Paper roll for a thermal printer

Abstract: A paper roll for a thermal printer in which a colouring paper having a thermal colouring layer and a peeling paper on which the colouring paper with the colouring layer is stuck by an adhesive material are wound up into a roll shape is comprised of first cuts for defining a picture forming region of one frame on the colouring paper in order for the picture forming region to be peeled off from the peeling paper and second cuts formed to completely cross the entire width of the paper roll, in which the first and second cuts are repeatedly along the length of the paper of the roll to provide a plurality of picture forming regions.

Description: The present invention relates generally to paper roll and, more particularly, to a paper roll for a thermal printer for use in a video graphic printer or the like. Recently, it has been requested that prepaid cards such as telephone cards, passes, season tickets, ID (identification) cards and so on can individually record picture and character information on their surfaces in order to keep a close relationship with money and security. A video graphic printer is known to meet with such requirements. The video graphic printer employs a thermal print head for printing picture and character information on a heat-sensitive colouring paper having a heat-sensitive colouring layer. Figures 1-4 of the accompanying drawings show arrangements of conventional papers roll for a thermal printer, and figure 1 shows a perspective view of a paper roll for a thermal printer which is most generally utilised for such video graphic printer. As shown in figure 1, a colouring paper 3 having a thermal colouring layer is stuck on a peeling paper 2 by an adhesive. The resultant paper is rolled around a bobbin or spool 1. This roll of paper is fed to a printer (not shown) and picture and character information are recorded on the colouring paper 3 by a thermal print head. This paper roll for a thermal printer encounters a problem, namely, if the colouring paper 3 with the peeling paper 2 stuck thereunder is rolled around the spool 1, then a so-called rolling difference or feeding different with respect to the axis thereof can occur between the peeling paper 2 and the colour paper 3, causing wrinkles 4 in the colouring paper 3 as shown in figure 1, which results in poor printing. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view illustrating a portion shown by a circular arrow A in figure 1 in an enlarged scale. As shown in figure 2, the wrinkle 4 in the colouring paper 3 is raised in a bank shape from the peeling paper 2 in response to the amount of the feeding difference. In order to solve the aforenoted problem, a paper roll for a thermal printer is proposed as shown in figures 3 and 4. As shown in figures 3 and 4, starting point detection apertures 5 are bored at a predetermined pitch through the peeling paper 2 along its longitudinal direction. After each of the detection apertures 5, 5, ..., an image forming portion in which picture and character information are recorded, that is, a discrete sheet of a substantially rectangular label-like thermal colouring paper 3a having a colouring layer is stuck on the peeling paper 2 by an adhesive (not shown). Then, the peeling paper 2 having the sheet of label-like colouring paper 3a stuck thereon is rolled around the spool 1. If the peeling paper 2 on which the sheet of colouring paper; 3a having the thermal colouring layer is stuck as described above is rolled around the spool 1, the occurrence of wrinkles 4 due to the feeding difference in the rolling-process as described with reference to figures 1 and 2 can be avoided and thus the poor printing can also be avoided. The paper roll for a thermal printer shown in figures 3 and 4 can prevent the wrinkles 4 from being produced upon rolling and thus eliminate the defective printing, but it, in turn, has the following problem. As shown in figure 4, when a thermal print head 6 is brought in contact with the label-like colouring paper 3a on the thermal rolled paper 3 to record picture or character information, the thermal print head 6 can catch of the edge of the label-like colouring paper 3a upon recording to cause the latter to be peeled off from the peeling paper 2 because there is a level difference 7 between the colouring paper 3a and the peeling paper 2. As a result, jamming occurs so that picture and character information cannot be recorded on the colouring paper 3a, and also stripes are formed on the image forming area due to the level difference upon winding, thus causing defective printing. Document EP-A-0,101,311 describes a roll of labels for use in a thermal printer, in which labels are formed on the roll contiguously across less than the full width of the backing paper. Any paper of the upper layer, other than the labels is removed. Labels for thermal printing are also provided across sheets of paper with gaps in the upper layer between each label, as disclosed in document GB-A-1,543,583. It is also known, to avoid the creation of a skeleton, that is to prevent the wastage of any paper between labels, to provide rolls of labels which cover the entire width of the paper, with a cut across the paper between each label. This is described in document GB-A-0,876,101. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved paper roll for a thermal printer in which the aforenoted shortcomings and disadvantages of the prior art can be reduced or eliminated. According to the present invention, there is provided a paper roll for a thermal printer, comprising: colouring paper having a thermal colouring layer; peeling paper to which said colouring paper is detachably adhered by an adhesive material; and first cuts around regions of said colouring paper to define one-frame picture forming regions on which images are to be formed, said first cuts allowing said region to be peeled off from said peeling paper; wherein a succession of said picture forming regions are formed lengthwise along the paper of said roll; characterised in that the first cuts are such that the lateral edges of the picture forming forming regions are located inwardly of the lateral edges of the colouring paper; and in that between successive picture forming regions the colouring paper is cut across its entire width by second cuts which are discrete from or partly in common with the first cuts. Other, optional features of the invention are defined in the sub-claims. The invention will be further described by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional paper roll for a thermal printer; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the portion A in Figure 1 in an enlarged scale; Figure 3 is a plan view of another example of the conventional paper roll for a thermal printer; Figure 4 is a perspective view used to explain the conventional paper roll for a thermal printer shown in figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the paper roll for a thermal printer according to the present invention; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view illustrating the potions B and C in figure 5 in an enlarged scale; and Figures 7A and 7B are plan views of other embodiments of the paper roll for a thermal printer according to the present invention. A first embodiment of paper roll for a thermal printer according to the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to figures 5 and 6. In figures 5 and 6, like parts corresponding to those of figures 1 to 4 are marked with the same references. In figures 5 and 6, it will be seen that the peeling paper 2 is shaped substantially as a tape about 110 mm wide and 0.05 mm thick. Similarly, the colouring paper 3 is shaped substantially as a continuous tape about 110 mm wide and 0.01 mm thick, and this colouring paper 3 is stuck on the peeling paper 2 as a unitary body. More specifically, as shown in figure 6, the colouring layer 3 is comprised of a synthetic paper 10 having an adhesive layer 11 formed thereunder, a thermal colouring layer 9 formed on the synthetic layer 10 and an over-coat layer 8 formed on the thermal colouring layer 9 to protect the thermal colouring layer 9. In this embodiment, on the paper roll there are formed a plurality of closed first cuts 12a to define rectangular label-like portions 90 mm wide in the tape width direction and 55 mm long in the tape length direction, that is, areas of picture portions 3a. The closed first cuts 12a are sequentially formed at a pitch of about 85 mm along the longitudinal direction of the thermal paper roll. The closed first cuts 12a may be deep enough to reach the lower surface of the adhesive layer 11 formed on the peeling layer 2, and are closed in the sense that they do not extend to any edge of the paper roll. Further, second cuts 12b are formed on the tape of the rolled thermal paper so as to fully span its entire width of 110 mm in the vicinity of the plurality of the picture forming portions 3a surrounded by the closed first cuts 12a. In the case of figure 5, the second cut 12b is formed common to the left-hand cut of the first cut 12a. The starting end detection apertures 5 are provided along the left or right edge of the tape for detecting the starting ends of the picture forming portions 3a. The starting end of each picture forming portion 3a is detected by a light emitting element and a light receiving element which are provided in the printer side, though not shown. Then, pictures are formed on the picture forming portions 3a by the thermal print head. The aforementioned first and second cuts 12a and 12b are formed by rotating along the thermal rolled paper a cutter having a cutter blade whose shape is substantially the same as that formed by the first and second cuts 12a and 12b. Such thermal paper is rolled around the spool 1 having a diameter of 36.5 mm until the diameter of the roll of paper reaches about 50 mm. According to the above embodiment of the present invention, there is no difference in level between the peeling paper 2 and the colouring paper 3 even if they are stuck one upon another and rolled, the label-like colouring paper 3a can be prevented from being peeled off by the thermal print head, and therefore, the occurrence of jamming upon printing can be reduced considerably. Moreover, even when the tape-like peeling paper 2 and colouring paper 3 are rolled around the spool 1, there is no level difference. Therefore, there is no step-wise change in thickness of the paper which can cause feeding problems and the formation of stripes on the colouring paper can be avoided. Furthermore, the second cuts 12b can absorb the occurrence of the wrinkles 4, thus removing this source of defective printing. Figures 7A and 7B are plan views of other embodiments of the paper roll for a thermal printer according to the present invention, respectively. While the left-side edge of the first cut 12a is formed common to the second cut 12b as described with reference to figure 5, in the case of figure 7A, the second cuts 12b, 12b, ... are provided between the first cuts 12a, 12a, .... Moreover, in the case of figure 7B, the second cuts 12b for preventing wrinkles from being produced due to the rolled state are provided common to both the right-and-left side cuts of each first cut 12a. These structures of figures 7A and 7B can achieve similar effects to those of figure 5. Thus with the paper roll for a thermal printer according to the present invention, wrinkles can be prevented from occurring due to the rolled state, thereby removing defective prints. Furthermore, since there is no difference in level, the label-like portions can be avoided from being peeled off, thus decreasing problems with jamming. Having described preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments and that various changes and modifications thereof could be effected by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: A paper roll for a thermal printer, comprising: colouring paper (3) having a thermal colouring layer (9); peeling paper (2) to which said colouring paper (3) is detachably adhered by an adhesive material (11); and first cuts (12a) around regions of said colouring paper (3) to define one-frame picture forming regions (3a) on which images are to be formed, said first cuts allowing said picture forming regions (3a) to be peeled off from said peeling paper (2); wherein a succession of said picture forming regions are formed lengthwise along the paper of said roll; characterised in that the first cuts (12a) are such that the lateral edges of the picture forming regions (3a) are located inwardly of the lateral edges of the colouring paper (3); and in that between successive picture forming regions (3a) the colouring paper (3) is cut across its entire width by second cuts (12b) which are discrete from or partly in common with the first cuts. A paper roll according to claim 1, wherein said colouring paper (3) comprises a synthetic paper (10) having an adhesive layer (11) coated thereunder, said thermal colouring layer (9) formed on said synthetic layer (10) and an overcoating layer (8) formed on the thermal colouring layer (9) to protect said thermal colouring layer (9). A paper roll according to claim 2, wherein said first cuts (12a) are formed to the depth of the lower surface of said adhesive layer (11). A paper roll according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein one edge of each picture forming region (3a) forms a portion of one of said second cuts (12b). A paper roll according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein two edges of each picture forming region (3a) form portions of two of said second cuts (12b). A paper roll according to claim 1, wherein successive picture forming regions (3a) are separated by areas of said colouring paper (3). A paper roll according to any one of the preceding claims and which is in an at least partially unrolled state.

Inventors: FUNAYAMA HIDEHIKO, SONE MASAKAZU, YUKITA YASUO, FUNAYAMA, HIDEHIKO, SONE, MASAKAZU, YUKITA, YASUO
Applicants: SONY CORP, SONY CORPORATION
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B41M5
IPC codes: G06F3, B41M5