JP2006232491A - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance convenience property in a thermal transfer printer for delivering a recording medium having different sizes. <P>SOLUTION: The thermal transfer printer 100 for performing printing on the recording medium by heat transfer is provided with storage parts 301, 302 for storing the recording medium delivered after printed and cut to a predetermined dimension; and an attachment/detachment part for attaching/detaching the storage parts 301, 302 to the thermal transfer printer 100. The device 100 has a plurality of storage parts 301, 302 detachable by the attachment/detachment part according the delivered recording medium. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printing apparatus that performs thermal melting recording or thermal sublimation recording.

  In general, a thermal transfer printing apparatus (thermal transfer printing apparatus) that performs thermal melting recording or thermal sublimation recording sublimates ink ribbon ink by a print head while the ink ribbon is superimposed on a recording medium such as roll paper. Alternatively, the image is printed on the recording medium by melting. The recording medium printed by the print head is transported to a predetermined cutting position, cut to a predetermined size, and then discharged to the outside from the discharge port and stored in the tray.

As a tray for storing the discharged recording medium, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tray that can be used for different types of printing apparatuses regardless of the paper size and the discharge amount.
JP 2002-187664 A

  However, although the tray disclosed in Patent Document 1 has an advantage that a single tray can cope with various sizes of recording media and various amounts of discharged paper, on the other hand, the size of the discharged recording medium, etc. Therefore, it is necessary for the operator to make detailed settings, and it is not necessarily convenient for the operator.

  On the other hand, except for the case of using the tray as described in Patent Document 1 above, all the recording media discharged by the tray corresponding to the large-sized recording medium have been generally stored. However, when a small-sized recording medium is stored in a large-size tray, the small-sized recording medium is idle in the tray and is stacked without being organized. This has been a cause of bothering the operator's hands. In addition, when the discharge amount exceeds the capacity of the tray and overflows, it causes a paper jam at the discharge port, so the operator constantly monitors the tray for overflow, and if necessary, removes the recording medium during continuous printing from the tray. The work to take out had to be performed, and the convenience was low in this respect.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to improve convenience in a thermal transfer printing apparatus that discharges recording media of different sizes.

  More specifically, the operator's work that occurs when the size or the like of the discharged recording medium is changed is further simplified. Also, each size can be stored in an orderly manner. Further, even when the operator neglects to take out the recording medium in continuous printing and exceeds the storage capacity of the tray, it is possible to avoid a paper jam at the discharge port.

In order to achieve the above object, a thermal transfer printing apparatus according to the present invention has the following configuration. That is,
A thermal transfer printing apparatus that performs printing on a recording medium by thermal transfer,
A storage section for storing the recording medium ejected after being printed and cut to a predetermined size;
An attachment / detachment part for attaching / detaching the storage part to / from the thermal transfer printing apparatus,
A plurality of the storage portions that can be attached and detached by the attachment and detachment portions are provided according to the dimensions of the discharged recording medium.

  In addition, the thermal transfer printing apparatus includes a guide plate having a predetermined inclination for guiding the discharged recording medium to the storage unit, and the attachment / detachment unit is disposed below the front end position of the guide plate. It is characterized by being.

  Further, in the thermal transfer printing apparatus, the detachable portion hooks the storage portion.

  According to these configurations, even if the size or the like of the recording medium to be ejected is changed, it is only necessary to replace the storage unit that can be easily attached and detached, and the operator's work is further simplified. Further, the discharged recording medium can be stored in an orderly manner according to the size.

Furthermore, in the thermal transfer printing apparatus, the storage unit includes a mounting unit on which the discharged recording medium is mounted, and a tip holding unit that holds a tip position of the discharged recording medium,
The mounting portion has an inclination angle larger than the inclination of the guide plate in a state where the storage portion is hooked on the attachment / detachment portion,
The tip holding portion is arranged such that the storage portion is disposed at a position lower than the extension line of the inclined surface of the guide plate in a state where the storage portion is hooked on the detachable portion. .

  According to such a configuration, it is possible to avoid a paper jam even when the storage capacity of the storage unit is exceeded.

  According to the present invention, convenience is improved in a thermal transfer printing apparatus that discharges recording media of different sizes. More specifically, it is possible to further simplify the operator's work that occurs when the size or the like of the discharged recording medium is changed. Moreover, it becomes possible to store it in order for each size. Furthermore, even when the operator neglects to take out the recording medium in continuous printing and exceeds the storage capacity of the tray, it is possible to avoid a paper jam at the discharge port.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[First Embodiment]
<Overall configuration of sublimation printer>
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of a sublimation printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. A sublimation printer 100 shown in FIG. 1 is assumed to be a photographic printer including a printer main body 101 and a drawer 102 that can be pulled out from the printer main body 101. In the present embodiment, a sublimation type printer is described as an example of the thermal transfer printing apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be a melt type printer.

  A cover 101 a that can be opened and closed is provided on the upper surface of the printer main body 101. When the cover 101a is rotated (arrow D1) to be opened, the inside of the printer main body 101 is exposed, and the ink ribbon cassette 120 can be mounted in a replaceable manner (arrow D3). The ink ribbon cassette 120 is rotatably provided with an ink ribbon supply roller 120a around which the ink ribbon R is wound, and a take-up roller 120b that winds up the used ink ribbon R from the ink ribbon supply roller 120a. . Further, a discharge port (slit 101 b) through which a recording medium (photograph in the present embodiment) printed by the sublimation printer 100 is discharged is provided near the center of the front surface of the printer main body 101.

  The drawer portion 102 includes a front panel 1021 and a pair of left and right side plates 1022. The drawer portion 102 is pulled out from the printer main body 101 (arrow D 2) and returned to the printer main body 101 by operating a handle 1021 a provided on the front panel 1021. Can do.

  The drawer unit 102 has a roll paper RP (width of 127 mm and 152 mm, which is a strip-shaped recording medium to be printed, and is long enough to generate about 500 photographs in L size and PC size. Are interchangeably loaded between the side plates 1022. Bearings 1023 are attached to the inner sides of the respective side plates 1022, and are supported by the bearings 1023 by the roller shafts 103 inserted into the center holes of the roll paper RP, and are configured to be rotatable. The bearing 1023 has a notch opened upward, and the shaft 103 is dropped into the notch to support it. When the roll paper RP is lifted upward, the shaft 103 is disengaged from the bearing 1023, whereby the roll paper RP can be replaced.

  A pair of left and right guide rails 1024 extending to the rear of the drawer portion 102 are provided at the bottom of the drawer portion 102. The guide rail 1024 is supported by a guide 104 fixed on the bottom plate of the printer main body 101. The guide rail 1024 is guided by the guide 104, so that the drawer portion 102 can be taken in and out of the printer main body 101. can do.

  A pair of rollers 1025 and 1026 that sandwich and convey the roll paper RP is provided behind the drawer unit 102. The roller 1025 is rotatably supported between the side plates 1022, and the roller 1026 is rotatably supported between a pair of rotating plates 1027 that are rotatably supported by the side plates 1022 via pins 1027a. ing. The pair of rotating plates 1027 and the rollers 1026 are formed in a U-shaped frame and rotate as a whole around the pin 1027a.

<Internal configuration of sublimation printer>
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the sublimation printer 100. After the setting of the roll paper RP is completed, the drawer unit 102 is returned to the original position, and the print standby state is set.

  The roll paper RP set with the leading end held between the rollers 1025 and 1026 is first conveyed upward in the figure by urging the roller 1025 with a rotational force. The rotational force biased by the roller 1025 is generated by the stepping motor 105 and transmitted through the belt 106 and the pulley 107. A gear that meshes with a gear 1025a attached to the roller 1025 is attached to the pulley 107, and when the pulley 107 rotates, the roller 1025 also rotates.

  By the rotation of the roller 1025, the leading edge of the roll paper RP is next guided by the guide plate 108a toward the guide guide 109 that changes the conveyance direction of the roll paper RP to a substantially right angle. The guide guide 109 has an inner curved surface whose surface is smoothed, and a guide roller 110 is provided facing the inner curved surface. The leading edge of the roll paper RP passes through a gap between the inner curved surface of the guide guide 109 and the guide roller 110, and is guided by the inner curved surface of the guide guide 109 and bends at a substantially right angle.

  When the leading edge of the roll paper RP passes through the guide roller 110, it is sandwiched between the pinch roller 111 and the conveying roller 112 and further conveyed by the rotation of the conveying roller 112. The conveyance roller 112 is attached to the pulley 112a, and rotates when the rotational force of the stepping motor 105 is transmitted to the conveyance roller 112 via the belt 106 and the pulley 112a.

  Note that control of the stepping motor 105 that applies a rotational force to the roller 1025 and the transport roller 112 for transporting the roll paper RP is performed by a transport control device (not shown).

  The roll paper RP is inserted between the thermal head 113 and the platen roller 114 by the rotation of the transport roller 112. An ink ribbon R is inserted between the thermal head 113 and the platen roller 114, and the ink on the ink ribbon R is sublimated by the thermal head 113 to print on the roll paper RP. In the case of color printing, an ink layer of each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) and an overcoat layer serving as a protective layer are repeatedly applied to the ink ribbon R in predetermined units. Printing of each color and overcoat are performed by reciprocating the roll paper RP by repeating forward rotation and reverse rotation of the transport roller 112. The used ink ribbon R is sequentially wound by a winding roller 120b that is rotated by a driving mechanism (not shown). Note that printing on the roll paper RP is performed with a cut slug of about 4 mm with respect to a predetermined size, thereby eliminating the overlap of the previous and subsequent images.

  The printed roll paper RP is guided by the guide plate 108c to the cutting machine 115, and is cut into a single photograph by being cut every predetermined size. Photo sizes range from 152 mm wide x 228 mm long to 127 mm wide x 89 mm long.

  The photograph is then guided by the guide plate 108d, discharged from the slit 101b to the outside of the sublimation printer 100 by its own weight, and stored in the order printed on a discharge tray (not shown).

<Configuration of paper output tray>
FIGS. 3A and 3B are side views of the sublimation printer 100 in which a paper discharge tray for storing discharged photographs is arranged. FIG. 3A shows a case where a large-size paper discharge tray (301) is arranged, and FIG. 3B shows a case where a small-size paper discharge tray (302) is arranged. Here, in the present embodiment, the small-size paper discharge tray refers to a tray for storing photographs having a length of up to 102 mm, and the large-size paper discharge tray has a length of from 102 mm to 228 mm. It shall be a tray for storing photos.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, a guide plate 300 for guiding the discharged photograph to the tray is disposed on the exit side of the slit 101b of the sublimation printer, and the photograph is along the guide plate 300. Slided down and stored in the paper discharge tray 301 in order of discharge with the leading edge of the photo face down (for this reason, a large paper discharge tray is sufficient to accommodate a photo of up to 228 mm in length. Has depth). Similarly, as shown in FIG. 3B, when a small-sized photograph is discharged, it slides down along the guide plate 300 and is stacked on the discharge tray 302 in the discharge order with the leading end of the photograph facing downward.

  The large-size paper discharge tray 301 and the small-size paper discharge tray 302 are each provided with an attaching / detaching portion at the front end position of the guide plate 300 so that the attachment / detachment is easy. FIG. 4 schematically shows the structure of the attaching / detaching portion attached to the tip of the guide plate 300.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the front end (detachable portion 401) of the guide plate 300 is processed into a “U” shape, and the discharge tray 301 whose front end is processed into an “L” shape is placed outside. (In other words, the guide plate 300 has an attaching / detaching portion for hooking the tray by a hook shape). The “U” shape of the guide plate tip 401 is processed toward the sublimation type printer main body 101 side, so that the plane of the surface of the guide plate 300 where the photograph slides down is maintained.

  In addition, the shape of the front-end | tip part of the guide plate 300 is not restricted to this, For example, the shape shown to FIG. 4 (B) may be sufficient. That is, the attaching / detaching portion 402 disposed below the front end of the guide plate 300 has a V-shaped hook shape, and the discharge tray 301 whose front end has been processed into a “V” shape is located inside (from the sublimation printer main body 101 side). You may make it latch. However, in this case, the attaching / detaching portion 402 needs to be attached to the lower side of the guide plate 300. For example, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the guide plate 300 is disposed at the tip position, the tip of the photograph that has slipped down the guide plate 300 is caught in the attaching / detaching portion 403.

  As is clear from the above description, since the conventional sublimation printer used a large output tray so that all size photos could be stored, small size photos were discharged. However, according to the sublimation printer according to the present embodiment, a plurality of paper discharge trays (at least for large size and for small size) are prepared according to the size of the photo to be discharged. By arranging the paper discharge tray appropriately according to the size of the photo to be discharged, the orderliness of the discharged photo is improved.

  In addition, since the conventional sublimation printer was not premised on the attachment / detachment of the paper discharge tray, the configuration was not suitable for attachment / detachment. However, in the sublimation printer according to the present embodiment, the discharged photograph is a large size. In view of storing the paper trays for different sizes and small sizes, a hook-shaped attachment / detachment part is provided for hooking the storage part, so it can be attached / detached without using a mounting member such as a screw. Easy to attach and detach. In other words, even if the size of the photograph to be ejected is changed, the operator only needs to replace the easy-to-removable ejection tray, and convenience is improved.

  Note that, according to the sublimation type printer according to the present embodiment, since the detachable portion is arranged on the lower side of the guide plate, it does not prevent the discharged photograph from sliding down on the guide plate.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, all the photos to be discharged are stored in the paper discharge tray. However, the photos may be discharged beyond the storage capacity of the paper discharge tray. As described above, in the case of an L-size photograph, about 500 sheets can be printed per roll RP1 roll. On the other hand, about 50 sheets are suitable for the storage capacity of the paper discharge tray from a practical viewpoint that does not take up space. However, depending on how the sublimation printer is used, 100 or 200 images may be printed continuously. In this case, if the operator does not take out the photos from the paper discharge tray during printing, the photos will accumulate on the paper discharge tray. In the worst case, the photograph is clogged in the vicinity of the slit 101b.

  In particular, in the case of a small size photo, the roll paper RP having the same length as that of the large size is cut into small sizes, so that the number of ejected photos is larger than that in the case of the large size. As a result, the photos stacked on the paper discharge tray are prevented from being ejected, and a paper jam easily occurs due to the ejected photos.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, a description will be given of a paper discharge tray that can avoid a paper jam even when a small-sized photo is discharged beyond the storage capacity of the paper discharge tray.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the paper discharge tray 302 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the first feature of the paper discharge tray 302 according to this embodiment is that the inclination angle (θ1) of the guide plate 300 is inclined with respect to the mounting portion 501 of the paper discharge tray 302 ((1)). θ2) is at a large point. Secondly, the height of the front end holding portion 502 that holds the front end portion of the discharged photograph is located below the inclined extension line (503) of the guide plate 300.

  By having these two characteristics, when the photo stored in the paper discharge tray 302 reaches the storage capacity, the newly discharged photo slides down on the guide plate 300 and is further stored. The upper surface of the paper does not stay on the paper discharge tray 302 and falls outside the paper discharge tray 302. In this way, when a photo that is larger than the storage capacity of the paper discharge tray 302 is discharged, the photographer does not accumulate on the paper discharge tray 302 and naturally falls outside. Even if it is neglected, paper jam can be avoided.

1 is a diagram illustrating an external configuration of a sublimation printer according to each embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the sublimation type printer concerning each embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a side view of a sublimation printer in which a paper discharge tray that stores discharged photographs is arranged. It is a figure which shows the structure of the attachment or detachment part attached to the front-end | tip of a guide plate in order to attach a paper discharge tray. It is a figure which shows the structure of the paper discharge tray in the sublimation type printer concerning the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

RP roll paper (recording medium)
R Ink Ribbon 100 Sublimation Printer 101 Printer Main Body 101b Slit 102 Drawer 120 Ink Ribbon Cassette 120a Ink Ribbon Supply Roller 120b Ink Ribbon Take-up Roller 113 Thermal Head 114 Platen Roller 300 Guide Plate 301 Large Size Paper Discharge Tray (Storage Unit) )
302 Small size paper output tray (storage section)
401-403 Detachable part 501 Placement part 502 Tip holding part

Claims (4)

A thermal transfer printing apparatus that performs printing on a recording medium by thermal transfer,
A storage section for storing the recording medium ejected after being printed and cut to a predetermined size;
An attachment / detachment part for attaching / detaching the storage part to / from the thermal transfer printing apparatus,
A thermal transfer printing apparatus, comprising: a plurality of storage units detachable by the detachable unit according to the size of the discharged recording medium. The guide plate having a predetermined inclination for guiding the discharged recording medium to the storage portion is provided, and the attachment / detachment portion is disposed below the tip position of the guide plate. The thermal transfer printing apparatus according to 1. The thermal transfer printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the detachable portion hooks the storage portion. The storage portion includes a placement portion on which the discharged recording medium is placed, and a tip holding portion that holds a tip position of the discharged recording medium,
The mounting portion has an inclination angle larger than the inclination of the guide plate in a state where the storage portion is hooked on the detachable portion,
The tip holding portion is arranged such that the storage portion is disposed at a position lower than the extension line of the inclined surface of the guide plate in a state where the storage portion is hooked on the detachable portion. The thermal transfer printing apparatus according to claim 3.

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