JP2978333B2 - Sublimation type thermal transfer video printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sublimation type thermal transfer video printer for printing an image on plain paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 shows a prior art of a sublimation-type mature transfer video printer which prints an image signal on plain paper to generate an image represented by an NTSC signal or the like as a color print. It is assumed that data indicating an image for printing is stored in the image memory 92 in FIG.
When an instruction for printing is given in this state, receiving layer transfer data 91 is sent to the gradation processing circuit 93, and the receiving layer is transferred by the thermal head 94 over the entire printing area of plain paper as a print medium. After that, the image data output from the image memory 92 to the gradation processing circuit 93 is sent to the thermal head 94 after the necessary processing in the gradation processing circuit 93 is given. Then, the thermal head 94 transfers an image using an ink sheet to the area where the receiving layer has been transferred.

In the above operation, the operation of the image memory 92 is controlled by the memory control circuit 95.
The entire apparatus is controlled by the main control unit 96. Further, in order to enable trimming at the time of transferring an image, a digitizer 98 for setting a trimming area and a display device 99 for displaying a trimmed image are added to the block 97 having the above-described configuration. The configuration was adopted.

[0004]

In the sublimation type thermal transfer video printer having the above structure, the transfer area of the receiving layer and the transfer area of the image are both the same area. Therefore, when a slight shift occurs in the position of the plain paper between the transfer of the receiving layer and the transfer of the image,
The transfer area of the image may protrude to the non-transferred area of the receiving layer. As a result, there has been a problem that printing unevenness occurs in a peripheral portion of the transferred image.

Further, since the printing position of the image has become fixed on plain paper, depending on the composition of the image or the like to be printed, have arisen the problem that the printing position is not optimal. Furthermore, in order to perform trimming, the digitizer 9 is used.
8 is required, causing a problem that the device becomes complicated.

The present invention has been created in view of the above background.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sublimation type thermal transfer video printer which can prevent printing unevenness around an image or perform trimming without complicating the apparatus.

[0007]

[MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS]
A sublimation-type mature transfer video printer according to the present invention.
Is a sublimation-type mature transfer video pudding that prints images on plain paper.
And accepted in the data, the printing image an image signal representing an image to be printed
When a signal, the printing image memo for storing the printing image signal
And the trimming area of the image indicated by the print image signal.
When the image signal indicating the area is a trimmed image signal ,
A trimming image memory for storing a trimming image signal;
The output of the trimming image memory and a preset value
Is compared to determine whether the area is a trimming area.
And a print image memory
Output and the instruction signal are guided, and the instruction signal
Indicates that the output from the memory is within the trimming area.
Output from the print image memory to the gradation processing circuit
Output and the output from the print image memory is trimmed.
When the output is outside the printing area,
A gate that does not send the output from the memory to the gradation processing circuit
The configuration is provided with. Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention,
Hua type thermal transfer video printer prints images on plain paper
Images to be applied to sublimation type transfer video printers and printed
When a sign screen image signal an image signal indicating a print image signal
And printing an image memory for storing items, shown by the printing image signal
Image signal indicating the trimming area of the image to be trimmed
When trimming image signal, store trimming image signal
The trimming image memory and the trimming image memory
After transferring the receiving layer to plain paper according to the output,
According to the output of Mori, the image by ink sheet on plain paper
An image printing means for performing transfer is provided.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a trimmed image memo is provided.
Of the trimming area indicated by the image stored in the
When the data is guided, the comparator is in the trimming area.
To send an instruction signal indicating that
Of the images stored in the image memory,
Only data indicating the image of the corresponding area is output to the gradation processing circuit.
Power. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the trimming image
Trimming area indicated by image stored in memory
Since the receiving layer was transferred only inside, the receiving layer was transferred.
An image is printed only in the area (trimming area).

[0009]

[0010]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings .

[0011]

[0012]

[0013]

[0014]

[0015]

[0016]

[0017]

[0018]

[0019]

[0020]

[0021]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an embodiment of a sublimation type Mature transfer video printer according to the invention of claim 1, wherein.

A print image signal 311 indicating a print image to be transferred to the plain paper 21, which is a signal guided through the c-contact and the a-contact of the switch 39, is stored in the print image memory 31 for storing the print image signal 311. The trimming image signal 321 is a signal which is guided through the c-contact and the b-contact, and indicates a trimming area of an image printed on the plain paper 21.
Are guided to a trimming image memory 32 for storing a trimming image signal 321.

The output of the print image memory 31 is given to a gate section 34 for sending or stopping the output from the print image memory 31, and the output of the trimming image memory 32 is given to a minus input. The signal is guided to a plus input of a comparator 33 that compares the signal with a signal from the main control unit 38.
The output of the comparator 33 is given to the gate unit 34 as an instruction signal 331 for instructing the transmission of the output from the print image memory 31 or the stop of the transmission.

The output of the gate section 34 and the output of the main control section 38 are supplied to a gradation processing circuit 36, and the output of the gradation processing circuit 36 is sent to the thermal head 18. Main control unit
The output of the image memory control circuit 37 to which the output of 38 is given is given to both the print image memory 31 and the trimming image memory 32.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are reference diagrams showing the trimming operation. The operation of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

In a state where the c-contact of the switch 39 is connected to the a-contact, an image indicated by 51 in FIG. 3 is picked up using an image pickup device (not shown), and the operation output is output as a print image signal. 311 is stored in the print image memory 31. Further, in a state where the c contact is connected to the b contact, an image indicated by 52 in the same figure (a trimming area is indicated by a bright portion indicated by 53) is imaged using the above-described image pickup device, and a raised image output is a trimmed image. The trimming image memory 32 stores the signal 321.
Then, an instruction to start printing is given to the main control unit 38.

At this time, the image memory control circuit 37
Performs control to output the stored data to both the trimming image memory 32 and the print image memory 31 in accordance with an instruction from the main control unit 38.

When the data stored in the area 54 other than the trimming area 53 is led, the comparator 33 sets the output of the instruction signal 331 to L level, and when the data in the trimming area 53 is led, The output is set to H level. When the instruction signal 331 is at the L level, the gate section 34 outputs the output of the print image memory 31 to the gradation processing circuit 36.
And the output of the print image memory 31 is sent to the gradation processing circuit 36 when the instruction signal 331 is at the H level.

As described above, for the image located in the trimming area 53 of FIG. 4 , the gate section 34 sends a print image signal indicating the image (indicated by 57) to the gradation processing circuit 36, and performs trimming. For an image located in an area other than the area 53 (indicated by a broken line 56 in FIG. 4 ),
It does not send an Ine image signal indicating that image.

For this reason, the gradation processing circuit 36 to which the print image signal is guided via the gate unit 34 prints only the image 57 in the trimming area 53 on plain paper (normally in accordance with the instruction from the main control unit 38). The transfer of the receiving layer is performed in advance on the paper by the gradation processing circuit 36, but the operation is the same as the operation already described, and thus the description thereof is omitted. That is, only the image in the trimming area is printed on plain paper.

[0032] Figure 2 is a sublimation thermal transfer video printer according to the second aspect of the present invention - is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the embodiment. The embodiment shown in the figure has the same configuration as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in a part thereof. Description of the configuration is omitted.

A print image memory is connected to the a-contact of a switch 43 whose switching is controlled by an output from the main controller 47.
An output of the trimming image memory 32 is connected to an output of the trimming image memory 32. And c of switch 43
The contact is connected to the gradation processing circuit 46. Also switch
The output from the main control unit 47 is introduced into 43 as a control signal, and the output from the gradation processing circuit 46 is guided to the thermal head 35.

[0034] In addition, the switch 43, the thermal head 3
5, and the image printing means 44 by the gradation processing circuit 46
It is configured.

The operation of one embodiment according to the second aspect of the present invention will be described below.

The image indicated by 51 in FIG. 3 is stored in the now printed image memory 31, the trimming image memory 3
The 2 and the image represented by 52 in FIG. 3 are stored. In this state, if a print instruction is given,
The image memory control circuit 37 reads out only the trimmed image memory 32 according to an instruction from the main control unit 47. The main control unit 47 connects the c contact of the switch 43 to the b contact.

Therefore, the output of the trimming image memory 32 is given to the gradation processing circuit 46.
46 performs an operation of transferring the receiving layer to plain paper using the thermal head 35 in accordance with the output of the trimming image memory 32.

The gradation processing circuit 46 in this transfer is
With respect to the data sent from the trimming image memory 32, the receiving layer is transferred to an area where the data is larger than a preset level, and the receiving layer is not transferred to other areas. Therefore, the receiving layer is transferred only to the area shown as the trimming area 53 on the plain paper.

Next, the main controller 47 connects the c contact of the switch 43 to the a contact. The image memory control circuit 37
Controls the read image memory 31 to be read.
In this state, the gradation processing circuit 46
According to the output from, printing using the ink sheet is performed over the entire area 55.

However, in the printing over the entire area 55, no printing is performed on the area other than the trimming area 53 since the receiving layer has not been transferred thereto. Therefore, an image is printed only in the trimming area 53, and the trimmed image is printed on plain paper.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.
Although the method for setting the printing position is not specifically described in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a printing position setting means for setting the printing position to an arbitrary position may be added. .

[0042]

As described above, in the case of the sublimation type transfer video printer according to claim 1 of the present invention, a trimmed image memory is provided.
Comprising a print image memory, a comparator, and a gate unit;
To trim the print image
Trimming without complicating the equipment
Becomes possible.

[0043]

In the case of the sublimation-type mature transfer video printer according to the second aspect of the present invention, trimming is performed by transferring the receiving layer only to the trimming area by employing a configuration including a print image memory and a trimming image memory. This makes it possible to perform trimming without complicating the apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an embodiment of a sublimation-type mature transfer video printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a sublimation type thermal transfer video according to the invention of claim 2;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of an embodiment of the printer.
is there.

FIG. 3 is a reference diagram showing an operation of trimming.

FIG. 4 is a reference diagram showing an operation of trimming.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the related art.
You.

[Description of Signs] 3 1 Printed image memory 32 Trimmed image memory 33 Comparator 34 Gate section 36 Gradation processing route 44 Image printing means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 2/325-2/36 B41M 5/38

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sublimation-type thermal transfer bidet for printing an image on plain paper.
In an oprinter, if an image signal indicating an image to be printed is a print image signal,
Can, and printing an image memory for storing the printing image signal, the trimming area of the image represented by the printing image signal indicates
Trimming image memory for storing a trimming image signal when the image signal is a trimming image signal
And the output of the trimming image memory and a preset value
Is compared to determine whether the area is a trimming area.
A comparator that sends an instruction signal indicating whether the output of the print image memory and the instruction signal are derived,
The output from the print image memory is
When the output is within the printing area,
The output from the image memory is sent to the gradation processing circuit,
The signal is output from the print image memory is the trimming area.
When the output is outside, the print image memory
And a gate that does not send the output from the
Sublimation type thermal transfer video printer. 2. A sublimation-type thermal transfer bidet for printing an image on plain paper.
In an oprinter, if an image signal indicating an image to be printed is a print image signal,
Can, and printing an image memory for storing the printing image signal, the trimming area of the image represented by the printing image signal indicates
Trimming image memory for storing a trimming image signal when the image signal is a trimming image signal
And the receiving layer according to the output of the trimmed image memory.
After transferring to plain paper, follow the output of the print image memory
The image is transferred to the plain paper using an ink sheet.
Sublimation-type thermal transfer vibrator comprising image printing means
Video printer.