JPH01264884A - Thermal transfer ink film cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable normal photographic printing to be performed to a last one image plane by a method wherein markers of several color contents near an end to a supply core side of multicolored thermal transfer ink film on which each color read marker is arranged with a constant period, are successively painted out. CONSTITUTION:An ink film 401 on which about 100 image planes of Y ink, M ink, C ink and a marker are coated, is set to a printer. The marker is detected with a marker read sensor 406, and photographic printing is performed with a photographic printing head 404. The procedure is ended when the sensor is dislocated from the marker. During that time, printing paper 410 reciprocates three times between the photographic printing head 404 and a platen 405 with rollers 409, and three colors are copied. When about 100 image planes of photographic printing is continued, though the ink film is sent to perform a following printing, a marker part of each ink has been successively painted out to its end by density at least equal to that of the marker. Therefore, the sensor 406 becomes incapable of detecting the marker. Then, the ink film is never exhausted on the way to photographic printing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a multicolor ink film cassette for use in a thermal transfer printer.

[Prior Art] In a conventional multicolor thermal transfer ink film cassette, a marker is arranged for cueing each color, and the end of the ink film is adhered to a supply core at an arbitrary position. When this ink film cassette is set in the printer, it detects the difference in color depending on the number of markers and prints.When the ink film ends, the ink film runs out at an arbitrary position, so the printing ends halfway through for the last screen. was. This content will be specifically described below using drawings.

Figure 4 shows the schematic structure of a printer for printing in multiple colors, with Figure 4(a) being a top view and Figure 4(1))
is a side view. 401 is an ink film, 402 is a supply core, 403 is a winding core, 404 is a printing head, 40
5 is a platen, 406 is a marker reading sensor, 40
7 is an ink film pressing roller, 408 is an ink film peeling roller, 409 is a paper feed roller, and 410 is a print paper. Ink film 501 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, which shows the supply core 502, the ink film 501 is Y. When printing in the order of Y, M, and C by attaching two markers to each section and one marker each to the M section and C section, when the ink film cassette containing this ink film is set in the printer, the marker reading cassette sensor At step 406, the ink film is fed until two markers are detected, the head is searched, and Y is printed by the printing head 404. Next, the ink film is fed until one marker is detected and M is printed, and then one marker is detected. The ink film is sent until the actual detection is made and C is printed. During this time, the print paper 410 is reciprocated three times between the printing head 404 and the platen 405 by the paper feed roller 409.

For this reason, the application of ink on the ink film is the sum of the distance Q1 between the printing head 404 and the ink film pressing roller 407 and the distance a2 between the ink film pressing roller 407 and the marker reading position 406 (Q=
QL +Q2> A longer length is taken between the inking tip and the trailing edge of the marker.

(Ll, L2.L3≧Q in Figure 5) Also, if you want to print at the M number of M, C, Y using this ink film cassette, feed the ink film until two markers are detected and then continue printing. It is fed until it detects one line, searches for the beginning, and prints M, then it is fed until it detects one line, and prints C, and then it is fed until it detects two lines, and it prints Y.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional method, when the end of the ink film on the supply core side is cut at an arbitrary position relative to the marker,
For example, when cutting at the position shown in Figure 5, the marker sensor reads the marker in the Y section and starts printing Y, so the last screen is L'-Q3 (L' is the last position in Figure 5). Distance between marker and end of ink film, Q3
is the distance between the marker reading sensor and the supply core in FIG. 4). In other words, printing ends midway through the last screen, and to prevent this, either cut the ink film accurately at the position L' = Q3, or cut the ink film between the ink coating tip and the marker trailing edge. Length L (however, L=L1, L2.L3) is L≧Ql
+Q2 +J23, and the former increases the number of man-hours, while the latter increases the cost of ink film materials, resulting in higher costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and its purpose is to provide an inexpensive ink film cassette that can print normally up to the last screen.

Furthermore, ink films coated in the same way were applied to Y, M, and C.
To make it usable for both a printer that prints in the order of M, C, and Y as well as a printer that prints in the order of M, C, and Y.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The thermal transfer ink film cassette of the present invention has at least an ink that is activated and transferred by heat applied on a thin film base material surface sequentially, and markers for reading each color are arranged at regular intervals. An ink film cassette comprising a multicolor thermal transfer ink film, a supply core that winds and supplies the ink film, a take-up core that winds the ink film, and a cassette that accommodates the ink film, the supply core, and the take-up core, wherein at least one color The marker is composed of a plurality of markers, and the marker is characterized in that for several colors near the end on the supply core side, the location where the marker is placed is continuously filled in with a density equal to or higher than that of the marker.

[Example] Figure 1 shows an example of the present invention, 101 is an ink film, 102 is a supply core, 103 is a take-up core, and 104 is a cassette, and Figure 2 shows the main components of the present invention. The ink colors applied to the ink film representing a certain ink film and supply core are Y, M, and C, and markers are arranged at the edge of the ink film in parallel to the feeding direction. 201 and 209 are areas painted with Y ink, 202, 210, and 211 are areas painted with M ink, 203 and 212 are areas painted with C ink, and 204, 205, and 206 are areas painted with markers. Y ink, M ink, C ink, and marker are coated at the same pitch for about 100 screens. 207 is a supply core, and 208 is an area filled with a density equal to or higher than that of the marker.

The cassette shown in Fig. 1 containing this ink film is placed in the fourth
When set in the printer whose structure is shown in the figure, the ink film is fed until the marker reading sensor 406 detects two markers, the print head 404 prints Y, and the ink film continues until the marker reading sensor 406 detects one marker. is sent to print M, and then the ink film is sent until one marker is detected to print C. Marker detection ends when the marker reading sensor touches the marker and then comes off the marker. This printing paper 410 is reciprocated three times between the print head 404 and the platen 405 by a paper feed roller 409.

In this way, approximately 100 screen official prints are continued, and even when the ink film is nearing the end, the ink film is fed until the marker reading sensor 406 detects the marker 204, and the print head 404 prints the Y ink 204. Next, the ink film is fed until a marker 205 is detected, and M ink 202 is printed, and then the ink film is fed until a marker 206 is detected, and C ink 203 is printed. Even if the ink film is sent for the next print, Y ink 20
A portion of the markers of 9 and M inks 210 are filled in continuously to the end with a density equal to or higher than that of the markers, so the marker reading sensor 406 cannot detect the markers of Y ink 209 and M ink 210, and the ink film is Because of this, the power of the ink film ends in the middle of printing! It's never over.

Next, apply the ink film shown in Figure 3 coated in the same way.
The cassette in Figure 1! When the ink film is placed in a printer that can print in the order of M, C, and Y, the ink film will continue to be printed until the marker reading sensor 406 detects two markers, as in the case of using the ink film shown in Fig. 2. After feeding, the ink film continues to be fed until one marker is detected, the head is searched, and M is printed with the printing head 404. Next, the ink film is fed until one marker is detected and C is printed, and then two markers are printed. Feed the ink film until it is detected and print Y. In this case as well, marker detection ends when the marker reading sensor touches the marker and then comes off the marker. After this, unless you remove the ink film cassette from the printer, feed the ink film until one marker is detected and print M, then feed the ink film until one marker is detected and print C, then The ink film is fed until two markers are detected and Y is printed. In this way, approximately 100 official prints are continued, and even when the ink film is almost finished, the marker reading sensor 406
Feed the ink film until it detects the marker 304 and cue it, r: (to 1fB y p 404
Feed the ink film until C ink 302 is detected.
is the printing port, and then the ink film is fed until the marker 306 is detected, and the Y ink 303 is printed. Even when the ink film is sent for the next print, a part of the M ink 309 marker is filled in continuously to the end with a density equal to or higher than that of the marker.
The marker reading sensor 406 cannot detect the marker of the M ink 309 and the ink film ends.
For this reason, the ink film does not end in the middle of printing, and in this way, one type of ink film coated in the same way can be applied to Y, M, and C numbers.
You can also print in the order of M, C, and Y.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, by continuously filling in the locations where markers are arranged for several colors on the supply core side to the end with a density equal to or higher than that of the markers, It has the effect of being able to print normally without stopping printing even on the last screen, and also has the effect of printing Y, M,
It has the effect that it can be used for both a printer that prints in the order of C and a printer that prints in the order of M, C, and Y.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a main top view, side view, and bottom view showing an embodiment of the ink film cassette of the present invention. (a) is a top view (b) is a side view (c) is a bottom view 101...ink film 102...supply core 103...take-up core 104...cassette 2 (a) (b) FIG. 1 is a main top view and a side view showing one embodiment of an ink film which is a main component of the present invention. 202.210,211...Magenta ink 201.
209...Yellow ink 203.212...Cyan ink 204.205, 206...Marker 207...Supply core 208...Filled portion FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) show the main components of the present invention The principal top view and side view which show another Example of the ink film which is a part. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are top and side views showing the general structure of a printer for printing in multiple colors. FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are a top view and a side view showing a conventional ink film. Applicant: Seiko Epson Co., Ltd. Representative Patent Attorney Kizobe Suzuki (and 1 other person) Diagram (C)

Claims (1)

[Claims] At least a multicolor thermal transfer ink film in which ink to be activated and transferred by heat is coated surface-sequentially on a thin film base material and markers for reading each color are arranged at regular intervals, and a supply core that winds and supplies the ink film; In the ink film cassette, which is composed of a take-up core for winding the ink film, and a cassette for accommodating the ink film, supply core, and take-up core, a plurality of markers for at least one color are provided, and a plurality of markers are provided near the terminal end on the supply core side. A thermal transfer ink film cassette characterized in that, for several colors, the location where the marker is placed is continuously filled in with a density equal to or higher than that of the marker.