Thermal transfer system

Abstract

To provide a thermal transfer system having a heating device for heating an improved and transferred ink ribbon.SOLUTION: A thermal transfer system 10 includes a delivery part 16 for delivering an ink ribbon 13, a transfer device 17, a winding up part 21 for winding up the transferred ink ribbon 13, and a heating device 22 which is provided in the vicinity of the winding up part 21, and has a second heating body 30 for heating the transferred ink ribbon 13, wherein the second heating body 30 has an action surface 30S where a heating wire 31 is arranged, and is movable in each of a circumferential direction and a radial direction of the winding up part 21, the heating device 22 moves the second heating body 30 in the radial direction of the winding up part 21, brings the action surface 30 into contact with the ink ribbon 13, thereby heats the ink ribbon 13, at that time, the second heating body 30 is moved in the circumferential direction of the winding up part 21 together with the ink ribbon 13 wound up by the winding up part 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a thermal transfer system that uses an ink ribbon having a support layer and an ink layer to transfer ink from the ink layer to a transfer receiving material. [Background technology]

[0002] Transfer systems that use ink ribbons to print images such as characters on a receiving material such as a card are widely used. An ink ribbon has, for example, a ribbon (support layer) extending in a strip shape and an ink layer containing dyes or the like formed on the ribbon. In printing using an ink ribbon, ink is transferred to the receiving material in a pattern corresponding to the desired image to be printed.

[0003] In this case, the ink ribbon after ink transfer has areas where the ink has been removed by transfer to the receiving material, in a pattern corresponding to the printed image. Therefore, it is possible to identify the printed image from the ink ribbon after ink transfer. Therefore, when using an ink ribbon to print confidential information such as ID information on a receiving material, care must be taken when handling the ink ribbon after ink transfer.

[0004] To address this issue, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a thermal transfer system in which the outermost ink ribbon of an ink ribbon wound around a take-up section and having ink transferred thereon is fused to the ink ribbon located inside it. This thermal transfer system makes it possible to prevent the image printed from being identified from the ink ribbon having ink transferred thereon. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-108665 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The above-mentioned thermal transfer system fuses the outermost ink ribbon to the ink ribbon located inside the outermost ink ribbon by bringing a block-shaped heating element having a heater inside into contact with the outermost ink ribbon.

[0007] In this way, in the case of a block-shaped heating element with an internal heater, its specific heat is relatively large, so it takes a certain amount of time for it to rise from a cold state to the desired temperature. Therefore, when starting up the device, it is necessary to wait until it is possible to wind up the ink ribbon before starting transfer to the transfer medium. Furthermore, when an abnormality occurs in the winding of the ink ribbon and the device is stopped, it is necessary to wait for the heating element to cool down before performing recovery work, and after that recovery work, it is necessary to wait for the heating element to rise to the desired temperature again.

[0008] In addition, since the block-shaped heater contacts the ink ribbon with its entire surface, friction between the heater and the ink ribbon increases. As a result, the block-shaped heater has the problem that a melted or torn ink ribbon increases torque fluctuations in the winding section, making it prone to winding errors.

[0009] Another problem is that a block-shaped heater requires a relatively large amount of electric power for heating.

[0010] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a thermal transfer system having an improved heating device for heating an ink ribbon after transfer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A thermal transfer system according to the present disclosure is a transfer system that transfers ink to a transferee using an ink ribbon having a support layer and an ink layer, and includes: a delivery section that delivers the ink ribbon; a transfer device that is arranged downstream of the delivery section and has a first heating element provided on the support layer side of the ink ribbon and transfers ink from the ink layer of the ink ribbon to the transferee; a take-up section that is arranged downstream of the transfer device and takes up the ink ribbon after transfer; and a second heating element that is provided near the take-up section and heats the ink ribbon taken up by the take-up section from the support layer side. and a heating device having the second heating element, wherein the second heating element has an active surface that contacts the ink ribbon wound on the winding portion and a heating wire arranged on the active surface, and is configured to be able to move along both the circumferential and radial directions of the winding portion, and the heating device heats the ink ribbon by moving the second heating element along the radial direction of the winding portion and bringing the active surface into contact with the ink ribbon, and at that time, the second heating element moves along the circumferential direction of the winding portion together with the ink ribbon wound on the winding portion.

[0012] The transfer system may include a guide roller disposed between the transfer device and the winding section to guide the transport of the ink ribbon, and a guide roller position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the guide roller to keep the length of the transport path of the ink ribbon from the transfer device to the heating device constant.

[0013] The heating device may include a first biasing means for biasing the second heating element so that the second heating element is positioned at a predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the winding portion.

[0014] In the transfer system, the second heating element may have an operating surface formed of a cylindrical surface, a rotation axis disposed at the center of the cylindrical surface, and a heating wire disposed on the operating surface, and may be rotatable about the rotation axis. Furthermore, the heating device may have a fixing means for temporarily fixing the movement of the second heating element along the circumferential direction of the winding portion.

[0015] The heating device may have a driving means for driving the second heating element so that it takes an abutment position where it abuts against the ink ribbon wound on the winding section, and a second biasing means for biasing the second heating element so that it takes a retracted position where it is retracted from the ink ribbon wound on the winding section.

[0016] The working surface of the second heating element may be formed as a surface that is recessed inward as it approaches a central portion in a direction along the transport direction of the ink ribbon. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the thermal transfer system of the present disclosure, the ink ribbon after transfer can be heated efficiently and stably. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a thermal transfer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the ink ribbon before transfer. [Figure 2B] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the ink ribbon after transfer. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the heating device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a heating device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a second heating element. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a second heating element. [Figure 7A]FIG. 10 is a front view showing the operation of the heating device. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a front view following FIG. 7A. [Figure 7C] FIG. 7B is a front view following FIG. 7B. [Figure 7D] FIG. 7D is a front view following FIG. 7C. [Figure 7E] FIG. 7B is a front view following FIG. 7D. [Figure 7F] FIG. 7B is a front view following FIG. 7E. [Figure 8A] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a first example of the arrangement of heating wires on the working surface of the second heating element. [Figure 8B] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a transferred ink ribbon heated by the heating wires arranged in the first example. [Figure 9A] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a second example of the arrangement of heating wires on the working surface of the second heating element. [Figure 9B] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a second example of an ink ribbon that has been transferred and heated by an electric heating wire. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing yet another example of the arrangement of heating wires on the working surface of the second heating element. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing yet another example of the arrangement of heating wires on the working surface of the second heating element. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing yet another example of the arrangement of heating wires on the working surface of the second heating element. [Figure 11A] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a second heating element according to a modified example. [Figure 11B] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a second heating element according to a modified example. [Figure 11C] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a second heating element according to a modified example. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are front views showing the configuration and operation of a guide roller position adjustment mechanism. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the operation in the absence of a guide roller position adjustment mechanism. [Figure 14A] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a first example of the configuration of a winding diameter detecting means. [Figure 14B]FIG. 10 is a front view showing a second example of the configuration of the winding diameter detecting means. [Figure 14C] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a third example of the configuration of the winding diameter detecting means. [Figure 14D] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a fourth example of the configuration of the winding diameter detecting means. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a front view showing another example of the configuration of the guide roller position adjustment mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] First, the overall structure of the thermal transfer system 10 of this embodiment will be described.

[0021] Fig. 1 is a front view showing a thermal transfer system 10 of this embodiment. Fig. 2A is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the ink ribbon 13 before transfer. Fig. 2B is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the ink ribbon 13 after transfer.

[0022] The thermal transfer system 10 is a system that uses an ink ribbon 13 having a support layer 11 and an ink layer 12 containing ink 12a to transfer ink 12a of the ink layer 12 onto a transfer-receiving object 14 such as an ID card.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the thermal transfer system 10 includes a feed section 16, a transfer device 17 arranged downstream of the feed section 16, a winding section 21 arranged downstream of the transfer device 17, a heating device 22 arranged near the winding section 21, a plurality of guide rollers 15, a plurality of conveying rollers 15A, a guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40, and a control section 90.

[0024] The delivery section 16 delivers the ink ribbon 13 in the direction indicated by the arrow R1.

[0025] The transfer device 17 heats the ink ribbon 13 from the support layer 11 side, and transfers the ink 12 a of the ink layer 12 to the transfer-receiving body 14 .

[0026] The transfer device 17 has a first heating element 18 provided on the support layer 11 side of the ink ribbon 13, and a platen roll 19 provided on the ink layer 12 side of the ink ribbon 13. The first heating element 18 comes into contact with the ink ribbon 13 to heat the ink ribbon 13. The first heating element 18 is, for example, a thermal head having a heating element that generates heat when energized. The platen roll 19 is disposed opposite the first heating element 18 with the transported ink ribbon 13 and transfer target material 14 sandwiched therebetween, and supports the transfer target material 14.

[0027] The winding section 21 winds up the ink ribbon 13 after transfer in the direction indicated by the arrow R2.

[0028] The heating device 22 has a second heating element 30 that heats the transferred ink ribbon 13 from the side of the support layer 11. The specific configuration of the heating device 22 will be described later.

[0029] A plurality of guide rollers 15 are arranged at intervals along the transport path of the ink ribbon 13 to guide the transport of the ink ribbon 13.

[0030] The plurality of conveying rollers 15A are arranged at intervals along the conveying path of the transfer object, and convey the transfer object 14.

[0031] The guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40 adjusts the position of the guide roller 15 disposed between the transfer device 17 and the take-up unit 21, thereby maintaining a constant length of the transport path of the transported ink ribbon 13 from the transfer device 17 to the heating device 22. The specific configuration and function of the guide roller adjustment mechanism 40 will be described later.

[0032] The control unit 90 controls the operation of, for example, the delivery unit 16, the winding unit 21, the transfer device 17, the heating device 22, the conveying roller 15A, and the guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40 by outputting control signals to the drive units that drive these units.

[0033] Next, the configuration of the ink ribbon 13 will be described.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2A, the ink ribbon 13 has a support layer 11 and an ink layer 12 laminated on one surface of the support layer 11.

[0035] The support layer 11 is a layer that supports the ink layer 12. Because heat is applied to the support layer 11 during thermal transfer, it is preferable that the support layer 11 be made of a material that has sufficient mechanical strength to allow for easy handling even when heated. Examples of materials for such a support layer include polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, 1,4-polycyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate film, polyethylene naphthalate film, polyphenylene sulfide film, polystyrene film, polypropylene film, polysulfone film, aramid film, polycarbonate film, polyvinyl alcohol film, cellophane, cellulose derivatives such as cellulose acetate, polyethylene film, polyvinyl chloride film, nylon film, polyimide film, and ionomer film. The thickness of the support layer is preferably 2 μm or more and 25 μm or less. When a thermally sublimable ink layer is used as the ink layer 12, the thickness of the support layer 11 is more preferably 5 μm or more and 6 μm or less. When a thermally meltable ink layer is used, the thickness of the support layer 11 is more preferably 3 μm or more and 6 μm or less.

[0036] The ink layer 12 is a layer containing ink 12a. A heat-fusible ink layer or a heat-sublimable ink layer can be used as the ink layer 12, but it is preferable to use a heat-fusible ink layer because it has high density, excellent sharpness, and is suitable for recording binary images such as characters and line drawings. The following describes the case where a heat-fusible ink layer is used.

[0037] The ink layer 12 is preferably formed from various colorants, waxes, resins, etc. Colorants include black pigments or dyes such as carbon black and oil black, and cyan, magenta, and yellow pigments or dyes. These colorants can be appropriately selected depending on the application field or purpose of the ink ribbon. Examples of waxes include carnauba wax, candelilla wax, rice wax, montan wax, paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, polyethylene wax, ester wax, oxidized wax, and Fischer-Tropsch wax (Sazol wax). Examples of resins include ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, styrene-butadiene copolymer, polyester resin, epoxy resin, rosin derivative, terpene derivative, and styrene-based resin. The coating weight of the ink layer is generally 0.5 g / m. 2 More than 10g / m 2 and preferably 2 g / m 2 More than 6g / m 2 The ink layer is not limited to the above.

[0038] As described above, the first heating element 18 is provided on the support layer 11 side of the ink ribbon 13. The first heating element 18 heats the ink ribbon 13 in a predetermined pattern corresponding to ID information or the like, thereby transferring the ink 12a of the ink layer 12 of the ink ribbon 13 to the transfer target 14 in the predetermined pattern.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2B, in the ink ribbon 13 after ink transfer, the ink layer 12 consists of ink 12a that remains without being transferred to the transfer recipient 14, and ink-free areas 12b that correspond to a predetermined pattern, such as ID information, printed on the transfer recipient 14. In this case, as shown in Figure 2B, the pattern of the ink-free areas 12b in the ink ribbon 13 after ink transfer corresponds to the predetermined pattern on the first heating member 18 described above. Therefore, it is possible to identify the predetermined pattern, such as ID information, printed on the transfer recipient 14 based on the pattern of the ink-free areas 12b.

[0040] Next, a specific configuration of the heating device 22 will be described.

[0041] Fig. 3 is a front view showing the configuration of heating device 22. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of heating device 22. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of second heating member 30. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of second heating member 30.

[0042] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the heating device 22 has a second heating element 30, a circumferential movement mechanism 50 that moves the second heating element 30 along the circumferential direction of the winding section 21, and a radial movement mechanism 60 that moves the second heating element 30 along the radial direction of the winding section 21.

[0043] In this specification, the direction along the outer periphery of the winding portion 21 is referred to as the "circumferential direction." Also, the direction perpendicular to the outer periphery of the winding portion 21 is referred to as the "diametric direction."

[0044] The second heating element 30 is a heating element that heats the transferred ink ribbon 13. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the second heating element 30 has a main body portion 30B, an active surface 30S, a heating wire 31, and a cover layer 34.

[0045] The main body 30B is a part that constitutes the main body of the second heating element 30. It is made of a block-shaped member having an action surface 30S, which will be described later. The material that constitutes the main body 30B is preferably a non-metallic resin with high heat resistance. In particular, the material that constitutes the main body 30B is preferably PEEK (polyether ether ketone).

[0046] The action surface 30S is a surface that acts on the transferred ink ribbon 13 when the second heating element 30 heats the transferred ink ribbon 13. In this embodiment, the action surface 30S is formed as a curved surface that is concave inward. The action surface 30S comes into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13 when the second heating element 30 heats the transferred ink ribbon 13. The curvature of the curved surface that forms the action surface 30S is set to be smaller than the minimum value of the curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the winding portion 21 (the curvature of the outer peripheral surface when the winding diameter of the winding portion 21 is maximum).

[0047] The heating wire 31 is a linear member for heating the transferred ink ribbon 13. The heating wire 31 is disposed on the action surface 30S. A specific example of the arrangement of the heating wire 31 will be described later.

[0048] The heating wire 31 is connected to an external power source via wiring 32 and generates heat when electricity is applied. The heating wire 31 is made of, for example, nichrome wire. The heating device 22 presses the heated heating wire 31 against the outer periphery of the winding section 21, thereby heating the transferred ink ribbon 13 located on the outermost layer of the winding section 21. The set temperature of the heating wire 31 when heating is, for example, 200°C. The set temperature of the heating wire 31 when heating is preferably 180°C or higher and 220°C or lower. The set temperature of the heating wire 31 when heating means the surface temperature of the cover layer 34 when a cover layer 34 is provided, and means the surface temperature of the heating wire 31 when a cover layer 34 is not provided.

[0049] The cover layer 34 is a layer laminated on the heating wire 31. The cover layer 34 is a layer for preventing adhesion between the active surface 30S of the second heating element 30 and the transferred ink ribbon 13. The cover layer 34 is made of a heat-resistant material that is resistant to fusing with the base material layer 11 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 and the heating wire 31. The cover layer 34 can be formed from a heat-resistant sheet that is resistant to fusing with the base material layer 11 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 and the heating wire 31, or a coating of a material that has such properties. The cover layer 34 is made of, for example, a fluororesin tape.

[0050] The second heating body 30 is configured so as to be movable between a start position and an end position in the circumferential direction of the winding section 21 by a circumferential direction movement mechanism 50.

[0051] The start position is the position that the second heating element 30 takes when the heating device 22 is in a standby state (see FIG. 7A, which will be described later). The end position is the position that the second heating element 30 finally reaches when moving along the circumferential direction of the winding part 21 together with the transferred ink ribbon 13 (see FIG. 7D, which will be described later).

[0052] The second heating body 30 is configured so that it can be moved by the radial movement mechanism 60 to a retracted position and a contact position in the radial direction of the winding section 21.

[0053] The retracted position is a position where the action surface 30S is separated from the transferred ink ribbon 13 located on the outermost layer of the take-up section 21 (see FIGS. 7A, 7E, and 7F described below). The abutting position is a position where the action surface 30S abuts on the transferred ink ribbon 13 located on the outermost layer of the take-up section 21 (see FIGS. 7B, 7C, and 7D described below).

[0054] The circumferential direction movement mechanism 50 is a mechanism that moves the second heating element 30 along the circumferential direction of the winding unit 21. The circumferential direction movement mechanism 50 moves the second heating element 30 along the circumferential direction of the winding unit 21 between a start position and an end position.

[0055] In the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the circumferential direction movement mechanism 50 has a support portion 51, a shaft portion 52, a connecting portion 53, a biasing means 54, and a fixing means 55.

[0056] The support part 51 is a part that supports the second heating member 30. The support part 51 is disposed near the outer peripheral surface of the winding part .

[0057] The shaft portion 52 rotates about an axis of rotation that is aligned with the axis of rotation of the winding portion 21. The shaft portion 52 is connected to the device body and the power transmission portion 211 of the winding portion 21 via a bearing portion 56. Therefore, the shaft portion 52 can rotate independently of the rotation of the winding portion 21. The power transmission portion 211 of the winding portion 21 is a portion that fixes the winding portion 21 and also has the function of rotating the winding portion 21. In addition, a force receiving portion 211a that receives power transmitted from the outside is provided on the outer periphery of the power transmission portion 211 of the winding portion 21. The force receiving portion 211a is formed of, for example, a gear.

[0058] The connecting portion 53 is a portion that connects the support portion 51 and the shaft portion 52 together.

[0059] When the shaft portion 52 rotates, the support portion 51 connected to the shaft portion 52 via the connecting portion 53 moves along the outer circumferential direction of the winding portion 21 .

[0060] The biasing means 54 is a means for biasing the second heating body 30 to take a starting position (a predetermined position) in the circumferential direction of the winding portion 21. For example, the biasing means 54 can be configured by a tension spring connected to the support portion 51. However, the biasing means 54 is not limited to a tension spring, and may be any means that applies a biasing force to the second heating body 30.

[0061] The fixing means 55 is a means for temporarily fixing the movement of the take-up portion 21 of the second heating element 30 in the circumferential direction. For example, the fixing means 55 can be configured by a brake mechanism having a disk rotor fixed to the outer periphery of the shaft portion 52 and a pair of brake pads that sandwich the disk rotor. However, the fixing means 55 is not limited to such a brake mechanism, and may be any means that can fix the movement of the take-up portion 21 of the second heating element 30 in the circumferential direction.

[0062] The radial movement mechanism 60 is a mechanism that moves the second heating body 30 along the radial direction of the winding unit 21. The radial movement mechanism 60 moves the second heating body 30 along the radial direction of the winding unit 21 between a retracted position and a contact position.

[0063] In the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the radial movement mechanism 60 includes a driving means 61 and a biasing means 66.

[0064] The driving means 61 is a means for driving the second heating member 30 so that the second heating member 30 is in contact with the winding portion 21 in the radial direction.

[0065] In the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, the driving means 61 has a plate portion 62 arranged opposite the upper surface of the support portion 51 of the circumferential movement mechanism 50, a connection portion 63 connecting the lower surface of the plate portion 62 and the second heating body 30, a ferromagnetic portion 64 arranged on the lower surface of the plate portion 62, and an electromagnet 65 arranged on the upper surface of the support portion 51.

[0066] The driving means 61 is driven by energizing the electromagnet 65. When the electromagnet 65 is energized, an attractive force acts between the electromagnet 65 and the ferromagnetic portion 64, causing the plate portion 62 to move downward. As the plate portion 62 moves, the second heating element 30 connected to the plate portion 62 via the connecting portion 63 also moves downward.

[0067] The biasing means 66 biases the second heating body 30 so that the second heating body 30 takes a retracted position in the radial direction of the winding part 21. For example, the biasing means 66 can be configured by a tension spring connected to the upper surface of the second heating body 30 and the lower surface of the support part 51 of the circumferential direction movement mechanism 50.

[0068] The biasing means 66 allows the second heating body 30 to take the retracted position when the driving means 61 is not being driven (when the electromagnet 65 is not being energized).

[0069] Next, the operation of the heating device 22 will be described.

[0070] 7A to 7F are front views showing the operation of the heating device 22. FIG.

[0071] The heating device 22 heats the ink ribbon 13 located at the outermost layer of the winding unit 21 while the winding unit 21 is winding up the transferred ink ribbon 13. The heating device 22 is controlled by the control unit 90.

[0072] When the heating device 22 is in a standby state, the second heating body 30 is in a start position in the circumferential direction of the winding part 21 and in a retracted position in the radial direction of the winding part 21 (FIG. 7A).

[0073] Before the winding unit 21 starts winding the transferred ink ribbon 13, the heating device 22 moves the second heating element 30 from the retracted position to the contact position in the radial direction of the winding unit 21 (FIG. 7B). When the second heating element 30 moves to the contact position, the heating wire 31 arranged on the working surface 30S comes into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13.

[0074] The second heating element 30 is moved from the retracted position to the contact position by driving the driving element 61 of the radial movement element 60 (by energizing the electromagnet 65). When the driving element 61 is driven, the second heating element 30 moves to the contact position against the biasing force of the biasing element 66.

[0075] Thereafter, when the winding section 21 starts winding the transferred ink ribbon 13, the second heating element 30 moves circumferentially around the winding section 21 together with the transferred ink ribbon 13 due to the frictional force between the active surface 30S and the transferred ink ribbon 13 (Figure 7C).

[0076] During this movement, the transferred ink ribbon 13 is heated by the heating wire 31 in contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13. This heating melts and destroys the ink 12a of the transferred ink ribbon 13. The support layer 11 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 is also partially melted and destroyed. Note that information remaining on the transferred ink ribbon 13 may be erased by transferring the ink 12a of the ink layer 12 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 to the support layer 11 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 located inside, instead of or in addition to destroying the ink 13a and support layer 11. In this case, the heating by the heating wire 21 transfers the ink 12a of the ink layer 12 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 to the surface of the support layer 11 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 located inside.

[0077] Because the second heating element 30 moves together with the transferred ink ribbon 13, the second heating element 30 and the transferred ink ribbon remain in contact for a relatively long time. Therefore, even if the temperature of the heating wire 31 is relatively low, a sufficient amount of heat can be applied to the transferred ink ribbon 13. Furthermore, because the second heating element 30 moves together with the transferred ink ribbon 13, fluctuations in the winding torque of the winding unit 21 are suppressed.

[0078] Thereafter, when the winding unit 21 finishes winding the transferred ink ribbon 13, the movement of the second heating element 30 along the circumferential direction of the winding unit 21 also finishes (FIG. 7D). At this time, the second heating element 30 takes the end position in the circumferential direction of the winding unit 21.

[0079] Thereafter, the heating device 22 moves the second heating body 30 from the contact position to the retracted position in the radial direction of the winding part 21 (FIG. 7E).

[0080] The second heating body 30 is moved from the contact position to the retracted position by stopping the driving of the driving means 61 of the radial movement means 60 (power supply to the electromagnet 65). When the driving of the driving means 61 is stopped, the second heating body 30 is returned to the retracted position by the biasing force of the biasing means 66.

[0081] Thereafter, since the frictional force between the second heating element 30 and the transferred ink ribbon 13 disappears, the second heating element 30 is returned to the starting position along the circumferential direction of the winding portion 21 by the biasing force of the biasing means 54 (Figure 7F).

[0082] The heating device 22 repeatedly performs the above-described operations (FIGS. 7A to 7F) to heat the transferred ink ribbon 13 wound around the winding section 21. The heating device 22 can be controlled simply by turning on / off the driving of the driving means 61 (power supply to the electromagnet 65).

[0083] Furthermore, if the winding of the transferred ink ribbon 13 by the winding unit 21 temporarily stops due to the occurrence of an abnormality or the like, the power supply to the heating wire 31 is temporarily stopped or the second heating element 30 is temporarily moved to a retracted position in the radial direction of the winding unit 21. This operation prevents the transferred ink ribbon 13 from emitting smoke or catching fire.

[0084] Here, when the second heating element 30 is temporarily moved to a retracted position in the radial direction of the winding unit 21, the fixing means 55 fixes the movement of the second heating element 30 in the circumferential direction of the winding unit 21. By fixing the movement of the second heating element 30 in the circumferential direction of the winding unit 21 when the second heating element 30 is temporarily moved to the retracted position in this way, when the winding unit 21 resumes winding the transferred ink ribbon 13, the second heating element 30 can also resume heating the ink ribbon 13 from the state before the resumption.

[0085] The thermal transfer system 10 of this embodiment is typically intended for individual transfer-receiving objects 14 such as ID cards. Therefore, the ink ribbon 13 is transported at a fixed length and intermittently in the thermal transfer system 10. In such a thermal transfer system 10, the above-described operations (FIGS. 7A to 7F) are repeated for each transfer-receiving object 14.

[0086] Next, the arrangement of the heating wires 31 on the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30 will be described.

[0087] Fig. 8A is a plan view showing a first example of the arrangement of the heating wires 31 on the active surface 30S of the second heating element 30. Fig. 8B is a plan view showing the transferred ink ribbon 13 heated by the heating wires 31 arranged in the first example.

[0088] In this specification, the direction parallel to the transport direction of the transferred ink ribbon 13 on the action surface 30S (the left-right direction in FIG. 8A) is referred to as the "longitudinal direction," and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 8A) is referred to as the "width direction."

[0089] In the example shown in Fig. 8A, a plurality of heating wires 31 extending in the longitudinal direction are arranged side by side in the width direction on the active surface 30S of the second heating element 30. The spacing between the heating wires 31 is set to, for example, 2 mm. The heating wires 31 arranged in this manner heat the heated portion 135 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 shown in Fig. 8B. As shown in Fig. 8B, the heated portion 135 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 overlaps the text information portion 131 and the facial photograph portion 132. As a result, the text information portion 131 and the facial photograph portion 132 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 are heated, and the text information and the facial photograph are erased.

[0090] 9A and 9B are plan views showing a second example of the arrangement of the heating wires 31 on the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30. Fig. 9B is a plan view showing the transferred ink ribbon 13 heated by the heating wires 31 of the second example.

[0091] 9A and 9B, the heating wires 31 are arranged only in the areas corresponding to the character information portion 131 and the face photograph portion 132 of the transferred ink ribbon 13. In this way, the heating wires 31 may be thinned out in the areas corresponding to the portions of the transferred ink ribbon 13 where no information to be erased exists.

[0092] Furthermore, in the case of a facial photograph, the eyes, nose, and mouth located in the center of the facial photograph are characteristic features. Therefore, in the area corresponding to the facial photograph portion 132 of the transferred ink ribbon 13, the heating wire 31 only needs to be located in the center of that area. In other words, in the area corresponding to the facial photograph portion 132 of the transferred ink ribbon 13, the heating wire 31 may be thinned out in areas other than the center of that area.

[0093] As described above, by arranging the heating wire 31 only in the area corresponding to the portion where the information to be erased exists, the manufacturing cost and power consumption of the heating device 22 can be reduced.

[0094] 10A to 10C are plan views showing still another example of the arrangement of the heating wires 31 on the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30. FIG.

[0095] In the example shown in Fig. 10A, a plurality of heating wires 31 extending in a direction inclined from the longitudinal direction are arranged side by side in the width direction on the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30. In the example shown in Fig. 10B, a single heating element 31 extending in a non-intersecting unicursal shape is arranged on the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30. In the example shown in Fig. 10C, two heating wires 31 extending in the longitudinal direction are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction on the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30. The heating wires 31 may be arranged in this manner.

[0096] 11A to 11C are vertical cross-sectional views showing the configuration of the second heating element 30 of the modified example.

[0097] 11A, the active surface 30S of the second heating element 30 is composed of two flat surfaces connected at the longitudinal center. A separate heating wire 31 is disposed on each of these two flat surfaces. This configuration prevents the heating wire 31 from floating off the active surface 30S. Furthermore, this configuration allows the active surface 30 to come into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13 on each flat surface even when the winding diameter of the winding section 21 is small, thereby widening the area where the active surface 30 and the transferred ink ribbon 13 come into contact.

[0098] In the example shown in Fig. 11B, the active surface 30S of the second heating element 30 is composed of two flat surfaces connected at the longitudinal center and a groove formed along the connection between the two flat surfaces. A separate heating wire 31 and cover layer 34 are disposed on each of the two flat surfaces. This configuration prevents the heating wire 31 and cover layer 34 from lifting off the active surface 30S. Furthermore, this configuration, similar to the example shown in Fig. 11A, widens the area where the active surface 30 and the transferred ink ribbon 13 come into contact.

[0099] In the example shown in FIG. 11C, the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30 is formed as a single plane. In this way, the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30 may be formed as a single plane. However, by forming the working surface 30S as a surface that is recessed inward as it approaches the center in the longitudinal direction (see FIGS. 6, 11A, and 11B), it is possible to widen the area of ​​the working surface 30S that comes into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13. For this reason, it is preferable that the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30 is formed as a surface that is recessed inward as it approaches the center in the longitudinal direction.

[0100] Next, the configuration of the guide roller position adjusting mechanism 40 of the thermal transfer system 10 will be described.

[0101] Fig. 12 is a front view showing the configuration and operation of the guide roller position adjusting mechanism 40. Fig. 13 is a front view showing the operation in the absence of the guide roller position adjusting mechanism 40.

[0102] As mentioned above, the guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40 is a mechanism that keeps the length of the transport path of the transported ink ribbon 13 from the transfer device 17 to the heating device 22 constant by adjusting the position of the guide roller 15 arranged between the transfer device 17 and the winding section 21.

[0103] 13, in a thermal transfer system 10 that does not include a guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40, the length of the transport path (P0 → P1 → P2 → P3b) when the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 is large is longer than the length of the transport path (P0 → P1 → P2 → P3a) when the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 is small. In other words, in a thermal transfer system 10 that does not include a guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40, as the transferred ink ribbon 13 is wound onto the winding unit 21 and the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 increases, the length of the transport path of the transported ink ribbon 13 from the transfer device 17 to the heating device 22 increases.

[0104] Therefore, in a thermal transfer system 10 for transferring individual transfer objects 14 such as ID cards, when the ink ribbon 13 is transferred at a fixed length and intermittently, as the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 increases, the positional relationship between the heating device 22 and each ink-lacking portion 12b (text information portion 131 and facial photograph portion 132) of the transferred ink ribbon 13 that reaches the vicinity of the heating device 22 shifts. Specifically, as the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 increases, the positions of each ink-lacking portion 12b (text information portion 131 and facial photograph portion 132) of the transferred ink ribbon 13 shift upstream in the transport direction of the ink ribbon 13.

[0105] A similar problem occurs when the ink ribbon 13 is continuously transported and the information to be erased remains at regular intervals along the transport direction of the ink ribbon 13 after transfer.

[0106] On the other hand, in the thermal transfer system 10 of this embodiment, which is equipped with the guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40, the length of the transport path (P0 → P1 → P2b → P3b) when the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 is large can be made the same as the length of the transport path (P0 → P1 → P2a → P3a) when the winding diameter is small, by adjusting the position of the guide roller 15, as shown in Fig. 12. In other words, in the thermal transfer system 10 of this embodiment, which is equipped with the guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40, the length of the transport path of the transported ink ribbon 13 from the transfer device 17 to the heating device 22 is kept constant regardless of the size of the winding diameter of the winding unit 21.

[0107] Therefore, in the thermal transfer system 10 of this embodiment, which is equipped with the guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40, even if the ink ribbon 13 is transported at a fixed length and intermittently, the positional relationship between the heating device 22 and each ink-missing portion 12b (text information portion 131 and facial photo portion 132) of the transferred ink ribbon 13 that reaches the vicinity of the heating device 22 can be maintained constant regardless of the size of the winding diameter of the winding section 21.

[0108] Furthermore, in the thermal transfer system 10 of this embodiment, which is equipped with the guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40, even if the ink ribbon 13 is transported continuously and each ink-missing portion 12b (text information portion 131 and facial photograph portion 132) of the transferred ink ribbon 13 is present at regular intervals along the transport direction, the positional relationship between the heating device 22 and each ink-missing portion 12b (text information portion 131 and facial photograph portion 132) of the transferred ink ribbon 13 that reaches the vicinity of the heating device 22 can be maintained constant regardless of the size of the winding diameter of the winding section 21.

[0109] 12, the guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40 has a winding diameter detection means 41 and a guide roller moving means 42. The winding diameter detection means 41 is a means for detecting the winding diameter of the transferred ink ribbon 13 in the winding unit 21. The guide roller moving means 42 is a means for moving the position of the guide roller 15 in accordance with the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 detected by the winding diameter detection means 41.

[0110] 14A to 14D are front views showing examples of the configuration of the winding diameter detecting means 41. FIG.

[0111] 14A and 14B has touch arms 411b, 412b that come into contact with the outer periphery of the winding unit 21, and potentiometers 411a, 412a that measure the displacement of the touch arms 411b, 411b. The winding diameter detection means 41 detects the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 based on the displacement of the touch arms 411b, 412b measured by the potentiometers 411a, 412a.

[0112] The touch arms 411b and 412b have rolls 411c and 412c arranged at their tips. The touch arms 411b and 412b come into contact with the winding unit 21 at the rolls 411c and 412c. The touch arms 411b and 412b are biased by biasing means 411d and 412d so as to come into contact with the winding unit 21.

[0113] 154, the touch arm 411b is configured as an arm that moves back and forth in a straight line, and the potentiometer 411a is configured as a linear potentiometer that measures the moving distance of the touch arm 411b.

[0114] 14B, the touch arm 411b is configured as an arm that performs pendulum motion, and the potentiometer 411a is configured as a rotary potentiometer that measures the rotation angle of the touch arm 411b.

[0115] 14C includes an ultrasonic sensor 413 that uses reflected ultrasonic waves to measure the distance from the ultrasonic sensor 413 to the outer periphery of the winding unit 21. The winding diameter detection means 41 detects the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 based on the distance from the ultrasonic sensor 413 to the outermost periphery of the winding unit 21 measured by the ultrasonic sensor 413.

[0116] 14D has a rotary encoder 414 that measures the rotation speed of the winding unit 21. This winding diameter detection means 41 detects the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 based on the history of the rotation speed measured by the rotary encoder 414. If the discharge speed of the transferred material 14 is not constant, the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 may be detected based on the history of the rotation speed of the winding unit 21 and the discharge speed of the transferred material 14. The discharge speed of the transferred material 14 can be calculated by measuring the rotation speed of the transport roller 15A or the platen roller 19.

[0117] The winding diameter detection means 41 and the guide roller moving means 42 are controlled by the control unit 90. The guide roller moving means 42 may be any means that moves the guide roller 15 in accordance with the size of the winding diameter of the winding unit 21 detected by the winding diameter detection means 41.

[0118] FIG. 15 is a front view showing another example of the configuration of the guide roller position adjusting mechanism 40. As shown in FIG.

[0119] In the example shown in FIG. 15, the guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40 is configured by a mechanism that converts the movement of the touch arm 431 that contacts the outer periphery of the winding section 21 into the movement of the guide roller 15 via a link mechanism.

[0120] 15, a roller 432 that comes into contact with the outer periphery of the winding unit 21 is disposed at one end of a touch arm 431, and a guide roller 15 is disposed at the other end of the touch arm 431. The touch arm 431 has a rotation shaft 431a between its two ends and is rotatable around the rotation shaft 431a. With this configuration, the touch arm 431 rotates in accordance with the size of the winding diameter of the winding unit 21, and the position of the guide roller 15 disposed at the other end also fluctuates.

[0121] To summarize the above, the thermal transfer system 10 of this embodiment comprises a feed section 16 that feeds out the ink ribbon 13, a transfer device 17 that has a first heating element 18 provided on the support layer 11 side of the ink ribbon 13 and transfers the ink 12a of the ink layer 12 of the ink ribbon 13 to the transferee 14, a winding section 21 that winds up the transferred ink ribbon 13, and a heating device 22 that is provided near the winding section 21 and has a second heating element 30 that heats the transferred ink ribbon 13 being wound by the winding section 21 from the support layer 11 side.

[0122] The second heating element 30 has an operating surface 30S that contacts the transferred ink ribbon 13 wound around the winding unit 21, and a heating wire 31 disposed on the operating surface 30S, and is configured to be movable in both the circumferential and radial directions of the winding unit 21. Furthermore, the heating device 22 heats the transferred ink ribbon 13 by moving the second heating element 30 in the radial direction of the winding unit 21 and bringing the operating surface 30S into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13. At that time, the second heating element 30 moves in the circumferential direction of the winding unit 21 together with the transferred ink ribbon 13 wound around the winding unit 21.

[0123] This thermal transfer system 10 can efficiently and stably heat the transferred ink ribbon 13. Furthermore, because this thermal transfer system 10 uses an electric heating wire 31 as the heating element, the time required for the heating element to rise to the desired temperature and the time required for the heating element to cool down are short.

[0124] The thermal transfer system 10 may also include a guide roller 15 disposed between the transfer device 17 and the take-up unit 21, and a guide roller position adjustment mechanism 40 that adjusts the position of the guide roller 15 to keep constant the length of the transport path of the transferred ink ribbon 13 from the transfer device 17 to the heating device 22. This configuration allows the position of the heated portion 135 on the transferred ink ribbon 13 to be appropriately adjusted.

[0125] Furthermore, the heating device 22 may have a biasing means 54 that biases the second heating body 30 so that the second heating body 30 takes a predetermined position (start position) in the circumferential direction of the winding section 21. With this configuration, a driving means for moving the second heating body 30 along the circumferential direction of the winding section 21 is not required.

[0126] Furthermore, the heating device 22 may have a driving means 61 that drives the second heating body 30 so that the second heating body 30 is in the contact position, and a biasing means 66 that biases the second heating body 30 so that the second heating body 30 is in the retracted position. With this configuration, the heating device 22 can be operated simply by turning the driving means 61 on and off.

[0127] Furthermore, the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30 may be formed as a surface that is recessed inward as it approaches the center in the direction along the transport direction of the transferred ink ribbon 13. With this configuration, the area of ​​the working surface 30S that comes into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13 can be widened.

[0128] Although an example of an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 10 Thermal Transfer System 13 Ink ribbon 11 Support layer 12 ink layers 12a Ink 12b Missing ink area 131 Character information part 132 Face photo section 135 Heating part 14 Transferred object 15 Guide roller 15A Conveyor roller 16 Transmission section 17 Transcription device 18 First heating element 19 Platen Roll 21 Winding section 211 Power transmission section 211a Force receiving part 22 Heating device 30 Second heating element 30B Main body 30S working surface 31 Heating wire 32 Wiring 34 Cover Layer 50 Circumferential movement mechanism 51 Support part 52 Shaft section 53 Connecting part 54 Biasing means (first biasing means) 55 Fixing means 56 Bearing section 60 Radial movement mechanism 61 Driving means 62 Plate section 63 Connection 64 Ferromagnetic material part 65 Electromagnet 66 Biasing means (second biasing means) 40 Guide roller position adjustment mechanism 41 Winding diameter detection means 42 Guide roller moving means 90 Control Unit

Claims

1. A transfer system for transferring ink to a transfer target using an ink ribbon having a support layer and an ink layer, a delivery section that delivers the ink ribbon; a transfer device disposed downstream of the delivery section, the transfer device having a first heating element provided on the support layer side of the ink ribbon, and configured to transfer ink from the ink layer of the ink ribbon to the transfer target; a take-up unit disposed downstream of the transfer device, for taking up the ink ribbon after transfer; a heating device provided near the winding section and having a second heating element that heats the ink ribbon wound by the winding section from the support layer side, the second heating element has an operating surface that contacts the ink ribbon wound on the winding portion and a heating wire disposed on the operating surface, and is configured to be movable along both the circumferential direction and the radial direction of the winding portion; The heating device heats the ink ribbon by moving the second heating element along the radial direction of the winding portion and bringing the working surface into contact with the ink ribbon, and at that time, the second heating element moves along the circumferential direction of the winding portion together with the ink ribbon wound on the winding portion. Transcription system.

2. 10. The transfer system of claim 1, a guide roller disposed between the transfer device and the winding unit, for guiding the transport of the ink ribbon; a guide roller position adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of the guide roller to keep constant the length of the transport path of the ink ribbon from the transfer device to the heating device. Transcription system.

3. 10. The transfer system of claim 1, The heating device has a first biasing means for biasing the second heating element so that the second heating element takes a predetermined position in the circumferential direction of the take-up portion.

4. 4. The transfer system of claim 3, The heating device has a fixing means for temporarily fixing the second heating element against movement along the circumferential direction of the take-up portion.

5. 10. The transfer system of claim 1, The heating device is a driving means for driving the second heating element so that the second heating element is in contact with the ink ribbon wound on the winding portion; a second biasing means for biasing the second heater so that the second heater is at a retracted position where the second heater is retracted from the ink ribbon wound on the winding section; have Transcription system.

6. 10. The transfer system of claim 1, A transfer system in which the active surface of the second heater is formed as a surface that is recessed inward as it approaches a center portion in a direction along the transport direction of the ink ribbon.

Images