JPH01125250A - Thermal recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance recording speed, by providing M arrays of heat generating elements at a predetermined pitch, and allocating M energization timings (M energizations constitute one period) to different heat generating element arrays so that when the one of the arrays is energized to generate heat, the other arrays are in rest and cooled. CONSTITUTION:Heat generating element arrays 19, 20 are arranged in a rectilinear form and in parallel to each other at a pitch of N.M times the pitch P of record dots recorded by heat generating elements 19a, 20a. In one example, M=2, N=2, and the pitch of the arrays is 4P. The heat generating elements 19a, 20a on a thermal recording head 1 are connected in common to a recording power supply terminal 20 on one side thereof, and are independently connected to NAND drivers 23a, 24a on the other side. Dot data signals from a dot data signal terminal 30 are stored into a shift register 25 or 26 by a clock signal given alternately to clock signal terminals 31, 32, and are outputted in parallel on an array basis by a strobe signal, whereby the heat generating elements 19a, 20a in the respective arrays are energized to generate heat under control. By this, the heat generating elements 19a, 20a in the respective arrays are alternately caused to generate heat, so that a cooling period for each of the heat generating elements is prolonged.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a thermal recording method, and particularly to a thermal recording method suitable for application to a serial printer.

[Conventional technology and problems]

A heat-generating recording head in which a plurality of heat-generating elements are arranged in series is brought into contact with a recording medium directly or via a transfer film, and the heat-generating elements are recorded while the heat-generating recording head and the recording medium are moved relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the heat generating elements are arranged. A thermal recording device has been proposed that records dots constituting an information image on a recording medium by energizing and generating heat in accordance with an information signal to be recorded. An example of such a thermal recording device will be explained with reference to FIG.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a thermal transfer serial printer.
1 is a heat generating recording head, 2 is a transfer film, 3 is a recording paper,
4 is a platen roller. 5 is a film cassette that stores the transfer film 2; 6 is a solenoid for releasing the contact force of the heat-generating recording head 1; A guide shaft 8 is provided parallel to the platen roller 4 and guides a carriage including a heat generating recording head I, a transfer film 2, a film cassette 5, a solenoid 6 and a pulse motor 7. The pulse motor 7 drives the carriage along the guide shaft 8 in parallel with the platen roller 4, and the pulse motor 9
rotates the platen roller 4 to drive the recording paper 3 every time one line of recording is completed.

10 is a drive circuit section for the solenoid 6 and pulse motor 7.9, and 11 is an overall control circuit section. A paper detector 12 detects the presence and size of the recording paper 3, a film detector 13 detects the presence or absence of the transfer film 2, and a home position detector 14 detects that the carriage is located at the home position. , these detection information are input to the overall control circuit 11. 15 is an operation/display section, 16 is an interface circuit section, and 17 is a power supply section.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the heat generating element array 19 of the conventional heat generating recording head 1. As shown in FIG. The heating elements 19a, 19b, . . . are arranged linearly in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the carriage.

In the case of such a heat-generating recording head 1, the carriage is continuously driven parallel to the platen roller 4, as shown in FIG. 4(a).
According to the information signal to be recorded in the energization cycle as shown in
energization and heat generation is controlled. At this time, the heating element 19a,
The temperature characteristics of . .

The recording speed in this case is limited by the thermal characteristics of the heat-generating recording head 1 and the thermal characteristics of the transfer film 2.
2 to 4 m5ec, energizing time and part 2 for recording.
Requires ~3 times the cooling time. Heat-sensitive recording devices have the disadvantage that they cannot perform high-speed recording due to this cooling time.

FIG. 3 shows a heat generating element array 19 of another conventional heat generating recording head 1.
In the front view, the heating elements 19a, . . . are arranged in a dot matrix shape corresponding to one character.

In this case, the heating element 19a for one character,...
The recording speed is improved because the recording head 1 is energized and generated at the same time, but a high-precision drive mechanism is required because the recording head 1 must be driven intermittently while accurately positioning it parallel to the platen roller 4 character by character. do. Since mechanical vibrations occur due to intermittent driving, vibration and soundproofing measures are required, and the heating elements 19a, which are energized at the same time,
Since the number of . Furthermore, since the heating elements 19a, . . . are arranged in a matrix with high density, each heating element 19a, .
Since the lead electrodes for the heat generating elements 19a, . . . are wired in multiple layers between the heating elements 19a, . . . and the ceramic substrate, there is a problem that the temperature characteristics of the heating elements 19a, .

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a thermal recording method that can realize thermal recording at high speed using a heat-generating recording head with a simple structure.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a heat-generating recording head with M rows of heat-generating elements arranged in parallel at a pitch of N-M times (N is a positive integer) the dot pitch P of recording dots recorded by the heat-generating elements. The timing of energizing the heating elements is assigned to a different heating element row each time M times is one period, and the dot information of the information image where the heating element is located at the assigned energization timing of the heating element of each row is determined. By controlling the energization according to the signal, the heating element rows used for recording are alternately or cyclically arranged, and when one heating element row is energized and generates heat, the other heating element rows are paused and cooled, thereby improving the overall recording speed. It is characterized by the following.

〔Example〕

FIG. 5 is a front view of the heat-generating recording head 1 used in the practice of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of the heat-generating element array 19°20. In these figures, 18 is a ceramic substrate;
19.10 are two parallel heating element rows, and each heating element row 19.20 has heating elements 19a formed of thin film resistors.
...;20a.

. . . are arranged in parallel in a straight line at a pitch that is NM times (N is a positive integer) the dot pitch P of recording dots recorded by this heating element. This example is M
=2. N=2 and the pitch is 4P. Reference numeral 21 denotes a driving IC, which is connected to the overall control circuit section 11 through a plug section 22.
The heating elements 19a, . . .; 20a, .

FIG. 7 is an electrical circuit diagram on the heat-generating recording head 1, in which each side of the heat-generating elements 19a, . . .; 20a, . Each other side is independently connected to the NAND driver 23a, . . .
. . .; 24a, . . . NA
ND driver 23a,...;24a,...
One input of ... is connected in common to each group,
Each is connected to a strobe signal terminal 28,29.

NAND driver 23a, 24a,
The other inputs of . . . are connected to parallel output terminals of shift registers 25 and 26 for each group, respectively. The data input terminal of each shift register 25, 26 is connected to a dot information signal terminal 30, and the clock input terminal is connected to a clock signal terminal 31, 32, respectively.

FIG. 8 is an operation timing chart of the electrical circuit shown in FIG. 7, and reference numbers indicate corresponding components. As is clear from the figure, the dot information signal of the dot information signal terminal 30 is supplied to the clock signal terminals 31 and 32 alternately by clock signals (three are shown in the figure, but in reality, the number of dot information signals is proportional to the number of heating elements). The numbers are stored in the shift register 25 or 26 according to the number of outputs, and are outputted in parallel by a strobe signal for each column to the heating elements 19a of each column.

. . . -; 20a, . . . conducts energization and heat generation control. As a result, the heating elements 19a in each row, . . .;
20a, . . . generate heat alternately, so the cooling period becomes longer.

FIG. 9 shows the alphabet letters "
This is an example of recording "A". During the first energization heat generation control in (al), the third time in (C), the fifth time in (e), and the seventh time in (1), the heating element row 20 is assigned; The heating elements 20a of this row at the energization timing
, . . . corresponding heating elements 20a, . And the second time of Monkey), the fourth time of (d+),
During the 6th energization heating control in (f) and the 8th energization heat generation control in (h), the heating element row 19 is assigned, and this heating element row 19
At the energization timing of the heating elements 19a of this row,...
The corresponding heating elements 19a, . . . are controlled to be energized according to the dot information signal of the information image where the .

In the figure, the squares without hatching are the heating elements in the resting cooling state, the squares with hatching on the lower right are the heating elements in the energized heating state, and the squares with hatching on the lower left are the recording dots. Each is shown below.

Heat generating element array 1 of heat generating recording head 1 in the above embodiments
The pitch of 9.20 is 4P, but it can be changed to 2P as shown in Figure 10, or 6P as shown in Figure 11.
Similar recording is also possible by doing this.

FIG. 12 shows three rows of heating elements 19 in the heating recording head 1.
This is an example in which 20.33 is arranged at a pitch of 3P, and the energization assignment in this case is the 1st, 4th, 7th, and
. . . heating element row 33, 2nd, 5th, 8th, . . . heating element row 20, 3rd, 6th
The heat generating element array 19 is used for the ninth time, the ninth time, and so on.

Moreover, the pitch of this heating element array 19, 20° 33 is 6P.
, 9P, 12P, . . . , a similar effect can be obtained by arranging them instead.

FIG. 13 shows four rows of heating elements 19.
This is an example of arranging 20, 33.34 with a pitch of 4P,
In this case, the energization control assignments are the 1st, 5th,
The heating element row 34 is used for the 9th time, the 2nd time, the 6th time, the 10th time, the heat generating element row 33 is used for the 3rd time, the 7th time, the 11th time, etc. Heat generating element row 20, 4th time, 8th time, 12th time...
A heating element array 19 is shown in FIG. Also, this heating element row 19.2
The pitch of 0.33.34 is 8P, 12P, etc.
A similar effect can also be obtained by arranging them instead of .

Furthermore, the method of the present invention can also be applied to a direct recording type heat-sensitive recording device using heat-sensitive coloring paper.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention arranges heating element rows at a predetermined pitch M
(Multiple rows) are provided, the energization timing is assigned to a different heating element row for each cycle with M times as one cycle, and the heating element of each row is marked with a dot in the information image where the heating element is located at the assigned energization timing. By controlling the energization according to the information signal, the heating element arrays used for recording are alternately or cyclically arranged so that when one heating element array is energized and generates heat, the other heating element arrays are paused and cooled, thereby improving the recording speed. can. Furthermore, since the arrangement density of the heat generating elements in the heat generating recording head is not so high, wiring etc. are easy and the heat generating recording head does not become complicated.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a thermal transfer serial printer, Figs. 2 and 3 are front views of a heat generating element array of a conventional heat generating recording head, and Figs. 4 (a) and (b) are diagrams of a heat generating element array. 5 is a front view of the heat-generating recording head used in the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of the heat-generating element array, FIG. 7 is an electrical circuit diagram, and FIG. Its operation timing chart, FIGS. 9A to 9H are explanatory diagrams showing examples of recording by the method of the present invention, and FIGS. 10 to 13 are front views showing modified examples of the heating element array used in the present invention. 1...Heating recording head, 3...Recording paper, 19°20...Heating element array, 19a5...
...; 20a, ... heating element. Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6. Figure 1o Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A heat-generating recording head in which a plurality of heat-generating elements are arranged in series is brought into contact with a recording medium, and while the heat-generating recording head and the recording medium are moved relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the heat-generating elements, the heat-generating elements are connected to the information signal to be recorded. Therefore, in a thermal recording method in which dots constituting an information image are recorded on a recording medium by energizing and generating heat, the heating recording head has a dot pitch P times N·M (N is a positive integer), and M rows of heating elements are arranged in parallel (M is a positive integer of 3 or more). 1. A thermal recording method, characterized in that heating elements of each column are assigned to columns, and energization is controlled to the heating elements of each column according to the dot information signal of the information image in which the heating elements are located at the assigned energization timing.