Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Patent
1996-08-20
1998-09-01
Le, N.
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
347213, 8467, B41J 232
Patent
active
058017429
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printing device for transferring a printing image onto a recording medium in a printer or copier.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,619 discloses a thermal printing head of a thermal transfer printing device. The thermal printing head is arranged at a transfer printing point. At this transfer printing point, a printing image is transferred onto a recording medium. A printing ink film is transported between the thermal printing head and the recording medium in a direction of transport of the recording medium. This printing ink film has a plurality of small orifices, in which printing ink is contained. This printing ink is introduced into the orifices of the printing ink film in an inking station. At the transfer printing point, the printing ink film slides over the thermal printing head and at the same time is preheated. The thermal printing head has a plurality of individually activatable heating elements which serve for the rapid heating of the printing ink in the orifices of the printing ink film. The heating elements are activated by a control unit in accordance with the printing image to be reproduced. The rapid heating of the printing ink causes bubbles to form in the orifices of the printing ink film, with the result that the printing ink is instantly expelled from the orifices in the direction of the recording medium.
By means of the known method, high-viscosity printing inks with a high pigment concentration can be transferred onto the recording medium. Half-tones too can be printed thereby, as a result of which color images of photographic quality can also be produced. In the known thermal transfer printing device, however, considerable requirements are placed on the printing ink. Thus, the printing ink has to be thermally stable up to about 400.degree. C. According to the temperature of the printing ink, the thermal load on the surface of the recording medium also rises. Only recording media which meet these stringent requirements can therefore be used. Since the heating operation is restricted to the relatively small region of the printing head, the printing speed obtainable is also limited correspondingly.
European Patent Document 0,202,370 discloses a thermal transfer printing device having a plurality of thermal printing heads. Each thermal printing head serves for transferring a printing ink onto a recording medium. Each thermal printing head is assigned a cartridge having a printing ink reservoir, in which the orifices of a printing ink film are filled with printing ink. The printing ink film is guided over the thermal printing head, where the printing ink is heated and is transferred onto a recording medium as a result of the formation of bubbles. In multicolor printing, a plurality of transfer printing points corresponding to the number of inks are required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object on which the present invention is based is to provide a thermal transfer printing device for transferring a printing image onto a recording medium in a printer or copier, the thermal transfer printing device allowing the use of conventional printing inks which do not withstand high thermal stresses, guaranteeing a low thermal load on the recording medium and permitting a high printing speed.
This and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a thermal transfer printing device for transferring a printing image onto a recording medium in a printer or copier, the device having a first fabric tape which can be wetted with a liquid, a printing image transfer point at which the liquid can be partially evaporated out of the first fabric tape according to the existing printing information, a second fabric tape onto which printing ink can be transferred in an inking station, and a transfer printing point at which the first fabric tape and the second fabric tape are jointly guided, one on top of the other, over a heating device, the first fabric tape being in touch cont
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Le N.
Oce Printing Systems GmbH
Vo Anh
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