JP2003237116A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To use cut chips effectively. <P>SOLUTION: A color thermal recording sheet 3 is fed out from a recording sheet roll set in a printer. A print image 21 is recorded in an image recording area Rp which is eventually printed and cut into a sheet. Image quality deteriorates at the end part of the image recording area Rp and that part is included in the forward end part 22. The forward end part 22 is cut off as a cut chip every time when printing is performed. A character recording area Rc is provided in the forward end part 22. After the print image 21 is recorded in the image recording area Rp, information of the residual quantity of the recording sheet is recorded in the character recording area Rc. A user can confirm the residual quantity of the recording sheet roll by looking at the cut chip every time when printing is performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer using a recording paper roll.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A printer using a recording paper roll obtained by winding a long recording paper in a roll is known. This printer is equipped with a cutter, and after the recording paper is pulled out from the recording paper roll to record an image, the recorded portion is cut and separated into sheets. The cut sheet is discharged outside the printer.

A thermal printer is known which uses a thermal recording paper which develops color when heated as the recording paper. This thermal printer is configured to convey a thermal recording sheet, a thermal head that press-contacts the thermal recording sheet and heats the thermal head to color-record an image, and an ultraviolet ray to the thermal recording sheet. An optical fixing device that irradiates and optically fixes the image is provided. A platen roller that supports the thermal recording paper from the back side is arranged at a position facing the thermal head. While the thermal recording paper is transported by the transport roller pair, the thermal recording and the optical fixing of the print image are performed by passing through the thermal head and the optical fixing device.

[0004]

However, in the case of obtaining a marginless print with no margin by the above-mentioned thermal printer, the leading end portion of the thermal recording paper pulled out from the recording paper roll is cut off after every printing. Need to disconnect as. This is because, if an attempt is made to record to the very end of the thermal recording paper, the thermal head may directly heat the platen roller due to a malfunction. Since this causes a roller failure, it is necessary to secure a nipping allowance for the thermal head and the platen roller to sandwich the thermal recording paper at the tip portion. Since this nip margin becomes a blank space, this portion was cut and discarded as cut waste.

Further, it is known that the image quality is deteriorated at both ends (the leading end and the trailing end in the recording paper conveyance direction) of the printed image. Therefore, the recording area is set to be slightly longer than the sheet size, and the portion where the image quality is deteriorated is included in the leading end portion and cut.

The maximum length of cut waste is about 10 mm.
It reaches the level, and it occurs at every printing. Since this wastes materials, there has been a demand to effectively utilize this portion.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer capable of effectively utilizing the cut waste discharged during printing.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the printer of the present invention uses a recording paper roll in which a long recording paper is wound in a roll shape, and the recording paper pulled out from the recording paper roll. A printer having an image recording head for recording an image and a cutter for cutting the image-recorded portion on which the image is recorded and separating the sheet into sheets, in which the image recording head is adjacent to the image-recorded portion and cut by the cutter Information is recorded by the image recording head in a blank portion cut as scraps.

The margin portion is a front end portion of the recording paper, and the information is recorded after the image is recorded. Also,
The information is, for example, printer maintenance information.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A color thermal printer 2 shown in FIG.
A recording paper roll 4 in which a color thermosensitive recording paper 3 is wound in a roll shape is set in. The paper feed roller 5 rotates the recording paper roll 4, pulls out the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 from the recording paper roll 4, and feeds it onto the transport path.

The color thermosensitive recording paper 3 has at least three thermosensitive coloring layers on a support, a yellow thermosensitive coloring layer for yellow, a magenta thermosensitive coloring layer for magenta, and a cyan thermosensitive coloring layer for cyan. It is stacked. The thermosensitive coloring layers are yellow, magenta,
The layers are arranged in the order of cyan, and the lower thermosensitive coloring layer has lower thermal sensitivity.

Further, the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer and the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer below the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer are provided with fixability by ultraviolet rays of respective peculiar wavelength regions. The yellow thermosensitive coloring layer is fixed by irradiation with near-ultraviolet light having a wavelength of about 420 nm, while the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer has a wavelength of about 3
When it is irradiated with ultraviolet rays in the vicinity of 65 nm, it is fixed by light.

A transport roller pair 8, a thermal head 6, a platen roller 7, and an optical fixing device 9 are arranged on the transport path. The pair of conveying rollers 8 nips the fed color thermosensitive recording paper 3 and reciprocates it in the sub-scanning direction. As the carry motor, for example, a pulse motor that rotates a predetermined amount according to the number of given drive pulses is used. When the photo sensor 12 detects the front end of the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 during paper feeding, the detection signal is sent to the controller 13.
The controller 13 starts counting drive pulses based on this detection signal. By counting up and down this drive pulse, the carry amount of the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 in the A direction and the B direction is controlled.

As is well known, the thermal head 6 has a heating element array 6a in which a large number of heating elements are arranged in a line along the main scanning direction. This heating element array 6a
Is pressed against the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 to perform thermal recording.
Each heating element generates thermal energy according to the density of the pixel, and thermally records an image of each color of yellow, magenta, and cyan on each thermosensitive coloring layer.

The image processing unit 14 in the controller 13 is
For example, image data taken in from a personal computer or a memory card is converted into print data. The head drive unit 16 drives the thermal head 6 based on the print data. The platen roller 7 is arranged at a position facing the thermal head 6, and supports the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 from the back surface.

At the time of paper feeding, the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 is conveyed in the direction A and passes through the thermal head 6. Then, the image is recorded while returning the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 in the B direction.
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 that has been fed, after the leading edge 3 a has passed the thermal head 6,
The recording start position Ps, which is one end of the recording area R, is conveyed in the A direction until it reaches the thermal head 6. When the recording start position Ps reaches the thermal head 6, the conveyance in the A direction is stopped.

Then, the conveying direction is reversed, and the print image 21 is thermally recorded from the recording start position Ps toward the leading end 3a while conveying the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 in the B direction.
The recording area R is composed of an image recording area Rp in which the print image 21 is recorded and a character recording area Rc adjacent to the image recording area Rp. As will be described later, character information indicating the remaining amount of the recording paper roll 4 is recorded in the character recording area Rc.

The tip 22 of the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 is the tip 3
The tip portion 22 is a portion having a length Lc from a, and is cut as cutting scraps 25 after printing is completed. The character recording area Rc and the end of the image recording area Rp are
Both are located at the end of the recording area R and are included in the tip 22. It is known that the image quality deteriorates at the end of the recording area R. Therefore, the seat 23
The length Lr of the recording area R is longer than the length Ls (see FIG. 1).
Is set to be slightly longer. By cutting the edges of the recording area R, borderless printing with good image quality can be obtained.

Further, the tip portion 22 includes a nipping allowance having a length Ln from the tip 3a. When the thermal head 6 thermally records to the recording end position Pe,
It is a portion that is nipped by the thermal head 6 and the platen roller 7. If the leading end 3a of the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 is about to pass through the thermal head 6 by mistake, the thermal head 6 directly heats the platen roller 7, which causes a roller failure. Will be. Therefore, the heating of the thermal head 6 is stopped while leaving the nip margin.

The thermal head 6 has an image recording area Rp.
Immediately after the print image 21 is recorded on, the remaining amount information of the recording paper roll 4 is recorded in the character recording area Rc. The remaining amount information is, for example, character information such as "remaining amount of recording paper roll: 20 sheets". As described above, the end portion of the recording area R is a portion where the image quality deteriorates, but if the recording target is a character, there is no problem even if the image quality is somewhat poor.

The tip 22 is cut into cutting scraps 25. The cutting waste 25 is generated in each printing.
The user can check the remaining amount of the recording paper roll 4 every time printing is performed, which is convenient. Since the length Lc of the cut scrap 25 reaches a maximum of about 10 nm, the cut scrap 25 generated from one recording paper roll 4 becomes a considerable amount. By recording the remaining amount of the recording paper roll 4 on this cut scrap 25, the cut scrap 25 is effectively used.

The remaining amount measuring device of the recording paper roll 4 is composed of a winding diameter detecting portion 26 arranged at a position facing the end face of the recording paper roll 4 and a calculating portion 27 in the controller 13. As the winding diameter detection unit 26, for example, a photo sensor including a large number of light receiving elements arranged in a line is used. This photosensor is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is along the winding diameter direction of the recording paper roll 4. Each light receiving element sends a signal to the controller 13 when the end surface of the recording paper roll 4 faces. The number of light receiving elements facing the end surface changes depending on the winding diameter of the recording paper roll 4.
The controller 13 measures the winding diameter of the recording paper roll 4 based on the signal from the photo sensor.

The calculation unit 27 in the controller 13 performs calculation based on the signal from the winding diameter detection unit 26, measures the winding length of the recording paper roll 4, and obtains the remaining amount of the recording paper roll 4. The calculation unit 27 calculates the remaining amount of the recording paper roll 4 as the printable number based on the preset sheet size. The calculated numerical value is sent to the image processing unit 14. The image processing unit 14 converts the remaining amount information of the recording paper roll 4 together with the image data into print data. There are various other methods for measuring the remaining amount of the recording paper roll 4, and any method may be used.

The optical fixing device 9 is composed of a yellow optical fixing device that emits yellow ultraviolet light and a magenta optical fixing device that emits magenta ultraviolet light. Each optical fixing device comprises a fluorescent lamp and a reflector that reflects light from the fluorescent lamp onto the color thermosensitive recording paper 3. The optical fixing device 9 selectively irradiates yellow and magenta ultraviolet rays to optically fix the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer and the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer of the color thermosensitive recording paper 3.

A paper discharge roller pair 29 and a cutter 32 are arranged on the downstream side of the optical fixing device 9 in the direction A. The paper discharge roller pair 29 nips the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 on which thermal recording and optical fixing are completed and sends it to the cutter 32. The cutter 32 first cuts the front end portion 22 of the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 into cut scraps 25. A guide plate 33 is provided below the cutter 32. The printer case 34 has a cut waste discharge port 34
b is formed, and the cut scrap 25 that has fallen is guided by the guide plate 33 to the cut scrap discharge port 34b and discharged to the outside of the printer.

The cutter 32, after cutting the tip portion 22,
The image recording area Rp in which the print image is recorded is set to the sheet 2
Cut to 3. This sheet 23 is a printer case 34.
The sheet is discharged from the sheet discharge port 34a formed in the.

The operation of the above configuration will be described below with reference to FIG. 3 showing the printing procedure. When printing with the color thermal printer 2, the recording paper roll 4
And set the print instructions. When a print instruction is issued, the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 is fed on the conveying path.
A pair of conveying rollers 8 nips the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 and conveys it in the A direction. The photo sensor 12 is a color thermosensitive recording paper 3
When detecting the tip 3a of the, the controller 13 starts counting the drive pulses. The color thermosensitive recording paper 3 is conveyed in the direction A, and when the leading end 3a thereof passes the thermal head 6 and the recording start position Ps reaches the position of the thermal head 6, it stops.

The conveyance motor reversely rotates to start conveyance in the B direction, and the thermal head 6 starts thermal recording of a yellow image on the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer. The thermal head 6 starts thermal recording from the recording start position Ps, and first records the print image 21 in the image recording area Rp. Immediately after the recording of the print image 21 is finished, the remaining amount information of the recording paper roll 4 is recorded in the character recording area Rc.

When the recording of the yellow image is completed, the conveying direction is reversed, the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 is sent to the optical fixing device 9, and the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer on which the thermal recording has been completed is optically fixed.
When the yellow optical fixing is completed, the image is conveyed in the B direction, and thermal recording of the magenta image is started from the recording start position Ps. Similar to yellow, the remaining amount information is recorded after recording the print image 21.

When the recording of the magenta image is completed, the magenta image is fixed by light, and then the cyan image is recorded in the same manner as the yellow and magenta images. When thermal recording and optical fixing of the three color images are completed, the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 is sent to the cutter 32.

The cutter 32 first cuts the tip portion 22. The cut waste 25 is discharged from the cut waste discharge port 34b. Further, the color thermosensitive recording paper 3 has the length L of the sheet 23.
Only s minutes will be sent. The cutter 32 has an image recording area Rp.
Is cut into sheets 23. The sheet 23 has a discharge port 34a.
Is ejected from. When the image recording area Rp is cut into the sheet 23, both end portions having poor image quality are cut, so that a good borderless print can be obtained. The user can check the remaining amount of the recording paper roll 4 by looking at the cut waste 25 for each print.

In the above embodiment, the example in which the remaining amount information of the recording paper roll is recorded after recording the print image has been described, but the remaining amount information may be recorded before recording the print image. FIG. 4 shows a printing procedure in this case. The remaining amount information at the time of the previous printing is already recorded on the front end portion 22 of the fed color thermosensitive recording paper 3. Then, the remaining amount information is first recorded from the recording start position Ps, and then the print image 21 is recorded. The remaining amount information recorded here is ejected as cut dust 25 at the next printing.
The color thermosensitive recording paper 3 on which printing has been completed has a front end 22
Is cut, and then the image recording area is cut.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which the remaining amount information of the recording paper roll is used as the character information has been described, but the number of printed sheets, the operating time of the printer, etc. may be recorded instead of the remaining amount. . Further, such maintenance information of the printer may not be necessary, and, for example, incidental information such as shooting conditions or camera model added to image data shot by the camera may be recorded.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example is described in which character information is recorded in cut scraps generated when borderless printing is performed. It is also possible to provide a blank portion to be discharged as, and record the character information in this portion. Further, although the example of recording the character information has been described, a symbol, a mark, or the like may be recorded in addition to the character.

In the above embodiment, the recording paper roll having a plain recording surface is used as an example, but as shown in FIG. 5, a recording paper on which a form such as a postcard is printed in advance. The roll 41 may be used. In such a recording paper roll 41, a timing marker area 43 is often provided between the recording areas 42.
In that case, character information may be recorded in the timing marker area 43.

Although the thermal printer has been described as an example, it may be applied to any printer other than the thermal printer and using a recording paper roll.

[0037]

As described in detail above, the printer of the present invention uses a recording paper roll obtained by winding a long recording paper in a roll shape, and an image is formed on the recording paper drawn from the recording paper roll. In a printer provided with an image recording head for recording the image and a cutter for cutting the image-recorded portion on which the image is recorded and separating the sheet into sheets, the printer is adjacent to the image-recorded portion and cut as cutting waste by the cutter. Since information is recorded by the image recording head in the blank area, the cut dust discharged during printing can be effectively used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a color thermal printer.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a recording area and a leading end portion of recording paper.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing procedure.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a printing procedure when character information is recorded before a print image.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a recording paper roll on which a form is printed in advance.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 color thermal printer 3 color thermal recording paper 6 thermal head 22 Tip 32 cutters R recording area Rp image recording area Rc character recording area

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image recording head for recording an image on a recording paper pulled out from the recording paper roll, the recording paper roll being formed by winding a long recording paper in a roll shape, and the image is recorded. In a printer having a cutter that cuts an image-recorded portion and separates it into a sheet, recording information by the image-recording head in a margin portion adjacent to the image-recorded portion and cut as cutting waste by the cutter. A printer characterized by. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the margin portion is a front end portion of the recording paper, and the information is recorded after recording an image. 3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the information is maintenance information of the printer.