JP2614671B2 - Image recording method - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an image recording method for reproducing a desired color image on recording paper.

2. Description of the Related Art An image reproducing system that reads information such as characters and images carried on a read original by a photoelectric conversion unit and then reproduces the information as a visible image on recording paper is widely used.

The image recording device constituting this image reproducing system includes:
A thermal transfer recording device is used in addition to the thermal recording device.
In this thermal transfer recording apparatus, a thermal transfer film, a so-called donor film, is used as thermal transfer means in order to reproduce monochrome or color characters and images on recording paper.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, this type of donor film is generally a single color such as black, red, and blue, and performs reproduction of an image by selecting a donor film of a predetermined color according to a document to be read. ing. For this reason, for example, it is not possible to easily respond to a request to arbitrarily select a color different from the other part and reproduce it on recording paper so that a desired part of the image can be distinguished from the other part. There is a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of this type of problem,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image recording method capable of easily and accurately classifying information such as an image carried on a read original into a desired color and reproducing the information on a recording sheet.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a reading unit for reading image information carried on a document and a recording unit for recording the read image information on recording paper. Arranging a thermal transfer unit having only a predetermined single color in an image recording apparatus provided with the image recording apparatus, and reading image information carried on a document by the reading unit; A step of recording a single-color image via the thermal transfer unit based on the read image information; andthe recording paper recorded in the single color and sent from the recording unit, in a direction opposite to the sending direction. Conveying and positioning at a recording start position, and taking out the thermal transfer unit from the inside of the image recording apparatus,
Arranging a thermal transfer unit having only a new single color in the image recording apparatus, replacing the original with a new original, performing reading by the reading unit, and sending out the recording paper by the recording unit. A step of recording a new single-color image on the recording sheet, and a step of recording a plurality of color images on the recording sheet by repeating the above steps.

[Operation] In the image recording method according to the present invention configured as described above, first, an image of a predetermined color is recorded on a recording sheet via a predetermined thermal transfer unit, and then the recording sheet is fed from a recording unit. It is conveyed in the direction opposite to the direction and arranged at a predetermined position. Next, the used thermal transfer unit is replaced with a thermal transfer unit of a desired color, and a recording sheet is sent out, and an image of a new color is recorded on the recording sheet. As a result, a color visible image selected in a desired color for each desired portion is formed on the recording paper.

[Example] An example of an image recording method according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 3, reference numeral 10 indicates an image reproducing system incorporating the image recording apparatus according to the present embodiment. The image reproducing system 10 includes a lower cover member 12 and an upper cover member 14 which is attached to the lower cover member 12 via a fulcrum 13 so as to be openable and closable. A so-called clamshell structure is adopted, and an image reading device 18 that reads information carried on the read document 16 while horizontally transporting the read document 16 on the upper cover member 14, and reads the read information. An image recording device 22 for enlarging and reproducing the image on the recording paper 20; the image reading device 18 and the image recording device 22 are vertically arranged; The conveyance direction of the recording paper 20 (arrow Y direction) intersects with each other.

A reading document arrangement portion 24 is provided on the upper cover member 14, and the reading document
The end of 16 enters the scanner cover 26.

As shown in FIG. 3, inside the scanner cover 26,
Roller pairs 28 and 30 which are driven to rotate in the direction of the arrow and in the direction opposite to the arrow via a motor 27 constituting the sub-scanning means
Are arranged at predetermined intervals. A sensor 31 for detecting the position of the leading edge of the read document 16 is provided between the pair of rollers 28 and 30.

An image reading device 18 is accommodated below the pair of rollers 28 and 30. The image reading device 18 includes light sources 32a and 32b for irradiating illumination light of different colors to the information surface of the read document 16, respectively. A main scanning direction (arrow Y direction) in which the light sources 32a and 32b are perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction (arrow X direction) of the read document 16
Extends. The read original 16 derived from the light sources 32a and 32b
Is reflected by the reflection mirrors 34 and 36, and
The light is emitted to the sensor 38.

As shown in FIG. 1, a roll-shaped recording paper 20, which is a thermal transfer paper, is accommodated in a lower cover member 12, and an end of the recording paper 20 is pulled out to an image recording device 22 to be transported by a transport roller. 46 and the nip roller 48. The transport roller 46 includes a timing belt 52 connected to a motor 50.
It is rotationally driven synchronously with the image reading device 18 via b.

The image recording device 22 includes a recording unit 56 for recording an image on the recording paper 20 via a donor film (thermal transfer unit) 78, a cassette 58 for exchanging the donor film 78, and a recording paper 20. Sensor 60, which is a means for detecting the tip position of the
And a transport means 62 for transporting the recording paper 20 sent from the recording unit 56 through the recording medium 20 in a direction (arrow Y1 direction) opposite to the sending direction (arrow Y direction).

The transport means 62 includes a timing belt 52a connected to the motor 50, a one-way clutch and a slip connection mechanism (not shown), and is driven only when the recording paper 20 is rewound in the arrow Y1 direction.

The recording unit 56 includes a flat platen 64 and a thermal head 66.
The thermal head 66 moves in the direction of the arrow X under the action of a rotary drive source (not shown), and the thermal head 66, the rotary drive source and the donor transport roller 68
a and 68b are held on the upper cover member 14 side.

The donor film 78 is wound around a supply core material 80 and a recovery core material 82, and is connected to a timing belt connected to a motor 84.
The collection core 82 and the donor transport roller 68a are synchronously driven to rotate via 86a and 86b and a slide connection mechanism (not shown).

One end of a set of guide plates 88a, 88b is disposed in the vicinity of the transport roller 46 and the nip roller 48, and the sensor 60 is disposed between the transport roller 46, the nip roller 48 and the guide plates 88a, 88b. This sensor 60 has a light emitter and a light receiver.

The other ends of the guide plates 88a and 88b face the recording paper discharge port 90 of the lower cover member 12, and the discharge port 90 is provided with cutter means 92 for cutting the recording paper 20. The cutter means 92 includes a guide rail 94 extending in the direction of arrow X and a cutter 96 moved along the guide rail 94.

Next, the operation of the image reproducing system 10 thus configured will be described.

First, in FIG. 2, the image reading device 18 is driven after the read document 16 is placed at the read document placement portion 24 of the upper cover member 14. For this reason, the read document 16 is sub-scanned and conveyed in the direction of arrow X under the rotation of the roller pairs 28 and 30, the leading end of the read document 16 is detected by the sensor 31, and the light sources 32a and 32b are selectively It is energized to emit illumination light. The light L reflected by the information surface of the read document 16 is incident on a CCD sensor 38 via reflection mirrors 34 and 36,
The information of the read original 16 is photoelectrically converted by the CD sensor 38,
Read electrically. In the meantime, the CCD sensor 38 moves in the main scanning direction (the direction of the arrow Y) via a driving means (not shown), whereby predetermined information of the read document 16 is read two-dimensionally.

The read information is sent to the image recording device 22 to drive the image recording device 22, and the motor 50 is driven. For this reason, the recording paper 20 is fed in the direction of the arrow Y, and the thermal head 66 moves in the direction of the arrow X via driving means (not shown) constituting the image recording device 22. As a result, the recording paper passes through the thermal head 66 and the platen 64.
20 and the donor film 78 are pressed together, and desired color information is reproduced on the recording paper 20 as a visible image.

Here, the donor film 78 is sequentially sent from the supply core 80 side to the recovery core 82 rotating under the action of the motor 84 via the donor transport roller 68a.

After the reproduction operation to the predetermined portion of the recording paper 20 is completed, the motor 50 is driven in the direction opposite to the arrow, and the recording is performed via the timing belt 52a constituting the conveying means 62, the one-way clutch and the slip connection mechanism (not shown). The paper 20 is rewound in the arrow Y1 direction. When the sensor 60 detects the leading end portion of the recording paper 20, the driving of the motor 50 is stopped.

Then, the donor film 78 is replaced with a donor film 78 of a desired color. That is, after the upper cover member 14 is opened, the cassette 58 is taken out from the lower cover member 12, and the cassette 58 is loaded with a donor film 78 of a desired color, or the donor film 78 of the desired color is previously set.
Is prepared and loaded into the lower cover member 12.

Next, after a new document 16 is placed at the document placement position 24, the roller pair 2 is actuated by the motor 27 in the same manner as described above.
The light source 32a, 32b is selectively energized and irradiated with illumination light while the new read document 16 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow X via 8, 30. The light L reflected on the information surface of the read document 16 is incident on a CCD sensor 38, and the CCD 38 photoelectrically converts the information of the read document 16 to be electrically read.

The read information is sent to the image recording device 22,
The corresponding color information is transferred from a new donor film 78 to the recording paper 20 conveyed in the direction of the arrow Y via the conveying roller 46 and the nip roller 48, and the desired color information is reproduced as a visible image. .

Further, by repeatedly performing the image reproducing operation on the recording paper 20, a color visible image in which a desired color is reproduced on a desired portion is formed on the recording paper 20.

As described above, in this embodiment, after the recording paper 20 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow Y to perform an image reproducing operation, the recording paper 20 is rewound in the direction of the arrow Y1 via the conveying means 62, and further the donor film 78 is provided. And the recording paper 20 is subjected to a new color image reproducing operation. Therefore, the donor film of the desired color
By using 78, it is possible to obtain the effect that the image information read from the read document 16 can be colored in an arbitrary color and reproduced on the recording paper 20.

In addition, the image recording device 22 is equipped with a sensor 60 for automatically detecting the leading end portion of the recording paper 20, so that even if the image reproducing operation is repeatedly performed on the recording paper 20, the image can be reproduced. A high-precision color image reproduction operation is performed without causing a shift.

After the end of the reproduction, the recording paper 20 passes through the guide plates 88a and 88b by the conveying roller 46 and the nip roller 48, and the lower cover member 12
Is discharged to the outside through the discharge port 90. Then, when the recording paper 20 is led out to a predetermined part, the operator
The recording paper 20 is cut by moving the 96 along the guide rail 94.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the image recording method according to the present invention has the following effects and advantages.

After an image of a predetermined color is recorded on the recording paper via a predetermined thermal transfer unit, the recording paper is conveyed in a direction opposite to the sending direction from the recording unit, and the used thermal transfer unit Since a new color image is recorded by exchanging the color thermal transfer means, only a selective exchange of the thermal transfer means can provide a color visible image in which a desired color is arranged at a desired portion on the recording paper. Is formed.

Furthermore, since a means for detecting the position of the recording paper is provided, the recording paper can be accurately arranged at the recording position, thereby causing a shift between images selected for different colors. Therefore, a high-precision color visible image reproducing operation can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view of an image reproduction system incorporating an image recording apparatus according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the image reproduction system, and FIG. FIG. 10 ... Image reproduction system 16 ... Reading document 18 ... Image reading device 20 ... Recording paper 22 ... Image recording device 31 ... Sensor 50 ... Motors 52a and 52b ... Timing belt 56 ... Recording unit 58 ... … Cassette 60… Sensor 62… Transport means 78… Donor film

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-59-11278 (JP, A) JP-A-59-109376 (JP, A) JP-A-60-1555477 (JP, A) JP-A-62-41067 (JP, A) JP-A-60-13586 (JP, A) JP-A-60-112473 (JP, A) JP-A-2-39985 (JP, A) JP-A-3-215066 (JP, U)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A thermal transfer unit having only a predetermined single color in an image recording apparatus having a reading unit for reading image information carried on a document and a recording unit for recording the read image information on recording paper. Arranging and reading the image information carried on the original by the reading unit, and on a recording sheet sent to the recording unit, a single-color image via the thermal transfer unit based on the read image information. Recording the single-color recording paper sent from the recording unit, and transporting the recording paper in a direction opposite to the sending direction to position the recording paper at a recording start position; and Taking out of the image recording apparatus and arranging thermal transfer means having only a new single color in the image recording apparatus; and replacing the original with a new original and reading by the reading section. A step of recording a new single-color image on the recording sheet while sending the recording sheet by the recording unit; and a step of recording a multi-color image on the recording sheet by repeating the above steps. An image recording method, comprising: