JP2000211191A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily confirm determination of a recording position without losing advantages of a handy type by setting to an apparatus main body a confirmation window whereby a recording start position to a recording medium can be confirmed. SOLUTION: A handy printer A detachable to a main body printer is separated from the main body printer when used, placed on a recording medium 8 such as a book or the like, and executes recording when a recording start switch 9 is depressed. An interface connector 11 for receiving signals and power source supply to the main body printer is set to a side face of an apparatus main body 10. A record state is displayed by a display part 12 set to an upper part of the apparatus main body 10. Moreover, the handy printer A has a confirmation window 13 set to an upper part in the apparatus main body 10 through which a recording start position of the recording medium 8 can be confirmed. A lighting window 14 for taking external light is set to a lower side face of the apparatus main body 10. The recording start position on the recording medium 8 can be easily visually confirmed with the light entering through the confirmation window 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus capable of recording an image or a character at an arbitrary position on an arbitrary recording medium such as a book or a printed matter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional stationary recording apparatus requires a fixed recording medium suitable for the recording apparatus to output information such as images and characters.
About 6 sheets to about A3 sheets are set and recorded in dedicated or several types of sheet cassettes and trays. Therefore, usable recording media are limited, but the recording position can be set arbitrarily within a range where the recording apparatus can record.

On the other hand, a so-called handy type recording apparatus is not necessarily limited to a sheet-shaped recording medium, and has an advantage that recording can be performed at an arbitrary position on the recording medium. However, there is no effective means for determining the recording start position, or
As in the case of No. 32, a dedicated guide plate for determining the recording position was required.

[0004]

However, in the configuration in which the recording position is determined by using the guide plate, a recording medium that can be positioned with the guide plate attached to the apparatus main body is used. Is effective, but the actual recording position cannot be confirmed when the guide plate is set to the designated recording position with the guide plate removed on the recording medium, and the printer is mounted on the guide for recording. For this reason, when the user attaches the main body to the guide, it will be misaligned,
It is conceivable that the desired recording position is different from the actual recording position. Also, because the guide plate is removable,
Without the guide plate, there arises a problem that positioning for recording at a desired position becomes difficult.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus capable of easily confirming the determination of a recording position without losing the advantage of a handy type. is there.

[0006]

A typical configuration according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a recording apparatus which is mounted on a recording medium and performs recording by a recording means. A confirmation window for confirming the recording start position is provided.

Further, in a recording apparatus which is placed on a recording medium and performs recording by the recording means, an engaging portion which can be engaged with a positioning member attached to the recording medium is provided.

With the above configuration, when a user performs printing as a handy type printer, it is possible to set the printing start position while checking the printing location of the printing medium.

Further, by providing an engaging portion capable of engaging with the positioning member attached to the recording medium, the positioning of the recording apparatus with respect to the recording medium is facilitated by engaging the engaging portion with the positioning member. The setting of the recording start position is reliably performed.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment Next, a recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an explanatory perspective view of a handy type recording apparatus detachable from the main body printer.
FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory view of the configuration, FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view showing the configuration of the main body printer, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a recording control procedure.

A handy type recording apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a "handy printer") A shown in FIG. 1 is detachable from a main body printer B shown in FIG. 3, and performs recording using a sheet-shaped recording medium. At this time, recording is performed using the main body printer B. At this time, the handy printer A is mounted on the main body printer. When recording on a recording medium such as a book or a booklet that cannot be recorded by the main body printer B,
The handy printer A connected to and controlled by the main body printer B via the cable 11a and the interface connector 11 is detached from the main body printer B, and is mounted on a recording medium to perform recording.

In this embodiment, both the handy printer A and the main body printer B use an ink jet recording system. In the main body printer B, as shown in FIG. 3, an ink cartridge 2 in which an ink jet recording head and an ink tank are integrated is mounted on a carriage 1 as recording means, and the carriage 1 is attached to a guide shaft 4 by rotation of a lead screw 3. It is possible to reciprocate along. Further, a recording sheet 5 which is a sheet-shaped recording medium is conveyed by a U-turn by a conveying roller 6, and an image is recorded on the sheet 5 by discharging ink from the ink cartridge 2 according to an image signal. is there. In addition, when the carriage 1 is at the home position, the ink in the recording head is sucked by the recovery unit 7 or preliminarily ejected to prevent the recording head from being clogged with ink.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the handy printer A detachable from the main body printer B is detached from the main body printer at the time of use, the handy printer A is placed on a recording medium 8 such as a book, and recording is started. Recording is performed by pressing the switch 9. An interface connector 11 is provided on a side surface of the apparatus main body 10 for receiving signals and power supply from the main body printer B, and a recording state is displayed on a display unit 12 provided at an upper part of the apparatus main body 10. You. However, the connector 11 can be omitted if there is no need to transmit / receive signals to / from the main body printer B or to receive power supply.

The handy printer A has an apparatus main body 10.
Confirmation window at the top of the screen where the recording start position of the recording medium 8 can be confirmed.
13 are provided. This is to ensure that the recording start position on the recording medium 8 can be set when performing recording with the handy printer A. A lighting window 14 for taking in external light is provided on a lower side surface of the apparatus main body 10 so that a recording start position on a recording medium can be easily visually recognized from a confirmation window 13 by light entering from the lighting window 14. Has become. Note that the lighting window 14 does not need to be provided when it is not necessary to take in external light, for example, when an illumination mechanism is provided inside the apparatus and the recording start position on the recording medium can be visually recognized from the confirmation window 13 by the illumination. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the recording structure of the handy printer A is such that, as shown in FIG. Is reciprocally movable in the X direction. An ink cartridge in which an ink jet recording head and an ink tank are integrated on a carriage 19 that constitutes recording means
20 is mounted, and performs predetermined recording on the recording medium 8 by discharging ink from a recording head according to a recording signal.

Even in the handy printer A, a recovery means (not shown) for the print head is provided at the home position of the carriage 19, and the recovery means sucks the ink in the print head or sets a standby state. The ejection pumping operation prevents ink clogging of the recording head.

The lead screw 18 has one side held by a holder 22 on which a metal 21 is mounted, and the other side slidably held by a guide plate 23. The holder 22 is engaged with a lead screw 24 provided in the Y direction, and the lead screw 24 can rotate a driving force of a motor 25 via a pinion gear 26 and an idler gear 27. The holder 22 reciprocates in the Y direction, whereby the lead screw 18 and the carriage 19 can reciprocate in the Y direction. As a result, the carriage 19 performs one-line recording while moving from the home position in the X direction, and drives the Y-direction feed motor 25 to move the carriage 19 in the Y direction by a predetermined amount when returning to the home position. It can be carried out. still,
Although the above description is of a one-way printing operation, it is of course possible to perform the next line printing on the return path of the carriage movement.

As described above, both the handy printer A and the main body printer B use an ink jet recording system for recording by discharging ink from a recording head. That is, the recording head has a fine liquid discharge port (orifice), a liquid path, an energy action section provided in a part of the liquid path, and an energy generation section for generating droplet forming energy to act on the liquid in the action section. Means.

As an energy generating means for generating such energy, a recording method using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezo element or the like, an electromagnetic wave such as a laser is irradiated to generate heat, and droplets are discharged by the action of the heat. There are a recording method using an energy generating means, and a recording method using an energy generating means for discharging a liquid by heating a liquid by an electrothermal converter such as a heating element having a heating resistor.

Among them, a recording head used in an ink jet recording method for discharging a liquid by thermal energy has a liquid discharge port (orifice) for discharging a recording droplet to form a discharge droplet at a high density. Since they can be arranged, high-resolution recording can be performed. Among them, a recording head using an electrothermal transducer as an energy generating means is advantageous because it can be easily made compact, easily mounted at a high density, and inexpensively manufactured.

In the present embodiment, the ink is ejected by energizing the electrothermal transducer in accordance with a recording signal and utilizing the film boiling caused by the thermal energy to grow and shrink the bubbles generated in the ink. The recording is performed by discharging the ink from the discharge port.

Next, a control procedure when recording is performed using the apparatus having the above configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.

The main body printer B of this embodiment is a so-called video printer that mainly records an image signal input by an image input device. A video input from a video camera or a digital input from a video camera or a digital still camera is printed out.

When the user turns on the power switch of the main body printer B (S1), it is checked whether the main body printer B is equipped with the handy printer main body (S2). At this time, if the handy printer A has been detached from the main body printer B, a warning is displayed on the display unit 12 (S3), and after confirming the attachment, a recovery pumping instruction is issued to drive the head recovery system (S6).

If the handy printer A is mounted, it is determined whether three days or more (72 hours or more) have elapsed since the printer A was last used and the power was turned off (S5). ). If three days or more have elapsed, an instruction for recovery pumping is issued to drive the head recovery system (S6). In this embodiment, the recovery cleaning is performed when the power is turned on when the handy printer A is detached and when there is an unused period of three days or more in the mounted state.

When the user performs printing using the main body printer B, the user inputs recording data (S
7). Next, the user loads the image information into the memory (S
8). If the captured image information is the content to be printed, the printing process is started (S10).

In response to the processing start command, a series of image processing and the like are performed and converted into a print signal (S11). Next, the printer section is driven based on the information converted into the print signal, and the print signal is printed out on a predetermined recording medium (S12). When the print output operation is completed, the control means ejects the recording medium and sets the next recording medium (S13). The above operation is repeated as a normal printing operation of the main body printer B.

Next, a case where the user desires to print out on a recording medium that is not a fixed form paper such as a book or a bound printed matter will be described.

After turning on the power, the user switches to a handy printer mode for printing at an arbitrary place. After fetching the memory, the main body printer B determines the printer mode (S9).
(S14). At this time, if the handy printer A is still attached to the main body printer B, a warning is displayed on the display section 12 (S15), and this is repeated until the attachment / detachment is confirmed.

Next, after confirming the attachment / detachment, if the connection between the external interface connector 11 of the handy printer A and the main body printer B is necessary, the connection is confirmed (S16), and if the connector 11 is not connected, a warning is issued. It is displayed (S17), and this is repeated until the connection is confirmed. After the handy printer A is set on the recording medium after the connection is confirmed, the recording start position is confirmed and corrected.

As described above, since the recording start position can be visually recognized from the confirmation window 13 provided in the main body of the handy printer A, the confirmation and correction can be performed easily and reliably.

When the recording start switch 9 is pressed as a print start command, the printing process starts (S18).
The handy printer A is driven to start a printing operation from the positioned recording start position (S20).

In the above configuration, the handy printer A
Only the confirmation window 13 for confirming the recording start position on the recording medium at the time of recording in
As shown in (a) to (c), the mark 28 indicating the recording start position
a, 28b, and 28c may be provided. In this way, the recording start position can be easily and accurately set by aligning the marks 28a, 28b, 28c with the recording start position.

The mark indicating the recording start position is shown in FIG.
In addition to those shown in the above, a configuration in which the start point and the guidelines in the recording vertical and horizontal directions can be confirmed may be provided in the confirmation window.

Second Embodiment Next, an apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The description of the same configuration and operation as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a recording position setting frame sticker 29 as a recording positioning member is attached to the recording medium 8. On the other hand, the handy printer A is provided with a guide groove 31 as an engaging portion which can be engaged with the recording position setting frame seal 29 around a recording window 30 opened on the contact surface with the recording medium 8. .

With this arrangement, when the handy printer A is placed on the recording medium 8 on which the recording position setting frame sticker 29 is attached, the recording position setting frame sticker is used.
By engaging the guide groove 31 with 29, the recording position is reliably set.

The shape shown in FIG. 7A is another example of the guide groove. This makes it possible to handle the recording position setting frame sticker 29a having the shape shown in FIG. 7B or the recording position setting frame sticker 29b having a different shape such as the recording position setting frame sticker 29b shown in FIG. Guide groove provided in printer A
32 can be engaged. That is, the seal 29a shown in FIG. 7 (b) engages with the cut 32a of the guide groove 32, and the seal 29b shown in FIG. 7 (c) engages with the peripheral edge 32b of the guide groove 32.

Thus, it is possible to set the recording position by engaging the plurality of seals with the same guide groove. A guide groove to which at least two or more types of irregularly-shaped recording position setting frame seals are provided for installing the handy printer A on a recording medium without shifting the recording position, or one guide groove. On the other hand, the present invention can be applied to a case where two or more types of recording position setting frame seals are provided.

The other configuration and printing operation of the printing apparatus are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the description is omitted.

[Other Embodiments] In the above-described embodiment, the ink jet recording system is used as the recording means. However, an electric current is supplied to the electrothermal converter according to a recording signal, and the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal converter is used. It is more preferable that the ink is ejected from an ejection port to perform recording by the growth and shrinkage of bubbles generated in the ink by utilizing film boiling in the ink.

As for the representative configuration and principle, it is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740,796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and the continuous type. In particular, in the case of the on-demand type, it is arranged corresponding to a sheet or a liquid path holding a liquid (ink). By applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recorded information and providing a rapid temperature rise above nucleate boiling,
This is effective because heat energy is generated in the electrothermal transducer, thereby causing film boiling on the heat-acting surface of the recording head. As a result, bubbles in the liquid corresponding to this drive signal one-to-one can be formed. The liquid is ejected through the ejection opening by the growth and contraction of the bubble to form at least one droplet. When the drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are immediately and appropriately performed, so that particularly excellent liquid ejection can be achieved, which is more preferable.

As the pulse-shaped drive signal, those described in US Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262 are suitable.

Further, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 of the invention relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the configuration of the recording head, in addition to the combination of the discharge port, the liquid path, and the electrothermal converter (linear liquid flow path or right-angle liquid flow path) as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, The present invention also includes a configuration using U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,558,333 and 4,459,600 which disclose a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 59-123670 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal transducer for a plurality of electrothermal transducers, or an aperture for absorbing pressure waves of thermal energy. Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No.
The effect of the present invention is effective even in a configuration based on JP-A-59-138461. That is, according to the present invention, the recording can be performed reliably and efficiently regardless of the form of the recording head.

Further, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium on which a recording apparatus can record.

Such a recording head may have a configuration satisfying its length by a combination of a plurality of recording heads, or a configuration as a single recording head formed integrally.

In addition, even with the above-mentioned serial type, the recording head fixed to the carriage or mounted on the carriage enables electrical connection with the apparatus main body and supply of ink from the apparatus main body. A replaceable chip type recording head or a cartridge type recording head in which an ink tank is provided integrally with the recording head itself may be used.

It is preferable to add recording head recovery means, preliminary auxiliary means, and the like provided as components of the recording apparatus of the present invention since the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. To be more specific, capping means for the recording head, cleaning means, pressurizing or suctioning means, preheating means using an electrothermal conversion type or another heating element or a combination thereof, and printing Performing a preliminary ejection mode for performing another ejection is also effective for performing stable printing.

Regarding the type and number of recording heads mounted on the carriage, for example, in addition to the recording head having only one corresponding to a single color ink, it corresponds to a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities. May be provided in plurality. That is, for example, the printing mode of the printing apparatus is not limited to a printing mode of only a mainstream color such as black, and may be a combination of a plurality of print heads integrally formed. To at least one of the full-color devices.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the ink is described as a liquid. However, an ink which solidifies at room temperature or lower and which softens or liquefies at room temperature, or an ink jet recording system 30 ink itself
It is common to control the temperature so that the viscosity of the ink is in the stable ejection range by adjusting the temperature within the range of not less than 70 ° C and not more than 70 ° C if the ink is in a liquid state when the use recording signal is applied. good. In addition, positively prevent the temperature rise due to thermal energy by using it as energy for changing the state of the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, or use an ink that solidifies in a standing state to prevent evaporation of the ink. In any case, the ink is liquefied by the application of the heat energy according to the recording signal, and the ink is liquefied, and the liquid ink is discharged. The present invention is also applicable to a case where an ink that liquefies for the first time by energy is used.

The ink in such a case is described in JP-A-54-5.
No. 6847 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 60-71260, in which the porous sheet is opposed to the electrothermal converter in a state of being held as a liquid or solid substance in the concave portion or through hole of the porous sheet. It is good. The most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-described film boiling method.

The above-described ink jet recording apparatus may be used as an image output terminal of an information processing apparatus such as a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader or the like, or a facsimile apparatus having a transmission / reception function. May be used.

Although an example in which an ink jet recording method is used as the above-described recording means has been described, the present invention does not need to limit the recording method to the ink jet recording method. Can be applied to an impact recording method such as a wire dot recording method or other recording methods. It is not necessary to limit to the serial recording method, and a so-called line recording method may be used.

[0056]

The present invention is constructed as described above.
When a user performs recording as a handy type printer, it is possible to set a recording start position while checking a recording location on a recording medium.

Further, by providing an engaging portion which can be engaged with the positioning member attached to the recording medium, the positioning of the recording apparatus with respect to the recording medium is facilitated by engaging the engaging portion with the positioning member. The setting of the recording start position is reliably performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory perspective view of a handy type recording apparatus that is detachable from a main body printer.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory perspective view illustrating a configuration of a main body printer.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a recording control procedure.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram when a mark indicating a recording start position is provided in a confirmation window.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a handy printer provided with a guide groove which engages with a recording position setting frame sticker attached to a recording medium.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of another example of a recording position setting seal and a guide groove.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A: Handy printer B: Main body printer 1: Carriage 2: Ink cartridge 3: Lead screw 4: Guide shaft 5: Recording sheet 6: Conveying roller 7: Recovery means 8: Recording medium 9: Recording start switch 10: Main unit 11 ... Interface connector 11a… Cable 12… Display unit 13… Confirmation window 14… Lighting window 15… Motor 16… Pinion gear 17… Idler gear 18… Lead screw 19… Carriage 20… Ink cartridge 21… Metal 22… Holder 23… Guide plate 24… Lead screw 25 ... Motor 26 ... Pinion gear 27 ... Idler gear 28a, 28b, 28c ... Mark 29 ... Recording position setting frame seal 30 ... Recording window 31 ... Guide groove 32 ... Guide groove

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A recording apparatus which is placed on a recording medium and performs recording by a recording means, wherein a confirmation window for confirming a recording start position on the recording medium is provided in the apparatus main body. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a mark indicating a recording start position on a recording medium is provided in the confirmation window. 3. A recording apparatus which is placed on a recording medium and performs recording by a recording means, wherein an engaging portion capable of engaging with a positioning member attached to the recording medium is provided. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said engaging portion has a shape capable of engaging with a plurality of positioning members. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording device is detachable from a main body printer.
The recording device according to any one of the preceding claims. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit performs recording by discharging ink in accordance with a signal.
Or the recording device according to claim 3. 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein in the recording apparatus, the recording means discharges the ink by using film boiling generated in the ink by thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer. Recording device.