Typewriting machines – Typing by other than type-face or type-die – Thermal
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-25
2003-11-18
Nolan, Jr., Charles H. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Typing by other than type-face or type-die
Thermal
C400S120030, C400S120040, C400S120130
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648526
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
This invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing method for printing a variety of information such as images and characters on a recording medium, such as a card. More particularly, this invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing method that are capable of switching printing methods according to characteristics of a recording medium or information for printing a variety of information.
Conventionally, a thermal transfer printing apparatus has been used to record a desired image or a character on a card recording medium such as a credit card, a cash card, a license card or an ID card by thermally transferring with a thermal head via a thermal transfer film. As an example, in Japanese Patent Publication (TOKKAI) No. 09-131930, a printing apparatus using a direct transfer method has been disclosed. The apparatus directly transfers an image and a character to a recording medium via a thermal transfer film. This method has an advantage of attaining a high quality image due to thermal sublimate ink. However, the recording medium needs to have a receptive layer on its printing surface to receive the ink. Therefore, only limited recording medium can be used, or the receptive layer needs to be formed on the surface of the recording medium.
Generally, a card made of a polyvinyl chloride (known as a PVC card) has been widely used as the recording medium that can receive the thermal sublimate ink. However, since the PVC card generates toxic substances when burned, recently it has been tried to switch to a card made of a polyethylene terephthalate (also known as a PET card).
Furthermore, in recent years, a new type of card media such as an IC card, which embeds an IC chip or antenna inside, has been used in a variety of fields. Because of the embedded elements, this type of card has an uneven surface, resulting in a printing problem.
In Japanese Patent Publication (TOKKAI) No. 08-332742, a printing apparatus using an indirect transfer technology, in which an image is transferred to an intermediate transfer medium once then transferred to a final recording medium, has been disclosed to solve the above problem. According to this method, it is possible to overcome the problems such as limited recording medium related to the receptive layer or the issue of printing on an uneven surface of the recording medium. Furthermore, this method makes it easier to print an image on an entire surface of the card medium as opposed to the direct transfer method.
In Japanese Patent Publication (TOKKAI) No. 11-263032, an image forming portion for forming an image on a belt-shaped transfer sheet (an intermediate transfer film) is disposed at an upper portion, and a retransfer portion for re-transferring the image transferred to the transfer sheet to a card as the received image is disposed at lower portion. When the image is formed on the transfer sheet, the sheet is transported in a vertical direction with respect to the apparatus. While the card is being transported in a horizontal direction after passing a sheet return path, the image is re-transferred to the card.
Further, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 08-58125, a thermal transfer printing apparatus that prints simultaneously to both front and back surfaces of a recording paper is disclosed. The apparatus is configured to have two printing mechanisms; namely a mechanism of transferring an ink image to a recording paper surface by a heat roller after forming an image on an intermediate transfer film using a thermal head, and another mechanism of transferring an ink to a backside of the recording paper with another thermal head different from the aforementioned thermal head. The thermal head for transferring the ink to the backside of the recording paper surface through an ink film is arranged at a side opposite to the heat roller for the re-transfer process.
However, in the intermediate transfer method, a running cost tends to be higher than that of the direct transfer method because of the intermediate transfer medium. Also, it takes longer time to finish printing. Furthermore, in terms of a card design, there are many cases where a front side needs to be printed on a whole area while only limited area such as precautions for card use is needed to print on a backside. Thus, there are merits and demerits for both printing methods. In Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-263032, an image forming process and a re-transferring process can be performed simultaneously, but the apparatus can handle only the aforementioned indirect transfer method. Also, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 08-058125, a disclosed technology for simultaneous processing on both sides is limited to the same recording paper. When a process error occurs while processing both sides, it is necessary to re-form an image for not only either side but also a recording sheet on the intermediate transfer film. Furthermore, to properly print on both sides of the same recording paper with the thermal transfer printing apparatus disclosed in the publication, as both sides of the recording paper are heated, it becomes difficult to peel the intermediate transfer film off because of a high temperature.
Therefore, it is possible to reduce a running cost by selecting a method most appropriate to a recording medium if a printing apparatus can switch between the direct transfer method and the indirect transfer method to print an image on a recording medium depending on an objective of printing such as an entire surface printing. Also, and if it is possible to select either of at least the direct transfer method and the indirect transfer method without limitation to the front and back sides of the same recording medium and printing simultaneously to a plurality of recording medium, printing times can be shortened, thereby resulting in the expanded use of such a printing apparatus.
An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus that can switch between the direct transfer method and the indirect transfer method for printing and shorten a print processing time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus that reduces an operating cost associated with printing and simplifies a printing process as well as improves a printing speed while meeting an increasing demand for both the direct transfer method and the indirect transfer method for printing a recording medium.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a printing method that can switch between the direct transfer method and the indirect transfer method and shorten a print processing time.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To attain the objectives, in the first aspect of the present invention, a printing apparatus is equipped with a recording medium transport device for transporting a recording medium supplied from a supply portion along a transport path; at least one first printing device arranged on the transport path of the recording medium transport device for selectively forming an image on the recording medium via a thermal transfer film with an ink layer and on an intermediate transfer medium for temporarily holding the image; a thermal transfer film transport device for transporting the thermal transfer film; a second printing device arranged on the transport path of the recording medium transport device for transferring the image formed on the intermediate transfer medium on the recording medium or another recording medium; an intermediate transfer medium transport device for reciprocating the intermediate transfer medium with regard to the second printing device; and a control device for controlling the second printing device to execute the image forming at the same time when transporting the thermal transfer film for forming the image by the first printing device.
In this aspect, the recording medium transport device transports the recording medium from the supply portion along the transpor
Isono Hajime
Kobayashi Takehito
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Nisca Corporation
Nolan, Jr. Charles H.
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