EP0050308A1 - Aufzeichnungsapparat mittels Wärmeübertragung - Google Patents

Aufzeichnungsapparat mittels Wärmeübertragung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0050308A1
EP0050308A1 EP81108322A EP81108322A EP0050308A1 EP 0050308 A1 EP0050308 A1 EP 0050308A1 EP 81108322 A EP81108322 A EP 81108322A EP 81108322 A EP81108322 A EP 81108322A EP 0050308 A1 EP0050308 A1 EP 0050308A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
recording
paper
heat transfer
donor
roll
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP81108322A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0050308B1 (de
Inventor
Toshiharu C/O Fuji Xerox Co. Inui
Masami C/O Fuji Xerox Co. Kurata
Fujio C/O Fuji Xerox Co. Moriguchi
Yoshiki C/O Fuji Xerox Co. Kikuchi
Takashi C/O Fuji Xerox Co. Ohmori
Haruhiko C/O Fuji Xerox Co. Moriguchi
Tomio C/O Fuji Xerox Co. Murayama
Hisao C/O Fuji Xerox Co. Nakajima
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp
Original Assignee
Fuji Xerox Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from JP55144419A external-priority patent/JPS5769069A/ja
Priority claimed from JP55160797A external-priority patent/JPS5784871A/ja
Priority claimed from JP55170291A external-priority patent/JPS5794761A/ja
Priority claimed from JP55170290A external-priority patent/JPS5795488A/ja
Priority claimed from JP55174077A external-priority patent/JPS5796882A/ja
Priority claimed from JP55178918A external-priority patent/JPS57103861A/ja
Application filed by Fuji Xerox Co Ltd filed Critical Fuji Xerox Co Ltd
Publication of EP0050308A1 publication Critical patent/EP0050308A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0050308B1 publication Critical patent/EP0050308B1/de
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
    • B41J11/48—Apparatus for condensed record, tally strip, or like work using two or more papers, or sets of papers, e.g. devices for switching over from handling of copy material in sheet form to handling of copy material in continuous form and vice versa or point-of-sale printers comprising means for printing on continuous copy material, e.g. journal for tills, and on single sheets, e.g. cheques or receipts
    • B41J11/50—Apparatus for condensed record, tally strip, or like work using two or more papers, or sets of papers, e.g. devices for switching over from handling of copy material in sheet form to handling of copy material in continuous form and vice versa or point-of-sale printers comprising means for printing on continuous copy material, e.g. journal for tills, and on single sheets, e.g. cheques or receipts in which two or more papers or sets are separately fed in the same direction towards the printing position
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J11/00—Devices or arrangements  of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
    • B41J11/0095—Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J17/00—Mechanisms for manipulating page-width impression-transfer material, e.g. carbon paper
    • B41J17/28—Arrangements of guides for the impression-transfer material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/315—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material
    • B41J2/32—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads
    • B41J2/325—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a heat tranfer recording apparatus employing an ink donor film, and more particularly, to such an apparatus which can prevent formation by any 'wrinkle' on the ink donor film.
  • a heat transfer recording system employing an ink donor film and a thermal head (heating element), and adapted for selective heat transfer of ink from the film to a recording medium has the advantage of permitting the recording of information on ordinary paper at a lower cost.
  • the ink donor film having one surface coated with.a hot-melt ink has hitherto been in the form of a composite roll on which the film is wound with recording paper, and the ink surface of the film is superposed on the recording paper.
  • the ink donor film and the recording paper are drawn from their composite roll by a pair of drive rollers, and transported to the recording station in their superposed condition.
  • the thermal head transfers ink fromtheink donor film to the recording paper by selective heating, and the paper is then separated from the ink donor film.
  • the ink donor film is wound on a take-up roll, and recovered.
  • the recording paper is discharged through a discharge opening after it has been cut as required.
  • Fig. 1 is an exaggerated illustration of the mechanism by which the ink donor film and the recording paper are withdrawn from their composite roll in a conventional heat transfer recording apparatus.
  • the recording paper 4 and the ink donor film 5 are withdrawn from the composite roll 1 by a pair of drive rolls 2 and 3, and their thicknesses are designated as t l and t 2 , respectively.
  • the ink donor film 5, which is wound outwardly of the paper 4 has a greater withdrawn length of approximately ⁇ (t 1 + t 2 ) than the paper 4 for each revolution of the composite roll 1. Accordingly, the ink donor film 5 slackens.
  • the ' . slack' forms a wave on the ink donor film 5, resulting in the formation of 'wrinkle' which may bring the film out of contact with the paper and disable recording by heat tranfer at the recording station.
  • the present invention provides a recording apparatus wherein the recording paper and ink donor sheet are provided separately.
  • the ink.donor film is required to be as thin as several tens of microns in order to ensure transmission of heat, and proper resolution. If the film base is so thin, the ink donor film is very likely to skew when it is subjected to any tension caused by error in the positioning of various parts of the film transport system. Any such skew produces a wave on the ink donor film in a direction which is perpendicular to that of its travel, and a wrinkle is formed thereon in the area between the thermal head and the back roll. The wrinkle on the ink donor film disables recording of information by heat transfer. Accordingly, cost reduction of such an apparatus is hindered since it is necessary to ensure a high degree of accuracy in the fabrication and positioning of parts in the transportation system for the ink donor film and the supply roll for the ink donor film.
  • a conventional recording sheet transporting mechanism for use in a facsimile apparatus recorder or a copier has been such that recording sheets stacked in a superposed fashion on a paper tray are automatically fed one by one, and when it is desired to use recording sheets different in color and/or size from each other, such recording sheets must be manually fed one by one.
  • a passage for transporting the manually-fed recording sheets to a recording portion must be provided separately from a passage for transporting the recording sheets automatically fed from the sheet tray.
  • Position detecting means for sensing the passing of recording sheets must be provided in respective passages, so as to perform registration, i.e. adjust the positions of respective recording sheets so that an image can be recorded consistently in a predetermined portion on the recording sheet.
  • Such a position detecting mechanism requires position detecting means consisting of as many microswitch actuators as there are recording-sheet transporting passages. To this end, a large space is required, resulting in an increased size of the mechanism as well as an increased manufacturing cost of the mechanism.
  • thermosensitive image recordors there has also been a disadvantage that it was necessary to peel off the recording paper from the' heat-sensitive ink sheet by hand after completion of the recording.
  • thermosensitive image recorders have been complex in structure and comparatively large in size, requiring a considerable space for installation.
  • thermosensitive recording printer it has been customary for the power supply unit to adversely affect the recording operation in a thermosensitive recording printer.
  • an ink donor film and recording paper are supplied separately from independent sources and are superposed on each other in the vicinity of a recording station.
  • a stress absorbing roll unit is provided between the donor sheet supply roll and the area of contact between the thermal head and the back roll, and is adapted for inclination at an angle which is variable in accordance with the stress developed along the edges of the ink donor film.
  • a sensor detects the presence of manually supplied paper controls and a retard roll the rotation of which is controlled in response to the output of the sensor to transport manually supplied paper, while the retard roll also has its original function of paper separation.
  • a single optical path passes desired points on plural sheet passages, which desired points are so determined that the time necessary for transporting a recording sheet from the point on one passage to the recording portion is equal.to the time necessary for transporting a recording sheet from the point on the other passage to the recording portion, and the position of a recording sheet is detected by whether or not the recording sheet intersects this optical path.
  • the heat recording medium is made to change its path abruptly at a location after the recording operation occurs, thus making it difficult for the recording paper to follow, and a guide member is disposed close to the heat recording medium to engage the leading edge of the recording paper and separate it.
  • a recording device includes a paper supply and a paper discharge mechanism and a recording or copying mechanism compactedly arranged in a housing, while a power supply unit and an electrical control circuit unit of the line printer are accommodated in a separate housing.
  • the paper supply and the paper discharge mechanism are positioned in an upper portion of the recording machine not only to minimize the space which the machine takes up on the desk, but also to provide convenience for repair.
  • the power supply in a separate housing recording operations can be effected without being adversely affected by the generated heat.
  • Fig. 2 schematically shows a portion of a heat transfer recording apparatus embodying this invention.
  • the apparatus includes a supply roll 7 for an ink donor film 5 on which the film is wound to form a roll 8.
  • the ink donor film 5 is withdrawn from the roll 8, and guided by a guide roll 9 in a different direction shown by an arrow A.
  • the film then passes through the area of contact between a back roll 10 and a thermal head 11, and the area of contact between the back roll 10 and a drive roll 12, and about a guide roll 13, and is wound on a take-up roll 14.
  • the recording paper 4 is withdrawn by a pair of feed rolls 15 and 16 from a paper source (not shown) which is different from that for the ink donor film 5, and travel in the direction of the arrow A at a speed which is equal to that at which the ink donor film 5 travels.
  • the leading edge of the paper 4 contacts the ink surface of the ink donor film 5 in the region where the film 5 leaves the guide roll 9 (Fig. 2).
  • the paper 4 and the ink donor film 5 are superposed on'each other, and enter the recording station defined by the back roll 10 and the thermal head 11.
  • the thermal head 11 applies heat selectively to the surface of the ink donor film 5, whereby ink is selectively tranferred to the surface of the recording paper 4 sandwiched between the ink donor film 5 and the back roll 10 for recording information thereon by heat transfer. Then, the recording paper 4 travels along the common tangential line of the back roll 10 and the drive roll 12 (in the direction of an arrow B), and is separated from the ink donor film 5.
  • the ink donor film 5 is always directed by the guide roll 9 in the direction of the arrow A for entry into the recording station, even after the roll 8 of the ink donor film has reduced its diameter with the progress of the recording operation.
  • the recording paper 4 and the ink donor film 5 are always superposed on each other without involving any undue force; therefore, there is no'fear of any 'wrinkle' being formed in the recording station.
  • the supply roll 7 has an outer periphery shown by solid line 7A at the very beginning of operation, and has a gradually decreasing diameter as the ink donor film 5 is delivered to the recording station.
  • the supply roll 7 comprises a roll of ink donor flim 5 wound about a paper tube. Since there may occur some unevenness in the manner in which the film is wound about the paper tube, or an error in the positioning of the paper tube relative to the apparatus, it is practically impossible to maintain the surface of the ink donor film 5 in parallel to the axis of the back roll 10.
  • the ink donor film 5 Whenever the ink donor film 5 ceases to be in parallel to the axis of the back roll 10, it imparts a force to either end of the stress absorbing roll unit 9 , so that the ends of the roll unit 9 are raised or lowered in a direction which is perpendicular to the surface of the film 5.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates the principle of the stress absorbing roll unit 9.
  • the unit 9 utilizes the principle of a balancing toy. It comprises a roll 9A, a shaft 9B on which the roll 9A is rotatably supported, a member 9C for supporting the shaft 9B, and a pin 20 which supports the supporting member 9C rotatably on a projection 21 of the frame of the apparatus. If the ink donor film 5 is subjected to any stress when it is travelling, the supporting member 9C is tilted about the pin 20 in the direction in which the stress has been applied. As a result., the unit 9 immediately absorbs the stress acting on the ink donor film 5 , and prevents formation of any wave on the film surface.
  • the pin 20 may advantageously-be connected to the roll unit somewhat loosely, so that the roll 9A may also be displaced to some extent in the direction of-travel of the ink donor film 5 for appropriate removal of any stress acting on the film in the direction of its travel..
  • Fig. 4 illustrates essential components of a copying. device according to the present invention which is capable of automatically selecting either recording paper from a reservoir or recording paper which is manually inserted.
  • This apparatus includes a paper tray 30 from which cut paper 31 is automatically supplied, and a manual paper inlet 32 through which paper is manually supplied into the apparatus.
  • a feed roll 34 begins to rotate clockwise in the direction of an arrow A.
  • the feed roll 34 and a retard roll 35 are positioned opposite to each other in the vicinity of the paper outlet 30a of the paper tray 30.
  • the retard roll 35 is in contact with the feed roll 34, but a one-way clutch(not shown) prevents rotation of the regard roll 35 when the feed roll 34 is rotating clockwise.
  • a drive roll 12 begins rotation, and a back roll 10 is driven thereby, whereby an ink donor sheet 5 having one surface coated with a hot-melt solid ink begins to travel in the direction of an arrow B.
  • the paper 31 joins the ink donor sheet 5 when the former has passed through the path 37.
  • the paper 31 is sandwiched between the back roll 10 and the ink donor sheet 5, and passes along the top of a thermal head 11 in which a heater is provided.
  • the thermal head 11 selectively supplies heat to the ink donor sheet 5 in accordance with pictorial information, whereby molten ink is transferred onto the paper for recording information thereon.
  • the paper having information recorded thereon continues to be sandwiched between the back roll 10 and the ink donor sheet 5, and is transported with the ink donor sheet 5 until it is separated from the ink donor sheet 5 when the latter makes a sharp turn about the drive roll 12. Then, the paper is discharged from the apparatus along a path shown by a broken line 24.
  • the feed roll 34 begins to rotate counterclockwise or in the direction of an arrow C.
  • the retard roll 35 is thereby driven, and begins to rotate clockwise or in the direction of an arrow D.
  • the retard roll 35 is in contact with a guide 36 positioned thereabove, and maintains a predetermined amount of pressure therebetween.
  • the paper 31 is guided along the broken line by the guide 36, and fed forward into the path 37.
  • the manually supplied paper is thereafter transported in the same manner as the paper from the paper tray30, and no description of the subsequent operation is necessary.
  • Fig. 4 utilizes a single light emitter 36 and light receiver 39 at a position where the paths of the automatic and manually supplied paper paths coincide. However, it is sometimes necessary to position the detector further upstream, and this may be troublesome if the paper paths are separated by dividers, or guides.
  • Fig. 5 illustrates a modification of the device of Fig. 4 wherein a single detector monitors two different paper paths.
  • the recorder of Fig. 5 uses a dual passage system consisting of a first passage along which a recording paper fed from a cassette (a paper tray) 30 is transported to a recording station and a second passage along which a recording sheet manually fed through a manual sheet inserting opening 32 by an operator is transported to the recording station.
  • the first passage extends from a recording sheet outlet30A in the cassette 30via contacting portion 40 between a feed roll 34 and a retard rol135 and a space defined by lower paper guides 42 to terminate at a recording stationl1A in which the heating elements of thermal head 11 contact an ink donor film 5.
  • the second passage extends from a space defined by a photosensor 25 and a discharged sheet tray 41 via a contacting portion 42 between the retard roll 35and the discharged sheet tray 4-1 and a space defined by the upper paper guides 43 to terminate at the recording station 11A.
  • a recording paper 31 from one of the transporting passages is pressed against the heating elements of the thermal head 11 through the medium of the ink donor film 5, by means of the back roll 10.
  • Four through-holes 47 are provided in the lower paper guides 42 and the upper paper guides 4 3 at desired points which are so determined that the time necessary for transporting a recording sheet from the point on one passage to the recording station is equal to the time necessary for transporting a recording sheet from the point on the other passage to the recording station.
  • a light emitting element 38 for emitting a light ray 48 is disposed above these through-holes and a light receiving element 39 is disposed below these through-holes.
  • the optical path 48 is intersected by the paper, and the light receiving element detects the leading edge of the recording paper.
  • the back roll 10 starts rotating in the direction of arrow B. and the ink donor film 5 is caused to travel.
  • the recording paper is joined with the ink donor film 5, and the recording paper passes the contacting portion 11A, as the paper is held between the back roll 10 and the ink donor film.
  • Heat is selectively applied through the donor film to the recording paper from the thermal head 11 according to picture information, whereby an image is thermally transferred to the recording paper.
  • the recording paper is thereafter separated from the ink donor film 5, travels in the direction of arrow C, and is delivered to the tray 41.
  • the photo-sensor 25 detects the presence of the recording paper.
  • the feed roll 34 starts rotating in a direction of arrow D.
  • the retard roll 35 follows the rotation of the feed roll 34, thus rotating in the direction of arrow E, thereby transporting the recording paper from the contacting portion 42 forward.
  • the recording paper travels downward along the upper paper guides 43.
  • the light receiving element 39 detects the recording paper.
  • the controlling operation in the succeeding steps is the same as those described above. The machine will thus work identically in either mode as long as the elapsed time to the recording station from the detection point in each passage is the same.
  • Fig. 6 illustrates a compact desk-top copying machine according to this invention.
  • the printer is comprised of a recording station 11A for carrying out heat transfer recording at a position where a thermal head 11 and a back roll 10 come into contact, a travelling mechanism for delivering the recording paper 31 piled on.a cassette 30, or paper fed manually from a manual paper feeding port 32, into a catch tray 41 through said recording station 11A, a travelling mechanism for delivering a heat recording medium i.e.
  • a heat-sensitive ink donor film 5 from a feed roll 8 through said recording section 11A to recover on a take-up roll 14, a photo-emitting element 38 and a photo-receiving element 39 detecting the recording paper in front of said recording station 11A, a control circuit 54 controlling the operation of both of said travelling mechanisms upon the detection of the recording paper, and other parts.
  • the feeding of the recording paper to the recording station 11A will first be described, and is similar to that described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. It is assumed that a starting button (not shown) for commencement of the recording operation is pushed while no recording paper is inserted into the manual paper feeding port32. At this time, a sensor 25 consisting of an optical detector or a microswitch, for example, does not detect any manually inserted recording paper, and the control circuit 54 therefore operates an automatic paper feed. Thus; the control circuit 54 rotates the first motor 57 which causes rotation of a paper delivery roll 58 contacting the lowest layer of the recording paper 31 piled in the cassette 30 and also rotates a paper feed roll 34 disposed near the outlet of the cassette 30 both being rotated in a clockwise direction.
  • a retard roll 35 contacting the paper feed roll 34 does not follow the clockwise rotation of the paper feed roll 34 due to operaton of one-way clutch (not shown) but instead remains substantially stationary. Accordingly, even when a plurality of recording papers have been delivered at one time by the paper delivery roll 58, the retard roll will block the upper sheets and the recording paper will be delivered sheet by sheet from between the paper feed roll 34 and the retard roll 35 owing to the function of the retard roll 35.
  • the recording paper thus delivered advances, being guided by guide plates 62, 63 and joins with the heat sensitive medium 5 near the back roll 10. Both are conveyed to the recording section llAwith the recording paper being held between the peripheral surface of the back roll 10 and the heat recording medium 5.
  • the operator inserts the recording paper through the manual paper feeding inlet 32 and pushes the start button.
  • the sensor 25 for manual operation detects the existence of the recording paper so that the control circuit54 starts the operation of the manual paper feeding.
  • the control circuit 54 rotates the paper feed roll 34 in a counterclockwise direction while stopping the rotation of the paper delivery roll 58.
  • the retard roll 35 follows the rotation of the paper feed roll 34 when the latter rotates in this direction, and the retard roll 35 therefore rotates in a clockwise direction.
  • the retard roll 35 contacts the lower surface of the catch tray 41 disposed thereabove with a predetermined pressure, and feeds the recording paper forwardly with its rotation.
  • the recording paper thus delivered forwardly advances,.being guided by the guide plates 62, 63 and is conveyed to the recording section11A after joining with the heat recording medium 5.
  • the position detecting mechanism is similar to that described above with reference to Figs. 4 and 5.
  • holes 6 2 A, 63 A are formed at optional positions where the conveying times of the recording paper from either source to the recording section 11A becomes respectively equal, and a photo-emitting element 38 and a photo-receiving element 39 are arranged face to face on a line connecting these holes. Accordingly, when the recording paper is delivered from the cassette 30, or through the manual paper feed port 32 , and the leading edge of the recording paper reaches a position at which the light ray emitted by the photo-emitting element 38 is interrupted, the photo-receiving element 39 detects the leading edge of the recording paper.
  • the control circuit mentioned above starts counting time from this moment, and rotates the second drive motor 64 at a later time when the leading edge of the paper and the heat recording medium 5 join together. Consequently the take-up roll 14 and a drive roll 12 are driven, and the heat recording. medium 5, passed around stress absorbing roll 9, guide roll 67, back roll 10, drive roll 12 and guide 68, commences to travel. As a result, after the heat transfer recording of the recording paper is carried out at the recording sectionllA,the recording paper is conveyed up to the contact point of the back roll 10and the drive roll 12.
  • the heat recording medium 5 changes its direction abruptly along the periphery of the drive roll 12 at a time point at which it has passed said contact point.
  • the recording paper being unable to follow the heat recording medium 5, is peeled off therefrom. Since the tip end of the guide 69 is disposed close to the periphery of the drive roll 12, transfer of the recording paper in the direction of guide roll 68 is prevented even if the peeling is affected only at the leading edge of the recording paper, whereby the recording paper can be positively separated from the heat recording medium 5.
  • the recording paper thus separated from the heat recording medium 5 is guided by a guide 69 and is discharged outside of the apparatus by a discharging feed roll 71 contacting therewith, and is received in the catch tray 4L
  • the photo-receiving element 39 detects the rear end of the recording paper at a time slightly before the rear end of the recording paper reaches the recording section 11A.
  • the control circuit 54 stops the rotation of the first .drive motor 57.
  • the control circuit stops the travelling of the heat recording medium 5.
  • a signal for commencement of automatic feed of the recording paper can be generated in accordance with the detection signal at the rear end of each sheet of recording paper.
  • the recording paper 31 and the heat recording medium 5, in which a heat-sensitive solid ink layer 52 has been formed on the base paper 51, are overlapped near the recording section in such a manner that the solid ink 'layer 52 comes in contact with the recording paper, and heat is supplied to the heat recording medium 5 selectively in accordance with picture information from a heat-generating resitor 11B of the thermal head 11.
  • the ink 52A melted or sublimated is tranferred onto the recording paper 31, while the ink 52B maintained in a solid state is caused to remain on the heat recording medium 5.
  • the back roll 10 is pressed against the heat-generating resistor 11B through the recording paper 31 and heat recording medium 5. Accordingly, if pressing is effected in a state that waving is produced in the recording medium 5, wrinkles are produced on the heat recording medium in the recording section 11A and it may not be possible to obtain a satisfactory heat transfer recording. Since the thicknessof the heat recording medium 5 is usually 20 microns or less, stress applied in the width direction of the heat recording medium 5 becomes non-uniform if there is a positional error in the travelling system, and this increases the possibility of forming wrinkles.
  • the stress absorbing roll 9. and a brake mechanism shown in Fig. 6 are mechanisms for preventing the formation of the wrinkles.
  • the stress absorbing roll 9 as described more fully with reference to Figs. 2 and 3, the inclination of the roll contacting with the heat recording medium 5 is made variable, whereby the non-uniform stress can be absorbed.
  • the brake mechanism 72 a tension is applied on . the heat -recording medium 5 by restraining the rotation of the feed roll 8, thus helping to prevent the generation of waving and wrinkles on the heat recording medium 5.
  • the diameters of the feed roll and the take-up roll are successively varied with the use of the heat recording medium 5.
  • the take-up roll 14 is driven through a slip clutch (not shown) whereby the rotating speed thereof reduces in accordance with the increase in its diameter.
  • a belt (not shown) is passed through the back roll 10 and the discharge feed roll 71, so that the driving mechanism is more simplified than a conventional apparatus where the discharge feed roll 1 is driven through a separate driving source.
  • the printer described above utilizes a heat-generating element having an applied power of 0.64 W, and 8 dots/mm, and the recording time of 1 line scanning is set to 2.6 ms, it is possible to obtain a recording (reflection) density of 1.4 or more, which corresponds to a recording of 10 sheets in 1 minute with A4 JIS with a scanning of 7.7 dots/mm.
  • Figs-. 8 and 9 The embodiment of Figs-. 8 and 9 is sinilar to that of Fig. 6.
  • the reference numeral 81 designates a housing, 82 a set of rubber legs of the housing, 5 an ink donor sheet which is driven in the direction of the arrows.
  • the reference numeral 11 designates a thermal head assembly to which video signals for each line on an original document to be copied are supplied from the exterior of the housing 81 as is known in the art.
  • Designated at 85 is an automatic paper supply tray in which a stack of about 250 sheets of copying paper are placed, and at 86 is an automatic paper supply guide having on the underside thereof a pair of feed rollers58, 34 rotatable at an equal speed for feeding sheets of copying paper one by one downwardly to the right.
  • a slot 32 is disposed at an intermediate portion of the guide 86so that an extra sheet of copying paper can be inserted by hand from the slot 32 for extra copying while the automatic copying operation is being carried out.
  • Designated at 41 is a tray into which copied sheets of paper are discharged.
  • the operation of the copying machine is as follows:
  • the stackedsheets of copying paper in the automatic paper supply tray 85 are fed downwardly from the lower side of the stack , and the leading edges of the sheets of recording paper come into contact with the feed roller 58 for further downward movement.
  • the sheets of copying paper pass between the feed roller 58 and a pinch roller88, the pinch roller 88 being urged against the periphery of the feed roller to limit the number of the sheets of copying paper to several.
  • Such several sheets of copying paper go downwardly until the leading .edges of the sheets of copying paper contact the periphery of the feed roller 34 and then enter betweeen the feed roller 34 and a retard roller 35 rotatable in the same direction as the feed roller 34 and held in contact therewith so that only a single sheet of copying paper can pass.
  • the two feed rollers 58, 34 in this embodiment are driven by a common step motor 91 through a belt.
  • a register sensor 89 is energized and a predetermined time later the motor go is energized for feeding the ink donor sheet 5.
  • a motor 90 in this embodiment is a step motor for winding the donor sheet 5 from a donor sheet supply reel 8 around a takeup reel 14 via the thermal head assembly 11. Simultaneously therewith, the step motor 91 for feeding paper is de-energized. Thus preparations for copying operation are completed.
  • the donor sheet 5 is driven. intermittently in a step-like manner for simultaneous line-by-line duplication.
  • the paper to be copied, the paper copied, the ink donor sheet 5, and the donor sheet take-up reel 1 are driven by the common step motor 90.
  • the paper to be-copied is sandwiched between the donor sheet 5 and the periphery of a back roller 10 for printing or copying as it passes the thermal head assembly, and the copied sheet is then discharged into a discharge tray 41 such that the copied or printed side of the copied paper faces upwardly.
  • the extra sheet of copying paper than travels around the retard roller 35 to the thermal head assembly 11, at which time that leading edge of the extra sheet of copying paper is sensed by a sensor 92.
  • the retard roller 35 is driven by either the step motor 91 or a separate step motor (not shown).
  • the extra sheet of copying paper takes the same course of travel as the normal sheet of copying paper for automatic copying operation. In such an extra copying operation, the leading edge of the extra sheet of copying paper is sensed by a sensor 92.
  • the paper supply tray, the guide for extra copying paper, and the discharge tray are all arranged in the upper portion of the machine, resulting in a very compact machine having a width substantially equal to the width of copying paper. Further, this arrangement provides utmost convenience for handling and maintenance.
  • the ink donor film and the recording paper are supplied from different sources of supply as hereinabove described.
  • This arrangement makes it possible to control tension on the ink donor film independently, thereby preventing its 'slackening' more effectively.
  • the guide roll (guide mechanism) provided between the supply roll and the back roll as shown in the embodiment further facilitates the control of tension on the ink donor film.
  • This invention can advantageously prevent 'slackening' of the ink donor film, even if any change in humidity causes the recording paper to contract, since it is only immediately prior to their entry into the recording station that the ink donor film and the recording paper are superposed on each other. Wrinkles are further prevented if moveable stress absorbing roller and/or- brake mechanism are provided.
  • this invention enables the operator of the apparatus to change over paper without taking any other trouble than furnishing paper. Moreover, despite the provision of both automatic and manual paper paths, the apparatus of this invention is inexpensive, and compact in construction, since the retard roll is utilized for transporting manually supplied paper. Also, with a single detection element serving plural passages, adjustment of the sheet position is simplified and the reliability of the transport mechanism is enhanced while the device is still compact, and less costly.
  • the device according to the present invention is compact while still permitting the recording paper and the heat recording medium to travel by respective travelling mechanism whereby heat transfer recording can be carried out simply with any paper including manually fed paper. Furthermore, since means for detecting the position of the recording paper is provided and the operational sequence of the two sets of independent travelling mechanisms are controlled in accordance with the detection, it is possible to transport the donor sheet only when recoridng is required, which reduces the expense considerably.
  • the machine according to this invention can be used as a printer for the output of a word processor through an interface circuit, a printer for a facsimile device or a printer for hard copy on CRT display apparatus. Furthermore, it can of course be used as a simple copying machine if combined with a reading device.

Landscapes

  • Electronic Switches (AREA)
  • Impression-Transfer Materials And Handling Thereof (AREA)
EP19810108322 1980-10-17 1981-10-14 Aufzeichnungsapparat mittels Wärmeübertragung Expired EP0050308B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (12)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP144419/80 1980-10-17
JP55144419A JPS5769069A (en) 1980-10-17 1980-10-17 Heat transfer recorder
JP55160797A JPS5784871A (en) 1980-11-17 1980-11-17 Heat transfer recorder
JP160797/80 1980-11-17
JP55170291A JPS5794761A (en) 1980-12-04 1980-12-04 Controlling system for carrying paper
JP55170290A JPS5795488A (en) 1980-12-04 1980-12-04 Position detector for recording paper
JP170291/80 1980-12-04
JP170290/80 1980-12-04
JP174077/80 1980-12-10
JP55174077A JPS5796882A (en) 1980-12-10 1980-12-10 Copying machine
JP178918/80 1980-12-19
JP55178918A JPS57103861A (en) 1980-12-19 1980-12-19 Printer

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0050308A1 true EP0050308A1 (de) 1982-04-28
EP0050308B1 EP0050308B1 (de) 1985-01-30

Family

ID=27552983

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19810108322 Expired EP0050308B1 (de) 1980-10-17 1981-10-14 Aufzeichnungsapparat mittels Wärmeübertragung

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0050308B1 (de)
DE (1) DE3168661D1 (de)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0098033A2 (de) * 1982-06-29 1984-01-11 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Thermodrucker mit Farbübertragung
DE3333537A1 (de) * 1982-09-16 1984-03-22 Ricoh Co., Ltd., Tokyo Aufzeichnungseinrichtung
FR2566704A1 (fr) * 1984-06-29 1986-01-03 Dassault Electronique Dispositif pour l'impression de bandes-temoins de plan de vol pour la navigation aerienne
EP0203595A2 (de) * 1985-05-29 1986-12-03 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Thermischer Tintenstrahldrucker
FR2588213A1 (fr) * 1985-10-07 1987-04-10 Seikosha Kk Detecteur de papier pour une imprimante
US4879268A (en) * 1987-03-30 1989-11-07 Sheldon Dunstan P Multiple document parallel printing apparatus
WO2008053299A2 (en) * 2006-11-03 2008-05-08 Kodak Graphic Communications Canada Company Methods and apparatus for peeling a flexible sheet from a substrate
CN108349677A (zh) * 2016-08-02 2018-07-31 日东电工株式会社 剥离方法

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3648609A (en) * 1966-02-08 1972-03-14 Gerhard Ritzerfeld Apparatus for activating a printing master
US4039832A (en) * 1975-09-03 1977-08-02 Ab Carl Lamm Apparatus for thermographic duplication of information comprising a curve or cam member for axial movement of dye carrier

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3648609A (en) * 1966-02-08 1972-03-14 Gerhard Ritzerfeld Apparatus for activating a printing master
US4039832A (en) * 1975-09-03 1977-08-02 Ab Carl Lamm Apparatus for thermographic duplication of information comprising a curve or cam member for axial movement of dye carrier

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0098033A2 (de) * 1982-06-29 1984-01-11 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Thermodrucker mit Farbübertragung
EP0098033A3 (en) * 1982-06-29 1985-12-27 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Thermal ink-transfer printing apparatus
DE3333537A1 (de) * 1982-09-16 1984-03-22 Ricoh Co., Ltd., Tokyo Aufzeichnungseinrichtung
FR2566704A1 (fr) * 1984-06-29 1986-01-03 Dassault Electronique Dispositif pour l'impression de bandes-temoins de plan de vol pour la navigation aerienne
EP0203595A3 (de) * 1985-05-29 1988-11-02 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Thermischer Tintenstrahldrucker
EP0203595A2 (de) * 1985-05-29 1986-12-03 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Thermischer Tintenstrahldrucker
FR2588213A1 (fr) * 1985-10-07 1987-04-10 Seikosha Kk Detecteur de papier pour une imprimante
US4879268A (en) * 1987-03-30 1989-11-07 Sheldon Dunstan P Multiple document parallel printing apparatus
WO2008053299A2 (en) * 2006-11-03 2008-05-08 Kodak Graphic Communications Canada Company Methods and apparatus for peeling a flexible sheet from a substrate
WO2008053299A3 (en) * 2006-11-03 2011-03-03 Kodak Graphic Communications Canada Company Methods and apparatus for peeling a flexible sheet from a substrate
CN102112316A (zh) * 2006-11-03 2011-06-29 加拿大柯达图形通信公司 从基底剥离可挠片层的方法及装置
US8110069B2 (en) 2006-11-03 2012-02-07 Kodak Graphic Communications Canada Company Methods and apparatus for peeling a flexible sheet from a substrate
CN108349677A (zh) * 2016-08-02 2018-07-31 日东电工株式会社 剥离方法
CN108349677B (zh) * 2016-08-02 2020-09-01 日东电工株式会社 剥离方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE3168661D1 (en) 1985-03-14
EP0050308B1 (de) 1985-01-30

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