Typewriting machines – Including interposed inking device for record-medium – Ribbon – per se
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-07
2001-10-30
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Including interposed inking device for record-medium
Ribbon, per se
C400S240300, C400S224200, C400S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309118
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
The present application claims priority to Japanese Application No. P11-170130 filed Jun. 16, 1999 and Japanese Application P11-262689 filed Sep. 16, 1999, which applications are incorporated herein by reference to the extent permitted by law.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an ink ribbon having sensor marks and adapted to be used for thermal transfer recording. More particularly, it relates to an ink ribbon having sensor marks that can reliably be read in use.
Sublimation type thermal transfer recording methods for forming an image by laying an ink ribbon having ink layers containing sublimating or thermally diffusive dyes and printing paper having a dye receiving layer one on the other, heating the ink layers typically by means of a thermal head according to the image information applied to it and transferring the dyes of the ink layers to the dye receiving layer of the printing paper are known. Such sublimation type thermal transfer recording methods are attracting attention because they can form a full color image with continuously changing color tones particularly in the case of making a hard copy of an image from a video tape.
The sublimation type thermal transfer recording method is used with a printer that is adapted to use an ink ribbon typically provided with sensor marks for placing the ink ribbon in position. Since the sensor marks and the ink layers show respective optical translucent density that are different from each other, the printer using the ink ribbon can detect a sensor mark by way of a change in the translucent density of the ink ribbon to place the latter in position. The sensor marks are required to be reliably read by the sensor of the printer.
The sensor of the printer may be of the transmission type and or of the transmission/reflection type.
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
of the accompanying drawings, the sensor of the transmission type has a light emitting section
12
arranged to face the side of an ink ribbon
10
that carries sensor marks
11
and a light receiving section
13
arranged opposite to the light emitting section
12
so as to allow the ink ribbon
10
to pass therebetween.
The light emitting section
12
of the transmission type sensor emits light, which is received by the light receiving section
13
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, light emitted from the light emitting section
12
passes through the ink ribbon
10
in areas other than those of the sensor marks
11
and received by the light receiving section
13
. However, the sensor marks
11
block light so that light emitted from the light emitting section
12
cannot pass therethrough. In this way, the transmission type sensor detects each sensor mark
11
.
In the case of the transmission/reflection type sensor as shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
, a reflector panel
14
is arranged at the side of the ink ribbon
10
opposite to the side that carries sensor marks
11
. Both a light emitting section
12
and a light receiving section
13
are arranged opposite to the reflector panel
14
so as to allow the ink ribbon
10
to pass therebetween. The light emitting section
12
and the light receiving section
13
are located at respective positions that are conjugative relative to each other.
Thus, the light emitting section
12
of the transmission/reflection type sensor emit light, which is reflected by the reflector panel
14
and received by the light receiving section
13
. As shown in
FIG. 3
, light emitted from the light emitting section
12
passes through the ink ribbon
10
in areas other than those of the sensor marks
11
and reflected by the reflector panel
14
before it is received by the light receiving section
13
. However, the sensor marks
11
block light so that light emitted from the light emitting section
12
cannot pass therethrough. In this way, the transmission/reflection type sensor detects each sensor mark
11
.
The reliability of detecting sensor marks
11
of the transmission type sensor can be improved by using thick sensor marks
11
.
However, if the sensor marks
11
are too thick, they can be deformed while the ink ribbon
10
is stored for a long period of time as high pressure is applied to them by the parts of the ink ribbon
10
that are held in contact with them.
In view of this problem, it is desirably that the sensor marks
11
has a thickness same as that of the ink layers, which is normally about 2 &mgr;m or less. In other words, the sensor marks
11
have to meet both the requirement of a small thickness and that of a high translucent density.
Additionally, in the case of the transmission/reflection type sensor, if the sensor marks
11
show a high surface reflectance, the light receiving section
13
can receive light reflected not by the reflector panel
14
but by the adjacent surface of a sensor mark
11
and mistake the sensor mark
11
for an area other than the sensor mark
11
. Then, the sensor mark
11
is not correctly recognized to give rise to misalignment of the ink ribbon
10
and a failure on the part of the printer.
Efforts have been paid to optimize the chemical composition and the thickness of sensor marks
11
in order to optimize the translucent density and the surface reflectance of sensor marks
11
. However, the problem of missing sensor marks of the sensor has not been completely eliminated to date.
In view of the above described circumstances, it is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an ink ribbon to be used for thermal transfer recording that shows an improved reliability for detecting sensor marks and can be stored without losing the improved reliability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, the above object is achieved by providing an ink ribbon adapted to be used for a sublimation type thermal transfer printer, said ink ribbon comprising:
a ribbon-shaped substrate;
ink layers formed on a surface of said substrate and containing dyes;
sensor marks formed on said surface of said substrate; and
a back coat layer formed on the other surface of said substrate;
said sensor marks containing first carbon black with an average particle diameter of 30 nm or less and second carbon black with an average particle diameter of 270 nm or more.
With an ink ribbon according to the invention as described above, the sensor marks satisfy both the requirement of a high translucent density and that of a low surface reflectance to minimize detection errors.
In another aspect of the invention, there is also provided an ink ribbon adapted to be used for a sublimation type thermal transfer printer, said ink ribbon comprising:
a ribbon-shaped substrate;
ink layers formed on a surface of said substrate and containing dyes; and
sensor marks formed on said surface of said substrate carrying said ink layers;
said sensor marks having a 45° reflectance of 30% or less to light with a wavelength of 950 nm.
With an ink ribbon according to the invention, the sensor of the printer can reliably detect the sensor marks because the surface reflectance of the sensor marks is sufficiently low.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4558329 (1985-12-01), Honda
patent: 5073053 (1991-12-01), Kashiwagi
patent: 5185315 (1993-02-01), Sparer
patent: 5306097 (1994-04-01), Kaneko
patent: 6071024 (1998-09-01), Chi-Ming et al.
patent: 0673786A1 (1995-09-01), None
patent: 0956972A1 (1999-11-01), None
patent: 60008089 (1985-01-01), None
patent: 01202491 (1989-08-01), None
Fukuda Hiroshi
Konno Akihiko
Shinohara Satoru
Crenshaw Marvin P.
Hilten John S.
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
Sony Corporation
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