JP2966572B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus capable of efficiently recording a visible image with a set of recording heads.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a thermal or thermal transfer type image recording apparatus, a recording head provided with a thermal head is moved in a direction intersecting the transporting direction of a recording sheet to obtain a desired visible image on the recording sheet. Is recorded.

In this case, when a relatively large size (A1 or A0 size or the like) recording paper is used, the width of the recording paper, that is, the length in the moving direction of the recording head becomes long. There is a problem that the image recording operation takes time.

[0004] In order to speed up the image recording operation, a plurality of recording heads are arranged at predetermined intervals.
A method has been proposed in which the plurality of recording heads are integrally moved in the same direction with respect to the width direction of the recording paper.

[0005]

However, according to the above-mentioned prior art, a plurality of recording heads are moved in the same direction with respect to the width direction of the recording paper.
The recording head is pressed and moved in the moving direction. As a result, a portion of the recording paper that becomes wrinkled due to the occurrence of wrinkles is caused, and there is a problem that a highly accurate image recording operation cannot be performed.

[0006] In addition, after a pair of print heads are moved from one end to the center of one side of the recording paper while moving the pair of print heads close to each other from both ends in the width direction of the recording paper,
An apparatus is known in which a pair of print heads are moved in a direction away from each other and a recording operation is performed by the other print head toward the other end of the recording paper (Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-1981).
No. 10188). However, in this conventional technique, when a pair of print heads are moved in a direction approaching each other, the recording paper is moved toward the center and wrinkles are generated on the recording paper, and recording omission occurs during recording by one of the print heads. The problem has been pointed out. Moreover, since recording is alternately performed by one print head and the other print head, there is a problem in that the speed of image recording work cannot be increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and it is possible to easily perform an efficient image recording operation and to realize an image recording operation capable of performing a high-precision image recording operation without recording omission. It is an object to provide a recording device.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is directed to a first and a second recording head for recording a visible image on recording paper, and the first and second recording heads. A drive mechanism that can move the first and second recording heads in a direction that intersects with the transport direction of the recording paper and moves away from each other while simultaneously performing the recording of the visible image. , The first and second
Move the recording heads toward and away from each other
That transfer the motion means, said second recording head, said moving means
On the other hand, it can be displaced by a predetermined distance in the moving direction by the moving means.
It is characterized by comprising a displacement control means for supporting, and a holding means for holding the second recording head on the first recording head side and enabling it to move integrally with the first recording head.

[0009]

In the image recording apparatus according to the present invention configured as described above, the first and second recording heads are simultaneously moved in the direction intersecting with the direction of transport of the recording paper and in the direction away from each other, and simultaneously with the visible image. Record. For this reason, each recording head only needs to actually scan by half the length of the recording paper in the width direction, and the efficiency of the entire image recording operation is improved.

Further, since the first and second recording heads perform image recording while moving in the direction away from each other,
The recording paper is not pushed toward both ends in the width direction and the recording paper is not moved in any direction or toward the center. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from occurring on the recording paper and effectively prevent missing of recording.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An image recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIGS. 2 to 4, reference numeral 10 denotes
1 shows an image recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The image recording apparatus 10 employs a so-called clamshell structure including 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 freely opened and closed. A reading unit 18 that reads information carried on the read document 16 while horizontally transporting the read document 16 on the upper cover member 14, a recording unit 22 that enlarges the read information and reproduces it on a recording paper 20. The reading unit 18 and the recording unit 22 are vertically arranged, and the transport direction of the read document 16 (the direction of the arrow X)
And the conveying direction of the recording paper 20 (the direction of arrow Y) intersect each other.

The upper cover member 14 is provided with a reading document arrangement portion 24, and an end of the reading document 16 arranged in the reading document arrangement portion 24 enters the scanner cover 26.

As shown in FIG. 3, this scanner cover 2
6, a pair of rollers 28 and 30 which constitute sub-scanning means and are rotationally driven via a rotary drive source 27 are arranged at a predetermined interval, and the reading unit 18 is accommodated below the pair of rollers 28 and 30. Have been.

The reading section 18 includes light sources 32a and 32b for irradiating the information surface of the read document 16 with illumination light.
The light sources 32a and 32b extend in a main scanning direction (arrow Y direction) orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction (arrow X direction) of the read document 16. Light L derived from the light sources 32a and 32b and reflected by the read document 16 is reflected by the reflection mirrors 34 and 36.
Is reflected on the CCD sensor 38.

As shown in FIG. 4, 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 a recording section 22 to be conveyed by a transport roller. 46 and a nip roller 48. The recording paper 20 and the transport roller 46 are synchronously driven to rotate via timing belts 52a and 52b connected to a motor 50.

As shown in FIG. 1, the recording section 22 includes first and second recording heads 54 and 56 for recording a visible image on the recording paper 20 and the first and second recording heads 5.
4 and 56, the first and second recording heads 54 and 56 are simultaneously moved in the direction (arrow X) that intersects the transport direction of the recording paper 20 (arrow Y direction).
Direction) and a drive mechanism 58 movable in a direction away from each other.

The drive mechanism 58 moves the first and second recording heads 54 and 56 in a direction of approaching and separating from each other, and also supports the second recording head 56 so as to be displaceable by a predetermined distance. Moving means) 60 and guide rollers 61a and 61b,
Both ends of this timing belt 60 are connected to pulleys 62a, 62
b, and the pulley 62a is rotated via the pulse motor 64 and the gear train 65. While the first recording head 54 is fixed to the timing belt 60, the timing belt 60 is provided with a guide bar 66 having a predetermined length and stopper members 68a and 68b. Guide bar 66 and stopper members 68a, 6
8b connects the second recording head 56 to the timing belt 60
Predetermined in the moving direction by the timing belt 60
Displacement control means for supporting the displacement is provided. The guide bar 66 is provided with a compression spring 70 that is a holding unit that holds the second recording head 56 on the first recording head 54 side and enables the second recording head 56 to move integrally with the first recording head 54.

The first and second recording heads 54, 56
Thermal heads 72 and 74 are provided, and heat generating portions 76 and 78 of the thermal heads 72 and 74 are separated by a predetermined distance (see FIG. 5).

The recording section 22 and the donor transport roller 8
0a and 80b are held on the upper cover member 14 side, and a flat platen 82 is disposed below the thermal heads 72 and 74.

One end of a pair of guide plates 86a and 86b is arranged near the transport roller 46 and the nip roller 48,
The other ends of the guide plates 86a and 86b are connected to the lower cover member 1.
2 faces the recording paper discharge port 88. The discharge port 88 is provided with cutter means 90 for cutting the recording paper 20. The cutter means 90 includes a guide rail 92 extending in the direction of arrow X and a cutter 94 moved along the guide rail 92.

A roll-shaped donor film 98 is accommodated on the recording section 22 via a cassette 96. The donor film 98 is wound around a supply core material 100 and a collection core material 102, and the collection core material 102 is wound through timing belts 106 a and 106 b connected to a motor 104.
And the donor transport roller 80a are rotationally driven synchronously.

Next, the operation of the image recording apparatus 10 thus configured will be described.

First, referring to FIG.
After the read document 16 is placed at the read document placement site 24, the reading unit 18 is driven. For this reason, roller pair 2
Illumination light is emitted under the urging action of the light sources 32a and 32b while the read original 16 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction in the direction of the arrow X under the rotation of the rotations 8 and 30. The light L reflected on the information surface of the read document 16 is reflected by the reflection mirrors 34 and 36 and
The light is incident on a CD sensor 38, and the information of the read document 16 is photoelectrically converted by the CCD sensor 38 and is electrically read.

The read information is sent to the recording section 22, the motor 50 is driven, and the recording paper 20 is sent out in the arrow Y direction.

Here, under the action of the pulse motor 64 constituting the recording section 22, the pulley 62a is temporarily moved in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The head 56 and the head 56 are rotated in directions approaching each other. Therefore, the second recording head 56 moves toward the stopper member 68b (in the direction of the arrow X1) against the compression spring 70 under the pressing action of the first recording head 54.

The first and second recording heads 54, 56
The first recording head 5 is moved integrally in the direction of arrow X1.
After the heat generating portion 76 has passed the recording start position P, the pulse motor 64 is driven in the opposite direction to
2a is rotated in the direction of arrow B. Therefore, the first recording head 54 moves in the direction of arrow X2, and the second recording head 56 moves along the guide bar 66 under the pressing action of the compression spring 70 along the stopper member 68a, that is, the direction of arrow X2.
Move in the direction.

When the heat generating portion 76 of the thermal head 72 provided on the first recording head 54 reaches the recording start position P, the thermal head 72 is driven to drive the heat generating portion 7.
6 generates heat, and the recording operation on the recording paper 20 is started.

On the other hand, when the second recording head 56 engages with the stopper member 68a, the second recording head 56
When the heat-generating portion 78 of the thermal head 74 reaches the recording start position P, the heat-generating portion 78 generates heat and the recording operation on the recording paper 20 is performed.

In this case, in this embodiment, the first and second
The recording heads 54 and 56 perform a recording operation on the recording paper 20 while moving in a direction away from each other via a driving mechanism 58. Therefore, since the recording paper 20 is pressed toward both ends thereof, when recording is performed while moving a plurality of recording heads in the same direction, or when a pair of print heads are moved toward the center of the recording paper. The recording paper 20 is not moved to one side or the center as in the case of recording. As a result, the occurrence of wrinkles and the like can be effectively prevented, and the recording paper 20 is reliably prevented from being partially unrecordable, thereby preventing the occurrence of missing recording. Can be achieved.

Further, the second recording head 56 is disposed so as to be displaceable independently of the timing belt 60 by a predetermined distance via a compression spring 70 and stopper members 68a and 68b. Therefore, as described above, the pulse motor 6
By controlling the drive of the recording device 4, the recording operation can be reliably performed from the recording start position P via the respective heat generating portions 76 and 78.

Further, in this embodiment, the recording operation is performed simultaneously while the first and second recording heads 54 and 56 are moved from substantially the center of the recording paper 20 to both ends.
Therefore, it is possible to rapidly perform image recording at once, as compared with a conventional method in which a pair of print heads are alternately driven to perform a recording operation, and the efficiency of the image recording operation is easily increased. The effect is obtained. In addition, when it is not necessary to perform recording to both ends of the recording paper 20, the first and second recording heads 54, 5
By moving the recording paper 6 toward the center of the recording paper 20, the image recording work by the first and second recording heads 54 and 56 can be performed efficiently and at once.

Here, the donor film 98 is a motor 1
The feed core material 100 is sequentially fed from the supply core material 100 side via the recovery core material 102 rotating under the action of 04 and the donor transport roller 80a. Then, the thermal heads 72 and 74 and the platen 8
2 melts the ink of the donor film 98 and transfers it to the recording paper 20 to reproduce a desired image on the recording paper 20.

After the end of the reproduction, the recording paper 20
6 and the nip rollers 48, guide plates 86a, 86b
Through the outlet 88 of the lower cover member 12 to the outside. When the recording paper 20 is drawn out to a predetermined portion, the operator moves the cutter 94 along the guide rail 92, so that the recording paper 20 is cut.

In this embodiment, the case where the thermal transfer paper is used as the recording paper 20 has been described. However, a thermal paper can be used. At that time, the donor film 98 is not required, and thus the donor film 98 is loaded into the cassette 9.
6 may be taken out of the lower cover member 12 integrally.

Next, FIG. 6 shows a recording unit 105 constituting an image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment. In addition,
The same reference numerals as those of the recording unit 22 according to the first embodiment indicate the same components, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The recording unit 105 includes a tension spring 107 constituting a holding means and a locking member 108 fixed to the timing belt 60. One end of the tension spring 107 is held by the locking member 108, The other end is fixed to the second recording head 56. Also, the stopper member 6
8a and the timing belt 60 itself
Means. Therefore, in the recording unit 105 according to the second embodiment, the second recording head 56 is
Is pressed and supported by the stopper member 68a under the pulling action, and has the same operation and effect as the recording section 22 described above. In particular, since there is no need to provide a stopper member between the second recording head 56 and the pulley 62a, the recording unit 10
5 has the advantage that the total length in the direction of the arrow X can be shortened.

Further, a recording section 110 constituting an image recording apparatus according to the third embodiment is shown in FIGS. The same reference numerals as those of the recording unit 22 according to the first embodiment denote the same components, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

This recording section 110 constitutes a displacement control means.
Stopper member 68a which, and a locking claw 112 which constitutes the 68b and the retaining means, the locking claw 112, the shaft 114
And is swingably supported by the first recording head 54. The locking claw 112 is located at a position close to the shaft 114 and protrudes upward.
The second recording head 56 has a claw portion 118 extending to the sixth side and capable of holding a side portion thereof. A guide plate 120 is disposed above the locking claw 112.
Further, a protruding portion 122 that engages with the protruding portion 116 of the locking claw 112 is formed (see FIG. 8).

In such a configuration, the pulse motor 6
Once the pulley 62a is rotated in the direction of the arrow A under the driving action of the fourth recording head 4, the first recording head 54 moves in the direction of the arrow X1, while the second recording head 56 is moved to the stopper member 68b.
Moves in the direction of arrow X2 under the pressing action of. And the first
When the recording head 54 and the second recording head 56 reach the engagement position Q, the locking claw 112 engages with the second recording head 56 and swings upward about the shaft 114 as a fulcrum. Therefore, the second recording head 56 is held on the first recording head 54 side by the claw portion 118 of the locking claw 112.

Next, the pulse motor 64 is driven in the reverse direction to rotate the pulley 62a in the direction of arrow B, and the first recording head 54 and the first
The second recording head 56 held via the second unit 12 moves integrally in the direction of arrow X2. This first recording head 54
When the heat generating portion 76 passes through the recording start position P and reaches the release position R, the protrusion 116 of the locking claw 112
0, and the engaging claw 112 is engaged with the shaft 1
It swings upward with the fulcrum 14 as a fulcrum. For this reason, the locking claw 1
12, the holding action of the second recording head 56 is released,
Only the first recording head 54 moves in the direction of the arrow X2, and the second recording head 56 engages with the stopper member 68a and moves in the direction of the arrow X1. This allows the first and second recording heads 54 and 56 to simultaneously perform the recording operation while moving in the direction away from each other.

[0042]

According to the image recording apparatus of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

Since the first and second recording heads simultaneously perform an image recording operation while moving in a direction intersecting with the recording paper conveying direction and in a direction away from each other, the efficiency of the image recording operation can be easily improved. Can be

Further, since image recording is performed when the first and second recording heads move in a direction away from each other, the recording paper may be moved in one direction or toward the center during the image recording operation. In addition, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of wrinkles in the recording paper and the occurrence of missing recording. As a result, a highly accurate and efficient image recording operation is performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory perspective view of a main part of an image recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration perspective view of the image recording apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional front view of the image recording apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a vertical side view of the image recording apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining the operation of a recording unit constituting the image recording apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating an operation of a recording unit included in an image recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating an operation of a recording unit included in an image recording apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a schematic side view of the recording unit shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image recording device 16 ... Reading original 18 ... Reading part 20 ... Recording paper 22 ... Recording part 54, 56 ... Recording head 58 ... Driving mechanism 60 ... Timing belt 64 ... Pulse motor 68a, 68b ... Stopper member 70 ... Compression spring 72 74, thermal head 76, 78 heat generating part 82 platen 98 donor film 105 recording part 107 tension spring 108 locking member 110 recording part 112 locking claw 116 projection part 118 claw part 122 Convex part

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Akira Masuda 1005 Koizono, Ayase City, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Fuji Mai Chromagraphics Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-55-23654 (JP, A) JP-A-63-276579 (JP, A) JP-B-56-10188 (JP, B2) (58) Fields investigated (Int. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 2/325 B41J 3/54 B41J 19/18

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A first and a second recording head for recording a visible image on recording paper; and a first and a second recording head while simultaneously recording the visible image by the first and the second recording heads. To
A drive mechanism that is movable in a direction intersecting with the transport direction of the recording paper and in a direction away from each other, the drive mechanism moving the first and second recording heads in directions approaching and separating from each other. that transfer the motion means, said second recording head, the mobile hands to the mobile unit
Displacement control that can be displaced by a predetermined distance in the direction of movement by the step
And control means, wherein the second recording head, the image recording apparatus characterized by comprising a holding means for movable integrally with the first recording head held in the first recording head side.