THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that a conventional thermal transfer printer structure keeping a used ink ribbon folded and ink layers stuck together and melted and stuck by heating enables remaining images to be only overlapped each other, and that a state that the remaining images cannot be completely recognized is therefore not obtained. SOLUTION: In this thermal transfer printer, while the ink ribbon on which the ink layer is formed is brought into close contact with an image receiving sheet by a thermal head, the ink is transferred or sublimated by the heat of the thermal head to perform printing, and the used ink ribbon of the thermal transfer printer is coated with a solvent by using a solvent coating mechanism, printing information left on the used ink ribbon is impossible to be recognized by dissolving the ink layer. By a simple structure that the solvent coating mechanism is only arranged at a position where the used ink ribbon can be coated with the solvent, it is possible to make the printing information left on the used ink ribbon impossible recognized in an approximately real time, and thereby, it is possible to obtain such a thermal transfer printer that can prevent the printing information from being leaked. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT