Seiko Instruments Inc

Tatsuya Obuchi

Minoru Hoshino

Yoshinori Sato

Masanori Takahashi

Hiroyuki Kohira

Norimitsu Sanbongi

A label manufacturing apparatus has a thermal head with heating elements for heating at least a part of a heat sensitive adhesive sheet to place it into an adhesive state when the heat sensitive sheet is transported through a preselected position of the label manufacturing apparatus in which the heat sensitive sheet contacts the heating elements of the thermal head. A control device selectively operates the heating elements of the thermal head in synchronization with timing of transporting of the heat sensitive adhesive sheet through the preselected position to thereby heat the part of the heat sensitive adhesive sheet and place into the adhesive state, and stops operation of the heating elements so that a trailing end portion of the heat sensitive sheet is not heated and is not placed into an adhesive state when the trailing end portion reaches the preselected position.

Label manufacturing method and label manufacturing apparatus

A label manufacturing apparatus includes a thermal head and a device for transporting a heat sensitive adhesive sheet. The control device operates the head in synchronization with timing of transporting of the sheet to activate the adhesive, determines if heating based on a last row of a heating pattern is completed before a trailing end of the sheet reaches a set position contacting the head, controls driving of the transporting device so that when it is determined that the heating based on the heating pattern last row is completed, the sheet is transported until the trailing end passes through the set position, and controls driving of the head so that when it is determined that the heating based on the last row of the heating pattern is completed, the heating based on the last row of the heating pattern is repeated until the trailing end passes through the set position.

There are disclosed a platen roller capable of inhibiting drop of an adhesive force of a thermally active adhesive layer, which is seen in a case where recording and thermal activating are performed with respect to a thermally active adhesive sheet having the thermally active adhesive layer on a backside of a recording surface of a sheet-like substrate, a method of manufacturing the platen roller, and a recording device and a sticking label printer which are provided with the platen rollers. As the platen roller for conveying the thermally active adhesive sheet having the thermally active adhesive layer on the backside of the recording surface of the sheet-like substrate, a platen roller is used which is subjected to a contact treatment to bring the surface of a roller portion into contact with a compound (a) containable as a solid plasticizer in the thermally active adhesive layer.

Method of manufacturing a platen roller for conveying a thermally active adhesive sheet

In a label manufacturing method, at least a part of a heat sensitive adhesive sheet is heated to develop adhesive properties by using a thermal head having heating elements and by using a transporting unit that transport the heat sheet to pass through a position contacting with the heating elements. Image data is generated on an image area of the sheet and an image editing process is performed so as to divide the image area into at least two types of parts that are set as heated and non-heated parts, respectively. An edited image obtained as a result of the image editing process is input as a heating pattern. The thermal head and the transporting unit are driven based on the input heating pattern and the heating elements are selectively operated in timed synchronization with the transportation of the sheet. In the image data generating step, the image area is displayed on a display as a binary image including a colored part and a non-colored part. The image editing process arbitrarily adjusts shapes, sizes, and positions of the colored part and the non-colored part, and sets one of the colored and non-colored parts as the heated part and the other of the colored and non-colored parts as the non-heated part.

Label manufacturing method and label manufacturing system

A platen roller is provided for conveying a thermally active adhesive sheet having a recordable surface formed on one side of a sheet-like substrate and a thermally active adhesive layer formed on the other side of the sheet-like substrate. The platen roller comprises a roller portion containing a compound suitable for use as a solid plasticizer in the thermally active adhesive layer of the thermally active adhesive sheet.

Platen roller and recording device and sticking label printer provided with platen roller

Provided is a thermal activation device capable of preventing a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet from being partially excessively heated, keeping a short distance between a contact between a thermal head and a platen roller, and a discharge port, and preventing a structure of the thermal activation device from being complicated and a size thereof from increasing. While a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet () is transported along a transport path () through rotations of insertion rollers () and a platen roller (), a heat-generating portion () of the thermal head () is caused to generate heat, thereby thermally activating a heat-sensitive adhesive layer of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet (). When a trailing edge of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet () reaches a position where the trailing edge thereof is not in contact with the platen roller (), a transporting force is not transmitted to the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet (), thereby stopping transportation thereof. At that time, an adhesion prevention member () is allowed to enter the transport path () to lift and hold the trailing edge of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet () to a position where the trailing edge thereof is not in contact with the thermal head ().

Thermal activation device, printer, thermal activation method, and method of producing a self-adhesive label

A thermal head has heating elements that can be selectively driven independently from one another during a driving operation to directly heat, and thereby thermally activate, regions of a heat-sensitive adhesive layer of a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet while the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet is moved relative to the thermal head with the heating elements disposed in opposing relation to the respective regions of the heat-sensitive adhesive layer. All but at least one of the heating elements are selectively driven so that (a) a preselected region of the heat-sensitive adhesive layer disposed in opposing relation to each non-driven heating element is not directly heated, and thereby not directly thermally activated, by the non-driven heating element, (b) the regions of the heat-sensitive adhesive layer disposed in opposing relation to the respective driven heating elements are directly heated, and thereby directly thermally activated, by the respective driven heating elements, and (c) each preselected region of the heat-sensitive adhesive layer opposed to a non-driven heating element is thermally activated with heat transmitted from surrounding directly heated regions of the heat-sensitive adhesive layer of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet.

Thermal activation method and thermal activation device for a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet

A thermal activation device has a thermal activation head that thermally activates a heat-sensitive adhesive layer of a sheet material having a printing layer on one surface of a sheet-like base material and the heat-sensitive adhesive layer formed on the other surface thereof. A platen roller conveys the sheet material and is disposed in pressure contact with the thermal activation head so that the platen roller and the thermal activation head apply a holding force on the sheet material. A pair of conveyor rollers hold and convey the sheet material and are disposed on a downstream side of the thermal activation head in a conveying direction of the sheet material. A holding force applied on the sheet material by the pair of conveyor rollers being larger than a holding force applied on the sheet material by the platen roller and the thermal activation head.

Thermal activation device and method of conveying sheet material

A thermal activation device includes a platen lock mechanism for locking a platen roller of a platen unit and a heating unit or printing unit into press contact with each other. The platen lock mechanism has a lock arm mounted to undergo rotation about a rotational axis, a shaft member provided in one of the platen unit and the lock arm, an engagement recess for engagingly receiving the shaft member and provided in the other of the platen unit and the lock arm, and an urging member for urging the lock arm in a direction for bringing the shaft member into engagement with the engagement recess. In a state in which the heating unit or printing unit is in press contact with the platen roller, a distance between the rotational axis of the lock arm and an axis of the shaft member is greater than a distance between the rotational axis of the lock arm and the rotational axis of the platen roller.

Thermal activation device and printer

A printer selectively prints on heat-sensitive adhesive sheets and ordinary sheets that have no heat-sensitive adhesive. The printer has a printing unit that prints on one surface of a sheet and a printing platen roller that transports the sheet in a forward direction. A cutter unit cuts the printed sheet to a predetermined length, and a thermal activation unit disposed downstream of the cutter unit has a thermal head for heating the other surface of the sheet and a thermal activation platen roller that transports the sheet in the forward direction. A detector detects whether the sheet is a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet or an ordinary sheet, and a control device controls operation of the thermal activation unit so that both the thermal head and the thermal activation platen roller are operated in response to detection of a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet and so that the thermal activation platen roller but not the thermal head is operated in response to detection of an ordinary sheet.

Printer for printing on both a heat-sensitive adhesive label and an ordinary label

An adhesive label printer has a thermal activation device that thermally activates a thermally active adhesive layer of a thermally active adhesive sheet. The thermally active sheet has a recording surface formed on one side of a sheet-like base and the thermally active layer formed on the other side thereof. A recording device records information on the recording surface of the thermally active adhesive sheet. A platen roller conveys the thermally active adhesive sheet and has a roller portion made of least a fluorine atom containing rubber material.

Thermal activation device and adhesive label printer provided with platen roller

A thermal activation apparatus includes a thermal head for thermal activation, a platen roller for thermal activation pressed against the thermal head, and an air cooling mechanism. The air cooling mechanism includes partitions for separating the thermal activation apparatus from the outside, an air outlet in a lower part thereof, first and second air inlets in an upper part thereof, and a fan for exhausting air through the air outlet. While a heat-sensitive adhesive agent layer of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet is heated by the platen roller and the thermal head to be thermally activated during transporting the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet, the fan is actuated to generate airflow from the first and second air inlets and around the platen roller, the thermal head, and a heat sink, in this order, to be discharged to the outside from the air outlet.

Thermal activation apparatus, printer, thermal activation method, and method of manufacturing adhesive label

A thermal activation apparatus comprises a housing having an insertion slot for insertion therethrough of a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet. A sensor detects the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet inserted through the insertion slot and outputs a corresponding detection signal for determining a start time of the thermal activation apparatus. A transfer unit transfers the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet and a thermal activation unit thermally activates a heat-sensitive adhesive layer of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet. An ejection unit ejects the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet after thermal activation. A control unit disposed within the housing controls operation of the thermal activation apparatus and includes a printer communication unit for communicating the thermal activation apparatus with a printer for printing on a printable surface of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet before or after thermal activation of the heat-sensitive adhesive layer of the heat-sensitive adhesive sheet.

Thermal activation apparatus

Provided is a thermal activation device including a thermal activation head () for thermally activating a heat-sensitive adhesive layer of a sheet material () having a printing layer provided on one surface of a sheet-like base material and having the heat-sensitive adhesive layer provided on the other surface thereof, and a platen roller () for holding and conveying the sheet material (), the platen roller () being brought into press contact with the thermal activation head (). Moreover, the thermal activation head () thermally activates the heat-sensitive adhesive layer asymmetrically with respect to a centerline in a width direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the sheet material (). Furthermore, a plate spring () which urges the sheet material () to be pressed onto a peripheral surface of the platen roller () is provided, the plate spring () being located on an upstream side of the thermal activation head () in the conveying direction of the sheet material ().

Thermal activation device

A thermal activation device has a thermal head having heat generating elements for generating heat to heat a thermal activation sheet. A radiator absorbs and dissipates heat generated by the heat generating elements of the thermal head. The radiator has a portion disposed in contact with an introduction path along which the thermal activation sheet is introduced toward the thermal head for contacting the thermal activation sheet to preheat the thermal activation sheet as the thermal activation sheet advances in the introduction path.

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Tatsuya Obuchi