a principal part enlarged view which represented typically the state before an unnecessary transfer layer part was re-peeled by the re-peeling part. It is the principal part enlarged view which represented typically the state after the unnecessary transfer layer part was re-peeled by the re-peeling part. It is a principal part front view of the thermal transfer printer of other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1; Thermal transfer printer, 2; Thermal head, 2a; End surface, 3; Head heater, 4; Preheating heater, 5; Support part, 6: Re-peeling part, 7: Transfer material preheating heater, 21; Transfer layer 31; Transfer material 61; Adhesive material L1; Distance between first auxiliary roller and thermal head; L2; Distance between thermal head and second auxiliary roller.

The present invention is as follows.
1. A support for supporting the transfer material;
A thermal head that presses and heats the transfer foil superimposed on the material to be transferred in the supporting portion and peels off the transfer layer in the transfer foil to transfer it to the material to be transferred;
A thermal head preheating part for preheating the thermal head;
A preheating part for preheating the transfer foil before transfer by the thermal head;
Equipped with a,
The thermal head is a thermal transfer printer in which a pressing portion for pressing the transfer foil is formed on an end surface .
2. The transfer path of the transfer foil is linearly formed at the front and rear in the moving direction of the thermal head. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
3 . The transfer path for the transfer foil is linearly formed in the range of 20 mm or more in the forward and backward directions in the moving direction of the thermal head. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
4). The preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit is 40 to 70 ° C. To 3. A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
5). The preheating temperature by the preheating part is 40 to 80 ° C. To 4. A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
6). The application pulse applied to the thermal head is controlled by applying the application pulse even outside the printing range. To 5. A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
7). The transfer foil is a transfer foil provided with a metal layer on the transfer layer. To 6. A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
8). Transfer foils having different thicknesses can be used by changing the pressing force for pressing the transfer foil, the preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit, and the preheating temperature for preheating the transfer foil. To 6. The thermal transfer printer according to any one of
9 . The thermal head further includes a transfer foil pressing portion that urges the transfer foil toward the transfer material in front and rear of the thermal head. To 8. A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
10 . A support for supporting the transfer material;
A thermal head that presses and heats the transfer foil superimposed on the material to be transferred in the supporting portion and peels off the transfer layer in the transfer foil to transfer it to the material to be transferred;
A thermal head preheating part for preheating the thermal head;
A transfer material preheating portion for preheating the transfer material before transfer by the thermal head;
Equipped with a,
The support part is a transport roller for transporting the transfer material,
The transfer material preheating portion is provided on a rotation shaft portion of the transport roller,
The thermal head is a thermal transfer printer in which a pressing portion for pressing the transfer foil is formed on an end surface .
11 . The transfer foil transport path is linearly formed on the front side and the rear side of the thermal head. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
12 . The transfer foil is a transfer foil having a metal layer on the transfer layer. Or 11. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
13 . The transfer material is a decorative ribbon. To 12. A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
14 . 1. A re-peeling portion that re-peels an unnecessary transfer layer portion that has been unnecessarily transferred from the transfer material onto which the transfer layer has been transferred. Thru 13 . A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
15 . The removable portion is the 14 removable by adhesive material the required transfer layer portion. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
16 . The transfer path of the transfer foil is linearly formed in a range of 20 mm or more in the front and rear in the moving direction of the thermal head,
The preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit is 40 to 70 ° C.,
The preheating temperature by the preheating part is 40 to 80 ° C.,
The control of the applied pulse applied to the thermal head is a control for applying the applied pulse even outside the printing range,
The transfer foil is a transfer foil comprising a metal layer in the transfer layer,
A re-peeling portion for re-peeling the unnecessary transfer layer portion transferred unnecessarily from the transfer material onto which the transfer layer has been transferred,
The re-peeling portion re-peels the unnecessary transfer layer portion with an adhesive. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.

The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer that performs thermal transfer onto a transfer material by pressing and heating the transfer foil and prints, and a thermal transfer method using the same, and in particular, a thick transfer foil that includes a metal layer or the like in the transfer layer. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer that can be transferred to a book, a notebook, an album, a decorative ribbon, and the like, and a thermal transfer method using the same .

Therefore, even if the transfer foil is thick, the present invention can use the thermal head to reliably peel and transfer the transfer layer without damaging the thermal head due to excessive heating. An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer printer and a thermal transfer method using the same .

The present invention is as follows.
1. A support for supporting the transfer material;
A thermal head that presses and heats the transfer foil superimposed on the material to be transferred in the supporting portion and peels off the transfer layer in the transfer foil to transfer it to the material to be transferred;
A thermal head preheating part for preheating the thermal head;
A preheating part for preheating the transfer foil before transfer by the thermal head;
With
The thermal head has a pressing portion that presses the transfer foil formed on the end surface ,
The transfer foil is a transfer foil comprising a metal layer in the transfer layer,
The transfer path of the transfer foil is linearly formed on each of the front and rear in the moving direction of the thermal head .
2 . The conveying path of the transfer foil, in front and rear respectively range above 20mm in the moving direction of the thermal head, the one that is linearly formed. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
3 . The thermal head preheating section is set to a preheating temperature of 40 to 70 ° C. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
4). The thermal head preheating part is set to a preheating temperature of 40 to 70 ° C. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
5 . The application pulse applied to the thermal head is controlled by applying the application pulse even outside the printing range. ~ 4 . A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
6 . The thermal head further includes a transfer foil pressing portion that urges the transfer foil toward the transfer material in front and rear of the thermal head. ~ 5 . A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
7 . A support for supporting the transfer material;
A thermal head that presses and heats the transfer foil superimposed on the material to be transferred in the supporting portion and peels off the transfer layer in the transfer foil to transfer it to the material to be transferred;
A thermal head preheating part for preheating the thermal head;
A transfer material preheating portion for preheating the transfer material before transfer by the thermal head;
With
The support part is a transport roller for transporting the transfer material,
The transfer material preheating portion is provided on a rotation shaft portion of the transport roller,
The thermal head has a pressing portion that presses the transfer foil formed on the end surface ,
The transfer foil is a transfer foil comprising a metal layer in the transfer layer,
2. A thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the transfer path of the transfer foil is linearly formed in front and rear of the thermal head .
8 . The 7 wherein the transfer material is a decorative ribbon. The thermal transfer printer described in 1.
9 . 1. A re-peeling portion that re-peels an unnecessary transfer layer portion that has been unnecessarily transferred from the transfer material onto which the transfer layer has been transferred. ~ 8 . A thermal transfer printer according to any one of the above.
1 0 . The removable portion is the 9 to removable by adhesive material the required transfer layer portion. Described in thermal transfer printer.
11. A thermal transfer method using the thermal transfer printer according to claim 1,
The transfer material is supported by the support portion, and then
Preheating the thermal head by the thermal head preheating unit and preheating the transfer foil by the preheating unit,
The thermal head presses the transfer foil superimposed on the material to be transferred in the support portion, and by heating, the transfer layer in the transfer foil is peeled off and transferred to the material to be transferred,
The thermal transfer method, wherein the preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit is 40 to 70 ° C.
12 The transfer foil transport path is linearly formed in the range of 20 mm or more in the forward and backward directions of the thermal head in the moving direction. The thermal transfer method described in 1.
13. 12. The preheating temperature by the preheating part is 40 to 80 ° C. The thermal transfer method described in 1.
14 In the step of pressing and heating, the thermal head is 9 per 1 inch wide (600 heating elements) in the row direction of the heating elements arranged in series on the transfer foil according to a predetermined printing pattern. The above 13. which is a step of pressing and heating with a force of 8 to 24.5 N. The thermal transfer method described in 1.
15. The control of the applied pulse applied to the thermal head is a control for applying the applied pulse even outside the printing range. -14. The thermal transfer method according to any one of the above.

Claims (13)

A support for supporting the transfer material;
A thermal head that presses and heats the transfer foil superimposed on the material to be transferred in the supporting portion and peels off the transfer layer in the transfer foil to transfer it to the material to be transferred;
A thermal head preheating part for preheating the thermal head;
A preheating part for preheating the transfer foil before transfer by the thermal head;
A thermal transfer printer comprising:   The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the thermal head has a pressing portion that presses the transfer foil formed on an end surface.   3. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the transfer path of the transfer foil is linearly formed within a range of 20 mm or more in each of a front direction and a rear direction in the moving direction of the thermal head.   4. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein a preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit is 40 to 70 ° C. 5.   The thermal transfer printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a preheating temperature by the preheating unit is 40 to 80 ° C.   The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the application pulse applied to the thermal head is controlled to be applied even outside the printing range.   The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the transfer foil is a transfer foil including a metal layer on the transfer layer.   7. The transfer foil having different thicknesses can be used by changing a pressing force for pressing the transfer foil, a preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit, and a preheating temperature for preheating the transfer foil. Thermal transfer printer as described in A support for supporting the transfer material;
A thermal head that presses and heats the transfer foil superimposed on the material to be transferred in the supporting portion and peels off the transfer layer in the transfer foil to transfer it to the material to be transferred;
A thermal head preheating part for preheating the thermal head;
A transfer material preheating portion for preheating the transfer material before transfer by the thermal head;
A thermal transfer printer comprising: The support part is a transport roller for transporting the transfer material,
The thermal transfer printer according to claim 9, wherein the transfer material preheating portion is provided on a rotation shaft portion of the transport roller.   The thermal transfer printer according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a re-peeling portion that re-peels an unnecessary transfer layer portion that has been unnecessarily transferred from the transfer material onto which the transfer layer has been transferred.   The thermal transfer printer according to claim 11, wherein the re-peeling portion re-peels the unnecessary transfer layer portion with an adhesive material. In the thermal head, the pressing portion that presses the transfer foil is formed on an end surface,
The transfer path of the transfer foil is linearly formed in a range of 20 mm or more in the front and rear in the moving direction of the thermal head,
The preheating temperature by the thermal head preheating unit is 40 to 70 ° C.,
The preheating temperature by the preheating part is 40 to 80 ° C.,
The control of the applied pulse applied to the thermal head is a control for applying the applied pulse even outside the printing range,
The transfer foil is a transfer foil comprising a metal layer in the transfer layer,
A re-peeling portion for re-peeling the unnecessary transfer layer portion transferred unnecessarily from the transfer material onto which the transfer layer has been transferred,
The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the re-peeling portion re-peels the unnecessary transfer layer portion with an adhesive material.

Images