JPH03158251A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform a high density printing by providing a printing head which is movable in the main scanning direction. CONSTITUTION:A printing part heats an ink sheet 3 by a line head 1, according to picture information, and it is constituted in such a manner that an ink on the ink sheet 3 is transferred to a printing paper 8 which is backed up by a platen 6. The line head 1 has a plurality of electricity/heat converting elements such as heating elements, which are arranged laterally in a row and is pressed to the printing paper 8, and it is constituted in such a manner that the line head 1 gives reciprocating motions in the main operation direction by a plunger 2. Also, the electricity/heat converting element is controlled in its driving time by a heat timer 105. These operation controls are performed by a control unit 100. The ink sheet 3, at the time of recording, moves in the secondary operation direction and is taken up on a take-up shaft in order by an ink sheet carrying motor 4 and ink sheet take-up motor 5 synchronously with the motion of the printing paper 8. By this method, a high density printing for which respective printing dot diameters are equalized by a low density line head becomes possible, and a high speed printing and high density printing by a low cost become possible.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printing device, and more particularly to a line thermal transfer printer in which the line head is movable to perform higher-density printing.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, the line head of a line thermal transfer printer is usually
There was a fixed relationship with the paper, and the printing density depended only on the density of the resistor formed in the line head. Therefore, when printing with a different printing density, replace the line head with a line head suitable for that density. Note that there are some items that cannot be replaced.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional example described above, there are drawbacks such as deterioration of workability and increase in recording time when the line head is replaced. Particularly when the density is high, it may not be possible to form the line head resistor itself, and even if it can be formed, there is a drawback that the number of drivers for driving the resistor increases. Furthermore, in the conventional example, it was impossible to obtain printing results with arbitrary density.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus that solves the above-mentioned problems.

[Means for Solving the Problems 1] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a print head movable in the main scanning direction.

[Function] According to the present invention, for example, when performing printing by pressurizing the print head against the ink carrier, the print head is fixed when high-speed printing is performed, and the print head is moved to the reference position when high-density printing is performed. By reciprocating at an arbitrary angle in the main scanning direction, printing is performed at an appropriate position.

[Example] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

This embodiment describes a case where a line head mounted perpendicularly to the sub-scanning direction is moved horizontally in the main-scanning direction by a plunger.

FIG. 1 is a drawing that best represents the features of the present invention. In the figure, numeral 6 indicates a platen for conveying printing paper 8, which is driven by a platen feed motor.

Reference numeral 3 denotes an ink sheet, which is melted by the heat generated by the resistor of the head 1 and transfers ink to the printing paper 8. As the ink sheet 3 is printed, the ink sheet winding motor 5
The ink sheet is transported by the ink sheet transport motor 4.

The line head 1 is pressed against the platen by a spring 9 only during printing. Line head 1 is connected to plunger 2. By the action of the plunger 2, the rad 1 moves from side to side toward the line. During high-speed printing, the line head 1 is fixed in either position by the plunger 2. When performing high-density printing, the plunger 2 causes the line head 1 to reciprocate.

FIG. 2 shows the timing when high-density printing is performed.

This example is for printing twice the density of the resistor of the line head. Of the displacement of line head 1,
The printed dots are heated to the resistor at the position indicated by A (C in the figure).

Thereafter, the line head 1 is moved eight times to the position B, and at that point, the resistor is heated at the timing D. At this point, the displacement amounts of paper feed and ink sheet feed are at position E, and these are in a stopped state. Paper and ink sheets are fed at F after the printing timing of D. Ink peeling occurs at points F and later.

Note that the configuration shown in Figure 1 is just one example, and in a printing device that has a line head, this printer can be used to print with the line head fixed and to print with the line head in operation. The invention is compatible.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be further described in detail with reference to block diagrams.

In FIG. 3, lOO is a control unit that controls the entire printer. The control unit 100 is composed of, for example, an MPIIlooA in the form of a microprocessor, a ROM 100B for storing control programs and data for the MPU 100, a RAM 100C as a work area, etc. The control unit 100 inputs print data from the input unit 101 and performs printing. Controls the operation of Reference numerals 102 to 104 are motor drive units, including an ink sheet winding motor 5. Ink sheet conveyance motor 4. Drives the platen feed motor. The motor drive units 102 to 104 control their respective rotations according to control signals sent from the control unit 100.

The printing section is configured to heat an ink sheet 3 according to image information using a line head 1 and to transfer ink from the ink sheet 3 to a printing paper 8 backed up by a platen 6.

The line head 1 has a plurality of electric/thermal converters such as heating resistors arranged in a horizontal row, and is in contact with the printing paper 8,
It is configured to reciprocate in the main operating direction by the plunger 2 during printing.

Further, the driving time of the electric/thermal converter is controlled by a heat timer 105. These drive controls are carried out by the control section 10.
It is done by G.

The ink sheet 3 is moved by the ink sheet conveyance motor 4 during recording.
The ink sheet winding motor 5 moves the printing paper 8 in the sub-operation direction in synchronization with the movement of the printing paper 8, and sequentially winds it onto a winding shaft (not shown).

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart for performing this ilJ control. This flowchart is for printing at a density twice that of the resistor of the line head.

When the power is turned on, the printing machine is initialized by Fool, and then enters the data manual state. When data is input at F2O3, rotation of the ink sheet take-up/conveyance motor and platen feed motor is started by FOO3. Next, the process advances to F2O3, and the mark [1 data is odd number dot A] received in FOO2. . . It is classified into even number dot 8 EVtN. The heat time for odd numbered dots is set in F2O3, and then in FOO6.

Odd-numbered dots are heated at FOO7 and FOO8. After the heat is finished, the head is moved to the right at F009. The heat of even numbered dots is F as well as the odd numbered dots.
f) Performed from 1G to FO13. After heating the even numbered dots, the head is moved to the left using FO14.

Thereafter, the ink sheet winding motor, ink sheet transport motor, and platen feed motor are stopped at the FO 15, and print data is received again.

The above example is one example for realizing this function, and the method for realizing it is not limited.

[Effects of the invention] As explained above, by making the line head movable, it becomes possible to print at high density with each printing dot having the same diameter using a low-density line head, and it is possible to perform high-speed printing and high-density printing at a low cost. becomes.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a timing diagram showing the control timing of each part of the embodiment, Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the embodiment, and Fig. 4 is the same. It is a flowchart which shows the example of operation of an example. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Line head, 2... Plunger 3... Ink sheet, 4... Ink sheet conveyance motor, 5... Ink sheet winding motor 5 6... Platen, 7... Platen Feed motor, 8...printing paper, 9...spring. No.! =

Claims (1)

[Claims] A printing device comprising a print head movable in a main scanning direction.