JP3882420B2 - Thermal transfer image recording device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a thermal transfer image recording apparatus capable of borderless printing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, printers that extract and print images from personal computers, digital cameras, VTRs (Video Tape Recorders), and the like are known. In recent years, in particular, printers that can print fine images with extremely high resolution have been put into practical use as technology advances year by year.
[0003]
FIG. 14 is an external perspective view of such a printer. The printer 1 shown in the figure shows a video printer capable of printing a video image or the like as an example. As shown in the figure, the printer 1 includes an operation panel 3 formed on the front surface of the main body 2 (obliquely lower right side in the figure) inclined slightly forward. The operation panel 3 is provided with a display unit 4 composed of a liquid crystal display device or the like and a key input unit 5 having a large number of input keys. The front side surface is provided with a paper insertion / discharge port 7 that doubles as an insertion port for inserting a paper cassette 6 containing a large number of sheets and a discharge port for discharging printed paper. The upper surface 6-1 of the paper cassette 6 forms a discharge tray portion together with an auxiliary tray 6-2 that can be pulled out.
[0004]
An opening / closing lid 8 is provided on the upper surface of the main body 2 and is fixed by a lock lever 9. When a failure such as a paper jam occurs, the lock lever 9 is tilted backward, the opening / closing lid 8 is pivoted upward with the support shaft 11 as a fulcrum, and the internal treatment is performed. In addition, another opening / closing lid 12 is provided on the side surface of the main body 2. As shown in the figure, the opening / closing lid 12 is opened, and an ink ribbon cartridge, which will be described later, can be inserted / removed from the side opening 13 as indicated by a double arrow A in the figure. A connector 14 is provided behind the side opening 13 and the opening / closing lid 12, and an image data transmission cable 15 from, for example, a personal computer, a digital camera, or a VTR is connected to the connector 14.
[0005]
In addition, such a printer 1 has been proposed in which an infrared transmission / reception unit 16 is provided on the right side of the sheet insertion / discharge port 7 on the front side surface of the main body 2 and is remotely operated using a remote control device 17. Yes.
[0006]
FIG. 15 is a side view showing only the main part inside the printer 1. As shown in the figure, the main part of the printer 1 has a thermal head 18 and a platen roller 19 facing each other, and a paper 21 and an ink ribbon 22 are sandwiched between the thermal head 18 and the platen roller 19 with a predetermined load. It has a structure that is closely attached.
[0007]
The thermal head 18 is supported by one end of a bowl-shaped arm 23, and the other end of the arm 23 is supported by the opening / closing lid 8 via a support shaft 24. A spiral spring 25 is interposed between the arm 23 and the opening / closing lid 8, whereby one end of the arm 23, that is, the therma head 18 can swing up and down.
[0008]
The open / close lid 8 pushes down the upper end portion of the lock lever 9 attached to the front end thereof in the forward direction (rightward in FIG. 15), so that the lock lever 9 rotates clockwise around the support shaft 26 and moves to the lower end. The hook 9-1 is detached from the locking portion 27 on the main body side, so that the return spring 29 is fitted on the support shaft 11 of the opening / closing lid 8 and interposed between the main body side frame and the opening / closing lid 8. By the return biasing force, it opens upward and backward with the therma head 18.
[0009]
With the opening / closing lid 8 opened, the ink ribbon cartridge 31 can be inserted or removed from the side opening 13 shown in FIG. When the ink ribbon cartridge 31 is mounted at a predetermined position and the open / close lid 8 is closed, the therma head 18 that descends along with the open / close lid 8 is inserted into the hole 31-1 in the central portion of the ink ribbon cartridge 31 and is described above. In this way, the paper 21 and the ink ribbon 22 are sandwiched and adhered with a predetermined load.
[0010]
The ink ribbon cartridge 31 is provided with a feed reel 31-2 and a take-up reel 31-3 in the front-rear direction across the hole 31-1, and the take-up reel 31-3 serves as a drive system (not shown) on the main body side. The ink ribbon 22 which has been printed and used by being engaged and rotated in the clockwise direction in the drawing is taken up, whereby a new ink ribbon 22 is drawn from the feed reel 31-2 and the thermal head 18 and the platen roller 19 are supplied to the opposed printing unit. A ribbon sensor 32 is disposed between the printing unit and the feed reel 31-2.
[0011]
The paper 21 shown in FIG. 15 that is automatically fed from the rear end by a paper feeding device (not shown) from the paper cassette 6 shown in FIG. 14 is guided by two upper and lower guide plates 33 from right to left in FIG. The paper is sandwiched and transported between the pair of transport rollers 34, passes between the thermal head 18 and the platen roller 19, is inserted between the two upper and lower guide members 35 disposed at the rear, and the front end is sandwiched between the transport roller pair 34. The printer stops at this state, and printing starts from this state.
[0012]
FIGS. 16A and 16B are views showing a state during the printing operation of the printer 1 described above. During printing, the motor 37 shown in FIG. The rotation of the motor 37 rotationally drives the belt 42 in the clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow a in the figure via the rotation shaft gear 38, the planetary gear 39 and the small pulley 41. The rotation of the belt 42 drives the large pulley 43 and the conveyance roller pair 34 coaxially connected to the large pulley 43 to intermittently convey the paper 21 from the left to the right as indicated by the arrow b in the figure. .
[0013]
During the intermittent conveyance stop period, a heating element (not shown) of the thermal head 18 is selectively energized corresponding to the image print data to generate heat. The ink on the ink ribbon 22 at the position of the heat generating element that has generated heat is melted or sublimated and transferred to the paper 21, and the image of the first main scanning line is printed.
[0014]
Subsequently, the transport roller pair 34 rotates, transports the paper 21 to the right in the figure, and stops. At this time, the conveyance distance of the paper 21 is the dot pitch of the thermal head 18 in the sub-scanning direction. As a result, the sheet 21 moves to the position of the second main scanning line in the sub scanning direction. Here, again, the heating element of the thermal head 18 is selectively energized according to the image print data of the second main scanning line to generate heat, and the printing of the second main scanning line is completed. In the meantime, the ink ribbon 22 is wound up by the take-up reel 31-3 shown in FIG.
[0015]
In the same manner as described above, the paper 21 is printed while being intermittently conveyed at a dot pitch in the sub-scanning direction, such as the third main scanning line and the fourth main scanning line, and a predetermined number of lines are printed, for example, one of the three colors. When the color printing is completed, the thermal head 18 is moved away from the platen roller 19 as shown in FIG. 16 (b), and the belt 42 is reversed as shown by the arrow d in FIG. 16 (a). The conveyance roller pair 34 is reversed, and the paper 21 is fed back in the opposite direction during printing as indicated by the arrow e in the figure, and returned to the printing start position.
[0016]
On the other hand, the ink ribbon 22 is continuously taken up by the take-up reel 31-3, and the position mark is read by the ribbon sensor 32 shown in FIG. The printing start position of the second color ink is aligned with the printing unit and stopped. Then, the thermal head 18 again presses the paper 21 and the ink ribbon 22 against the platen roller 19 as shown in FIG. Similarly, the printing of the third color is repeated to complete the full-color image printing, and finally the printed paper 21 is discharged rightward.
[0017]
FIG. 17 is a view showing a state in which the opening / closing lid 8 is opened for maintenance or the like. As shown in the figure, the open / close lid 8 pushes the upper end of the lock lever 9 attached to the front end thereof backward (leftward in FIG. 17) so that the lock lever 9 rotates clockwise around the support shaft 26. And the hook 9-1 at the lower end is disengaged from the locking portion 27 on the main body side. Thus, the hook 9-1 is externally fitted to the support shaft 11 of the opening / closing lid 8 and is interposed between the main body side frame 28 and the opening / closing lid 8. By the return urging force of the mounted return spring 29, it opens upward and rearward with the therma head 18.
[0018]
The ink ribbon cartridge 31 is inserted in the horizontal direction from the side opening 13 shown in FIG. 14 in a state where the opening / closing lid 8 is opened and the therma head 18 is pulled out from the hole 31-1 at the center of the ink ribbon cartridge 31. Or it can be removed. When the ink ribbon cartridge 31 is mounted at a predetermined position and the open / close lid 8 is closed, the therma head 18 that descends along with the open / close lid 8 is inserted into the hole 31-1 in the central portion of the ink ribbon cartridge 31 and is described above. In this manner, the paper 21 and the ink ribbon 22 are sandwiched and adhered between the platen rollers 19 with a predetermined load.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 14, the ink ribbon cartridge 31 includes a feed reel 31-2 and a take-up reel 31-3 before and after the hole 31-1, and the take-up reel 31-3 is located on the main body side. The ink ribbon 22 which has been printed and used by being rotated in the clockwise direction in the drawing by engaging with a drive system (not shown) is wound up, and a new ink ribbon is thereby taken out from the feed reel 31-2. The thermal head 18 and the platen roller 19 are pulled out and supplied to the printing unit facing the thermal head 18. A ribbon sensor 32 is disposed between the printing unit and the feed reel 31-2.
[0020]
The paper 21 shown in FIG. 15 that is automatically fed from the rear end by a paper feeding device (not shown) from the paper cassette 6 shown in FIG. 14 is guided by two upper and lower guide plates 33 from right to left in FIG. The paper is sandwiched and transported between the pair of transport rollers 34, passes between the thermal head 18 and the platen roller 19, is inserted between the two upper and lower guide members 35 disposed at the rear, and the front end is sandwiched between the transport roller pair 34. In this state, the above-described printing is started.
[0021]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, as described above, when a printer can print a fine image with a resolution high enough to be comparable to a silver salt photograph, a borderless image with no white space around the printer, which has become almost standard in silver salt photography in recent years. There is a growing demand for print images.
[0022]
However, as shown in FIG. 15, when printing with the printer 1, the rear end of the paper 21 can be easily printed up to the end, and both ends in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction also set the thermal head 18 to the maximum paper width. If it is configured in a larger size, it is possible to easily print to the end portion, but the leading edge of the paper 21 needs a gripping margin to be sandwiched and transported by the transport roller pair 34, and the leading edge of the paper serving as the gripping margin The portion corresponding to the distance B from the thermal head 18 and the platen roller 19 to the printing start position corresponding to the pressure contact portion is a region where printing cannot be performed, and a blank portion is inevitably formed here.
[0023]
In other words, since only the distance B described above cannot be printed on the leading end side of the printed paper discharge direction (rightward direction of the paper 21 shown in FIG. 15), a borderless image cannot be obtained with a conventional printer (video printer). Had a problem.
[0034]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer image recording apparatus that can perform borderless printing and solves various problems that have been seen in the past.
[0035]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  ContractIn the thermal transfer image recording apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, a thermal transfer ribbon and a sheet formed into a predetermined size are sandwiched between a recording head and a platen, and the thermal transfer ribbon and the sheet are overlapped. PredeterminedTransportTransport in the directionWhileThermal transfer image recording apparatus for recording image by transferring ink melted by controlling heat generation of the recording head to the sheetBecauseUpWritingIt has a means to place a leaf paper and it goes up into the device.WritingMore than the transfer position consisting of the paper feeding means for feeding the leaf paper, the recording head and the platen.TransportLook in the directionunderLocated near the flow side and fedWritingAt least the leaf paperTransportA pair of transport rollers that can transport in the direction,the aboveSheet of paperAbove transportA cutter capable of cutting in a direction perpendicular to the direction;When the sheet after the image recording is performed is discharged,Above transfer positionDistance from the above transport roller pairOn the equivalent ofWritingLeaf paperTopPartFrom the sheet bodyCutter control means for operating the cutter to cut offA thermal transfer image recording apparatus is assumed.
  The sheet is made up of information-recorded sheets in which predetermined identification information indicating conformity to the apparatus main body is recorded in the front end portion in advance, and the predetermined identification information is stored in the apparatus main body. Identification information storage means, reading means for reading the identification information of the information-recorded sheet to be fed, identification information of the information-recorded sheet read by the reading means and the identification information storage Determining means for determining whether or not the identification information stored in the means matches, and when the determination means determines that the identification information matches, it controls to execute the image recording operation and determines that they do not match. Printing control means for controlling to discharge the sheet fed without operating the image recording operation.Composed.
[0043]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1A is a side view showing only a main part of a thermal transfer image recording apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as a printer) in the first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a plan view thereof. . As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, a thermal head 51 and a platen roller 52 are arranged to face each other in the main part of the printer 50 in this example. The thermal head 51 is supported by one end of a head arm 53 formed to be greatly curved, and the other end of the head arm 53 is supported by a support shaft 54.
[0044]
The rear end portion of the opening / closing lid 55 at the upper part of the main body is similarly supported on the support shaft 54, and a head pressurizing spring 56 is interposed between the opening / closing lid 55 and the thermal head 51, so The head 51 is pressed against the platen roller 52 so as to be swingable. The ink ribbon 57 and the paper 58 are overlapped and sandwiched between the press contact portions between the thermal head 51 and the platen roller 52.
[0045]
In the opening / closing lid 55, when the opening / closing lever 59 is pulled down toward the front of the main body (to the right in the drawing), the opening / closing hook 59-1 at the lower portion of the opening / closing lever is detached from the main body side locking portion 62, thereby Is pivoted upward together with the thermal head 51 to open. With the opening / closing lid 55 opened, the supply core 63 around which the ink ribbon 57 is wound can be mounted on the supply reel 64. When the supply core 63 around which the new ink ribbon 57 is wound is mounted on the supply reel 64, first, the winding core 65 in a state where the used ink ribbon 57 is fully drawn is removed and discarded, and an empty supply core is disposed. 63 is attached to the take-up reel 66 as a new take-up core 65, the supply core 63 around which the new ink ribbon 57 is wound is attached to the supply reel 64, and the lead portion at the tip of the ink ribbon 57 is pulled out to take up the take-up core. Fix to 65.
[0046]
Thus, the ink ribbon 57 is stretched between the ribbon guide roller 67 and the take-up roller pair 68 including the take-up roller 68-1 and the take-up pinch roller 68-2, and descends from above with the closing of the opening / closing lid 55. It is sandwiched between the platen rollers 52 by the thermal head 51.
[0047]
An encoder 69 is attached to the end of the winding roller 68-1 of the winding roller pair 68. The amount of rotation of the encoder 69, that is, the amount of rotation of the winding roller 68-1, passes through the slit of the encoder 69. Monitoring is performed by turning on / off the light read by the photosensor 71.
[0048]
The supply reel 64 is connected to the supply gear 73 via the supply clutch 72, and the take-up reel 66 is connected to the ribbon take-up gear 75 via the take-up clutch 74. The ribbon take-up gear 75 is connected to a ribbon take-up motor 76 via a gear train below the worm gear 77, and the take-up roller 68-1 is connected to the ribbon via a torque limiter 78 of a system branched from the middle of the gear train. A winding motor 76 is connected.
[0049]
The other paper 58 is supplied from the right side to the left side of the drawing by a paper feed roller (not shown) through the paper feed path 79, passes through the image sensor 81, and is sandwiched between the transport roller pair 82. The conveyance roller pair 82 can rotate in both forward and reverse directions, and can convey the paper 58 freely in the horizontal direction in the figure.
[0050]
First, in order to print the first color, the paper 58 is transported to the left in the drawing, and is inserted into a paper passage path 84 including upper and lower guide plates 83-1 and 83-2, and then the paper 58 is passed in the paper feeding direction. The end is stopped at a position that does not come off from the conveying roller pair 68. As a result, the paper 58 is stopped at the print start position while being sandwiched between the conveyance roller pair 82. At this time, the thermal head 51 stands by at a position away from the paper 58 by the head arm 53.
[0051]
Next, the take-up roller pair 68 is rotated and the take-up core 65 is rotated so that the ink ribbon 57 is taken up to a predetermined position where the first color can be printed and positioned. Subsequently, the head arm 53 is driven to press the thermal head 51 toward the platen roller 52 side. As a result, the ink ribbon 57 and the paper 58 are nipped between the thermal head 51 and the platen roller 52 in a state where they overlap each other.
[0052]
In this state, the heating element of the thermal head 51 is energized according to the print data of the first line, the ink on the ink ribbon 57 is transferred to the paper 58, and then the paper 58 is sent to the right side of the figure by the conveying roller pair 82. And the winding roller pair 68 is rotated to wind up the ink ribbon 57 in the same direction as the paper 58 by the same distance. Thereafter, as in the first line, the heating element is energized according to the print data, the paper 58 is transported, and the ink ribbon 57 is wound up in order from the second line and the third line to the rear end of the paper 58. Print.
[0053]
When the printing of the first color is completed, the head arm 53 is driven to print the second color, the thermal head 51 is separated from the paper 58, and the conveyance roller pair 82 is rotated to bring the paper 58 to the printing position of the first line. Then, the ink ribbon 57 is wound up to a predetermined position where the second color can be printed and positioned, and the second color is printed in the same manner as the first color. In this way, the third color is also printed and a full color image is printed.
[0054]
When the printing of the image is finished, the paper 58 is sent out through the upper paper passage 85, and the position of the cutter 86 is a position slightly inside a predetermined distance from the boundary between the image printed portion of the paper 58 and the unprintable area 58 ′. And the cutter 86 is driven to cut off the unprintable area 58 '. Then, the paper 58 is sent out by the paper discharge roller pair 87.
[0055]
FIG. 2A is a diagram showing the relationship between the paper 58, the printing area, and the cutting area by the cutter 86. FIG. Since the thermal head 51 is formed longer than the maximum sheet width as shown in FIG. 1B, the print area 88 of the image printed on the sheet 58 as shown in FIG. The paper 58 can be made wider. Also, since the application size of each color ink on the ink ribbon 57 is formed to a length that sufficiently corresponds to the length of the maximum size paper, the end of the paper 58 in the width direction and rear (left side in FIG. 2) is Can print completely to the edge. Then, the unprintable area 58 ′ having a length C at the front end is cut by a cut line 89 set at a slightly inner position. In this way, an image that is completely printed to the edge can be formed on the paper 58.
[0056]
In the non-printable area of the paper 58, for example, a company name logo or the like (“KAISHA” in the example shown in FIG. 2B) is used as an identification mark of the paper 58, as shown in FIG. It is preferable to keep it in place. This portion will be automatically cut off by the cutter 86 inside the printer, so there is no effect on the actual printed matter. That is, since the identification mark portion is a portion to be cut off, unnecessary marking does not enter the finished printed matter.
[0057]
As described above, the form of the identification mark placed on the paper is not particularly limited. For example, the type of paper, information for preventing piracy, or characteristics of the paper for printing a high-quality image are clarified. Any information can be used. It is also possible to print various commercials. It is also possible to use only the sheet designated by such an identification mark.
[0058]
In this case, an image sensor 81 is attached to the conveyance path of the paper 58 in the printer 50 as shown in FIG. The image sensor 81 reads the identification mark of the automatically loaded paper 58 and takes the read image information into the memory. Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the captured image information matches the image data stored in advance in the ROM or the like. If they match, normal printing is performed. If they do not match, the paper is printed without printing. Is discharged. In this way, for example, pirated versions can be prevented.
[0059]
In the above example, an identification mark is provided at a portion where the back side of the paper (to the printed surface) is cut off, and this identification mark is detected below the conveyance path. An identification mark may be provided on the upper surface of the conveyance path and provided on the surface of the paper. Of course, the image sensor may be arranged anywhere as long as it can detect the identification mark from the paper feeding position to the time when the paper is set at the first print start position.
[0060]
In addition, information necessary for the printer can be entered in the paper cut-off part in this way, and by identifying the type of paper size, etc., and writing paper sensitivity information etc. in the future paper Even when the value is changed, the amount of heat generated by the thermal head can be changed based on this information so that the optimum print density can be obtained. In addition, stickers with half-cuts in advance are generally used as paper types. However, if such information is described as an identification mark, a format suitable for the sticker paper is automatically selected. It is also possible to perform printing.
[0061]
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a thermal transfer image recording apparatus according to a second embodiment relating to the opening / closing of the opening / closing lid and the detection of the ink ribbon. FIG. 3 (a) is a side view showing only the main part. (B) is a view from the direction of arrow D in (a), (c) is a view to show the winding drive mechanism in (a), and (d) is a view from arrow E in (c). 1 (a) to (d), the same components as those in FIG. 1 that require special explanation are given the same numbers as in FIG. 1, and the newly added components have new numbers. Is given.
[0062]
FIGS. 9A to 9D show a state in which printing with the thermal head 51 is possible when the opening / closing lid 55 is closed. First, the ribbon gear 91 is rotated through the worm gear and the idle gear by the driving of the ribbon take-up motor 76 shown in FIG. The ribbon gear 91 is attached to a take-up roller 68-1 shown in FIG. 5A, and the ink ribbon 57 is taken up by the rotation of the take-up roller 68-1.
[0063]
The ribbon gear 91 is meshed with another gear 92, and this gear 92 constitutes a two-stage gear via a clutch 93 as shown in FIG. Meshes with the teeth 94-1 of the rack 94. Two grooves 96 (96-1, 96-2) are formed in the rack 94, and the rack 94 is engaged with two pins 97 (97-1, 97-2) respectively inserted into the grooves 96. It is configured to be slidable in the left-right direction. In addition, an appropriate detection body 98 is attached to the right end of the rack 94.
[0064]
In order to wind up the ink ribbon 57 as described above, when the ribbon gear 91 rotates in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow F in the figure, the rack 94 is moved by the tooth portion 94-1 via the gear 92 and the second gear 92-1. It slides to the right, and comes into contact with the stopper shaft 95 and stops at the right position as shown in FIG. Since the gear 92 is a two-stage gear via the clutch 93, when the rack 94 is stopped, the second-stage gear 92-1 is stopped and only the gear 92 connected to the drive side is rotated. At this time, the detected object 98 is located at the leftmost end of the printer main body, and the sensor 99 is arranged at a position where the detected object 98 inside is not detected.
[0065]
FIG. 4A is a view showing a state where the opening / closing lid 55 is opened, and FIG. 4B is a view showing a ribbon winding drive system. As shown in FIG. 6A, the opening / closing lever 59 is placed in front of the apparatus main body (in order to remove the opening / closing hook 59-1 from the main body side locking portion 62 (see FIG. 3A)) to open the opening / closing lid 55. When pulled down to the right in the figure, the entire opening / closing lever 59 pivots clockwise as indicated by the arrow G in the figure with the support shaft 101 as a fulcrum, at the end opposite to the opening / closing hook 59-1. The rack engaging shaft 59-2 pushes the rack 94 to the left and slides the rack 94 to the left, whereby the detected object 98 moves to a position detected by the sensor 99 and the rack 94 is moved. Stop.
[0066]
FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the opening / closing lid 55 opened as described above is closed again. As shown in the figure, when the open / close lid 55 is closed and the open / close lever 59 is returned to the fixed position, the rack engagement shaft 59-2 at the end opposite to the open / close hook 59-1 also returns to the original position. The rack 94 released from contact with the rack engagement shaft 59-2 remains in the pushed position and does not return to the original position. As a result, the detected object 98 remains stopped at the position detected by the sensor 99.
[0067]
As a result, even when the power is turned off, when the open / close lid 55 is opened and closed, the sensor 99 causes the detected object 98 to be detected by the sensor 99 when the power is turned on again and the control unit described later starts the drive control process. It is possible to recognize that the opening / closing lid 55 has been opened and closed.
[0068]
Thereafter, in order to detect and set the print start position of the ink ribbon, the ribbon take-up motor 76 is rotated to take up the ink ribbon 57. As described above, the second stage shown in FIG. The gear 92-1 moves the rack 94 in the original position direction indicated by an arrow H in FIG. 5, and the rack 94 hits the stopper shaft 95 and stops.
[0069]
FIG. 6 (a) is a view showing a modification of the second embodiment, and FIG. 6 (b) is a view showing the ribbon drive system. In FIGS. 1 (a) and (b), the same components as those in FIGS. 1 or 3 (a) and (b) that require special explanation are shown in FIGS. 1 or 3 (a) and (b). The same number is given, and the newly added or changed component is given a new number. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the modification is different from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 in that the rack 94 'is disposed not at the bottom of the apparatus main body but at the center of the side surface and the slot 102 is formed. Further, two rack engaging shafts 103 attached to the open / close lid chassis are fitted to support the rack 94 'so as to be slidable. The rack 94 ′ is in contact with the stopper 104 and stopped in a normal state. Further, the gear portion 94-1 ′ extending to the left of the rack 94 ′ is engaged with a two-stage gear 92 driven from the ribbon winding motor 76 via a worm gear and an idle gear.
[0070]
FIG. 7 is a view showing the operating state of the opening / closing lid 55 and the rack 94 ′ having the above-described configuration. FIG. 7 (a) is a view showing a state where the opening / closing lid 55 is opened, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which closed the opening-and-closing lid | cover 55 again. As shown in the figure, when the opening / closing lid 55 is opened, the rack drive shaft 55a attached to the rear portion of the opening / closing lid 55 is engaged with the protruding portion of the rack 94 ', and the rack 94' is indicated by an arrow J in the figure. The point pushed to the left differs from the case of FIGS. As shown in FIG. 5B, even if the open / close lid 55 is closed, the rack 94 'remains as it is without returning to its original position, and the detected object 98 disposed in the rack 94' is detected by the sensor 99. It remains stopped at the position. Other configurations and operations are the same as those in the case of FIGS.
[0071]
As described above, in the second embodiment, the rack provided with the detection object interlocked with the opening / closing lever for opening the opening / closing lid does not return to the original position only by closing the opening / closing lid, and the ribbon winding is not performed. Since it returns to its original position when it is started, it can detect that the open / close lid has been opened even when the power is not turned on. This has the effect of eliminating the need for detection and setting.
[0072]
In the above embodiment, the following modifications may be made. 3-5 again, when the open / close lid 55 shown in FIG. 3 (a) is closed, that is, when printing is possible, the tooth portion 94-1a of the rack 94 is shown in FIG. As shown by the one-dot chain line of (a), it meshes with the supply gear 73. Here, the operation of the rack 94 when the opening / closing lid 55 shown in FIG. 4 (a) is opened is as described previously.
[0073]
In this modified example, when the opening / closing lid 55 is closed again as shown in FIG. 5 and the ink ribbon 57 is wound to detect and set the ink ribbon initialization position, the ink ribbon 57 is wound. As a result, the supply gear 73 attached to the supply reel 64 via the supply clutch 72 rotates in the counterclockwise direction indicated by the arrow K in FIG. 5, and the rack 94 moves in the direction of the arrow H, and the stopper shaft 95. To stop. When the rack 94 stops, the rotation of the supply gear 73 also stops.
[0074]
Since the supply gear 73 and the supply reel 64 are attached via the clutch 93, when the ink ribbon 57 is taken up, back tension is applied to the ink ribbon 57, and the wrinkle of the ink ribbon 57 due to the take-up is eliminated. There is.
[0075]
Furthermore, a modification is shown again using FIG.6 and FIG.7. 6 and 7, an idle gear 105 is interposed between the supply gear 73 and the rack 94 ', and a tooth portion 106 is formed at the lower left end of the rack 94' to mesh with the idle gear 105. I am letting. Even with this configuration, the opening / closing of the opening / closing lid 55 can be detected in the same manner as previously described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.
[0076]
Although not shown in particular, in any of the above cases, a separate safety switch is provided for detecting opening / closing of the opening / closing lid 55 when it is accidentally opened during operation.
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the driving of the conveying roller pair of the thermal transfer image recording apparatus according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8 (a) is a diagram showing the sheet feeding operation during printing, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a sheet return feeding operation. As shown in FIG. 5A, the ink ribbon 57 is wound up in the direction of arrow M and the paper 58 is conveyed in the direction of arrow N during printing.
[0077]
At this time, the rotation shaft gear 108 of the paper transport motor 107 rotates in the clockwise direction, and in conjunction with this, the “<”-shaped arm 109 rotates in the clockwise direction and is supported by one end of the arm 109. The small-diameter planetary gear 111 is connected to the pulley 112. A large-diameter planetary gear 113 that is coaxially integrated with the small-diameter planetary gear 111 meshes with the rotary shaft gear 108 of the paper transport motor 107.
[0078]
As a result, the rotation of the paper transport motor 107 is decelerated by the gear ratio between the large-diameter planetary gear 113 and the small-diameter planetary gear 111 and is transmitted to the transport roller 82 via the pulley 112, the belt 114, and the pulley 115. That is, the transport roller 82 that transports the paper 58 is coaxial with the pulley 115 rotated by the belt 114 that circulates and moves in the direction of the arrow P, and rotates with a strong torque with a large reduction ratio.
[0079]
On the other hand, when the paper 58 is fed back in the direction opposite to the above in order to coat other colors, the thermal head 51 is slightly raised and separated from the paper 58 as shown in FIG. The ink ribbon 57 stops, and only the paper 58 is returned and conveyed in the arrow Q direction.
[0080]
At this time, the rotation shaft gear 108 of the paper transport motor 107 rotates counterclockwise, and in conjunction with this, the arm 109 rotates counterclockwise, and the planetary gear supported on the other end of the arm 109. 116 is coupled to the pulley 112. On the other hand, the planetary gear 116 meshes with the rotary shaft gear 108 of the paper transport motor 107.
[0081]
Thereby, the rotation of the sheet conveying motor 107 is transmitted from the rotating shaft gear 108 to the conveying roller 82 through the planetary gear 116, the pulley 112, the belt 114, and the pulley 115 at the same peripheral speed. That is, the conveyance roller 82 that returns the paper 58 is coaxial with the pulley 115 that is rotated by the belt 114 that circulates in the direction of the arrow R, and rotates at a higher speed than the conveyance during printing although it is a weak torque without a reduction ratio. .
[0082]
FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the paper cassette of the thermal transfer image recording apparatus in the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 9B is a diagram showing the configuration of the bottom part by removing the bottom plate. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the paper cassette 117 includes a fixed bottom plate 119 disposed in the vicinity of the bottom of the frame 118, and includes a rotating bottom plate 122 that can rotate with the support portion 121 as a fulcrum. Yes. The rotating bottom plate 122 is biased upward by a spring 123.
[0083]
A shaft 124 is crimped on the bottom surface of the frame 118, and a pinion gear 125 is rotatably provided there. The pinion gear 125 includes a gear part 125a, a pulley part 125b (not visible in the shade in the figure), and a cam groove part 125c.
[0084]
The rotating bottom plate 122 has notches 126 a and 126 b, and the fixed bottom plate 119 has a notch 127. A right restricting plate 128a is slidably installed in the right notch 126a of the rotating bottom plate 122, and a left restricting plate 128b is horizontally inserted in the left notch 126b of the rotating bottom plate 122. It is slidably installed.
[0085]
Further, a rear regulating plate 129 is slidably installed in the notch 127 of the fixed bottom plate 119. Guide pins 131a, 131b, 131c, 131d, 131e, and 131f are caulked on the bottom surface of the frame 118. The movement direction of the right restriction plate 128a is restricted by the guide pins 131a and 131b, and the movement direction of the left restriction plate 128b is restricted by the guide pins 131c and 131d. Further, the movement direction of the rear regulating plate 129 is regulated by the guide pins 131e and 131f.
[0086]
A rack is formed in each of the guide pin engaging portion of the right restricting plate 128a and the guide pin engaging portion of the left restricting plate 128b, and is installed so as to mesh with the gear portion 125a of the pinion gear 125. That is, when the pinion gear 125 rotates in the forward / reverse direction, the right restricting plate 128a and the left restricting plate 128b move in the closing direction or the opening direction, respectively.
[0087]
Further, the protrusion of the rear restricting plate 129 is inserted into the cam groove 125 c of the pinion gear 125. Therefore, when the pinion gear 125 rotates forward and backward, it is guided to the cam groove portion 125c and the rear regulating plate 129 moves back and forth.
[0088]
Next, the drive system will be described. A motor 132 is fixed to the frame 118. A motor pulley is attached to the lower side of the motor 132 although it is not visible in the figure. A sensor mark (not shown) is provided on the motor pulley, and the rotational position of the motor 132 is also controlled by a reflection type sensor (not shown). That is, the sensor mark includes marks indicating the initial position, small size, medium size, and large size, and these marks are attached to four predetermined positions of the motor pulley. The motor 132 is controlled to stop by reading these marks by the reflection type sensor. Driving is transmitted by the belt 133 between the motor pulley and the pulley portion 125b of the pinion gear 125.
[0089]
The rotating bottom plate 122 is further provided with two holes in addition to the above-mentioned notches, and reflective paper sensors 134a and 134b are disposed under the two holes. A paper feed roller 135 for feeding the paper 58 to the printing unit is disposed on the upper portion of the rotating bottom plate 122, and the rotation is controlled by a drive system (not shown).
[0090]
FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C show three types of papers that are placed and accommodated in the paper cassette 117. FIGS. 10D to 10G show the paper cassette 117. It is a figure which shows an operation state. The small-size paper 58a shown in FIG. 6A has no mark, and the medium-size paper 58b shown in FIG. 5B has a black solid mark on the right side of the back surface. The large paper shown in FIG. A black solid mark is preliminarily attached to the left side of the back surface of the size paper 58c.
[0091]
First, in the initial state, as shown in FIG. 6D, the right restricting plate 128a, the left restricting plate 128b, and the rear restricting plate 129 have three kinds of sizes of bottom sheets (fixed bottom plate 119, rotating bottom plate 122). ) It is widened to the maximum so that it can be placed on top. In a state where no paper is placed, the paper sensors 134a and 134b are of a reflective type and recognize non-reflective (black).
[0092]
When the user places a large-size sheet 58c on the bottom plate (in the example shown in the figure, the sheet bundle is placed in contact with the right regulating plate 128a) as shown in FIG. Paper sensors 134a and 134b detect the paper size. At this time, no matter how the large size paper 58c is placed, the black solid mark arranged on the right side when viewed from the front surface comes to the detection area of the paper sensor 134a. That is, the paper sensor 134a cannot detect the paper 58c because the reflection is black when the paper 58c is placed. The other paper sensor 134b recognizes that the large-size paper 58c has been placed because the back surface of the paper 58c is white.
[0093]
Then, the motor 132 rotates and stops at the position of the sensor mark indicating the large size provided on the motor pulley. The pinion gear 125 is rotationally driven by the rotation of the motor 132 via the motor pulley and the belt 133. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5E, the right restricting plate 128a, the left restricting plate 128b, and the rear restricting plate 129 move to the inside of the sheet cassette as shown by the arrows in the drawing, respectively. The paper 58c is aligned with its ends aligned and stopped.
[0094]
Next, when the medium-size paper 58b is placed, the size of the medium-size paper 58b is smaller than the area of the bottom plate. There are two cases: the case where the detection region is applied and the case where the detection region is deviated from the detection region as shown in FIG.
[0095]
When the black solid mark is applied to the detection area of the paper sensor 134b, that is, when the paper sensor 134b detects black and the paper sensor 134a detects white, it can be determined that the medium size paper 58b. Then, as in the case of the large size paper 58c, the motor 132 rotates, and rotates to the position of the sensor mark indicating the medium size paper 58b of the motor pulley and stops. That is, the right restricting plate 128a, the left restricting plate 128b, and the rear restricting plate 129 are moved inward of the paper cassette as indicated by arrows in FIG. 5G, and the end portions of the medium size paper 58b are aligned. Align and stop.
[0096]
On the other hand, when the medium-sized paper 58b is placed on the bottom plate, when the black solid mark does not cover the detection area of the paper sensor 134b, the paper sensors 134a and 134b both detect white, so that it is understood that there is paper. However, it cannot be determined whether the medium size paper 58b or the small size paper 58a. However, since it is understood that the paper is not at least the large size paper 58c, the motor 132 rotates and temporarily stops at the same position as the medium size paper 58b. If the loaded paper is a medium size paper 58b, the paper sensor 134b detects black, so that it can be determined that the paper is a medium size paper 58b.
[0097]
Then, when the small-size paper 58a is placed, in this case, both the paper sensors 134a and 134b always detect white and know that the paper is placed. However, at this time, as described above, there is a possibility that the medium-size paper 58b is placed, and therefore it cannot be determined whether the placed paper is the medium-size paper 58b or the small-size paper 58a. Therefore, also in this case, the right restricting plate 128a, the left restricting plate 128b, and the rear restricting plate 129 are moved to the position of the medium size paper 58b as described above.
[0098]
Again, since the paper sensor 134b cannot recognize black, it can be determined that the paper is a small size paper 58a. Therefore, the motor 132 resumes rotation and rotates to the small size position of the sensor mark of the motor pulley. As a result, the right restricting plate 128a, the left restricting plate 128b, and the rear restricting plate 129 are further moved toward the inside of the paper cassette, and stopped at the position of the small size paper 58a.
[0099]
Further, when the loaded paper is not on the bottom plate, that is, when both the paper sensors 134a and 134b detect black, the right regulating plate 128a, the left regulating plate 128b, and the rear regulating plate 129 are respectively shown in FIG. Move to the original initial position shown in) and stop.
[0100]
In this way, just by marking the paper according to size and placing the paper on the bottom plate of the paper cassette, the presence and size of the paper can be identified, and the regulation plates in the width and length directions of the paper are automatically moved. Thus, the end portions of the paper can be aligned and aligned. As a result, the user is freed from the troublesome operation of moving the restricting plate each time a sheet of a different size is inserted. Also, even if you forget to align the edges of the paper and align it, there will be no paper jams, skewing, paper feed errors, etc., which will improve the user-friendliness of the printer, and always produce high quality images. Can be formed.
[0101]
In the above embodiment, the rear restricting plate is used. However, when the sheet bundle is placed on the bottom plate, if it is defined that it is set to abut against the front of the paper cassette, the rear restricting plate is excluded. You may do it.
[0102]
Finally, the appearance and system configuration common to the thermal transfer image recording apparatuses in the above-described embodiments will be described.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an external appearance and a system configuration common to a printer as a thermal transfer image recording apparatus in each embodiment. As shown in the figure, the printer 50 is configured to be operable with a remote controller 138. The remote control 138 includes an operation panel 138-1 provided with a plurality of operation buttons and a monitor screen display unit 138-2. In addition, an external device such as a video camera 139 can be connected by a communication cable 141.
[0103]
When the video data in the video camera 139 is printed by the printer 50, the video camera 139 is connected to the printer 50 via the communication cable 141, and a video signal is transmitted from the video camera 139 to the printer 50. When the screen to be printed is selected based on the video output from the printer 50, the video output is once sent to and displayed on the monitor screen display unit 138-2 of the remote controller 138, and the contents are visually confirmed. After that, a key is input from the operation panel 138-1 of the remote controller 138 for execution of printing.
[0104]
Here, as a method of sending the video output from the printer 50 to the monitor screen display unit 138-2 on the remote controller 138, the IrDA infrared communication 142 or the like is used. Further, it is assumed that the print execution command is given by the same infrared signal 143 as that of a normal remote control device.
[0105]
As described above, since the video data to be printed and the printing method condition setting can be confirmed on the monitor screen display unit 138-2 without a cable, the television in the home is disturbing the television viewing even while receiving the television broadcast. Therefore, the printing operation can be performed by the printer 50.
[0106]
Further, since the printing operation can be performed without difficulty even at a distance from the printer 50, the printer 50 may be permanently installed beside the television or the personal computer, or may be placed at an appropriate distance. It becomes like this. Further, when the printer 50 is used, it is not necessary to change the operation communication cable.
[0107]
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another method for sending the video output from the printer 50 to the monitor screen display unit 138-2 on the remote controller 138. As shown in the figure, an RF transmitter can be used, and an RF receiver and an RF receiver ANT can be built in the remote controller and sent by RF transmission 144. Also in this case, it is assumed that the print execution command is the same infrared signal 143 as that of a normal remote control device.
[0108]
Although not specifically shown, as a method of sending the video output from the printer to the monitor screen on the remote controller, a video signal cable may be used instead of RF transmission / reception. The command for executing printing is based on the same infrared signal as that of a normal remote controller.
[0109]
FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer 50. As shown in FIG. 9, the printer 50 includes a CPU 145, a memory 146, an operation input unit 147, a ribbon sensor 148, a paper sensor 149, a paper cutter mechanism 151, and a paper guide moving motor 132 (see FIGS. 9A and 9B). The motor 132) of b), the thermal head control circuit 153, the ribbon take-up motor 76, and the paper transport motor 107 are connected.
[0110]
The CPU 145 controls the whole. The memory 146 stores a control program. The operation input unit 147 is used for direct input when the remote controller 138 is not used. The ribbon sensor 148 detects the position of the ink ribbon as shown in FIG. The paper sensor 149 detects, for example, the leading position of the paper carried into the apparatus main body. The paper cutter mechanism 151 drives the cutter 86. The paper guide moving motor 132 (the motor 132 in FIGS. 9A and 9B) is as described above. The thermal head control circuit 153 energizes and drives the heating element of the thermal head 51 according to the print data. The ribbon take-up motor 76 and the paper transport motor 107 are as described above.
[0111]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a sheet cutter is provided with a paper cutter, and the thermal head is formed longer than the maximum size paper width to make the print area of the image larger than the paper width. The width of the ink ribbon and the application size of each color ink are formed to a length corresponding to the width of the maximum size paper, and the width direction edge and rear edge of the paper are completely printed to the edge, and the front edge is not printed. Since the possible area is cut with a cutter, it is possible to form a completely printed image up to the edge of the printed paper.
[0112]
In addition, since necessary information for the printer is pre-filled in the cut-off portion that does not affect the printed image, the thermal head generates heat on the changed paper by determining the type such as paper size or the sensitivity information of the paper. It is possible to adjust the amount so as to obtain the optimum printing density, or to read information on half-cut sticker paper and automatically select a format suitable for the sticker paper for printing Become.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1A is a side view showing only a main part of a thermal transfer image recording apparatus according to a first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a plan view thereof.
2A is a diagram showing a relationship between a sheet, a printing area, and a cutting area by a cutter, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example in which a company name logo or the like is inserted as a sheet identification mark in the sheet cutting area. .
3A is a side view showing only the main part of the thermal transfer image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment, FIG. 3B is a side view of FIG. 3A, and FIG. FIG. 4D is a view showing the ribbon winding drive system, and FIG.
4A is a view showing a state in which an opening / closing lid of a thermal transfer image recording apparatus according to a second embodiment is opened, and FIG. 4B is a view showing a ribbon winding drive system.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the opened / closed lid of the thermal transfer image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment is closed again.
6A is a view showing a modification of the second embodiment, and FIG. 6B is a view showing the ribbon drive system.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams showing an operation state of an opening / closing lid and a rack according to a modification of the second embodiment, wherein FIG. 7A is a view showing a state in which the opening / closing lid is opened, and FIG. It is a figure which shows a state.
FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating a sheet feeding operation during printing by the thermal transfer image recording apparatus according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating a sheet returning operation.
FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a paper cassette of a thermal transfer image recording apparatus according to a fourth embodiment, and FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a configuration of a bottom portion by removing a bottom plate.
FIGS. 10 (a), (b), and (c) are diagrams showing three types of sheets placed and stored in the sheet cassette, and FIGS. 10 (d) to (g) are diagrams showing the operation state of the sheet cassette. is there.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an external appearance and a system configuration common to printers as thermal transfer image recording apparatuses in the embodiments.
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating another method for sending video output from a printer to a monitor screen display unit on a remote controller.
FIG. 13 is a configuration block diagram of a printer in each embodiment.
FIG. 14 is an external perspective view of a conventional printer.
FIG. 15 is a side view showing only a main part inside a conventional printer.
FIGS. 16A and 16B are diagrams illustrating a state during a printing operation of a conventional printer.
FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an opening / closing lid is opened for maintenance of a conventional printer.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Printer
2 body
3 Operation panel
4 display section
5 Key input part
6 Paper cassette
6-1 Top surface
6-2 Auxiliary tray
7 Paper insertion / discharge port
8 Opening lid
9 Lock lever
9-1 hook
11 Support shaft
12 Opening and closing lid
13 Side opening
14 Connector
15 Image data transmission cable
16 Infrared transceiver
17 Remote control device
18 Thermal head
19 Platen Roller
21 paper
22 Ink ribbon
23 Arm
24 Support shaft
25 Spiral spring
26 Support shaft
27 Locking part
28 Body side frame
29 Return spring
31 Ink ribbon cartridge
31-1 hole
31-2 Feed reel
31-3 Take-up reel
32 Ribbon sensor
33 Guide plate
34 Pair of transport rollers
34-1 Feed roller
34-2 Pinch roller
35 Guide member
37 motor
38 Rotating shaft gear
39 Planetary Gear
41 Small pulley
42 belt
43 Large pulley
50 printers
51 thermal head
52 Platen Roller
53 Head Arm
54 Support shaft
55 Opening and closing lid
56 Head pressure spring
57 Ink Ribbon
58, 58a, 58b, 58c Paper
58 'Unprintable area
59 Open / close lever
59-1 Open / close hook
62 Main body side locking part
63 Supply core
64 Supply reel
65 Winding core
66 Take-up reel
67 Ribbon guide roller
68 Winding roller pair
68-1 Winding roller
68-2 Winding pinch roller
69 Encoder
71 Photosensor
72 Supply clutch
73 Supply Gear
74 Winding clutch
75 Ribbon winding gear
76 Ribbon take-up motor
77 Worm Gear
78 Torque limiter
79 Paper feed path
81 Image sensor
82 Pair of transport rollers
83-1, 83-2 Guide plate
84, 85 paper path
86 Cutter
87 Paper discharge roller pair
88 Print area
89 Cut line
91 Ribbon Gear
92 Gear
92-1 Second gear
93 Clutch
94, 94 'rack
94-1, 94-1 'tooth part
95 Stopper shaft
96 (96-1, 96-2) Groove
97 (97-1, 97-2) Pin
98 Detected object
99 sensors
101 Support shaft
102 slot
103 Rack engaging shaft
104 stopper
105 Idol Gear
106 teeth
107 Paper transport motor
108 Rotating shaft gear
109 arms
111 small diameter planetary gear
112 pulley
113 Large diameter planetary gear
114 belts
115 pulley
116 Planetary Gear
117 Paper cassette
118 frames
119 Fixed bottom plate
121 Support
122 Rotating bottom plate
123 Spring
124 axes
125 pinion gear
125a Gear part
125b Pulley part
125c Cam groove
126a, 126b, 127 Notch
128a Right restriction plate
128b Left regulating plate
129 Rear restriction plate
131a, 131b, 131c, 131d, 131e, 131f Guide pins
132 motor
133 belt
134a, 134b Paper sensor
135 Feed roller
138 remote control
138-1 Operation panel
138-2 Monitor screen display
139 video camera
141 Communication cable
142 IrDA infrared communication
143 Infrared signal
144 RF transmission
145 CPU
146 memory
147 Operation input section
148 Ribbon sensor
149 Paper sensor
151 Paper cutter mechanism
153 Thermal head control circuit

Claims (1)

A thermal transfer ribbon and a sheet of a predetermined size are sandwiched between the recording head and the platen, and the thermal transfer ribbon and the sheet are stacked and conveyed in a predetermined conveyance direction while the recording head is moved. A thermal transfer image recording apparatus for performing image recording by transferring ink melted by heat generation control to the sheet ,
A sheet feeding means for feeding the pre-Symbol leaf paper Previous Symbol leaf paper in the apparatus comprises means for mounting a,
Said than the recording head and the platen and the transfer position consisting provided on the lower stream side vicinity as viewed in the conveying direction, the conveying roller pair can be conveyed in front Symbol leaf paper fed to at least the conveying direction,
A cutter capable of cutting the sheet in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction,
When the sheet after the image recording has been performed is discharged, cut off the leading end portion of the front Symbol leaf paper corresponding to the distance from the transfer position to the conveying roller pair from the sheet body In a thermal transfer image recording apparatus provided with a cutter control means for operating the cutter ,
The sheet is composed of information-recorded sheets in which predetermined identification information indicating conformity with the apparatus main body is recorded in advance on the front end portion,
In the device body,
Identification information storage means for storing the predetermined identification information;
Reading means for reading identification information of the information-recorded sheet to be fed;
Discrimination means for judging whether or not the identification information of the information-recorded sheet read by the reading means matches the identification information stored in the identification information storage means;
When the discrimination means determines that the identification information matches, control is performed to execute an image recording operation. When it is determined that the identification information does not match, the sheet fed without being activated is loaded. A print control means for controlling to discharge the sheet;
Thermal transfer image recording apparatus comprising: a.

Images