JPH02208059A - Color printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce in size a color printer and to improve the quality of printing by bringing a plurality of thermal heads into contact with a sheet to be printed, engaged on the outer surface of a sole platen roller through a thermal transfer ink ribbon. CONSTITUTION:First - third thermal heads 3A-3C are brought into contact with a sheet 4 to be printed, engaged with the outer surface of a platen roller 2 through first - third thermal transfer ink ribbons 1A-1C. When the roller 2 is driven in a direction of an arrow (a), the sheet 4 held by the heads 3A-3D pressed under a predetermined pressure to the outer surface is fed in a direction of an arrow (b). The ribbons 1A-1C are fed in a direction of an arrow (c) upon feeding of the sheet 4. The heads 3A-3C are driven in response to printing colors. For example, the position of the sheet 4 thermally transferred by the heads 3A is subjected to thermal transfer repeatedly by thew heads 3B, 3C to be completely color printed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer color printer.

2. Description of the Related Art This type of color printer is constructed as shown in FIG. Here, the first one has different printing colors. Second. This shows the case of printing using the third thermal transfer ink ribbons IA, 1B, and IC.

Platen rollers 2A, 2B, and 2G are arranged in a straight line, and a 1st degree, a 2nd degree, and a 2nd degree are arranged for each platen roller 28 to 2C. Third thermal heads 3A, 3B, and 3C are provided. The printing paper 4 is placed between the platen roller 2A and the thermal head 3.
A, between the platen roller 2B and the thermal head 3B, and between the platen roller 2C and the thermal head 3C.
By driving in the direction indicated by the arrow, the printing paper 4 is transported in the direction indicated by the arrow. The first thermal transfer ink ribbon IA is interposed between the thermal head 3A and the printing paper 4, and is transported in the direction of arrow C as the printing paper 4 is transported. The second thermal transfer ink ribbon IB is placed between the thermal head 3B and the printing paper 4, and the third thermal transfer ink ribbon IB is placed between the thermal head 3B and the printing paper 4.
C is interposed between the thermal head 3C and the paper to be printed 4, and is transported in the direction of the arrow C as the paper to be printed 4 is transported.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such a conventional configuration, platen rollers are required for each printing color, making it difficult to downsize the device. Furthermore, if there is a dimensional error in the diameter between the platen rollers,
Uneven feeding of printing paper 4.

Wrinkles, etc. occur and print quality deteriorates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a color printer that can be miniaturized and that can improve printing quality.

Means for Solving the Problems The color printer of the present invention has a plurality of thermal heads attached along the outer peripheral surface of a single platen roller, and prints of different colors between each of the thermal heads and the platen roller. A thermal transfer ink ribbon is interposed between the thermal transfer ink ribbons and the ink of the thermal transfer ink ribbons is thermally transferred by a thermal head to a printing paper that is transported through a path formed between each of the thermal transfer ink ribbons and the platen roller. do.

According to this configuration, a plurality of thermal heads are in contact with a printing paper placed on the outer peripheral surface of a single platen roller via a thermal transfer ink ribbon.

Example An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

Components having the same functions as those in FIG. 2 showing the conventional example will be described with the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows a color printer of the present invention. The first to third
Thermal heads 3A to 3C are in contact with each other via first to third thermal transfer ink ribbons IA to IC. When the platen roller 2 is driven in the direction of arrow a, the printed material is sandwiched between the platen roller 2 and the first to third thermal heads 3A to 3C that are pressed against the circumferential surface of the platen roller 2 with a predetermined pressure. The paper 4 is transported in the direction indicated by the arrow.

The first to third thermal transfer ink ribbons IA to IC are also being transported in the direction of arrow C as the printing paper 4 is being transported.

First to third thermal heads 3A to 3C depending on the printing color
For example, the second and third thermal heads 3B and 3G repeatedly perform thermal transfer to the position of the printing paper 4 that has been thermally transferred by the first thermal head 3A, thereby completing color printing.

With this configuration, one platen roller 2 is shared by the first to third thermal heads 3A to 3C, so the number of platen rollers can be reduced to (1/3) of the conventional number. Moreover, since it is a single platen roller 2, the first to
The conveyance amount of the printing paper 4 at each position of the third thermal heads 3A to 3C is the same, and uneven feeding, wrinkles, etc. of the printing paper 4 do not occur, and the quality of printing is improved.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, since a single platen roller is shared by a plurality of thermal heads, the number of parts can be reduced compared to the conventional method, and the apparatus can be made smaller.

Furthermore, since there is a single platen roller, the amount of paper to be printed at each thermal head position is the same, and there is no uneven feeding or wrinkles of the paper to be printed, which improves the quality of printing. This is an improvement over the conventional method.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a color printer of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional color printer. IA, IB, IC... 1st. Second. Third thermal transfer ink ribbon, 2... platen roller, 3A to 3C...
1st. Second. 3rd thermal head, 4... paper to be printed.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of thermal heads are attached along the outer peripheral surface of a single platen roller, and thermal transfer ink ribbons with different printing colors are interposed between each of the thermal heads and the platen roller, and each of the thermal transfer inks is A color printer that uses a thermal head to thermally transfer ink from a thermal transfer ink ribbon onto printing paper that is transported through a path formed between the ribbon and the platen roller.