JP2002331696A - Printing processing unit for thermosensitive paper - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing processing unit for a thermosensitive paper capable of achieving reuse of a printing paper such as a newsprint for dramatically reducing the amount used of the paper resource and the recycling energy. SOLUTION: A rewritable thermosensitive paper 2 is stored in a paper setting part 3. A paper outlet path 6 on the right side of the paper setting part 3 is provided with a printing processing part 4 for a printing process of the thermosensitive paper 2 with a printing head 9. The thermosensitive paper 2 after the printing operation is discharged to a paper receiving part 11. Moreover, a paper inlet path 7 on the lower side is provided with an erasure processing part 5 for erasing a printed part of the thermosensitive paper 2 with an erasing bar 16. The thermosensitive paper 2 after the erasure is provided to the paper setting part 3. As a result, the printing process and the erasing process to the thermosensitive paper 2 is executed automatically.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal paper printing processor for repeatedly using rewritable thermal paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, information from newspaper companies, publishers, etc.
Generally, the printing is performed by handing a printed matter obtained by printing character information or the like on printing paper by a printing machine to a consumer.

[0003]

However, most of printed materials after use are actually disposed of as garbage, which not only increases the cost of disposal but also increases the amount of paper. There is a social problem that resources are consumed. Therefore, as a measure for paper waste treatment, recycling of used printing paper has been partially performed. However, in the recycling of paper, not only does it require a great deal of effort to collect used printing paper,
There is a problem that a large amount of renewable energy is required for reprocessing the recovered paper. In view of the above-described problems of the related art, the present invention enables repetitive use of printing paper by using rewritable paper as printing paper, and can greatly reduce the amount of paper resources and renewable energy used. It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal paper print processor.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention provides a print processor for printing on rewritable thermal paper, comprising: a print processing unit for printing on thermal paper; and a printing portion of the printed thermal paper. And an erasing section for erasing.

[0005] The basic configuration of a print processing machine according to the present invention is as follows.
In addition to the print processing unit and the erasure processing unit, the storage unit includes a stocker unit that stores thermal paper before printing, and a paper feeding unit that feeds the thermal paper to the print processing unit during printing. In a continuous processing type printing processor that performs printing immediately after erasing, an erasing unit and a printing unit are sequentially arranged on a paper transport path of the printing processor.

As a rewritable heat-sensitive paper, there is a paper made of a leuco dye-based rewritable material.
No. 2,828,838 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-78990. That is, in the present invention, a thermosensitive coloring paper containing a reversible developer which can be used repeatedly can be used, and the coloring hue can be black, red, blue, green, or yellow. In the case of thermal paper made of leuco relight material,
The erasing temperature in the erasing unit is generally in the range of 120 ° C. to 180 ° C., and approximately 0.1 m per dot during the printing process.
Heat of 5 mJ from J shall be applied. As the print head, a thermal head or a thermal laser can be used. Further, the thermal paper can be used not only on one side but also on the front and back sides, thereby doubling the number of times of rewriting and using the thermal paper and extending the product life. Further, each of the erasing unit and the printing unit can be provided with a plurality of erasing bars and printing heads. With this configuration, erasing and printing can be performed simultaneously and in parallel on both sides of the thermal paper.

The print processing unit and the erasure processing unit are configured separately, and if necessary, the erasure processing unit can be formed separately from the print processing unit. In addition, it is possible to adopt a configuration that has a print processing function and does not have an erasure processing section (dedicated printing machine), or conversely, a configuration that has an erasing processing function and has no printing function (dedicated erasing machine). It is.

According to the present invention, when rewriting printing is performed, the printed thermal paper before the erasing process is placed on a paper receiving tray or the like, and by pressing an erasing operation switch, the thermal paper is taken into the erasing processing section to be erased and erased. Store the heat-sensitive paper in the stocker section (paper setting section).

The present invention can be applied to a printer for a communication device having an Internet reception function and a facsimile reception function. In this case, a print signal is received from a communication cable or the like of a personal computer or the like, the thermal paper is automatically fed from the stocker unit, the printing process is performed, and then the thermal paper is automatically discharged to the paper receiving unit. In particular, in a simultaneous erasing and printing processing system, the thermal paper before erasing is set on a paper tray, etc., and the erasing / printing operation switch is pressed, so that the thermal paper is taken into the erasing unit, erased, and erased. Later, the thermal paper is configured to be stored in the stocker section. After the simultaneous erasing and printing processes, the thermal paper is discharged to a paper receiving tray on the take-out side.

[0010] In the stocker section according to the present invention, rewritable thermal paper is stored, and at the time of printing, this thermal paper is conveyed from the stocker section to the print processing section, and characters, symbols, figures, and patterns are printed by the print processing section. Etc. are printed. After the printed thermal paper is used for browsing or the like, the printed portion is erased by the erasing unit. The heat-sensitive paper after erasing is stored again in the stocker section, and is repeatedly rewritten and used again as described above.

As described above, since used printing paper can be used repeatedly, paper resources and energy consumption for recycling used paper can be significantly reduced. In particular, when this thermal paper is applied to newspapers and magazines, the saving effect is enormous on a global scale.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on embodiments shown in the drawings. In the present embodiment, a print processing unit and an erasure processing unit are provided on the upper and lower sides, the printed portion of the rewritable thermal paper is erased by the erasure processing unit, and the erased thermal paper is automatically placed in the paper setting unit (stocker unit). It can be set. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a thermal paper print processor according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing another embodiment of a thermal paper print processor according to the present invention.

[0013]

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a printing processor, which is capable of performing both printing (printing) and erasing processing on a rewritable thermosensitive paper 2 made of a leuco-based rewritable material. ing. A paper setting unit (stocker unit) 3 is attached to the upper left end of the print processing machine 1.
The thermal paper 2 before the printing process (unused or erased) can be set in the paper setting unit 3.
If the heat-sensitive paper 2 can be printed not only on one side but also on both sides, the number of rewriting uses of the heat-sensitive paper 2 is doubled. The print processing unit 1 is provided with a print processing unit 4 and an erasure processing unit 5 provided above and below, and the two processing units 4 and 5 respectively have paper transport paths 6 and 7 for transporting the thermal paper 2 rightward or leftward. Is formed.

Along the upper paper transport path 6, a paper feed roller 8, a print head 9, a feed roller 10, and an upper paper receiver 11 are sequentially arranged in the transport direction (right direction R). It is protected by the cover member 12. The thermal paper 2 set in the paper setting unit 3 is moved to the print processing unit 4 side by the paper feed roller 8, and after the movement, the character information or the like is printed by the print head 9. As the print head 9, a thermal head or a heat laser is used, and the print energy applied at the time of printing is in the range of 0.1 mJ to 5 mJ per dot. The heat-sensitive paper 2 after printing is transported to the paper receiving unit 11 by the feed roller 10.

On the other hand, a lower paper receiving section 14, a paper feeding roller 15, an erasing bar 16 and a feed roller 17 are sequentially arranged along the lower paper discharge path 7 in the transport direction (left direction L). Have been. The printed thermal paper 2 set in the paper receiving unit 14 is moved to the erasing unit 5 by the paper feed roller 15, and after the movement, the printed portion of the thermal paper 2 is erased by the erasing bar 16. The temperature condition at the time of erasing is 12
The range is from 0 ° C to 180 ° C. The heat-sensitive paper 2 after the erasing is sent to the paper setting unit 3 by the feed roller 17.

Next, the operation of the print processing machine 1 will be described. It is assumed that the thermal paper 2 before printing is set in the paper setting unit 3 in advance. First, when a printing switch (not shown) is pressed, the paper feed roller 6 rotates,
The thermal paper 2 set in the paper setting unit 3 moves to the print processing unit 4 side, and character information is printed on the thermal paper 2 by the print head 9. The thermal paper 2 after printing is placed in the paper receiving unit 11.
Sent to

The printed thermal paper 2 is fed to a paper receiving unit 11.
Taken out of the system and used according to the purpose. The used heat-sensitive paper 2 is used again after erasing all the printed portions. At the time of erasing, first, the thermal paper 2 may be set in the lower paper receiving portion 14 and an erasing switch (not shown) may be pressed. Then, the thermal paper 2 is moved to the erasing unit 5 by the paper feed roller 15, and the printed portion of the thermal paper 2 is erased by the erasing head 16. The heat-sensitive paper 2 after erasing is sent to the paper setting unit 3 by the feed roller 17. Then
The thermal paper 2 sent to the paper setting unit 3 is printed again by pressing the print switch in the same manner as described above.

As described above, by repeating printing and erasing on the thermal paper 2 sequentially, the thermal paper 2 can be rewritten at least 100 times. Therefore, since the thermal paper 2, which has been a disposable product in the past, can be reused, the printing paper can be recycled, and not only can the waste of paper resources be prevented, but also the energy consumption for recycling waste can be significantly reduced. Can be reduced.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, both the erasing section and the printing section are sequentially provided on a common sheet transport path, and the erasing step and the printing step of the printing portion of the thermal paper are performed continuously. In addition,
The same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIG. 2, the print processor 1 includes a print processor 4 and an erasure processor 5, and a paper setting unit 3 is attached to the upper left portion of the print processor 1. A single paper transport path 19 is formed in the upper part of the print processor 1, and the thermal paper 2 can be transported rightward by the paper feed roller 8 or the like.

Along the paper transport path 19, a paper feed roller 8, an erasing bar 16, a print head 9, a feed roller 10, and a paper receiving section 20 are sequentially arranged in the transport direction (right direction R). . The heat-sensitive paper 2 before the erasing process is sequentially transported by the paper feed roller 8 to the erasing unit 5 and the printing unit 4, whereby the printed portion of the heat-sensitive paper 2 is erased by the erasing bar 16. The heat-sensitive paper 2 after erasure is newly printed by the print head 9, and the heat-sensitive paper 2 after printing is sent to the paper receiving unit 20 by the feed roller 10.

In the printing processor 1, the thermal paper 2 before printing is set in the paper setting section 3 in advance. Now, when an erase / print switch (not shown) is pressed, the paper feed roller 8
Is rotated, and the thermal paper 2 set in the paper setting section 3 is rotated.
Moves to the erasing processing section 5 and the printing processing section 4 side. As a result, the printed portion of the thermal paper 2 is erased by the erasing bar 16, and thereafter, new character information is printed on the erased thermal paper 2 by the print head 9. The thermal paper 2 after printing is sent to the paper receiving unit 20. If the thermal paper 2 set in the paper setting unit 3 is a new paper on which no printing is performed, the erasing process by the erasing bar 16 is not performed.

Thereafter, the thermal paper 2 is taken out of the paper receiving section 20 and used according to the purpose. The used heat-sensitive paper 2 can be rewritten and used many times by erasing the printed portion and printing new character information in the same manner as described above.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various application modifications are possible. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used not only as a versatile print processing machine but also as a printer for information equipment with a communication function such as a personal computer and a facsimile.
Further, in the above embodiment, one print head and one erase bar are provided in each of the print processing section and the erase processing section, but a plurality of both can be provided. With this configuration, the printing process and the erasing process can be performed simultaneously and in parallel on both the front and back surfaces of the thermal paper, thereby improving the processing speed.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the rewritable thermal paper is used, and the print processing section and the erasing processing section are provided, so that the thermal paper can be reused repeatedly.
Accordingly, there is an excellent effect that waste of paper resources can be prevented and energy consumption can be significantly reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to automate the erasing process and the feeding process of the heat-sensitive paper and save labor.
According to the third aspect, by continuously performing the erasing process and the printing process, the processing speed and work efficiency are improved. Further, according to the fourth aspect, the size of the erasing processing unit is reduced, and the degree of freedom of the layout of the erasing processing unit is increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a thermal paper print processor according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing another embodiment of the thermal paper print processor according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Print processing machine 2 Thermal paper 3 Paper setting part (stocker part) 4 Printing (printing) processing part 5 Erasure processing part 6 Upper paper discharge path 7 Lower paper discharge path 8 Paper feed roller 9 Print head 10 Feed roller 11 Upper paper Receiving part 12 Cover member 14 Lower paper receiving part 15 Paper feed roller 16 Erase bar 17 Feed roller 19 Paper transport path 20 Paper receiving part

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Ritsuo Ando 1-111 Maede, Kiyotake-cho, Miyazaki-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture F-term in Sanwa New Tech Co., Ltd. 2C065 AB01 AF01 CJ02 CJ03 3F100 AA02 BA03 BA15 CA11 EA03 EA10 EA11

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A thermal paper print processing machine comprising: a print processing unit for printing on rewritable thermal paper; and an erasure processing unit for erasing a printed portion of the printed thermal paper. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stocker section for storing the thermal paper whose printed portion has been erased by the erasing processing section, and a paper feeding means for feeding the thermal paper to the printing processing section. The print processing machine for thermal paper as described in the above. 3. The thermal paper printing processor according to claim 1, wherein an erasing processor and a printing processor are sequentially provided in a paper transport path of the printer. 4. The thermal paper printing processor according to claim 1, wherein the erasing section is formed separately from the printing section.