JP5740809B2 - Printing apparatus used for duplex printing method, bookbinding method, duplex printing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a double-sided printing method for performing printing on both sides of a roll paper by a thermal transfer method, a bookbinding method, and a printing apparatus used for the double-sided printing method.

As one of the conventional printing methods, the thermal transfer sheet is pressed against the recording paper with a thermal head, the heating element, which is the heat generating part of the thermal head, generates heat according to the image data to be printed, and the color material of the thermal transfer sheet is transferred to the recording paper. There is known a thermal transfer system in which an image is recorded.
In such a thermal transfer type printer, there is an increasing demand for printing on both sides of a recording sheet as in a normal printer.
As a printer capable of double-sided printing in a thermal transfer printer, Patent Document 1 discloses that after printing on one side of recording paper is completed, the recording paper can be reversed and printed on the other side of the recording paper. A thermal transfer printer having first and second transfer rollers, first and second passages, and a paper discharge passage is shown (Patent Document 1).

JP 09-193430 A

  However, when outputting image data taken with a digital camera or the like, there are many cases in which output is performed (printed) from a printer equipped with roll paper, and the thermal transfer printers shown above have a predetermined size in advance. This is for performing double-sided printing on recording paper that has been cut into two pieces, and is different from that for performing double-sided printing on roll paper. In recent years, many people have created photo books, etc. based on images taken with digital cameras, etc., but bookbinding has been performed using paper with images such as photographs printed on both sides using the thermal transfer method. When output as a photo book, it is possible to provide a high quality photo book or the like without the trouble of pasting the printed image receiving paper on a booklet or the like.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a double-sided printing method for performing printing on both sides of a roll paper by a thermal transfer method.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the first invention is a double-sided printing method for printing on both sides of a roll paper by a thermal transfer method, wherein the roll paper is provided with a surface provided with a color material layer of the first thermal transfer sheet. The first thermal transfer sheet and the roll paper are overlapped between the platen roller and the first thermal head so that the first surface of the roll paper and the second surface of the roll paper are in contact with the platen roller. The first thermal transfer sheet and the roll paper are brought into pressure contact and the first thermal head generates heat according to image data, and the color material of the color material layer of the first thermal transfer sheet is transferred to the roll paper. A first printing step of transferring an image onto the first surface and printing an image on the first surface of the roll paper; and pulling back the roll paper from the platen roller; and the platen roller and the roll A transporting process for transporting the roll paper to the platen roller side by changing a transport path of the roll paper so that the first surface is in contact with the surface, and a surface on which the color material layer of the second thermal transfer sheet is provided and the roll The second thermal transfer sheet and the roll paper are placed between the platen roller and the second thermal head so that the second surface of the paper is in contact and the first surface of the roll paper is in contact with the platen roller. The second thermal transfer sheet and the roll paper are conveyed while being superposed and pressed, and the second thermal head generates heat according to image data, and the color material of the color material layer of the second thermal transfer sheet is A second printing step of transferring to the second surface of the roll paper and printing an image on the second surface of the roll paper, and printing M images using double-sided printing In the double-sided printing Corresponding to the maximum number of prints N is printed on one side in one conveying Te, a double-sided printing method characterized by controlling the two-sided printing by the control unit.

  According to said structure, since the color material of a thermal transfer sheet can be transcribe | transferred on both surfaces of roll paper, the double-sided printing of roll paper by a thermal transfer system is attained, and the photobook etc. with design property can be created. Also, it has a configuration with one platen roll and two thermal heads. Double-sided printing is possible with the same size as a conventional printing device, and printing with a large number of pages such as a photo book is performed. In other words, the front and back of a plurality of pages can be printed in a short time.

The control unit calculates a quotient A and a remainder B of M / (2.N) from the maximum print number N and the number M of images to be printed, and B images remaining after the duplex printing is repeated A times. May be configured to print.

It is desirable to include a step of removing curl of the roll paper subjected to double-sided printing by a curl removal mechanism.

  In the second printing step, when the color material of the color material layer of the second thermal transfer sheet is transferred to the roll paper, the roll paper is transported by the platen roller and the nip roller. The position of the image to be printed on the second surface of the roll paper is determined in the first printing step by the sensor detecting the leading edge of the roll paper while sandwiching. It is good also as matching with the position of the image printed on the surface.

  With the above configuration, when the color material of the color material layer of the second thermal transfer sheet is transferred to the roll paper, printing is performed on the roll paper even when the roll paper is conveyed between the platen roller and the nip roller. The position of the recorded image is not shifted on both sides. Further, it is not necessary to print an image and form a detection mark, and the printing process can be simplified.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the second invention is a bookbinding method characterized by including a bookbinding step of bookbinding using roll paper printed by the double-sided printing method of the first invention. Further, in the bookbinding step, the bookbinding machine folds the roll paper cut into a plurality of bookbinding products into a bellows shape, binds between the folded sides, cuts the folded sides, and further folds the bound position. Is desirable.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to provide a high-quality book such as a high-quality photo book printed on both sides by a thermal transfer method without the trouble of pasting the image-receiving paper after printing on a booklet or the like.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a third invention is a printing apparatus used in the double-sided printing method of the first invention.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a double-sided printing method that performs printing on both sides of a roll paper by a thermal transfer method.

The figure which shows an example of the double-sided printing apparatus 1 for performing the printing by the double-sided printing method of embodiment of this invention The figure which shows an example of the plane structure of the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b) The figure which shows an example of the cross-sectional structure of the roll paper 3 The figure which shows an example of the procedure which performs double-sided printing by the double-sided printing method of the 1st Embodiment of this invention The figure which shows an example of the detection mark 51 formed in the roll paper 3 The figure which shows an example of the structure using the clamp 53a (53b) in the double-sided printing apparatus 1 of this invention. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the bookbinding machine 100. FIG. Diagram showing an example of bookbinding method Diagram showing an example of bookbinding method Diagram showing an example of bookbinding method The figure which shows an example of the printing to the roll paper 3 Diagram showing an example of bookbinding method

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a double-sided printing method of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The double-sided printing method of the present invention can be applied to either the sublimation transfer method or the melt transfer method among the thermal transfer methods. When an image is printed by the sublimation transfer method, the gradation is excellent, so that it looks like a photograph. A high-resolution printed matter (printed matter) can be obtained. Further, when an image is formed (printed) by the melt transfer method, the advantages of the melt transfer method can be fully utilized when durability is required or when it is used for a sharp illustration.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a double-sided printing apparatus for performing printing by a double-sided printing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the double-sided printing apparatus 1 of FIG. 1, 3 is roll paper, 5 is a cutter, 7a (7b) is a thermal transfer sheet, 9a (9b) is a thermal transfer sheet supply roll, 10a (10b) is a thermal transfer sheet take-up roll, 11a (11b). ) Is a thermal head, 13 is a platen roller, 15a (15b) is a nip roller, 17 is a sensor, 19 is a transport roller, and 21 is a guide vane.
In addition, the double-sided printing apparatus 1 includes a roll paper 3 conveyance mechanism including a roller, a conveyance path, and the like (not shown), and a control unit that performs print control.

The roll paper 3 is transported by a transport roller or the like from a paper feed roll (not shown) to perform double-sided printing. Details of the roll paper 3 will be described later.
The cutter 5 is used for cutting the roll paper 3 after performing duplex printing.
The thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b) is provided with a color material layer such as Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan). Details of the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b) will be described later.

  The thermal transfer sheet supply roll 9a (9b) is obtained by winding the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b), and the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b) wound around the thermal transfer sheet supply roll 9a (9b) is conveyed during printing, and a thermal head described later. 11a (11b) is wound around the thermal transfer sheet winding roll 10a (10b) via the heat generating portion.

The thermal head 11a (11b) includes a heat generating unit, an image information input unit, a lifting unit, a control unit, and the like (not shown).
At the time of printing, the thermal head 11a (11b) presses the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b) and the roll paper 3 between the platen roller 13 described later, and the heating element constituting the heating unit is received from the image information input unit. Heat is generated according to the input image data, and the color material of the color material layer of the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b) is transferred to the roll paper 3.

The platen roller 13 is cylindrical and may be provided with a drive mechanism (not shown) such as a motor, and conveys the roll paper 3 during printing. The roll paper 3 is conveyed on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller 13 and printing is performed by the thermal head 11a (11b).
The nip roller 15 a (15 b) is a roller that assists the conveyance of the roll paper 3. A set of nip rollers 15a (15b) is provided in proximity to the platen roller 13 at a position sandwiching the thermal head 11a (11b).
When printing is performed, the roll paper 3 is reliably conveyed while being sandwiched between the platen roller 13 and the nip rollers 15a (15b). Further, the nip roller 15a (15b) has a smooth surface and does not cause unevenness on the surface of the roll paper 3.

The sensor 17 detects a detection mark 51 (described later) formed on the roll paper 3 when aligning the position of an image printed on the roll paper 3 on both sides. Various combinations of the detection mark 51 and the sensor 17 are conceivable. For example, the sensor 17 can be an infrared sensor. The detection mark 51 will be described later.
In FIG. 1, the sensor 17 is provided between the conveyance roller 19 and the nip roller 15b. However, as will be described later, the position of the sensor 17 is not limited to this, and may be provided inside the platen roller 13 on the downstream side in the printing direction near the thermal head 11b, for example.

  The transport roller 19 is a part of the transport mechanism for the roll paper 3. The roll paper 3 can be conveyed above the conveyance roller 19, or the roll paper 3 can be conveyed below the conveyance roller 19.

  The guide vane 21 is used to change the conveyance direction of the roll paper 3 to above the conveyance roller 19 or below the conveyance roller 19 by switching the direction.

Next, the configuration of the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b) of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a planar configuration of the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b).

The thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b) is obtained by providing a color material layer on a base sheet. As the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b), various conventionally known ones can be used.
As shown in FIG. 2, the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b) has a planar configuration in which areas having colorant layers of Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan) are provided in the surface order. The transfer order of the color materials is Y (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan). In addition to the planar configuration illustrated in FIG. 2, for example, an area having a protective layer for protecting an image after image printing may be further added as a planar configuration. Further, a region having a K (black) color material layer may be further added as a planar configuration of the thermal transfer sheet. In addition, depending on the purpose of printing, a region having a gold / silver color material layer, a hologram layer, or the like can be added to perform special color transfer.

  Next, details of the roll paper 3 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cross-sectional configuration of the roll paper 3.

The roll paper 3 has a configuration in which an adhesive layer 25, a porous polypropylene film 27, an intermediate layer 29, and a receiving layer 31 are sequentially provided on both sides of the paper material 23.
For these, various structures or materials can be used in consideration of strength, heat resistance, dyeing property of color materials, and the like.
It is preferable to use a roll paper having a thickness of 50 to 300 μm in accordance with the texture of a page of a printed matter (photo book or the like) to be finally formed.
Further, the color material of the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b) is transferred to the receiving layer 31 of the roll paper 3. By providing the receiving layer 31 on both sides, double-sided printing of the roll paper 3 is possible.

Next, the flow of the double-sided printing method of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a procedure for performing duplex printing by the duplex printing method of the present embodiment.

At the start of double-sided printing, first, cueing is performed so that one end of the area of the thermal transfer sheet 7a where the Y (yellow) color material layer is provided is positioned at the position of the thermal head 11a.
In addition, the roll paper 3 is sent out by the transport roller 19 or the like so that the printing start position of the first print image of the roll paper 3 comes to the position of the thermal head 11 a above the platen roller 13. At this time, the guide vane 21 is arranged upward, and the roll paper 3 is sent out above the conveying roller 19 along the guide vane 21.

Further, the roll paper 3 is sandwiched between the platen roller 13 and the nip roller 15a in the vicinity of both ends of the thermal head 11a. At the position of the thermal head 11a, the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3 is in contact with the platen roller 13, and the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3 faces the thermal head 11a.
Since the roll paper 3 is sandwiched between the platen roller 13 and the nip roller 15a, the roll paper 3 can be reliably conveyed.

Next, the thermal head 11 a presses the lower surface (the surface on which the color material layer is provided) of the thermal transfer sheet 7 a against the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3.
That is, the thermal transfer sheet 7a and the roll paper 3 are overlapped and pressed between the thermal head 11a and the platen roller 13 so that the lower surface of the thermal transfer sheet 7a and the upper surface of the roll paper 3 are in contact with each other.
The state shown above is shown in FIG.

Thereafter, an image corresponding to the Y (yellow) component amount of the image to be printed is transferred by the thermal transfer method while the roll paper 3 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow 33 and the thermal transfer sheet 7a is conveyed in the direction of the arrow 35, respectively.
That is, the heat generating element of the heat generating portion of the thermal head 11a generates heat according to the Y (yellow) component amount of the image data, and the Y (yellow) of the thermal transfer sheet 7a is an amount corresponding to the Y (yellow) component amount of the image data. The color material is transferred to the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3.
FIG. 4B shows a state after the Y (yellow) color material is transferred in this manner.

When the transfer of the Y (yellow) color material is completed, the thermal head 11a is raised to separate the thermal transfer sheet 7a from the roll paper 3, and the roll paper 3 is pulled back in the direction indicated by the arrow 37. The amount by which the roll paper 3 is pulled back is the same as the amount by which the roll paper 3 is transferred, and the print start position of the first print image is again the same position as the thermal head 11a.
In addition, the thermal transfer sheet 7a is conveyed in the direction of the arrow 39 so that one end of the M (magenta) color material layer region of the thermal transfer sheet 7a is positioned at the position of the thermal head 11a, and the cueing is performed.

  Thereafter, M (magenta) and C (cyan) color materials are transferred according to the component amount of each color of the image data in the same procedure. Further, depending on the printing purpose, it is possible to transfer K (black), a gold / silver color material, a hologram, or a protective layer.

In this way, when the color material of each color is transferred in accordance with the image data and one image is printed on the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3, the print start position of the next print image is determined. A predetermined amount of roll paper 3 is fed out so as to come to the position of the thermal head 11a, and an image is printed in the same procedure.
However, the images may be printed one by one. In that case, after printing one image on the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3, the roll paper 3 is pulled back from the platen roller 13. After changing the conveying direction, the roll paper 3 is sent out toward the platen roller 13 and printing is performed on the second surface of the roll paper 3.

In addition, a detection mark may be formed on the roll paper 3 when printing an image. Printing a detection mark while printing an image is convenient when the length of a page changes (cover, back cover, spread page, binding page, etc.) when a photo book or the like is produced.
A detection mark formed on the roll paper 3 in the double-sided printing method of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the detection mark 51 formed on the roll paper 3.

In FIG. 5, 49 is an area where one image is printed, and the same area is provided on both sides. However, the right side of the dotted line in each area in FIG. 5 is an area where the color material is not transferred at the tip of the image print area. This is equivalent to, for example, bookbinding. A detection mark 51 is formed at this position.
The detection mark 51 is formed on the roll paper 3 together with image printing. The detection mark 51 is a minute mark printed on the roll paper 3 and detectable by the sensor 17. For example, the sensor 17 can be an infrared sensor, and the detection mark 51 can be formed of a color material containing carbon black.
However, the detection mark 51 may be printed on the roll paper 3 in advance (when the print size is fixed, for example). In this case, the detection mark 51 may not be formed on the roll paper 3 during image printing. Good.

Further, the detection mark can be formed not only in the position of FIG. 5 but also in an area where an image is not transferred according to the print size or the bookbinding pattern. Moreover, the shape can also be set variously.
Further, various other detection marks can be considered. For example, as a detection mark, a minute region having a different gloss level with respect to the surrounding region can be formed, and an optical sensor can detect a difference in the gloss level.

  Now, after printing a predetermined number of images in this manner, the roll paper 3 is pulled back as shown in FIG. 4C, the leading edge of the roll paper 3 is separated from the platen roller 13, and then the guide vane 21 is placed. Is rotated as shown by an arrow 41 so as to incline downward, and the transport path of the roll paper 3 toward the platen roller 13 is switched downward.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4D, the roll paper 3 is sent out toward the platen roller 13. At this time, the guide vane 21 is disposed downward, and the roll paper 3 is conveyed along the guide vane 21 below the conveying roller 19 in the direction of the arrow 43.
Further, the roll paper 3 is conveyed while being wound around the platen roller 13 so that the surface (first surface) printed on the tip of the roll paper 3 is in contact with the platen roller 13. A predetermined amount of roll paper 3 is conveyed so that the image printing start position reaches the position of the thermal head 11b.
A state where the roll paper 3 is conveyed is shown in FIG.

At this time, the sensor 17 detects the detection mark 51 formed on the first surface of the roll paper 3.
The sensor 17 is provided between the transport roller 19 and the nip roller 15b so that the print start position of the print image on the roll paper 3 is located at the position of the thermal head 11b when the sensor 17 detects the predetermined detection mark 51. . In this way, the images to be printed on both sides are aligned. At this time, the print alignment may be performed by detecting the detection mark 51 in a region different from the region to be printed. The position of the sensor 17 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 4E. For example, the surface of the platen roller 13 is made of a transparent member, and the sensor 17 is downstream in the printing direction near the thermal head 11b. Thus, the platen roller 13 may be fixedly provided. At this time, the previously formed detection mark 51 is detected by the sensor 17 provided inside the platen roller 13.
The sensor 17 may be arranged so that the print start position of the print image on the roll paper 3 is separated from the position of the thermal head 11b by a predetermined amount when the sensor 17 detects the detection mark 51. In this case, the alignment of the printed images on both sides is performed by pulling back or sending a predetermined amount of roll paper 3 after the detection mark 51 is detected by the sensor 17.
Further, instead of the sensor 17, a sensor that detects the leading edge of the roll paper 3 is used, and by detecting the leading edge of the roll paper 3 with this sensor, conveyance control of the roll paper 3 (alignment of printed images on both sides) is performed. Also good. This can be performed by providing a sensor that detects different elements such as colors on the surface of the platen roller 13 and the surface of the roll paper 3. In this case, it is not necessary to form the detection mark 51 when printing on the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3.
Also in this case, the arrangement of the sensors can be variously determined as described above.

4E, at the position of the thermal head 11b, the surface (first surface) on which the roll paper 3 has been printed contacts the platen roller 13. In FIG. The other surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3 faces the thermal head 11b and serves as a surface on which printing is performed. Thus, duplex printing is possible.
Further, in the vicinity of both sides of the thermal head 11b, the roll paper 3 is sandwiched between the platen roller 13 and the nip roller 15b.

  Further, as the roll paper 3 is conveyed, cueing is performed so that one end of the Y (yellow) color material layer region of the thermal transfer sheet 7b comes to the position of the thermal head 11b.

  Next, the thermal head 11b presses the upper surface (the surface on which the color material layer is provided) of the thermal transfer sheet 7b against the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3. That is, the thermal transfer sheet 7b and the roll paper 3 are overlapped and pressed between the thermal head 11b and the platen roller 13 so that the upper surface of the thermal transfer sheet 7b and the lower surface of the roll paper 3 are in contact with each other.

  Thereafter, an image corresponding to the Y (yellow) component amount of the image to be printed is transferred by the thermal transfer method while the roll paper 3 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow 45 and the thermal transfer sheet 7b is conveyed in the direction of the arrow 47.

After the Y (yellow) color material is transferred to the roll paper 3, the roll paper 3 is pulled back until the sensor 17 detects the detection mark 51 again. At this time, the print start position of the first print image on the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3 comes again to the position of the thermal head 11b.
In the same procedure, printing is performed while changing the color material to be transferred to M (magenta) or C (cyan). When the color material of each color is transferred, one image is printed on the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3.

When one image is printed, the roll paper 3 is conveyed until the sensor 17 detects the next detection mark 51. When the sensor 17 detects the next detection mark 51, the print start position of the next print image is aligned with the thermal head 11b, so the next image is printed in the same procedure.
However, as described above, printing of images may be performed one by one. In that case, after printing one image on the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3, the roll paper 3 is cut. Move on to the procedure.

As described above, the alignment of the images on both sides at the time of printing is performed when the sensor 17 detects the detection mark 51. This prevents the positions of the images printed on both sides of the roll paper 3 from shifting.
Although it has been described above that the detection mark 51 can be printed on the roll paper 3 in advance, in this case, printing is performed on the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3 described above. In addition to the time, when printing on the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3, it is desirable to determine the print start position by the sensor. That is, when the sensor detects a predetermined detection mark 51 printed in advance or after the detection mark 51 is detected by the sensor, the print start position of the print image of the roll paper 3 is set to the position of the thermal head 11a. Keep it in position. In this way, the position of the print image can be determined more accurately when printing is performed on the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3. As a result, it is possible to more accurately align the printed images on both sides. The same applies to the case where a sensor for detecting the leading edge of the roll paper 3 is used.
Also in these cases, the arrangement of the sensors can be variously determined as described above.

  In this way, a predetermined number of images are printed on the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3, and when double-sided printing is completed, the images are printed by the cutter 5 as shown in FIG. The roll paper 3 is cut in accordance with the area. Note that the roll paper 3 may be cut after the roll paper 3 is pulled back in accordance with the amount of the printed image.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a double-sided printing method that performs printing on both sides of a roll paper by a thermal transfer method.
Further, since the conveyance is performed while the roll paper 3 is sandwiched between the nip roller 15a (15b) and the platen roller 13 during printing, reliable conveyance is possible. In addition, the use of a nip roller having a smooth surface does not cause irregularities on the surface of the roll paper 3.
Further, by detecting the detection mark 51, it is possible to accurately align the images on both sides at the time of printing.

  In the double-sided printing method of this embodiment, the roll paper 3 is nipped by the nip rollers 15a (15b) during printing and conveyed with the thermal transfer sheet 7a (7b). However, the roll paper 3 is nipped and conveyed during printing. The method is not limited to this, and can be performed using a clamp. An example of this is shown in FIG.

FIG. 6A shows a clamp (clamp 53a, both in the step of printing on the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3 and in the step of printing on the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3. 53b) and the platen roller 13 convey the roll paper 3 while pinching the leading edge of the roll paper 3.
Even in this case, the printing procedure is almost the same as that of the above-described embodiment performed by sandwiching the roll paper 3 between the nip roller 15a (15b) and the platen roller 13. When printing on the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3, the clamp 53a and the platen roller 13 sandwich the roll paper 3, and when printing on the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3, the clamp 53b. The roll paper 3 is conveyed while the roll paper 3 is sandwiched by the platen roller 13. When the roll paper 3 is clamped using the clamps (clamps 53a and 53b), the roll paper 3 can be held more accurately. Therefore, the print images on both sides are accurately aligned only by controlling the conveyance amount. be able to.
Therefore, it is not necessary to use the sensor 17 for the alignment of the printed images on both sides, and the sensor 17 is not necessary as the configuration of the double-sided printing apparatus 1. Further, it is not necessary to form the detection mark 51 when printing on the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3.
In addition, two clamps are not necessarily required; a process of performing printing on the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3 and a process of performing printing on the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3. In both cases, the roll paper 3 can be held using the same clamp.

6B shows that when printing is performed on the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3, the roll paper 3 is sandwiched between the nip roller 15a and the platen roller 13, and the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3 is used. When printing is performed, the roll paper 3 is conveyed while the front end of the roll paper 3 is held between the clamp 53b and the platen roller 13.
Even in this case, the printing procedure is almost the same as that of the above-described embodiment performed by sandwiching the roll paper 3 between the nip roller 15a (15b) and the platen roller 13. In addition, since the roll paper 3 can be held more accurately by using the clamp 53b in the process of printing on the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3, printing on both sides only by controlling the conveyance amount. Image alignment can be performed accurately.
Therefore, in this case as well, it is not necessary to form the detection mark 51 when printing on the sensor 17 or the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3.
On the contrary, when printing on the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3, the tip of the roll paper 3 is held between the clamp and the platen roller 13, and the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3 is held. When printing is performed, the roll paper 3 can be conveyed while the roll paper 3 is held between the nip roller and the platen roller 13.
Even in this case, the printing procedure is almost the same as that of the above-described embodiment performed by sandwiching the roll paper 3 between the nip roller 15a (15b) and the platen roller 13. However, in the process of printing on the lower surface (second surface) of the roll paper 3, printing is performed on the sensor 17 and the upper surface (first surface) of the roll paper 3 in order to accurately align the printed images on both sides. It is necessary to form the detection mark 51 when performing the above. However, at this time, when the sensor for detecting the leading edge of the roll paper 3 is used instead of the sensor 17, it is not necessary to form the detection mark 51.

  When heat corresponding to the image to be printed by the thermal head 11a (11b) is applied to the roll paper 3, the porous polypropylene film 27, etc., depending on the difference in the printing rate (area to transfer the color material etc.) on both sides and the density of the image. There is a possibility that the roll paper 3 may curl with one side facing inward due to the heat shrinkage action. Since this is not preferable in bookbinding using the roll paper 3 to be described later, the curl correction mechanism (not shown) is provided in the double-sided printing apparatus 1 described above, and the roll paper 3 cut by performing double-sided printing by the double-sided printing apparatus 1 is used. The curl may be removed by the curl correction mechanism. Alternatively, the curl may be removed by a curl correction mechanism before the roll paper 3 subjected to duplex printing is cut. The curl correction mechanism may be any mechanism that can apply stress in the direction in which the curl can be corrected, that is, the direction opposite to the direction of the curl. For example, a transport mechanism using a transport guide or a roller, a mechanism for heating and pressurizing with a roller, Etc. can be used.

  Further, a bookbinding product such as a photo book can be created using the roll paper printed by the above-described double-sided printing method by combining the double-sided printing apparatus 1 and the bookbinding machine. That is, as shown in FIG. 7A, the duplex printing apparatus 1 and the bookbinding machine 100 are combined, the double-sided printing is performed by the duplex printing apparatus 1, and the cut roll paper 3 is conveyed to the bookbinding machine 100, and bookbinding is performed by the bookbinding machine 100. Create a book such as a photo book and output it.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 7B, the bookbinding machine 100 includes a folding mechanism 200 that folds roll paper, a binding mechanism 300 that binds the roll paper with staples, a binding tape, a back cover, glue, and the like. A thing provided with the cutting mechanism 400 etc. which make a decorative cut can be used. As these mechanisms, known ones can be used.

An example of a bookbinding method by the bookbinding machine 100 will be described. First, double-sided printing is performed on the roll paper 3 and cut for each bookbinding product after bookbinding (for example, one image printing region), and then, FIG. As shown, the binding mechanism 300 aligns the cut roll papers 61 so as to overlap each other, and staples one side of the overlapped roll papers 61 with a staple 65. Next, the side opposite to the bound side is cut by the cutting line 69 by the cutting mechanism 400, and bookbinding is performed as a photo book 70 (bookbinding product). After the cutting by the cutting mechanism 400, the roll paper 61 may be bound by the binding mechanism 300. Further, the binding mechanism 300 may be configured to ring one side. In addition, the folding mechanism 200 may fold the vicinity of the bound side along the fold line 63, which makes it easier to open the photo book after binding. Further, the cutting mechanism 400 may cut a plurality of sides of the roll paper 61.
Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, in the binding mechanism 300, one side of the stacked roll paper 61 may be bound by the bookbinding tape 67.

  In the binding mechanism 300, the roll paper 61 may be bound by using a cover 71 (including a back cover) as shown in FIG. As the cover 71, for example, roll paper 3 printed by the double-sided printing apparatus 1 can be used. The roll paper 3 is cut by a length including the width of the back cover corresponding to the back of the bookbinding product and two sheets corresponding to the first and last pages of the bookbinding product (for example, two image printing areas). The width of the spine can be obtained by adding a length of about 2 mm to 5 mm to a length obtained by multiplying the thickness of the paper (for example, 200 microns) by the number of bookbinding products. The length for cutting the roll paper 3 can be controlled by a control unit (not shown). Note that another sheet may be used as the cover 71.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, the binding mechanism 300 is glued to the portion of the spine cover 72 with the cover 71 to form a glued portion 75, and one side of the stacked roll paper 61 is bonded with the glued portion 75. To bind. As this paste, for example, an EVA hot melt adhesive, a polyurethane adhesive, an acrylic adhesive, or the like can be used. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, both sides of the spine 72 are set as fold lines 73 and folded by the folding mechanism 200. Note that the back cover 72 of the cover 71 may be adhered and bound to the end of the stacked roll paper 61 and bound.

  Further, on the spine cover 72 of the cover 71 (roll paper 3), as shown in FIG. 9 (c), a bookbinding title or the like may be printed in advance by the double-sided printing apparatus 1, and FIG. As shown in d), the end portion 76 of the roll paper 61 that is glued by the gluing portion 75 may be roughened beforehand by a polishing means (not shown). Thereby, the adhesiveness of the roll paper 61 at the glued portion 75 is increased.

  Further, the roll paper 3 that has been printed on both sides can be bound by using a cut sheet of a plurality of bookbinding products after bookbinding (for example, a plurality of continuous image printing regions), and folding the booklet.

  An example of the bookbinding method at this time will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 10A, the roll paper 81 is cut into a bellows shape by folding lines of a mountain fold line 83a and a valley fold line 83b. Collapse. After that, the binding mechanism 300 forms a glued portion 75 in the vicinity of the mountain fold line 83a as shown in FIG. 10B, and forms a glued portion 75 as shown in FIG. 10C. One side of the roll paper 81 folded by bonding the spine 87 is bound. Further, the cutting mechanism 400 cuts a side (corresponding to the valley fold line 83 b) opposite to the side bound by the folded roll paper 81 with a cutting line 69 to bind. As a result, a bookbinding product bound with the spine 87 instead of the bookbinding tape 67 in FIG. 8B is obtained. Of course, instead of using the spine 87 and the glued portion 75, staple binding or ring binding may be used.

  In the binding mechanism 300, as shown in FIG. 10D, the back cover portion of the cover 71 is bonded and bound by the glued portion 75 of the folded roll paper 81 using the above-described cover 71 (including the back cover). You can also. One side of the roll paper 81 that is glued and folded on the back cover portion of the cover 71 may be bonded and bound. Further, as shown in FIG. 10E, the bookbinding tape 67 provided with an adhesive portion is used for binding as described above, or printed separately as the front cover 89 and the back cover 91 (the length of one bookbinding product). B) Roll paper or the like may be overlapped and bound. Further, as described above, the adhesiveness of the roll paper 81 at the time of binding can be improved by preliminarily scraping the end of the roll paper 81 to be glued.

  When binding by binding one side by the binding mechanism 300 or by cutting the opposite side by the cutting mechanism 400, the double-sided printing on the roll paper 3 is cut by the binding margin or the cutting line 69. It is desirable to provide a margin between the image print areas in accordance with the size of the cutting portion. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, margins are provided in a portion that is subjected to gluing or the like during binding and becomes a binding margin 93 and a cutting portion 95 that is cut along a cutting line 69 during bookbinding. These can be determined in advance so as to be controlled by a control unit (not shown). Further, the widths of the binding margin 93 and the cutting portion 95 are not necessarily the same. Furthermore, instead of using the binding margin 93 or the like as a margin, the duplex printing apparatus 1 may perform printing in a light color such as gray during the above-described duplex printing. Thus, when a bookbinding page such as a photo book is opened, the white portion does not stand out.

As another bookbinding method, as shown in FIG. 12A, when the roll paper 81 is folded by the folding mechanism 200, the roll paper 81 is folded at a short interval between the side bound at the time of bookbinding and the opposite side. It is also possible to perform bookbinding by providing a portion, binding one side and cutting the opposite side.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12 (b), a roll that is cut at a predetermined length and folded by a folding mechanism 200 so that the folded portion is formed between the side bound by the bookbinding product and the side facing this. It is also possible to carry out bookbinding by superimposing and binding the roll paper 61 cut for each bookbinding product on the paper 81, and omitting the cutting by the cutting mechanism 400.
In this way, as shown in FIG. 12C, a photobook 70 with a part of the page lengthened can be created and output, and the bookbinding size can be changed. One image can be printed on this long page. The method for changing the bookbinding size is not limited to these.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 12D, the folding mechanism 200 is used to fold the roll paper cut into a plurality of bookbinding products (for example, a plurality of continuous image printing areas) into a bellows shape, and the binding mechanism 300 is used to fold the rolled paper. The edges of the roll paper 81 (corresponding to the mountain fold line 83a and the valley fold line 83b) are bound with a staple 97 or the like, and the side of the folded roll paper 81 is cut with a cutting line 69 by the cutting mechanism 400. It is also possible to obtain a photo book 70 as shown in FIG. 12E by further folding the roll paper 81 with the folding mechanism 200 using the stapled position as the folding line 99.

Now, the printing procedure of this embodiment can be controlled via the control unit of the duplex printing apparatus 1, but the control method can be determined by the maximum number of prints that can be printed on one side by one transport.
An example of print control performed by the control unit will be described. In addition, this control method is based on the bookbinding method for creating a photo book, and the above-described single-sheet type for binding a book using the roll paper 3 cut for each one of the book-binding products, for each of a plurality of book-binding products. The present invention can be applied to both continuous paper types in which the roll paper 3 is cut and bound. Moreover, it may be controlled manually or may be automatic control.

  For example, assume that M images are printed for the purpose of creating a photo book or the like. At this time, the maximum number of prints that can be printed on one side by one transport is N. At this time, the control unit calculates M / (2 · N) and obtains the quotient A and the remainder B. Thus, the duplex printing apparatus 1 repeats duplex printing on the roll paper 3 A times. Thereafter, the remaining B images are printed. The remaining B images can be printed one by one on the first side or the second side of the roll paper 3, for example.

This will be described with a specific example. Consider printing seven images (stored in the memory of the control unit) on roll paper 3 in the order of pages a, b, c, d, e, f, and g. In addition, the maximum number of prints that can be printed on one side by one transport is two. At this time, the quotient A of M / (2 · N) is 1, and the remainder B is 3.
The printing procedure at this time will be described as follows. That is, first, two images a and c are printed in this order on the first surface of the roll paper 3, and then two images b and d are printed in this order on the second surface of the roll paper 3. Thus, double-sided printing is performed once (A = 1), and three images e, f, and g are left (B = 3). Thereafter, the images e, f, and g can be printed one by one on the first surface or the second surface of the roll paper 3 in this order.
Since it is assumed that the maximum number of prints that can be printed on one side by one transport is two, B / 2 is further calculated for B to obtain the quotient C and the remainder D. When C = 1, D is roll paper It is also possible to set the number of sheets to be printed once on the second side of No. 3. When C = 0, D is the number of sheets to be printed once on the first surface. At this time, when the remainder D is 0, all the two-sided printing is performed, and when the remainder D is 1, the roll is printed in a state where the last one image of the second surface of the roll paper 3 is not printed. The paper 3 is cut.

  In addition, as control according to bookbinding methods, such as a sheet-fed type and a continuous paper type, the printing order (for example, said a, b, c, d, e, f, g) of the image to the roll paper 3, for example, For example, it can be controlled by rearranging in advance according to the bookbinding method of sheet-fed type or continuous paper type, and thereafter the printing control according to the maximum number of printed sheets can be similarly performed.

  The preferred embodiments of the duplex printing method and the like according to the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea disclosed in the present application, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ......... Double-sided printing apparatus 3 ......... Roll paper 5 ......... Cutters 7a, 7b ......... Thermal transfer sheets 9a, 9b ......... Thermal transfer sheet supply rolls 10a, 10b ......... Thermal transfer sheet take-up rolls 11a, 11b ……… Thermal head 13 ……… Platen rollers 15a, 15b ……… Nip roller 17 ……… Sensors 53a, 53b ……… Clamp 100 ……… Bookbinding machine

Claims (7)

A double-sided printing method for printing on both sides of a roll paper by a thermal transfer method,
The platen roller and the first thermal plate are arranged such that the surface of the first thermal transfer sheet on which the color material layer is provided and the first surface of the roll paper are in contact with each other, and the second surface of the roll paper is in contact with the platen roller. The first thermal transfer sheet and the roll paper are overlapped and pressed between the heads, the first thermal transfer sheet and the roll paper are conveyed, and the first thermal head is heated according to image data, A first printing step of transferring the color material of the color material layer of the first thermal transfer sheet to the first surface of the roll paper and printing an image on the first surface of the roll paper;
A conveying step of pulling back the roll paper from the platen roller, changing the conveyance path of the roll paper so that the platen roller and the first surface of the roll paper are in contact with each other, and conveying the roll paper to the platen roller side;
The platen roller and second plate are arranged such that the surface of the second thermal transfer sheet on which the color material layer is provided and the second surface of the roll paper are in contact with each other, and the first surface of the roll paper is in contact with the platen roller. The second thermal transfer sheet and the roll paper are overlapped and pressed between the thermal heads of the thermal head, and the second thermal transfer sheet and the roll paper are transported and the second thermal head generates heat according to image data. A second printing step of transferring the color material of the color material layer of the second thermal transfer sheet to the second surface of the roll paper and printing an image on the second surface of the roll paper; Including,
When printing M images using double-sided printing , the control unit controls double-sided printing according to the maximum number N of prints to be printed on one side in one-sided conveyance in double-sided printing. Double-sided printing method.   The control unit calculates a quotient A and a remainder B of M / (2.N) from the maximum print number N and the number M of images to be printed, and B images remaining after the duplex printing is repeated A times. The double-sided printing method according to claim 1, wherein:   The double-sided printing method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of removing curl of the roll paper subjected to double-sided printing by a decurling mechanism.   In the second printing step, when the color material of the color material layer of the second thermal transfer sheet is transferred to the roll paper, the roll paper is conveyed by sandwiching the roll paper between the platen roller and the nip roller. The position of the image printed on the second surface of the roll paper is adjusted to the first surface of the roll paper in the first printing step by detecting the tip of the roll paper with a sensor. The double-sided printing method according to claim 1, wherein the double-sided printing method is adapted to a position of a printed image.   A bookbinding method comprising a bookbinding step of bookbinding using roll paper printed by the double-sided printing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   In the bookbinding step, the bookbinding machine folds the roll paper cut into a plurality of bookbinding products into a bellows shape, binds between the folded sides, cuts the folded sides, and further folds the bound position. The bookbinding method according to claim 5.   The printing apparatus used for the double-sided printing method in any one of Claims 1-4.

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