JP2006347008A - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermal transfer printer which can ensure the stable conveyance of a printing sheet by inhibiting the generation of its deflection and bending. <P>SOLUTION: This thermal transfer printer comprises a thermal head 11 which can thermally transfer ink of an ink ribbon 13 to the printing sheet 2 while conveying the printing sheet 2 along a conveyance passage. In addition, the printer comprises a sheet forward end guide member 14 which guides the forward end, in the conveyance direction, of the printing sheet 2, located ahead of a printing position by the thermal head 11, in the sheet conveyance direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer that forms an image on a paper surface by heating an ink ribbon using, for example, a thermal head.

Conventionally, thermal transfer is performed by transferring ink applied to an ink ribbon onto the printing surface of the printing paper by causing the heating element provided on the thermal head to heat the ink of the ink ribbon while conveying the printing paper along the conveyance path. A printer is provided. In this thermal transfer printer, printing paper and an ink ribbon are overlapped at a printing position by a thermal head, and the ink ribbon and the printing paper are sent out along a conveyance path in a state of being overlapped.
In such a thermal transfer printer, there is a printer that uses an ink ribbon as a guide for transporting printing paper along a transport path in front of a printing position by a thermal head (for example, see Patent Document 1). .
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-123851

  However, the following problems remain in the conventional thermal transfer printer. That is, in the conventional thermal transfer printer, when the ink ribbon is heated by the thermal head, the ink ribbon is loosened or wrinkled. Further, deformation such as slack or wrinkles occurs in the ink ribbon, and there is a problem that the printing paper may not be stably conveyed and the printing paper may be bent or bent.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer printer that can suppress the occurrence of bending or bending of printing paper and can stably convey the printing paper.

  The present invention employs the following configuration in order to solve the above problems. That is, the thermal transfer printer of the present invention is a thermal transfer printer having a thermal head that transfers the ink on the ink ribbon to the printing paper by heat while conveying the printing paper along the conveyance path. Furthermore, a leading edge guide member for guiding the leading edge of the printing paper in the transport direction is provided in front of the transport direction of the printing paper.

  According to the present invention, since the printing paper conveyed from the printing position is guided along the conveyance path by the tip guide member, the printing paper can be stably conveyed, and the printing paper is bent or bent. To suppress. In other words, the printing paper conveyed to the printing position is heated on the ink ribbon from the thermal head, whereby the ink applied to the ink ribbon is transferred to the printing surface. At this time, the ink ribbon may be slackened or wrinkled by the heat from the thermal head, but the leading edge guide member can suppress the influence of the deformation of the ink ribbon and stably convey the printing paper. Therefore, the print quality by the thermal head can be maintained.

In the thermal transfer printer according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the tip guide member applies a tension to the ink ribbon positioned in front of the printing position in the transport direction.
According to the present invention, printing paper can be guided by the tip guide member and the ink ribbon in a state where slack and wrinkles generated in the ink ribbon are reduced. That is, by applying a predetermined tension to the ink ribbon, slack, wrinkles, and the like are eliminated, and the printing paper can be conveyed while suppressing the influence of the deformation of the ink ribbon.

In the thermal transfer printer according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the leading end guide member stops applying tension to the ink ribbon after passing the leading end in the transport direction of the printing paper.
According to the present invention, the application of tension to the ink ribbon is stopped when the leading end of the printing paper in the conveyance direction passes and the printing paper is stably conveyed, so that the printing paper and the ink ribbon can be stopped. In contrast, the load is suppressed.

  According to the thermal transfer printer of the present invention, since the printing paper conveyed from the printing position is guided along the conveyance path by the tip guide member, the printing paper can be stably conveyed, Print quality can be maintained by suppressing paper jams caused by bending.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a thermal transfer printer according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal transfer printer 1 according to the present embodiment includes a delivery reel 3 on which a printing paper 2 is wound in a roll shape, a printer mechanism 4 arranged along a conveyance path of the printing paper 2, And a paper cutter 5 for cutting the printing paper 2 printed by the printer mechanism 4.

The printer mechanism 4 includes a thermal head 11, a platen roller 12 disposed opposite to the thermal head 11, an ink ribbon 13, and a tip guide member 14.
Between the thermal head 11 and the platen roller 12, the printing paper 2 and the ink ribbon 13 fed from the feed reel 3 are passed. Further, the thermal head 11 is provided with a matrix-like heating element (not shown), and an ink ribbon passed between the thermal head 11 and the platen roller 12 by heating the heating element in a predetermined pattern. 13 is heated in the printing position.

The ink ribbon 13 is formed by sequentially and repeatedly applying a yellow ink, a magenta ink, a cyan ink, a black ink, and an overcoat material on a base film. The yellow ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink are each formed of a dye-based sublimation ink. Further, the black ink is formed by molten ink.
The ink ribbon 13 is heated between the heating element of the thermal head 11 and the platen roller 12 together with the printing paper 2, and the heating element of the thermal head 11 generates heat, so that the applied ink is sublimated or melted. It adheres to the printing surface of the printing paper 2.

The ink ribbon 13 is wound around a ribbon take-up roller 21 and a ribbon feed roller 22. The ink ribbon 13 is fed from the ribbon feed roller 22 and then passed between the thermal head 11 and the platen roller 12 via the ribbon transport roller 23, and then the ribbon winding roller 24 via the ribbon transport roller 24. It is wound up by the take-up roller 21.
On the peripheral surface of the ribbon take-up roller 21, an auxiliary roller 25 whose peripheral surface is in contact with the peripheral surface of the ribbon take-up roller 21 is provided. Further, on the peripheral surface of the auxiliary roller 25, a driving roller 26 whose peripheral surface is in contact with the peripheral surface of the auxiliary roller 25 is provided. The auxiliary roller 25 in contact with the peripheral surface of the drive roller 26 is rotated by the rotation of the drive roller 26, and the ribbon take-up roller 21 in contact with the peripheral surface of the auxiliary roller 25 by the rotation of the auxiliary roller 25. Rotates. As a result, the ink ribbon 13 fed from the ribbon feed roller 22 is taken up.
A friction roller 27 is provided on the peripheral surface of the ribbon feed roller 22 so that the peripheral surface thereof contacts the peripheral surface of the ribbon feed roller 22. The friction roller 27 generates a frictional force between the peripheral surface of the friction roller 27 and the peripheral surface of the ribbon feed roller 22, thereby suppressing the rotation speed of the ribbon feed roller 22.

The leading end guide member 14 is a plate-like member, and can be pressed between the printing position by the thermal head 11 and the ribbon transport roller 24 so that the ink ribbon 13 has a predetermined tension.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, the leading end guide member 14 is located at a standby position where no tension is applied to the ink ribbon 13 when the printing paper 2 is not conveyed to the printing position. As shown to b), when the printing paper 2 is conveyed to a printing position, it is comprised so that it may be located in the guide position which provides predetermined | prescribed tension | tensile_strength with respect to the ink ribbon 13. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2C, the leading end guide member 14 is positioned at the guide position until the printing paper 2 passes through the conveyance roller 33, and the printing paper 2 is conveyed as shown in FIG. It is configured to be positioned at a standby position where no tension is applied to the ink ribbon 13 when it passes through the roller 33.

  Further, conveyance rollers 31 and 32 are provided in order along the conveyance direction of the printing paper 2 between the delivery reel 3 and the printing position. Further, conveyance rollers 33 and 34 are provided in order along the conveyance direction of the printing paper 2 between the printing position and the paper cutter 5.

Next, a printing method using the thermal transfer printer 1 configured as described above will be described.
First, the printing paper 2 is sequentially sent out from the delivery reel 3 along the conveyance path by the conveyance rollers 31 and 32. Then, the leading end of the printing paper 2 in the transport direction is passed through the printing position between the thermal head 11 and the platen roller 12.
Thereafter, the ink ribbon 13 and the printing paper 2 are sent out while the printing paper 2 and the ink ribbon 13 are sandwiched between the thermal head 11 and the platen roller 12 with a predetermined pressure. At this time, the heating element provided in the thermal head 11 is heated in a predetermined pattern, so that the yellow ink on the ink ribbon 13 is sublimated to adhere the yellow ink to the printing surface of the printing paper 2. In this way, a yellow image is printed on the printing paper 2. Further, the ribbon take-up roller 21 is rotated by rotating the drive roller 26 to take up the ink ribbon 13. The ribbon feed roller 22 and the friction roller in contact with the peripheral surface of the ribbon feed roller 22 are also used. The winding speed of the ink ribbon 13 is adjusted by the frictional force with 27. As a result, the ink ribbon 13 is stably wound up.

  Here, when the leading end in the transport direction of the printing paper 2 is sent to the printing position, the leading end guide member 14 moves from the standby position to the guide position, and the ink ribbon 13 is set between the printing position and the ribbon transport roller 24 in a predetermined manner. Press so that the tension becomes. As a result, even if slack or wrinkles occur in the ink ribbon 13 due to the heating effect of the heating element provided in the thermal head 11, the ink ribbon 13 guides the printing paper 2 in a state where the influence due to these is reduced. .

  Then, the clamping state between the thermal head 11 and the platen roller 12 is released, and the winding of the ink ribbon 13 by the ribbon winding roller 21 is stopped. In this state, the printing paper 2 is returned backward in the transport direction by the amount of printing of the ink ribbon 13 by the yellow ink, and the printing paper 2 and the ink ribbon 13 are held between the thermal head 11 and the platen roller 12 again with a predetermined pressure. Here, even if the printing paper 2 is returned backward in the conveyance direction by the amount printed by the yellow ink, the leading edge guide member 14 is in the guiding position because the leading edge in the conveyance direction of the printing paper 2 is located at the printing position. It has become.

Next, similarly to the yellow ink, the heating element provided on the thermal head 11 is heated in a predetermined pattern so that the magenta ink on the ink ribbon 13 is superimposed on the yellow image and the magenta image is applied to the printing paper 2. Print. Then, the printing paper 2 is returned to the rear in the transport direction by the amount corresponding to the printing by the magenta ink, and the cyan image is superimposed on the magenta image by the cyan ink of the ink ribbon 13 and printed on the printing paper 2 in the same manner as the yellow ink and the magenta ink. To do. Further, the printing paper 2 is returned backward in the transport direction by the amount of printing by the black ink.
Subsequently, similar to the yellow ink, magenta ink, and cyan ink, the heating element provided in the thermal head 11 is heated in a predetermined pattern, so that the black ink of the ink ribbon 13 is melted and applied to the printing surface of the printing paper 2. Adhere black ink. Then, the printing paper 2 is returned to the rear side in the transport direction by the amount of printing by the black ink, and the overcoat material of the ink ribbon 13 is overlaid on the yellow, magenta, cyan, and black images.

Then, the printing paper 2 on which color printing by the thermal head 11 has been completed is sent out together with the ink ribbon 13. Here, when the leading end in the transport direction of the printing paper 2 is positioned in front of the transport roller 33 in the transport direction, the leading end guide member 14 stops pressing the ink ribbon 13 by moving from the guide position to the standby position. The tension applied to the ink ribbon 13 is released. Thereby, damage to the ink ribbon 13 and the printing paper 2 due to the application of tension is reduced.
Thereafter, the printing paper 2 on which the color printing by the printer mechanism 4 has been completed is transported along the transport path by the transport rollers 33 and 34, and the image portion printed by the paper cutter 5 is separated. Thereafter, the printer mechanism 4 newly prints on the printing paper 2 delivered from the delivery reel 3.

According to the thermal transfer printer 1 configured as described above, even when the ink ribbon 13 is slackened or wrinkled by heating the ink ribbon 13 with the thermal head 11, a predetermined tension is applied to the ink ribbon 13. By giving, it is possible to guide the printing paper 2 in a state in which the slack and wrinkles are eliminated. Thereby, the printing paper 2 can be conveyed without being affected by the deformation of the ink ribbon 13. Therefore, the printing paper 2 can be stably conveyed, and the printing quality can be maintained by suppressing the paper jam of the printing paper 2.
Further, when the leading end of the printing paper 2 in the conveyance direction passes and the printing paper 2 is stably conveyed, the leading edge guide member 14 moves to the standby position, and the printing paper 2 and the ink ribbon 13 are moved. Since the application of tension is stopped, the ink ribbon 13 and the printing paper 2 taken up by the ribbon take-up roller 21 are not damaged.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various change can be added in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, a sublimation type thermal transfer printer is used. However, the present invention may be applied to other thermal transfer type printers such as a fusion type.
In addition, the ink ribbon 13 has a configuration in which yellow, magenta, cyan, black ink and an overcoat material are coated on the base film. For example, other colors such as yellow, magenta, cyan, and overcoat material are used. A combination may be used, and the ink ribbon 13 of only one color may be used.
Further, the yellow, magenta, and cyan inks of the ink ribbon 13 are composed of sublimation inks, but other inks such as a melting type may be used.
A plurality of printer mechanisms 4 may be arranged at appropriate intervals along the conveyance path of the printing paper 2. Here, a plurality of printer mechanisms 4 may be configured to transfer inks of different colors onto printing paper.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the front-end | tip guide member 14 had plate shape, other shapes may be sufficient like a rod shape, a roller shape, and a lever shape, for example. Then, a function as the tip guide member 14 may be added to the thermal head 11. Further, the front end guide member 14 may be arranged behind the printing position by the thermal head 11 in the conveyance direction of the printing paper 2. Even in such a configuration, the printing paper 2 can be stably conveyed as described above, and the occurrence of bending or bending of the printing paper can be suppressed.
Further, the tip guide member 14 is configured to press the ink ribbon 13 from the printing surface side of the printing paper 2, but the tip guide member 14 is arranged between the ink ribbon 13 and the printing paper 2 to print the paper. May be configured to be pressed, or may be configured to be pressed from the back side of the printing paper 2. Even in such a configuration, the printing paper 2 can be stably conveyed as described above, and the occurrence of bending or bending of the printing paper can be suppressed.
In addition, the front end guide member 14 is configured to be separated from the ink ribbon 13 after the front end in the transport direction of the printing paper 2 has passed and to stop pressing the ink ribbon 13. It is good also as a structure which provides the tension | tensile_strength. Even with such a configuration, the printing paper 2 can be stably conveyed as described above, and the occurrence of bending or bending of the printing paper can be suppressed.

  According to the present invention, with respect to the thermal transfer printer, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of bending or bending of the printing paper and perform stable conveyance, and industrial applicability is recognized.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a thermal transfer printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the printer mechanism of FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thermal transfer printer 2 Printing paper 11 Thermal head 13 Ink ribbon 14 Tip guide member

Claims (3)

In a thermal transfer printer having a thermal head that transfers ink of an ink ribbon to the printing paper by heat while conveying the printing paper along a conveyance path,
A thermal transfer printer characterized in that a front-end guide member for guiding the front end in the transport direction of the printing paper along the transport direction is provided in front of the printing position of the thermal head in the transport direction of the printing paper. .   The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the leading end guide member applies tension to an ink ribbon positioned in front of the printing position in the transport direction. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, wherein the leading end guide member stops applying tension to the ink ribbon after passing the leading end in the transport direction of the printing paper.

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