JP2003145907A - Stamp forming apparatus and resin film cassette used therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a dust from being adhered to a thermal head and to prevent the thermal head from being stuck. SOLUTION: The shape of the size display unit of a stamp unit mounted in the stamp forming apparatus is detected by a size detecting switch 53, and a CPU 41 detects the seal surface size of the stamp unit based on the detected result. After a predetermined image is finished to be formed on the seal surface of the stamp unit, a film winding motor 52 is controlled to convey a platemaking film slightly more than the seal surface size detected by the switch 53.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stamp making apparatus for making a stamp by selectively heating a printing surface with a thermal head, and a resin film cassette containing a resin film used in the stamp making apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to save the trouble of adhering the ink to the printing surface of the stamp each time the stamp is printed, a printing material made of a porous resin having open cells is used, and the printing material is made to absorb the ink in advance. The stamp is known. When such a stamp is created by a stamp creating device, the stamp surface of the stamp is selectively heated by a thermal head based on desired image data to close the pores of the porous resin, whereby the stamp surface (print material surface) is formed. The stamp is made by mixing the ink exudation area (the area where the pores of the porous resin are not blocked) and the ink non-exudation area (the area where the pores of the porous resin are blocked) where the ink does not exude. Was being created.

[0003]

However, when the thermal head is directly pressed against the stamp surface of the stamp, dust attached to the stamp surface of the stamp adheres to the thermal head and the thermal head becomes dirty. Further, there is a problem in that the thermal head sticks when the thermal head is moved relative to the printing material in a state where the thermal head is pressed against the printing surface of the stamp.

As a countermeasure against this, there is a means of pressing the thermal head against the stamp surface of the stamp through the resin film. However, once the resin film is used, it is damaged by the heat of the thermal head. When used, there is a problem that the thermal head sticks, as in the case where the thermal head is directly pressed against the printing surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a stamp making apparatus capable of preventing dust from adhering to the thermal head and preventing the thermal head from sticking, and a resin film cassette used for the stamp making apparatus. .

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stamp forming apparatus including a thermal head which mixes an ink bleeding region and an ink non-bleeding region in a printing material by selective heating based on image data, and a long sheet. A film transport mechanism for collecting the resin film after transporting it along the surface of the printing material, a head pressure contact means for pressing the thermal head to the printing material via the resin film, and the thermal head when heating the printing material. It is provided with a control means for controlling the film transport mechanism and the head pressing means so that the printing material is pressed against the unused resin film.

According to the first aspect, since the printing material is pressed by the thermal head through the unused resin film which is not deformed by the heat from the thermal head,
It is possible to prevent dust on the surface of the printing material from adhering to the thermal head, and to reliably prevent sticking of the thermal head by the printing material.

The stamp forming apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention further comprises size detecting means for detecting the size of the printing material, and the control means does not convey the resin film when the printing material is heated, and The film transport mechanism is controlled so that the resin film is transported by a distance according to the size of the printing material detected by the size detecting means when the printing material is not heated. According to claim 2,
The resin film can be used efficiently.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the stamp forming apparatus, the thermal head is a line head that moves relative to the printing material, and the control means returns the thermal head to the original position after heating the printing material. It is characterized in that the film transport mechanism is controlled so that the resin film is transported as it returns. According to the third aspect, since the resin film is conveyed in accordance with the movement of the thermal head after the printing material is heated, the plate-making interval of the printing material can be shortened and the processing capacity can be improved. It will be possible.

A resin film cassette according to a fourth aspect includes a film supply spool around which the unused resin film is wound, and a film take-up spool around which the used resin film is wound up. Claim 1
It is used in the stamp creating apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 3. According to the fourth aspect, it becomes easy to dispose the resin film at a predetermined position in the stamp forming apparatus.

The resin film cassette according to a fifth aspect is characterized in that a lubricant is applied to the surface of the resin film. According to the fifth aspect, the sticking suppressing effect can be enhanced due to the lubricant.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A stamp creating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the stamp forming apparatus.
Will be described with reference to. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the stamp creating apparatus 1 with the stamp unit 9 attached. The stamp creating apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a main body frame 2, a keyboard 3 and a liquid crystal display 4 provided on the front surface of the main body frame 2, and an opening / closing door 5, and at the rear part of the main body frame 2. The printing unit 6 is provided, and the control unit 7 provided in the main body frame 2 is provided. The opening door 5 provided on the rear side of the main body frame 2 opens the side of the printing unit 6 inside the main body frame 2 to the outside, and the stamp unit 9 described later is mounted from the lateral direction.

Although not shown in the figure, the keyboard 3 is a character symbol key including a kana key, a plurality of character keys also serving as alphabet keys, and a plurality of symbol keys, and various function keys (cursor movement key, execution key). , Line feed key, etc.), main switch, etc. are provided. The liquid crystal display 4 includes input data input by the user of the stamp creating apparatus 1 (stamp manufacturer, stamp distributor, etc.) using the keyboard 3 and various connecting devices such as a personal computer connected to the stamp creating apparatus 1. It is configured so that the transmission data sent from can be displayed in multiple lines.

The printing unit 6 provided on the rear portion of the main body frame 2 will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the right end wall 1 of the sub-frame 11
An opening P into which the stamp unit of the maximum size can be inserted is formed in 1a. The right end wall 11a is disposed inside the printer so as to face the opening / closing door 5, and the stamp unit 9 passes through the opening P to be mounted inside the main body frame 2.

At the bottom of the sub-frame 11, the right end wall 11
A guide rod 13 is attached to guide the carriage 12 extending in the left-right direction from a to the left end wall 11b. Further, the right end wall 11a is provided at the bottom of the sub-frame 11.
From the left end wall 11b to the left-right direction, a head switching rod 14 for guiding the carriage 12 and for operating a cam body 16 for switching the position of the thermal head 15 mounted on the carriage 12, is attached. The cam body 16 is mounted on the head switching rod 14 so as not to rotate and slidable in the axial direction.

A cam contact plate 17 and a head heat dissipation plate 18 are mounted on the carriage 12 so as to be vertically swingable by a support shaft 19 arranged in the front-rear direction, and the thermal head 15 is fixed to the head heat dissipation plate 18. Has been done. Head heat sink 18
Is a spring 2 attached to a pin 20 fixed to this.
1, the cam contact plate 17 is elastically biased upward.

The cam body 16 is formed in an elliptical shape,
It contacts the lower surface of the cam contact plate 17. When the head switching rod 14 is rotated to bring the cam body 16 into a horizontal posture (the posture in which the major axis of the ellipse is horizontal), the thermal head 15 moves downward together with the head heat dissipation plate 18, and the thermal head 15 stamps. The head is released from the unit. Further, when the head switching rod 14 is rotated to bring the cam body 16 into a vertical posture (the posture in which the minor axis of the ellipse is horizontal), the thermal head 1
5 moves upward together with the head heat dissipation plate 18, and the thermal head 15 moves to the position during plate making of the porous resin stamp (head pressure contact state).

A gear 22 is provided at the right end portion of the head switching rod 14 outside the right end wall 11a of the sub-frame 11, and the gear 22 is rotated by the head pressure contact motor 76, depending on the rotation angle of the gear 22. The cam body 16 is switched to either a horizontal posture or a vertical posture.
The cam body 16, the head switching rod 14, the head pressure contact motor 76 and the like constitute a head pressure contact means.

A carriage feed motor 51 for driving the carriage 12 is attached to the front wall 11c of the sub-frame 11, and the rotational driving force of the carriage feed motor 51 drives the rack 12a of the carriage 12 so as to mesh with the drive (not shown). It is transmitted to the carriage 12 via gears and the like, and the carriage 12 moves in the left-right direction. The origin position (initial standby position) of the carriage 12 is on the right end wall 11a side of the subframe 11 as shown in FIG.

On the front wall 11c of the sub-frame 11, the film supply spool 35 of the plate-making film cassette 8 is fitted and rotatable, and the rotatable film supply spool 23 and the film take-up spool 36 of the plate-making film cassette 8 are fitted. A winding spool rotating body 24 that is rotated by the driving force of the film winding motor (see FIG. 5) is additionally provided.

The subframe 11 is provided with a size detection switch 53 (see FIG. 5) for detecting the shape of the size display portion 61 formed on each stamp unit. The size detection switch 53 is composed of a plurality of switches (four switches in this embodiment), and the state of the switch (whether it is in a pressed state or in a non-pressed state) is a control unit. 7 CPU
41 (see FIG. 5). The CPU 41 determines the stamp surface size (print material size) of the stamp unit from the switch state of the size detection switch 53.

A cassette detection switch 54 (see FIG. 5) for detecting whether or not the plate-making film cassette 8 is set in the stamp forming apparatus 1 is arranged at a position to be pushed by the bridge portion 34 of the plate-making film 8. The cassette detection switch 54 is composed of one switch, and the state of the switch (whether it is pressed or not) is determined by the CPU of the control unit 7.
Output to 41. The CPU 41 determines that the plate-making film cassette 8 is set when the switch is pressed, and determines that the plate-making film cassette 8 is not mounted when the switch is not pressed.

The thermal head 15 comprises a plurality of heating elements,
For example, in a line head in which 128 heating elements are arranged in one row in the front-back direction, the distance between the heating elements located at both ends of the plurality of heating elements is larger than the vertical dimension in the maximum stamp surface size. There is.

As shown in FIG. 2, the plate-making film cassette 8 includes a cassette body 31, a cylindrical film supply spool 35 around which a long unused plate-making film (resin film) 37 is wound, and used. It is provided with a cylindrical take-up spool 36 around which the subsequent plate-making film 37 is taken up, and the plate-making film 37 is conveyed from the film supply spool 35 side (upstream side) to the take-up spool 36 side (downstream side). The cassette body 31 includes a supply spool accommodating portion 32 that accommodates a film supply spool 35, a take-up spool accommodating portion 33 that accommodates a film take-up spool 36, a supply spool accommodating portion 32, and a take-up spool accommodating portion 33. It is integrally formed with a bridge portion 34 which is located between and in which a rectangular hole is formed. The plate-making film cassette 8 is wound by the film take-up spool 36 housed in the take-up spool housing part 33 such that the film supply spool 35 housed in the supply spool housing part 32 fits with the supply spool rotating body 23. It is mounted so as to fit with the spool rotating body 24. When the stamp unit 9 is mounted, it is parallel to the stamp surface, and the plate-making film 37 is located between the stamp surface and the thermal head 15. Therefore, during the stamp plate making, the thermal head 15 is pressed against the printing surface of the stamp unit 9 through the plate making film 15.

The plate-making film 37 is used for the thermal head 15.
From the side, for example, a back surface treatment material (lubricant) such as a silicon resin having a thickness of 0.8 μm, a film made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) having a thickness of 6 μm, and a silicon resin having a thickness of 0.8 μm, for example. It is composed of three layers of back surface treatment agent (lubricant). Then, the plate-making film 37 is made into three layers by applying a back surface treatment agent (lubricant) to both surfaces of the film made of PET. As a material for the film, instead of PET, HDP
It may be E (high density polyethylene), PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), or the like.

Plate-making film cassette 8 as described above
Can be attached to and detached from the stamp creating apparatus 1 by itself. For example, when the unused and remaining portion of the plate-making film 37 stored in the plate-making film cassette 8 is less than the amount required for plate-making of the next stamp unit, the user is using the plate-making film cassette 8 Can be removed from the stamp forming apparatus 1 and a new plate-making film cassette 8 can be attached.

The control unit 7 provided in the body frame 2 will be described below with reference to FIG. The control unit 7 whose block diagram is shown in FIG.
ROM 42, RAM 43, CG-ROM 44, input interface (input I / F) 45, output interface (output I / F) 46, and P for connecting the personal computer (PC) 48 to the stamp creating apparatus 1.
A C interface (PCI / F) 47 is provided.
A keyboard 3, a size detection switch (size detection means) 53, and a cassette detection switch 54 are connected to the input I / F 45, and an origin detection switch for detecting whether or not the thermal head 15 is at the origin position. 55
And a temperature sensor 56 for detecting the temperature inside the stamp creating apparatus 1 are connected. Also, the output I / F 46 is
A head drive circuit 57 for driving the thermal head 15,
Motor drive circuit 5 for driving the carriage feed motor 51
8, a motor drive circuit 59 that drives the film winding motor 52, a display drive circuit 60 that drives the liquid crystal display 4, and a pressure contact motor drive circuit 75 that drives a head pressure contact motor 76 are connected.

The ROM 42 comprises a program memory for storing a control program for controlling the overall operation of the stamp creating apparatus 1, a dictionary memory for storing dictionary data for Kana / Kanji conversion, and the like. RAM43
Is an input buffer for storing input data input from the keyboard 3, a print buffer for storing data of a dot pattern corresponding to a position where the heating element of the thermal head 15 is turned on, a work area where the CPU 41 operates, and the like. Become. In the CG-ROM 44, dot pattern data of many characters to be printed or displayed is stored in association with the code data of the characters.

The CPU (control means) 41 mainly performs the following control and calculation. The CPU 41 is the keyboard 3
The input data by the user is stored in the input buffer of the RAM 43 while referring to the contents of the dictionary memory of the ROM 42 based on the depression signal from the. Further, the CPU 41 determines whether or not the plate making film cassette 8 is attached to the stamp creating apparatus 1 based on the detection result of the cassette detection switch 54. Furthermore, the CPU 41 determines the stamp creation device 1 based on the detection result of the size detection switch 53.
The stamp surface size of the stamp unit 9 mounted on the is determined.

The CPU 41 of the stamp unit 9 discriminated from the detection result of the size detection switch 53 from the input data stored in the input buffer of the RAM 43, the data of the dot pattern of the character stored in the CG-ROM 44, and the like. The dot data of the printing surface (dot pattern corresponding to the position where the hole of the porous resin is closed) is created according to the printing surface size, and the created dot data of the printing surface is stored in the print buffer of the RAM 43.

The CPU 41 causes the thermal head 15 at the initial standby position (origin position: the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4) on the right end wall 11a side of the sub-frame 11 to move to the stamp unit 9 through the unused plate-making film 37. Press contact with the porous resin. After that, the CPU 41 does not carry the plate-making film 37 of the plate-making film cassette 8 at the time of plate-making of the stamp (when heating the porous resin as the printing material), and the RAM 43
The dot data of the printing surface stored in the print buffer of 1 is read line by line, and the on / off state of the heating element of the thermal head 15 is controlled based on the read dot data of the line and the detection result by the temperature sensor 56. The energy applied to the heating element of the thermal head 15 is controlled based on the temperature of the stamp unit 9
The holes of the porous resin are closed to form a dot pattern on the printing surface. In accordance with this, the CPU 41 moves the thermal head 15 after being pressed against the porous resin to the left end wall 11b side (dotted line side in FIG. 4) of the subframe 11.

The CPU 41 releases the thermal head 15 from the porous resin of the stamp unit 9 (releases the pressure contact), and the CPU 41 refers to the detection result of the origin position detection switch 55 and refers to the carriage 12.
Is moved to the right to return the thermal head 15 to the initial standby position (origin position). In accordance therewith, the CPU 41 has an amount corresponding to the stamp surface size of the stamp unit 9 determined based on the detection result of the size detection switch 53 (for example, a length slightly larger than the stamp surface size).
Only the plate-making film 37 film take-up spool 36
Roll it up. The motor drive circuit 59, the film winding motor and the take-up motor 52 are integrated to function as a film transport mechanism for transporting the plate-making film 37 along the stamp surface.

The stamp unit 9 used in the above-described stamp creating apparatus 1 will be described below with reference to the drawings. A stamp unit 9 whose perspective view is shown in FIG. 6 includes a grip portion 61 for gripping the stamp unit 9 by hand, and a stamp portion 62 that is fixedly connected to the grip portion 61.
A skirt member 63 that covers the outer peripheral side of the stamp portion 62 is provided. A protective cap (not shown) for protecting the stamp printing surface is fitted in and supported by the outer peripheral wall of the skirt member 63. At the top of the grip portion 61, a concave portion 61a for attaching a label on which the content of the stamp stamp surface is printed is formed. Further, the stamp portion 62 is attached to the lower surface of the impregnated body, a synthetic resin base member having a shallow concave portion on the lower surface side, an impregnation body for impregnating the oil-based ink mounted in the concave portion of the base member, and the impregnation body. It is composed of a porous resin and the like.

The skirt member 63 is attached to the grip 61 and the stamp main body 62 so as to be movable up and down. The front wall 63a and the rear wall 63b of the skirt member 63 are provided with corresponding size portions 71a and 71b having a predetermined shape according to the size of the stamp surface of the stamp unit 9. This size display unit 71 is
Is detected by the size detection switch 53, and the detection result is analyzed by the CPU 41 so that the stamp surface size of the stamp unit can be discriminated.

The size display portion 71 is composed of a maximum of four concave portions, and the portion which is not the concave portion presses the four switches of the size detecting switch 53. If the four switches of the size detection switch 53 are a switch B1, a switch B2, a switch B3, and a switch B4 from one of them, for example, when the stamp face size is 10 mm in length × 10 mm in width, the switch B1 is turned on (the switch is pressed. Switch B2 is ON, switch B3 is ON,
The size display portion 71 is formed so that the switch B4 is turned on. In addition, the stamp surface size is 12 mm long x 1 horizontal
In the case of 2 mm, the size display unit 71 is formed so that the switch B1 is OFF (the switch is not pressed), the switch B2 is ON, the switch B3 is ON, and the switch B4 is ON. In this way, the size display section 71 is formed so that the size display sections 71 of the stamps of the respective stamp surface sizes press different size detection switches 53.

The right side of the stamp section 62 of the stamp unit 9 (downstream side of the stamp section 62 to which the plate-making film 37 is conveyed) is the same as the stamp creating apparatus 1 when the stamp creating apparatus 1 is mounted, regardless of the stamp surface size. The stamp unit 9 is held by the stamp creating apparatus 1 so as to be positioned. By holding the stamp unit 9 in this manner, if the plate-making film 37 is conveyed by an amount corresponding to the stamp surface size of the stamp unit 9, the stamp unit 9 can be printed regardless of the stamp surface size of the stamp unit 9 to be the next plate-making target. An unused plate-making film 37 faces the printing surface.

The operation procedure of the stamp creating process in the stamp creating apparatus 1 described above will be described below with reference to FIG.

In step S101, the CPU 41
Determines whether the stamp unit 9 is attached to the stamp creating apparatus 1 based on the detection result of the cassette detection switch 54. When it is determined that the stamp unit 9 is attached (S101: YES), the process proceeds to step S102. On the other hand, when it is determined that the stamp unit 9 is not attached (S10
1: NO), the stamp creation process ends.

In step S102, the CPU 41
Determines the stamp surface size of the stamp unit 9 mounted on the stamp creating apparatus 1 based on the detection result of the size detection switch 53.

In step S103, the CPU 41
Is based on the input data such as the character code stored in the input buffer of the RAM 43 and the dot pattern data of the character stored in the CG-ROM 44 according to the stamp surface size of the stamp unit 9 determined in step S102. The dot data of the stamp surface (dot pattern corresponding to the position that closes the hole of the porous resin) is created, and the created dot data of the stamp surface is stored in the print buffer of the RAM 43. For example, when the input data is a character code, the CPU 41 reads the corresponding character dot pattern data from the CG-ROM 44 and enlarges the character dot pattern data so that it fits within the detected stamp surface size of the stamp unit 9. The dot data of the stamp surface is created by performing processing such as reduction and reduction.

In step S104, the CPU 41
Drives the head pressure contact motor 76 via the pressure contact motor drive circuit 75 to rotate the head switching rod 14 to set the cam body 16 in a vertical posture and to an initial standby position (origin position: solid line in FIG. 4). A certain thermal head 15 is moved upward so that the thermal head 15 is not used.
It is pressed against the porous resin of the stamp unit 9 via 7. Then, the CPU 41 makes the plate-making film cassette 8 at the time of plate-making of the stamp (when heating the porous resin as the printing material).
Without transporting the plate-making film 37, the dot data of the stamp face stored in the print buffer of the RAM 43 is read line by line, and the heating element of the thermal head 15 is turned on and off based on the read line of dot data. The stamp unit controls the state and controls the energy applied to the heating element of the thermal head 15 based on the temperature which is the detection result of the temperature sensor 56, that is, controls the energization of the heating element of the thermal head 15. Data is formed on the imprint surface by closing the holes of the porous resin of No. 9.
In accordance with this, the CPU 41 drives the carriage feed motor 51 via the motor drive circuit 58 to drive the carriage feed motor 51 of the thermal head 15 after being pressed against the porous resin.
1 to the left end wall 11b side (dotted line side in FIG. 4). By selectively heating the thermal head 15 based on the dot data of the printing surface, the ink exuding area and the ink non-exuding area are mixed in the porous resin as the printing material.

After the formation of the printing surface is completed in step S104, in step S105, the CPU 41 drives the head pressure contact motor 76 through the pressure contact motor drive circuit 75 to rotate the head switching rod 14 and turn the cam body 16 sideways. In this position, the thermal head 15 is moved downward to release the thermal head 15 from the porous resin of the stamp unit 9 (release the pressure contact), and the CPU
41 refers to the detection result of the origin position detection switch 55 to drive the carriage feed motor 51 through the motor drive circuit 58 to move the carriage 12 to the right and move the thermal head 15 to the initial standby position (origin). Position: Control to return to the solid line in FIG. 4) is performed. In line with that,
The CPU 41 causes the motor drive circuit 59 to wind the plate-making film 37 on the film take-up spool 36 by an amount (for example, a length larger than the stamp face size by a predetermined amount) according to the stamp face size of the stamp unit 9 determined in step S102. The film winding motor is controlled via. That is, after the stamp plate making is completed (after the heating of the porous resin, which is the printing material), the plate making film 37 is subjected to this treatment as the thermal head 15 returns to the original position (initial standby position: the solid line in FIG. 4). The amount (distance) corresponding to the stamp surface size of the stamp created in (1) will be conveyed.

In the stamp producing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment described above, after the stamp is produced, the plate-making film 37 is conveyed by the amount corresponding to the stamp face size of the stamp, so that the stamp is produced next time. Since the unused plate-making film 37 faces the printing surface of the stamp, the sticking of the thermal head 15 can be prevented. Further, since the thermal head 15 is not directly pressed against the porous resin of the stamp unit 9, dust attached to the porous resin of the stamp unit 9 does not adhere to the thermal head 15. Further, since the backside treatment agent (lubricant) is applied to the plate-making film 37, the sticking suppressing effect can be enhanced. Further, since the plate-making film is contained in the cassette, it becomes easy to dispose the plate-making film at a predetermined position in the stamp creating apparatus 1.

Further, since the plate-making film 37 is conveyed by an amount corresponding to the stamp surface size of the stamp unit 9, the plate-making film 37 can be used efficiently. further,
Since the plate-making film 37 is conveyed in accordance with the movement of the thermal head 15 after the stamp has been formed, the plate-making interval of the stamps can be shortened and the processing capacity can be improved.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various design changes are possible within the scope of the claims. Is. For example, after the stamp is formed, the plate-making film may be conveyed by a predetermined amount (greater than or equal to the maximum value of the stamp surface size) regardless of the stamp surface size of the stamp unit attached to the stamp creating device. In this case, the size detection switch is unnecessary, and the cost of the stamp creating device can be suppressed.

Although the plate-making film is conveyed in accordance with the return of the thermal head to the original position, the required amount of plate-making film may be conveyed after returning the thermal head to the original position.

Furthermore, it is not always necessary to apply a back surface treating agent (lubricant) to the film such as PET forming the plate-making film.

Further, instead of using a size detecting switch composed of a plurality of switches, a plurality of transmissive sensors are arranged in a row, and the interval between the transmissive sensors is increased by one. If the intervals are set such that the transmissive sensors do not receive light one by one from the right end wall side of the sub-frame, the transmissive sensor receives light for the first time from the right end wall side (the last transmissive sensor that does not receive light). By finding out, the stamp surface size of the stamp unit can be determined. As described above, a switch other than the size detection switch may be used as long as the stamp surface size of the stamp unit can be detected.

[0050]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the printing material is pressed by the thermal head through the unused resin film which has not been deformed by the heat from the thermal head, the dust on the surface of the printing material is pressed. Can be prevented from adhering to the thermal head, and sticking of the thermal head by the printing material can be reliably suppressed.

According to the second aspect, the resin film can be used efficiently.

According to the third aspect of the invention, since the resin film is conveyed in accordance with the movement of the thermal head after the printing material is heated, the plate making interval of the printing material can be shortened and the processing ability can be improved. It is possible to plan.

According to the fourth aspect, it becomes easy to dispose the resin film at a predetermined position in the stamp forming apparatus.

According to the fifth aspect, the sticking suppressing effect can be enhanced due to the lubricant.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stamp creating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a printing unit of the stamp creating apparatus shown in FIG.

3 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the printing unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a part of the printing unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a control unit of the stamp creating apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a stamp unit used in the stamp creating apparatus shown in FIG.

7 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of a stamp creating process in the stamp creating apparatus shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 stamp making device 6 printing units 7 control unit 8 Plate-making film cassette 9 stamp units 37 Plate-making film 41 CPU 42 ROM 43 RAM 44 CG-ROM 45 input interface 46 output interface 51 Carriage feed motor 52 Film winding motor 53 size detection switch 54 Cassette detection switch 55 Origin detection switch 56 Temperature sensor 71 Size display

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Teruo Imakima             15-1 Naedai-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Prefecture             Within Lazer Industry Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 2C065 AA02 AC04 AD07 AF01 CZ05                       CZ06 CZ13 CZ14 CZ17

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A thermal head that mixes an ink exuding region and an ink non-exuding region in a printing material by selective heating based on image data; and a long resin film is conveyed after being conveyed along the surface of the printing material and then collected. A film transporting mechanism, a head pressing means for pressing the thermal head against the printing material through a resin film, and the thermal head pressing the printing material through the unused resin film when the printing material is heated. A stamp producing apparatus comprising: a film transport mechanism and a control means for controlling the head pressure contact means. 2. The size detecting means for detecting the size of the printing material is further provided, and the control means does not convey the resin film when the printing material is heated, and the size detecting means when the printing material is not heated. 2. The stamp creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the film transport mechanism is controlled so that the resin film is transported by a distance according to the size of the printing material detected in step. 3. The thermal head is a line head that moves relative to a printing material, and the control means causes the resin film to move when the thermal head returns to its original position after heating the printing material. The stamp forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the film transport mechanism is controlled so as to be transported. 4. A film supply spool around which the unused resin film is wound, and a film take-up spool around which the used resin film is wound up. A resin film cassette used in the stamp making device of paragraph. 5. The resin film cassette according to claim 4, wherein a lubricant is applied to the surface of the resin film.