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EP0867305B1 - Dispositif d'impression par stencil thermosensible - Google Patents

Dispositif d'impression par stencil thermosensible Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0867305B1
EP0867305B1 EP19980105246 EP98105246A EP0867305B1 EP 0867305 B1 EP0867305 B1 EP 0867305B1 EP 19980105246 EP19980105246 EP 19980105246 EP 98105246 A EP98105246 A EP 98105246A EP 0867305 B1 EP0867305 B1 EP 0867305B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
printing
sheet
ink
heat
stencil sheet
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19980105246
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German (de)
English (en)
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EP0867305A1 (fr
Inventor
Hideo Riso Kagaku Corp. R & D Center Watanabe
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Riso Kagaku Corp
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Riso Kagaku Corp
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Publication date
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Publication of EP0867305A1 publication Critical patent/EP0867305A1/fr
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41M—PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING
    • B41M1/00—Inking and printing with a printer's forme
    • B41M1/12—Stencil printing; Silk-screen printing
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41C—PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES
    • B41C1/00—Forme preparation
    • B41C1/14—Forme preparation for stencil-printing or silk-screen printing
    • B41C1/147—Forme preparation for stencil-printing or silk-screen printing by imagewise deposition of a liquid, e.g. from an ink jet; Chemical perforation by the hardening or solubilizing of the ink impervious coating or sheet
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41L—APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR MANIFOLDING, DUPLICATING OR PRINTING FOR OFFICE OR OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSES; ADDRESSING MACHINES OR LIKE SERIES-PRINTING MACHINES
    • B41L13/00—Stencilling apparatus for office or other commercial use
    • B41L13/04—Stencilling apparatus for office or other commercial use with curved or rotary stencil carriers
    • B41L13/06—Stencilling apparatus for office or other commercial use with curved or rotary stencil carriers with a single cylinder carrying the stencil

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a printing apparatus which can efficiently print a small to large number of copies in two printing modes and, besides, is excellent in drying characteristics of ink and causes less set-off of ink.
  • the "digital printing machines” have already become popular as printing machines which are high in printing speed and low in running cost.
  • a heat-sensitive stencil sheet composed of a thermoplastic film is molten and perforated by a heating means such as a thermal head which emits heat in the form of dots in accordance with image information of electric signals into which images such as letters, figures and photographs are transformed, then the stencil sheet is wound around a printing drum containing a stencil printing ink, and the printing ink is transferred through perforations of the stencil sheet onto a printing paper.
  • printing machines are equipped with heat-sensitive recording paper or thermal transfer recording paper for obtaining a small number of prints.
  • the printing machines become larger in size and, further, operation becomes complicated because both the printing paper and the recording paper must be prepared for the operation.
  • printing machines have been proposed according to which one kind of paper may be printed by electrophotographic process when a small number of prints are to be obtained or by stencil printing process using a heat-sensitive stencil sheet when a large number of prints are to be obtained.
  • the printing system as a whole is expensive and is large in size.
  • such emulsion ink changes in its viscosity depending on the environmental temperature of use, and, for example, in the case of high temperature, the ink becomes soft to cause seep through and so-called side or end leakage (that is, a phenomenon of the ink leaking from edge or end portions of a stencil sheet wound around the printing drum).
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus which does not cause deficient perforation, wrinkling or failure in conveying at the time of perforation of heat-sensitive stencil sheets, can efficiently print a small to large number of copies at low running cost, and, besides, is excellent in drying characteristics of ink and can inhibit set-off or seep through of ink.
  • the above object can be achieved by a printing apparatus which comprises
  • the first feature of the printing apparatus of the present invention which is different in stencil sheet perforation system from conventional rotary stencil printing apparatuses, is that it employs a method for perforating a heat-sensitive stencil sheet which comprises a first step of transferring a photothermal conversion material to a heat-sensitive stencil sheet by ejecting a liquid containing the photothermal conversion material onto the heat-sensitive stencil sheet from a liquid ejecting means and a second step of perforating the heat-sensitive stencil sheet specifically at sites to which the photothermal conversion material has been transferred, by irradiating the heat-sensitive stencil sheet with a visible or infrared ray.
  • the liquid ejecting means may be a device which comprises an ejecting head of nozzle, slit, porous material, porous film or the like having 10-2000 openings per inch (i.e., 10-2000 dpi) which is connected to piezoelectric elements, heating elements, liquid-conveying pumps or the like so as to eject the liquid containing the photothermal conversion material intermittently or continuously, that is, in the form of dots or lines in accordance with electric signals of letter images.
  • 10-2000 openings per inch i.e., 10-2000 dpi
  • the first step can be performed, for example, by moving the ejecting head slightly spaced from a heat-sensitive stencil sheet and in parallel with the heat-sensitive stencil sheet and simultaneously controlling the liquid ejecting means so as to eject the liquid containing the photothermal conversion material onto the heat-sensitive stencil sheet from the ejecting head in accordance with image information previously converted to electric signals, and evaporating the liquid transferred to the heat-sensitive stencil sheet, thereby to reproduce the image as solid adherends mainly composed of the photothermal conversion material on the heat-sensitive stencil sheet.
  • the heat-sensitive stencil sheet to which the photothermal conversion material has been transferred is irradiated with a visible or infrared ray
  • the photothermal conversion material absorbs light to emit heat.
  • the thermoplastic film of the heat-sensitive stencil sheet is molten and perforated to obtain a master directly from the stencil sheet itself. Irradiation of the stencil sheet with the visible or infrared ray can readily be carried out using xenon lamps, flash lamps, halogen lamps, infrared heaters or the like.
  • the present printing apparatus does not require the stencil sheet to contact any materials such as an original or a thermal head to make a master, but only requires the stencil sheet itself to be irradiated with a visible or infrared ray. Thus, no wrinkling occurs on stencil sheets in making masters.
  • the first and second steps mentioned above may be carried out before the heat-sensitive stencil sheet is wound around the printing drum or after the heat-sensitive stencil sheet has been wound around the printing drum.
  • the present printing apparatus employs an ink which reversibly changes in its phase from solid state to liquid state, the printing apparatus is especially useful for carrying out perforation of the heat-sensitive stencil sheet in a state of being wound around the printing drum before heating and fluidizing the ink by a heating means.
  • the second feature of the present invention is that the printing apparatus is a printing apparatus which can perform printing in two modes of stencil printing and ink jet printing in which said liquid ejecting means further ejects a photothermal conversion material and/or a colorant contained in a liquid onto a printing sheet in accordance with image information previously transformed to electric signals, whereby images based on the image information can be directly printed on the printing sheet.
  • the liquid ejecting means may have a single ejecting head which can turn to different directions of the heat-sensitive stencil sheet and the printing sheet and can eject the photothermal conversion material and/or a colorant onto both the heat-sensitive stencil sheet and the printing sheet selectively, or it may have separately an ejecting head which can eject the photothermal conversion material onto the heat-sensitive stencil sheet and an ejecting head which can eject the colorant onto the printing sheet.
  • the liquid ejecting means may have a plurality of ejecting heads each of which ejects each a colorant of a different color onto the printing sheet, or it may have a single ejecting head which can eject a plurality of colorants of different colors onto the printing sheet.
  • a large number of copies can be printed with stencil printing by ejecting a photothermal conversion material and/or a colorant onto a heat-sensitive stencil sheet from a liquid ejecting means and perforating the stencil sheet by a light irradiation means, and a small number of copies can be simply printed by ejecting the photothermal conversion material and/or colorant directly onto the printing sheet. Therefore, both the printing of a small number of copies and that of a large number of copies can be efficiently performed only by providing one kind of printing sheet and heat-sensitive stencil sheet in the printing apparatus and controlling the liquid ejecting means in the printing appatatus.
  • overlay printing and multicolor printing can also be effected by ejecting a photothermal conversion material and/or a colorant in layers onto a printing sheet which has been printed by stencil printing.
  • printing in black, which is frequently demanded may be effected by stencil printing and printing in red, blue and yellow, which is not frequently demanded, may be effected by printing directly from the liquid ejecting means to increase efficiency of multicolor printing.
  • Photothermal conversion materials used in the present invention are those which can transform light energy into heat energy, and are preferably those efficient in photothermal conversion, for example, inorganic pigments such as carbon black, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, metal powders, and metal oxides, and, besides, organic pigments and organic dyes.
  • inorganic pigments such as carbon black, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, metal powders, and metal oxides
  • organic pigments and organic dyes include furnace black, channel black, lampblack, acetylene black and oil black.
  • organic dyes particularly preferred are those having a high light-absorbency within a specific range of wavelength, such as anthraquinone, phthalocyanine, cyanine, squalirium and polymethine dyes.
  • Colorants used in the present invention may be the same as the photothermal conversion materials if the photothermal conversion materials have colors.
  • the colorants are organic or inorganic pigments such as carbon black, Phthalocyanine Blue, Victoria Blue, Brilliant Carmine 6B, Permanent Red F5R, Rhodamine Lake B, Benzidine Yellow, Hansa Yellow, Naphthol Yellow, titanium oxide, and calcium carbonate, and azo, anthraquinone, quinacridone, xanthene and acridine dyes.
  • the liquid in which the photothermal conversion material and the colorant are contained may be solvents such as aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, esters, ethers, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, amines, low molecular weight heterocyclic compounds, oxides, and water.
  • solvents such as aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, esters, ethers, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, amines, low molecular weight heterocyclic compounds, oxides, and water.
  • liquids may be used alone or in combination, and are preferably those which evaporate quickly after having been ejected from the liquid ejecting means onto the heat-sensitive stencil sheet.
  • To the liquid may be added dyes, pigments, fillers, binders, hardening agents, preservatives, wetting agents, surfactants, pH-adjusting agents, or the like, as required.
  • compositions for perforating heat-sensitive stencil sheets or coloring can be prepared by appropriately dispersing or mixing the above photothermal conversion material and/or colorant in the above liquid in a form readily ejectable from the liquid-ejecting means.
  • the heat-sensitive stencil sheet may be a stencil sheet to at least one side of which the photothermal conversion material can be transferred and which can be molten and perforated by heat emitted by the photothermal conversion material.
  • the stencil sheet may be made of a thermoplastic film only, or may be a thermoplastic film laminated to a porous substrate.
  • the thermoplastic film includes a film made from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyurethane, polycarbonate, polyvinyl acetate, acrylic resins, silicone resins, and other resinous compounds. These resinous compounds may be used alone, in combination, or as a copolymer.
  • Suitable thickness of the thermoplastic film is 0.5 - 50 ⁇ m, preferably 1 - 20 ⁇ m. If the film is less than 0.5 ⁇ m in thickness, it is inferior in workability and strength. If the film is greater in thickness than 50 ⁇ m, it is not economical to be perforated requiring a great amount of heat energy.
  • the above porous substrate may be a thin paper, a nonwoven fabric, a gauze or the like, which is made from natural fibers such as Manila hemp, pulp, Edgeworthia, paper mulberry and Japanese paper, synthetic fibers such as of polyester, nylon, vinylon and acetate, metallic fibers, or glass fibers, alone or in combination.
  • Basis weight of these porous substrates is preferably 1 - 20 g/m 2 , more preferably 5 - 15 g/m 2 . If it is less than 1 g/m 2 , the stencil sheet is weak in strength. If it is more than 20 g/m 2 , the stencil sheet is often inferior in ink permeability upon printing.
  • Thickness of the porous substrate is preferably 5 - 100 ⁇ m, more preferably 10 - 50 ⁇ m. If the thickness is less than 5 ⁇ m, the stencil sheet is weak in strength. If it is more than 100 ⁇ m, the stencil sheet is often inferior in ink permeability in printing.
  • the heat-sensitive stencil sheet used in the present invention preferably has a liquid absorbing layer laminated to a side of the stencil sheet to which the liquid is ejected, in order to prevent the liquid from blurring on the stencil sheet or to accelerate drying of the liquid on the stencil sheet.
  • perforations faithful to the image information are obtained when a stencil sheet is irradiated with light, and thus sharp image can be printed.
  • the liquid absorbing layer is preferably formed on the outermost surface of the heat-sensitive stencil sheet as a resin layer which is molten and perforated similarly to the thermoplastic film upon irradiation with light to obtain a master.
  • the liquid absorbing layer can be made of any materials so long as they can prevent the liquid from spreading in a planar direction and fix the photothermal conversion material on the stencil sheet.
  • the liquid absorbing layer is made of a material high in affinity with the liquid used.
  • the liquid absorbing layer can be made of polymer compounds such as polyvinyl alcohol, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymers, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl ether, polyvinyl acetal, and polyacrylamide. These resinous compounds may be used alone, in combination or as a copolymer.
  • the liquid absorbing layer can be made of polymer compounds such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyisobutylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl fluoride, polyvinyl acetate, acrylic resins, polyamide, polyimide, polyester, polycarbonate, and polyurethane. These resinous compounds may be used alone, in combination, or as a copolymer.
  • organic or inorganic particulates may be added to the liquid absorbing layer.
  • Such particulates include organic particulates such as of polyurethane, polyester, polyethylene, polystyrene, polysiloxane, phenolic resin, acrylic resin, and benzoguanamine resin, and inorganic particulates such as of talc, clay, calcium carbonate, titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, and kaolin.
  • the liquid absorbing layer can be obtained by coating a liquid containing the above polymer compound and, if necessary, the above particulates on a heat-sensitive stencil sheet by a coating means such as gravure coater and wire bar coater.
  • the third feature of the printing apparatus of the present invention is to use an ink which reversibly changes its phase from solid state to liquid state at a certain temperature as a stencil printing ink supplied into a cylindrical printing drum. Since this ink becomes liquid having a certain viscosity by a heating means at the time of stencil printing, it can be passed through perforations of stencil sheets and transferred to printing sheets. Furthermore, the liquid ink that has been transferred to a printing sheet instantaneously changes into a solid ink during conveyance of the printing sheet, and, thus, the ink can be allowed to adhere to the printing sheet and fix thereon in a short time.
  • the hands are not stained with ink, and besides no set-off of ink occurs even if continuous printing is carried out. Furthermore, the ink used in the present invention does not permeate into printing sheets, and thus no seep-through occurs. Moreover, according to the present invention, since the ink instantaneously changes in its phase from liquid to solid, not only usual printing sheets and postcards which are poor in permeability to ink, but also films or metals can be printed.
  • Stencil printing inks used in the present invention are desirably printing inks having a phase-change temperature of 30 - 150°C, preferably 40 - 120°C.
  • the solid state here means a state of ink which loses fluidity to such an extent that the ink does not stick to materials which touch the ink.
  • the liquid state means a state of ink higher in fluidity than in the solid state, preferably, a state of ink having a viscosity of such an extent that the ink can flow through perforations of stencil sheets.
  • the phase-change temperature of ink means a maximum temperature at which the ink can keep the above-mentioned solid state.
  • phase-change temperature is too low, when the inside temperature of the printing apparatus or environmental temperature becomes lower than 30°C, the ink is fluidized to cause staining of a printing apparatus or occurrence of so-called side or end leakage. If the phase-change temperature is higher than 150°C, a heating means of large scale is needed for changing the ink from solid to liquid to often cause loss of heat energy, and a long time is required for changing the ink from solid to ink to prolong the waiting period before starting of printing.
  • the stencil printing ink used in the present invention can be obtained by mixing a colorant and a reversibly phase-changeable component which reversibly changes in phase from solid state to liquid state at a temperature in the range of 30 - 150° C, preferably 40 - 120°C.
  • a reversibly phase-changeable component which reversibly changes in phase from solid state to liquid state at a temperature in the range of 30 - 150° C, preferably 40 - 120°C.
  • it can be obtained by melting the reversibly phase-changeable component and mixing this component with a colorant and, if necessary, a dispersing agent.
  • waxes for example, waxes, fatty acid amides, fatty acid esters, and resins, such as carnauba wax, microcrystalline wax, polyethylene wax, montan wax, paraffin wax, candellila wax, shellac wax, oxidized wax, ester wax, beeswax, Japan wax, spermaceti, stearic acid amide, lauric acid amide, behenic acid amide, caproic acid amide, palmitic acid amide, low molecular polyethylene, polystyrene, ⁇ -methylstyrene polymer, vinyltoluene, indene, polyamide, polypropylene, acrylic resin, alkyd resin, polyvinyl acetate, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, and vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer.
  • waxes such as carnauba wax, microcrystalline wax, polyethylene wax, montan wax, paraffin wax, candellila wax, shellac wax,
  • the colorants include, for example, organic or inorganic pigments such as furnace carbon black, lampblack, Cyanine Blue, Lake Red, Cyanine Green, titanium oxide, and calcium carbonate and dyes such as of azo, anthraquinone and quinacridone.
  • organic or inorganic pigments such as furnace carbon black, lampblack, Cyanine Blue, Lake Red, Cyanine Green, titanium oxide, and calcium carbonate and dyes such as of azo, anthraquinone and quinacridone.
  • anionic, cationic and nonionic ones can be used, and examples of them are sorbitan fatty acid esters, fatty acid monoglycerides and quaternary ammonium salts.
  • the stencil printing ink used in the present invention may be in a form of oil ink and W/O type emulsion.
  • the oil ink can be prepared by dissolving and mixing the reversibly phase-changeable component, the colorant, and, if necessary, the dispersing agent.
  • the W/O type emulsion ink can be prepared by by dissolving and mixing the reversibly phase-changeable component, the colorant, and, if necessary, the dispersing agent and emulsifying the mixture with addition of an aqueous phase component under stirring, and when the emulsion is cooled, a solid ink of W/O type is obtained.
  • the colorant may be contained in the aqueous phase component.
  • the stencil printing ink is rendered liquid by heating to higher than the phase-change temperature at the time of printing, and the ink is preferably heated to such an extent that the ink has a viscosity in a range of 10 - 1,000,000 cps, preferably 100 - 100,000 cps. If viscosity of the ink at the time of printing is lower than 10 cps, this is too low and the ink is apt to leak from between the printing apparatus and an edge of a stencil sheet to cause so-called side leakage or end leakage of the ink, and, besides, the ink rapidly permeates a printing sheet from the surface to the inside to cause seep-through. If the viscosity is higher than 1,000,000 cps, the ink passes through the perforations of the perforated stencil sheet with difficulty to result in decrease of printing density and uneven printing.
  • the cylindrical printing drum used in the present invention may be a printing drum conventionally used for rotary stencil printing apparatuses, such as a metallic drum having pores on the circumferential surface through which inks are passed.
  • the circumferential surface of the drum may be formed of porous members used for conventional stencil printing apparatuses, such as metallic fibers, synthetic fibers, metallic porous bodies, and polymeric porous bodies.
  • the printing apparatus of the present invention is provided with a heating means which heats the stencil printing ink fed into the printing drum and a squeeze means which internally contacts with the inner circumferential surface of the printing drum and feeds the ink to the circumferential surface of the printing drum.
  • the heating means may be such as directly heating the stencil printing ink or heating the squeeze means to generate heat by which the ink is heated.
  • the heating means may be either a contact type or a non-contact type. Examples of the heating means are a nichrome wire heater, plate heater, ceramics heater, electrically conductive carbon heater, magnetic induction heater, infrared heater, halogen lamp, xenon lamp, and microwave heater.
  • the heating means is arranged so as to heat the squeeze means preferentially to the ink in order to improve heating efficiency for the stencil printing ink and attain high speed printing.
  • the heating means may be provided near the squeeze means or in contact with the squeeze means, or may be housed in the squeeze means, or may be integrated with the squeeze means.
  • the squeeze means is provided internally contacting with the inner circumferential surface of the printing drum and acts to squeeze out of the drum the ink which has been changed in phase from solid to liquid by the heating means. Therefore, the squeeze means must be sufficiently heated at the time of printing.
  • the squeeze means may be formed of heat resistant members comprising rigid body or elastic body, such as metallic roller, metallic pipe, plastic blade and plastic belt.
  • a perforated heat-sensitive stencil sheet is wound around the outer circumferential surface of an ink-permeable cylindrical printing drum rotated about its axis as in the case of conventional rotary stencil printing apparatuses, and the stencil printing ink is molten by the heating means. Then, in such a state that the printing sheet is moving synchronously with rotation of the printing drum, the printing ink fed to the inner circumferential surface of the printing plate is allowed to pass through perforations of the stencil sheet and transferred to the printing sheet by the squeeze means with the assistance of a pressing means which presses at least one of the printing drum and the printing sheet to bring them into close contact.
  • stencil printing is attained.
  • the pressing means is provided, for example, outside and opposite to the printing drum, and may be a press roller which presses the outer circumferential surface or may be a squeeze roller or blade which internally contacts with a flexible circumferential surface of a printing drum and expands the wall of the printing drum outwardly thereby to press the printing drum to another drum provided outside and opposite to the printing drum.
  • This squeeze roller or blade may also serve as the squeeze means mentioned above.
  • the stencil sheet and the printing sheet are pressed together under a pressure of 0.01 - 10 kg/cm 2 , preferably 0.05 - 5 kg/cm 2 and printing is carried out for 0.001 - 10 seconds, preferably 0.005 - 5 seconds. If the pressure is lower and the time is shorter, the ink in liquid state is difficult to pass through the perforated stencil sheet, and, hence, amount of the ink transferred to the printing sheet is small to result in low printing density and uneven printing.
  • FIG. 1(a) shows a heat-sensitive stencil sheet 13 of three-layer structure comprising a liquid absorbing layer 21, a thermoplastic film 22 and a porous substrate 23.
  • Droplets of liquid 26 containing a photothermal conversion material is ejected from an ejecting head 25 of the liquid ejecting means onto the liquid absorbing layer 21 of the heat-sensitive stencil sheet 13 in a form of letter images so that the photothermal conversion material 28 is transferred onto the heat-sensitive stencil sheet 13 as shown in Fig. 1(b).
  • numeral 5 indicates a cylindrical printing drum of the present invention, the outer circumferential surface of which is constituted of a porous member.
  • the heat-sensitive stencil sheet 13 perforated as shown in Fig. 1 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the printing drum 5 by a known method.
  • squeeze means 51 comprising a metallic pipe is provided in contact with the inner surface of the printing drum 5 so that it can be rotated about its axis parallel to the central axis of the printing drum 5, and the squeeze means 51 is rotated in the same direction as the rotation of the printing drum at the time of rotating the drum.
  • Heating means 52 of a halogen lamp is provided in the squeeze means 51 so as to positively heat the metallic pipe, whereby the metallic pipe can be efficiently heated with light 53.
  • the temperature of the outer circumference of the squeeze means 51 reaches the phase-change temperature of ink 54 used for printing, the ink 54 changes from solid state to liquid state, and the ink 54 in liquid state is forced out of the inner surface of the printing drum 5 to the outside by the squeeze means 51 at the time of rotation of the printing drum 5.
  • Printing sheet 14 fed synchronously with the rotation of the printing drum 5 is pressed to the heat-sensitive stencil sheet 13 on the outer circumferential surface of the printing drum 5 by press roller 6 provided outside the printing drum 5 and opposite to the squeeze means 51, whereby ink 54 is transferred onto the printing sheet 14 through the perforations of the heat-sensitive stencil sheet 13. Temperature of the transferred ink instantaneously becomes lower than the phase-change temperature, and the ink is fixed as a solid ink 55.
  • Fig. 3 is a schematic side view which shows the internal structure of the printing apparatus of the present invention, and printing drum 5 is placed inside the casing C.
  • the printing drum 5 has the same construction as shown in Fig. 2, and a rotatable metallic pipe which contacts with the inner surface of the drum is provided inside the drum as squeeze means 51.
  • the squeeze means 51 is provided with a heating means 52 comprising a halogen lamp and is positively heated by the lamp.
  • the heated squeeze means 51 heats and fluidizes the phase-changeable ink in the printing drum 5 and simultaneously squeezes the ink out of the printing drum 5 at the time of rotation of the printing drum 5.
  • a press roller 6 which can move up and down so as to touch to or be detached from the outer surface of the printing drum 5 is provided just below the printing drum 5 at the position opposite to the metallic pipe of the squeeze means 51.
  • a clamping means 55 which clamps one end portion of the stencil sheet wound around the outer circumferential surface of printing drum 5 and which can be opened and closed is provided at a part of the outer circumferential surface of the printing drum 5.
  • the printing drum 5 is rotated counterclockwise as shown in Fig. 3, and a paper feeding tray 8 for printing sheets 14 is provided on the left side of the casing C.
  • a paper feeding means 11 which comprises a pair of rollers between which an endless belt is stretched and which feeds one by one printing sheets 14 on the paper feeding tray 8 towards the printing drum 5 is provided above the paper feeding tray 8.
  • paper discharging rollers 12b comprising a pair of the upper and lower rollers which carry printed sheets 15 delivered after printed between the printing drum 5 and the press roller 6 to paper discharging tray 9 disposed on the right side of casing C.
  • a cover S is provided above the casing C, and an image sensor 1 is provided on the back side of the cover S.
  • An original feeding roller 19 is provided opposite to the image sensor 1 and on the upper surface of the casing C, so that an original is fed between the original feeding roller 19 and the image sensor 1 from the outside of the cover S to scan the images on the original and transform them into image information of electric signals.
  • a roll of heat-sensitive stencil sheet 13 is placed below the original feeding roller 19 and supported in a state of being rotatable about an axis by a suitable stencil sheet holding means.
  • stencil sheet feeding rollers 10 comprising a pair of the upper and lower opposing rollers.
  • a stencil sheet disposal box 7 is provided for disposal of the stencil sheet after use. Furthermore, a cutter 20 which cuts the heat-sensitive stencil sheet upon completion of carrying of the heat-sensitive stencil sheet for one printing to the printing drum 5 is provided between the printing drum 5 and the stencil sheet feeding roller 10.
  • an ejecting head as shown by 2a of the liquid ejecting means can be provided being directed to the stencil sheet 13 and near the stencil sheet carrying route A on which the stencil sheet 13 is carried to the printing drum 5, and, besides, the ejecting head as shown by 2b can be provided being directed to the printing drum 5.
  • a light irradiation means as shown by 4a can be provided being directed to the stencil sheet and near the stencil sheet carrying route A on which the stencil sheet 13 is carried to the printing drum 5.
  • the light irradiation means as shown by 4b can be provided being directed to the printing drum 5.
  • an ejecting head as shown by 3a of the liquid ejecting means can be provided downstream the printing drum 5 and being directed to the printing sheet on the printing sheet carrying route B.
  • an ejecting head as shown by 3b can be provided upstream the printing drum 5 and being directed to the printing sheet on the printing sheet carrying route B.
  • the liquid ejecting means may have one or both of the ejecting heads 2a and 2b for the perforation of the heat-sensitive stencil sheet, and may have one or both of the ejecting heads 3a and 3b for the direct printing on the printing sheet. Furthermore, for example, if the direction of the ejecting head 2b can be turned to the printing drum and the printing sheet, and both the perforation of the heat-sensitive stencil sheet and the direct printing on the printing sheet can be performed only by a single ejecting head 2b.
  • the original is inserted below the cover S, and while the original is being fed by the original feeding roller 19, images on the original are scanned by the image sensor 1 and transformed into image information of electric signals, and movement of the ejecting head and ejection of the liquid are controlled based on the image information, whereby the images can be reproduced on the stencil sheet or the printing sheet. It is also possible to reproduce the images by controlling the operation of the ejecting head directly by a personal computer (not shown) based on the image information stored therein.
  • Printing of a small number of copies on printing sheet 14 is carried out in the following manner.
  • Printing drum 5 and press roller 6 are detached from each other, and during the printing sheet 14 on the paper feeding tray 8 being carried by the paper feeding means 11 and the paper feeding timing roller 12a and the paper discharging roller 12b, the liquid ejecting means is controlled so that a liquid containing a colorant and/or a photothermal conversion material is directly ejected onto the printing sheet 14 from the ejecting head 3a or 3b to reproduce images.
  • the printed sheets 15 are stocked on the paper discharging tray 14.
  • the liquid ejecting means is provided with a plurality of ejecting heads, and the ejecting means is controlled so that colorants of different colors are ejected from the respective ejecting heads onto the printing sheet 14.
  • two-color printing can be performed by ejecting colorants of different colors from ejecting heads 3a and 3b, respectively.
  • the liquid ejecting means is controlled so that the liquid containing the photothermal conversion material is ejected from ejecting head 2a onto the stencil sheet 13 to reproduce images, and then the stencil sheet is irradiated with a visible or infrared ray by a light irradiation means 4a to perforate the stencil sheet 13 and the perforated stencil sheet is wound around the printing drum 5.
  • This perforation may be carried out by the irradiation with a visible or infrared ray from a light irradiation means 4b after the stencil sheet 13 is wound around the printing drum 5.
  • the perforation may be carried out in the following manner.
  • the liquid ejecting means is controlled so that the liquid containing the photothermal conversion material is ejected onto the stencil sheet 13 wound around the printing drum 5 to reproduce images before the phase-changeable ink in the printing drum 5 changes from solid state to liquid state by heating, and then the stencil sheet 13 is irradiated with a visible or infrared ray by the light irradiation means 4b to perforate the stencil sheet.
  • the printing drum 5 having the stencil sheet 13 wound around the outer circumferential surface thereof is rotated counterclockwise about its axis as shown, and simultaneously a stencil printing ink changed from solid to liquid in its phase by squeeze means 51 heated by a heating apparatus 52 is fed to the inner circumferential surface of the printing drum.
  • Printing sheet 14 which is carried by the paper feeding means 11 and timing rollers 12a synchronously with the rotation of the printing drum is pressed against the printing drum 5 by the press roller 6, whereby the stencil printing ink which passes through the perforations of the stencil sheet 13 is transferred to the printing sheet 14 to complete printing.
  • the printing paper 14 is carried to the paper discharging tray 9 by the paper discharging rollers 12b, where it is stocked as printed paper 15 on which the ink has been dried.
  • the direct printing on the printing paper 14 is carried out by ejecting means 3a or 3b in addition to the above-mentioned stencil printing carried out by pressing the printing paper 14 against printing drum 5 by press roller 6.
  • the liquid ejecting means may have a single ejecting head which can move to the position of the ejecting head 2a in the stencil printing and to the position of the ejecting head 3a in the direct printing, or may have a rotatable single ejecting head which can turn to the ejecting head 2b in the stencil printing and to the ejecting head 3b in the direct printing.
  • the order of printing is, for example, as follows. First, either one of the direct printing or the stencil printing is carried out on printing paper 14, the printed paper is stocked on the paper discharging tray 9 as printed paper 15, this paper 15 is again placed on the paper feeding tray 8, and then another printing is carried out on the paper 15. If the direct printing is carried out by ejecting heads 3a and/or 3b before and/or after printing paper 14 is stencil-printed by the printing drum 5, both the stencil printing and the direct printing can be performed during one step of the printing paper 14 being carried from the paper feeding tray 8 to the paper discharging tray 9.
  • the heat-sensitive stencil sheet there is no need to allow the heat-sensitive stencil sheet to contact with any matters such as originals and thermal heads, and the heat-sensitive stencil sheet can be merely irradiated with a visible or infrared ray. Therefore, no wrinkling of the stencil sheet occurs and no failure in conveyance of the stencil sheet is caused.
  • overlay printing and multicolor printing can also be performed by carrying out direct printing on printing paper which has been stencil-printed.
  • the present invention can also be applied to color printing.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Manufacture Or Reproduction Of Printing Formes (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Printing Plates And Materials Therefor (AREA)

Claims (7)

  1. Dispositif d'impression comprenant
    un moyen d'éjection de liquide pour éjecter une matière de conversion photothermique contenue dans un liquide sur une feuille de stencil thermosensible conformément à une information d'image, de telle sorte que la matière de conversion photothermique soit transférée sur la feuille de stencil pour reproduire sur celle-ci une image basée sur l'information d'image ;
    un moyen d'exposition à la lumière pour exposer la feuille de stencil thermosensible sur laquelle la matière de conversion photothermique a été transférée, à un rayonnement visible ou infrarouge pour perforer la feuille de stencil ;
    un tambour d'impression cylindrique dont la surface circonférentielle est perméable à l'encre, que l'on fait tourner autour de son axe central alors que la feuille de stencil thermosensible enroulée autour de la surface circonférentielle ;
    un moyen de chauffage pour chauffer une encre d'impression au stencil qui change réversiblement de phase, passant de l'état solide à l'état liquide dans ce tambour d'impression ;
    un moyen d'exprimage pour venir par l'intérieur au contact de la surface circonférentielle de ce tambour d'impression et envoyer l'encre sur la surface ; et
    un moyen de compression pour presser au moins soit ce tambour d'impression, soit une feuille d'impression dont le déplacement est synchronisé avec la rotation de ce tambour d'impression, pour les amener ainsi en contact étroit l'un avec l'autre, de telle sorte que l'encre d'impression par stencil à l'état liquide envoyée sur la surface circonférentielle de ce tambour d'impression soit transférée sur la feuille d'impression à travers la feuille de stencil thermosensible perforée ;
    dans lequel ce moyen d'éjection de liquide éjecte en outre une matière de conversion photothermique et/ou un colorant contenu dans un liquide sur la feuille d'impression, conformément à une information d'image, ce qui permet d'imprimer directement sur la feuille d'impression une image basée sur l'information d'image.
  2. Dispositif d'impression selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ledit moyen d'éjection de liquide porte une tête d'éjection unique qui peut se mettre dans la direction d'une feuille de stencil thermosensible et dans la direction de la feuille d'impression pour éjecter sélectivement la matière de conversion photothermique et/ou le colorant sur la feuille de stencil thermosensible et la feuille d'impression.
  3. Dispositif d'impression selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ce moyen d'éjection de liquide porte une pluralité de têtes d'éjection qui éjectent des colorants de couleurs différentes les unes des autres sur la feuille d'impression pour effectuer une impression multicolore.
  4. Dispositif d'impression selon la revendication 1, dans lequel la feuille de stencil thermosensible comprend un film thermoplastique et une couche d'absorption de liquide prévue sur celui-ci, la matière de conversion photothermique est éjectée sur la couche absorbant les liquides et la feuille de stencil thermosensible est exposée à de la lumière par un moyen d'exposition à la lumière pour perforer le film thermoplastique.
  5. Dispositif d'impression selon la revendication 1, dans lequel ce moyen de chauffage chauffe ce moyen d'exprimage et l'encre est chauffée par la chaleur produite par ce moyen d'exprimage.
  6. Dispositif d'impression selon la revendication 1, dans lequel l'encre d'impression sur stencil change réversiblement de phase de l'état solide à l'état liquide, à une température de 30 à 150 °C.
  7. Dispositif d'impression selon la revendication 1, dans lequel l'encre d'impression sur stencil change réversiblement de phase, passant de l'état solide à l'état liquide à une température de 40 à 120°C.
EP19980105246 1997-03-24 1998-03-23 Dispositif d'impression par stencil thermosensible Expired - Lifetime EP0867305B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP8885197 1997-03-24
JP88851/97 1997-03-24
JP8885197A JPH10264493A (ja) 1997-03-24 1997-03-24 複式印刷装置

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0867305A1 EP0867305A1 (fr) 1998-09-30
EP0867305B1 true EP0867305B1 (fr) 2001-11-07

Family

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19980105246 Expired - Lifetime EP0867305B1 (fr) 1997-03-24 1998-03-23 Dispositif d'impression par stencil thermosensible

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Country Link
EP (1) EP0867305B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH10264493A (fr)
DE (1) DE69802326T2 (fr)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2807772B1 (fr) * 2000-04-12 2002-07-26 Porcher Ind Support imprimable resistant au feu
CN106808820B (zh) * 2017-01-05 2018-11-20 广东宏达印业股份有限公司 一种数码印制备的转印膜、制备方法及其应用

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2253944C2 (de) * 1972-11-03 1983-02-24 Agfa-Gevaert Ag, 5090 Leverkusen Verfahren zur Herstellung eines Reliefbildes
DE69413894T2 (de) * 1993-07-20 1999-04-15 Riso Kagaku Corp., Tokio/Tokyo Schablonendruckplatte
JPH0885249A (ja) * 1994-09-16 1996-04-02 Riso Kagaku Corp 記録装置
JP3507600B2 (ja) * 1995-10-05 2004-03-15 理想科学工業株式会社 感熱孔版原紙の製版方法並びにそれに用いる感熱孔版原紙及び組成物
JP3542859B2 (ja) * 1995-10-05 2004-07-14 理想科学工業株式会社 複式印刷装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0867305A1 (fr) 1998-09-30
DE69802326D1 (de) 2001-12-13
JPH10264493A (ja) 1998-10-06
DE69802326T2 (de) 2002-08-08

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