Web feeding apparatus

Claim 1

A thermal transfer recording apparatus for printing an image upon a sheet using a thermal transfer ribbon having elongated side edges and transverse rigidity, comprising a thermal head; a platen roller, the sheet and thermal transfer ribbon being clamped between the platen roller and the thermal head in a recording area, an area of said thermal transfer ribbon with said recording area defining a printing range of said ribbon; ribbon feeding means for feeding the thermal transfer ribbon in a first direction from an upstream ribbon supplying side, to a downstream ribbon winding side, along a path including the recording area; a separation roller having a curved surface; and a pair of fixed tension increasing rollers, each having a curved surface, disposed downstream of the platen roller, coaxially disposed with respect to said separation roller, and separated from each other in a direction normal to said first direction, to contact with the side edges of the ribbon outside the printing range, to increase tension on the ribbon at the side edges thereof, along said first direction.