EP0566161A2 - Method and apparatus for thermal printing suitable for large printing area - Google Patents

Method and apparatus for thermal printing suitable for large printing area Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0566161A2
EP0566161A2 EP93109128A EP93109128A EP0566161A2 EP 0566161 A2 EP0566161 A2 EP 0566161A2 EP 93109128 A EP93109128 A EP 93109128A EP 93109128 A EP93109128 A EP 93109128A EP 0566161 A2 EP0566161 A2 EP 0566161A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
printing
carbon ribbon
track
ribbon
front side
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP93109128A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0566161A3 (en
EP0566161B1 (en
Inventor
Michiharu Tohdo
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from JP1240504A external-priority patent/JPH02263659A/en
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority claimed from EP19890123693 external-priority patent/EP0376170B1/en
Publication of EP0566161A2 publication Critical patent/EP0566161A2/en
Publication of EP0566161A3 publication Critical patent/EP0566161A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0566161B1 publication Critical patent/EP0566161B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/0057—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material where an intermediate transfer member receives the ink before transferring it on the printing material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/315—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material
    • B41J2/32—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads
    • B41J2/325—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M3/00—Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M5/00—Duplicating or marking methods; Sheet materials for use therein
    • B41M5/26—Thermography ; Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used
    • B41M5/382—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes
    • B41M5/38207—Contact thermal transfer or sublimation processes characterised by aspects not provided for in groups B41M5/385 - B41M5/395

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for thermally printing desired printing patterns on a printing object by using a carbon ribbon having thermally transferable carbon track on its front side as set forth in the Preambles of Claims 1 and 6, respectively.
  • An apparatus and a method of this kind is known from US-A-4 739 343.
  • a thermal printing system for postage meter mailing machine application in which the carbon ribbon is imprinted from its rear side by a printing heading having the pattern of an extraneous image.
  • This extraneous image is transferred by the printing head onto a scavenging roller so that positive printing pattern remains on the carbon ribbon which is subsequently transferred by thermally printing onto a printing object.
  • a blade is associated to the scavenging roller which dislodges the ink transferred thereto from the carbon ribbon so that the scavenging roller is always prepared to receive ink from the carbon ribbon.
  • a transfer-type thermal printing device making use a carbon ribbon which is imprinted by a printing head so that a predetermined pattern of ink is removed from the ribbon, so that a printing pattern remains on the ribbon which is subsequently transferred by application of heat to a printing object.
  • the ink of the predetermined pattern initially removed from the ribbon is transferred in the printing head onto the rear side of the ribbon expended by the utilization in the printing station where the ribbon is brought in contact with the printing object.
  • the invention has the specific advantage that the extraneous ink pattern is transferred onto the front side of the carbon ribbon which has been expended upon the transfer of the printing pattern onto the printing object.
  • the front side of such carbon ribbon is specifically adapted to receive ink as it had been specifically prepared therefore upon manufacture of such ribbon.
  • the carbon ribbon 1 is suspended downwards from ribbon supplying reel 7 in a U-shape by means of a pair of guiding rollers 15 and 17 provided below the ribbon supplying reel 7 and a ribbon guiding roller 31, respectively, so that starting from the ribbon supplying reel 7 the carbon ribbon 1 moves along its U-shaped track first along a first vertical track of a sufficient length in a vertical direction and then along a horizontal track of a sufficient length in a horizontal direction before guided along a second vertical track extending to said guiding roller 31.
  • the carbon ribbon 1 has a front surface covered by carbon black which is facing outwards from an outer circumference of the U-shaped track.
  • a printing head 19 for imprinting desired patterns on the carbon ribbon 1.
  • This printing head 19 is pivotally supported such that it can be separated from the carbon ribbon 1, and is controlled by a printing controller unit 27 in which predetermined printing patterns are preprogrammed such that various desired printing patterns can be obtained from combinations of the preprogrammed printing patterns.
  • a platen roller 21 for maintaining an accuracy in printing by the printing head 19 on the carbon ribbon 1.
  • the carbon ribbon 1 is taken around to be inserted between the platen roller 21 and the carbon ribbon 1 through additional rollers 31, 33, 35 and 37, such that the used carbon ribbon 1 moves in a direction opposite to new carbon ribbon 1 coming from the ribbon supplying reel 7.
  • This routing is necessary in order to bring the front surface of the used carbon ribbon 1 to face the printing head 19.
  • the front surface of the used carbon ribbon 1 must face the printing head 19 since for the carbon ribbon 1 to be able to receive the carbon black it is necessary to have a particular chemical treatment done, and this chemical treatment is usually given to the front surface of the carbon ribbon 1 which is being covered by carbon black initially.
  • a belt conveyor 13 is provided on which a printing object 11 is carried along the horizontal direction with a printing surface facing the front surface of the carbon ribbon 1.
  • a thermal transfer roller 23 is disposed which rotates at a circumferential speed which equals that of the carbon ribbon 1, and is vertically movable so that at its lower position the carbon ribbon 1 moving underneath the thermal transfer roller 23 is pressed down onto the printing surface of the printing object 11 moving below the carbon ribbon 1 on the conveyor belt 13.
  • the printing head 19 and the thermal transfer roller 23 are arranged to be spatially separated from each other substantially, as they are arranged along the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively.
  • This feature allows this embodiment of an apparatus for thermal printing to print large printing patterns on a large printing surface, since the imprinting by the printing head 19 can be done for the carbon ribbon 1 over length of the vertical track beyond the printing head 19, while the thermal transfer by the thermal transfer roller 23 takes place at the spatially separated horizontal track.
  • the drives of the ribbon winding reel 3, and the ribbon supply reel 7 are controlled by the motor control unit 25 so as to obtain a smooth and desirably controlled motion of the carbon ribbon 1 along its track.
  • the used carbon ribbon 1 is then wound around the ribbon winding reel 3 which is provided in a vicinity of the platen roller 21.
  • the used carbon ribbon 1 is usable as the medium to take extraneous negative (or positive) images underneath the printing head 19, because after the printing is performed at the thermal transfer roller 23, all the carbon blacks covering the carbon ribbon 1 are transferred away from the carbon ribbon 1 such that after passing the horizontal track the carbon ribbon 1 is just a transparent sheet.
  • the carbon ribbon 1 is used both for printing the desired printing patterns as well as taking extraneous negative (or positive) images when the printing patterns are to be imprinted by the printing head 19, so that no separate medium for taking extraneous negative (or positive) images is required.

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for thermally printing desired printing patterns on a printing object is disclosed using a carbon ribbon having thermally transferable carbon black on its front side. A printing head placed on a first track creates the desired printing patterns on carbon ribbon and a thermal transfer roller placed on a second track presses the front side of the carbon ribbon onto the printing object to thermally transfer the desired printing pattern from the carbon ribbon to the printing object. The carbon black is expended thereby and the expended carbon ribbon is guided in a closed loop to the front side of the unexpended carbon ribbon at the printing head to take extraneous images there.

Description

  • The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for thermally printing desired printing patterns on a printing object by using a carbon ribbon having thermally transferable carbon track on its front side as set forth in the Preambles of Claims 1 and 6, respectively. An apparatus and a method of this kind is known from US-A-4 739 343.
  • In this document, a thermal printing system for postage meter mailing machine application is disclosed in which the carbon ribbon is imprinted from its rear side by a printing heading having the pattern of an extraneous image. This extraneous image is transferred by the printing head onto a scavenging roller so that positive printing pattern remains on the carbon ribbon which is subsequently transferred by thermally printing onto a printing object. A blade is associated to the scavenging roller which dislodges the ink transferred thereto from the carbon ribbon so that the scavenging roller is always prepared to receive ink from the carbon ribbon.
  • From US-A-4 740 798 a transfer-type thermal printing device is known making use a carbon ribbon which is imprinted by a printing head so that a predetermined pattern of ink is removed from the ribbon, so that a printing pattern remains on the ribbon which is subsequently transferred by application of heat to a printing object. The ink of the predetermined pattern initially removed from the ribbon is transferred in the printing head onto the rear side of the ribbon expended by the utilization in the printing station where the ribbon is brought in contact with the printing object.
  • It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for thermal printing as set forth in the Preamble of Claim 1 and 6, respectively, which make it possible to print patterns on large printing areas at a high accuracy.
  • This object is attained by the features of Claim 1 respectively, as far as the apparatus is concerned, and by the features of Claim 6 as far as the method is concerned. Preferred embodiments thereof are subject matter of the dependent claims.
  • The invention has the specific advantage that the extraneous ink pattern is transferred onto the front side of the carbon ribbon which has been expended upon the transfer of the printing pattern onto the printing object. The front side of such carbon ribbon is specifically adapted to receive ink as it had been specifically prepared therefore upon manufacture of such ribbon.
  • Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. The only figure is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an apparatus for thermal printing according to the present invention:
    • In this embodiment there is provided a ribbon winding reel 3, rotatable around an axis 5 which is connected to a motor (not shown), for winding a carbon ribbon 1, and a ribbon supplying reel 7, rotatable around an axis 9 which is connected to another motor (not shown), around which the carbon ribbon 1 is ini- tiallywound and from which the carbon ribbon 1 is taken out as it is wound around the ribbon winding reel 3.
  • The carbon ribbon 1 is suspended downwards from ribbon supplying reel 7 in a U-shape by means of a pair of guiding rollers 15 and 17 provided below the ribbon supplying reel 7 and a ribbon guiding roller 31, respectively, so that starting from the ribbon supplying reel 7 the carbon ribbon 1 moves along its U-shaped track first along a first vertical track of a sufficient length in a vertical direction and then along a horizontal track of a sufficient length in a horizontal direction before guided along a second vertical track extending to said guiding roller 31. The carbon ribbon 1 has a front surface covered by carbon black which is facing outwards from an outer circumference of the U-shaped track.
  • At the middle of the first vertical track extending from the ribbon supplying reel 7, there is provided a printing head 19 for imprinting desired patterns on the carbon ribbon 1. This printing head 19 is pivotally supported such that it can be separated from the carbon ribbon 1, and is controlled by a printing controller unit 27 in which predetermined printing patterns are preprogrammed such that various desired printing patterns can be obtained from combinations of the preprogrammed printing patterns.
  • On the opposite side of the printing head 19 with respect to the carbon ribbon 1, there is provided a platen roller 21 for maintaining an accuracy in printing by the printing head 19 on the carbon ribbon 1. The carbon ribbon 1 is taken around to be inserted between the platen roller 21 and the carbon ribbon 1 through additional rollers 31, 33, 35 and 37, such that the used carbon ribbon 1 moves in a direction opposite to new carbon ribbon 1 coming from the ribbon supplying reel 7.
  • This routing is necessary in order to bring the front surface of the used carbon ribbon 1 to face the printing head 19. The front surface of the used carbon ribbon 1 must face the printing head 19 since for the carbon ribbon 1 to be able to receive the carbon black it is necessary to have a particular chemical treatment done, and this chemical treatment is usually given to the front surface of the carbon ribbon 1 which is being covered by carbon black initially.
  • Underneath the horizontal track for the carbon ribbon 1 a belt conveyor 13 is provided on which a printing object 11 is carried along the horizontal direction with a printing surface facing the front surface of the carbon ribbon 1.
  • On the opposite side of the belt conveyor 13 with respect to the carbon ribbon 1, between the pair of guiding rollers 15 and 17, a thermal transfer roller 23 is disposed which rotates at a circumferential speed which equals that of the carbon ribbon 1, and is vertically movable so that at its lower position the carbon ribbon 1 moving underneath the thermal transfer roller 23 is pressed down onto the printing surface of the printing object 11 moving below the carbon ribbon 1 on the conveyor belt 13.
  • Thus, in this embodiment, the printing head 19 and the thermal transfer roller 23 are arranged to be spatially separated from each other substantially, as they are arranged along the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively. This feature allows this embodiment of an apparatus for thermal printing to print large printing patterns on a large printing surface, since the imprinting by the printing head 19 can be done for the carbon ribbon 1 over length of the vertical track beyond the printing head 19, while the thermal transfer by the thermal transfer roller 23 takes place at the spatially separated horizontal track.
  • The drives of the ribbon winding reel 3, and the ribbon supply reel 7 are controlled by the motor control unit 25 so as to obtain a smooth and desirably controlled motion of the carbon ribbon 1 along its track.
  • The used carbon ribbon 1 is then wound around the ribbon winding reel 3 which is provided in a vicinity of the platen roller 21.
  • The used carbon ribbon 1 is usable as the medium to take extraneous negative (or positive) images underneath the printing head 19, because after the printing is performed at the thermal transfer roller 23, all the carbon blacks covering the carbon ribbon 1 are transferred away from the carbon ribbon 1 such that after passing the horizontal track the carbon ribbon 1 is just a transparent sheet.
  • Thus, according to this embodiment, the carbon ribbon 1 is used both for printing the desired printing patterns as well as taking extraneous negative (or positive) images when the printing patterns are to be imprinted by the printing head 19, so that no separate medium for taking extraneous negative (or positive) images is required.

Claims (10)

1. An apparatus for thermally printing desired printing patterns on a printing object (11) by using a carbon ribbon (1) having thermally transferable carbon black on its front side, comprising:
means (3, 7,15,17) for moving the carbon ribbon (1) along a first track and then along a second track which is spatially separated from the first track,
conveyor means (13) for carrying a printing object (11) along the second track below the carbon ribbon (1);
printing head means (19) placed on the first track for creating the desired printing patterns on the carbon ribbon (1) on the first track by imprinting the rear side of said ribbon (1); a platen roller (21) placed on an opposite side of the printing head means (19) with respect to the carbon ribbon (1); and
thermal transfer roller means (23) placed on the second track for pressing the front side of the carbon ribbon (1) onto the printing object (11) on the conveyor means (13) so as to thermally transfer the desired printing patterns from the carbon ribbon (1) to the printing object (11);
transfer of the printing pattern expends the carbon ribbon (1); and
the expended carbon ribbon (1) is utilized fortak- ing extraneous images by inserting the expended carbon ribbon (1) between the platen roller (21) and the front side of the unexpended carbon ribbon (1) in the vicinity of the printing head means (19) such that the extraneous images are placed on the front side of the expended carbon ribbon (1).
2. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein the first and second tracks are oriented along different directions.
3. The apparatus of Claim 2, wherein the first and second tracks are oriented along mutually perpendicular directions.
4. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein the second track is oriented along a horizontal direction.
5. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the extraneous images are negative extraneous images such that the printing patterns appear blank while an outline of the printing patterns appears inked on the printing object (11).
6. A method of thermally printing desired printing patterns on a printing object by using a carbon ribbon having thermally transferable carbon black on its front side, comprising the steps of:
moving the carbon ribbon along a first track and then along a second track which are spatially separated from the first track;
carrying a printing object along the second track below the carbon ribbon;
creating the desired printing patterns on the carbon ribbon on the first track by imprinting the rear side of said ribbon;
pressing the front side of the carbon ribbon onto the printing object on the second track and concurrently applying heat to said pressed ribbon so as to thermally transfer the desired printing patterns on the carbon ribbon to the printing object; characterized by further comprising the steps of:
transfer of the printing pattern expends the carbon ribbon and
extraneous images in which the printing patterns are excluded are taken by utilizing the expended carbon ribbon by confronting its front side with the front side of the unexpended carbon ribbon (1) in the vicinity of the printing head means such that the extraneous images are placed on the front side of the expended carbon ribbon.
7. The method of Claim 6 wherein the first and second tracks are provided along differentdirections.
8. The method of Claim 7, wherein the first and second tracks are provided along mutually perpendicular directions.
9. The method of Claim 6, wherein the second track is provided along a horizontal direction.
10. The method of Claim 6, wherein the extraneous images are negative extraneous images such that the printing patterns appear blank while an outline of the printing patterns appears inked on the printing object.
EP93109128A 1988-12-28 1989-12-21 Method and apparatus for thermal printing suitable for large printing area Expired - Lifetime EP0566161B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (7)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP334668/88 1988-12-28
JP33466888 1988-12-28
JP1240504A JPH02263659A (en) 1988-12-28 1989-09-19 Thermal transfer method
JP240504/89 1989-09-19
JP315427/89 1989-12-06
JP31542789 1989-12-06
EP19890123693 EP0376170B1 (en) 1988-12-28 1989-12-21 Method and apparatus for thermal printing suitable for large printing area

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP89123693.7 Division 1989-12-21

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0566161A2 true EP0566161A2 (en) 1993-10-20
EP0566161A3 EP0566161A3 (en) 1993-12-01
EP0566161B1 EP0566161B1 (en) 1995-09-06

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP93109128A Expired - Lifetime EP0566161B1 (en) 1988-12-28 1989-12-21 Method and apparatus for thermal printing suitable for large printing area

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EP (1) EP0566161B1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5857785A (en) * 1996-12-27 1999-01-12 Fujicopian Co., Ltd. Label printing apparatus
US6639618B2 (en) * 2001-05-14 2003-10-28 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Thermal transfer line printer properly used for forming intermediate transfer type image

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4739343A (en) * 1986-05-09 1988-04-19 Pitney Bowes Inc. Thermal printing system for postage meter mailing machine application
US4740798A (en) * 1985-09-10 1988-04-26 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Transfer-type thermal printing device
US4857942A (en) * 1987-12-28 1989-08-15 Pitney Bowes Inc. Apparatus for processing irregularly-shaped letters in a thermal printer

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4740798A (en) * 1985-09-10 1988-04-26 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Transfer-type thermal printing device
US4739343A (en) * 1986-05-09 1988-04-19 Pitney Bowes Inc. Thermal printing system for postage meter mailing machine application
US4857942A (en) * 1987-12-28 1989-08-15 Pitney Bowes Inc. Apparatus for processing irregularly-shaped letters in a thermal printer

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5857785A (en) * 1996-12-27 1999-01-12 Fujicopian Co., Ltd. Label printing apparatus
US6639618B2 (en) * 2001-05-14 2003-10-28 Alps Electric Co., Ltd. Thermal transfer line printer properly used for forming intermediate transfer type image

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0566161A3 (en) 1993-12-01
EP0566161B1 (en) 1995-09-06

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