JP2010234711A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer enabling the utilization value for a user to be improved. <P>SOLUTION: The printer 1 includes a carrying mechanism for conveying a long-like sealing paper 51, a thermal head 2, a controller 101, and a cutting mechanism 9. The thermal head thermal-transfer's ink adhered to an ink ribbon and transparent protective material to the printing surface of the sealing paper 51. The controller 101 controls the carrying mechanism so that the thermal transfer of ink and transparent protective material is carried out in the printing area of the sealing paper 51, and the printing area is conveyed to the downstream side of the carrying direction rather than the thermal head 2. The cutting mechanism 9 cuts the sealing paper 51 in the direction perpendicular to the carrying direction. A perforation is formed in the sealing paper 51 along the carrying direction. Thereby, a user can easily subdivide the sealing paper (print) output from the printer 1 along the carrying direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer, and more particularly, to a printer that thermally transfers ink and a transparent protective material previously attached to an ink ribbon onto a printing surface of a printing medium.

  2. Description of the Related Art Printers that perform printing by thermally transferring ink preliminarily attached to an ink ribbon onto a printing medium are known. Such a printer is generally called a sublimation printer.

  For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-30308 (Patent Document 1) discloses a sublimation printer that prints an image by pulling a print sheet from a sheet roll. This printer includes a mechanism for cutting a portion of a print sheet on which an image is printed by a cutter.

  Also, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-229907 (Patent Document 2) discloses a method in which an image formed on a printing medium is transparently protected by sequentially transferring ink and a transparent protective material previously attached to an ink ribbon to the printing medium. A thermal printer for coating with a pattern is disclosed. Thus, by covering the image formed on the printing paper with the transparent protective pattern, for example, it is possible to prevent color deterioration of the formed image.

JP 2008-30308 A JP 2008-229907 A

  In the sublimation printer disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-30308, in order to separate the printed print paper from the roll paper, the print paper is cut in a direction perpendicular to the roll paper conveyance direction. Therefore, when the user cuts a print (printed matter) output from the printer along the conveyance direction of the roll paper, it is considered that tools such as scissors and cutters are necessary.

  However, in many cases, it is troublesome for the user to cut the print using a tool. In order to improve the utility value of the printer, it is preferable to reduce the opportunity for such trouble.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a printer capable of improving the utility value for a user.

  In summary, the present invention is a printer that thermally transfers ink and a transparent protective material previously attached to an ink ribbon onto a printing surface of a seal-like print medium in which perforations are formed along the transport direction. The printer includes a transport mechanism for transporting a long print medium, a thermal head, a transport control circuit, a transfer control circuit, and a cutting mechanism. The thermal head includes a plurality of heating elements arranged along a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the print medium, and thermally transfers the ink and the transparent protective material attached to the ink ribbon to the printing surface of the print medium. In the conveyance control circuit, the ink and the transparent protective material are thermally transferred to the printing area of the printing surface by the thermal head, and after the ink and the transparent protective material are transferred to the printing area, the printing area is more in the conveyance direction than the thermal head. The transport mechanism is controlled so as to be transported downstream. The transfer control circuit is configured so that an image is formed in the print area by thermal transfer of the ink attached to the ink ribbon, and further, the print area is covered with the transparent protective material by thermal transfer of the transparent protective material attached to the ink ribbon. Control the thermal head. The cutting mechanism is disposed downstream of the thermal head with respect to the transport direction, and cuts the print medium along the arrangement direction of the plurality of heating elements.

  According to the above configuration, the image is transferred to the print area of the seal-like print medium in which the perforations are formed, and then the print area is covered with the transparent protective material. The print area covered with the transparent protective pattern is cut from the print medium by the cutting mechanism. Since the cut print medium (print) is formed with a perforation in the transport direction of the print medium (that is, the direction perpendicular to the print medium cutting direction by the printer), the user prints along the perforation. Can be separated. Thereby, when the user cuts the print in a direction orthogonal to the cutting direction of the print medium, the chance of using a tool such as scissors can be reduced. Therefore, according to the above configuration, a printer capable of increasing the utility value for the user can be realized.

  Preferably, when the transparent protective material is thermally transferred from the ink ribbon to the print area, the transfer control circuit does not thermally transfer the transparent protective material in a predetermined range including the perforation in the print area, while the predetermined value in the print area. In the remaining range excluding the range, the heat generation state of the plurality of heating elements is controlled so that the transparent protective material is thermally transferred.

  According to the above configuration, since the transparent protective material is not thermally transferred within a predetermined range including the perforation, there is a problem when the transparent protective material is thermally transferred onto the perforation (for example, the insufficiently transferred portion becomes powdery dust. The possibility of avoiding the problem of adhering to the printing surface can be increased.

  Preferably, the transfer control circuit further controls a heat generation state of the plurality of heating elements so that the ink is not thermally transferred within a predetermined range when the ink is thermally transferred from the ink ribbon to the printing region.

  According to the above configuration, since the ink is not thermally transferred in a predetermined range including the perforation, there is a problem when the ink is thermally transferred onto the perforation (for example, the insufficiently transferred portion becomes powdery dust and adheres to the printing surface. The possibility of avoiding the problem) can be increased.

  Preferably, the printing medium includes a mount and a sticker paper main body attached to the mount so as to be peelable. The perforation is constituted by a plurality of holes arranged along the transport direction. Each of the plurality of holes is formed so that the width along the conveyance direction decreases as it goes from the back surface of the mount located on the opposite side to the print surface of the print medium to the print surface, and at least penetrates the mount. Is done. The width of each of the plurality of holes in the back surface of the mount is 0.55 mm. The interval between the plurality of holes on the back surface of the mount is 0.15 mm.

  According to the above configuration, when the user divides the print along the perforation, the print can be divided by a small number of operations (for example, one mountain fold).

  Preferably, the cutting mechanism is configured to be capable of adjusting a cutting length of the print medium with reference to one end of the print medium in the arrangement direction of the plurality of heating elements. The printer further includes a cutting control circuit for controlling the cutting length by controlling the cutting mechanism.

  According to the above configuration, the cutting control circuit controls the cutting length of the printing medium by the cutting mechanism, so that, for example, the printing medium can be cut from one end to the perforation. Accordingly, it is possible to output from the printer a print that can be separated by the user in a size corresponding to the user's request.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the printer which can raise the utility value for a user is realizable.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of an ink ribbon. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of a thermal head. It is a functional block diagram for demonstrating the structure of a control apparatus. It is a figure showing an example of composition of a cutting mechanism with which a printer concerning an embodiment of the invention is provided. It is a top view which shows a part of sticker paper. It is sectional drawing of the VII-VII direction of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the VIII-VIII direction of FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a cutting position when a printer cuts a print area from a sticker sheet. It is a figure explaining printing using the sticker paper concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the problem which may arise when a print is bent along a perforation. It is a figure for demonstrating the state at the time of carrying out the mountain fold of the print concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a top view explaining thermal transfer of an ink layer and a laminate layer to a printing field by an embodiment of the invention. It is sectional drawing of the XIV-XIV direction of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the subject which may arise when a laminate layer is transcribe | transferred on a perforation. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect by embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart for explaining processing of the printer according to the embodiment of the invention. It is a figure explaining the application example of the print obtained by using the printer and sticker paper according to embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated.

[Printer configuration]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an example of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a printer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a thermal head 2, a platen roller 3, a peeling plate 4, a pair of paper feed rollers 5, an ink ribbon supply roller 6a, and an ink. A ribbon collection roller 6b, guide rollers 7a and 7b, a pair of paper discharge rollers 8, a cutting mechanism 9 including a cutter 9a and a cutter base 9b, and a control device 101 are provided.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the printer 1 can print sticker paper as a print medium. The sticker paper 51 that is a printing medium is long, and is drawn from the roll paper 50 and supplied to the printer 1. The pair of paper feed rollers 5 sandwich the long sticker paper 51 drawn from the roll paper 50. Further, the pair of paper feed rollers 5 are driven by a motor (not shown) to convey the sticker paper 51 in the direction of arrow A in the figure. The seal paper 51 conveyed by the paper supply roller 5 passes between the thermal head 2 and the platen roller 3.

  The ink ribbon supply roller 6 a is for supplying an unused ink ribbon 10 to the thermal head 2. The unused ink ribbon 10 is attached to the ink ribbon supply roller 6a in a wound state. The ink ribbon collection roller 6b is driven by a motor (not shown) to wind up the used ink ribbon 10. When the ink ribbon collection roller 6b winds up the ink ribbon 10, the ink ribbon 10 passes between the thermal head 2 and the platen roller 3 and is conveyed in the direction of arrow B in the figure. The guide roller 7 a is for guiding the ink ribbon 10 so that the ink ribbon 10 passes between the thermal head 2 and the platen roller 3.

  The ink ribbon 10 is in close contact with the seal paper 51 between the thermal head 2 and the platen roller 3. Further, the ink ribbon 10 and the sticker paper 51 are sandwiched between the thermal head 2 and the platen roller while being in close contact with each other. As will be described later, when the thermal head 2 applies heat to the ink ribbon 10, the ink previously attached to the ink ribbon 10 is transferred to form an image on the printing surface of the sticker paper 51. In the present specification, the term “image” is used as a name including a picture, a photograph, a character, and the like.

  The ink ribbon 10 passes between the thermal head 2 and the platen roller 3 and then comes into contact with the end portion of the peeling plate 4. Thereby, the conveyance direction of the ink ribbon 10 changes. The guide roller 7b applies a certain tension to the ink ribbon 10 existing between the peeling plate 4 and the ink ribbon collection roller 6b. Due to the tension acting on the ink ribbon 10, the ink ribbon 10 that is in close contact with the printing surface of the seal paper 51 is peeled off from the seal paper 51.

  The paper discharge roller 8 sandwiches the sticker paper 51 on which an image is formed by the thermal head 2. In the embodiment of the present invention, at least the paper feed roller 5 and the motor that drives the paper feed roller 5 constitute the “conveying mechanism” of the present invention.

  The cutting mechanism 9 is disposed on the downstream side of the thermal head 2 in the conveyance direction of the sticker paper 51. The cutting mechanism 9 cuts the sticker 51 along a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sticker 51 (this direction corresponds to a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1).

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the cutting mechanism 9 is configured to be able to adjust the cutting length from one end of the sticker paper 51. Accordingly, it is possible to cut the seal paper 51 halfway or to separate a print (printed material) on which the image is printed from the seal paper 51.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ink ribbon. Referring to FIG. 2, an ink ribbon 10 includes three ink layers (yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C)) and a laminate layer on a long film-like substrate 10a having heat resistance. (Transparent protective material (OP)) is formed by sequentially adhering in the direction opposite to the supply direction of the ink ribbon 10 (that is, the direction shown by arrow B). When the ink ribbon 10 is conveyed in the supply direction, the ink layers Y, M, and C and the laminate layer OP reach the area between the thermal head 2 and the platen roller 3 in this order.

  Note that, for example, a black mark for representing the print size corresponding to the layer is attached between the layers, and the printer 1 is read based on information read by the reading device and the reading device. A discriminating unit for discriminating the size of a print printed using the layer may be provided. Accordingly, when the ink layer and the laminate layer having a size corresponding to each of the plurality of print sizes are attached to the ink ribbon, the printer 1 applies the ink layer and the laminate layer having a size corresponding to the print size to the ink ribbon. Thermal transfer can be performed by selecting from the following.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the thermal head. Referring to FIG. 3, thermal head 2 includes a plurality of heating elements R1 to Rn arranged in a straight line.

  Each of the heating elements R1 to Rn generates heat when energized. Energization of each heating element is controlled by the control device 101 shown in FIG. When the heating element generates heat, the ink layers (Y, M, C) and the laminate layer OP of the ink ribbon 10 facing the heating element are transferred to the seal paper 51.

  The seal paper 51 is transported in the direction of arrow A by the transport mechanism (the paper feed roller 5 and the motor that drives the paper feed roller 5), so that each layer (ink layer and laminate layer) of the ink ribbon is on the surface of the seal paper 51. It is transferred to a predetermined printing area on the (printing surface). When the ink layer is thermally transferred, when the thermal transfer of a certain color layer is completed, the sticker paper 51 is conveyed in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow A, and the ink ribbon (not shown in FIG. 3) is supplied in the direction of supply. To be transported. In the case of the laminate layer, when the thermal transfer to the printing surface is completed, the seal paper 51 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A and the ink ribbon (not shown in FIG. 3) is conveyed in the supply direction.

  By such a process, the respective ink layers (Y, M, C) and the laminate layer OP are sequentially thermally transferred to a predetermined printing area of the sticker paper 51 so as to overlap each other. As a result, a desired color image is printed in the printing area, and a transparent protective layer that covers the printed image is formed. The treatment (finishing) for coating the surface of the printing paper with the transparent protective layer may be either a glossy finish that makes the surface of the printing paper substantially uniform or a matte finish that has irregularities on the surface of the printing paper.

  In the following description, the arrangement direction of the heating elements R1 to Rn is also referred to as “main scanning direction”, and the conveyance direction (direction of arrow A) of the sticker paper 51 is also referred to as “sub-scanning direction”. The main scanning direction is a direction orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction on the surface of the sticker paper 51. Therefore, the cutting mechanism 9 (see FIG. 1) cuts the sticker paper 51 in a direction parallel to the main scanning direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the printer 1 can print the sticker paper 51 on which the perforation 60 is formed. The structure of the sticker paper 51 will be described in detail later. The “perforation” means a line formed in a broken line shape by a plurality of holes provided along a separation line (for example, a straight line) for separating paper.

  FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram for explaining the configuration of the control device. Referring to FIG. 4, the control device 101 includes a printer control circuit 110, an input circuit 111, a memory 112, an image processing circuit 113, a head control circuit 115, a paper feed control circuit 116, and an ink ribbon conveyance control. A circuit 117 and a cutting control circuit 118 are provided.

  The printer control circuit 110 is a circuit for comprehensively controlling the operation of the printer 1. Specifically, the printer control circuit 110 receives paper information about the printing paper such as the paper size and the presence / absence of perforations, and based on the information, prints an image in a predetermined printing area on the printing surface of the sticker paper 51. The image processing circuit 113, the head control circuit 115, the paper feed control circuit 116, and the ink ribbon conveyance control circuit 117 are controlled. Further, the printer control circuit 110 controls the cutting control circuit 118 in order to separate the printing portion of the sticker paper from the sticker paper.

  A method for the printer control circuit 110 to acquire the paper information is not particularly limited. For example, the printer control circuit 110 may acquire paper information by reading information recorded on various recording media, or detects the setting of a means (for example, a switch) for setting the type of paper, The detection result may be acquired as paper information.

  The input circuit 111 is an interface for receiving image data sent from the computer 103. In the embodiment of the present invention, the computer 103 transfers image data obtained when the camera 102 captures a subject (typically a person) to the input circuit 111 of the control device 101. A means for connecting the computer 103 and the input circuit 111 or a transfer method for transferring image data from the computer 103 to the input circuit 111 is not particularly limited.

  The memory 112 is for storing the image data input to the input circuit 111. The image data input to the input circuit 111 is separated into yellow, magenta, and cyan image data, and these three image data are stored in the memory 112.

  The image processing circuit 113 performs image processing necessary for printing the image data input from the computer 103 to the control device 101 on the sticker sheet 51 under the control of the printer control circuit 110. Specifically, the image processing circuit 113 converts image data (for example, cyan image data) stored in the memory 112 into image data corresponding to the color (cyan) of the ink ribbon. Further, the image processing circuit 113 generates transfer pattern data for thermally transferring the laminate layer OP, which has been previously attached to the ink ribbon 10, to a predetermined printing area on the printing surface of the sticker paper 51.

  The head control circuit 115 generates a control signal for controlling the thermal head 2 and sends it to the thermal head 2. Specifically, the head control circuit 115 generates a control signal for the thermal head 2 in order to thermally transfer the image data of each color generated by the image processing circuit 113 to the sticker paper 51 by the ink layer attached to the ink ribbon. To do. Further, the head control circuit 115 generates a control signal for the thermal head 2 in order to thermally transfer the laminate layer OP previously attached to the ink ribbon 10 to the seal paper 51 in accordance with the transfer pattern data generated by the image processing circuit 113. To do.

  When generating each control signal, the head control circuit 115 takes into consideration the characteristics of each heating element and the heating state of each heating element, and the heating state of each of the plurality of heating elements included in the thermal head 2 is desired. The energization time of each heating element is adjusted so as to be in a state.

  The image processing circuit 113 and the head control circuit 115 constitute a “transfer control circuit” of the present invention.

  The paper feed control circuit 116 controls the motor 21 that drives the paper feed roller 5 under the control of the printer control circuit 110. Specifically, when the paper feed control circuit 116 thermally transfers the ink layers Y, M, and C attached to the ink ribbon 10 onto the printing surface of the sticker paper 51, the sticker paper 51 is sub-scanned at a predetermined speed. The motor 21 is controlled so as to be conveyed in the direction (the direction of the arrow A shown in FIGS. 1 and 3). The paper feed control circuit 116 controls the motor 21 so that the sticker paper 51 is rewound every time the transfer of each ink layer is completed. Thereby, whenever the thermal transfer of each ink layer Y, M, and C is completed, the thermal head 2 is relatively returned to the printing start position of the printing area.

  Furthermore, when the laminate layer OP attached to the ink ribbon 10 is thermally transferred to the printing area, the paper feed control circuit 116 controls the motor 21 so that the seal paper 51 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction at a predetermined speed. To do. When the thermal transfer of the laminate layer OP is completed, the paper feed control circuit 116 controls the motor 21 so that the sticker paper 51 is further conveyed in the sub-scanning direction.

  The ink ribbon conveyance control circuit 117 controls the motor 22 that drives the ink ribbon collection roller 6b. When the motor 22 drives the ink ribbon collection roller 6b, the printing area of the sticker paper 51, the ink layers Y, M, C, and the laminate layer OP attached to the ink ribbon 10 are connected between the thermal head 2 and the platen roller 3. The used ink ribbon 10 is peeled off from the sticker paper 51 and collected.

  The portion of the print area in which the image is formed in the sticker paper is transported downstream of the thermal head 2 in the transport direction of the sticker paper 51 by the paper feed roller 5, the motor 21 and the paper discharge roller 8 (see FIG. 1). Is done. This conveyed portion is cut by the cutter 9a.

  The cutting control circuit 118 is for controlling the motor 23 that moves the cutter 9a. The cutter 9a is configured to be movable along the main scanning direction. As the cutter 9a moves from one end of the sticker paper 51 along the main scanning direction, a cut along the main scanning direction is made in the sticker paper 51. When the cutter 9a moves from one end of the sticker sheet 51 to the other end along the main scanning direction, the portion of the print area is separated from the sticker sheet 51.

  The position detector 24 detects the position of the cutter 9a in the main scanning direction, and sends the detected position to the cutting control circuit 118. The cutting control circuit 118 controls the cutting length of the sticker paper 51 based on the position of the cutter 9 a detected by the position detection unit 24. Note that the position detection unit 24 may detect the position of the cutter 9 a by detecting the number of rotations of the motor 23 from the start of cutting the sticker paper 51.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a cutting mechanism provided in the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the cutter 9 a is a circular blade, and is rotated by the motor 23 shown in FIG. 4. The cutter 9 a is rotated from one end of the sticker paper 51 at the cutting start position along the main scanning direction. Proceed toward the other end.

  Hereinafter, the length along the main scanning direction of the sticker paper 51 will be referred to as “width”. When the stop position of the cutter 9 a is P 1, the movement amount L 1 of the cutter 9 a is larger than the width W of the sticker paper 51, so that the print area where a desired image is formed is separated from the sticker paper 51. On the other hand, when the stop position of the cutter 9 a is P 2, the movement amount L 2 of the cutter 9 a is smaller than the width W of the sticker paper 51, so that the print area is not separated from the sticker paper 51. Thus, the cutting length of the sticker paper 51 can be changed by changing the stop position of the cutter 9a.

[Seal paper]
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a part of the sticker paper. Referring to FIG. 6, perforation 60 is formed on sticker sheet 51. In a state where the sticker paper 51 (roll paper 50) is loaded in the printer 1, the direction of the perforation 60 is the sub-scanning direction. In other words, the perforation 60 is formed on the sticker paper 51 along the transport direction of the roll paper 50. In the sticker paper 51 shown in FIG. 6, the perforation 60 is formed at the center position of the width of the sticker paper 51.

  7 is a cross-sectional view in the VII-VII direction of FIG. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view in the VIII-VIII direction of FIG. FIG. 7 shows a cross section along the perforation 60 of the sticker paper 51. FIG. 8 shows a cross section of the sticker paper 51 in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the perforation 60. In a state where the sticker paper 51 (roll paper 50) is loaded in the printer 1, the direction orthogonal to the direction of the perforation 60 corresponds to the main scanning direction.

  7 and 8, the sticker paper 51 includes a sticker paper main body 52 and a mount 53. The sticker body 52 is affixed to the mount 53 and can be peeled off from the sticker body 52.

  The sticker body 52 has a printing surface 54 and an adhesive surface 55. The mount 53 has a surface 56 (front surface) in contact with the adhesive surface 55 of the sticker paper main body, and a surface 57 (back surface) opposite to the surface 56. For convenience of illustration, in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the front side surface 56 of the mount 53 and the adhesive surface 55 of the sticker paper body 52 are shown as substantially the same surface. The same applies to the other drawings.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the perforation 60 includes a plurality of through holes 61 formed so as to penetrate the sticker paper main body 52 and the mount 53, and are arranged at predetermined intervals along the sub-scanning direction of the sticker paper 51. It is constituted by being done. In other words, the perforation 60 is configured by alternately arranging the through holes 61 and the non-penetrating portions 62 along the sub-scanning direction of the sticker paper 51. Note that the plurality of through holes 61 may be formed so as to penetrate at least the mount 53.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the through hole 61 is formed so that its width decreases as it goes from the back surface (surface 57) of the mount 53 to the printing surface 54 of the seal paper main body 52. The width a of the through holes 61 in the direction of the perforation 60 is about 0.55 mm, and the interval b of the through holes 61 is about 0.15 mm. The interval b between the through holes 61 corresponds to the length of the non-through portion 62 in the direction of the perforation 60.

  Similarly, as shown in FIG. 8, the through hole 61 is formed so that its width decreases from the back surface (surface 57) of the mount 53 toward the printing surface 54 of the seal paper main body 52. The diameter c of the through hole 61 along the direction orthogonal to the direction of the perforation 60 is larger than the interval b of the through holes 61 shown in FIG. 7 and smaller than the width a of the through holes 61.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the printer 1 forms an image on the sticker paper 51 on which the perforation 60 is formed along the sub-scanning direction. Thus, the user can easily separate the print output from the printer 1 along the sub-scanning direction. This point will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a cutting position when the printer separates the print area from the sticker sheet. With reference to FIG. 9A, a printing area 65 is provided at the leading end portion of the sticker paper 51, and an image is printed in the printing area 65. The size of the print area 65, that is, the print size is specified when the printer 1 executes printing. However, since the width W of the sticker paper 51 is fixed, the length L in the sub-scanning direction is changed according to the selected print size. By cutting the sticker sheet 51 at a position corresponding to the length L, a print 66 having a specified size (L × W) is output.

  With reference to FIG. 9B, in order to divide the print of the specified size into three sheets, the print area of the specified size is equally divided into the print areas 65a to 65c. As described above, the printer can cut the sticker sheet only in the main scanning direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the printer 1 subdivides the prints of the specified size, the widths of the prints 66a to 66c output from the printer remain the width W of the sticker paper 51, but the sub-scanning direction. The length of is L / 3.

  As described above, when the printer divides the print of the specified size (L × W) into small parts, the printer can output only a long and narrow print. On the other hand, the user may cut the print along the sub-scanning direction because it is easy to store the print in a wallet or a bag.

  In this case, the user needs to cut the print along the sub-scanning direction. For example, the user cuts the print using a tool such as scissors or a cutter. However, the user does not always carry scissors, cutters and the like. In addition, it may be troublesome for the user to divide the prints with tools such as scissors and cutters.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining printing using the sticker sheet according to the embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 10A, according to the embodiment of the present invention, perforation 60 is formed in sticker paper 51 along the sub-scanning direction. Similarly to FIG. 9B, in order to divide the print of the specified size into three sheets, the print area of the specified size is equally divided into the print areas 65a to 65c.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, the prints 66a to 66c have an elongated shape at the stage where the prints are subdivided by the printer. However, as shown in FIG. 10C, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the print 66a can be divided into two at the perforation 60 by the user pulling both ends of the print 66a, for example. The same applies to the prints 66b and 66c.

  As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the user divides the print (printed matter) discharged from the printer along the sub-scanning direction, the opportunity for using a tool such as scissors is reduced. Can do. Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the opportunity for troublesome work to divide the prints, so that the utility value of the printer can be improved.

  The user operation for dividing the print at the perforation is as follows: (1) fold the print along the perforation, (2) fold the print along the perforation, (3) tear off the print , Etc. are conceivable. However, if the size of the perforated through holes or the interval between the through holes is not appropriate, it may happen that the print cannot be easily subdivided by the above operation. This point will be described with reference to FIG. Here, “mountain fold” means that the print is folded so that the print surface of the print faces outward, and “valley fold” means that the print is folded so that the print surface of the print faces inward Means.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of a problem that may occur when a print is folded along a perforation. FIG. 11A is a diagram for explaining problems that may occur when a print is folded in a mountain. FIG. 11B is a diagram for explaining problems that may occur when the print is valley-folded.

  With reference to FIG. 11A, the seal paper main body 52 is divided into two at the perforations by folding the print 66 along the perforations 60. However, the mount 53 is not separated by the perforation 60. In order to divide the print into two, it is necessary to divide the mount 53 into two. Therefore, at least two operations are required to divide the print into two.

  Referring to FIG. 11B, the perforation peripheral portion 68 of the seal paper main body 52 is lifted from the mount 53 by folding the print 66 along the perforation 60. Further, neither the sticker paper main body 52 nor the mount 53 is divided. In this case, in order to divide the print into two, for example, the mountain fold and the valley fold are repeated, or the print 66 is torn off. Therefore, at least two operations are required to divide the print into two. Further, there is a possibility that the perforated peripheral portion 68 may be creased by folding the print 66 in a state where the perforated peripheral portion 68 is lifted from the mount 53.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a state when the print according to the embodiment of the present invention is folded in a mountain. Referring to FIG. 12, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the dimensions (width a, c and interval b) of the perforation (through hole 61 and non-through portion 62) and the shape of through hole 61 are as described above. Therefore, the seal paper main body 52 and the mount 53 can be divided at the perforation 60 at the same time only by folding the print 66 once.

  Although FIG. 12 shows an example of mountain folding, even when the user performs valley folding or tearing, the seal paper main body 52 and the mount 53 can be divided at the perforation 60 at the same time.

  In addition, when the user can easily divide the print in this way, there is a possibility that the sticker is divided at the perforation when the roll paper 50 is loaded in the printer 1 or when the sticker is conveyed. . According to the embodiment of the present invention, the user can determine the dimensions (width a, c and interval b) of the perforation (through hole 61 and non-through part 62) and the shape of the through hole 61 as described above. While the print can be easily subdivided along the sub-scanning direction, it is possible to prevent the seal paper from being divided at the perforation when the seal paper is conveyed by the printer.

[Thermal transfer of ink layer and laminate layer to the printing area]
FIG. 13 is a plan view for explaining the thermal transfer of the ink layer and the laminate layer to the printing area according to the embodiment of the present invention. 14 is a cross-sectional view in the XIV-XIV direction of FIG. FIG. 14 shows a cross section in the main scanning direction of the sticker paper on which the ink layer and the laminate layer are thermally transferred.

  Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, in the present embodiment, the print area includes transfer areas 71 and 72 and a non-transfer area 73.

  The transfer areas 71 and 72 are areas where the ink 74 and the laminate layer OP are overlaid. The non-transfer area 73 is a predetermined range so that the perforation 60 is included. The length of the non-transfer area 73 in the main scanning direction is determined in advance in consideration of, for example, the accuracy of the position of the perforation when the perforation is performed on the sticker paper 51, the degree of perforation of the perforation, and the like. For example, the length of the non-transfer area 73 in the main scanning direction is set to several mm.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the printer 1 does not thermally transfer the laminate layer OP to the non-transfer area 73. More preferably, as shown in FIG. 14, the printer 1 does not thermally transfer either the ink 74 or the laminate layer OP to the non-transfer area 73.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a problem that may occur when a laminate layer is transferred onto a perforation. Referring to FIG. 15A, when the laminate layer OP attached to the ink ribbon 10 is transferred to the printing surface of the seal paper 51 by the thermal head 2, the thermal head is not used at the perforations (through holes 61). 2 can apply sufficient pressure for transfer. Therefore, the laminate layer attached to the ink ribbon 10 is transferred to the printing surface of the sticker paper 51 by the heat generated by the heating element of the thermal head 2.

  However, the thermal head 2 cannot apply sufficient pressure to the ink ribbon 10 above the perforation (through hole 61). However, since the entire thermal head 2 generates heat, heat is also applied to the laminate layer OP in the portion above the perforation (through hole 61).

  Further, in FIG. 15A, the perimeter of the perforation (through hole 61) is shown to be flat. However, when the perforation is formed on the sticker paper by inserting a blade from the back surface of the mount 53, for example. There is a possibility that undulations occur around the perforation (through hole 61). Due to this undulation, the thermal head 2 cannot apply sufficient pressure to the ink ribbon 10 for transfer.

  As a result, the transfer of the laminate layer OP may be insufficient in the peripheral portion of the perforation (through hole 61). In this case, as shown in FIG. 15B, when the ink ribbon 10 is separated from the seal paper 51, the portion corresponding to the perforation in the laminate layer OP is torn off from the other portions. This can reduce the appearance of the perimeter perimeter.

  Further, there is a possibility that a part of the laminate layer around the perforation becomes powdery dust and adheres to the components of the printer 1 or the printing surface of the sticker paper. In this case, there is a possibility that the print quality is lowered and the frequency of printer maintenance is increased.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the embodiment of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 16A, in the present embodiment, the thermal head 2 uses heat for transferring the laminate layer OP to the seal paper 51 in the region 2 a excluding the region 2 b corresponding to the non-transfer region 73. Is generated. On the other hand, the heat generated in the region 2b is not so high as to transfer the laminate layer OP to the seal paper 51. The thermal head 2 is controlled by the control device 101 (see FIG. 1) so that the heat generation amount is different between the heating element arranged corresponding to the region 2a and the heating element arranged corresponding to the region 2b.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 16B, when the ink ribbon 10 is separated from the sticker paper 51, the laminate layer corresponding to the non-transfer area 73 is removed from the printing surface. Further, the laminate layer OP can be removed from the printing surface at the boundary with the transfer regions 71 and 72. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the appearance around the perforation from being deteriorated in the print output from the printer. Further, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a part of the laminate layer not transferred to the printing surface adheres to the components of the printer 1 or the printing surface of the sticker paper. Thereby, the period during which the print quality can be maintained at a high level can be extended.

  Note that at least the laminate layer may not be transferred to the non-transfer area. However, in the embodiment of the present invention, neither the ink nor the laminate layer is transferred to the non-transfer area. As in the case of the transfer of the laminate layer, when the ink attached to the ink ribbon is transferred to the printing surface of the sticker paper, the perforation and the surrounding area are transferred to the ink ribbon 10 and the sticker paper 51. Sufficient pressure may not be applied. In this state, when heat for thermal transfer is applied to the ink layer attached to the ink ribbon, it is considered that a part of the ink layer soaks into the surface of the seal paper body. However, there is a possibility that a part of the ink layer that has not been transferred becomes powdery dust. In the embodiment of the present invention, by not transferring the ink to the non-transfer area, it is possible to further reduce the possibility of generating dust that affects the print quality and the like.

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart for explaining processing of the printer according to the embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 17 and 4, when the process is started, an ink transfer process is executed in step S1.

  Specifically, the printer control circuit 110 instructs the image processing circuit 113 to generate image data for ink transfer. In response to an instruction from the printer control circuit 110, the image processing circuit 113 converts the image data stored in the memory 112 into image data corresponding to the color of the ink ribbon. The head control circuit 115 generates a control signal for the thermal head 2 to thermally transfer the image data of each color onto the sticker paper 51. In response to a control signal from the head control circuit 115, the heating element of the thermal head 2 generates heat.

  Further, the paper feed control circuit 116 controls the motor 21 so that the sticker paper 51 is conveyed at a predetermined speed in the sub-scanning direction (direction of arrow A shown in FIGS. 1 and 3) under the control of the printer control circuit 110. Control. The paper feed control circuit 116 controls the motor 21 so that the sticker paper 51 is rewound every time the transfer of each ink layer is completed. Further, the ink ribbon conveyance control circuit 117 controls the motor 22 that drives the ink ribbon collection roller 6b. Accordingly, the ink layers Y, M, and C are sequentially thermally transferred to the transfer area in the print area.

  None of the ink layers Y, M, and C is transferred to the area around the perforation in the print area, that is, the non-transfer area. Since none of the ink layers Y, M, and C is transferred to the non-transfer area, for example, when the computer 103 creates image data corresponding to the print area, the image data is generated except for the part corresponding to the non-transfer area. . The head control circuit 115 generates a control signal for controlling the heat generation amounts of a plurality of heating elements included in the thermal head 2 based on the image data from the image processing circuit 113. With this control signal, the amount of heat generated by the heating element at the position corresponding to the transfer area becomes a sufficient amount of heat for transferring the ink, while the amount of heat generated by the heating element at the position corresponding to the non-transfer area is The size is such that the ink is not transferred.

  Next, in step S2, a laminate layer transfer process is executed. The process for transferring the laminate layer is the same as the process in step S1. Also in step S2, the laminate layer OP is not transferred to the non-transfer area. Such processing is realized, for example, by forming a pattern so that the image area corresponding to the non-transfer area is not transferred when the image processing circuit 113 generates the transfer pattern of the laminate layer OP. The head control circuit 115 generates a control signal for controlling the heat generation amount of the plurality of heating elements of the thermal head 2 based on the image data from the image processing circuit 113. With this control signal, the amount of heat generated by the heating element at the position corresponding to the transfer area is sufficient to transfer the laminate layer, while the amount of heat generated by the heating element at the position corresponding to the non-transfer area is The amount is such that the laminate layer is not transferred.

  In step S <b> 3, a cutting process for cutting the print area from the sticker paper 51 is executed. In this case, the printer control circuit 110 instructs the cutting control circuit 118 on the cutting length of the sticker paper 51. The cutting control circuit 118 moves the cutter 9 a by controlling the motor 23. Further, the cutting control circuit 118 controls the movement amount of the cutter 9a based on the position of the cutter 9a detected by the position detection unit 24 so that the movement amount of the cutter 9a becomes the instructed cutting length.

  The process for cutting the print area in step S3 is not limited to being executed only once. For example, the cutting process may be performed at a plurality of locations along the sub-scanning direction of the sticker paper. The cutting process may be performed so that the sticker paper is cut halfway at some of the plurality of locations. When the process of step S3 ends, the entire process ends.

  Further, the printer control circuit 110 recognizes in advance that the sticker paper 51 is a paper with a perforation based on the paper information. Therefore, when the ink and the laminate layer attached to the ink ribbon are thermally transferred to the seal paper on which the perforations are not formed, the printer control circuit 110 can change the print information loaded in the printer 1 by changing the paper information in advance. It can be recognized that the sheet is a sticker sheet having no perforation.

  The processing of the printer 1 in this case is basically the same as the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. However, in steps S1 and S2, the process of not transferring the ink and the laminate layer to the non-transfer area is omitted.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an application example of a print obtained by using the printer and the sticker sheet according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 18A, the position of the perforation in the width direction of the sticker is shifted from the center position of the width of the sticker. The user can obtain a plurality of prints 66 having different lengths in the main scanning direction by cutting one print along the perforation 60. Note that in order to perform printing on sticker sheets having different perforation positions in this way, paper information including the positions of perforations of the sticker paper and the like is input to the printer control circuit 110. In accordance with the paper information, the printer control circuit 110 controls the image processing circuit 113 and the like. Thereby, the transfer areas 71 and 72 and the non-transfer area 73 including the perforation 60 can be set.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 18B, the process of separating the print from the sticker 51 and the process of cutting the sticker from one end of the sticker 51 to the perforation can be combined. Such a process is realized by changing the cutting length in the cutting process of step S3 in the flowchart of FIG. In this case, the user can obtain prints 66 having different lengths in the sub-scanning direction by cutting one print along the perforation 60.

  As shown in FIG. 18, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to output from the printer a print that can be separated by the user in a size corresponding to the user's request. As a result, the utility value of the printer for the user can be further improved.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  1 printer, 2 thermal head, 2a, 2b area, 3 platen roller, 4 release plate, 5 paper feed roller, 6a ink ribbon supply roller, 6b ink ribbon recovery roller, 7a, 7b guide roller, 8 paper discharge roller, 9 cutting Mechanism, 9a Cutter, 9b Cutter Base, 10 Ink Ribbon, 10a Base Material, 21-23 Motor, 24 Position Detection Unit, 50 Roll Paper, 51 Seal Paper, 52 Seal Paper Main Body, 53 Mount Paper, 54 Printing Surface, 55 Adhesive Surface , 56, 57 surface, 60 perforation, 61 through hole, 62 non-penetrating portion, 65, 65a-65c printing area, 66, 66a-66c printing, 68 perforation peripheral part, 71, 72 transfer area, 73 non-transfer area , 74 ink, 101 control device, 102 camera, 103 computer, 110 print Control circuit, 111 input circuit, 112 memory, 113 image processing circuit, 115 head control circuit, 116 paper feed control circuit, 117 ink ribbon conveyance control circuit, 118 cutting control circuit, A and B arrows, L1, L2 movement amount, R1 ~ Rn heating element, S1-S3 step.

Claims (5)

A printer that thermally transfers ink and a transparent protective material previously attached to an ink ribbon to a printing surface of a seal-like print medium in which perforations are formed along a conveyance direction,
A transport mechanism for transporting the long print medium;
A plurality of heating elements arranged along a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the print medium, and thermally transferring the ink and the transparent protective material attached to the ink ribbon to the print surface of the print medium A thermal head for
The ink and the transparent protective material are thermally transferred to the printing area of the printing surface by the thermal head, and after the ink and the transparent protective material are transferred to the printing area, the printing area is transferred from the thermal head. A transport control circuit for controlling the transport mechanism so that the transport mechanism is transported downstream in the transport direction;
An image is formed in the print area by the thermal transfer of the ink attached to the ink ribbon, and the print area is covered with the transparent protective material by the thermal transfer of the transparent protective material attached to the ink ribbon. A transfer control circuit for controlling the thermal head;
A printer comprising: a cutting mechanism that is disposed downstream of the thermal head with respect to the transport direction and that cuts the print medium along an arrangement direction of the plurality of heating elements.   The transfer control circuit, when the transparent protective material is thermally transferred from the ink ribbon to the print area, the transparent protective material is not thermally transferred in a predetermined range including the perforation in the print area, 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein heat generation states of the plurality of heating elements are controlled so that the transparent protective material is thermally transferred in a remaining range excluding the predetermined range in a print region.   The transfer control circuit further controls a heat generation state of the plurality of heating elements so that the ink is not thermally transferred within the predetermined range when the ink is thermally transferred from the ink ribbon to the printing region. The printer according to claim 2. The print medium is
Mount and
A sticker paper body that is releasably attached from the mount,
The perforation is
Consists of a plurality of holes arranged along the transport direction,
Each of the plurality of holes is
A width along the transport direction decreases as it goes from the back surface of the mount located on the side opposite to the print surface of the print medium to the print surface, and is formed so as to penetrate at least the mount. ,
The width in the transport direction of each of the plurality of holes on the back surface of the mount is 0.55 mm,
The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an interval between the plurality of holes on the back surface of the mount is 0.15 mm. The cutting mechanism is
The cutting length of the print medium is configured to be adjustable with reference to one end of the print medium in the arrangement direction of the plurality of heating elements,
The printer is
The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a cutting control circuit for controlling the cutting length by controlling the cutting mechanism.

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