Ink ribbon, ribbon cartridge, and printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764577-B2
Application number	US-201514870280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2015
Priority date	Nov 28, 2014
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

The disclosure discloses an ink ribbon. The ink ribbon includes a ribbon base layer, a first layer, and a second layer. The first layer is configured to separate from the ribbon base layer and is disposed on a first surface of the ribbon base layer. The second layer is configured to adhere to a transfer target and is disposed on the first layer. The melting point of the second layer is 60 [° C.] or more and 90 [° C.] or less.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ink ribbon, comprising:
a ribbon base layer;
an undercoat layer that is configured to melt by heat reception and to separate from said ribbon base layer and is disposed on a first surface of said ribbon base layer;
a back coat layer that functions as a heat-resistant coat and is disposed on a second surface of said ribbon base layer opposite to said first surface;
an ink layer that includes a pigment and is disposed on a surface of said undercoat layer opposite to said ribbon base layer; and
an overcoat layer that is configured to adhere to a transfer target and is disposed on a surface of said ink layer opposite to said undercoat layer,
a melting point of said overcoat layer ranging from 60 [° C.] to 90 [° C.].

2. The ink ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein
said undercoat layer includes a hot melt resin selected from the group consisting of an olefinic-based copolymer resin, an elastomer, a polyisobutylene, a polybutene, and a combination thereof.

3. The ink ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein
a weight ratio of a wax component included in said overcoat layer ranges from 50% to 70%.

4. The ink ribbon according to claim 3 , wherein
said wax component includes at least one of a natural wax, petroleum wax, and synthetic wax.

5. The ink ribbon according to claim 1 , wherein said ribbon base layer is a film selected from the group consisting of polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyarylate (PAR), and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

6. An ink ribbon, comprising:
a ribbon base layer;
an undercoat layer that is configured to melt by heat reception and to separate from said ribbon base layer and is disposed on a first surface of said ribbon base layer;
a back coat layer that functions as a heat-resistant coat and is disposed on a second surface of said ribbon base layer opposite to said first surface; and
an ink layer with an adhering function that includes a pigment, is configured to adhere to the transfer target, and is disposed on a surface of said undercoat layer opposite to said ribbon base layer,
a melting point of said ink layer with the adhering function ranging from 60 [° C.] to 90 [° C.].

7. The ink ribbon according to claim 6 , wherein said undercoat layer includes a hot melt resin selected from the group consisting of an olefinic-based copolymer resin, an elastomer, a polyisobutylene, a polybutene, and a combination thereof.

8. The ink ribbon according to claim 6 , wherein a weight ratio of a wax component included in said ink layer with the adhering function ranges from 50 to 70%.

9. The ink ribbon according to claim 8 , wherein said wax component is selected from the group consisting of natural wax, petroleum wax, synthetic wax, and a combination thereof.

10. The ink ribbon according to claim 6 , wherein said ribbon base layer is a film selected from the group consisting of polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyarylate (PAR), and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

11. A ribbon cartridge comprising:
an ink ribbon roll with an ink ribbon wound around an axis; and
a support member that rotatably supports said ink ribbon roll;
said ink ribbon comprising:
a ribbon base layer;
an undercoat layer that is configured to melt by heat reception and to separate from said ribbon base layer and is disposed on a first surface of said ribbon base layer;
a back coat layer that functions as a heat-resistant coat and is disposed on a second surface of said ribbon base layer opposite to said first surface;
an ink layer that includes a pigment and is disposed on a surface of said undercoat layer opposite to said ribbon base layer; and
an overcoat layer that is configured to adhere to a transfer target and is disposed on a surface of said ink layer opposite to said undercoat layer,
a melting point of said overcoat layer ranging from 60 [° C.] to 90 [° C.].

12. A printer comprising:
a first storage part configured to store a medium cartridge comprising a recording medium roll with a long recoding medium wound around an axis, and a first support member that rotatably supports said recording medium roll;
a second storage part configured to store a ribbon cartridge comprising an ink ribbon roll with an ink ribbon wound around an axis, and a second support member that rotatably supports said ink ribbon roll;
a feeder configured to feed said recording medium fed out from said recording medium roll of said medium cartridge;
a printing head configured to form desired print by heat transfer printing using said ink ribbon fed out from said ink ribbon roll on said recording medium fed by said feeder to establish a long recorded medium;
a winding device configured to sequentially wind said recorded medium generated by said printing head around an outer peripheral area to form a recorded medium roll; and
a controller configured to control said feeder and said printing head in coordination,
said ink ribbon comprising:
a ribbon base layer;
an undercoat layer that is configured to melt by heat reception and to separate from said ribbon base layer and is disposed on a first surface of said ribbon base layer;
a back coat layer that functions as a heat-resistant coat and is disposed on a second surface of said ribbon base layer opposite to said first surface;
an ink layer that includes a pigment and is disposed on a surface of said undercoat layer opposite to said ribbon base layer; and
an overcoat layer that is configured to adhere to a transfer target and is disposed on a surface of said ink layer opposite to said undercoat layer,
a melting point of said overcoat layer ranging from 60 [° C.] to 90 [° C.].

13. The printer according to claim 12 , wherein
said controller is configured to control said feeder and said printing head in coordination so that a printing speed for said recording medium ranges from 100 [mm/sec] to 200 [mm/sec].

14. The printer according to claim 12 , wherein
said recording medium fed out from said recording medium roll of said medium cartridge is a recording fabric medium that is satin-weaved ranging from 6-end satin to 10-end satin using a warp thread along a medium longitudinal direction and a weft thread along a direction orthogonal to the medium longitudinal direction, and has a weaving density of said warp thread ranging from 300 [threads/inch] to 540 [threads/inch] and a weaving density of said weft thread ranging from 80 [threads/inch] to 540 [threads/inch], and is subjected to calender processing, and comprises a print-receiving surface having print formation by heat transfer printing of said second layer of said ink ribbon that received heat from said printing head, wherein said warp thread is more exposed than said weft thread by said satin weave on said print-receiving surface; and
said printing head is configured to form desired print by heat transfer printing of said second layer of said ink ribbon fed out from said ink ribbon roll on said print-receiving surface of said recording fabric medium fed by said feeder to establish a long recorded fabric medium.

15. The printer according to claim 14 , wherein
a thickness of said warp thread of said recording fabric medium ranges from 30 [deniers] to 90 [deniers], and
a thickness of said weft thread of said recording fabric medium ranges from 30 [deniers] to 90 [deniers].

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Matsumoto Haruki

Classifications

• B41J31/02 Primary

  Ink ribbons characterised by the material from which they are woven · CPC title

• B41J31/06

  the coatings being directly on the base material, i.e. below impression transfer material; Ink ribbons having base material impregnated with material other than impression material · CPC title

• B41J31/08

  the coatings being superimposed on impression-transfer material · CPC title

• B41J31/00 Primary

  Ink ribbons; Renovating or testing ink ribbons · CPC title

• B41J32/00

  Ink-ribbon cartridges · CPC title