METHOD FOR CREATING AN IMAGE ON AN INKED RIBBON DURING HOT PRESS PRINTING

Abstract

The group of inventions relates to surface printing by transferring an image from an ink ribbon and can be applied in the printing industry. The technical result to be achieved by the group of inventions is to reduce the number of separate stages and operations in hot press printing. The nature of the group of inventions involves the use of a thermal transfer printhead for hot press printing, hot press printing method and a printing unit.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. (canceled)

8. The printing unit characterized by containing a device for preparing a ribbon with an image, containing an ink ribbon feed unit, an adhesive tape feed unit and a heat imaging unit in the form of a thermal transfer printhead, and a device for transferring the image from the ribbon to the surface by hot pressing installed in a way ensuring consistent surface alignment of the ink ribbon and the adhesive tape heat imaging on the aligned ribbon and tape by the application of thermal transfer printhead to the adhesive tape, separation of the ribbon and tape from each other and transfer of the image from the ribbon to the surface by a heat press machine.

9. The unit claimed in claim 8 characterized in that the device for transferring the image from the ribbon to the surface by hot pressing includes a unit for transferring the image from the ribbon to the surface by hot pressing.

10. The unit claimed in claim 9 characterized in that the unit for transferring the image from the ribbon to the surface by hot pressing is designed to affect the ribbon with the image.

11. The unit claimed in claim 9 characterized in that the unit for transferring the image from the ribbon to the surface contains a heat transfer element and a pressure transfer element, which are combined depending on the compositional characteristics of the layer connecting the image with the ribbon and the layer connecting the image with the surface.

12. The unit claimed in claim 11 characterized in that the pressure transfer element for transferring the image from the ribbon to the surface is designed as a roll.

13. The unit claimed in claim 9 characterized in that the device for transferring the image from the ribbon to the surface includes a unit for positioning the ribbon with the image relative to the surface and/or a unit for pressing the ribbon with the image to the surface.

14. The unit claimed in claim 8 characterized by availability of a separation device.

15. The unit claimed in Claim 8 characterized by availability of a tensioner.

16. The unit claimed in claim 8 characterized by availability of a used ribbon collector.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

Description

[0035] The group of inventions is illustrated by the following figures.

[0036] FIG. 1—Printing unit, general view.

[0037] The printing unit contains a device for preparing a ribbon with an image and a device for transferring the image from the ribbon to the surface. The device for preparing a ribbon with an image contains an ink ribbon feed unit, an adhesive tape feed unit and a heat imaging unit, while the ink ribbon feed unit contains spool 1 and spool box 2 of the ink ribbon, the adhesive tape feed unit contains spool 3 and spool box 4 of the adhesive tape, and the heat imaging unit contains pressure roll 5 and thermal transfer printhead 6. The device for transferring the image from the ribbon to the surface contains a unit for positioning the ribbon with the image, a unit for pressing the ribbon with the image and unit for transferring the image from the ribbon to the surface, while the positioning unit contains tension roll 7, the pressing unit contains pressure roll 8, and the image transfer unit contains preheat roll 9.

[0038] Spool 1 and spool 3 are arranged to ensure positioning of the ink ribbon and adhesive tape opposite each other, pressure roll 5 and thermal transfer printhead 6 are arranged relative to spool 1 and spool 3 in a way to ensure surface alignment of the ink ribbon and adhesive tape and the application of thermal transfer printhead 6 to the adhesive tape according to the image shape, spool box 4 is installed relative to spool box 2 to ensure separation of the ink ribbon from the adhesive tape, and tension roll 7, preheat roll 9 and pressure roll 8 are arranged to ensure the transfer of the image from the ink ribbon to the surface.

[0039] The group of inventions is implemented as follows.

[0040] Spool 1 and spool box 2 of the ink ribbon, as well as the spool 3 and spool box 4 of the adhesive tape are mounted in the printing unit in a way that the ink and adhesive layers are opposite each other. When the unit is started, the ink ribbon and the adhesive tape move, align with each other and are pressed against thermal transfer printhead 6 by pressure roll 5; at this time, the adhesive tape is exposed to a pulsed spot heating by the thermal transfer printhead, resulting in the activation of thermal-sensitive adhesive layer according to the negative image shape and attachment of the ink ribbon's ink layer to the adhesive tape.

[0041] The adhesive tape is wound on spool box 4 and is separated from the ink ribbon, whereby negative image 10 is separated and positive image 11 remains on the ink ribbon. The ink ribbon is aligned by guide roll 7 and positive image 11 is aligned with surface 12. Positive image 11 is pressed to surface 12 by auxiliary roll 8 and preheat roll 9, and, when heated by preheat roll 9, the bonding layer of the ink ribbon softens and positive image 11 is transferred to surface 12, and the used ink ribbon is wound on spool box 2. This ensures the transfer of image 13 to surface 12 by the printing unit.

[0042] That way the technical result which involves reduction of the number of separate stages and operations in hot press printing is achieved, thereby hot press printing is simplified.