JPH09104153A - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] To facilitate separation of a sheet base of an ink sheet and a precoat material. SOLUTION: A thermal head 7 presses an ink sheet 12 stacked on a transfer paper 20 against the transfer paper 20. While the transfer target paper 20 is being conveyed by the capstan roller 4 and the pinch roller 5, a signal is input to the thermal head 7 to perform a precoating process on the transfer target paper 20 and subsequent printing. A plate-shaped peeling bar 41 is inserted between the pinch roller 5 and the thermal head 7, and the lower end edge thereof is close to the surface of the transfer paper 20 at an appropriate interval. Even when the sheet base forming the ink sheet 12 is not normally peeled from the precoat material applied to the transfer paper 20 during the precoating process, the peeling bar 41 promotes peeling.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer, and more particularly, to an improvement for facilitating peeling between a sheet base forming an ink sheet and a precoat material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a thermal transfer printer, an image is printed by superposing an ink sheet on a transfer sheet and transferring the image from the ink sheet to the transfer sheet with a thermal head. When plain paper such as a postcard is used as the transfer target paper, a white precoat material is applied to the transfer target paper prior to transferring the image to enable transfer of the ink material onto the paper surface. . For this purpose, an ink sheet is preliminarily prepared with a precoat material along with an ink material for image transfer, and the application of the precoat material is performed in the same manner as the image transfer by the ink material.

FIG. 20 is a side view of the main part of the thermal transfer printer in the process of applying the precoat material to the transfer paper. In FIG. 20, 4 is a capstan roller, 5 is a pinch roller, 6 is a platen roller, 7 is a thermal head, 11 is a spring that presses the thermal head 7 against the platen roller 6, and 12 is an image on the transfer paper. An ink sheet for printing, 20 is a transfer sheet having a predetermined size, 30 is a heater line linearly projected on the bottom surface of the thermal head 7 so as to face the top of the platen roller 6, and 31 is It is a protrusion that linearly protrudes on the bottom surface of the thermal head 7.

Further, 10 is a strip-shaped sheet base as a base material of the ink sheet 12, and P is the sheet base 1.
It is a precoat material applied on one side of No. 0. The capstan roller 4 is a drive roller connected to a drive motor (not shown), and in cooperation with a pinch roller 5 that is a driven roller, the transfer target paper 20 is nipped and rotated to reciprocate the transfer target paper 20. .

The function of the spring 11 causes the thermal head 7
Is pressed against the platen roller 6, so that the portion of the ink sheet 12 that contacts the heater line 30 is pressed against the transfer paper 20. When the transfer paper 20 is conveyed by the capstan roller 4, the ink sheet 12 is moved by the frictional force between the ink sheet 12 and the transfer paper 20.
Moves with the transfer paper 20. At this time, the pre-coat material P is applied to the transfer paper 20 by applying an electric signal of a predetermined magnitude to the heater line 30. In FIG. 20, the hatched portion of the precoat material P indicates the portion where the coating is completed.

A certain amount of tension is applied to the ink sheet 12 so that the ink sheet 12 is peeled off from the transfer paper 20. For this reason, the ink sheet 12 is bent and separated from the transfer-receiving paper 20 as the protrusion 31 passes, and then collected. At this time, the applied precoat material P remains on the transfer paper 20 and is peeled off from the sheet base 10. Then, only the seat base 10 is collected. In this way, the precoat material P is applied to the surface of the transfer paper 20.

[0007]

However, in the conventional apparatus, there is a problem that the peeling between the sheet base 10 and the coated precoat material P may not be performed smoothly. FIG. 21 is a side view of the main part of the device for explaining this problem.

That is, the tension applied to the ink sheet 12 must be such that it does not hinder the precise conveyance of the transfer paper 20 by the capstan roller 4, and as shown in FIG. And seat base 10
There was a case where the peeling was not performed normally. At this time,
The ink sheet 12 continues to move while being stuck to the transfer paper 20 even after passing through the protrusion 31. as a result,
The ink sheet 12 contacts the pinch roller 5 or is caught between the pinch roller 5 and the transfer paper 20,
In some cases, the transfer paper 20 may cause a jam (paper jam).

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the conventional apparatus, and facilitates the peeling between the sheet base and the precoat material, whereby the transfer sheet can be normally conveyed. An object is to provide a thermal transfer printer that can be accelerated.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an ink sheet, in which a precoat material and an ink material are arranged on a belt-shaped sheet base, is superposed on one main surface of a transfer target sheet, A thermal transfer that performs a pre-coating process on the one main surface and a subsequent image printing by applying a signal to the thermal head while repeatedly pressing the transfer target paper in one direction by pressing with a thermal head. In a die printer, at a position downstream of the thermal head in the one direction and sandwiched between the transfer paper and the sheet base that are separated from each other and branched, the contact surface is in contact with or close to the one main surface. It is characterized in that it is provided with a peeling promoting member interposed.

The apparatus of the second invention is the thermal transfer printer of the first invention, wherein the separation promoting member extends at right angles to the transfer direction of the transferred paper and is an end facing the one main surface. At least a part of the edge is in contact with or close to the one main surface, and further, the end edge side is inclined with respect to the one main surface so as to face the upstream side of the one direction, it has a plate-shaped member. Characterize.

An apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is the thermal transfer printer according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the at least a part of the edge is in close proximity without contacting the one main surface, and the plate-shaped member. Is supported on the side opposite to the edge so that the edge is free, and the plate-shaped member is at least one of the members so that the edge is movable with an elastic restoring force. It is characterized in that the part includes an elastic body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the thermal transfer printer according to the second aspect of the invention, at least a portion of the edge of the plate-shaped member that is in contact with or close to at least the one main surface is an upstream side in the one direction. It is characterized in that it is provided with a claw-shaped projection protruding inward.

An apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the thermal transfer printer of the second aspect, wherein the plate-shaped member makes surface contact with the sheet base when the sheet base is peeled off by the plate-shaped member. It is characterized by having a part to do.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the thermal transfer printer of the second aspect, only a part of the edge of the plate-shaped member facing the one main surface is in contact with or close to the one main surface. It is characterized by doing.

An apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the invention is the thermal transfer printer of the first aspect of the invention, which is provided downstream of the thermal head in the one direction and rotates by nipping the transfer sheet while pressing it. A pair of rollers for conveying the transfer sheet is further provided, and the pair of rollers can be brought into contact with and separated from each other by moving one roller of the pair of rollers which is in contact with the one main surface, and the separation is promoted. The member is installed between the one roller and the thermal head, and further, the one roller is provided so that it can be separated from the transfer path of the transfer sheet as the pair of rollers is separated. It is characterized by being connected to.

According to an eighth aspect of the invention, in the thermal transfer printer of the seventh aspect, the peeling promoting member is rotatably connected so as to be parallel to the one roller, and the peeling accelerating member and the one roller are circumferentially connected. It is characterized in that it has another roller that rotates in the opposite direction with the rotation of the one roller when the surfaces contact each other.

The apparatus of the ninth invention is the thermal transfer printer of the seventh invention, wherein the separation promoting member is connected so as to be in parallel with and close to the one roller, and the diameter thereof is the one of the one roller. It is characterized in that it has a shaft or a wire that is less than half the diameter of the roller.

An apparatus according to a tenth aspect of the invention is the thermal transfer printer according to the seventh aspect of the invention, wherein the peeling promoting member is connected so as to be in parallel with and close to the one roller, and has a cross-section of a substantially V-shape. In the bent portion, the plate-shaped member is in contact with or close to the one main surface at the bent portion, and the bent portion side faces the upstream side in the one direction. Two plate materials inclined at different angles with respect to the main surface,
The bent portions are integrally connected to each other.

An apparatus according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the thermal transfer printer according to the first aspect of the invention, in which the end face of the separation promoting member facing the one main surface is closer to the one main surface, the upstream side in the one direction. It is characterized in that it is inclined with respect to the one main surface so as to go toward.

In the apparatus of the twelfth invention, an ink sheet in which a precoat material and an ink material are arranged on a belt-shaped sheet base is superposed on one main surface of a transfer paper and pressed by a thermal head from above. In a thermal transfer type printer that performs a precoat process on the one main surface and a subsequent image printing by applying a signal to the thermal head while repeatedly transporting the transferred paper in one direction,
The signal applied during the precoat treatment is characterized in that the strength of applying the precoat material is made to be lower on average in the region at the beginning of the precoat treatment than in other regions.

The apparatus of the thirteenth invention is the thermal transfer printer of the twelfth invention, wherein a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the thermal head and a response to the output of the temperature sensor during the precoating process and the printing are provided. Then, an output adjusting unit that corrects the signal and applies the signal to the thermal head so as to respectively compensate the temperature characteristics of the precoat material and the ink material.

[0023]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

<First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a side view showing a main part of a thermal transfer printer according to a first embodiment. In FIG. 1, 1 is a main body of the apparatus, 4 is a capstan roller, 5 is a pinch roller, 6 is a platen roller, 7 is a thermal head, 11 is a spring for pressing the thermal head 7 against the platen roller 6, and 12 is An ink sheet for printing an image on a transfer sheet, a supply bobbin 13 on which the ink sheet 12 is wound in advance, a winding bobbin 14 for winding up the ink sheet 12, and a transfer target 20 having a predetermined standard size. Paper, 30 is a heater line that linearly projects on the bottom surface of the thermal head 7 so as to face the top of the platen roller 6, 31 is a projection that linearly projects on the bottom surface of the thermal head 7, and 32 is the thermal head 7. The head cover 41 covers the bottom surface of the device, and 41 is a peeling bar (peeling promoting member) fixedly attached to the apparatus main body 1.

The capstan roller 4 is a drive roller connected to a drive motor (not shown), and in cooperation with a pinch roller 5 which is a driven roller, the transfer paper is reciprocally moved by sandwiching and rotating the transfer paper. Let The thermal head 7 is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown), and can move up and down to be pressed against and separated from the platen roller 6. Similarly, pinch roller 5
Is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) and can be pressed against and separated from the capstan roller 4 by moving up and down.

The peeling bar 41 is a plate-shaped member inserted between the pinch roller 5 and the thermal head 7, and is made of, for example, metal or hard resin. FIG. 2 is a partial front view showing the front shape of the peeling bar 41. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower edge 42 having a linear contour of the peeling bar 41 is along the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the transfer paper 20, and is parallel to the surface of the transfer paper 20. ing. A proper gap D is set between the lower edge 42 and the transfer paper 20.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the ink sheet 12. As shown in FIG. 3, in the ink sheet 12 that is compatible with color images, three types of ink materials that transfer the three primary colors,
That is, yellow Y, magenta M, and cyan C
Are sequentially arranged on one surface (front side in FIG. 3) of the belt-shaped sheet base 10. Further, when a plain paper such as a postcard is used as the transfer target paper, the precoat material P for precoating the transfer target paper 20 has three primary colors for the purpose of transferring the ink material onto the paper surface. It is placed at the beginning of the ink material.

Since the precoat material P and the ink materials Y, M, and C are used only once, the ink sheet 12 can be used for one sheet of the transfer paper 20. Precoat material P and ink materials Y, M, C
Are arranged repeatedly. As a result, it is possible to print on a large number of transfer papers 20 using one ink sheet 12.

Next, returning to FIG. 1, the operation of the apparatus will be described. When the transferred paper 20 is conveyed to the printing start position by the action of the capstan roller 4 and the pinch roller 5, the thermal head 7 descends, and the action of the spring 11 presses the thermal head 7 against the platen roller 6. . As a result, the portion of the ink sheet 12 that contacts the heater line 30 is pressed against the transfer paper 20. At the same time, the projection 31 and the head cover 32 are attached to the transfer paper 2
Since the ink sheet 12 comes into contact with the surface of No. 0, the ink sheet 12 comes into close contact with and overlaps with the surface of the transfer paper 20 before and after the heater line 30.

Thereafter, when the transfer paper 20 is moved by the action of the capstan roller 4 and the pinch roller 5, the ink sheet 12 moves together with the transfer paper 20 due to the frictional force between the ink sheet 12 and the transfer paper 20. Then, it is wound on the winding bobbin 14. At this time, an image signal is input to the heater line 30 so that a predetermined image is transferred from the ink sheet 12 to the transfer sheet 2.
Transferred to the 0 surface.

To the bobbin 14, a torque having a constant magnitude that does not hinder the precise transfer of the transfer paper 20 by the capstan roller 4 is applied in the winding direction of the ink sheet 12. Further, the supply bobbin 13 includes the bobbin 1
A torque weaker than 4 is applied to the ink sheet 12 in the rewinding direction, whereby the tension in the longitudinal direction is appropriately applied to the ink sheet 12.

When the printing of one primary color is completed, the thermal head 7 moves away from the platen roller 6 to the standby position, and the capstan roller 4 is rotationally driven in the opposite direction to print the transfer paper 20. It is returned to the starting position. Then, the next primary color printing is performed. Further, before the printing of the primary colors with the ink materials Y, M, and C is performed, the precoat material P is applied over the entire area of the transfer paper 20 to be printed.

The application of the pre-coat material P, that is, the pre-coat process, applies a signal equivalent to performing one-color printing (so-called "solid") with equal density to the entire area to be printed, while applying a signal to the heater line 30. It is done in the same way as printing. In this manner, while the transfer paper 20 reciprocates four times, the precoat material P and the ink materials Y, M, and C provided on the ink sheet 12 are brought into close contact with the transfer paper 20 one after another, and the precoat process and the subsequent process are performed. The printing of the color image on the transfer paper 20 is completed by printing the three primary colors.

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the apparatus, and particularly shows a process of applying the precoat material P to the transfer paper 20. As shown in FIG. 4, in this device, even if an abnormal situation occurs in which the sheet base 10 and the precoat material P are not separated from each other on the protrusion 31, the ink sheet 12 contacts the separation bar 41, The tension applied to the ink sheet 12 increases. Alternatively, the peeling angle A between the ink sheet 12 and the transfer paper 20 becomes large. As a result, the peeling of the sheet base 10 from the portion where the application of the precoat material P is completed (the hatched portion of the precoat material P in FIG. 4) is promoted. Therefore, the problem of jamming of the transferred paper 20 due to the peeling failure of the sheet base 10 is solved or alleviated.

Further, since the lower end edge 42 of the peeling bar 41 does not come into contact with the transfer paper 20, there is no risk that the printed image is damaged by the peeling bar 41 or the conveyance of the transfer paper 20 is disturbed. That is, there is an advantage that the peeling bar 41 does not cause the deterioration of the image quality.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the peeling bar 41 has an angle such that the transfer sheet 20 to be transferred is approached, that is, the lower edge 42 side is directed toward the upstream side of the transfer. It is desirable that it is provided so as to project obliquely downward from the upper end fixed to the apparatus main body 1. This makes it more difficult for the ink sheet 12 to be caught between the lower edge 42 and the transfer paper 20 and enter the pinch roller 5.

<Second Embodiment> FIG. 5 is a side view showing a main part of a thermal transfer printer according to a second embodiment. In this device, the peeling bar (peeling promoting member) 43 has a lower edge 4
4 is attached so as to be in contact with the transfer paper 20, and no gap is provided between the lower edge 44 and the transfer paper 20. Therefore, since the ink sheet 12 does not exceed the peeling bar 43, the peeling of the sheet base 10 is realized with high reliability.

<Third Embodiment> FIG. 6 is a side view showing a main part of a thermal transfer printer according to a third embodiment. In this device, the peeling bar (peeling promoting member) 45 is made of an elastic body such as rubber. An appropriate gap D is set between the lower edge 46 and the transfer paper 20 (shown by a dotted line in FIG. 6). Further, the peel bar 45 is
To receive the transferred transfer paper 20, that is,
The lower edge 46 side projects obliquely downward from the upper end fixed to the apparatus main body 1 so that the lower edge 46 side is directed to the upstream side of conveyance.

For this reason, the projection 31 is used to form the seat base 10.
When the ink sheet 12 comes into contact with the peeling bar 45 without normally peeling the peeling bar 45 from the precoat material P, the peeling bar 45
Is elastically deformed by being pressed by the ink sheet 12. As a result, the lower edge 46 comes into close contact with the transfer paper 20, so that the ink sheet 12 does not exceed the peel bar 45. Therefore, the peeling of the sheet base 10 is realized with high reliability.

That is, in the apparatus of this embodiment, the peeling bar 45 does not contact the transfer paper 20 under normal conditions, so there is no risk of damaging the image or disturbing the transfer of the transfer paper 20. In addition, at the time of abnormality, the peeling bar 4
Since the sheet 5 comes into close contact with the transfer paper 20, the sheet base 10
Is reliably removed. As described above, the device of this embodiment achieves the advantages of both the first and second embodiments in a compatible manner.

The peeling bar 45 does not have to be entirely made of an elastic material. For example, even if the elastic body is used only in the portion projecting obliquely downward from the upper end fixed to the apparatus main body 1 or only in the joint between the fixed upper end and the projecting portion, the same effect can be obtained. . That is, the peeling bar 45 may include an elastic body so that the lower end edge 46 of the peeling bar 45 can move with an elastic restoring force.

<Fourth Embodiment> FIG. 7 is a partial front view showing a contour shape of a peeling bar (peeling promoting member) of a thermal transfer printer according to a fourth embodiment. In this embodiment, the contour shape of the lower edge of the peel bar is determined so that the distribution of the tension additionally applied to the sheet base 10 by the peel bar is biased. That is, the peeling bar of this embodiment is configured to promote a smoother peeling of the sheet base 10 by concentrating the tension on a part of the sheet base 10.

In the peel bar 47 illustrated in FIG. 7A,
The contour shape of the lower end edge 48 is curved so that both ends approach the transfer paper 20 and the central part moves away from the transfer paper 20. That is, the peel bar 47 exerts the highest tension on the sheet base 10 at both ends.

In the peeling bar 49 illustrated in FIG. 7B,
The contour shape of the lower edge 50 is curved so that the central portion approaches the transfer paper 20 and both ends move away from the transfer paper 20. That is, the peel bar 47 exerts the highest tension in the central portion.

The peeling bar 51 illustrated in FIG. 7C is separated into two and is provided only at both ends. That is, in the peel bar 51, the tension concentrates on both ends of the sheet base 10.

In the peeling bar 53 illustrated in FIG. 7D,
The contour shape of the lower end edge 54 is a sawtooth shape. That is, the peeling bar 53 exerts the highest tension on the sheet base 10 at the tip of the saw tooth.

<Fifth Embodiment> FIG. 8 is a partial side view showing the structure of a peeling bar (peeling promoting member) of a thermal transfer printer according to a fifth embodiment. In this embodiment, the peeling bar 55 is not a plate-shaped member, but is composed of a shaft that extends in parallel with the pinch roller 5 so as to traverse above the transfer paper 20. The position of the peel bar 55 is set so that, for example, an appropriate gap D exists between the peel bar 55 and the transfer paper 20.

Both ends of the pinch roller 5 are provided with a pair of levers 6.
0 (only one on the front side is shown in FIG. 8) is rotatably supported at one end. Lever 60 has fulcrum 6
1 is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body 1.
The other end of the lever 60 is elastically connected to a locking member 63 that is fixedly connected to the apparatus body 1 via a spring 62. With this spring 62,
The pinch roller 5 is pressed and biased toward the capstan roller 4.

When the transfer paper 20 is not conveyed, the pinch roller 5 can be moved to a standby position apart from the capstan roller 4 by the lever 60 being driven to rotate by the action of a drive mechanism (not shown). . By moving the pinch roller 5 to the standby position, it becomes possible to supply the transfer target paper 20 between the pinch roller 5 and the capstan roller 4, or to discharge the transfer target paper 20 from between them.

The shaft-shaped peeling bar 55 is the main body 1 of the apparatus.
Instead of being fixed to the
It is fixed to. Therefore, when the pinch roller 5 is at the standby position, the peeling bar 55 is also at a position largely separated from the transfer path for the transfer paper 20. Therefore, when the transfer target paper 20 is supplied between the pinch roller 5 and the capstan roller 4, that is, when the transfer target paper 20 is fed, the transfer target paper 20 is not interfered by the peeling bar 55. Further, the transfer paper 20
If the paper causes a jam, the transfer paper 20
When it is necessary to remove the transfer paper 20 from between the capstan roller 4 and the platen roller 6, the transfer paper 20 can be removed smoothly without being interfered by the peeling bar 55.

Further, a peeling bar 55 composed of a shaft
The diameter of the peeling bar 5 is set to be considerably smaller than the pinch roller 5 (about half or less) so that a substantially triangular space sandwiched between the pinch roller 5 and the transfer paper 20 is removed.
5 can be effectively used for installation. In order to print an image on a wide area of the transfer paper 20, it is desirable to set the distance between the pinch roller 5 and the thermal head 7 as narrow as possible. For example, when a postcard size (A6 standard) paper is used as the transfer paper 20, it is desirable to keep the distance between the pinch roller 5 and the thermal head 7 to about 2 mm. The device of this embodiment meets this strict requirement.

<Sixth Embodiment> FIG. 9 is a partial side view showing the structure of a peeling bar (peeling promoting member) of a thermal transfer printer according to a sixth embodiment. In this embodiment, the peel bar 57 is made of wire. Further, similarly to the fifth embodiment, both ends of the peeling bar 57 are fixed to the pair of levers 60. Further, a peeling bar 57 composed of a wire
Has a diameter sufficiently smaller (negligible) than the diameter of the pinch roller 5, so that it can be sufficiently accommodated in a substantially triangular space sandwiched between the pinch roller 5 and the transfer paper 20. Therefore, the distance between the pinch roller 5 and the thermal head 7 can be set narrower than that in the fifth embodiment.

<Seventh Embodiment> FIG. 10 shows a seventh embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a partial side view showing the configuration of a peeling bar (peeling promoting member) of the thermal transfer printer of FIG. In this embodiment, the peeling bar 59 is composed of a plate-like member bent in a V-shaped cross section, and both ends thereof are fixed to a pair of levers 60. Among the upper plate member 70 and the lower plate member 71 that are connected to each other at the bent portion, the upper plate member 70 receives the transferred sheet 20 to be conveyed, that is, the bent portion side is directed to the upstream side of the conveyance. It is installed at an angle to the transfer paper 20. It is this upper plate member 70 that prevents the sheet base 10 from being peeled off normally and prevents the ink sheet 12 from entering the pinch roller 5 to promote the peeling of the sheet base 10.

The lower plate member 71 on the other side is also arranged so that the bent side faces the upstream side of the conveyance, and the upper plate member 70
It is installed obliquely with respect to the transfer paper 20 at an angle closer to parallel to the transfer paper 20. For this reason,
After the transfer target paper 20 is fed from the left side in FIG. 10, the transfer target paper 20 is transferred to the printing start point by rotating the capstan roller 4 in the opposite direction.
This has the advantage that the leading end of the sheet is smoothly guided to the lower edge of the peeling bar 59.

Further, since the peeling bar 59 is bent into a V-shaped cross section, the peeling bar 59 has the advantage that it is difficult to deform. This enables the peel bar 59 to have a thin shape with a small cross-sectional dimension. Therefore, together with the sectional shape of the peeling bar 59, as shown in FIG. 10, the peeling bar 59 can be stored in a substantially triangular space sandwiched between the pinch roller 5 and the transfer paper 20. . Therefore, the pinch roller 5 and the thermal head 7
It is possible to meet the demand for narrowing the space between the two.

<Eighth Embodiment> FIG. 11 shows an eighth embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a partial side view showing the configuration of a peeling bar (peeling promoting member) of the thermal transfer printer of FIG. In this embodiment, the peeling bar 73 is composed of rollers whose both ends are rotatably instructed by the pair of levers 60. The peripheral surface of the pinch roller 5 is in contact with the peripheral surface of the pinch roller 5, and rotates in the opposite direction to the pinch roller 5 as the pinch roller 5 rotates. That is, when the transfer paper 20 is conveyed, the peeling bar 73 rotates in a direction in which the peripheral surface of the peeling bar 73 approaches the transfer paper 20, that is, a direction in which the transfer paper 20 is fed backward. In other words, the peel bar 73 rotates in a direction that promotes peeling of the sheet base 10. Therefore, the peeling of the sheet base 10 and the precoat material P is further effectively promoted.

Further, as in the fifth embodiment, by setting the diameter of the peeling bar 73 composed of a roller to be considerably smaller (about half or less) than that of the pinch roller 5,
The substantially triangular space sandwiched between the pinch roller 5 and the transfer paper 20 can be effectively used for installing the peeling bar 73. Therefore, it is possible to meet the demand for narrowing the distance between the pinch roller 5 and the thermal head 7.

<Ninth Embodiment> FIG. 12 shows a ninth embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a partial side view showing the configuration of a peeling bar (peeling promoting member) of the thermal transfer printer of FIG. In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the peeling bar 75 is provided so as to project obliquely downward from the upper end fixed to the apparatus main body 1 at an angle such that the transferred transfer paper 20 is approached. Has been. Further, the peeling bar 75 is provided with a claw-shaped projection 76 protruding toward the upstream side of the conveyance along the lower edge thereof. Therefore, the sheet base 10 is peeled off more smoothly.

<Embodiment 10> FIG. 13 is a partial side view showing the structure of a separation bar (separation promoting member) of a thermal transfer printer according to a tenth embodiment. In this embodiment, the lower end edge 78 of the peeling bar 77 forms a surface (end surface), and the end surface of the peeling bar 77 moves toward the upstream side in the transport direction as the transfer sheet 20 approaches the transfer sheet 20. Is inclined. That is, the lower edge 78 forms a surface (end surface) inclined with respect to the transfer paper 20 so that the transfer paper 20 can be smoothly guided when the transfer paper 20 is conveyed in the reverse direction. .

Therefore, when the transfer paper 20 is supplied from the left side in FIG. 13 and conveyed to the printing start point by the capstan roller 4 rotating in the opposite direction, the front end of the transfer paper 20 is It is smoothly guided to the transport path below the lower edge 78. In particular, as shown in FIG.
Even if the transfer-targeted paper 20 is curled upward, its tip 21 is guided by the lower end edge 78 forming a slope, and is smoothly guided below the projection 31. As described above, the peeling bar 77 not only promotes the peeling of the sheet base 10, but also fulfills another function of facilitating the reverse transfer of the transfer paper 20.

When the transfer paper 20 is conveyed in the reverse direction to the printing start position, the thermal head 7 is moved to the standby position separated from the platen roller 6 by the driving mechanism (not shown) as shown in FIG. Can be lifted. By doing so, the transfer paper 20 is easily conveyed onto the platen roller 6.

<Embodiment 11> FIG. 15 is a partial side view showing the structure of a peeling bar (peeling promoting member) of a thermal transfer printer of Embodiment 11. In this embodiment, the peel bar 79 is attached to the ink sheet 12 (or the peeled sheet base 10) at a portion projecting from the upper end fixed to the apparatus main body 1 toward the transfer paper 20 in a plate shape. It has a slope 80 that can be contacted by a surface. That is, when the peeling of the sheet base 10 is not normally performed on the protrusions 31 and the peeling is performed by the peeling bar 79, the ink sheet 12 comes into surface contact with the slope 80.

As described above, since the peel bar 79 has the portion capable of making surface contact with the ink sheet 12, there is an advantage that when the peel bar 79 peels, the frictional force of this portion is large. . Due to this frictional force, the problem that the ink sheet 12 is pulled below the lower end edge of the peeling bar 79 when the sheet base 10 is poorly peeled off is effectively prevented.

<Twelfth Preferred Embodiment> FIG. 16 is a side view showing a main part of a thermal transfer printer according to a twelfth preferred embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 16, the peeling bar is not provided in the device of this embodiment. Instead, the peeling of the sheet base 10 is promoted by modulating the coating pattern of the precoat material P or the coating strength.

FIG. 17 shows the precoat material P produced by this apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the strength distribution of the application of FIG. The precoat material P applied to the surface of the transfer paper 20 is applied with low strength in the start region 84 which is the application start portion,
Subsequent other areas 85 are coated with the usual high strength. Due to the low coating strength in the start region 84, the sheet base 10 can be easily peeled off.

Further, instead of changing the coating strength in a stepwise manner between the tail region 84 and the subsequent other region 85, the coating strength may be continuously increased in the tail region 84. . In general, the same effect can be obtained if the coating strength is lower than usual in the region of the beginning. The strength of the coating is adjusted by adjusting the strength of the signal applied to the heater line 30.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing the flow of various signals in this device. As shown in FIG. 18, this device is equipped with a control unit 90.
By the action of, the coating intensity modulation shown in FIG. 17 is realized. The data buffer 91 included in the control unit 90 includes an external device 10 such as a personal computer or a video.
An image signal is input from 0. The data buffer 91 is
This serves to temporarily hold this image signal.

The YMC print pattern generating section 92 coupled to the data buffer 91 takes in an image signal from the data buffer 91, and outputs the density of each ink material Y, M, C corresponding to the image signal for each pixel, that is, the heater. Line 30
The signal is converted into a signal expressed for each printing point (dot) arranged in the above and output.

The control section 90 is further provided with a precoat printing pattern generation section 93 alongside the YMC printing pattern generation section 92. The precoat printing pattern generation unit 93 generates and outputs a signal representing the application strength of the precoat material P corresponding to FIG. 17 for each pixel. The switch 94 is used to print YMC when printing ink materials Y, M, and C.
When the print pattern generation unit 92 is selected and the precoat material P is applied, the precoat print pattern generation unit 93 is selected and each signal is sent to the output adjustment unit 95.

In the output adjusting section 95, based on the output from the temperature sensor 97 provided in the thermal head 7, YMC
Temperature correction is applied to the image signal from the print pattern generation unit 92 or the precoat print pattern generation unit 93. That is, the temperature characteristics of the ink materials Y, M, C and the precoat material P are reflected, and when the temperature of the thermal head 7 is high, the signal strength is weakened, and conversely, when it is low, the strength is increased. That is, the output adjusting unit 95 has a function of compensating for the temperature characteristics of the ink materials Y, M, C and the precoat material P. By the operation of the output adjusting section 95, a print image having a density as expressed by the image signal and a coating pattern of the precoat material P having a desired strength can be always obtained without depending on the temperature of the thermal head 7. .

The output of the output adjusting unit 95 is the output position adjusting unit 9
6 is sent. In response to a signal from the cueing sensor 101 provided in the apparatus, the output position adjustment unit 96 instructs the conveyance control unit 99 to start conveyance, and starts sending a signal from the output adjustment unit 95 to the drive circuit 98. . The cueing sensor 101 is a kind of position sensor using, for example, optical means, and detects that the transfer paper 20 has reached a predetermined printing start position. Further, the output position adjusting unit 96 sequentially sends respective signals to the drive circuit 98 and the conveyance control unit 99 so that printing and application are performed in synchronization with the conveyance of the transfer target paper 20.

The drive circuit 98 amplifies the signal for each pixel from the output position adjusting section 96 and applies it to the printing points arranged on the heater line 30. The heater line 30 is provided with a fine heater for each printing point, and the signal amplified by the drive circuit 98 is applied to these fine heaters, so that the intensity is increased according to the intensity of the signal. Printing and coating are performed on each pixel.

As described above, in the apparatus of this embodiment, the precoat print pattern generating section 93 and the switch 94 are used.
And the precoat printing pattern generation unit 93.
As a result, a signal corresponding to the coating strength distribution of the precoat material P shown in FIG. 17 is generated, so that the coating strength distribution in which the strength in the start region is lower than that in the other regions is obtained.

The precoat printing pattern generator 93
Is configured to generate and output a signal corresponding to the coating intensity distribution, but instead of this, it may be configured as a storage medium for storing a signal corresponding to the coating intensity distribution generated in advance. .

<Thirteenth Embodiment> In the twelfth embodiment,
Although the example in which the coating strength of the precoat material P is modulated has been described, the peeling of the sheet base 10 can be promoted by making the coating strength constant and setting the shape of the region to be coated to a specific pattern. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing such an example. In the application pattern of FIG. 19A, the contour shape of the tail region 86 in the application region 87 has a sawtooth shape. In the application pattern of FIG. 19B, the application area 89
The shape of the inner end region 88 is an island shape isolated from the other regions.

In any of these examples, by lowering the density of the portion to be coated in the region of the tail, the average coating strength in this region is lowered, thereby facilitating the peeling of the sheet base 10. ing. That is, not only the example of FIGS. 19A and 19B, but in general, the same effect can be obtained by performing the coating in a pattern such that the density of the coating portion in the start region is low.

The flow of various signals in the device of this embodiment is shown in the block diagram of FIG. 18, as in the device of the twelfth embodiment. That is, in FIG. 18, the pre-coat printing pattern generation unit 93 uses, for example, FIG.
By generating the signal corresponding to FIG.
The coating patterns of (a) and (b) are realized.

<Modifications> In the twelfth and thirteenth embodiments, the peeling bar is not used. However, in these embodiments, the peeling bar exemplified in the first to eleventh embodiments may be used together. . That is, either of the twelfth and thirteenth embodiments and any of the first to eleventh embodiments can be carried out independently or simultaneously.

[0078]

According to the apparatus of the first aspect of the invention, the main surface on which the image is to be printed of the transfer sheet is brought into contact with or close to the position where it is sandwiched between the transfer sheet and the sheet base which are separated and branched from each other downstream of the thermal head. As described above, since the peeling promoting member is inserted, the peeling promoting member functions to separate the sheet base from the transfer sheet. Therefore, when the precoat process, that is, the process of applying the precoat material, is performed, the precoat material applied to the transfer sheet and the sheet base are smoothly separated.

In the apparatus of the second invention, the plate-like member of the peeling promoting member extends in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and is inclined with respect to the one main surface so that the edge side faces the upstream side. Therefore, it is difficult for the sheet base to be caught between the plate-shaped member and the transfer paper.

In the apparatus of the third invention, the plate-shaped member inclined with respect to the one main surface so that the edge side faces the upstream side,
The edge opposite to the one main surface of the transfer sheet is supported so as to be free, and the edge is movable with an elastic restoring force by the action of the elastic body included in at least a part of it. When the sheet base comes into contact with the edge, the edge moves so as to be in close contact with one main surface of the transfer sheet. Therefore, the seat base is prevented from moving beyond the edge of the plate member with high reliability. Therefore, the peeling of the sheet base is performed more reliably.

Further, since the edge is supported so as not to contact the one main surface, when the sheet base does not contact the edge, that is, without the function of the peeling promoting member, the peeling of the sheet base is normally performed. When performed, there is no risk of the printed image being damaged by the plate-shaped member.

In the apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the edge of the plate-like member which is in contact with or close to one main surface of the transfer sheet is
Since a claw-shaped protrusion protruding to the upstream side is provided,
The sheet base can be peeled off more smoothly.

In the apparatus of the fifth invention, when the sheet base is peeled off by the plate-shaped member, the sheet base comes into surface contact with a portion of the plate-shaped member. Has a large friction force. Due to this large frictional force, the problem that the ink sheet is caught between the plate-shaped member and the transfer sheet is more effectively prevented, and the sheet base is more smoothly peeled off.

In the apparatus of the sixth invention, only a part of the edge facing the one main surface of the plate-shaped member comes into contact with or comes close to the one main surface, so that the tension acting to peel off the sheet base is not applied. Focus on part of the edge. Therefore, the sheet base can be peeled off more smoothly.

In the apparatus of the seventh invention, the peeling promoting member is
It is connected to one roller of the pair of rollers that conveys the transferred paper and moves in and out of the pair of rollers. The separation promoting member does not interfere with the transfer target paper. That is, the paper can be fed smoothly.

In the apparatus of the eighth aspect of the invention, the roller of the peeling promoting member is parallel to one of the rollers for conveyance, and when the peripheral surfaces are in contact with each other, the rollers rotate in the opposite direction as the roller rotates. Rotate. That is, this roller
Rotate in the direction that promotes peeling of the sheet base. For this reason,
The peeling of the sheet base is promoted more effectively.

In the device of the ninth invention, the shaft or wire of the peeling promoting member is connected so as to be parallel to and close to one roller, and the diameter is not more than half that of one roller. The substantially triangular space sandwiched between the transfer target sheet and the transfer target sheet is effectively used for installing the separation promoting member. Therefore, it is possible to meet the demand for setting a narrow interval between the pair of rollers and the thermal head in order to enable printing on a wide area of the transfer paper.

In the apparatus of the tenth aspect of the invention, the plate-like member bent in a V-shaped cross section is in contact with or close to one main surface of the transfer sheet at the bent portion, and
The two plate members that form the plate-shaped member by being integrally connected at the bent portion are inclined at mutually different angles with respect to the one main surface so that the bent portion side faces the upstream side. Therefore, the sheet material that is relatively far from the transfer sheet prevents the sheet base from being caught between the plate-shaped member and the transfer sheet, and the separation of the sheet base proceeds smoothly. Further, when the transfer target sheet is inserted between the pair of rollers and then conveyed backward to the printing start point, by the other plate member that is closer to the transfer target sheet,
The leading end of the transfer paper is smoothly guided to a predetermined transport path.

Further, since the plate-like member has a substantially V-shaped cross section, it is difficult to deform, so that the cross-sectional dimension can be set small. Further, since the cross-sectional shape is a substantially V shape, the substantially triangular space sandwiched between one roller and the transfer target paper can be effectively used for installing the plate member. . Therefore, it is possible to meet the request to set a narrow interval between the pair of rollers and the thermal head in order to enable printing on a wide area of the transfer paper.

In the apparatus of the eleventh aspect of the invention, the end surface of the separation promoting member facing the one main surface is inclined with respect to the one main surface so that the end surface faces the upstream side in one direction as it approaches the one main surface. There is. In other words, this end surface is inclined with respect to the one main surface so as to be able to guide the transfer target sheet conveyed in the direction opposite to the one direction. Therefore, when the transfer-receiving paper is inserted between the pair of rollers and then conveyed back to the printing start point, the leading end of the transfer-receiving paper is smoothly guided to the predetermined conveying path.

In the apparatus of the twelfth aspect of the invention, the precoat material is applied in the starting region of the precoating process with an average weaker strength than the other regions, so that the sheet base can be easily peeled off in the starting region. Will be realized.

In the apparatus of the thirteenth invention, the signal applied to the thermal head is corrected so as to compensate the temperature characteristics of the precoat material and the ink material based on the temperature of the thermal head. Stable application of precoat material and printing of images can be realized by reducing the influence of temperature change. Therefore, the peeling of the sheet base is stably and favorably performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a main part of an apparatus according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a partial front view showing the vicinity of a peel bar of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an ink sheet.

FIG. 4 is a partial side view showing a main part of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the main part of the device according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the main part of the device according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a partial front view showing the vicinity of a peeling bar of the device according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the main part of the device according to the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the main part of the device according to the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the main part of the device according to the seventh embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the main part of the device according to the eighth embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the main part of the device according to the ninth embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the main part of the device according to the tenth embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a side view showing the operation of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 15 is a side view of a main part of the device according to the eleventh embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a side view of the main part of the device according to the twelfth embodiment.

17 is a plan view of the transfer paper showing the operation of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing a signal flow in the apparatus shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a plan view of a transfer sheet showing the operation of the apparatus according to the thirteenth embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a side view showing a main part of a conventional device.

FIG. 21 is a side view of a main part of the device showing a problem of the conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

4 capstan roller (roller), 5 pinch roller (roller), 7 thermal head, 10 sheet base, 12 ink sheet, 20 transfer paper, 41, 4
3, 45, 75, 77, 79 Peeling bar (Peeling promoting member, plate-shaped member), 47, 49, 51, 53 Peeling bar (Peeling promoting member), 55 Peeling bar (Peeling promoting member, shaft), 57 Peeling Bar (peeling promoting member, wire),
59 peeling bar (peeling promoting member, plate member), 70 upper plate member (plate member), 71 lower plate member (plate member), 73 peeling bar (peeling promoting member, roller), 76 protrusion, 78 lower end edge (end face), 80 Slope (surface contact part), 95
Output adjustment unit (output adjustment means), 97 temperature sensor, P
Precoat material, Y, M, C ink material.

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. An ink sheet, in which a precoat material and an ink material are arranged on a belt-shaped sheet base, is superposed on one main surface of a transfer sheet and pressed by a thermal head from above to repeatedly transfer the sheet. A thermal transfer printer that performs a precoat process on the one main surface and prints an image subsequent thereto by applying a signal to the thermal head while conveying the paper in one direction, in which the one direction is more than the thermal head. Downstream of
A thermal transfer printer comprising: a peeling promoting member that is inserted so as to come into contact with or approach the one main surface at a position sandwiched by the transfer target paper and the sheet base that are peeled from each other and branched. 2. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the peeling-promoting member extends at least perpendicularly to a transfer direction of the transfer paper and at least a part of an edge facing the one main surface. Has a plate-shaped member that is in contact with or close to the one main surface, and is inclined with respect to the one main surface so that the edge side faces the upstream side in the one direction. Printer. 3. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, wherein the at least a part of the edge is in close proximity without contacting the one main surface, and the plate-shaped member is the edge. Is supported on the side opposite to the end edge so that the end edge is movable, and at least a part of the plate-like member is provided with an elastic body so that the end edge is movable with an elastic restoring force. A thermal transfer printer including: 4. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the edge of the plate-shaped member that is in contact with or close to the one main surface has a claw-like shape that projects toward the upstream side in the one direction. The thermal transfer printer is characterized in that it is provided with a protrusion. 5. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, wherein the plate-shaped member has a portion that comes into surface contact with the sheet base when the sheet base is peeled off by the plate-shaped member. A thermal transfer printer characterized in that 6. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, wherein only a part of the edge of the plate-shaped member facing the one main surface is in contact with or close to the one main surface. A thermal transfer printer. 7. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the thermal transfer head is provided downstream of the thermal head in the one direction, and the thermal transfer head conveys the thermal transfer target sheet by rotating while pressing and pinching the target transfer sheet. And a pair of rollers, wherein the pair of rollers can be brought into and out of contact with each other by moving one of the pair of rollers that comes into contact with the one main surface, Is installed between the roller and the thermal head, and is connected to the one roller so that it can be separated from the transfer path of the transfer target paper as the pair of rollers is separated. A thermal transfer printer characterized in that 8. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 7, wherein the peeling promoting member is rotatably connected so as to be parallel to the one roller, and the one roller and the peripheral surfaces are in contact with each other. As a result, the other roller, which rotates in the opposite direction with the rotation of the one roller,
A thermal transfer printer characterized by having. 9. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 7, wherein the separation promoting member is connected so as to be parallel to and close to the one roller, and the diameter thereof is half the diameter of the one roller. A thermal transfer printer having the following shaft or wire. 10. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 7, wherein the separation promoting member is connected to the one roller so as to be parallel and close to the one roller, and has a plate shape bent in a substantially V-shaped cross section. The plate-shaped member has a member that is in contact with or close to the one main surface at the bent portion, and the side of the bent portion faces the upstream side in the one direction with respect to the one main surface. 2. A thermal transfer printer, wherein two plate materials inclined at different angles are integrally connected to each other at the bent portion. 11. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein an end surface of the peeling promoting member facing the one main surface moves toward the upstream side in the one direction as the end surface approaches the one main surface. A thermal transfer printer characterized by being inclined with respect to the one main surface. 12. An ink sheet in which a precoat material and an ink material are arranged on a belt-shaped sheet base is superposed on one main surface of a transfer sheet and pressed by a thermal head from above to repeatedly transfer the transfer sheet. In a thermal transfer printer that performs a precoating process on the one main surface and a subsequent image printing by applying a signal to the thermal head while conveying the paper in one direction, it is applied during the precoating process. The thermal transfer printer is characterized in that the signal that causes the intensity of applying the precoat material to be lower on average in the region of the beginning of the precoat process than in other regions. 13. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 12, wherein the temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the thermal head, and the precoat in response to the output of the temperature sensor during the precoat process and the printing. A thermal transfer printer comprising: an output adjusting unit that corrects the signal and applies the signal to the thermal head so as to respectively compensate the temperature characteristics of the material and the ink material.