EP0439934B1 - Gerät zum Drucken von Bildern auf Broschüren - Google Patents

Gerät zum Drucken von Bildern auf Broschüren Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0439934B1
EP0439934B1 EP19900313575 EP90313575A EP0439934B1 EP 0439934 B1 EP0439934 B1 EP 0439934B1 EP 19900313575 EP19900313575 EP 19900313575 EP 90313575 A EP90313575 A EP 90313575A EP 0439934 B1 EP0439934 B1 EP 0439934B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
booklet
page
images
printing
platen
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19900313575
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English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0439934A1 (de
Inventor
Kazuhiko C/O Intellectual Property Div. Higuchi
Shuzo C/O Intellectual Property Div. Hirahara
Tutomu C/O Intellectual Property Division Saito
Hitoshi C/O Intellectual Property Div. Nagato
Akito C/O Intellectual Property Division Iwamoto
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.)
Toshiba Corp
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Toshiba Corp
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Publication date
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Publication of EP0439934A1 publication Critical patent/EP0439934A1/de
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Publication of EP0439934B1 publication Critical patent/EP0439934B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B42—BOOKBINDING; ALBUMS; FILES; SPECIAL PRINTED MATTER
    • B42D—BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS
    • B42D9/00—Bookmarkers; Spot indicators; Devices for holding books open; Leaf turners
    • B42D9/04—Leaf turners
    • 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
    • B41J13/00—Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, specially adapted for supporting or handling copy material in short lengths, e.g. sheets
    • B41J13/10—Sheet holders, retainers, movable guides, or stationary guides
    • B41J13/22—Clamps or grippers
    • B41J13/223—Clamps or grippers on rotatable drums
    • 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
    • B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
    • B41J3/28—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes, envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers
    • 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
    • B41J3/00—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed
    • B41J3/28—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes, envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers
    • B41J3/283—Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for printing downwardly on flat surfaces, e.g. of books, drawings, boxes, envelopes, e.g. flat-bed ink-jet printers on bank books or the like

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an apparatus for printing images on booklets or books such as the passbook and the note and, more particularly, it relates to an apparatus for printing the images on the booklets and enabling the booklets to be more easily treated.
  • the top or bottom of the booklet had to be directed in a predetermined direction when the booklet was inserted into the apparatus, thereby making it hesitative to insert the booklet into the apparatus.
  • the image in high tone or full color is recorded using three primary color inks of yellow, magenta and cyanogen (or four color inks further including black) and successively piling these inks one by one. It was difficult to record these color inks several times on the page of the booklet such as the passbook and the note, and any of the images in high tone or full color was not recorded on the booklet accordingly. Further, in order to record images near to the seam of the booklet, the booklet must be opened to the fullest and when such a booklet that had too many pages was opened to the fullest, the seam portion of the booklet was often damaged.
  • the object of the present invention is therefore to provide an apparatus for printing images on booklets and enabling the booklets to be more easily inserted into the apparatus without feeling any hesitation, images in full color to be recorded on pages of the booklets with a higher accuracy and the images to be recorded on the pages of the booklets until the printing of these images comes near to seams of the booklets without adding any damage to the booklets, when the images are to be recorded on the pages of the booklets such as the passbook and the note.
  • DE-A-1935548 does disclose an apparatus for printing images on booklets, but this apparatus requires the top or bottom of the booklet to be directed in a predetermined direction when the booklet is inserted into the apparatus.
  • an apparatus for printing images on booklets comprising: printing means for printing images on the page of the booklet characterized by comprising; layout process means for changing the layout of the recorded images responsive to whether the booklet on the page of which the images are to be recorded is inserted into the apparatus with its top or bottom brought ahead and printing the images on the page of the booklet through the printing means.
  • the apparatus may include at least one of those means which serve to invert the images to be recorded, convert the images rightside left, that is, make mirror images, and change the arrangement of column and row images, that is rotate the images by 90°.
  • those means which serve to invert the images to be recorded convert the images rightside left, that is, make mirror images, and change the arrangement of column and row images, that is rotate the images by 90°.
  • the images are to be recorded on a page of the booklet from the "bottom" of the page to the "top” thereof, the images are processed to inverted images, subjected to the image-by-conversion process, depending upon the arrangement of the apparatus and the use of images recorded pages of the booklet, so as to align the top and bottom of the recorded images with those of the booklet.
  • Figs. 1 through 5 show the arrangement of main systems and how they are operated in the apparatus for printing images on booklets according to the present invention.
  • Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a section for processing images and layouts.
  • a booklet or book 1 (such as the book, note and passbook) is conveyed through systems of the apparatus in a direction A, while keeping its seam line 1d perpendicular to the direction A and its cover 1a open.
  • Upper and lower guides 2 and 3 each of which comprises plural guide members are arranged along the conveying direction of the booklet 1, having between them an interval a little larger than the thickness of the booklet 1.
  • a conveying path is formed between these upper and lower guides 2 and 3 and the booklet 1 is conveyed along the conveying path between the upper and the lower guides.
  • Upper and lower inlet rollers 4 and 5 are located at a certain position on the conveying path, contacting each other between the upper and the lower guides, while upper and lower outlet rollers 6 and 7 are also located at another certain position on the conveying path, contacting each other between the upper and the lower guides.
  • the interval between the inlet rollers 4, 5 and the outlet rollers 6, 7 is set smaller than the length of the open booklet 1 in the conveying direction.
  • the rollers 5 and 7 are rotated forward and backward by a reversible motor 8.
  • the rotation force of the reversible motor 8 is transmitted to the rollers 5 and 7 by belts 9 and 10 which are stretched between the motor 8 and the roller 5 and between the roller 5 and the roller 7, respectively.
  • the rollers 5 and 7 are same in diameter and they are therefore rotated at a same speed.
  • the follower rollers 4 and 6 are contacted with the drive rollers 5 and 7, respectively, with a certain pressure but each of them has no independent drive source and they are rotated, associating with the rollers 5 and 7 rotated.
  • the roller 6 which is contacted with the roller 7 is rotatably held by the free end of an arm member 11, whose base end is supported by the apparatus body (not shown) so as to swing round a shaft 12.
  • a tension coil spring 13 is connected to a further end 11a of the arm 11 which is projected from the base end of the member 11, while the other end of the tension coil spring 13 is connected to a direct-acting rod 14a of a direct-acting actuator 14.
  • the direct-acting rod 14a is reciprocated as shown by arrows to swing the arm member 11 round the shaft 12 through the tension coil spring 13. The force with which the follower roller 6 is pressed against the drive roller 7 can be thus changed.
  • the actuator 14 is not driven with its direct-acting rod 14a retreated, however, the roller 6 is lightly contacted with the roller 7.
  • a printer system is located above middle guide members 2b and 3b.
  • the upper guide member 2b is supported by the apparatus body in such a way that it can slide in the longitudinal direction thereof to open the upper side of the conveying path
  • the lower guide member 3b is also supported by the apparatus body in such a way that it can swing round its right end to open the underside of the conveying path.
  • a recording head 15 is of the heat-sensitive thermal type intended to add heat to an ink ribbon 16 to carry out the heat transfer printing.
  • the ink ribbon 16 includes three primary colors of yellow, magenta and cyanogen (which will be referred to as YMC), for example, and further black, if necessary, to carry out letter printing and color image printing.
  • a platen 17 is rotatably supported by the apparatus body, opposing to the head 15, with the ink ribbon 16 interposed between them.
  • the platen 17 is rotated round a shaft 18 by an actuator (not shown).
  • a roller 20 which can be rotated by a drive source (not shown), independently of the platen 17, is located adjacent to the platen 17 and both of these roller 20 and platen 17 are connected to each other by an arm plate 21 to keep the interval between their rotation centers 18 and 19 certain.
  • the arm 21 is supported by the apparatus body to rotate round the rotation shaft 18.
  • the peripheral surface of the roller 20 is made of such a material as has a large friction coefficient. As shown in Fig.
  • a part of the outer circumference of the platen 17 is cut away to form a flat face 22 and when it is viewed from its side, therefore, its profile consists of a partial circle and a straight line.
  • a holding plate 23 which can rotate round the rotation shaft 18 is attached to one end face of the platen 17.
  • a member (or rubber, for example) 24 having a large friction coefficient is fixed to that portion of the holder 23 which extends from the free end of the plate 23 at an angle of 90° and which faces the outer circumference of the platen 17.
  • a tension spring 25 is stretched between a protrusion 17a on the side face of the platen 17 and another protrusion 23 on the holder 23. The holder 23 is urged by the tension spring 25 to contact the friction member 24 with the outer circumference of the platen 17.
  • a guide plate 26 is arranged to linearly connect the outer circumferences of the platen 17 and roller 20 (or to substantially align with the tangential lines of them).
  • the guide plate 26 is fixed to the arm 21.
  • the booklet 1 is conveyed at first. As shown in Fig. 1, the open booklet 1 which has been conveyed through various systems (not shown) is positioned left in Fig. 1 to be conveyed in the direction A. The front rim of the cover 1a which corresponds to a right page of the booklet 1 is sandwiched between the rollers 4 and 5 and when the roller 5 is rotated clockwise by the motor 8, the conveying of the booklet 1 is started in the direction A. The booklet 1 moves between the forward guide members 2a and 3a and then between the middle guide members 2b and 3b, using the space between the guides 2 and 3 as its conveying path.
  • the roller 20 is rotated in a direction B in Fig. 2 by its drive source and the left page 1b is thus turned over (as shown by 1b' in Fig. 2).
  • the guide member 3b is swung round its right end to retreat downward (as shown in Fig. 3), thereby preventing a second page and its following pages from being turned over.
  • the left page 1b is thus kept floating, with its rear end mounted on the guide plate 26.
  • the rotation of the roller 20 is stopped to control the second page and its following pages not to be turned over.
  • the process of holding the page 1b of the booklet 1 on the platen 17 is then started.
  • the rollers 7 and 20 are rotated in the reverse direction (or anticlockwise as shown by an arrow in Fig. 3) to move the booklet 1 in a direction reverse to the direction A.
  • the roller 20 may be left not rotated in this case.
  • the left page 1b is thus fed upward on the guide plate 26 and its rear rim reaches the surface of the platen 17.
  • the cam or pin (not shown) is released allowing the holder 23 to be pulled by the spring to press and fix the rear rim of the left page 1b on the platen 17. Because the guide member 3b is retreated downward as described above, the booklet 1 is supported on the guide member 3b in such a way that its front cover 1a is held between the outlet rollers 6 and 7, that its left page 1b is held by the platen 17 and the holder 23, and that its other pages including its back cover 1c are hung, as shown in Fig. 3. The motor 8 is stopped under this state. The platen 17 is rotated anticlockwise when or before the left page 1b of the booklet 1 is pressed onto the platen 17.
  • the process of printing images on the left page 1b of the booklet 1 is then started.
  • the guide plate 26 is a little swung clockwise round the rotation shaft 18 by the actuator (not shown) which serves to swing the arm 21 to thereby retreat the roller 20 near the guide member 2a.
  • Control signal is applied to the actuator 14 at the same time and the direct-acting rod 14a is extended.
  • the force with which the follower roller 6 is pressed against the drive roller 7 is thus little reduced, while the motor 8 is rotated to rotate the drive roller 7 clockwise (or in a direction reverse to the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 3).
  • the booklet 1 the rear rim of the left page 1b of which is sandwiched between the platen 17 and the press member 24 is fed by the rotating platen 17 while slipping its right page or front cover 1a between the rollers 7 and 6. Namely, tension is added to the left and right pages in reverse directions, allowing both of them to form a same plane. While keeping both of them under this state, the platen 17 is further rotated in a direction C (in Fig. 4) and printing is applied to the left page 1b.
  • the head 15 presses the ink ribbon 16 against the left page 1b of the booklet 1 during the printing process and the YMC are scanned three times one by one to print images and others on the left page 1b of the booklet 1. Needless to say, the YMC can be scanned one time to achieve the printing.
  • the systems of the apparatus are controlled to carry out operations reverse to those of them done in the above and the booklet 1 is returned to the state shown in Fig. 2.
  • the motor 8 is again driven to rotate the roller 7, the booklet 1 is conveyed to a next section where a next process is applied to it.
  • the arm 21 in Fig. 2 is swung to lift the roller 20 to such a position that no pressure is added to the booklet 1 by the roller 20.
  • the motor 8 is driven at the same time to rotate the roller 7 anticlockwise and the booklet 1 is thus moved in the direction reverse to the direction A while leaving the left page 1b under the state shown by 1b'' in Fig. 2. Because the rear rim of the left page 1b is on the guide plate 26, it is turned over to right side at the time when the seam 1d of the booklet 1 passes over the roller 20. The left page 1b is thus opened to the right side of the booklet 1.
  • the roller 7 is again rotated in the reverse direction to move the booklet 1 in the direction A and keep it under the state shown in Fig. 2. The process of turning over a next page of the booklet and printing images on it can be thus made ready.
  • the booklet comprises binding its pages as a unit along a seam line.
  • tension is added to those pages which are different from the one to be printed (and which include front and back covers), therefore, this tension is transmitted even to the page to be printed.
  • same tension as the one added can be transmitted to the page to be printed.
  • those members of a holder system by which both sides of the printed page adjacent to its seam are held may be driven in reverse directions along the seam line of the printed page.
  • those areas of the printed page which are held and pulled by the members of the holder system may become smaller.
  • tension is added to the pages different from the one to be printed. It is also more advantageous to add tension to those pages (or front and back covers) of the booklet which are thicker.
  • tension is added to the front cover 1a of the booklet 1 in the conveying direction by the outlet rollers 6 and 7, thereby allowing the front cover 1a and the left page 1b to form a plane, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Providing that a page following the left page 1b is to be printed, the left page 1b will be turned over to the position of the front cover 1a in Fig. 4.
  • the pulling force is added to the booklet 1 by the rollers 6 and 7 in the direction perpendicular to the seam line of the booklet 1, but it may act on the booklet in any direction if tension is added to the booklet in the direction. Further, same functional merit can be achieved even when tension is added to the booklet using other systems except the rollers. Furthermore, in order to achieve the characteristic of the present embodiment which resides in that tension is added to optional pages to print images and others on the left page 1b of the booklet 1, the system employed by the present invention to adjust the pressing contact force may not be used but other conventional systems or methods may be used to add tension to the booklet.
  • the present embodiment is also characterized by the system for adjusting the pressing contact force of the roller 6 relative to the roller 7 through the actuator 14. Only the pressing contact force of the roller 6 relative to the roller 7 is changed in this case while keeping the rotating speed of the roller 6 certain. Let us think a case where only the rotating speed of the roller 6 is changed while keeping the pressing contact force of the roller 6 relative to the roller 7 certain. When tension is to be controlled by the rotating speed of the roller 6, the control will become difficult and the page to be printed will not be pressed against the platen with uniform force because the direction in which the roller 6 is rotated must be made reverse, considering the rotating speed of the platen, as the left page of the booklet is wound further and further round the platen.
  • the roller 7 of the above-described system can be rotated forward and backward by the motor 8.
  • the booklet 1 can be thus moved toward the platen 17 so as to enable the printing process to be smoothly started.
  • the roller 7 can be stopped to hold the booklet 1 not moved. As described above, therefore, the complicated process of turning over the pages of the booklet can be more easily attained by these controls of reversely rotating and stopping the roller 7.
  • the lower guide member 3b will be described.
  • the guide member 3b is retreated downward during the printing process, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
  • the plural pages of the booklet 1 including the back cover 1c (which will be referred to as untreated pages) hang due to their own weight in such a way that their movement is not disturbed.
  • the untreated pages will be curved, covering the surface of the roller 20, while being kept between the guide member 3b and the roller 20. In other words, unnatural force will be added to this curved portion of the untreated pages.
  • the front and back covers of a booklet are usually often made thicker than the other pages thereof to protect the booklet and the curved deformation will influence the life of the booklet.
  • the untreated pages of the booklet hang due to their own weight with their lower ends received by the guide member 3b as seen in the case of the present invention, however, they can be processed while being kept flat, thereby preventing the life of the booklet from being shortened.
  • the lower guide member 3b may be horizontally retreated in the conveying direction as seen in the case of the upper guide member 2b.
  • the platen 17 is a complete cylinder, therefore, the booklet 1 is fully bent along its seam 1d in the reverse direction.
  • the back cover 1c is bent along the seam 1c to oppose the front cover 1a at the angle, however, only the weight of the untreated pages acts on the seam 1d in the reverse direction.
  • the shape of the platen can be variously changed to change the angle as desired.
  • Such downward retreat of the roller 20 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is also intended to prevent the booklet 1 from being curved and the rigidity of the seam 1d from being deteriorated, as described above.
  • the positional relation (or interval) between the platen 17 and the roller 20 can be kept certain at all times. Even when any of the pages of the booklet 1 is turned over by the roller 20, therefore, this page can be accurately placed on the platen 17 at a predetermined position thereof by driving the roller 7.
  • the guide plate 26 extending from the outer circumference of the platen 17 to that of the roller 20 serves as a conveying path for guiding the left page 1b of the booklet 1 from the roller 20 to the platen 17, so that the process of guiding the left page 1b to the platen 17 can be made extremely smooth. It is the most preferable that the guide plate 26 is aligned with the tangential lines of the platen 17 and of the roller 20, but it may be curved if it serves only as the conveying path. The left page 1b of the booklet 1 can be thus accurately held by the holder 23 without being caught or enfolded on the way of its being made ready for printing.
  • the left page 1b of the booklet 1 is face-contacted with the top of the guide plate 26 as shown in Fig. 3, and it can be thus stably held on the guide plate 26 until it begins to be wound round the platen 17. This prevents unnatural force from being added only to the rear rim of the left page 1b (which is pressed by the member 24).
  • Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of a process circuit which comprises a layout process circuit 31, a head drive circuit 32, the aformentioned a printing head 15, a CPU 34 and lines for connecting these circuits.
  • Output signals applied from a video camera or scanner (not shown), or image signals applied from a computer or through transmission lines are converted through a color converter circuit (not shown) to those signals which represent the amounts of ink used in response to the printing head, and they are applied to the layout process circuit 31 through an input line 35.
  • the layout circuit 31 converts the image signals applied to inverted images, images by conversion or (and) vertical-to-traverse converted images, and supplies them to the head drive circuit 32.
  • the head drive circuit 32 converts the converted image signals to pulse signals having widths for controlling energy (or printing energy) applied to each of exoergic resistors of the thermal (or recording) head 15, and it supplies them to the thermal head 15.
  • This embodiment example of the present invention uses a thermal head of the line type in which 1536 pieces or pixels of the exoergic resistors are arranged to record 1536 pieces of data per line at the same time. To clarify the description, however, it is assumed in Figs. 8 and 9 that one line comprises 10 pixels of data and that the number of data per page is 80 pixels.
  • Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an arrangement of the layout process circuit 31.
  • a buffer memory 40 has such a capacity that allows at least the image data of one color which is recorded by the printing head 15 shown in Fig. 6 to be stored one time, and a line memory 41 can store the image data of one line scanned by the printing head 15.
  • a layout control section 44 controls memory control sections 42 and 43 responsive to those commands of the CPU 34 which tell whether or not any of the inverted image, image by inversion and vertical-to-traverse conversion to be processed is present.
  • One memory control section 42 has a function of selecting line and column addresses in the buffer memory 40 through two address counters (not shown) to control both of data writing into and data reading out of the buffer memory 40 as well as another function of carrying out vertical-to-traverse conversion.
  • the other memory control section 43 controls both of data writing into and data reading out of the line memory 41.
  • the address of the line address counter at the memory control section 42 is set 1 and the address of the column address counter at this section is also set 1, and first data is written in the position of number 1.
  • the column address is shifted by an increment of 2 and second data is written in the position of number 2 on line 1 and column 2.
  • the writing of input data is then successively carried out in this manner while shifting the column address successively, and when tenth data is written in the position of number 10, the line address is shifted by an increment of 2 while the column address is set 1, and eleventh data is written in the position of number 11 on line 2 and column 1. This operation is repeated and when 80th data is written in the position of number 80, the writing process is finished.
  • Data are successively read in this manner while shifting the column address successively, and when tenth data is read out of the position of number 80, the line address is shifted to 7 and the column address is set 1. Data stored in the position of number 61 on line 7 and column 1 is thus read as eleventh data.
  • data stored in the position of number 10 is read as 80th data while repeating the above-described operation, the processing of the inverted image is finished.
  • Outputs of the buffer memory 40 are supplied to the line memory 41, where the image by mirror like conversion is processed while carrying out address control through the memory control section 43.
  • the operation of processing the image by inversion is carried out as follows:
  • the address counter of the memory control section 43 is set 1 and first data which is an output of the buffer memory is written in the position of number 1 in Fig. 9. The address of the address counter is then shifted or increased to 2 and second data is written in the position of number 2 in Fig. 9. Data are successively written in this manner while increasing the address successively. When tenth data is written in the position of number 10, the writing of data per line is finished.
  • the reading of data are carried out in the order that data have been written into the line memory 41.
  • the operation of the address counter at the memory control section 43 is therefore carried out in the same manner as in the data writing operation and data are read from number 1 to number 10 successively.
  • the address of the address counter is set 10 and data in the position of number 10 is read as first data.
  • the address is the shifted or decreased to 9 and data in the position of number 9 is read as second data. Data are successively read in this manner while decreasing the address successively, and when tenth data is read out of the position of number 1, the processing of the image by mirror like conversion is finished.
  • the vertical-to-traverse converting process is carried out in such a way that information for carrying out this process is sent from the memory control section 42 to the buffer memory 40 to apply vertical-to-traverse conversion to data in memory 40.
  • the inverted image process of inverting image signals applied the image-by-conversion process of inverting applied image signals from left to right, and the vertical-to-traverse converting process of converting the arrangement of column and line images can be achieved according to the above-described operations.
  • the line memory 41 for processing images by mirror like conversion is provided in addition to the buffer memory 40 in the above-described embodiment of the present invention.
  • the line memory 41 is not necessarily needed but the function of processing images by inversion may be added to the buffer memory 40.
  • the operation of the address counter at the memory control section 43 may be carried out by the column address counter at the memory control section 42 in this case.
  • the buffer memory 40 can carry out the inverted image and image-by-conversion processes and the vertical-to-traverse converting (90°-rotating) process at the same time, thereby reducing the number of hard components such as the line memory and counter used.
  • the buffer memory 40 is also used as an interface buffer to connect means, circuits and transmission paths, some of the memories can be made unnecessary.
  • Inverted images images by inversion and vertical-to-traverse converted images are formed in the above-described embodiment of the present invention at the time when data is read out of the memory, but they may be formed at the time when data is written into the memory.
  • Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing the main portion of the head drive circuit 32
  • Fig. 11A a flow chart showing timings at which data is written into RAMs
  • Fig. 11B a flow chart showing signals which serve to process signals applied from the RAMs.
  • the head drive circuit 32 is of the two-system type to drive the thermal head in two phases.
  • Layout-processed image data signal (or DATA-A in Fig. 11A) which consists of 8 bits per a picture element and which corresponds to one line (the thermal head used in this apparatus has 1536 picture elements and data therefore corresponds to this number of picture elements) is written into two parallel RAMs 60 and 61, respectively.
  • writing timings are determined responsive to writing signal RAM1 WR and reading timings responsive to reading signal RAM1 RD.
  • writing timings are determined responsive to writing signal RAM2 WR and reading timings responsive to reading signal RAM2 RD in the case of the other RAM 61.
  • Output signal applied from these RAMs to correspond to one line includes 1536 pieces of binary data, 256 pieces (or 8 bits) of which correspond to one picture element, as shown by DATA-B in Fig. 11B, and it is applied to a shift registor 50a.
  • Writing time relative to RAM is needed to correspond to 1536 picture elements. This apparatus of the present invention therefore uses two RAMs so as to process these picture elements in real time.
  • Second data of those 256 data which are shown by DATA-B is transferred by 1536 pieces at first to the shift registor 50a. This signal is also sent from the shift registor 50a to another shift registor 50b and input signals applied to these both registors are transferred at the same time responsive to clock signals CLK (1536 pieces of clock signals are represented by one box in Fig. 11B). Outputs applied from these registors 50a and 50b are inputted in parallel to latch circuits 51a and 51b and latch-processed therein and sent to gate circuits 52a and 52b. Enable signals EN1 and EN2 each of which corresponds to half line are alternately supplied to the gate circuits 52a and 52b.
  • This apparatus of the present invention employs the heat transfer printing or thermal printing which uses subliming dyestuff ink. According to this type recording, that amount of dyestuff ink which is about proportional to the quantity of heat of the thermal head is recorded and this is suitable for full color recording. As described above about the system of the thermal head, this thermal head is intended to form recorded images on a page while pressing the page against the platen roller through the ink ribbon and selectively applying current to the exoergic resistors arranged in lines to heat and sublime the dyestuff ink.
  • temperature data of the thermal head 15 is fed back to the head drive circuit 32.
  • This is intended to appropriately control the amount of energy created by current applied responsive to temperatures of the thermal head itself detected, because the amount of ink transferred becomes different, depending upon heat stored in the thermal head itself and environmental temperature, even when the amount of energy created by current applied is kept same.
  • the amount of this current energy is 100%, as shown in Fig. 12, when temperature is normal (or Tn), a certain amount of ink can be transferred onto the pate at all times regardless of the state of heat stored in the thermal head by using the above-mentioned control to reduce the amount of the current energy as temperature rises but to increase it as temperature falls.
  • Temperature detection of the thermal head is made in such a manner that a thermistor 15a for temperature detection is connected to the thermal head 15 and that output of this thermistor is applied to the head drive circuit 32 through an A/D converter 15b, as shown in Fig. 13.
  • a thermistor 15a for temperature detection is connected to the thermal head 15 and that output of this thermistor is applied to the head drive circuit 32 through an A/D converter 15b, as shown in Fig. 13.
  • pulse widths of enable signals EN1 and EN2 supplied to the gate circuits 52a and 52b shown in Fig. 10 are reduced to those A1 and B2 shown in Fig. 14 or that amplitude values of output voltages of the drivers 53a and 53b are reduced from A1 and B1 to A3 and B3 in Fig. 14.
  • Images recorded by the subliming dyestuff ink can be used as they are, but it is preferable from the viewpoint of protecting the recorded images and preventing the printing ink from fading that the images are covered by a film of transparent plastics.
  • the usual laminating process can be conducted in this case, using the heat sealing and stitching manners.
  • Fig. 15 shows a booklet open.
  • the booklet such as the passbook often has a top and a bottom, as shown in Fig. 15.
  • images such as recorded letters, pictures and symbols can be viewed as they must be.
  • the printing is conducted on the page from the "top” of the page to the "bottom” thereof or from the “bottom” of the page to the "top” thereof, depending upon pages on which images are to be recorded.
  • the printing position of the booklet is set to the last dot column of the last line (one line consists of 16 or 32 dots) to be printed and data which corresponds to the last dot column of the last line (or line on which the letters "XYZ ---" are inverted) is printed on the printing position of the booklet thus set.
  • the booklet is then successively advanced by one dot and printing is conducted until it comes to the first dot column of the first line (first manner).
  • the first line on a page of the booklet to be printed is brought to the position of the head 15 and data which corresponds to the last line (or line on which the letters "ABC ---" are inverted) shown in Fig. 15B is printed at first on the first line on the page of the booklet.
  • the booklet is then retreated by one line and data is printed on a next line.
  • the printing is successively conducted on the page of the booklet in this manner while successively retreating the booklet by one line (second manner).
  • the position of the booklet must be set in such a way that it is calculated how many lines are to be printed and that the number of pulses which correspond to the number of these line to be printed is applied to the platen drive motor.
  • the second manner needs a means for detecting the line to be printed from now (or position of the last line printed on the booklet till then). This detector means is also needed in the case of the first manner.
  • a means for detecting whether the booklet is inserted into the apparatus with the "top” or “bottom” thereof brought ahead comprises a light-emitting element 100a and a light-receiving element 100b for receiving light emitted from the light-emitting element 100a and passed through the booklet which is conveyed through the conveying path, as shown in Fig. 1, for example
  • This means can be realized by the following manners, for example.
  • the first manner comprises previously printing a mark at a predetermined position of the booklet (or at rim portion of the opened booklet or at a margin of the printed area thereof), providing a detector (which comprises a combination of an element for emitting light onto the margin of the booklet and another element for receiving the light reflected by or passed through the margin of the booklet to detect whether or not the booklet is printed) on the conveying path in the apparatus, and reading the mark on the booklet by the detector to detect the direction of the booklet depending upon whether or not the mark is on the booklet.
  • a detector which comprises a combination of an element for emitting light onto the margin of the booklet and another element for receiving the light reflected by or passed through the margin of the booklet to detect whether or not the booklet is printed
  • the second manner comprises referring to previously known information which tells that line numbers are in frames at the left end of the booklet such as the passbook, and finding which end of the passbook is inserted ahead into the apparatus depending upon whether the frames are at the left or right end of the passbook.
  • the third manner uses the technique disclosed in the Japanese Patent Disclosure Sho 56-44835.
  • this confirmation is successively started from the first line at that front side of the opened booklet which is inserted into the apparatus. Namely, it can be detected which side of the opened booklet is inserted ahead into the apparatus, depending upon whether the confirmation is shifted from printed lines to unprinted ones or vice versa, as shown in Fig. 17A or 17B.
  • any of the pages of the booklet can be referred to after one of its adjacent pages is turned over in a case where all lines on this adjacent page are left not printed.
  • the direction in which the booklet is inserted into the apparatus can be found from the relation of the printed page of the booklet relative to the unprinted page thereof.
  • the inverted images and images by inversion can be layout-processed on the basis of this confirmed information. A certain layout process may be naturally conducted relative to these images according to the needs of your user.
  • correct printing can be conducted, using the vertical-to-traverse converting process.
  • the direction of the thermal head attached is arranged as shown in Figs. 1 through 5. More specifically, it is arranged that record scanning is directed inward from the edge side of the thermal head of the edge type in which the exoergic resistors are concentrated on the edge of the thermal head. In the case of the usual facsimile and the like, however, the thermal head is arranged in such a way that record scanning is directed outward from the center of the head to the edge thereof.
  • both of the inverted image and image-by-inversion processes are needed in the case of the images recorded on the face A but neither of these processes is needed in the case of the images recorded on the face B because of the direction in which the thermal head is attached.
  • Fig. 16 shows these relations in a table.
  • the booklet (or passbook) must be inserted into the apparatus while keeping it open. Therefore, it may be arranged that the closed booklet is inserted into the apparatus, that pages of the booklet are turned over until a predetermined page thereof on which images are to be recorded is found, and that the images are then recorded on this predetermined page of the booklet.
  • the process of turning over pages of the booklet can be made apparent from the above.
  • the image printing can be made on the front side page of the booklet when the inlet rollers 4 and 5 are located on the right side of the outlet rollers 6 and 7 or at the right ends of the guide members 2c and 3c and the booklet is inserted into the apparatus from the right side of the guide members 2c and 3c in Fig. 1.
  • the common passbook and note whose pages are completely bound by and those booklets whose pages are bound by so as to allow each of the pages to be easily detached from the booklets can be used in the present invention.
  • the apparatus for printing images on booklets includes means for processing inverted images and images by inversion. Therefore, image printing can be achieved, as desired, by a single unit of the printing apparatus, no matter how the booklet may be inserted into the apparatus with its top or bottom brought ahead. Further, image printing in full color can be made on the page of the booklet until the images recorded comes near to the seam of the booklet, without adding any damage to this seam.

Landscapes

  • Electronic Switches (AREA)

Claims (6)

  1. Ein Gerät zum Drucken von Bildern auf Broschüren mit:
    Druckmittel (15), um Bilder auf die Seite der Broschüre zu drucken, gekennzeichnet, indem einschließend:
    Layout- bzw. Gestaltungs-Bearbeitungsmittel (31, 32, 34), um das Layout bzw. die Gestaltung der aufgezeichneten Bilder darauf ansprechend zu ändern. ob die Broschüre (1), auf deren Seite (1b) die Bilder aufgezeichnet werden sollen, in das Gerät mit ihrem oberen bzw. Kopfende oder unteren Ende voran eingeführt wird, und die Bilder auf die Seite der Broschüre durch das Druckmittel (15) zu drucken.
  2. Ein Gerät nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Layout- bzw. Gestaltungs-Bearbeitungsmittel mindestens eines von denjenigen Mittel einschließt, die dazu dienen, die Bilder zu invertieren, sie durch eine Inversion in Bilder zu verarbeiten und auf sie ein Verfahren zur Umwandlung von einer vertikalen zu einer querverlaufenden Anordnung anzuwenden.
  3. Ein Gerät nach Anspruch 1, gekennzeichnet durch Mittel (4, 5), um die Broschüre zu dem Druckmittel zu befördern, während die Seiten der Broschüre offen gehalten werden, und
    Bestimmungsmittel (100a, 100b), um zu bestimmen, ob die Broschüre in das Gerät mit ihrem oberen bzw. Kopfende oder unteren Ende voran eingeführt wird oder nicht: wobei das Bestimmungsmittel mit dem Layout- bzw. Gestaltungs-Bearbeitungsmittel (31, 32, 34) verbunden ist.
  4. Ein Gerät nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Layout- bzw. Gestaltungs-Bearbeitungsmittel ein erstes Speichermittel (40), um Bilddaten zu speichern, die mindestens einer Seite entsprechen, ein zweites Speichermittel (41), um Bilddaten zu speichern, die mindestens einer Zeile entsprechen, Mittel, um die in dem ersten Speichermittel gespeicherten Bilddaten in invertierte Bilder zu verarbeiten, und Mittel einschließt, um die in dem zweiten Speichermittel gespeicherten Bilddaten durch eine Inversion in Bilder zu verarbeiten.
  5. Ein Gerät nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Druckmittel einschließt einen Kopf (15), um die Bilder auf die Seite der Broschüre zu drucken; und
    eine drehbare Platte bzw. Walze (17) mit einem äußeren Umfang, die dem Druckkopf gegenüberliegt; und gekennzeichnet durch
    erstes und zweites Beförderungsmittel (4, 5; 6, 7), um Seiten der geöffneten Broschüre zu dem Druckkopf zu befördern, wobei der Druckkopf (15) und die drehbare Platte bzw. Walze (17) zwischen dem ersten und zweiten Beförderungsmittel (4, 5; 6, 7) angeordnet sind;
    Mittel (20, 26), um eine Seite der geöffneten Broschüre zu dem äußeren Umfang der Platte bzw. Walze (17) zu führen;
    Mittel (24), um das freie Ende der einen Seite an dem äußeren Umfang der Platte bzw. Walze zu fixieren; und
    Mittel (11, 14), um zu veranlassen, daß das zweite Beförderungsmittel die andere Seite der Broschüre hält, aber zuläßt, daß sie in das zweite Beförderungsmittel (6, 7) geschoben wird, wenn das freie Ende der einen Seite auf dem äußeren Umfang der Platte bzw. Walze fixiert ist, und eine Spannung bzw. einen Zug auf die andere Seite der Broschüre anzuwenden, während die Platte bzw. Walze gedreht wird.
  6. Ein Gerät nach Anspruch 5, ferner ein Mittel einschließend, um die eine Seite der Broschüre umzudrehen.
EP19900313575 1989-12-15 1990-12-13 Gerät zum Drucken von Bildern auf Broschüren Expired - Lifetime EP0439934B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP323929/89 1989-12-15
JP32392989 1989-12-15

Publications (2)

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EP0439934A1 EP0439934A1 (de) 1991-08-07
EP0439934B1 true EP0439934B1 (de) 1995-03-29

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DE (1) DE69018237T2 (de)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0684588A1 (de) * 1994-05-27 1995-11-29 International Business Machines Corporation Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Umblättern der Seiten eines Buches
EP0684587A1 (de) * 1994-05-27 1995-11-29 International Business Machines Corporation Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Umblättern der Seiten eines Buches
DE19537742A1 (de) * 1995-10-10 1997-04-17 Torsten Huebler Verfahren und Druckmaschine zum Bedrucken von Vorder- und/oder Rückseite einzelner Blätter eines Produkts in Buch- oder Heftform
US6783067B2 (en) 2000-01-28 2004-08-31 Datacard Corporation Passport production system and method
JP5454874B2 (ja) 2009-06-24 2014-03-26 株式会社東芝 冊子の頁捲り装置

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1935548A1 (de) * 1969-07-12 1971-01-14 Taprogge Gmbh M Vorrichtung zum automatischen Bedrucken des Schnittes von Heften od.dgl.
US3892427A (en) * 1972-12-20 1975-07-01 Dart Ind Inc Personalized computer printed hard covered book
US3982744A (en) * 1972-12-20 1976-09-28 Me-Books Publishing Company Personalized computer printed hard covered book
GB2002291B (en) * 1977-08-09 1982-04-15 Ricoh Kk Copying apparatus and methods of controlling copying apparatus
US4395031A (en) * 1981-09-08 1983-07-26 The Webb Company Apparatus for printing books of signatures and method for same
NL8503006A (nl) * 1985-11-04 1987-06-01 Oce Nederland Bv Werkwijze en inrichting voor het afdrukken van beelden op helften van beide zijden van bladen.
DE3855193T2 (de) * 1987-10-23 1996-09-05 Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd Verfahren zum Herstellen von Büchlein mit einem Lichtbild und Vorrichtung zur Durchführung des Verfahrens

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DE69018237D1 (de) 1995-05-04
DE69018237T2 (de) 1995-08-10
CA2032341A1 (en) 1991-06-16
EP0439934A1 (de) 1991-08-07

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