Pelikan Aktiengesellschaft

Pelikan Akteingesellschaft

Heinrich Krauter

Norbert Mecke

Wieland Kuchenreuther

Albert Schmedes

A thermal transfer meltable color layer receives a protective polymer coating on the side thereof, to be contacted with the thermal printing head to hold the meltable color material away from the printing head, thereby forming a thermal printing ribbon without the need for a support foil.

Method of making a thermocolor ribbon for a thermal printing process

A thermocolor ribbon, especially a thermocarbon ribbon has a wax and/or plastic binder which melts at a thermal printer temperature to transfer the melt color layer consisting of that binder and polymer particles containing a coloring agent embedded in that binder. The polymer particles melt at a higher temperature to which the thermal print symbol is subjected, e.g. by radiant heating, to fix the image and distribute the coloring agent of the particles in the entire symbol transferred.

Thermal printing ribbon

The color transfer density of a thermocarbon ribbon can be improved by forming the wax phase of a melt color layer of such a ribbon so that it contains a paraffin with a hardening temperature of about 50 to 110.degree. C. and at least one ethylene-vinylacetate wax forming a eutectic with a paraffin.

Thermocolor ribbon

A release layer effective for both wax-bonded and plastic-bonded or wax and plastic-bonded melt color layers is provided in a thermocolor, e.g. thermocarbon, ribbon in the form of a substance capable of splitting off water at the thermal printing temperature dispersed in a binder.

Thermocolor ribbon and method of making same

A thermal transfer ribbon, suitable for printing of multiple sharp impressions, employs as the binder for its fusible colorant layer an olefin/vinyl ester copolymer, particularly an ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer having the ratio of vinyl acetate units to ethylene units of about 0.01 to 0.07. The ribbon is conveniently made by coating a solution of this polymer, with the colorant substance dissolved or dispersed therein, onto a substrate such as a synthetic polyester film.

Multiple impression thermal transfer ribbon

The reflectivity and shininess of print applied in a thermal-printing process using a thermocolor or thermocarbon ribbon can be reduced by providing a nonmeltable intermediate organic layer between the thermocolor transfer layer and the carrier which comprises a water-soluble material in the form of an aminoplast, a starch or cellulose derivative or a polymer such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinylalcohol, polyacrylate or polymethylacrylate.

Thermal print-transfer ribbon

A thermocarbon ribbon having a foil-type carrier and a color transfer layer or melt color has its adhesion for the the paper substrate increased by an adhesion coating applied to the color transfer layer. The adhesion layer consists of a parafin wax matrix in which a sticky hydrocarbon resin is dispersed in finely divided form so that during printing, when the temperature of the adhesion layer is raised, the paraffin wax melts, dissolves the finely divided hydrocarbon resin and allows the sticky characteristic of the latter to increase adhesion of the color transfer material to the paper.

Thermal transfer ribbon with adhesion layer

A thermocarbon ribbon is formed by emulsifying two mutually incompatible thermoplastic polymers melting at heat-transfer temperatures of a wax. The emulsion containing a pigment is applied to a ribbon support and the solvent is evaporated. The ribbon has multi-strike capabilities and improved sharpness of transfer to rough paper resulting from the presence in the solid continuous phase of beads or microspheres of a dispersed phase, both phases being formed by the polymers.

Thermal transfer ribbon, especially for impressions on rough paper

Thermal transfer ribbon especially for impressions on rough paper

Method for fabricating thermo-inking ribbons for thermo-transfer

A thermocolor ribbon comprises a plastic support foil, a fusible color layer attached to one side of the plastic support foil and an organic coating layer covering the other side of the plastic support foil. The organic coating layer is composed of a nonfibrous, pressure-stable wax or waxlike substance. A process for making the thermocolor ribbon from a plastic support foil having a fusible color layer thereon comprises application of a solution containing an organic coating material to the side of the foil not having the fusible color layer bonded thereto, followed by solvent evaporation. Alternatively, the side of the support foil bearing the fusible color is brought into intimate contact with opposite side of the foil whereupon the latter is heated for a time sufficient for transport of material from the fusible color layer to the uncoated side of the foil to form the organic coating layer thereon.

Growing community of inventors

Neustadt, Germany

Heinrich Krauter