WO2019182479A1 - Use of an ink ribbon in thermal transfer printing, a method and a printing unit for said printing - Google Patents

Abstract

A group of inventions relates to printing on a surface by transferring an image from an ink ribbon and can be used in the printing industry. The technical effect which the group of inventions is intended to achieve is to provide the capability of using ink ribbons without an antistatic coating in the process of thermal transfer printing. The essence of the invention consists in the use of an ink ribbon without an antistatic coating in transfer printing, a method of thermal transfer printing and a printing unit.

Description

 APPLICATION OF THE DYE TAPE AT THERMAL TRANSFER

 PRINTING, METHOD AND INSTALLATION OF THIS PRINTING

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to surface printing by transferring an image from an ink ribbon and can be applied in the printing industry.

 A known method of printing images on the surface and a system for implementing this method, including preparing ink paper with an image and transferring the image from ink paper to a T-shirt, the preparation of ink paper with an image is provided by manually combining an adhesive film having a negative image with ink paper and exposure to them by a heat press, and the transfer of the image from the dyeing paper to the T-shirt is provided after manual separation of the adhesive film from the dyeing paper, manual combination Ia ink paper having a positive image with a T-shirt and exposure to heat press [1R526301, Publication date: 14/08/2013, the IPC: V41M 5/00, 5/382 V41M, V41M 5/398].

A known method of printing images on a surface of arbitrary shape and a system for implementing this method, including preparing foil for hot stamping with an image using a laser printer and a device for laminating and transferring the image from a foil for hot stamping to the surface with a hot stamping press, while in a laser printer the toner is applied in the form of a negative image on the film for lamination, then in the device for lamination it is possible to combine the captivity and lamination with foil hot stamping and heating combined film and foil, and the image transfer with hot stamping foil is provided on the surface after manual separating the laminating film from the foil, manually aligning the foil having a positive image with the surface and exposing them to a hot stamping press [RU2185289, publication date: 07/20/2007, IPC: B41M 1/12].

 A common drawback of the known technical solutions is the low efficiency and speed of printing due to the fact that for the preparation of coloring paper or foil for hot stamping with the image, which are used for printing in a thermal press and a hot stamping press, separate additional devices, such as laser a printer, by which an adhesive layer (in the form of toner) is first applied to the lamination film in the form of an image negative, then a lamination device is required to connect the films an ink paper or foil hot stamping. In this case, instead of a device for laminating, it is also possible to use a thermal press for printing or a press for hot stamping, reconfigured in order to ensure the connection of the film with paper or foil for hot stamping, however, the use of these devices for these purposes in large-scale printing production is ineffective and complicates the printing process. Also, the effectiveness of the printing process by means of known devices is adversely affected by the need to manually separate the laminating film from the dyeing paper or foil for hot stamping and to manually combine the dyeing paper or foil for hot stamping having a positive image with the surfaces to be printed.

As a prototype, a method of thermal transfer printing, implemented by means of a thermal transfer printer, including a device for combining a thermal transfer tape and tape with labels and a device for transferring an image from a thermal transfer tape to labels, the device for combining a thermal transfer tape and tape with labels, contains a feed unit thermal transfer ribbon and the tape feed unit with labels, and the device for transferring images from the thermal transfer ribbon to the ribbon with labels contains a thermal transfer head and a pressure element, the devices being arranged so that the painting surface of the thermal transfer ribbon is aligned with the surface of the labels and the effect thermal transfer printhead to thermal transfer ink ribbon [US2008226374, publication date: September 18, 2008, IPC: B41J 2/315; B65H 75/00].

 The advantage of the technical solution selected as a prototype over other methods of obtaining images on the surface is its higher efficiency due to the high speed of obtaining images on the surface using a thermal transfer print head. However, the disadvantage of the prototype method is that in the process of thermal transfer printing, only specialized thermal transfer ink tapes are used that have a protective antistatic coating that protects the thermal transfer print head of the thermal transfer printer from friction and other types of effects from the side of the thermal transfer ribbon. At the same time, the use of other ink ribbons without such a coating was not disclosed in the indicated method and device, as a result of which the process of thermal transfer printing is greatly complicated, and the palette of possible color solutions and special effects is significantly limited (scratch coating, holograms, pseudo-holograms, etc.) used for printing on souvenirs, diaries, t-shirts, plastic cards and other printing products.

 The technical problem to which the group of inventions is directed is to expand the material and raw material base of the ink ribbons used in the process of thermal transfer printing.

The technical result, which the group aims to achieve inventions, is to enable the use of ink tapes without antistatic coating in the process of thermal transfer printing.

 The essence of the group of inventions is as follows.

 The use of ink ribbon without antistatic coating for thermal transfer printing.

 The method of thermal transfer printing is characterized in that it combines the ink ribbon and adhesive tape, forming an image on the ink ribbon by exposing the ink transfer ribbon to the adhesive ribbon in the form of a negative image to be formed, separating the ink and adhesive tape and transferring the image from the ink ribbon to the surface.

 The method of forming an image on an ink ribbon during thermal transfer printing is characterized in that it includes the combination of the ink ribbon and adhesive tape and the action of the thermal transfer print head on the adhesive tape in the form of an image negative.

 The printing apparatus, in contrast to the prototype, comprises a device for preparing an image ribbon containing an ink ribbon supply unit, an adhesive tape supply unit and an image forming unit by thermal action in the form of a thermal transfer print head, and a device for transferring an image from the tape to a surface installed in such a way so that the alignment of the tapes by the coloring and adhesive surfaces is ensured sequentially, image formation on the combined tapes by means of the thermal effect of the thermal seal with a spherical print head onto an adhesive tape, separating the tapes from each other and transferring the image from the tape to the surface.

A device for preparing a ribbon with an image of a printing apparatus, in contrast to the prototype, contains a ribbon supply unit, an adhesive tape supply unit and an image forming unit by thermal action in the form of a thermal transfer print head, while the device units are arranged in such a way as to ensure the combination of tapes with the coloring and adhesive surfaces and the formation of an image on the combined tapes by means of the thermal action of the thermal transfer print head on the adhesive tape.

 A non-antistatic ink ribbon contains a ink layer, which may be a pigment mixed with wax and / or resin and other similar substances, and may further comprise a primer layer that facilitates removal and transfer of the ink layer. The ink ribbon can be, for example, a ribbon or foil for hot or cold stamping and other known printing ink ribbons without an antistatic coating. The adhesive tape contains an adhesive layer, which can be represented by a thermosensitive adhesive based on ethylene vinyl acetate, or another substance having similar properties. In this case, the ink and adhesive tapes contain a substrate that ensures the integrity and strength of the tapes, which can be represented by a film based on polypropylene polyester, lavsan or mercilene. In this case, if the activation temperature of the adhesive layer of the adhesive tape is higher than the temperature of the thermal reaction of its substrate, the adhesive tape may additionally contain an antistatic layer, which can be represented by polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, fluoroplastic or silicone.

 A device for preparing a tape with an image provides the possibility of obtaining an ink or adhesive tape with an image and contains a submission unit for the ink tape, a submission unit for the adhesive tape and an image forming unit by thermal action in the form of a thermal transfer print head.

A device for transferring an image from a tape to a surface provides the possibility of introducing into the installation an object on the surface of which an image is applied, positioning an object with a necessary surface and printing an image from a tape on this surface and may include a tape positioning unit with image relative to the surface, the unit for pressing the tape with the image to the surface and the unit for transferring the image from the tape to the surface.

 The device for preparing the tape with the image and the device for transferring the image from the tape to the surface are arranged in such a way that the tapes are combined with the paint and adhesive surfaces, the image is formed on the combined tapes by means of heat, the tapes are separated from each other and the image is transferred from the tape to the surface .

 The combination of the coloring and adhesive tape provides the possibility of contact between the coloring and adhesive layers of the tapes. In this case, the combination of tapes can be carried out with a pressing effect on the ink ribbon to improve the adhesive effect between the ink and adhesive layers. The combination of tapes with ink and adhesive surfaces is realized by means of supply units for ink and adhesive tapes. In this case, the supply unit of the ink ribbon provides the possibility of introducing the ribbon with the ink layer (ink ribbon for hot stamping, ink foil and other printing ribbons having an ink layer) into the installation, and the adhesive ribbon submission unit allows the introduction of the ribbon with an adhesive layer (laminating or laminating tape, or other types of printing tapes having an adhesive layer) in the installation. At the same time, to ensure the possibility of combining the tapes with the paint and adhesive surfaces, the nodes can be made and / or installed relative to each other with the possibility of introducing tapes with the paint and adhesive surfaces opposite to each other. The supply units of the ink and adhesive tape may include reels for tapes or shafts on which reels with tapes can be installed. In this case, the shafts can be equipped with drive mechanisms for changing the speed of introduction of tapes into the printing unit.

Image formation on an ink ribbon by applying a thermal transfer print head to an adhesive tape in the shape Negative image provides the possibility of activating the adhesive layer on the adhesive tape and attaching to it the ink layer of the ink ribbon without direct contact of the thermal transfer print head with the ink ribbon, which makes it possible to use ink ribbons that do not have a protective antistatic coating during thermal transfer printing. At the same time, in order to provide the possibility of forming an image on the combined tapes, the heat exposure unit can be located relative to the supply units of the ink and adhesive tapes in such a way that it is possible to obtain combined ink and adhesive tapes from them. The thermal impact unit in the form of a thermal transfer printhead may contain a clamping element in the form of a roll, roller or guide, which makes it possible to improve the adhesive interaction between the adhesive and ink layer of the combined tapes.

 Separation of the ink and adhesive tapes makes it possible to remove the ink layer in the form of a negative image from the ink ribbon and can be carried out by any known method, for example, by pulling the edges of the ribbons in opposite directions. The image is transferred from the ink ribbon to the surface by combining the remaining ink layer as a positive image on the ink ribbon with the surface. In this case, the method of transferring the image from the ink ribbon to the surface can be selected based on the thermal and deformation stability of the ink ribbon used and may include exposure to a heating shaft or a hot plate, and the temperature and pressing force are selected in accordance with the requirements of the ink ribbon. For example, a hot stamping ribbon can be exposed to a hot plate at a temperature of 90 ° C. In this case, before transferring the image to the surface, alignment or pulling of the ink ribbon by means of rollers and rollers can be performed.

Separation of ink and adhesive tapes is carried out using devices for preparing a tape with an image; and devices for transferring an image from a tape to a surface. Moreover, to enable separation of the tapes, the devices can be located relative to each other so that when the tapes exit the device for preparing the image tape, it is possible to separate the tapes from each other and transfer the image tape to the device for transferring the image from the tape to the surface . In this case, if the installation of these devices to enable the separation of tapes is difficult or impossible, the installation for printing may additionally contain a device for separating tapes, which may contain a set of rolls and guides that provide mechanical separation of the tapes and / or the movement of the tapes in different directions .

 The image is transferred from the tape to the surface using a device for transferring the image from the tape to the surface, which may contain a unit for positioning the tape with the image relative to the surface, a node for pressing the tape with the image to the surface, and an image transfer unit from the tape to the surface. At the same time, to ensure the possibility of transferring the image from the tape to the surface, the nodes can be located relative to each other so that it is possible to introduce an object onto the surface of which the image will be applied, positioning the object with the desired surface opposite the image, pressing the image tape to the surface and transferring the image from tape to the surface.

 The positioning unit of the tape with the image relative to the surface provides the ability to align and stretch the tape with the image to precisely align the image with the surface and can be represented by one or more tension rolls, tension rollers, tension guides and DR-

The unit for pressing the tape with the image to the surface provides the ability to connect the tape with the image with the surface and can be represented by one or more pressure rolls, pressure rollers, pressure guides, etc.

 The image transfer unit from the tape to the surface provides the ability to detach the image from the tape and attach the image to the surface. The image transfer unit from the tape to the surface may be configured to act on the tape and / or on the surface onto which the image is transferred. In this case, the image transfer unit from the tape to the surface can be made in accordance with the specification of the tape with which the image is transferred, and to provide the possibility of softening the layer connecting the image to the tape and activating the layer connecting the image to the surface. For this, the image transfer unit from the tape to the surface may contain a heat transfer element and / or a light transfer element and / or an electromagnetic transfer element and / or a pressure transfer element, which can be selected or combined depending on the composition of the layer connecting the image with tape and a layer connecting the image to the surface. In this case, the heat transfer element can be represented by a spiral or spot heater, or an infrared lamp, etc. The light transfer element can be represented by an LED or a xenon lamp with a certain wavelength, etc. The electromagnetic transfer element can be represented by an electromagnet tuned to a specific frequency, and the pressure transfer member may be a plate. In this case, to increase the efficiency of the installation for printing, the pressure transfer element can be represented by one or more heating shafts.

Additionally, the installation can be equipped with a device for tensioning the tapes, which makes it possible to reduce the risk of sagging tapes at any stage. The device for tensioning tapes can contain one or more tension rolls, rollers or guides, which can be equipped with drive mechanisms.

 Additionally, the installation for printing may include a device for collecting waste tapes, which makes it possible to use multi-pass printing tapes in the installation for printing. The device for collecting waste tapes may contain bobbins for tapes or shafts for installing bobbins for tapes, which can be equipped with drive mechanisms.

 The nodes of the installation device for printing to ensure a given sequence of actions can have a structural relationship made in any known manner using any known structural materials.

The group of inventions is characterized by a combination of essential features previously unknown from the prior art, which consists in combining the ink ribbon and adhesive tape, forming an image on the ink ribbon by exposing the thermal transfer printhead to the adhesive tape in the form of an image negative, separating the ink and adhesive tape and transferring the image from the ink ribbon to the surface, which makes it possible to exclude contact of the thermal transfer print head with the ink ribbon one that allows instead of a thermal transfer ink ribbon with an antistatic coating to apply an ink ribbon without an antistatic coating, for example, various types of ink tapes for hot stamping and other printing ink ribbons with a different color range and a range of special effects, without the risk of damage to the thermal transfer print head, so the achievement of the technical result, which consists in providing the possibility of using ink ribbons without antistatic coating in otsesse thermal transfer printing, thereby expanding the raw material base material ribbons used in the process thermal transfer printing.

 The set of essential features of the group of inventions is unknown from the prior art, which indicates the compliance of the group of inventions with the patentability criterion of "novelty."

 It is known in the art to use hot stamping ribbons that do not have an antistatic coating in hot stamping using a thermal press. However, the use of such ribbons in thermal transfer printing is not mentioned, since when using them and exposing them to the thermal transfer print head, a defect of the head occurs due to adhesion of the ink ribbon without an antistatic coating to the thermal transfer print head. Moreover, in thermal transfer printing, mention is only made of the effect of the thermal transfer print head on the surface onto which the image is transferred, and not on the dyeing thermal transfer ribbon, however, the effect of such exposure, which consists in the use of dyeing ribbons without antistatic coating, is unknown from the prior art, which indicates on the compliance of the group of inventions with the patentability criterion of "inventive step".

 The group of inventions can be implemented using known means, materials and technologies, which indicates its compliance with the patentability criterion of "industrial applicability".

 The group of inventions is interconnected and forms a single inventive concept, namely, that the installation for printing provides the possibility of implementing the method of thermal transfer printing and the method of forming images on the ink ribbon during thermal transfer printing, and together they provide the possibility of using ink ribbon without antistatic coating for thermal transfer printing , which allows us to conclude that the group of inventions meets the patentability criterion of “unity of invention”.

The group of inventions is illustrated by the following figures. Figure 1 - Installation for printing, General view.

 Installation for printing contains a device for preparing a tape with an image and a device for transferring an image from a tape to the surface. A device for preparing a tape with an image contains an ink ribbon supply unit, an adhesive tape supply unit and an image forming unit by heat, wherein the ink supply unit contains a spool 1 and a ribbon spool 2, an adhesive tape supply unit contains a spool 3 and an adhesive spool 4 the tape, and the image forming unit by heat exposure comprises a clamping shaft 5 and a thermal transfer printhead 6. The device for transferring the image from the tape to the surface contains a tape positioning unit with the image, the unit for pressing the tape with the image and the unit for transferring the image from the tape to the surface, while the positioning unit contains a tension roller 7, the unit for pressing contains the pressure roller 8, and the unit for transferring the image from the tape to the surface contains a heating shaft 9.

 In this case, the coil 1 and the coil 3 are arranged so that the ink ribbons are positioned opposite each other by the paint and adhesive surfaces, the pressure roll 5 and the thermal transfer print head 6 are positioned relative to the coil 1 and the coil 3 so that the ribbons are aligned with the ink and adhesive surfaces and the impact on the adhesive tape thermal transfer print head 6 in the form of the image, the reel 4 is installed relative to the reel 2 so that the separation of the tapes from each other uga and tensioning roller 7, heat roller 9 and pressure roller 8 are disposed so as to provide image transfer of the ink ribbon to the surface.

 The group of inventions is implemented as follows.

The coil 1 and the reel 2 of the ink ribbon, as well as the coil 3 and the reel 4 of adhesive tape, are mounted in the printing unit so that the ink and adhesive layer of the ribbons are opposite each other friend. At the start of the installation, the ink and adhesive tape move, align with each other and are pressed to the thermal transfer print head 6 by means of a pressure roller 5, while the adhesive tape is exposed to spot pulsed heating of the thermal transfer print head, which leads to the activation of the heat-sensitive adhesive layer in the form of a negative image and joining the ink layer of the ink ribbon to the adhesive tape. The adhesive tape is wound on a reel 4, and is separated from the ink ribbon, whereby the negative 10 of the image is separated and the positive 11 of the image remains on the ink ribbon. The ink ribbon is aligned with the guide roller 7, and the image positive 11 is aligned with the surface 12. The image positive 11 is pressed against the surface 12 by means of the auxiliary roller 8 and the heating shaft 9, and due to the thermal effect of the heating shaft 9, the connecting layer of the ink ribbon is softened and the positive 11 is transferred on the surface 12, and the spent ink ribbon is wound on a bobbin 2. This ensures the transfer of the image 13 to the surface 12 by means of a printing unit.

 Thus, a technical result is achieved, which consists in providing the possibility of using ink ribbons without antistatic coating in the process of thermal transfer printing and a device for thermal transfer printing, thereby expanding the material and raw materials base of the ink tapes used in the process of thermal transfer printing.

Claims

The formula of the group of inventions 1. The use of ink ribbon without antistatic coating for thermal transfer printing.  2. The method of thermal transfer printing is characterized in that it involves combining the ink ribbon and adhesive tape, forming an image on the ink ribbon by exposing the ink transfer ribbon to the adhesive ribbon in the form of a negative image to be formed, separating the ink and adhesive ribbon and transferring the image from the ink ribbon to the surface.  3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the combination of tapes is carried out with a pressing effect on the ink ribbon.  4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the method of transferring the image to the surface is selected based on the thermal and deformation stability of the applied ink ribbon.  5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the method of transferring the image to the surface includes exposure to a heating plate or a hot shaft, wherein the temperature and the pressing force are selected in accordance with the characteristics of the ink ribbon.  6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that before transferring the image to the surface, the ribbon is aligned or pulled by means of rolls and rollers. 7. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that as a tape without an antistatic coating, a paint tape is used for hot or cold stamping, or other printing ink ribbons.  8. The method of forming an image on an ink ribbon during thermal transfer printing is characterized in that it includes the combination of the ink ribbon and adhesive tape and the action of the thermal transfer print head on the adhesive tape in the form of an image negative.  9. The installation for printing, in contrast to the prototype, contains a device for preparing a ribbon with an image, containing a supply unit for the ink ribbon, an adhesive tape supply unit and an image forming unit by thermal action in the form of a thermal transfer print head, and a device for transferring an image from the tape to the surface, installed in such a way that the tapes are combined in succession with the paint and adhesive surfaces, image formation on the combined tapes by means of heat exposure ansfernoy printing head for adhesive tape, tapes separation from each other and from the image transfer ribbon onto the surface.  10. Installation according to claim 9, characterized in that the device for transferring an image from a tape to a surface comprises an image transfer unit from the tape to the surface.  11. Installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the image transfer unit from the tape to the surface is configured to act on the image tape. 12. Installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the node transferring the image from the tape to the surface contains heat transfer, and / or light transfer element, and / or electromagnetic transfer element and / or pressure transfer element, which are combined depending on the composition of the layer connecting the image with the tape and the layer connecting the image with the surface.  13. Installation according to claim 12, characterized in that the pressure transfer element of the image from the tape to the surface is represented by a heating plate or shaft.  14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the device for transferring an image from a tape to a surface comprises a tape positioning unit with an image relative to the surface and / or a tape pressing unit with an image to the surface.  15. Installation according to claim 9, characterized in that it contains a device for separating tapes.  16. Installation according to claim 9, characterized in that it contains a device for tensioning tapes.  17. Installation according to claim 9, characterized in that it contains a device for collecting waste tapes. 18. The device for preparing the tape with the image of the installation for printing, in contrast to the prototype, contains a supply unit for the ink ribbon, an adhesive tape supply unit and an image forming unit by thermal action in the form of a thermal transfer print head, while the device units are arranged so that the ribbons are aligned painting and adhesive surfaces and image formation on aligned tapes by means of thermal exposure of the thermal transfer printhead to the adhesive tape.  19. The device according to p. 18, characterized in that the nodes of the supply of adhesive and painting tapes are installed relative to each other with the possibility of introducing tapes of the painting and adhesive surfaces opposite each other.  20. The device according to p. 18, characterized in that the thermal transfer print head is configured to affect the shape of the negative image.  21. The device according to p. 18, characterized in that the heat exposure unit contains a pressing element.