Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Koichi Tohma

Naoki Kushida

Yasuyuki Tamura

Tetsuo Hasegawa

Hisao Yaegashi

Takayuki Suzuki

Hiroshi Sato

Shuzo Kaneko

Masato Katayama

Hiroshi Fukumoto

Kazumi Tanaka

Fumitaka Kan

Toshiya Yuasa

Noboru Tohyama

Norihiko Koizumi

Masanobu Asaoka

There are provided a 'self-correctable' thermal transfer material and a thermal transfer recording method using the transfer material. The thermal transfer material comprises a support, a first ink layer, a second ink layer and a third ink layer disposed in this order on the support, wherein the first ink layer is a substantially non-transferable layer, the second ink layer is capable of causing separation from the first ink layer on heating; and the third ink layer comprising a thermoplastic resin and a colorant. A recorded image formed by the above-mentioned transfer material can be removed through lift-off correction, by causing the transfer material to adhere to the recorded image under heating, and separating the transfer material from the recording medium without causing separation of the second ink layer.

Thermal transfer material and thermal transfer recording method

A thermal transfer material comprising at least a support, a first ink layer, a second ink layer, a third ink layer and a fourth ink layer disposed in this order on the support, wherein the first ink layer predominantly comprises a water-soluble polyester resin, the second ink layer is capable of causing separation from the first ink layer on heating, and third and fourth ink layers predominantly comprises a thermoplastic resin.

A heat-sensitive transfer medium comprising a support and at least two heat-transferable ink layers including a first and a second ink layer. The first ink layer has relative adhesions with the second ink layer and the support which are reverse at a higher temperature from those at a lower temperature. When the heat-sensitive transfer medium is superposed with paper, a heat energy is applied, and the transfer medium is separated from the paper; the second ink layer is selectively transferred or both the first and second ink layers are transferred to the paper depending on the length of time from the heat application until the separation of the transfer medium, whereby two color images can be formed by a single transfer medium.

Transfer medium for heat-sensitive transfer recording

A thermal transfer material suitable for two-color recording comprises a support and at least an adhesive layer, a first ink layer, and a second ink layer disposed in this order on the support. The adhesion strength F.sub.1 between the support and the first ink layer and the adhesion strength F.sub.2 between the first and second ink layers satisfy the relations of F.sub.1 &gt;F.sub.2 at a higher temperature and F.sub.1 &lt;F.sub.2 at a lower temperature. The adhesion strength F.sub.1 is in the range of 1.0-10 g/cm in the case of F.sub.1 &lt;F.sub.2 after heating. Sharp edge cutting of the heated portion and excellent transferability thereof are ensured by the definition of the adhesion strength F.sub.1 after heating.

Thermal transfer material

A fluid ink which is substantially nonadhesive but can be imparted with an adhesiveness on application of an energy such as electrochemical energy or heat energy, is obtained by impregnating a crosslinked substance such as guar gum or polyvinyl alcohol compound with a liquid dispersion medium such as water. The fluid ink, preferably formed into a layer in advance, is supplied with a pattern of energy to be provided with an adhesive pattern, which is then transferred to a recording medium, such as plain paper, directly or by the medium of an intermediate transfer medium to form an ink pattern corresponding to the energy pattern applied.

Image recorder using ink imparted with adhesiveness by electro-chemical

A thermal transfer material suitable for two-color recording comprises a support and at least a first ink layer and a second ink layer disposed in this order on the support. The adhesion strength F.sub.1 between the support and the first ink layer and the adhesive strength F.sub.2 between the first and second ink layers satisfy the relations of F.sub.1 &gt;F.sub.2 at a higher temperature and F.sub.1 &lt;F.sub.2 at a lower temperature. The total ink layers on the support having a tensile strength of 8-20 kg/cm.sup.2. Two color recording is effected by superposing the thermal transfer material on plain paper, applying a pattern of heat and separating the thermal transfer material from the paper while changing the time from heating until the separation, i.e., temperatures at the time of separation. Sharp edge cutting of the heated portion is ensured by the definition of the tensile strength.

A process of recording using fluid ink which is substantially non-adhesive but can be imparted with an adhesiveness on application of an energy such as electrochemical energy or heat energy. The ink is obtained by impregnating a crosslinked substance such as guar gum or polyvinyl alcohol compound with a liquid dispersion medium such as water. The fluid ink, preferably formed into a layer in advance, is supplied with a pattern of energy to be provided with an adhesive pattern, which is then transferred to a recording medium, such as plain paper, directly or by the medium of an intermediate transfer medium to form an ink pattern corresponding to the energy pattern applied.

Image recording method using fluid ink electrochemically imparted with

A thermal transfer material suitable for two-color recording comprises a support and at least a first adhesive layer, a first ink layer, and a second ink layer disposed in this order on the support. The adhesion strength F.sub.1 between the support and the first ink layer and the adhesive strength F.sub.2 between the first and second ink layers satisfy the relations of F.sub.1 &gt;F.sub.2 at a higher temperature and F.sub.1 &lt;F.sub.2 at a lower temperature. The first ink layer comprises a binder having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 0.degree. C. or below and 25-85 wt. % of a pigment. Two color recording is effected by superposing the thermal transfer material on plain paper, applying a pattern of heat and separating the thermal transfer material from the paper while changing the time from heating until the separation, i.e., temperatures at the time of separation. Sharp edge cutting of the heated portion is ensured by the definition of the composition of the first ink layer.

A heat-sensitive transfer medium comprises a support and at least two heat-transferable ink layers including a first and a second ink layer. The first ink layer has relative adhesions with the second ink layer and the support which are reverse at a higher temperature from those at a lower temperature. When the heat-sensitive transfer medium is superposed with paper, a heat energy is applied, and the transfer medium is separated from the paper; the second ink layer is selectively transferred or both the first and second ink layers are transferred to the paper depending on the length of time from the heat application until the separation of the transfer medium, whereby two color images can be formed by a single transfer medium.

Transfer method for heat-sensitive transfer recording

Thermal transfer recording is carried out through the steps of: applying a heat or electric energy in a pattern to a peripheral surface of an ink roll having the peripheral surface composed of a heat-transferable ink, thereby to form a melted or softened pattern of the heat-transferable ink; causing the peripheral surface of the ink roll to contact a recording medium to transfer the melted or softened ink pattern onto the recording medium; and smoothing the peripheral surface of the ink roll.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Koichi Tohma