JP6312486B2 - Thermal transfer printer device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer apparatus that thermally transfers ink on an ink sheet onto a dedicated sheet by a thermal head.

  When printing an image taken with a digital camera or a smartphone, various paper sizes to be printed are used according to taste or usage. In order to print images having a plurality of paper sizes, the following three methods are conceivable.

  The first is a method of printing by selecting a plurality of printers for each desired paper size using a plurality of printers. The second is a method of printing by exchanging ink and paper each time according to the paper size to be printed. The third is a method in which the user himself / herself cuts to a desired paper size with a cutter or the like after printing with a large paper size.

  To eliminate such complications, a single printer can be used to print images of multiple paper sizes without changing the ink and paper, or cutting the paper after printing. Some printers are capable of printing.

  There has been proposed a printer that includes a cutter capable of cutting in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and prints images of a plurality of desired paper sizes using one type of paper and one type of paper wound in a roll shape ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

  By the way, in the region where the density of image data to be printed is high, the heating amount of the thermal head becomes large and the ink sheet is exposed to a high temperature, so that the ink sheet contracts. On the other hand, in the printing blank area where the density of image data to be printed is low or there is no image data, the heating amount of the thermal head is small or not heated, so that the shrinkage of the ink sheet is small or does not shrink. For this reason, a partial tension difference is generated at the boundary between the heat shrinkage differences in the ink sheet, wrinkles are generated, and the print quality is significantly deteriorated.

  In order to prevent the occurrence of such wrinkles, there has been proposed a thermal transfer printer apparatus that corrects the density change in the rising region of an image where the density difference of image data to be printed is steep and suppresses the generation of wrinkles (for example, patents). Reference 2).

  Also, in a tandem thermal transfer printer apparatus having a plurality of thermal heads, heating is performed to such an extent that ink is not transferred to the print blank area, and the difference in frictional force between the ink sheet and the thermal head is reduced, thereby reducing the ink sheet A technique for suppressing the generation of wrinkles due to the difference in frictional force of the thermal head has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

JP2013-14120A JP 2007-203484 A JP 2011-212996 A

  However, in the thermal transfer printer apparatus described in Patent Document 1, for example, when a large amount of 6-inch wide images are printed with an 8-inch wide thermal head, only the 6-inch wide print area is heated and printed many times. Further, partial wear proceeds on the contact surface of the thermal head with the paper. Thereafter, when an 8-inch wide image is printed, a density difference due to the difference in the degree of wear on the contact surface of the thermal head occurs between the 6-inch wide print area and the print blank area. Since this density difference appears in the print as print unevenness, there arises a problem that print quality is impaired. This problem also occurs in the same manner in the thermal transfer printer apparatus described in Patent Documents 2 and 3.

  Further, in the thermal transfer printer device described in Patent Document 2, in order to reduce the difference in thermal shrinkage of the ink sheet due to the density of the image data to be printed, the change in the density difference of the image data to be printed is steep. The density change in the rising area is corrected. However, in the image data to be printed, if the difference between the area of the high density printing area and the area of the printing blank area is large, the difference in the amount of thermal shrinkage over the entire ink sheet cannot be corrected and the wrinkle of the ink sheet is generated. It cannot be suppressed.

  Further, even in the thermal transfer printer device described in Patent Document 3, when the difference between the area of the high density printing area and the area of the printing blank area is large in the image data, the heating amount for the printing blank area is insufficient. The difference in friction force cannot be reduced. For this reason, generation | occurrence | production of the wrinkle of an ink sheet cannot be suppressed.

  Accordingly, the present invention can reduce the density unevenness of the print due to the difference in the degree of wear of the contact surface with the paper in the thermal head, and can perform high-quality printing by suppressing the occurrence of wrinkles on the ink sheet. An object is to provide a thermal transfer printer apparatus.

A thermal transfer printer apparatus according to the present invention includes a thermal head that thermally transfers ink of an ink sheet onto a sheet and prints an image based on image data, and a cutting unit that cuts a print blank area that is an area where the image is not printed on the sheet. A control unit that controls the thermal head to print a background in the print margin area based on background data having a preset density, and for storing the image data. A first memory for storing the image data and a second memory for storing the background data, and a second memory for storing data for printing. .

According to the present invention, the control unit controls the thermal head to print the background in the print blank area based on the background data having a preset density, and therefore prints the print blank area on the paper. As a result, the difference in the degree of wear of the contact surface with the paper in the thermal head can be reduced, and the difference in thermal shrinkage of the ink sheet can be reduced. Since the difference in the degree of wear of the contact surface with the paper in the thermal head is reduced, the density unevenness of the print caused by this can be reduced. Further, since the difference in thermal shrinkage between the ink sheets is reduced, the generation of wrinkles in the ink sheet can be suppressed, and high-quality printing can be performed. A first memory for storing image data, and a second memory for storing printing data, the first area storing image data and the second area storing background data. Therefore, it can be realized with a simple configuration without changing the hardware.

1 is a block diagram of a thermal transfer printer apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram virtually illustrating a state in which two images of image data received from an image data input unit are arranged in a memory area. It is a figure which shows the state of the paper at the time of printing the image and background of a small size on a big paper. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state of a sheet when a small size image is printed on a large sheet. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state of the ink sheet after performing the printing illustrated in FIG. 3. It is explanatory drawing of the method of painting a background. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of storing background data having characters in a memory in Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which has arrange | positioned image data to the background data of FIG. FIG. 4 is a layout view seen from the back when FIG. 3 has a short-edge binding layout. FIG. 4 is a layout view seen from the back when FIG. 3 has a long side binding layout.

<Embodiment 1>
Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a thermal transfer printer apparatus 2 according to the first embodiment. The thermal transfer printer apparatus 2 includes a CPU 3, a memory 4, a head control unit 5, a thermal head 6, a print control unit 7, and a print mechanism 8.

  An image data input unit 1 is connected to the thermal transfer printer device 2. The image data input unit 1 is, for example, a personal computer or a card reader of a memory card that stores image data. Image data is input from the image data input unit 1 to the thermal transfer printer device 2. The CPU 3 is a control unit that controls the memory 4, the head control unit 5, and the print control unit 7. The CPU 3 stores the image data in the memory 4. The memory 4 includes a memory area 4a (first memory) and a memory area 4b (second memory). The roles of these areas in the memory 4 are shared. The role of these areas will be described later.

  When starting the printing operation, the CPU 3 causes the printing control unit 7 to drive the printing mechanism 8 and sends the image data to be printed acquired from the memory 4 to the thermal head 6 through the head control unit 5. The head controller 5 drives the thermal head 6 according to a command from the CPU 3. The thermal head 6 thermally transfers the ink on the ink sheet onto a sheet and prints an image based on the image data. The printing control unit 7 drives the printing mechanism 8 according to a command from the CPU 3. The printing mechanism 8 is a mechanism including a cutting unit 8a such as a cutter and a slitter, and performs drawing and winding of an ink sheet, conveyance of a sheet, cutting of a sheet, and the like.

  Next, details of the image printing operation will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram virtually representing a state in which two images of the image data 10 and 11 received from the image data input unit 1 are arranged in the memory area 4b. As shown in FIG. 2, the width of the image size of the image data 10 and 11 received from the image data input unit 1 is narrower than the width W of the thermal head 6. For this reason, an area without the image data 10, 11 (area corresponding to the print margin area) is generated outside the range of the image data 10, 11 in the memory area 4b. Here, the print margin area is an area on the paper where no image is printed.

  Therefore, the CPU 3 heats the entire width W of the thermal head 6 in order to print the entire sheet width. Specifically, the CPU 3 not only causes the thermal head 6 to print an image based on the image data 10 and 11, but also based on background data having a preset density (for example, background data of an intermediate color such as gray). The background is printed in the print margin area.

  Further, the CPU 3 can use the background color more optimal than the intermediate color such as gray as the background data of the print margin area by analyzing the density of the received image data 10 and 11. Specifically, the CPU 3 analyzes the density of the received image data 10 and 11, obtains an average density from the image data 10 and 11, determines an appropriate density, and obtains background data having the determined density. Set to the print margin area. Here, the thermal transfer printer device 2 includes a nonvolatile memory (not shown), and a plurality of background data having various densities are stored in advance in the nonvolatile memory.

  Even when the received image data 10 and 11 are plural, the CPU 3 can analyze the plural image data and set the density of the background data according to the density of the image data 10 and 11. As a result, for example, when image data with a light color is often printed, the intermediate color is printed as background data, resulting in overcorrection. As a result, the portion of the thermal head 6 located in the print margin area of the paper is overwritten. However, it is possible to prevent the problem that the wear proceeds more than the portion of the thermal head 6 located in the printing area where the image data is printed.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of the paper 9 when the small-size images 16 and 17 and the background 15 are printed on the large paper 9, and FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the printing of the small-size images 16 and 17 on the large paper 9. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state of the ink sheet 18 after the printing illustrated in FIG. 3 is performed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, when images 16 and 17 are printed on the paper 9 and the background 15 is not printed on the print margin area 19 (in the case of FIG. 4), the non-heated area 13 and the heated area 14 The difference in the amount of thermal shrinkage of the ink sheet 18 occurring at the boundary is large. On the other hand, when the images 16 and 17 are printed on the paper 9 and the background 15 is printed on the print blank area 19 (in the case of FIG. 3), it occurs at the boundary between the non-heated area 13 and the heated area 14. The difference in heat shrinkage between the ink sheets 18 is reduced. Here, the non-heated area 13 is an area corresponding to the print margin area 19, and the heated area 14 is an area corresponding to the print area where the images 16 and 17 are printed.

  Here, when the background is printed in the print margin area, the background is drawn and painted before actual printing, but since the data cannot be drawn continuously from the state shown in FIG. 2, the arrow in FIG. When drawing the background data, the size of the image data 10 is such that when the background data is drawn up to the end of the area without the image data 10, the image data 10 is folded and returned to the position where the print area of the image data 10 of the next line ends. It is necessary to draw while calculating to match. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a method of painting a background.

  In this case, the CPU 3 takes more time than continuous printing by processing every line. When one image data is printed by one printing, the process for confirming the position where the background data is written is not so complicated. However, when a plurality of image data 10 and 11 are laid out and printed by one printing as shown in FIG. 2, there is an area without the image data 10 and 11 between the adjacent image data 10 and 11. The CPU 3 needs to write the image data 10 and 11 while confirming the respective layout positions of the image data 10 and 11. Further, when a plurality of pieces of image data having different sizes are laid out, the processing is further complicated.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, printing of the background 15 in the print blank area 19 which is an unnecessary part because it is cut off can be easily performed by managing the memory 4 separately in the memory areas 4a and 4b. It becomes possible. The memory area 4a is an area for storing received image data. The memory area 4b is an area for storing printing data, and includes a first area 12a for storing image data 10 and 11 and a second area 12b for storing background data. Here, the first area 12 a is an area corresponding to the print area for printing the image data 10 and 11, and the second area 12 b is an area corresponding to the print margin area 19.

  In the memory area 4b, the image data 10 and 11 are stored in the first area 12a, and the background data is stored in the second area 12b. That is, the memory area 4b is a memory area prepared so that the CPU 3 can send the printing data to the thermal head 6 as it is.

  By managing the memory 4 by dividing it into two areas, the background data is written in the memory area 4b without considering the size of the received image data 10, 11 and the like. The CPU 3 writes the background data in all areas (the first area 12a and the second area 12b) of the memory area 4b, and then transfers the image data stored in the memory area 4a to a predetermined position (first area) in the memory area 4b. To 12a). As a result, the image data 10 and 11 can be easily arranged in the area corresponding to the print area, and the print data can be produced in a state where the background data is arranged in the area corresponding to the print margin area 19. By printing the entire data in the memory area 4b as it is when the copying is completed, the thermal head 6 can be used in a state where the density difference between the printing area and the printing blank area 19 is reduced.

  In addition, by dividing and managing the area of the memory 4 in this way, the background data can be written in the entire memory area 4b, so that the background 15 of the paper 9 can be easily made gradation.

  Instead of providing two memory areas 4a and 4b in the memory 4, two memories different from the memory 4 are provided, image data is stored in one of the two memories, and printing data is stored in the other memory. May be stored.

  As described above, in the thermal transfer printer device 2 according to the first embodiment, the CPU 3 controls the thermal head 6 to print the background 15 in the print margin area 19 based on the background data having a preset density. Therefore, printing is also performed on the print margin area 19 on the paper 9, thereby reducing the difference in the degree of wear of the contact surface with the paper 9 in the thermal head 6 and reducing the difference in the amount of thermal shrinkage of the ink sheet 18. be able to. Since the difference in the degree of wear of the contact surface with the paper 9 in the thermal head 6 is reduced, it is possible to reduce the density unevenness of the print caused by this. Further, since the difference in the amount of thermal shrinkage of the ink sheet 18 is reduced, the generation of wrinkles in the ink sheet 18 can be suppressed, and high-quality printing can be performed.

  The print margin area 19 is an area that is printed on the paper 9 and then cut and discarded by the cutting unit 8a. Therefore, the paper 9 can be used effectively without wasting it.

  Since the density of the background data is set in accordance with the density of the image data 10 and 11, the difference in the degree of wear on the contact surface of the thermal head 6 can be achieved by matching the density of the image data 10 and 11 with the density of the background data. Can be further reduced.

  A memory area 4a for storing image data 10 and 11, a first area 12a for storing image data 10 and 11, and a second area 12b for storing background data, and for storing data for printing Since the memory area 4b is provided, it can be realized with a simple configuration without changing hardware.

  After the background data is stored in the first area 12a and the second area 12b, the image data 10 and 11 in the memory area 4a are stored in the first area 12a, so that the data for printing is stored. Data for printing can be created.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, the thermal transfer printer apparatus 2 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of storing the background data 20 having characters in the memory 4 in the second embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a state in which the image data 10 and 11 are arranged in the background data 20 of FIG. FIG. In the second embodiment, the same components as those described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the second embodiment is an embodiment in which characters such as a company logo or a product name are printed as background data. First, the background data 20 having characters is transmitted from the image data input unit 1 outside the thermal transfer printer apparatus 2 to the thermal transfer printer apparatus 2, and the CPU 3 writes the background data 20 in the memory area 4 b of the memory 4. Alternatively, the background data 20 is stored in advance in the nonvolatile memory of the thermal transfer printer apparatus 2.

  Considering the portion cut out by the image data 10 and 11, complicated processing is required when writing only to the second area 12b of the memory area 4b from the middle of the character. However, as shown in FIG. 7, first, the CPU 3 regularly writes the background data 20 in the entire area (the first area 12a and the second area 12b) of the memory area 4b. Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the CPU 3 copies the image data 10 and 11 stored in the memory area 4a to a predetermined position (first area 12a) in the memory area 4b. That is, the CPU 3 can easily create data for printing without performing complicated processing by overwriting the image data 10 and 11 on the background data 20.

  In addition, when printing on both sides of a sheet by using this method, it is possible to easily change the book of printed matter obtained by cutting. FIG. 9 is a layout view seen from the back when FIG. 3 has a short-side binding layout, and FIG. 10 is a layout view seen from the back when FIG. 3 is a long-edge binding layout. When the images in FIG. 3 are arranged on both the front and back surfaces, the long-sided binding layout can be obtained by rotating the images 16 and 17 180 degrees upside down on the back surface. In this case, when the image is received, it is received in the direction of FIG. 3 and written in the memory area 4a of the memory 4. If copying is not performed when copying from the memory area 4a to the memory area 4b, as shown in FIG. 9, both sides are the same image with the left side of FIG. 9 and the right side of FIG. 3 overlapped, and the vertical direction of the image is the same. I'm doing it. Therefore, since the image is a horizontally long image, the layout is a short side binding. When arranged in the memory area 4b as shown in FIG. 10, the vertical direction of the image is reversed and long-side binding is performed. In this case, when copying from the memory area 4a to the memory area 4b, only the images 16 and 17 may be rotated so as to be turned upside down. Since it is not necessary to invert and process the image data 10 and 11 when the image data 10 and 11 are received and printed, it is possible to easily create data for printing.

  As described above, in the thermal transfer printer device 2 according to the second embodiment, when the background data 20 is input from the outside of the thermal transfer printer device 2, printing can be easily performed without adding hardware or drastically changing software. You can create data for

  It should be noted that the present invention can be freely combined with each other within the scope of the invention, and each embodiment can be appropriately modified or omitted.

  2 Thermal transfer printer device, 3 CPU, 4 memory, 4a memory area, 4b memory area, 6 thermal head, 8a cutting section, 10 image data, 11 image data, 12a 1st area, 12b 2nd area, 15 background, 16 images , 17 images, 19 print margin area, 20 background data.

Claims (4)

A thermal transfer printer apparatus comprising: a thermal head that thermally transfers ink of an ink sheet onto a sheet and prints an image based on image data; and a cutting unit that cuts a print margin area, which is an area where the image is not printed on the sheet. ,
A control unit that controls the thermal head to print a background in the print margin area based on background data having a preset density ;
A first memory for storing the image data;
A thermal transfer printer apparatus comprising: a first area for storing the image data; a second area for storing the background data; and a second memory for storing data for printing .   The thermal transfer printer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the density of the background data is set according to the density of the image data. After the background data is stored in the first area and the second area, the image data in the first memory is stored in the first area, whereby the data for printing is stored. The thermal transfer printer apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 . A thermal transfer printer apparatus comprising: a thermal head that thermally transfers ink of an ink sheet onto a sheet and prints an image based on image data; and a cutting unit that cuts a print margin area, which is an area where the image is not printed on the sheet. ,
The thermal head further includes a control unit that performs control to print a background in the print margin area based on background data having a preset density,
The background data is input from the outside of the thermal transfer printer apparatus, the thermal transfer printer apparatus.

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