Alps Electric Co., Ltd.

Koichi Umeki

Ikuo Hibino

Tadashi Nakamura

A thermal transfer printer which can simply and assuredly erase a symbol recorded in error with thermal transfer ink on record paper. The printer comprises, in addition to a printing transfer ribbon and a printing thermal head, an erasing ribbon carrying thereon a layer of a thermally adhesive resin material, and an erasing thermal head which is operated, during erasing operation, to generate heat to melt the thermally adhesive resin on said erasing ribbon sufficient to adhere to the thermally fusible ink of a symbol printed on record paper so that the ink may be removed from the paper as the erasing ribbon is moved away from the record paper. The printing and erasing thermal heads are mounted in a juxtaposed relationship on a movable carriage, and the erasing thermal head has a greater heat generating area than the printing thermal head.

Erasing means for thermal transfer printer

A thermal printer for thermal transfer printing, adapted to use a printing ribbon carrying a fusible ink layer and an erasing ribbon carrying a thermoadhesive resin layer. The thermal head of the thermal printer has a printing heating unit disposed opposite to a platen with the printing ribbon extended therebetween and an erasing heating unit disposed beside the printing heating unit and opposite to the platen with the erasing ribbon extended therebetween. In correcting a misprint, the misprint is located opposite to the erasing heating unit and the erasing ribbon is heated and pressed against the misprint with the erasing heating unit to lift off the misprint. After lifting-off the misprint, the corrected portion is located opposite to the printing heating unit for correct printing operation. The area of each heating element of the erasing heating unit is greater than that of the corresponding heating element of the printing heating unit so that the area of the heating element of the printing heating unit can be covered entirely with the area of the heating element of the erasing heating unit.

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Iwate, Japan

Koichi Umeki