JP2500636B2 - Thermal transfer recorder - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording apparatus using a thermal head and an ink supporting tape, and in particular, a reproducible ink supporting tape is used to enable printing on a medium such as plain paper. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Since a thermal transfer recording apparatus is required to reduce the running cost of an ink ribbon, an endless ink support tape is used, and after printing, a hot-melt ink is melt-coated by an ink replenishing means to be reproduced. Has been known for a long time.

[0003]

However, the endless type ink supporting tape and the ink replenishing means are used, for example, when the main body of the apparatus is lifted, tilted, or placed upright after the operation is stopped. Since the meltable ink inside the ink replenishing means is in a molten state,
This will flow out from the ink applying section of the ink replenishing means, causing the inconvenience that the ink will go around to the opposite surface of the ink supporting tape and the inside of the device will be dirty. In such a case, there is an inconvenience that good printing cannot be obtained, and when ink adheres to the internal control board and mechanical parts, there is an inconvenience that a malfunction occurs.

[0004]

It is an object of the present invention to improve the disadvantages of the conventional example, particularly to effectively prevent the outflow of ink from the ink replenishing means after the operation is stopped, and thereby to improve the printing quality. To provide the device,
To that end.

[0005]

According to the present invention, an ink support tape to which a heat-meltable ink is applied, a tape running drive means for applying a running force to the ink support tape, and a heat-melting property of the ink support tape are provided. A thermal transfer type print head that locally heats the ink layer to transfer the molten ink to the recording paper,
A platen provided facing the thermal transfer print head through the running path of the ink supporting tape, an ink replenishing means for constantly replenishing the heat-meltable ink applied to the platen side surface of the ink supporting tape, and a thermal transfer Check the tilt of the recording device
And a sensor that emits the light.

The ink replenishing means includes an ink storage portion for temporarily storing the ink, a tape contact portion for continuously applying the ink to the ink supporting tape, and an ink storage portion for the tape contact portion. The ink passage for guiding the ink and the heater provided on the bottom surface of the ink passage. In addition, when the operation is stopped , the thermal transfer recording device is provided in the middle part of the ink passage described above by the signal from the sensor.
A configuration is adopted in which an ink passage blocking mechanism that blocks the ink passage when the inclination of the apparatus is detected is installed.
This aims to achieve the above-mentioned object.

[0007]

[Operation] First, the ink supporting tape 2 driven by the driving roller 1 is the ink applying portion 3A of the ink replenishing means 3.
The hot melt ink 3a is reapplied and applied. The coating thickness of the heat-meltable ink 3a applied to the ink support tape 2 is regulated by the sub-inking member 5. At this time, the hot-melt ink 3a in the ink replenishing means 3 is heated by the heater 6 and is in a molten state.

The ink passage shut-off valve 21 constituting the ink passage shut- off mechanism shuts off the ink passage 3C provided to connect the ink applying portion 3A of the ink replenishing means 3 and the ink storing portion 3B. That is, when the main body of the apparatus is abnormal (tilted or stood up), it is sensed by a sensor (not shown) and a moving mechanism (not shown) operates to move the permanent magnet 22 downward. As a result, the ink passage cutoff valve 21 at the lower portion of the ink passage 3C is attracted and raised, and the ink passage 3C is shut off at the intermediate portion .

As a result, the hot-melt ink 3a in the ink storage portion 3B is prevented from flowing toward the ink application portion 3A and is prevented from flowing out. Also, the ink passage shutoff valve 2
Since 1 is a magnetic material and has a larger specific gravity than the heat-meltable ink 3a, the abnormal state is released, and when the permanent magnet 22 returns to the waiting position, it falls by its own weight, thereby opening the ink passage 3C. To be done.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is
An endless type ink support tape 2 to which the heat-fusible ink is applied, a drive roller 1 as a tape running drive means for applying a running force to the ink support tape 2, and a hot-melt ink layer of the ink support tape 2. A thermal transfer print head (thermal head) 12 that locally heats the ink to transfer the melted ink to a recording sheet; a platen 11 that is provided facing the thermal head 12 through a running path of an ink support tape; An ink replenishing means 3 for constantly replenishing the heat-meltable ink 3a applied on the platen 11 side of the support tape 2 and a sensor for detecting the inclination of the thermal transfer recording apparatus are provided.

The ink replenishing means 3 includes an ink storage portion 3B for temporarily storing the ink 3a, and an ink application portion 3A for continuously applying the ink 3a to the ink support tape 2.
The ink 3a of the ink storage portion 3B is added to the ink application portion 3A.
3C for guiding the ink, and a heater 6 mounted on the bottom surface of the ink reservoir 3B along the ink passage 3C.
It is composed of

A thermal transfer recording device is provided at an intermediate portion of the ink passage 6 by a signal from a sensor when the operation is stopped.
An ink passage blocking mechanism 20 for blocking the ink passage 6 when the inclination of is detected is provided. The ink passage cutoff mechanism 20 is configured to include an ink passage cutoff valve 21 and a permanent magnet 22 as a valve driving means for operating the ink passage cutoff valve 21. Here, the ink passage shutoff valve 21 is made of a magnetic material and is movably incorporated in the direction of arrow A in FIG. Further, the permanent magnet 22 is adapted to be able to move up and down in the direction of arrow B by being biased by an external force.

Further, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 1A indicates a tape supporting roller provided corresponding to the above-mentioned driving roller 1, and reference numeral 2A indicates an ink applying section 3A of the ink replenishing means 3.
1 shows a tape pressing roller for forcibly contacting the ink supporting tape 2. Further, reference numeral 5 indicates a sub-inking member for setting the thickness of the ink applied to the ink supporting tape 2 to be constant, reference numeral 7 indicates a skew correction roller for the ink supporting tape, and reference numeral 8 indicates the ink supporting tape. Shows the tension roller. The tension roller 8 is biased by a spring 9 so that a predetermined tension can be applied to the ink supporting tape 2.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described.

First, the ink supporting tape 2 driven by the driving roller 1 is the ink applying section 3 of the ink replenishing means 3.
The hot-melt ink 3a is reapplied from A. The coating thickness of the heat-meltable ink 3a applied to the ink support tape 2 is regulated by the sub-inking member 5. On this occasion,
The heat-meltable ink 3a in the ink replenishing means 3 is heated by the heater 6
It is heated by and is in a molten state.

Further, the skew correction roller 7 corrects the lateral shift (skew) of the ink supporting tape 2 in the width direction. Further, the tension roller 8 applies a substantially constant tension to the ink support 2 by the spring 9. Paper 10
Is conveyed by the platen roller 11, and at this time, the ink layer on the ink supporting tape 2 is transferred to the paper 10 by the thermal head 12 to form a predetermined image. The transferred sheet 10 is guided by the sheet discharge guide 13 and discharged to the outside.

The ink passage shutoff valve 21 connects the ink applying section 3A of the ink replenishing means 3 and the ink storing section 3B .
The ink passage 3C provided for the purpose is shut off.
According to this embodiment, the intermediate portion of the ink passage 3C is shut off.
Therefore, there is no ink blocking mechanism in the ink applying section.
Is also unnecessary.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the ink replenishing means 3. In FIG. 2, the abnormality of the apparatus body (tilted or, if you or standing) is Ru sensed by a sensor (not shown). That
Then, a moving mechanism (not shown) is activated to move the permanent magnet 22 downward. As a result, the ink passage shutoff valve 21 at the lower portion of the ink passage 3C is attracted and raised, and the ink passage 3C is shut off.

[0019] As a result, heat-fusible ink 3a of the ink reservoir 3B can flow toward the ink coating section 3A Ru is prevented. For this reason, the thermal transfer recording device is tilted or
Even if the ink is splashed, the outflow of ink is prevented. Further, the ink passage cutoff valve 21 is a magnetic material and has a larger specific gravity than the heat-meltable ink 3a, so that the abnormal state is canceled, and when the permanent magnet 22 returns to the waiting position, it falls by its own weight, and Thus, the ink passage 3C is opened.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, while the valve driving means in FIG. 2 described above is composed of a permanent magnet and its driving mechanism, the magnetic core 1 is used as the valve driving means.
7 is characterized in that an electromagnet 32 is used to generate a magnetic field by winding a coil 18 around the coil 7 and passing a current therethrough. In this case, if the ink passage shutoff valve 21 is made of a permanent magnet, the opening / closing response is improved. The other structure is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIG.

Even in this case, in addition to having the same effects as the above-described embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, there is an advantage that the response can be improved.

Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 5,
Unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 described above, the ink passage shutoff valve that opens and closes the ink passage 3C is a cylindrical rotary valve 40, which is a feature. This cylindrical rotary valve 4
No. 0 is provided with a through hole 40a having the same sectional shape as that of the ink passage 3C in the center of the periphery thereof.

Although the flow path is secured in the normal state, the occurrence of an abnormality (heat transfer
When the sensor detects the inclination of the image recording device) , the cylindrical rotary valve 40 is rotated by 90 ° by a rotary driving means (not shown) (composed of a motor, a cam, a gear, a belt or the like). As a result, the middle portion of the ink passage 3C is blocked and the outflow of the heat-meltable ink 3a is prevented. The other structure is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIG.

In this way as well, in addition to the same effects as the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 described above, magnetic ink can be used because magnetic force is not used, and the restrictions on the heat-meltable ink 3a are small. Become.

[0025]

Since the present invention is constructed and functions as described above, according to the present invention , a sensor is provided at an intermediate portion of the ink passage between the ink applying portion and the ink storing portion of the ink replenishing means when the operation is stopped. The signal from the thermal transfer recording device
When an ink is detected, an ink passage blocking mechanism that shuts off the ink passage is equipped, so it is possible to effectively prevent the outflow of ink from the ink application section that tends to occur after the operation is stopped, and the inside of the device becomes dirty. It is possible to provide an excellent thermal transfer recording apparatus which has never been used, and which can improve the printing quality.

[0026] In addition, the ink passage blocking mechanism
Since it is provided in the middle part, there is no ink near the ink application part.
There is no need to provide a shutoff mechanism. For this reason, once
Ink blockage even if the path is blocked and then released again
Suitable, with no effect from Ink support ink
Can be supplied to the
You.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged explanatory view showing an ink replenishing means and an ink passage blocking mechanism disclosed in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged explanatory view showing an ink replenishing means and an ink passage blocking mechanism in the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged explanatory view showing an ink replenishing means and an ink passage blocking mechanism in the third embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cylindrical rotary valve forming a part of the ink passage blocking mechanism disclosed in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Driving roller 2 Ink support tape 3 Ink replenishing means 3a Thermofusible ink 3A Ink application part 3B Ink storage part 3C Ink passage 6 Heater 11 Platen 12 Thermal head as a thermal transfer type print head 20 Ink passage cutoff mechanism 21 Ink passage cutoff valve 22 Permanent magnet 32 Electromagnet 40 Cylindrical rotary valve

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ink support tape to which a heat-meltable ink is applied, a tape running drive means for applying a running force to the ink support tape, and a heat-meltable ink layer of the ink support tape is locally heated. A thermal transfer type print head for transferring the melted ink to a recording sheet, a platen provided facing the thermal transfer type print head through a running path of the ink supporting tape, and facing the platen of the ink supporting tape. The ink replenishing means for constantly replenishing the heat-meltable ink applied to the surface and the inclination of the thermal transfer recording device are detected.
An ink reservoir for temporarily storing ink, an ink applicator for continuously applying ink to the ink support tape, and the ink reservoir for the ink applicator. an ink passage for guiding the part of the ink, as well as configured by a heater that is provided on the bottom portion of the ink passage, the middle portion of the ink passage, upon operation stop, etc., the cell
The tilt of the thermal transfer recording device is detected by the signal from the sensor.
A thermal transfer recording apparatus, which is equipped with an ink passage blocking mechanism that shuts off the ink passage in the event of a failure. 2. The thermal transfer recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink passage cutoff mechanism is constituted by an ink passage cutoff valve and a valve drive means for operating the ink passage cutoff valve. 3. The ink passage cutoff valve is formed of a magnetic member, and the valve driving means is constituted by a permanent magnet and a means for moving the permanent magnet close to or away from the ink passage cutoff valve. The thermal transfer recording apparatus according to claim 2, which is characterized in that. 4. The thermal transfer recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ink passage shutoff valve is formed of a magnetic member, and the valve driving means is constituted by an electromagnet. 5. The ink passage cutoff valve is formed of a columnar rotary valve having a columnar shape and a through hole at a position corresponding to the ink passage, and the valve driving means is a central shaft of the cylindrical rotary valve. The thermal transfer recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the thermal transfer recording apparatus is constituted by a rotation driving unit mounted on the upper side.