Thermal transfer system

Abstract

To provide a thermal transfer system which has an improved heating device for heating a transferred ink ribbon.SOLUTION: A thermal transfer system 10 includes a delivery part 16 for delivering an ink ribbon 13, a transfer device 17 for transferring ink 12a of the ink ribbon 13 onto a body 14 to be transferred, 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 composed of a divided cylindrical surface, a rotation axis 30a, and a heating wire 31 arranged on the action surface 30S, and is rotatable around the rotation axis 30a, and the heating device 22 brings the action surface 30S of the second heating body 30 into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13 wound up by the winding part 21, thereby heats the transferred ink ribbon 13.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] The 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 feed section that feeds out the ink ribbon; a transfer device that is arranged downstream of the feed section and has a first heating element provided on the support layer side of the ink ribbon and transfers the ink of the ink layer of the ink ribbon to the transferee; a winding section that is arranged downstream of the transfer device and winds up the transferred ink ribbon; and a heating device that is arranged near the winding section and has a second heating element that heats the transferred ink ribbon from the support layer side, wherein the second heating element has an active surface consisting of a divided cylindrical surface that is convex outward, a rotation axis that is arranged at the center of the divided cylindrical surface, and a heating wire that is arranged on the active surface and is rotatable around the rotation axis, and the heating device heats the transferred ink ribbon by abutting the active surface of the second heating element against the transferred ink ribbon that has been wound up by the winding section.

[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 biasing means for biasing the second heating element so that the second heating element assumes a predetermined position in a standby state. Further, the heating device may include a fixing mechanism for temporarily fixing the rotation of the second heating element around the rotation axis.

[0014] The transfer system may be such that the second heating element has an active surface consisting of a cylindrical surface, a rotation axis arranged at the center of the cylindrical surface, and a heating wire arranged on the active surface, and is freely rotatable around the rotation axis. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] 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]

[0016] [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 perspective view showing the configuration of a second heating element. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a second heating element. [Figure 6A] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the operation of the heating device. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a front view following FIG. 6A. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6B is a front view following FIG. 6B. [Figure 6D] FIG. 6D is a front view following FIG. 6C. [Figure 6E] FIG. 6B is a front view following FIG. 6D. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are a front view (left) and a side view (right) showing the operation of a fixing mechanism of a heating device. [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 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a third example of the arrangement of heating wires on the working surface of the second heating element. [Figure 11]11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a third example of the arrangement of heating wires on the working surface of the second heating element, showing the cross section AA of FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 12A] 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 12B] 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 13] 10A and 10B are front views showing the configuration and operation of a guide roller position adjustment mechanism. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the operation in the absence of a guide roller position adjustment mechanism. [Figure 15A] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a first example of the configuration of a winding diameter detecting means. [Figure 15B] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a second example of the configuration of the winding diameter detecting means. [Figure 15C] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a third example of the configuration of the winding diameter detecting means. [Figure 15D] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a fourth example of the configuration of the winding diameter detecting means. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a front view showing another example of the configuration of the guide roller position adjustment mechanism. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a heating device of a modified thermal transfer system. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a second heating element of a thermal transfer system according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] First, the overall structure of the thermal transfer system 10 of this embodiment will be described.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] The delivery section 16 delivers the ink ribbon 13 in the direction indicated by the arrow R1.

[0023] 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.

[0024] The winding section 21 winds up the ink ribbon 13 after transfer in the direction indicated by the arrow R2.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] The plurality of conveying rollers 15A are arranged at intervals along the conveying path of the transfer object, and convey the transfer object 14.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] Next, the configuration of the ink ribbon 13 will be described.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] Next, a specific configuration of the heating device 22 will be described.

[0038] Fig. 3 is a front view showing the configuration of the heating device 22. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the second heating member 30. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the second heating member 30.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the heating device 22 includes a second heating member 30, a moving mechanism 35, a biasing means 36, and a fixing mechanism 37.

[0040] The second heating element 30 is a heating element that heats the transferred ink ribbon 13. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the second heating element 30 has a main body 30B, an operating surface 30S, a rotating shaft 30a, a heating wire 31, and a cover layer 34.

[0041] The main body 30B is a part that constitutes the main body of the second heating element 30. The main body 30B is made of a block-shaped member having an action surface 20S formed as a cylindrical surface. In the example shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the main body 30B has a columnar shape with a substantially fan-shaped bottom surface. 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).

[0042] 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. The action surface 30S is formed as a cylindrical surface on the surface of the main body 30B. In this embodiment, the action surface 30S is made up of a divided cylindrical surface that is convex outward. 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.

[0043] The rotation axis 30a is the axis that serves as the center of rotation of the second heating element 30. The rotation axis 30a is disposed on the central axis of the cylindrical surface that forms the working surface 30S. The second heating element 30 is rotatable about the rotation axis 30a.

[0044] The heating wire 31 is a linear member for heating the transferred ink ribbon 13. The heating wire 31 is disposed on the operating surface 30S. 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 heats the transferred ink ribbon 13 located on the outermost layer of the winding section 21 by pressing the heated heating wire 31 against the outer periphery 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 refers to the surface temperature of the cover layer 34 when a cover layer 34 is provided, and refers to the surface temperature of the heating wire 31 when no cover layer 34 is provided.

[0045] The heating wire 31 is arranged along the transport direction of the transferred ink ribbon 13. In this specification, the portion of the heating wire 31 that first comes into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13 is referred to as the starting end 31s, and the portion that last comes into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13 is referred to as the ending end 31e. Specific examples of the arrangement of the heating wire 31 will be described later.

[0046] 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.

[0047] The second heating element 30 is configured to be able to take a retracted position and a contact position. Here, the retracted position is a position where the working surface 30S is separated from the ink ribbon 13 located in the outermost layer of the winding section 21. The contact position is a position where the working surface 30S is in contact with the ink ribbon 13 located in the outermost layer of the winding section 21. When the second heating element 30 is in the contact position, the heating wire 31 arranged on the working surface 30S also comes into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13.

[0048] The moving mechanism 35 is a mechanism that moves the second heating body 30. The moving mechanism 35 moves the second heating body 30 between a retracted position and a contact position. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the moving mechanism 35 is configured as an elevator that moves the rotation shaft 30a of the second heating body 30 in the up and down direction. However, the moving mechanism 35 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 3, and may be any mechanism that can move the second heating body 30.

[0049] The biasing means 36 biases the second heating element 30 so that the second heating element 30 assumes a predetermined posture when the heating device 22 is in a standby state. Here, the predetermined posture is a posture in which the starting end 31s of the heating wire 31 abuts against the transferred ink ribbon 13 when the second heating element 30 moves from the retracted position to the abutting position (see FIG. 6B). In the example shown in FIG. 3, the biasing means 36 is configured by a tension spring connected to the second heating element 30.

[0050] The fixing mechanism 37 is a mechanism that temporarily fixes the rotation of the second heating element 30 about the rotation axis 30a so that the second heating element 30 is not returned to the standby state by the biasing means 36 when the second heating element 30 is temporarily moved to the retracted position. The specific configuration of the fixing mechanism 37 will be described later.

[0051] Next, the operation of the heating device 22 will be described.

[0052] 6A to 6E are front views showing the operation of the heating device 22. FIG.

[0053] 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.

[0054] When the heating device 22 is in a standby state, the second heating body 30 is in the retracted position (FIG. 6A).

[0055] When the heating device 22 starts heating, the heating device 22 moves the second heating element 30 from the retracted position to the contact position (FIG. 6B). At this time, the starting end 31s of the heating wire 31 contacts the transferred ink ribbon 13 located in the outermost layer of the winding part 21.

[0056] Thereafter, the second heating element 30 rotates around the rotation axis 30a due to the frictional force between itself and the transferred ink ribbon 13 wound around the winding section 21 (FIG. 6C). This rotation of the second heating element 30 is synchronized with the rotation of the winding section 21. At this time, the transferred ink ribbon 13 is heated by the heated heating wire 31. This heating melts and destroys the ink 13a of the transferred ink ribbon 13. Furthermore, a portion of the support layer 11 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 also melts and destroys it.

[0057] Here, because the rotation of the second heating element 30 is synchronized with the rotation of the winding unit 21, fluctuations of the second heating element 30 and the winding unit 21 due to friction between the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30 and the transferred ink ribbon 13 are suppressed. Furthermore, because heating is performed by the linearly extending heating wire 31, even if the transferred ink ribbon 13 melts and sticks to the heating wire 31, the sticking is easily resolved. This suppresses an increase in the rotational load of the winding unit 21 and the second heating element 30.

[0058] Note that the erasure of information remaining on the transferred ink ribbon 13 may be achieved by transferring the ink 12a of the ink layer 12 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 to the inner support layer 11 of the transferred ink ribbon 13, instead of or in addition to destroying the ink 13a and the support layer 11. In this case, heating by the heating wire 21 causes the ink 12a of the ink layer 12 of the transferred ink ribbon 13 to be transferred to the surface of the inner support layer 11 of the transferred ink ribbon 13.

[0059] As the second heating element 30 continues to rotate and the end 31 of the heating wire 31 comes into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13 (FIG. 6D), the heating device 22 moves the second heating element 30 from the contact position to the retracted position (FIG. 6E). At this time, the second heating element 30 is returned to the standby position by the biasing means 36.

[0060] The heating device 22 heats the transferred ink ribbon 13 wound around the winding section 21 by repeatedly performing the above-described operations (FIGS. 6A to 6E).

[0061] 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 the retracted position. This operation prevents the transferred ink ribbon 13 from emitting smoke or catching fire.

[0062] The thermal transfer system 10 of this embodiment is typically intended for individual transfer objects 14 such as ID cards. Therefore, the ink ribbon 13 in the thermal transfer system 10 is transported at a fixed length and intermittently. In such a thermal transfer system 10, the above-described operations are repeated for each transfer object 14.

[0063] The above-described heating device 22 can also be applied when the ink ribbon 13 is transported continuously, rather than intermittently. In this case, the heating device 22 repeats the above-described operations (FIGS. 6A to 6E) while the winding section 21 continues to wind up the transferred ink ribbon 13. As a result, the heating device 22 does not heat the area of ​​the transferred ink ribbon 13 that passes near the heating device 22 when the second heating element 30 is in the retracted position. Therefore, when the ink ribbon 13 is transported continuously, the second heating element 30 is adjusted to take the retracted position when an area of ​​the transferred ink ribbon 13 where no information to be erased remains is near the second heating element 30.

[0064] Next, the configuration of the fixing mechanism 37 of the heating device 22 will be described.

[0065] FIG. 7 is a front view (left) and a side view (right) showing the operation of the fixing mechanism 37 of the heating device 22.

[0066] In the example shown in FIG. 7 , the fixing mechanism 37 is configured with a pair of pad members that sandwich the second heating element 30. The fixing mechanism 37 temporarily fixes the rotation of the second heating element 30 when the winding unit 21 temporarily stops winding the transferred ink ribbon 13 and temporarily moves the second heating element 30 to the retracted position. By moving the second heating element 30 to the retracted position while the rotation of the second heating element 30 is fixed, the biasing means 36 can prevent the second heating element 30 from returning to the standby position. Then, after moving the second heating element 30 to the abutting position, the fixing mechanism 37 releases the fixation of the rotation of the second heating element 30.

[0067] In this way, by fixing the rotation of the second heating element 30 when the second heating element 30 is temporarily moved to the retracted position, when the winding section 21 resumes winding the transferred ink ribbon 13, the heating of the ink ribbon 13 by the second heating element 30 can also be resumed from the state before the resumption.

[0068] Next, the arrangement of the heating wires 31 on the working surface 30s of the second heating element 30 will be described.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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."

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] Fig. 10 is a plan view showing a third example of the arrangement of the heating wires 31 on the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30. Fig. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the third example of the arrangement of the heating wires 31 on the working surface 30s of the second heating element 30, showing the cross section AA of Fig. 10.

[0077] 10 and 11, the heating wire 31 is disposed on only one side in the width direction of the working surface 30S, and a protrusion 33 extending in the longitudinal direction is provided on the other side in the width direction of the working surface 30S. The protrusion 33 has the same protrusion amount as the heating wire 31.

[0078] The presence of such a protrusion 33 makes it possible to prevent the operating surface 30S from tilting in the width direction and coming into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13, even when the heating wire 31 is disposed on only one side of the operating surface 30S in the width direction. This in turn makes it possible to prevent the rotation shaft of the second heating element 30 from galling, which may occur when the operating surface 30S tilts in the width direction and comes into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13.

[0079] In this way, when the heating wire 31 is arranged only on one side in the width direction of the working surface 30S, it is preferable to provide a convex portion 33 extending in the longitudinal direction on the other side in the width direction of the working surface 30S. In addition, it is preferable that the convex portion 33 has the same convex amount as the heating wire 31.

[0080] 12A and 12B 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.

[0081] In the example shown in Fig. 12A, 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. 12B, 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. The heating wire 31 may be arranged in this manner.

[0082] Next, the configuration of the guide roller position adjusting mechanism 40 of the thermal transfer system 10 will be described.

[0083] Fig. 13 is a front view showing the configuration and operation of the guide roller position adjusting mechanism 40. Fig. 14 is a front view showing the operation in the absence of the guide roller position adjusting mechanism 40.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 14, 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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. 13. 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.

[0089] 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.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 13, 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.

[0092] 15A to 15D are front views showing examples of the configuration of the winding diameter detecting means 41. FIG.

[0093] 15A and 15B 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.

[0094] 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.

[0095] 15A, 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.

[0096] 15B, 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.

[0097] 15C 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.

[0098] 15D 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] FIG. 16 is a front view showing another example of the configuration of the guide roller position adjusting mechanism 40. As shown in FIG.

[0101] In the example shown in FIG. 16, 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.

[0102] 16, 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.

[0103] 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 transfer target 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 from the support layer 11 side.

[0104] The second heating element 30 has an operating surface 30S consisting of a divided cylindrical surface that is convex outward, a rotation axis 30a located at the center of the divided cylindrical surface, and a heating wire 31 located on the operating surface 30S, and is rotatable around the rotation axis 30a. Furthermore, the heating device 22 heats the transferred ink ribbon 13 by bringing the operating surface 30S of the second heating element 30 into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13 wound by the winding unit 21.

[0105] 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.

[0106] The thermal transfer system 10 may also include a guide roller 15 disposed between the transfer device 17 and the take-up unit 21 to guide the transport of the ink ribbon 13, 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 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.

[0107] The heating device 22 may also have a biasing means 36 that biases the second heating element 30 so that the second heating element 30 assumes a predetermined posture in a standby state. Furthermore, the heating device 22 may also have a fixing mechanism 37 that temporarily fixes the rotation of the second heating element 30 about the rotation axis 30a. With this configuration, the heating device 22 can be operated by driving the movement mechanism 35 alone.

[0108] Next, a modified thermal transfer system 10 will be described.

[0109] Fig. 17 is a front view showing the heating device 22 of the modified thermal transfer system 10. Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the second heating member 30 of the modified thermal transfer system 10.

[0110] The modified thermal transfer system 10 differs from the thermal transfer system 10 of the present embodiment in that the main body 30B of the second heating element 30 of the heating device 22 has a cylindrical shape rather than a columnar shape with an approximately fan-shaped bottom surface.

[0111] The heating device 22 of the modified example includes a second heating body 30 and a movement mechanism 35.

[0112] The second heating element 30 is a heating element that heats the transferred ink ribbon 13. As in the present embodiment, the second heating element 30 has a main body 30B, an operating surface 30S, a rotating shaft 30a, a heating wire 31, and a cover layer (not shown).

[0113] The main body 30B has a cylindrical shape. The working surface 30S is a cylindrical surface. The rotation shaft 30a is disposed on the central axis of the cylindrical surface that forms the working surface 30S.

[0114] The heating wire 31 is arranged on the working surface 30S. In the example shown in FIG. 18, multiple heating wires 31 extending in the longitudinal direction are arranged side by side in both the longitudinal and width directions on the working surface 30S. The heating wires 31 are arranged so that they overlap each other so that the gaps between the heating wires 31 in the longitudinal direction do not overlap in the lateral direction (see FIG. 18). It is also possible to configure a single heating wire 31 to be wound around the working surface 30S. However, the longer the heating wire, the lower the heat generation temperature due to its own resistance. Therefore, from the viewpoint of efficient heating and power saving, a configuration in which multiple heating wires each having a relatively short length are arranged is preferable.

[0115] As in the present embodiment, the second heating member 30 is configured to be able to take a retracted position and a contact position. The movement mechanism 35 is a mechanism for moving the second heating member 30, and moves the second heating member 30 between the retracted position and the contact position.

[0116] The operation of the heating device 22 of the modified example is basically the same as that of the present embodiment. However, since the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30 is configured as an undivided cylindrical surface rather than a divided cylindrical surface, continuous heating is possible.

[0117] Therefore, even if the position of each ink-missing portion 12b (text information portion 131 and facial photograph portion 132) of the transferred ink ribbon 13 moves due to a change in the winding diameter of the winding portion 21, the heating wire 31 can be brought into contact with each ink-missing portion 12b (text information portion 131 and facial photograph portion 132) without requiring any special control.

[0118] Furthermore, by configuring the individual heating wires 31 so that they are energized in turn when they come into contact with the transferred ink ribbon 13, it is possible to save power.

[0119] In this manner, the working surface 30S of the second heating element 30 of the thermal transfer system 10 of the present disclosure may be configured as an undivided cylindrical surface rather than a divided cylindrical surface.

[0120] 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]

[0121] 10 Thermal Transfer System 13 Ink ribbon 11 Support layer 12 ink layers 12a Ink 12b Ink missing 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 22 Heating device 30 Second heating element 30B Main body 30S working surface 30a Rotating shaft 31 Heating wire 32 Wiring 33 Convex part 34 Cover Layer 35 Moving mechanism 36 Actuation means 37 Fixing mechanism 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 that is disposed downstream of the delivery section, 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 transfer-receiving body; a take-up unit disposed downstream of the transfer device, for taking up the ink ribbon after transfer; a heating device provided near the take-up section and having a second heating element that heats the ink ribbon after transfer from the support layer side, the second heating element has an operating surface formed of a divided cylindrical surface that is convex outward, a rotation shaft disposed at the center of the divided cylindrical surface, and a heating wire disposed on the operating surface, and is rotatable about the rotation shaft; The heating device heats the ink ribbon after transfer by bringing the working surface of the second heating element into contact with the ink ribbon after transfer and wound by the winding section. 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 biasing means for biasing the second heating element so that the second heating element takes a predetermined posture in a standby state. Transcription system.

4. 4. The transfer system of claim 3, The heating device has a fixing mechanism that temporarily fixes the rotation of the second heating element around the rotation axis. Transcription system.

5. 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 that is disposed downstream of the delivery section, 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 transfer-receiving body; a take-up unit disposed downstream of the transfer device, for taking up the ink ribbon after transfer; a heating device provided near the take-up section and having a second heating element that heats the ink ribbon after transfer from the support layer side, the second heating element has 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 is rotatable around the rotation axis; The heating device heats the ink ribbon after transfer by bringing the working surface of the second heating element into contact with the ink ribbon after transfer and wound by the winding section. Transcription system.

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