JPH01262172A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform accurate cording and to certainly feed a recording sheet, by providing a platen running in the same direction corresponding to the running of a recording head and a means for feeding the recording sheet in the direction crossing the running direction of the recording head. CONSTITUTION:A recording head 6 is lowered to press a platen 8 through an ink ribbon 3 and a recording sheet 7 and generates heat corresponding to an image signal while a carriage 2 is moved to selectively heat the ink ribbon 3 and molten ink is transferred to the recording sheet 7. When the carriage 2 moves in recording, the platen 8 also moves while rotates in the same direction at the same speed. The press state of the heat generator of the recording head 1 and the plate 8 at this time is equivalent in a longitudinal direction in the same way as a case using a plate-shaped platen and uniform press distribution is held between both of them. When the printing of one line is performed by the movement of the carriage 2, the recording head 6 rises to return to the home position. Next, a feed motor 14 is driven and feed belts 13a-13d are rotated to feed the recording sheet 7 by one line.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a so-called serial type recording apparatus that performs recording by running a recording head.

<Prior Art> Various recording devices have been developed and put into practical use in recording sections of facsimile machines, word processors, and the like. Among these, there is a so-called serial type recording apparatus that records one line at a time while moving a recording head back and forth in the width direction of a recording sheet.

The general configuration of the serial type recording device is as follows:
As shown in FIG. 3(A), the recording roller 6 is arranged opposite to a platen roller 16 having a dimension longer than the width of the recording sheet 7, or to a flat platen 17 as shown in FIG. 3(B), The recording sheet 7 whose back side is supported by the platen roller 16 or the platen 17 is pressed by the recording head 6,
Predetermined recording is performed by driving the head in accordance with an image signal while reciprocating in the width direction of the recording sheet 7.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, the above-mentioned conventional recording apparatus had the following problems.

First, in the configuration using the platen roller 16, the third
As shown in FIG. 1A, the recording sheet 7 is curved along the circumferential surface of the platen roller 16 because the platen roller 16 also serves as a means for transporting the recording paper. Therefore, it may be difficult to use a hard recording sheet or a short recording sheet such as a label. Furthermore, the platen roller 16
Because the circumferential surface of the platen roller 16 is curved, when the recording head 6 presses the platen roller 16 via the recording sheet 7, the pressure distribution of the recording head 6 on the surface of the platen roller 16 is difficult to be uniform. This may have had a negative impact on records.

In addition, in a configuration using a flat platen 17, the third
As shown in Figure (B), since the rollers 18 etc. for conveying the recording sheet 7 cannot be placed on the extension line of the recording line formed by the platen 17 and the recording head 6, the recording sheet 7
When the recording sheet 7 is being fed, the upper end or the lower end of the recording sheet 7 becomes free, and therefore there is a possibility that the recording sheet 7 being conveyed may be misaligned or jammed.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems and provides a recording device that can accurately record even on hard recording sheets and short recording sheets, and that can reliably convey the recording sheets. be.

<Means for solving the problem> Means for solving the problem is a recording apparatus that performs recording by moving a recording head against a recording sheet.
A platen that faces the recording head across the recording sheet and runs in the same direction as the recording head runs, and a platen that is outside the running range of the recording head and is on an extension line of the recording line by the recording head. The present invention is characterized in that it is provided with a conveying means for gripping a recording sheet located in the recording head and conveying the recording sheet in a direction intersecting the running direction of the recording head.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the platen is configured to be rotatable while in contact with the recording sheet, or the conveyance means is configured to be slidable in the running direction of the recording head.

In the recording apparatus having the above means, during recording, the recording head and platen are always pressed under the same conditions through the recording sheet, and the conveying means grips the extended line of the recording line of the recording sheet. This ensures that the recording sheet is transported reliably.

<Embodiment> Next, an embodiment in which the above means is applied to a thermal transfer type serial type recording device will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective explanatory view of a thermal transfer recording apparatus according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the relationship between a recording head and a platen roller during the recording operation.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a cassette mounted on a carriage 2, in which an ink ribbon 3 having a thermally transferable ink layer coated on a support is stored wound around a supply core 1a. From the supply core 1a to the recess 1b of the cassette 1
It is guided so as to be exposed at once, and then wound around the winding core IC.

Further, a belt 4c is connected to the carriage 2 and is passed between the boots 1J4a and 4b, and when the carriage motor 4d connected to the pulley 4a is driven, the carriage 2 is guided by the carriage shaft 5 and can move back and forth. It is configured.

Further, at a predetermined position of the carriage 2, a take-up shaft 2a is provided which is connected to a take-up motor provided inside the carriage 2 via a Frixlin clutch (not shown). The carriage 2 is configured to rotate only in the direction of arrow B in synchronization with the movement of the carriage 2. The Flixirin clutch has a structure in which it stops transmitting the rotational force of the motor to the take-up shaft 2a when a torque exceeding a certain level is applied, and the ink ribbon 3 is sent out from the supply core 1a by the rotation of the take-up shaft 2a. This amount is wound onto the winding core 1c.

Further, on the front surface of the carriage 2, a recording head 6 is provided at a position corresponding to the recess 1b of the force setting plate 1.

The recording head 6 has a plurality of heating elements that are energized and generate heat according to image signals, and is located in the recess 1b of the cassette 1 when the cassette 1 is loaded into the carriage 2, and is driven by a drive mechanism (not shown) during recording. The head is moved down and presses the platen 8 via the ink ribbon 3 and recording sheet (g sheet, plastic sheet, etc.) 7, and moves in the recording direction (in the six directions of arrows) as the carriage 2 moves. ing.

The platen 8 is rotatably attached to a rotating shaft 8a, and the rotating shaft 8a is slidably attached to a shaft 9.10 via a plain bearing 8b.

Furthermore, a bell (beam) Be, which is passed through pulleys 8c and 8d, is connected to the platen 8, and a platen motor 8r is connected to the pulley 8C. Therefore, the platen 8 can be moved back and forth along the shafts 9 and 10.

Incidentally, the carriage motor 4d and the platen motor 8
It is configured to be driven in synchronization with f in the same direction and at the same speed. As a result, the recording head 6 and the platen 8 are always in opposing positions, and when the recording head 6 goes down during recording, the head 6 presses the platen 8 via the ink ribbon 3 and the recording sheet 7. The pressing force at this time is set to about 200 to 300 gf. Furthermore, in the pressing state, the recording head 6
When the recording sheet 7 moves, the platen 8 rotates and moves in the same direction while being in contact with the recording sheet 7, as shown in FIG.

Further, the recording sheet 7 is conveyed row by row in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the carriage 2 (in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 1) by a conveyance means. To explain the structure of this conveyance means, shafts 11 and 12 are attached parallel to the shafts 9 and 10, respectively, and each of the shafts 9 to 12 is configured to be rotatable. Further, on both sides of the axes 9 to 12 outside the movement range of the carriage 2, there are rollers o9 a, 9 b, lOa, 1.
0b, lla, Ilb.

12a and 12b rotate integrally with the rotation of the shafts 9-12, and are slidably attached to the shafts 9-12. And between the rollers 9a and 108, 9
Conveyor belts 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d are provided between lob and lob, between lla and 12a, and between llb and 12b, respectively. Furthermore said shaft 9.11 and shaft 10.12
is disposed above and below the recording line by the recording head 6, and includes belts 13a and 13b, and a bell H3.
c and 13d are configured to be pressed together with a force of about 80 to 100 gf by a pressing means (for example, a spring, etc.) not shown.

Therefore, when the shaft 10 is rotated by the conveyance motor 14 connected to the shaft 10, the bells H3a to 13d rotate, and the recording sheet 7 fed between the belts 13a and 13b and between the belts 13c and 13a, which are in pressure contact with each other, is rotated. It is transported in the direction of arrow C. At this time, the recording sheet 7 is conveyed even on the extension line of the recording line by the recording handle (conveyor bell) 13a~
13d.

Note that 15 in the figure is a guide for the recording sheet 7 conveyed by the conveying means.

Next, the operation of recording with the recording apparatus configured as described above will be explained.

In FIG. 1, the rollers 9a are set in advance according to the width of the recording sheet 7
= 12a along the axes 9 to 12 to adjust the distance between the conveyor belts 13a, 13b and 13c, 13d. At this time, between the belts 13a and 13b and 13c.

Release the pressure between 13a.

Next, place the leading edge of the recording sheet 7 between bell stitches 3a and 13b and 1
3c and 13a, and when the belt is set in the pressed state and the recording start switch is turned on, the conveyance motor 1
4 is driven, and the recording sheet 7 is conveyed to a recordable position.

Next, the recording head 6 moves down and presses the platen 8 via the ink ribbon 3 and the recording sheet 7, and while the carriage 2 moves in the six directions of the arrow, the recording head 6 generates heat in accordance with the image signal. The ink ribbon 3 is selectively heated and the melted ink is transferred to the recording sheet 7.

During the recording, when the carriage 2 moves in the direction of arrow A, the platen 8 also moves while rotating in the same direction at the same speed. At this time, the heating element of the recording head l and the platen 8
The pressing state is equivalent in the vertical direction as in the case of using a flat platen, and a uniform pressing force distribution is maintained between the two.

When the carriage 2 moves to the right end of the movement range in FIG. 1 and prints one line as described above, the recording head 6
handles and returns to the home position. Next, the transport motor 14 is driven, the transport bells 13a-136 are rotated, and the recording sheet 7 is transported by one line in the direction of arrow C.

Next, the recording head 6 heads down again and the above operation is repeated until recording is completed.

In the above-described recording operation, the recording sheet 7 is conveyed while being gripped by the conveyor bells 3a to 13d even on the extension of the recording line, so that misalignment or jamming of the recording sheet 7 is prevented.

Furthermore, since the recording sheet 7 is gripped over a wide range in the conveying direction by the conveyor belts 13a to 13d and conveyed linearly, even small recording sheets such as labels or hard recording sheets can be conveyed reliably. I can do it.

Furthermore, since the heating element of the recording head 6 presses against the platen with a uniform pressure distribution, a head pressure state equivalent to that of a flat platen is maintained, and image quality is maintained well.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the third conveyor bell is used as the conveying means.
Although belts a to 13d are used, a roller array may be provided instead of the belt to constitute the conveying means.

Further, in the above embodiment, a thermal transfer recording device using the ink ribbon 3 was explained as an example, but the present invention can be applied not only to a thermal transfer recording method but also to a recording device using a thermal recording method, a wire dot method, etc. Needless to say.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, in the present invention, since the recording head and the platen are configured to always move in opposition to each other, the recording head presses the platen through the recording sheet under the same conditions during recording. Therefore, the recording conditions by the recording head become uniform, and it is possible to perform good image recording.

Furthermore, since the conveying means grips the recording sheet that is on the extension line of the recording line formed by the recording head, the recording sheet is reliably conveyed, and it is possible to prevent the sheet from being skewed or jammed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a thermal transfer recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view of the relationship between a recording head and a platen, and FIGS. 3A and 3B are views of a conventional technique. It is.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a recording device that performs recording by moving a recording head against a recording sheet, the recording head faces the recording head across the recording sheet and runs in the same direction in response to the traveling of the recording head. a platen; and a conveyor for gripping a recording sheet that is outside the travel range of the recording head and on an extension line of the recording line by the recording head, and conveying the recording sheet in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of the recording head. A recording device comprising: means; (2) The recording according to claim (1), wherein the platen is constituted by a rotating member, and is configured to rotate with respect to the recording sheet when the platen runs in a pressed state with a recording head through the recording sheet. Device. (3) The recording apparatus according to claim (1) or claim (2), wherein the conveyance means is configured to be slidable in the running direction of the recording head.