JPH022435B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a recording device such as a thermal transfer recording color printer using heat-melting ink or heat-sublimating ink.

Conventional configurations and their problems In recent years, the use of color CRT displays in personal computers and CAD systems has rapidly progressed. A color printer using a thermal transfer recording method is expected to be used as a hard copy device for these color systems, and efforts are being made to improve image quality and simplify the device.

Conventional recording apparatuses will be described below with reference to a color printer using a thermal transfer recording method using heat-melting ink.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a conventional thermal transfer recording type color printer. Reference numeral 1 denotes a thermal head, here designated as a line head, which is movable to a position indicated by a dotted line 1A. 2 is an ink sheet for thermal transfer recording coated with hot-melt ink, 3 is a take-up roll for the ink sheet 2, 4 is a supply roll for the ink sheet 2, 5 is a recording paper, 6 is a supply roll for the recording paper 5, 7 1 is a platen roller that brings the ink sheet 2 and recording paper 5 into close contact with the thermal head 1 and transports them, and the outer periphery of the platen roller is molded with a rubber material. A pressure roller 8 presses the recording paper 5 against the platen roller 7. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ink sheet 2 shown in FIG. 1, on which heat-fusible ink of each color is applied: yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C).

The operation of the conventional recording apparatus configured as described above will now be described. The principle of a thermal transfer recording color printer is simple. As shown in Figure 1, an ink sheet 2 and recording paper 5 are brought into close contact with each other and pressed against a thermal head 1, and the ink sheet 2 is heated by the heat generated by the thermal head 1. , ink sheet 2
The heat-melting ink applied to the recording paper 5 is melted and transferred onto the recording paper 5. At this time, yellow Y in Figure 2,
Magenta M and cyan C are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto the recording paper 5. Therefore, since the ink sheet 2 advances only in one direction as indicated by arrow A in FIG. 1, the recording paper 5 must be returned to its original position each time the color of the ink sheet 2 is changed. To return the recording paper 5, move the thermal head 1 to the position indicated by the dotted line 1A, and move only the recording paper 5 to the platen roller 7.
and the pressure roller 8. By repeating such operations, the heat-melting ink of each color is transferred and recorded from the ink sheet 2 onto the recording paper 5.

Now, in the recording apparatus as described above, since the pressure roller 8 is provided to rewind the recording paper 5, several problems have arisen. The first is that during recording, the recording paper 5 is fed at two locations: the pressed part of the thermal head 1 and the pressed part of the pressure roller 8, so that the recording paper 5 tends to be stretched or loosened between them. It is. Second, when rewinding the recording paper 5, the platen roller 7 is deformed by the pressure of the pressure roller 8, making it difficult to obtain the same feed amount as during recording, and tending to cause vertical and lateral shifting. . Thirdly, when loading the recording paper 5, the recording paper 5 is placed between the pressure roller 8 and the platen roller 7.
Therefore, a mechanism for separating the pressure roller 8 from the platen roller 7 was required.

Purpose of the Invention The present invention solves the conventional problems as described above, and aims to provide a recording device that can be applied to a thermal transfer recording device that can improve color alignment in order to obtain higher resolution image quality. do.

Structure of the Invention The present invention provides a recording system in which the recording paper is wound around the platen roller using an ink sheet tensioner while the pressure of the recording head is released, and only the recording paper is rewound by the rotational friction of the platen roller. It is a device. By rewinding the recording paper without using a pressure roller, the drawbacks of providing a pressure roller mentioned in the conventional example are eliminated, and it is now possible to apply rewinding force to the recording paper with a simpler configuration. It is something.

Description of Examples Examples of the present invention will be described below. Third
The figure is a side view showing the configuration of a recording device in an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 11 is a thermal head, 12 is an ink sheet for thermal transfer recording, 1
3 is a take-up roll for the ink sheet 12, and 14 is a supply roll for the ink sheet 12 as well. 15 is a recording paper, 16 is a supply roll of the recording paper 15, 1
A platen roller 7 presses the recording paper 15 and the ink sheet 12 closely against the thermal head 11, and its outer periphery is molded with a rubber material. The platen roller 17 is driven and rotated clockwise and counterclockwise by a stepping motor or the like. 18
is a brake belt, which can brake the ink sheet supply roll 14. A brake lever 19 has a brake belt 18 attached to one end and is operated by the thermal head 11 at the other end, and is rotatable about a fulcrum 20. FIG. 3 shows the brake belt 18 in a relaxed state.

The operation of one embodiment of the recording apparatus configured as described above will be described below. During recording, first, as shown in FIG.
Rotate the platen roller 17 in the direction of arrow _D1 , and move the ink sheet 12 in the direction of arrow _D2.
Wind it in the direction and record it. At this time, recording paper 1
5 is transported by the frictional force of the platen roller 17, and when the platen roller 17 is fed by a predetermined recording length, the rotation of the platen roller 17 is stopped, and recording of the first color, for example, yellow in the case of color recording is completed. Next, the recording paper 15 is returned to its original position in order to record the second color. The operation at this time will be explained using FIG. The numbers for each part in FIG. 4 correspond to those in FIG. 3. First, the thermal head 11A separates from the platen roller 17, and in conjunction with this, the brake lever 19A tightens the brake belt 18A to tighten the ink sheet supply roll 14. Fix it. In this state, the ink sheet 12 has a take-up roll 13
Tension is applied by the thermal head 1.
It is stretched along guide edges 11C and 11B provided at 1A. Therefore, the recording paper 15 is pressed against the platen roller 17 by the ink sheet 12, and is returned in the direction of arrow _D4 by the rotation of the platen roller 17 in the direction of arrow _D3 and its frictional force. While the recording paper 15 is being rewound, the ink sheet 12 is stopped while slipping against the recording paper 15, maintaining the state shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the thermal head 11 presses the platen roller 17 to begin recording the second color of color recording.

As described above, according to this embodiment, by providing the concave thermal head 11 and the ink sheet roll brakes 18 and 19 that are linked to the thermal head 11, the recording paper 15 can be pressed against the platen roller 17 with a relatively strong pressing force. This winding allows the frictional force of the platen roller 17 to be uniformly transmitted to the recording paper 15, allowing only the recording paper 15 to be rewound with high precision.

Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 shows a side view of a recording apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 21 is a thermal head, and the dotted line 21A
It is possible to move to the position of 22 is an ink sheet for color recording coated with heat-melting ink, 23
is a take-up roll for the ink sheet 22, 24 is a supply roll for the ink sheet 22, 25 is a recording paper, and 26
2 is a recording paper supply roll, and 27 is a platen roller, the outer periphery of which is molded with a rubber material. 2
8 is a capstan roller, and 29 is a pinch roller. The recording paper 25 is held between the capstan roller 28 and the pinch roller 29, and can be reciprocated by the rotation of the capstan roller 28. 30,3
1 is a guide post for the ink sheet 22.

The operation of the recording apparatus of another embodiment configured as described above will be described below. The recording paper 25 is fed in the direction of arrow _E1 during recording, so
When recording, it is first necessary to feed out the recording paper 25 in the direction of arrow _F1 . For this purpose, first move the thermal head 21 to the position indicated by the dotted line 21A, and press the supply roll 24 or take-up roll 23 of the ink sheet 22.
is stopped by a brake mechanism (not described) or the like, and the ink sheet 22 is stretched so that the recording paper 25 is pressed against the platen roller 27 and wound around it. At this time,
The wrapping angle can be set in advance using the guide posts 30 and 31, and the tension of the ink sheet 22 can be set using the supply roll 2.
4 or the take-up roll 23, the torque of the roll on the side where the brake is not operated is set. In this state, the capstan 28 and the pinch roller 29 are fixed, and the platen roller 27 is
When only the platen roller 27 is rotated in the direction of the arrow _F2 , the platen roller 27 slips on the recording paper 25 and applies a transporting force to the recording paper 25 in the direction of the arrow _F1 . The recording paper 25 is in a state where there is no slack between the platen roller 27 and the capstan 28, and at this time, the capstan 28 and the pinch roller 29 are rotated to feed out the recording paper 25 by a predetermined length in the direction of arrow _F1 . Next, the rotation of the capstan 28 is stopped, the platen roller 27 is set to a neutral state using a clutch, etc., the thermal head 21A is returned to the position indicated by the solid line 21 and pressed, and then the capstan 28 is rotated to move the recording paper in the direction of arrow _E1 . While pulling in 25, I started recording the first color. At this time, the ink sheet 22 passes through the platen roller 27 and is then wound up by the take-up roll 23. When recording of a predetermined length is completed in this way, the thermal head 21 moves again to the position indicated by the dotted line 21A as in the beginning, and the recording paper 25 is moved by the arrow arrow for a predetermined length as in the beginning.
F Start moving in _{the first} direction and move on to recording the second color.

As described above, according to this embodiment, in an apparatus in which the platen roller 27 and the recording paper 25 need to slip smoothly, the ink sheet 22 is moved onto the platen roller 27 without using a pressing roller as in the conventional example. The winding angle is set so that the ink sheet 22 is wound even when it is separated from the dotted line 21A, and the winding of the ink sheet 22 applies a light frictional force to the recording paper 25 and the platen roller 27. It is possible to perform smooth and smooth slips.

Note that in the present invention, the ink sheet and the recording paper are made to slide. If hot-melt ink with a low melting point is used, there is a possibility that the recording paper will be stained with the ink. Therefore, the ink sheet is
It is best to do as shown in the figure. In the figure, Y is yellow, M is magenta, and C is cyan ink, and B ₁ , B ₂ , and B ₃ are blank sections where no ink is applied. These blank sections B ₁ , B ₂ ,
B Press the recording paper with each of ₃ and slide it.
Even in the case of heat-fusible ink having a low melting point, recording paper can be kept clean.

Effects of the Invention The recording apparatus of the present invention has a simple structure, and by providing a winding means for winding the ink sheet together with the recording paper around the platen roller in a state where the pressure of the recording head is released, the recording paper and the platen roller are evenly wrapped. Its industrial value is that it can press with pressure to accurately obtain the rewinding force or slitting force of the recording paper, and it also makes it easier to load the recording paper because it does not use a pressing roller like in the past. expensive.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a conventional thermal transfer recording type recording apparatus, FIG. 2 is a plan view of an ink sheet for thermal transfer recording in the conventional example, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. side view, fifth
The figure is a side view of a recording apparatus in another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a plan view of an ink sheet used in the embodiment of the present invention. 11, 11A, 21, 21A... Thermal head, 11C, 11B... Guide edge, 12, 2
2... Ink sheet, 17, 27... Platen roller, 19... Brake lever, 30, 31...
Guidepost.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A recording head that overlaps and abuts an ink sheet and a recording paper to perform transfer recording, and a platen roller that faces the recording head and wraps the ink sheet and the recording paper, A tension applying mechanism that applies tension to the ink sheet to stop the ink sheet from being stretched, and a guide mechanism that wraps the ink sheet around the platen roller when the ink sheet is separated are provided, and the tension and the frictional force generated by the winding cause the recording to be performed. A recording apparatus characterized in that only paper is conveyed by the platen roller. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ink sheet is provided with ink-free sections at regular intervals, and the ink-free sections come into contact with the recording paper when the recording head is separated.