JP2003072119A - Recording method and recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording method and a recorder which can carry out high image quality recording on a non flexible body which cannot be wound on a recording drum. SOLUTION: In the recording method for forming desired images on the non-flexible body 23 with the use of a transfer sheet having at least a photothermal conversion layer and an imaging layer, the non flexible body 23 is supplied and held from a non flexible body supply part 33 to a stage 27 of a recording part 39. The transfer sheet is supplied and overlapped to the non-flexible body 23 so that the imaging layer becomes the side of a recording face. The transfer sheet is pressed by a pressure roller and tightly adhered to the recording face. The image is recorded on the transfer sheet by a plurality of spots formed by laser beams emitted from the recording head 29. The transfer sheet is released from the non flexible body 23 and the imaging layer is transferred like an image to the recording face. Thereafter, the non-flexible body 23 is discharged from the stage 27 to a non-flexible body receiving part 35.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a glass substrate, stone,
The present invention relates to a recording method and recording device for recording information such as images, characters and patterns on materials such as metals and ceramics.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A black stripe (or black matrix) may be formed on the display surface of a display device for the purpose of improving the contrast ratio. For example, in a cathode ray tube, an ultraviolet curable resin is applied to the front panel, exposed by light passing through a color selection mechanism, and an unexposed portion is developed and removed to form a stripe of the ultraviolet curable resin. Next, carbon is applied to the surface, and the purpose of ultraviolet curing is decomposed and removed by a reversal agent to form a black stripe.

Also in the case of a liquid crystal display device, black stripes are formed on the display-side transparent substrate to block light leakage between the pixel electrodes and increase the contrast ratio. In the case of the liquid crystal display device, unlike the case of the cathode ray tube, since the color selection mechanism is not used, the black stripe pattern is formed by another recording method. For recording in this case, for example, it is possible to apply a recording method in which an image receiving sheet and a transfer sheet are superposed and laser exposure is performed.

This recording method can be performed by using the conventional recording apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 32 when the recording material such as a transparent substrate is a flexible sheet. In the recording apparatus 1, the image receiving sheet supply unit 3 supplies the image receiving sheet 7 to the recording unit 5. The transfer sheet supply unit 9 can supply a plurality of types of transfer sheets 11,
One kind of transfer sheet 11 is selectively supplied to the recording unit 5 from a plurality of kinds of transfer sheets 11. Recording unit 5
In addition, on the image receiving sheet 7 wound around the drum 13 which is a recording medium fixing member, the transfer sheet 11
Are stacked and wrapped. Then, the recording medium in which the transfer sheet 11 is superposed on the image receiving sheet 7 is laser-exposed by the recording head 15 based on the image information to be recorded. The toner of the transfer sheet 11 heated by the laser exposure adheres to the image receiving sheet 7 by adhesion deterioration, melting, or sublimation and is transferred, so that a desired image, that is, a black stripe, on the image receiving sheet 7, It is possible to record stripe-shaped color filters formed in the order of red, green, and blue alternately with black stripes.

[0005]

However, according to the above-mentioned recording method, the cylindrical recording drum 13 shown in FIG. 32 is used.
Since a recording medium including the above is used and a recording medium having a flexible PET or the like as a support is used, it is not possible to perform recording on a non-flexible body having a small bending deformation that cannot be wound around a recording drum. For this reason, it was not possible to form a liquid crystal black matrix or a liquid crystal color filter when using a non-flexible glass substrate or the like. In addition, high quality recording could not be performed on tiles, stones, ceramics, and metals that cannot be wound around the recording drum. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a recording method and a recording apparatus capable of performing high-quality recording even on a non-flexible body that cannot be wound around a recording drum. .

[0006]

The recording method according to claim 1 of the present invention for achieving the above object is a non-flexible body using a transfer sheet having at least a photothermal conversion layer and an image forming layer. A recording method for forming a desired image on a recording surface of the recording medium, wherein the non-flexible member is supplied to a recording unit and fixed, and the transfer sheet is supplied to the recording unit and the recording surface of the non-flexible member is supplied. The image forming layers are superposed, the image forming layer of the transfer sheet is brought into close contact with the recording surface of the non-flexible body, and the image is exposed on the transfer sheet with a plurality of spots formed by a laser beam, so that the transfer sheet is exposed. The image forming layer is imagewise transferred to the recording surface by peeling from the non-flexible body.

In this recording method, the transfer sheet is brought into close contact with the non-flexible body supplied from the non-flexible body supply section, an image is recorded on the transfer sheet with a laser beam, and the transfer sheet is peeled from the non-flexible body. By doing so, this image can be transferred to the recording surface of the non-flexible body, and a high-quality image can be recorded on the non-flexible body such as a glass substrate, stone, metal, or ceramic that cannot be bent.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a transfer sheet having a plurality of different colors is used as the transfer sheet, and the processes of supplying, adhering, exposing and transferring the transfer sheet are performed for each of the plurality of color transfer sheets. Characterized by repeating.

In this recording method, for example, red, green, and blue transfer sheets, which are three different color transfer sheets, are used to form stripes in which red, green, and blue stripes are repeatedly arranged. A color filter of a color liquid crystal display device can be formed on a non-flexible body such as a substrate. In this case, since the transfer sheet dedicated to each color is used, the color tone of each color becomes uniform, and a highly accurate color filter can be obtained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, among the transfer sheets of different colors, the last color to be processed is black.

In this recording method, for example, transfer sheets of red, green, blue, and black, which are transfer sheets of four different colors, are used, and transfer sheets of red, green, and blue of the first to third colors are used. After recording the stripes, the black matrix is recorded using the black transfer sheet of the fourth color, whereby a non-flexible body in which the black stripes are formed between the stripes of the color filter can be obtained. As a result, it is possible to easily obtain a high-precision color filter with a black stripe in which black, red, green, and blue are recorded in uniform color tones. Particularly, by recording black last, it is possible to partially overlap the recording areas of red, green, and blue, and it becomes easy to completely eliminate the gap at the recording boundary.

A recording method according to a fourth aspect is characterized in that a transfer sheet previously cut into a predetermined size is used, and the plurality of stacked transfer sheets are taken out one by one and supplied to the recording section. To do.

According to this recording method, it is not necessary to cut into a predetermined size in the apparatus unlike a roll type recording medium, and film scraps such as a color material layer and a photothermal conversion layer and a support (P) are used.
ET) No scraps will occur. This prevents foreign matter defects such as color loss due to these scratches.

A recording method according to a fifth aspect of the invention is characterized in that the recording surface has an image receiving layer for receiving the image forming layer.

In this recording method, since the non-flexible member has the image receiving layer, the transferability of the image forming layer of the transfer sheet is improved and high quality image formation can be performed. Further, by forming the image receiving layer on the non-flexible body in advance, the recording process can be simplified.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, an image receiving sheet having an image receiving layer for receiving the image forming layer is supplied to the recording section before the transfer sheet is supplied to the recording section, and the flexible body receives the image. Recording is performed by superimposing layers, adhering the image receiving layer of the image receiving sheet to the non-flexible body, peeling the image receiving sheet from the non-flexible body, and transferring the image receiving layer to the non-flexible body. It is characterized by forming a layer.

In this recording method, the recording surface of the non-flexible body is
An image receiving layer can be formed by transferring the image receiving layer of the image receiving sheet. That is, an image can be recorded by directly supplying the non-flexible body having no image receiving layer to the recording unit.

A recording method according to a seventh aspect uses a transfer sheet and an image receiving sheet which are cut into a predetermined size in advance,
It is characterized in that the plurality of transfer sheets and the image receiving sheets laminated in a predetermined order are taken out one by one and supplied to the recording section.

In this recording method, the transfer sheet and the image receiving sheet do not need to be cut into a predetermined size in the apparatus like a roll type recording medium, and film scraps such as a color material layer and a photothermal conversion layer and a support ( PET) Scrap will not occur. This prevents foreign matter defects such as color loss due to these scratches.

The recording method according to claim 8 is characterized in that when the image receiving sheet is brought into close contact with the non-flexible body, heating and pressing are performed by a heat roller.

In this recording method, after the image receiving sheet is superposed on the non-flexible body, this image receiving sheet is heated and pressed by the heat roller, so that the adhesion strength of the image receiving layer to the recording surface can be increased and the peeling strength can be improved. A high image receiving layer can be obtained.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the non-flexible body, the non-flexible body is supplied from a non-flexible body supply section which is loaded with the recording surface of the flexible body facing downward. It is characterized in that the uppermost non-flexible body loaded on the body supply section sucks and holds the upper surface of the non-flexible body and conveys it to the recording section.

In this recording method, by mounting the non-flexible body in the non-flexible body supply portion so that the recording surface faces downward, it is possible to prevent dust and the like from adhering to the recording surface. Further, even when the non-flexible body is taken out from the non-flexible body supply portion, since the surface opposite to the recording surface is adsorbed, it is possible to prevent a trace due to the adsorption.

A recording method according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the conveyance posture of the non-flexible body is turned upside down while the non-flexible body is being conveyed to the recording section.

In this recording method, the non-flexible body is turned upside down while being carried into the recording section, so that the dust adhesion rate during the carrying-in is lowered and the mechanism for reversing the non-flexible body is provided in the recording section. Since it is not necessary to separately provide the recording unit, the recording unit can be downsized.

In the recording method according to the eleventh aspect, the recorded non-flexible body having the image transferred to the recording surface is lifted upward from the recording section, and the lower surface of the non-flexible body is suction-held. It is characterized by discharging.

In this recording method, since the non-flexible member on which the image recording is completed is lifted from the recording portion and the lower surface opposite to the image recording surface is adsorbed, it is possible to prevent the image from being damaged. .

A recording method according to a twelfth aspect is characterized in that the conveying posture of the non-flexible body is turned upside down while the recorded non-flexible body is being discharged.

In this recording method, the non-flexible body is turned upside down immediately after being ejected from the recording section, whereby the dust adhesion rate during the ejection is reduced and the non-flexible body receiving section is immobile. It is possible to easily perform the downward loading of the recording surface, on which dust or the like is unlikely to adhere, without separately providing a flexure reversing mechanism.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, when the non-flexible body is exposed to the laser beam, the recording head for emitting the laser beam is relatively moved in the main scanning direction while the main body of the non-flexible body is moved. Exposure is performed from the recording start end in the scanning direction to the recording end end in the main scanning direction, and then the recording head is moved with respect to the non-flexible body in a direction opposite to the main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. By repeating relative movement and movement to the next recording start end in the main scanning direction, the recording head is caused to scan the entire recording area including the area where the recording data exists.

In this recording method, the image is recorded only in one direction of the main scanning direction, and the recording head always returns to the recording start end in the main scanning direction and then restarts recording.
Position control is facilitated and recording accuracy is enhanced. Further, since the recording is in one direction, it is difficult to make a difference in recording characteristics due to the spot arrangement.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, when the non-flexible member is exposed to the laser beam, the main head of the non-flexible member is moved while the recording head emitting the laser beam is relatively moved in the main scanning direction. Exposure is performed from the recording start end in the scanning direction to the recording end end in the main scanning direction, and thereafter, the recording head is relatively moved in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction with respect to the non-flexible body, and the recording head is moved. The recording data exists in the recording head by repeating the exposure from the main scanning direction recording end end of the non-flexible body to the main scanning direction recording start end while relatively moving in the direction opposite to the main scanning direction. It is characterized in that the entire recording area including the area is scanned.

In this recording method, recording can be performed in the reciprocating direction of the main scanning direction and the direction opposite to the main scanning direction, and recording is performed using the moving time until the recording head returns to the recording start end in the main scanning direction. You can do it. As a result, it is possible to shorten the recording time from the start of image recording to the completion of recording, as compared with unidirectional recording in which recording is performed only in the main scanning direction.

In the recording method according to the fifteenth aspect, the non-flexible body has material properties such that the elastic constant and the product of the longitudinal elastic constant and the second moment of area are each not less than a predetermined value. It is characterized by

In this recording method, the elastic constant and the product of the elastic constant and the second moment of area are defined as the non-flexible body, and the applicable non-flexible body is defined. You can clarify your body.

The recording apparatus according to claim 16 is a recording apparatus for forming a desired image on a recording surface of a non-flexible body by using a transfer sheet having at least a photothermal conversion layer and an image forming layer. Stage for fixing the non-flexible body supplied to the unit, a recording medium supply section for supplying the transfer sheet to the non-flexible body fixed to the stage, and the transfer sheet for the recording surface of the non-flexible body. A pressure roller for closely contacting the recording surface, a recording head for irradiating the recording surface with a plurality of spots formed by a laser beam, and a peeling means for peeling the transfer sheet from the recording surface of the non-flexible body. Characterize.

In this recording apparatus, a stage for fixing a non-flexible body, a recording medium supply section for supplying a transfer sheet, a pressure roller for closely contacting the transfer sheet, and a recording for recording an image by emitting a laser beam. By sequentially operating the head and the peeling means for peeling the transfer sheet from the non-flexible body, supply of the non-flexible body, supply of the transfer sheet, close contact of the non-flexible body, image formation, and transfer sheet The image formation on the non-flexible body by peeling can be performed by a series of operations. Therefore, by repeating this series of operations, it is possible to continuously record high-quality images on a plurality of non-flexible bodies with high efficiency.

According to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention, in the recording medium supply section, a plurality of transfer sheets cut in advance to a predetermined size are stacked and accommodated, and one of the plurality of stacked transfer sheets is stored. Transfer sheets are supplied to the recording unit one by one.

In this recording apparatus, unlike the roll type recording medium, it is not necessary to cut into a predetermined size in the apparatus, and film scraps such as the color material layer and the photothermal conversion layer and the support (P
ET) No scraps will occur. Also, if you want to record red that is the same but has a slightly different color, or if you want to record gold, silver, gray,
When you want to record a special color such as orange, you can easily respond by exchanging the cassette, etc., as compared with exchanging the roll type recording medium. This allows
It will be possible to easily adapt to the color desired by the end user.

According to a eighteenth aspect of the invention, there is provided an image receiving sheet supply section for supplying an image receiving sheet having an image receiving layer for receiving the image forming layer to the recording section.

In this recording apparatus, the image receiving layer can be formed on the recording surface of the non-flexible body. That is, the non-flexible member having no image receiving layer can be directly supplied to the recording unit to form an image.

According to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention, the image receiving sheet supply section is formed integrally with the recording medium supply section, and the transfer sheet and the image receiving sheet, which have been cut into a predetermined size in advance, are arranged in a predetermined order. It is characterized in that the sheets are stacked and accommodated, and the transfer sheets are supplied to the recording unit one by one from the plurality of stacked transfer sheets and image receiving sheets.

In this recording apparatus, the transfer sheet and the image receiving sheet can be commonly supplied, and the supply mechanism can have a simple structure.

According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, the supply mechanism for taking out the sheets one by one from a plurality of laminated sheets and supplying the sheets to the recording section has a suction cup for sucking and holding the sheets.

In this recording apparatus, the recording medium is adsorbed and held by the suction cup provided in the supply mechanism, and the recording medium is sequentially supplied to the recording section from the uppermost one. in this case,
The recording medium can be conveyed to the final supply position by suction-holding only the suction cup without providing another conveying mechanism.

The recording apparatus according to the twenty-first aspect is characterized in that the supply mechanism for picking up a plurality of sheets one by one and supplying them to the recording section has a pickup roller.

In this recording apparatus, the uppermost layer of the stacked recording media is sequentially taken out by the pickup roller provided in the supply mechanism and supplied to the recording section. In this case, the supply mechanism has a relatively simple structure.

According to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus wherein a non-flexible body is stacked and placed on the non-flexible body supply section, and a carry-in mechanism for conveying the non-flexible body from the non-flexible body supply section to the stage. And a discharging mechanism for discharging the recorded non-flexible body from the stage, and a non-flexible body receiving portion for stacking and mounting the discharged recorded non-flexible body. And

In this recording apparatus, the non-flexible body receiving section, on which a plurality of non-flexible bodies are placed, conveys the non-flexible bodies one by one to the stage of the recording section by the carry-in mechanism and holds the non-flexible body on the stage. An image is formed on the flexible body. The non-flexible body on which the image recording is completed is ejected from the stage by the ejecting mechanism and sequentially placed on the non-flexible body receiving portion. Therefore, image recording can be continuously performed on a plurality of non-flexible bodies.

In the recording apparatus according to the twenty-third aspect, among the plurality of spots, the spot at the upstream end in the sub-scanning recording direction is inclined in a direction in which it is arranged at the downstream side in the main-scanning recording direction with respect to the spot at the downstream end in the sub-scanning recording direction. It is characterized by being arranged.

In this recording apparatus, the spots arranged in the sub-scanning direction are arranged so as to be inclined, so that the gas generated by the irradiation of the laser beam is sequentially pushed out to the unrecorded side, and the toner on the transfer sheet is discharged. No gas remains between the layer and the non-flexible image-receiving layer.

A recording apparatus according to a twenty-fourth aspect is characterized in that the stage has a recess having a depth substantially the same as the thickness of the non-flexible body and accommodating the non-flexible body.

In this recording apparatus, the non-flexible body is accommodated in the concave portion, and when the recording medium having a larger area than the non-flexible body is superposed on the recording surface of the non-flexible body, it protrudes from the non-flexible body. The recording medium remains flat on the peripheral edge of the concave portion of the stage, so that the recording medium is less likely to be bent or wrinkled due to a step, and the recording medium has good adhesion to the recording surface.

According to a twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, the distance between the facing side surfaces of the quadrangular recess is longer than the distance between the facing side surfaces of the non-flexible body corresponding to the side surface. At the same time, each of the two side surfaces of the recess that are orthogonal to each other can be provided with a biasing pin that can bias the non-flexible body toward the facing side surface.

In this recording apparatus, the non-flexible body housed in the recess with play is a simple structure in which the biasing pins provided on each of the two side surfaces of the recess that are orthogonal to each other are projected, and the non-flexible body is in the XY directions. Can be positioned.

A recording apparatus according to a twenty-sixth aspect of the invention is characterized in that the concave portion is provided with a plurality of vertically movable pins that project from a bottom surface and lift up while supporting the non-flexible body.

In this recording apparatus, when the non-flexible body is carried into the concave portion by the carry-in mechanism, the pins are made to protrude from the bottom surface of the concave portion, so that the non-flexible body floats above the stage. It can be placed, and the suction cup holding the lower surface by suction can enter between the stage and the non-flexible body. Also, when ejecting a non-flexible body for which recording has been completed from the recess, by lifting the non-flexible body with a pin, the lower surface on the side opposite to the recording surface can be sucked and held by the suction cup of the ejection mechanism. become.

A recording apparatus according to a twenty-seventh aspect is characterized in that a peeling groove is formed on the peripheral edge of the concave portion of the stage.

In this recording apparatus, when the recording medium is superposed on the non-flexible member of the concave portion, the edge of the recording medium protruding from the non-flexible member is placed on the peripheral edge of the concave portion of the stage, but is peeled off on the peripheral edge of the concave portion. By forming the groove, the adhesion to the peripheral edge of the concave portion of the recording medium is reduced, and the recording medium can be easily peeled off.

A recording apparatus according to a twenty-eighth aspect is provided with a peeling claw that enters the peeling groove and relatively moves in a peeling direction between the recording medium and the recording surface of the non-flexible body. To do.

In this recording apparatus, when the recording medium adhered to the peripheral edge of the concave portion is peeled off, the edge of the recording medium is easily peeled from the peripheral edge of the concave portion of the stage by inserting the peeling claw into the peeling groove. . By further advancing the peeling claw between the recording medium and the recording surface from the peeling start portion, the entire recording medium can be continuously and easily peeled.

[0062]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of a recording method and a recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the concept of a recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a non-flexible body.

The recording device 21 according to the present embodiment has, as its main components, a stage 27 that holds the non-flexible body 23 and is movable along a plane parallel to the recording surface 25 of the non-flexible body 23. The recording head 2 that moves to either the standby position 65 or the recording origin position 69 and records an image with a plurality of spots formed by emitting a laser beam.
9, a recording medium supply unit 31 for supplying a recording medium (image receiving sheet or transfer sheet) to the non-flexible body 23 held on the stage 27, and the non-flexible body 23 by pressing the recording medium, which will be described in detail later. And a peeling unit (peeling roller, peeling groove, peeling claw) for peeling the recording medium from the non-flexible body 23.

Further, in addition to these main components, the recording device 21 includes a non-flexible body supply portion 33 on which the non-flexible body 23 is stacked and placed, and the non-flexible body supply portion 33 to the non-flexible body. A carry-in mechanism 49, which will be described later, that conveys 23 to the stage 27, a discharge mechanism 51, which will be described later, that discharges the non-flexible body 23 to which the image has been transferred from the stage 27, and a non-flexible body 23 that has been discharged by the discharge mechanism 51. And a non-flexible body receiving portion 35 to be placed. Further, reference numeral 37 in FIG. 1 denotes a waste box in which used recording media are discarded.

In the recording apparatus 21, it is desirable that the outer periphery of the recording unit 39 having the stage 27, the recording head 29, and the recording medium supply unit 31 be covered with a shielding frame 41 from the viewpoint of safety in preventing laser leakage. The shield frame 41 is provided with an openable / closable passage opening for loading / unloading the non-flexible body 23 and a passage opening for discharging a used recording medium.

When the recording apparatus 21 is used for the purpose of forming a black stripe for liquid crystal or a color filter for liquid crystal, at least the main body of the recording apparatus 21, the non-flexible body supply section 33, and the non-flexible body receiving section. 35 is installed in a clean room.

In the present invention, the recording object to be recorded is, in particular, a hard material such as a glass substrate, a tile, a stone material, or a ceramic, and a metal having a hardness (thickness) that cannot be bent in the elastic region. Etc. are recorded objects. In the present specification, such a recording object is referred to as “non-flexible body”.
I will call it. Even a soft material can be applied to the recording apparatus by a conventional means such as sticking to a fixing plate.

As shown in FIG. 2, a functional layer (that is, an image receiving layer 43a for receiving a toner layer (image forming layer)) may be formed on the recording surface 25 of the non-flexible body 23 in advance. . This improves the transferability of the toner layer and simplifies the recording process. In addition, the non-flexible body 23 does not have this functional layer, and the image receiving layer 4 in the present recording device 21.
3a may be transferred and formed. In the present embodiment, in the non-flexible body 23 having no image receiving layer 43a,
A case where the image receiving layer 87c is formed by transfer using the recording device 21 will be described as an example.

In the present invention, the inflexibility of the non-flexible body 23 is defined by using the second moment of area I and the longitudinal elastic modulus E. The second moment of area I depends on the cross-sectional shape, and when the cross-sectional shape is, for example, a rectangle, I = [cross-sectional width] ×
It can be expressed by ([section height] ³ ) / 12. Also,
The longitudinal elastic modulus E is determined as a value peculiar to the material.

In the present invention, the inflexibility of the non-flexible body 23 is defined by the values of the longitudinal elastic modulus E and the longitudinal elastic modulus E × second moment of area I. Here, the longitudinal elastic modulus E × second moment of area I is called so-called “bending stiffness”.
In other words, this bending stiffness means the degree of bending difficulty due to the material and the cross-sectional shape (in the case of the present invention, much depends on the thickness).

These Young's modulus and bending stiffness were measured by PE
Table 1 shows the results of investigations on T, expanded PET, polystyrene, glass, aluminum and iron. In Table 1, whether or not these materials can be mounted on a recording drum having a diameter of about 380 mm is indicated by a circle or a cross.

[0072]

[Table 1]

From Table 1, the longitudinal elastic modulus E of PET is 4.9.
[GPa], expanded PET is 2.25 [GPa], polystyrene is 3.5 [GPa], while glass is 71.
3 [GPa], aluminum is 70.3 [GPa], and iron is 152.3 [GPa]. In addition, PET has a thickness of 0.1 mm (bending stiffness E × I is 408) or more, and has a foam P
ET has a thickness of 0.2 mm (bending stiffness E × I is 450) or more, and polystyrene has a thickness of 0.1 mm (bending stiffness E × I).
Is 292) or more, winding around the recording drum becomes impossible. From these, the non-flexible body 23 is defined in the present specification as a material having a longitudinal elastic modulus E of 10 [GPa] or more or a bending stiffness E × I of 500 [Pa · m ² ] or more. .

Next, details of the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment will be sequentially described below. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a loaded state of the non-flexible body in the non-flexible body supply portion. The non-flexible body supply unit 33 stacks and mounts a plurality of non-flexible bodies 23 at predetermined intervals. Normal,
The non-flexible body 23 is placed with the recording surface 25 facing downward so that dust and the like do not accumulate. Further, it is desirable that the non-flexible body 23 be supported by point contact in order to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the recording surface 25 as much as possible.
For the support by this point contact, for example, a pin 45 having a pointed tip shown in FIG. 4 or a pin having a spherical tip is used.
When the non-flexible body 23 has a quadrangular shape, at least four pins 45 are provided so as to support the four corners. If necessary, four or more pins may be provided depending on the size and bending stiffness of the non-flexible body 23.

The four pins 45 for supporting one non-flexible body 23 are provided with the non-flexible body supply portion 33 by a frame body or the like (not shown).
Are arranged in multiple stages on the pedestal 47. This pedestal 47 preferably has a lifting mechanism so that the uppermost non-flexible body 23 has a desired height. In this case, as the height control method of the elevating mechanism, a method of detecting the weight of the non-flexible body 23 and managing the height constant according to the reduced number of the non-flexible body 23, or a method of controlling the non-flexibility of the uppermost layer. A method of detecting the position of the flexible body 23 and managing the height constant, or a method of storing the thickness of the non-flexible body 23 and managing the height while subtracting the number of used sheets is adopted. be able to.

The recording device 21 has a carry-in mechanism 49 between the non-flexible body supplying portion 33 and the stage 27. Also,
The recording device 21 has an ejection mechanism 51 between the stage 27 and the non-flexible body receiving portion 35. These loading mechanisms 49
The discharge mechanism 51 has a suction cup 53 of a vacuum suction type for holding the non-flexible body 23. At least three suction cups 53 are provided, and preferably four suction cups 53 are provided. An air pipe (not shown) is connected to each suction cup 53, and a suction source 55 such as a vacuum pump or a blower is connected to an end of this air pipe. Note that the number of suction cups may be increased as necessary depending on the size of the non-flexible body 23 and the like.

The carry-in mechanism 49 and the discharge mechanism 51 are the suction cups 5.
3 is attached to the base 57. The base 57 is mounted on the stage 27 by a slide rail or a guide groove (not shown).
Can be reciprocated between the carry-in mechanism 49 and the discharge mechanism 51. The base 57 is driven by using a drive source such as an electric motor, an air cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder. Further, the carry-in mechanism 49 and the discharge mechanism 51 may use a linear motor or a robot arm that integrates the above-described configurations.

The main body of the recording device 21 is a controller 59 for controlling the image forming circuit of the recording head 29, the drive motor of the recording head 29, the drive motor of the stage 27, the carry-in mechanism 49, the discharge mechanism 51, the suction source 55, and the like. The controller 59, the suction source 55, and a power supply 61 for supplying power to each drive motor and the like are provided. In addition, the recording device 21
The controller 59 and the host computer 63 are connected by a communication line, and control of image formation, supply and discharge of the non-flexible body 23, and the like can be performed by transmitting and receiving control signals.

Next, from the non-flexible body supply portion 33 to the non-flexible body 2
The operation of taking out 3 and carrying it into the stage 27 will be described. FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the recording head and the stage, and FIG. 6 shows operations (a) to (d) until the carry-in mechanism enters the non-flexible body supply unit 33 and sucks the non-flexible body 23. )
7 is an explanatory view of the operation shown in FIG. 7, and FIG.
3 is lifted to hold the non-flexible body 2 from the non-flexible body supply portion 33.
It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which showed operation | movement until 3 is taken out by (a)-(d).

As shown in FIG. 5, in the main body of the recording device 21, the recording head 29 is retracted from the stage 27 to the recording head standby position 65. Further, the stage 27 is moved to the supply position 67 of the non-flexible body 23. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the center of the recording unit 39 is the recording origin position 69 of the recording head 29. Further, the moving range of the stage 27 is such that each area is the same area as the stage 27 with the recording origin position 69 as the center,
It is in the range of the second quadrant, the third quadrant, and the fourth quadrant. That is,
The stage 27 can be moved by a distance that is twice the vertical and horizontal size. As a result, the recording head 29 located at the recording origin position 69 can relatively scan all positions on the stage 27.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the carry-in mechanism 49 moves the base 57 in a substantially horizontal direction to above the non-flexible body 23 placed on the uppermost layer of the non-flexible body supply section 33. Let The base 57 has a size that does not interfere with the pin 45 protruding upward in the non-flexible body supply portion 33. For example,
As shown in FIG. 6B, in the positional relationship when the non-flexible body supply portion 33 is viewed from the recording device 21 side, the base 57 and the suction cup 53 enter inside the pins 45 arranged in the Y direction. The positional relationship is possible. The base 57 moved in the substantially horizontal direction stops above the non-flexible body 23 as shown in FIG. Next, as shown in FIG. 6D, the base 57 starts to descend, and stops to descend when the suction cup 53 contacts the non-flexible body 23. This stop control can be performed, for example, by detecting the reaction force applied to the suction cup 53 with a pressure sensor or the like. The stop control may be performed by detecting the amount of downward movement.

In the carry-in mechanism 49, the suction cup 53 has the non-flexible body 23.
The suction source 55 is driven to apply a negative pressure to the suction cup 53 in the state of being in contact with the suction cup 53. At this time, the raising operation of the base 57 is suspended until the degree of vacuum in the air pipe reaches a predetermined value. After the degree of vacuum in the air pipe reaches a predetermined value, the base 57 is raised and the non-flexible body 23 is floated from the pin 45 and suction-held as shown in FIG. The surface of the non-flexible body 23 opposite to the suction surface of the suction cup 53 (the lower surface in FIG. 7) is the recording surface 25. Therefore, no suction mark is left on the recording surface 25 by the suction cup.

The base 57 holding the non-flexible body 23 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (f), the recording apparatus 21 is moved in a substantially horizontal direction toward the main body of the recording apparatus 21. The base 57 from which the non-flexible body 23 is taken out from the non-flexible body supply unit 33 in this manner temporarily stops in front of the main body of the recording device 21, as shown in FIG. Next, as shown in FIG. 7H, the base 57 is mounted on the loading mechanism 4
The non-flexible body 23 is supported so that the recording surface 25 faces upward by the inverting device 9 (not shown). The base 57 keeps the supporting posture, and the shielding frame 4
The non-flexible body 23 is carried into the stage 27 through the carry-in opening formed in FIG.

Here, FIG. 8 shows Y in a state in which the pins are projected.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the stage 27 as viewed from the direction, FIG. 9 is a plan view of the stage 27 in which the non-flexible body is housed in the recess, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the stage 27 in which the non-flexible body is housed in the recess.
As shown in FIG. 8, on the upper surface of the stage 27, a concave portion 71 having a quadrangular shape in plan view and having substantially the same depth as the thickness of the non-flexible body 23 is formed. The recess 71 is formed by a counterboring process or the like, and as shown in FIG.
To house. The distance between the facing side surfaces of the recess 71 formed in a quadrangular shape is determined by the non-flexible body 23 corresponding to these side surfaces.
Is formed longer than the distance between the opposite side surfaces of
The concave portion 71 accommodates the non-flexible body 23 with play.

Further, on the bottom surface of the recess 71, a plurality of pins 7 that can lift and lower while supporting the non-flexible body 23 are provided.
3 are erected. The concave portion 71 has, on each of two orthogonal side surfaces, a projecting biasing pin 75 that is biased toward the facing side surface.

As shown in FIG. 10, the stage 27 has a plurality of suction holes 7 on the periphery of the recess 71 and on the bottom surface of the recess 71.
7 is drilled. The suction hole 77 is connected to the suction source 55 by an air pipe. The stage 27 sucks air from the suction hole 77 to suck and fix the non-flexible body 23 to the bottom surface of the recess 71. It should be noted that the suction hole 77 formed on the peripheral edge of the recess 71 of the stage 27.
Is for adsorbing and fixing a recording medium described later.

As shown in FIG. Base 5 of carry-in mechanism 49
When the stage 7 stops above the stage 27, the stage 27 makes the pins 73 project. In this state, the base 57 descends. The base 57 stops descending when the non-flexible body 23 contacts the pin 73. The control for stopping the descent can be performed, for example, by detecting the reaction force applied to the suction cup 53 with a pressure sensor or the like. The stop control may be performed by detecting the amount of downward movement.

The carrying-in mechanism 49 opens the air pipe to the atmosphere when the base 57 stops. Then, the non-flexible body 23 is pin 7
Supported by 3. The carry-in mechanism 49 stops its operation until the degree of vacuum in the suction cup 53 reaches the atmospheric pressure, and then retracts the base 57 from the passage opening of the shielding frame 41 to the outside of the main body of the recording device 21. The stage 27 places the non-flexible body 23 in the recess 71 by lowering the pin 73. When the non-flexible body 23 contacts the bottom surface of the concave portion 71, the stage 27 moves the biasing pins 75 from the two orthogonal side surfaces toward the opposite side surfaces. As a result, the non-flexible body 23 has two side surfaces orthogonal to each other as shown in FIG.
The two side surfaces of the recess 71 that are orthogonal to each other are brought into contact with each other, and positioning in the XY directions is performed. The non-flexible body 23 shown in FIG.
Is the recording origin position 69 at the upper right corner.

Next, the stage 27 sucks air from the suction hole 77 by the suction source 55, and suction-fixes the non-flexible body 23 to the bottom surface in the recess 71. As a result, the holding of the non-flexible body 23 on the stage 27 is completed.

The stage 27 is provided with the concave portion 71 so that when a recording medium having an area larger than that of the non-flexible body 23 is stacked, the recording medium protruding from the non-flexible body 23 is removed from the stage 2.
The surface of the recording medium is flatly mounted on the periphery of the concave portion of 7, and the bending and wrinkling due to the step are less likely to occur in the recording medium, and the adhesion of the recording medium to the recording surface 25 is improved. Further, by contacting the non-flexible body 23 with the two orthogonal sides of the recess 71, the non-flexible body 23 can be positioned in the XY directions with a simple structure utilizing the inner wall of the recess 71. Further, by making the pin 73 project, the non-flexible body 23 can be placed in a state of floating above the stage 27, and the suction cup 53, which holds the lower surface by suction, does not contact the stage 27 by inversion. It becomes possible to enter between the flexible body 23 and the flexible body 23. Further, even when the non-flexible body 23 for which recording has been completed is ejected from the concave portion 71, the non-flexible body 23 is lifted by the pin 73, so that the recording surface 25
It is possible to suck and hold the lower surface on the side opposite to the suction surface by the suction cup 53 of the discharge mechanism 51.

Next, a structure for performing recording on the non-flexible body held on the stage will be described. 11 is a configuration diagram of a main part showing a recording medium supply unit and a recording unit, and FIG. 12 is FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view of an image receiving sheet and a transfer sheet used in the recording apparatus of FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the recording medium supply unit 31
Includes an image receiving sheet supply unit 81 and a transfer sheet supply unit 83. The image receiving sheet supply unit 81 supplies the image receiving sheet to the recording unit 39. The transfer sheet supply unit 83
It is possible to supply a plurality of types of transfer sheets, and it is possible to selectively supply one type of transfer sheet from the plurality of types of transfer sheets to the recording unit 39.

The image receiving sheet supply section 81 has an image receiving sheet roll 85. The image receiving sheet roll 85 has an image receiving sheet 87 wound around a core. The image receiving sheet 87 is
As shown in FIG. 12, the supporting layer 87a and the image receiving layer 87c.
Are stacked in this order. As the support layer 87a,
PET (polyethylene terephthalate) base, TAC
(Triacetyl cellulose) base, PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) base, etc. can be used. The image receiving layer 87c has a function of receiving the transferred toner.

The image receiving sheet supplying section 81 further has an image receiving sheet conveying section 89. Image receiving sheet conveying section 89
Is a motor (not shown), a drive transmission belt or chain (not shown), conveyance rollers 91 and 93, a support guide 95, an image receiving sheet cutting section 97, and detection for detecting an end point of the image receiving sheet. And a sensor (not shown). The carrying roller 91 and the carrying roller 93 each have a pair of rollers. By such a driving mechanism, the image receiving sheet 87 is sent to the recording unit 39 or the recording unit 3
You can go back from 9.

In the image receiving sheet roll 85, the image receiving sheet 87 is pulled out by the above-mentioned drive mechanism such as a motor in a state where the leading end portion is sandwiched by the conveying rollers 91. As a result, the image receiving sheet roll 85 rotates and the image receiving sheet 87 is fed. The image receiving sheet 87 is further sandwiched by the transport rollers 93, guided by the support guides 95, and transported.

The image receiving sheet 87 conveyed by the image receiving sheet conveying section 89 is cut into a predetermined length by the image receiving sheet cutting section 97. A detection sensor such as an optical sensor is used to measure the length. That is, the length of the image receiving sheet 87 can be measured by detecting the leading edge of the image receiving sheet 87 with a detection sensor and taking into consideration the rotational speed of the motor. The image receiving sheet 87 is cut into a predetermined length based on the measurement result, and the recording unit 3
9 is supplied. The image receiving sheet cutting section 97 has a supporting section and a guide in addition to a cutter (not shown). The image receiving sheet 87 fed out from the image receiving sheet roll 85 by the above drive is based on the measurement result of the image receiving sheet length described above,
After the transportation is stopped, it is cut into a predetermined length by a cutter. As described above, the image receiving sheet supply unit 81
Feeds a part of the image receiving sheet roll 85 and cuts the image receiving sheet 87 so that the image receiving sheet 87 having a predetermined length is recorded.
Supply to 9.

On the other hand, the transfer sheet supply section 83 has a rotary rack 99. The rotary rack 99 is driven to rotate about a rotary shaft 101 as described later. A plurality of (six in the figure) transfer sheet rolls 103 are accommodated in the rotary rack 99, and are arranged in a “radial” manner around the rotary shaft 101. Each transfer sheet roll 10
3 has a core, a transfer sheet 105 wound around the core, and a flange (not shown) inserted from both sides of the core. Each transfer sheet roll 103 is rotatably held around each core. By making the outer diameter of the flange larger than the diameter of the transfer sheet portion, the transfer sheet portion is prevented from collapsing.

As shown in FIG. 12, each transfer sheet 105 has a support layer 105a, a photothermal conversion layer 105b, and an image forming layer (toner layer) 105c laminated in this order. As the support layer 105a, any material can be selected from common support materials (for example, the same support material as the support layer 87a of the image receiving sheet 87) as long as the laser light can be transmitted. The photothermal conversion layer 105b has a function of converting laser energy into heat. The photothermal conversion layer 105b can be selected from any general photothermal conversion material as long as it is a substance that converts light energy into heat energy, such as carbon, a black substance, an infrared absorbing dye, and a specific wavelength absorbing substance. The toner layer 105c includes, for example, four colors of black (K), red (R), green (G), and blue (B), as well as cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) for printing.
There are gold, silver, orange, gray, pink, etc. called special colors.

In the transfer sheet roll 103, the toner layer 105c is wound so as to be outside the support layer 105a. As described later, the toner layer 105c
Has toner ink, and this toner ink is transferred onto the image receiving sheet by laser exposure.

In FIG. 11, six transfer sheet rolls 10 are provided.
3 is shown housed in a carousel 99. The six types of transfer sheets include, for example, the above-described four color transfer sheets of black, red, green, and blue.

The rotary rack 99 further has a transfer sheet feeding mechanism 107 corresponding to each of the plurality of transfer sheet rolls 103. The transfer sheet feeding mechanism 107 includes a feed roller 109 and a support guide 111. In the figure, six such transfer sheet feeding mechanisms 107 are provided. The feed rollers 109 are rollers 109a and 109.
The roller 109a is connected to a motor by a gear mechanism as will be described later, and is driven by the motor. The roller 109a and the roller 109b can sandwich the transfer sheet 105 with a predetermined pressure. Then, the roller 109b rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation of the roller 109a, whereby the transfer sheet 105
To transport. The transfer sheet 105 includes rollers 109a and 1
It can be pinched by the 09b and sent out, or vice versa. Also, the transfer sheet 105
The transfer sheet roll 103 rotates as the sheet is conveyed.

The transfer sheet 105 is supplied to the recording section 39 by the transfer sheet feeding mechanism 107 having such a structure. In a state where the leading end of the transfer sheet 105 is sandwiched by the feed roller 109, the feed roller 109 is driven by the above-described drive mechanism such as a motor.
The transfer sheet 105 is fed out by this drive.
Further, the transfer sheet 105 is further cut into a predetermined length in a transfer sheet conveying section 113, which will be described later, and the recording section 39
Supplied to. As described above, the rotary rack 99 that accommodates the plurality of transfer sheet rolls 103 can selectively supply the transfer sheet 105 of a desired type to the transfer sheet transport unit 113.

The transfer sheet conveying section 113 includes a motor (not shown), a drive transmission belt or chain (not shown), conveying rollers 115 and 117, and a guide 119.
A transfer sheet cutting section 121 and a detection sensor (not shown) for detecting the edge of the transfer sheet. The transport rollers 115 and 117 each have a pair of rollers. The rollers 115 and 117 are connected to a motor by a drive transmission belt or chain, and are driven by the motor to convey the transfer sheet 105.

With such a driving mechanism, the transfer sheet 105 can be sent to the recording section 39 or vice versa. Further, the transfer sheet 105 thus conveyed is cut into a predetermined length by the transfer sheet cutting unit 121. A detection sensor such as an optical sensor is used to measure the length of the transfer sheet 105. That is, the edge of the transfer sheet 105 is detected by the detection sensor,
The length can be measured by considering the number of rotations of the motor and the like. The transfer sheet 105 is cut into a predetermined length based on the measurement result and supplied to the recording unit 39. Although not shown, the transfer sheet cutting unit 121 has a supporting unit, a guide, and the like in addition to the cutter. As described above, the transfer sheet supply unit 83 can supply the transfer sheet 105 having a predetermined length to the recording unit 39 by feeding and cutting a part of the transfer sheet roll 103.

When the transfer sheet 105 is fed and consumed, it is necessary to remove the used transfer sheet roll 103 and replace it with a new transfer sheet 105. This transfer sheet roll 103 is replaced by the recording device 2
It can be performed by opening a lid (not shown) provided on the top or side of 1. At this time, the transfer rack 103 to be exchanged is moved to a predetermined exchange position corresponding to the lid by rotating the rotary rack 99. On the other hand, the image receiving sheet roll 85 is also replaced by opening the lid.

Guides 95 and 119 of the recording medium supply unit 31
And the recording unit 39 between the recording medium and the recording unit 39 (the image receiving sheet 87 or the transfer sheet 10).
A guide plate 123 on which 5) is placed is provided. The guide plate 123 is raised or folded and retracted so as not to interfere with the movement of the stage 27.

Above the guide plate 123, a suction cup array 125 in which a plurality of suction cups are arranged in the width direction of the recording medium (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 11) is arranged. The suction cup array 125 is connected to the suction source 55 by an air pipe, and further supported by a support arm or the like so as to be movable in the vertical direction and in the direction parallel to the stage moving surface. The suction cup array 125 descends from above the guide plate 123, so that the guide plate 1
23, the end portion of the image receiving sheet 87 placed on the guide plate 123
Press to adsorb. The suction cup array 125 suction-holding the end portion of the image receiving sheet 87 moves to the end portion (start end side) of the stage 27 opposite to the recording medium supply unit 31 side,
The image receiving sheet 87 is pulled out. By this, Stage 2
On the upper surface of the non-flexible body 23 held on the image receiving sheet 87,
Are stacked. Here, it is desirable that the width (length in the X direction) of the image receiving sheet 87 be substantially equal to the width of the non-flexible body 23.

The recess 71 on the starting end side of the stage 27
A peeling groove 127 which is a peeling means is formed on the peripheral edge of the. The peeling groove 127 opens on the right side surface of the stage 27,
A peeling claw described later can be inserted. The end portion of the image receiving sheet 87 pulled out by the suction cup array 125 is placed on the stage 27 so as to cover the peeling groove 127. A pressure roller (squeeze roller) 129 is arranged above the stage 27 of the recording unit 39, and the squeeze roller 129 is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction and the Y direction.

The squeeze roller 129 descends in the vicinity of the recording medium supply unit 31 side of the suction cup array 125 moved to the start end side, presses the end portion of the image receiving sheet 87, and then presses the image receiving sheet 87. By rolling toward the recording medium supply unit 31, the image receiving sheet 87 is squeezed to the non-flexible body 23, and the wrinkles of the image receiving sheet 87 are extended.

The recording section 39 may additionally include a heat roller in addition to the squeeze roller 129. The heat roller rolls on the image receiving sheet 87 which has been squeezed by the squeeze roller 129 while being further heated and pressed. If such a heat roller is provided, the image receiving sheet 8 can be formed by using only the squeeze roller 129.
The image receiving sheet 87 can be brought into close contact with the non-flexible body 23 with a higher adhesion force as compared with the case where the No. 7 is brought into close contact with the non-flexible body 23, and the peel strength can be improved. Further, the squeeze roller 129 may be a heat roller.

Next, the image receiving sheet 87 that is in close contact with the non-flexible body 23 is peeled off to form the image receiving layer 87c on the recording surface 25 of the non-flexible body 23. Here, FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of the peripheral edge of the concave portion of the stage provided with a peeling groove, FIG.
5 is a main part configuration diagram in the vicinity of the recording unit for explaining the peeling operation of the image receiving sheet, and FIG. The recording unit 39 has a peeling roller that moves in the up-and-down direction and the Y direction, like the squeeze roller 129. This peeling roller may be shared with the squeeze roller 129. In the present embodiment, the case where the squeeze roller 129 is also used as the peeling roller will be described as an example.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the recording section 39 has a peeling claw 131 on the starting end side of the stage 27. The peeling claw 131 is provided so as to be able to enter the peeling groove 127 provided on the upper surface of the stage 27, and is moved to the retracted position in order to avoid interference with the stage 27 and the like when not in use.

At the time of peeling the image receiving sheet 87, as shown in FIG. 14, the squeeze roller 129 is moved down to near the upstream side of the suction cup array 125 in the peeling advancing direction and the edge of the image receiving sheet 87 is pressed by the squeeze roller 129. To do. Next, as shown in FIG. 15, raise the suction cup array 125 a little,
The peeling claw 131 is inserted into the peeling groove 127. Then, the peeling claw 131 is slightly raised (to a position where it does not interfere with the stage 27 or the non-flexible body 23) and moved in a direction approaching the squeeze roller 129 (leftward in FIG. 15).

After that, as shown in FIG. 16, with the position of the squeeze roller 129 fixed, the suction cup array 125 is
Image receiving sheet 87, non-flexible body 23, and stage 27
In the direction away from the squeeze roller 129 (-
By moving in the Y direction), a peeling force is applied to the pressing portion of the squeeze roller 129, and this pressing portion moves from one end of the non-flexible body 23 to the other end, thereby recording. The image receiving sheet 87 can be peeled off from the entire surface.

The image receiving sheet 87 is peeled off from the non-flexible body 23 so that the image receiving layer 87 c is formed on the recording surface 2 of the non-flexible body 23.
No. 5, and the supporting layer 87a only is formed. This support layer 8
7a remains sucked and held by the suction cup array 125. The suction cup array 125 moves in the right direction (−Y direction) in FIG.
After passing through the passage opening provided in No. 1, the unnecessary support layer 87a is thrown into the waste box 37 and discarded.

Here, FIG. 17 is a sectional view of the stage for explaining the fixing operation of the transfer sheet. As shown in FIG. 17, on the upper surface of the non-flexible body 23 on which the image receiving layer 87c is formed,
The transfer sheet 105 is supplied from the recording medium supply unit 31 in the same manner as the image receiving sheet 87. The transfer sheet 105
Is supplied from the transfer sheet transport unit 113 of the recording medium supply unit 31. The transfer sheet 105 has an area of the stage 2
7 is larger than the area of the recess 71. Non-flexible body 2
The peripheral edge of the transfer sheet 105 protruding from 3 is placed on the peripheral edge of the recess 71 of the stage 27. In this state,
Air is sucked from the suction hole 77 to transfer the transfer sheet 105.
The peripheral edge of the transfer sheet 1 is suction-fixed to the peripheral edge of the recess 71, and the transfer sheet 1
05 is brought into close contact with the non-flexible body 23.

Next, from above the transfer sheet 105,
Recording is performed by relatively scanning the recording head 29. FIG.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the relative movement direction of the recording head and the non-flexible body, FIG. 19 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the recording head fixed at the recording origin position and the stage origin position, and FIG. The explanatory view showing the spot train is shown.

In this recording operation, the recording head 29 is moved from the recording origin position of the transfer sheet 105, as shown in FIG.
It is performed by main scanning in the X direction and sub-scanning in the Y direction. At the start of recording, as shown in FIG.
7 is the origin position, and the recording head 29 moves from the standby position 65 (see FIG. 1) to the recording origin position 69.
During recording, the recording head 29 scans the entire recording surface 25. This scanning is performed by moving only the recording head 29, moving only the stage 27, or recording head 29.
And the stage 27 may both be moved. That is, the recording head 29 and the non-flexible body 2
3 and 3 should move relatively. In the present embodiment, the recording head 29 is fixed at the recording origin position 69, and the stage 2
An example will be described where 7 is moved in the XY directions.

The recording head 29, as shown in FIG.
By irradiating the laser beam Lb, a plurality of spots Sp
Is formed on the back surface of the transfer sheet 105. This spot S
A plurality of p's are formed side by side in at least the sub-scanning direction. As shown in an enlarged view of the recording head in FIG. 21, the plurality of spots Sp are arranged such that the spot Sp1 at the upstream end in the sub-scanning recording direction is located downstream of the spot Sp2 at the downstream end in the sub-scanning recording direction. It is preferable to incline in the direction. That is, the spot array is a one-dimensional array, and the spot Sp1 at the upstream end in the sub-scan recording direction is tilted in the direction in which it is arranged downstream of the spot Sp2 at the downstream end in the sub-scan recording direction in the main-scan recording direction. The gas generated locally escapes to the downstream side in the sub-scanning recording direction. As a result, gas does not remain between the toner layer 105c and the image receiving layer 87c in the recorded area, the adhesion between the toner layer 105c and the image receiving layer 87c is maintained, and image defects are prevented, which is favorable. Images can be obtained.

Pattern data such as images and characters is sent from the host computer 63 to the recording head 29 via the controller 59. In addition, the host computer 63
From, a movement control signal is sent to the drive motor of the stage 27 or the like via the controller 59. As a result, the recording head 29 and the non-flexible body 23 are relatively controlled to move,
An image is formed on the transfer sheet 105. This recording operation can be a general serial operation described later. In the present embodiment, the entire surface of the recording range is scanned by the above relative operation, and recording is performed by irradiating only the portion where the image data exists with the laser beam Lb.

Next, the recording device 21 configured as described above.
A series of procedures for recording a desired image on the non-flexible body 23 will be described with reference to FIG. In the following, an operation procedure in the case of recording an image for forming a black matrix and a color filter using four colors of black (K), red (R), green (G), and blue (B) will be described. To do.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory view conceptually showing the recording process, FIG. 23 is an explanatory view showing the recording direction of the spot, and FIG.
23 is an explanatory view of the recording process in the recording direction of FIG. 23, FIG. 25 is a plan view of the non-flexible body in which the recording of the first line is completed in the recording direction of FIG. 23, and FIG. 26 is the second line in the recording direction of FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the recording process, FIG. 27 is an explanatory view showing a modification of the recording direction in which recording is performed in the main scanning direction and the reverse main scanning direction, FIG.
8A and 8B show a modification of the recording direction shown in FIG. 23A when the recording direction is the sub-scanning direction, and in FIG. 27B when the recording direction is the sub-scanning direction and the reverse sub-scanning direction. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of a non-flexible body showing an image in which a black stripe is overlapped between color filters.

As shown in FIG. 22, first, in step 1, the non-flexible body supplying section 33 (see FIG. 3) is operated to move the non-flexible body 2.
3 is supplied to the recording unit 39 by the carry-in mechanism 49. On the stage 27 of the recording unit 39, the non-flexible body 23 is fixed in the recess 71 by the above-described operation procedure (see FIG. 10). Next, in step 2, the image receiving sheet 87 is supplied from the recording medium supply unit 31 to the non-flexible body 23 on the stage 27, and the image receiving sheet 87 is placed (see FIG. 11). Image receiving sheet 87
Is brought into close contact with the non-flexible body 23 by the squeeze roller 129. Thereafter, the image receiving sheet 87 may be further subjected to thermocompression bonding (that is, laminating) using a heat roller in Step 3.

Next, in step 4, the image receiving sheet 87 is peeled off from the non-flexible body 23, whereby the image receiving sheet 87 is released.
The image receiving layer 87c of No. 1 is transferred to the non-flexible body 23. Image receiving layer 87
The support layer 87 a on which c has been transferred is carried out from the recording unit 39 by the suction cup array 125 and discarded in the discard box 37. Next, in step 5, the transfer sheet 105 is supplied onto the stage 27 from the transfer sheet supply section 83 of the recording medium supply section 31. The transfer sheet 105 cut into a predetermined length is brought into close contact with the non-flexible body 23 by the squeeze roller 129. After that, the transfer sheet 105 may be further subjected to thermocompression bonding (that is, laminating) using a heat roller in step 6, as in the case of the image receiving sheet 87.

Then, in step 7, the laser beam Lb is emitted from the recording head 29 onto the transfer sheet 105 based on the image data given in advance, and the spot S
On / off control of a predetermined value of p is performed, and the stage 27 is moved in synchronization with this. That is, the predetermined spot Sp scans the back surface (upper surface in FIG. 22) of the transfer sheet 105 imagewise. Here, the given image data is
The image for each color is further color-separated, and the laser exposure is performed based on the color-separated image data for each color. As a result, the toner layer 105c of the transfer sheet 105 is transferred to the image receiving layer 87c of the non-flexible body 23, and a black (K) image is formed on the non-flexible body 23.

In the recording method according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
As shown in, recording is performed while the non-flexible body 23 and the recording head 29 are relatively moved in the main scanning direction. Then, the non-flexible member 23 and the recording head 29 are moved relative to each other in the sub-scanning direction at the same time to move to the next recording start end, and by repeating this recording and movement, the area where the recording data exists is included. The entire area of the rectangular shape is scanned.

That is, as shown in FIG.
Moves in the + X direction, and at the same time, each spot Sp starts irradiation from the recording start end 141 at a predetermined timing (delay time + image data). As shown in FIG. 25, when the recording of the recording end 143 is finished by the spot Sp, the irradiation of the spot Sp is finished and the stage 27 is stopped. Then, the stage 27 is moved in the + Y direction by the length of the spot array in the sub-scanning direction and in the −X direction, and the recording origin position 69 is aligned with the next recording start end 141. afterwards,
As shown in FIG. 26, the operation of moving the stage 27 in the + X direction and recording is similarly repeated.

According to such serial recording, the image recording is performed only in one direction of the main scanning direction, and the recording head 29 always returns to the recording start end and restarts the recording, so that the position control is facilitated. Therefore, it becomes easy to improve the recording accuracy. Further, since the recording is in one direction, it is difficult to make a difference in recording characteristics due to the spot arrangement.

The recording operation may be reciprocal recording, as shown in FIG. 27, in addition to the one-way recording described above. In this case, recording is performed in the main scanning direction while relatively moving the non-flexible body 23 and the recording head 29 in the main scanning direction, and the non-flexible body 23 and the recording head 29 are located at the recording end 143 position of the recording in the main scanning direction. And are relatively moved in the sub-scanning direction,
Recording is performed in the reverse main scanning direction while relatively moving the non-flexible body 23 and the recording head 29 in the direction opposite to the main scanning direction. According to such reciprocal direction recording, recording can be performed in the reciprocal direction of the main scanning direction and the reverse main scanning direction, and the recording head 29
Can be recorded by using the moving time until the recording is returned to the recording start end 141. As a result, it is possible to shorten the recording time from the start of image recording to the completion of recording, as compared with unidirectional recording in which recording is performed only in the main scanning direction.

Further, as shown in FIG. 28, the recording operation is performed with the X direction as the sub-scanning direction and the Y direction as the main scanning direction, and the above-described one-way recording (FIG. 28A) or reciprocating direction recording. (FIG. 28 (b)) may be performed.
In this case, the spots Sp are arranged in the sub-scanning direction (X direction). Also in this case, a one-dimensional array in which the spot Sp rows are inclined may be formed in the same manner as described above.

When the black (K) image recording is completed as described above, the black transfer sheet 105 is peeled from the non-flexible body 23 in step 8. By peeling off the transfer sheet 105 adhered to the non-flexible body 23, the non-flexible body 2
A black image is formed on the third image receiving layer 87c.

If another type of transfer sheet 105 needs to be supplied, the above steps 5 to 8 are repeated. That is, the operations of steps 5 to 8 are repeated for the transfer sheets 105 of the other red, green, and blue colors. As a result, the four-color toner layer 10
The toner ink KRGB of 5c is transferred to one non-flexible body 23, and a desired image is formed on the recording surface 25 of the non-flexible body 23.

The non-flexible body 23 for which recording has been completed is ejected from the recording section 39 by the ejection mechanism 51, and the non-flexible body receiving section 35.
To stack. In this discharging operation, first, the stage 2
The suction from the suction hole 77 of No. 7 is released. Then, the pin 73 is projected from the bottom surface of the recess 71 to support the non-flexible body 23 in a state of being levitated from the stage 27. Then
The base 57 of the ejection mechanism 51 is inserted into the lower surface side of the non-flexible body 23. At this time, the base 57 is in a state in which the suction cup 53 faces upward. Next, the base 57 starts rising, and stops rising when the suction cup 53 contacts the non-flexible body 23.

In the discharging mechanism 51, the suction cup 53 has the non-flexible body 23.
The suction source 55 is driven to apply a negative pressure to the suction cup 53 in the state of being in contact with the suction cup 53. At this time, the raising operation of the base 57 is suspended until the degree of vacuum in the air pipe reaches a predetermined value. After the degree of vacuum in the air pipe reaches a predetermined value, the base 57 is raised to float and hold the non-flexible body 23 from the pin 73. Here, since the surface (upper surface) of the non-flexible body 23 opposite to the suction surface of the suction cup 53 is the recording surface 25, the recording surface 2
The image formed in No. 5 is not damaged.

The base 57 holding the non-flexible body 23 moves in a substantially horizontal direction. In this way, the base 57 from which the non-flexible body 23 is taken out from the recording unit 39 is temporarily stopped immediately after passing through the passage opening of the shielding frame 41. Base 57
At this position, the non-flexible body 23 is supported so that the recording surface 25 faces downward with the reversing device (not shown) of the ejection mechanism 51 inverting it. The base 57 carries the non-flexible body 23 above the non-flexible body receiving portion 35 in this supporting posture.

The non-flexible body receiving portion 35 is the non-flexible body supplying portion 33.
Similarly to the above, the pin 4 for loading the non-flexible body 23 with a space is provided.
Have five. The base 57 of the ejection mechanism 51 moves horizontally to position the non-flexible body 23 above the pin 45 and stop it. Next, the base 57 starts descending and stops descending when the non-flexible body 23 contacts the pin 45.

At the stop position, the discharging mechanism 51 suspends the raising operation of the base 57 until the degree of vacuum in the air pipe reaches a predetermined value. After the degree of vacuum in the air piping reaches the specified value,
That is, after the suction holding by the suction cup 53 is released, the base 5
7 is lifted and the non-flexible body 23 is transferred onto the pin 45.
A base 57 in which the non-flexible body 23 is discharged to the non-flexible body receiving portion 35.
Moves to the standby position in preparation for the next ejection of the non-flexible body 23.

By repeating the above-mentioned operations, it is possible to continuously form a pattern such as a black matrix or a color filter on the plurality of non-flexible bodies 23. In addition,
In the recording procedure shown in FIG. 22, the black transfer sheet 1 is used.
An example of forming a black stripe by using No. 05 was explained, but the recording method according to the present invention does not limit the recording order of each color. For example, as shown in FIG. 29, three colors of red, green and blue may be recorded to form a color stripe, and finally, black may be recorded to form a black matrix. In this case, the black matrix can be formed so as to overlap the color stripes, and the black matrix that can reliably prevent light leakage from the recording boundary portion can be formed. Further, it is not limited to four colors, but may be three colors of RGB or any one of the single colors.

As described above, according to the above-described recording method, the transfer sheet 105 is brought into close contact with the non-flexible body 23 supplied from the non-flexible body supply unit 33 onto the stage 27, and the recording head 2 is attached.
An image is recorded on the transfer sheet 105 by a laser beam emitted from the laser beam 9, and the image can be transferred to the recording surface 25 of the non-flexible body 23 by separating the transfer sheet 105 from the non-flexible body 23. It is possible to record a high-quality image on the non-flexible body 23 such as a stone material, a ceramic, or a metal that cannot be bent.

Transfer sheets 1 of black, red, green and blue, which are transfer sheets 105 of four different colors, are also provided.
After recording a stripe using the black transfer sheet 105, which is the first color transfer sheet, using each of No. 05, red, green, and blue are transferred to the unrecorded areas alternately arranged with the black stripe. By recording the stripes of the color in order using the sheet 105, the non-flexible body 23 in which the black stripes are formed between the stripes of the color filter can be obtained. As a result, it is possible to easily obtain a high-precision color filter with a black stripe in which black, red, green, and blue are recorded in uniform color tones.

Since the image receiving sheet supplying section 81 is provided, the image receiving layer 87c can be formed on the non-flexible body 23. That is, the non-flexible body 23 having no image receiving layer 87c can be directly supplied to the recording section to record an image.

Further, by loading the non-flexible body 23 on the non-flexible body supplying portion 33 and the non-flexible body receiving portion 35 so that the recording surface 25 faces downward, dust and the like on the recording surface 25 are removed. Adhesion can be prevented. Further, even when the non-flexible body 23 is taken out from the non-flexible body supply section 33, the surface opposite to the recording surface 25 is adsorbed by the suction cup 53, so that it is possible to prevent the suction cup trace from remaining.

Next, another embodiment of the recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 30 is a main part configuration diagram showing a recording medium supply unit and a recording unit of a recording apparatus according to another embodiment, and FIG. 31 is a main part showing a modified example of a supply mechanism used in another embodiment. It is a block diagram. The same members as those shown in FIG. 11 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a duplicate description will be omitted.

In the recording apparatus according to this embodiment,
The recording medium supply unit 151 includes a cassette 153 that stores a recording medium. The cassette 153 stores a plurality of recording media that have been cut into a predetermined size in a stacked manner. That is, the recording medium supply unit 151 according to the present embodiment
Does not require cutting of the recording medium. The recording medium referred to here means a transfer sheet, or a transfer sheet and an image receiving sheet. That is, when the image receiving sheet is not used, the recording medium is a transfer sheet, and when the image receiving sheet is used, it is the transfer sheet and the image receiving sheet. When the image receiving sheet is used, the transfer sheet and the image receiving sheet can be accommodated together in the cassette 153, and the image receiving sheet supply unit and the recording medium supply unit described above are integrally formed. The mechanism can be simplified.

Above the guide plate 123, there is arranged a suction cup row 125 in which a plurality of suction cups are arranged in the width direction of the recording medium (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 30). This sucker row 1
25 is connected to a suction source 55 (see FIG. 3) by an air pipe, and is further supported by a support arm or the like so as to be movable in a vertical direction and in a direction parallel to a stage moving surface. The suction cup array 125 descends from above the guide plate 123, so that the end portion of the recording medium placed on the guide plate 123 is pressed against the guide plate 123 and adsorbed. The suction cup array 125 sucking and holding the end portion of the recording medium moves to the end portion (starting end side) of the stage 27 opposite to the recording medium supply unit 151 side, and pulls out the recording medium. As a result, the recording medium is superposed on the upper surface of the non-flexible body 23 held on the stage 27.

That is, the recording medium supply unit 151 stores a plurality of recording media cut in a predetermined size in a stacked manner and supplies the recording media to the recording unit 39 one by one from the plurality of recording media. Has become. Here, it is desirable that the width (length in the X direction) of the recording medium be substantially equal to the width of the non-flexible body 23.

In the cassette 153, the image receiving sheet 87, which is a recording medium, or the image receiving sheet 87 and the transfer sheet 105 are stacked and packed in the order of being supplied to the recording section 39. For example, the order of supply and conveyance to the recording unit 39 is Re (image receiving sheet), K (black transfer sheet),
R (red transfer sheet), G (green transfer sheet),
In the case of B (blue transfer sheet), the layers are laminated in the order of ReKRGB from the upper layer.

Further, in the cassette 153, the above Re
Multiple sets of one set of KRGB recording media may be stacked. In this way, if a plurality of sets of recording media are stored in the cassette 153, color image recording for the number of sets can be performed a plurality of times regardless of manual setting of the recording media.

The recording medium supply unit 151 to the recording unit 3
9, the squeeze operation of the image receiving sheet 87 after being supplied to
The peeling operation of the image receiving sheet 87 and the recording operation on the transfer sheet 105 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment.

According to the recording method of this recording apparatus, the recording medium cut into a predetermined size in advance is used, and the recording medium is supplied one by one from the plural laminated recording media, so that the roll type recording is performed. Unlike the medium, it is not necessary to cut into a predetermined size in the apparatus, and film scraps such as the color material layer and the photothermal conversion layer and the support (PET) scraps do not occur. As a result, it is possible to prevent foreign matter defects such as color loss due to these scratches from occurring.

Compared with replacing the roll-type recording medium, when recording red, which is the same red but slightly different in color, or when recording special colors such as gold, silver, gray, and orange. By replacing the cassette 153, a simple correspondence is possible. This makes it possible to easily adapt to the color desired by the end user.

Further, since the supply mechanism is provided with the suction cup array 125, the recording mediums are sequentially supplied to the recording section 39 from the uppermost one, and the recording mediums are sucked without providing another conveying mechanism. By adsorbing and holding only the row 125, it becomes possible to convey to the final supply position.

In the other embodiment, the recording medium is taken out from the cassette 153 to the guide plate 123 by the pickup roller 157 shown in FIG. 31 arranged near the sheet take-out port 155 of the cassette 153. . In this case, if a pickup roller 157 that is rotated by a driving unit (not shown) is supported at the tip of the swing arm 159 and the swing arm 159 is swingable about the swing fulcrum 161 in the transport direction, The recording medium is recorded only by the pickup roller 157.
Can also be supplied to. With such a configuration, the supply mechanism can have a relatively simple structure.

In the above embodiment, the case where the recording head 29 is fixed at the recording origin position 69 and the stage 27 is moved in the main scanning direction and the sub scanning direction has been described as an example. The method and the recording device include a stage 2
Even if the recording head 29 is fixed and the recording head 29 is moved in the main scanning direction and the sub scanning direction, the same operation and effect as described above can be obtained. Further, the spot array is not limited to one-dimensional and may be any array.

[0154]

As described in detail above, according to the recording method of the present invention, the transfer sheet is brought into close contact with the non-flexible body supplied from the non-flexible body supply section onto the stage, and the transfer sheet is irradiated with the laser beam. This image can be transferred to the recording surface of the non-flexible body by recording the image on the transfer sheet and peeling the transfer sheet from the non-flexible body, so that the glass substrate, stone, metal, ceramic, etc. cannot be bent. A high-quality image can be recorded on the flexible body.

According to the recording apparatus of the present invention, the stage for holding the non-flexible body, the recording medium supply section for supplying the transfer sheet to the non-flexible body, and the pressurization for bringing the transfer sheet into close contact with the recording surface. Since the roller, the recording head that emits a laser beam to record an image, and the peeling unit that peels the transfer sheet from the non-flexible body are provided, the non-flexible body feeding operation, the transfer sheet feeding operation, and the adding operation are performed. Adhesion by the pressure roller, image formation by the recording head, and image formation on the non-flexible body by peeling the transfer sheet can be performed in a series of operations, and by repeating this series of operations, It is possible to continuously record high-quality images on a plurality of non-flexible bodies with high efficiency.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the concept of a recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a non-flexible body.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the recording apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a loaded state of non-flexible bodies in a non-flexible body supply unit.

FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the operation of the recording head and the stage.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory view showing operations (a) to (d) until the carry-in mechanism enters the non-flexible body supply portion and adsorbs the non-flexible body.

FIG. 7 shows an operation from (e) to an operation in which the carry-in mechanism holds the non-flexible body and ascends to take it out from the non-flexible body supply portion.
It is operation | movement explanatory drawing shown by (h).

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a stage viewed from the Y direction with a pin protruding.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a stage in which a non-flexible body is housed in a recess.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a stage in which a non-flexible body is housed in a recess.

FIG. 11 is a main-part configuration diagram showing a recording medium supply unit and a recording unit.

12 is a cross-sectional view of an image receiving sheet and a transfer sheet used in the recording apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of a peripheral edge of a recess of a stage provided with a peeling groove.

FIG. 14 is a main part configuration diagram in the vicinity of a recording unit for explaining the peeling operation of the image receiving sheet.

FIG. 15 is a main part configuration diagram in the vicinity of a recording unit for explaining the peeling operation of the image receiving sheet.

FIG. 16 is a main part configuration diagram in the vicinity of a recording unit for explaining the peeling process of the image receiving sheet.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a stage illustrating a fixing operation of a transfer sheet.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a relative movement direction of a recording head and a non-flexible body.

FIG. 19 is a plan view showing a positional relationship between a recording head fixed at a recording origin position and a stage origin position.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a spot array formed by a recording head.

FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of the recording head.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram conceptually showing a recording process.

FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing a recording direction of spots.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram of a recording process in the recording direction of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a plan view of the non-flexible body on which the recording of the first line is completed according to the recording direction of FIG. 23.

FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram of a recording process of the second line in the recording direction of FIG. 23.

FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a modified example of a recording direction in which recording is performed in the main scanning direction and the reverse main scanning direction.

FIG. 28 is a modification example of the recording direction shown in (a) when the recording direction of FIG. 22 is the sub-scanning direction, and (b) when the recording direction of FIG. 27 is the sub-scanning direction and the reverse sub-scanning direction. FIG.

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of a non-flexible body showing an image in which a black stripe is overlapped between color filters.

FIG. 30 is a main-part configuration diagram showing a recording medium supply unit and a recording unit of a recording apparatus according to another embodiment.

FIG. 31 is a main-part configuration diagram showing a modified example of the supply mechanism used in another embodiment.

FIG. 32 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional recording device.

[Explanation of symbols]

21 Recording device 23 Non-flexible body 25 recording surface 27 stages 29 recording head 31 recording medium supply unit 33 Non-flexible body supply unit 35 Non-flexible body receiving part 39 Recording section 43a, 87c Image receiving layer 45 pin 49 Carry-in mechanism 51 Ejection mechanism 53 sucker 71 recess 75 One-sided pin 87 Image receiving sheet 105 transfer sheet 105b Photothermal conversion layer 105c Toner layer (image forming layer) 127 peeling groove (peeling means) 129 Squeeze roller (pressure roller) 131 Peeling claw (peeling means) 141 Start of recording 143 Recording end Lb laser beam Sp spot X main scanning direction Y sub-scanning direction

Claims (28)

[Claims] 1. A recording method for forming a desired image on a recording surface of a non-flexible body by using a transfer sheet having at least a photothermal conversion layer and an image forming layer, wherein the non-flexible body is a recording unit. The image forming layer is superposed on the recording surface of the non-flexible body, and the image forming layer of the transfer sheet is arranged on the recording surface of the non-flexible body. The image is exposed on the transfer sheet with a plurality of spots formed by being brought into close contact with each other by a laser beam, the transfer sheet is peeled off from the non-flexible body, and the image forming layer is imagewise transferred onto a recording surface. And the recording method. 2. A transfer sheet having a plurality of different colors is used as the transfer sheet, and the supply, contact, exposure and transfer processes of the transfer sheet are repeated for each of the transfer sheets of a plurality of colors. The recording method according to claim 1. 3. Of the transfer sheets of different colors,
The recording method according to claim 2, wherein the color to be finally processed is black. 4. A transfer sheet which has been cut into a predetermined size is used, and the transfer sheets are taken out one by one from a plurality of stacked transfer sheets and supplied to the recording unit. The recording method according to any one of 3 above. 5. The recording method according to claim 1, wherein the recording surface has an image receiving layer that receives the image forming layer. 6. An image receiving sheet having an image receiving layer for receiving the image forming layer is supplied to the recording section before the transfer sheet is supplied to the recording section, and an image receiving layer is superposed on the flexible body to form the image receiving layer. The recording layer is formed by bringing the image receiving layer of the sheet into close contact with the non-flexible body, peeling the image receiving sheet from the non-flexible body, and transferring the image receiving layer to the non-flexible body. Any one of claims 1 to 5
Recording method described in section. 7. A transfer sheet and an image receiving sheet, which are cut into a predetermined size in advance, are used, and the plurality of transfer sheets and the image receiving sheet stacked in a predetermined order are taken out one by one and supplied to the recording section. 7. The recording method according to claim 6, wherein: 8. The recording method according to claim 6, wherein when the image receiving sheet is brought into close contact with the non-flexible body, heating and pressing are performed by a heat roller. 9. The non-flexible body is supplied from a non-flexible body supply section that is loaded with the recording surface of the flexible body facing downward, and is loaded on the non-flexible body supply section. 9. The uppermost non-flexible body is sucked and held by the upper surface of the non-flexible body and is conveyed to the recording unit.
Recording method described in section. 10. The recording method according to claim 9, wherein the conveyance posture of the non-flexible body is turned upside down during conveyance of the non-flexible body to the recording section. 11. A recorded non-flexible body having an image transferred to a recording surface is lifted upward from the recording section, and the lower surface of the non-flexible body is suction-held and discharged. The recording method according to any one of claims 1 to 10. 12. The recording method according to claim 11, wherein the transporting posture of the non-flexible body is turned upside down during the discharge of the recorded non-flexible body. 13. When exposing the non-flexible member with a laser beam, while moving a recording head for emitting the laser beam relatively in the main scanning direction, a main scanning direction recording start end of the non-flexible member is mainly moved. Exposure is performed up to the end of recording in the scanning direction, and then the recording head is moved relative to the non-flexible body in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the main scanning direction, and then moved to the next main scanning direction. 13. The recording head is caused to scan the entire recording area including the area where the recording data exists by repeating the movement to the recording start end in the scanning direction. The recording method according to item 1. 14. When exposing the non-flexible member with a laser beam, the recording head which emits the laser beam is relatively moved in the main scanning direction while the main scanning direction recording start end of the non-flexible member is moved. Exposure is performed to the end of recording in the scanning direction, and then the recording head is moved relative to the non-flexible body in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, and the recording head is moved in the direction opposite to the main scanning direction. By repeatedly performing the exposure from the main scanning direction recording end end of the non-flexible body to the main scanning direction recording start end while moving the non-flexible body, the entire recording area including the area where the recording data exists The recording method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the recording method is performed by scanning. 15. The non-flexible body is defined as having a material property such that an elastic constant and a product of the longitudinal elastic constant and the second moment of area are each a predetermined value or more. The recording method according to any one of claims 1 to 14. 16. A recording apparatus for forming a desired image on a recording surface of a non-flexible body by using a transfer sheet having at least a photothermal conversion layer and an image forming layer, wherein the non-flexible material is supplied to a recording section. A stage for fixing the flexible body, a recording medium supply unit for supplying the transfer sheet to the non-flexible body fixed to the stage, and a pressure roller for closely contacting the transfer sheet with the recording surface of the non-flexible body. A recording apparatus comprising: a recording head that irradiates a plurality of spots formed by a laser beam on the recording surface; and a peeling unit that peels the transfer sheet from the recording surface of the non-flexible body. 17. The recording medium supply unit stacks and stores a plurality of transfer sheets that have been cut into a predetermined size, and records the transfer sheets one by one from the plurality of stacked transfer sheets. The recording apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the recording apparatus supplies the recording section. 18. The recording apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising an image receiving sheet supply unit that supplies an image receiving sheet having an image receiving layer that receives the image forming layer to the recording unit. 19. The image receiving sheet supplying section is formed integrally with the recording medium supplying section, and the transfer sheet and the image receiving sheet, which are cut into a predetermined size in advance, are stacked and accommodated in a predetermined order. 19. The recording apparatus according to claim 18, wherein transfer sheets are supplied to the recording section one by one from a plurality of stacked transfer sheets and image receiving sheets. 20. The feeding mechanism for picking up one by one from a plurality of stacked sheets and supplying the sheets to the recording unit has a suction cup for sucking and holding the sheets. The recording apparatus according to item 1. 21. The feeding mechanism according to claim 16, wherein the feeding mechanism that takes out the sheets one by one from a plurality of stacked sheets and supplies the sheets to the recording unit has a pickup roller. Recording device. 22. A non-flexible body supply part for stacking and mounting the non-flexible body, a loading mechanism for conveying the non-flexible body from the non-flexible body supply part to the stage, and a recorded non-flexible body. 16. A discharge mechanism for discharging a flexible body from the stage, and a non-flexible body receiving portion for stacking and mounting the discharged recorded non-flexible body.
The recording device according to claim 21. 23. Among the plurality of spots, the spot at the upstream end in the sub-scanning recording direction is inclined and arranged so as to be arranged at the downstream side in the main scanning recording direction with respect to the spot at the downstream end in the sub-scanning recording direction. Claim 15-Claim 2
The recording device according to any one of 2 above. 24. The stage according to claim 15, wherein the stage has a recess having a depth substantially the same as the thickness of the non-flexible body and accommodating the non-flexible body. The recording apparatus according to item 1. 25. The distance between the facing side surfaces of the quadrangular recess is longer than the distance between the facing side surfaces of the non-flexible body corresponding to the side surface,
25. The recording apparatus according to claim 24, wherein a biasing pin that biases the non-flexible body toward a facing side surface is provided on each of two side surfaces of the recess that are orthogonal to each other so as to project therefrom. 26. The recording apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the concave portion is provided with a plurality of vertically movable pins that protrude from a bottom surface and lift up while supporting the non-flexible body. 27. The recording apparatus according to claim 24, wherein a peeling groove is formed on a peripheral edge of the concave portion of the stage. 28. The recording according to claim 27, further comprising a peeling claw that enters the peeling groove and relatively moves in a peeling direction between the recording medium and the recording surface of the non-flexible body. apparatus.