JPH0324376Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a thermal transfer color printer with improved means for supplying an ink ribbon to a recording section.

Recently, for example, as shown in FIG.
Cyan (C), magenta (M),
While feeding the ink ribbon 3 on which each color layer of the three primary colors of yellow (Y) is formed diagonally so that each color layer is placed on each recording element H1 to H3, the recording paper 1 is moved in the sub-scan Y direction. A thermal transfer type color printer has been developed in which color recording is sequentially performed by thermal transfer by step feeding and by moving the recording head 2 together with the ink ribbon 3 in the main scanning X direction. Note that if the recording head 2 is of a direct heating type, each of the recording elements H1 to
Thermal head H3 uses a heating element, and the electrically heated type (the film base of the ink ribbon is made conductive to utilize the heat produced by the ink ribbon) has a needle electrode and a return electrode. Each equipped head will be used.

However, in such a thermal transfer color printer, the ink ribbon 3 is fed from an oblique direction with respect to the recording paper 1 in the recording section, so the relative relationship between the movement of the recording paper 1 and the ink ribbon 3 is limited. As a result, one side of the recording paper is rubbed and stained by the ink ribbon 3, and wrinkles are generated in the ink ribbon 3 due to the adhesive force at the thermal transfer point when the ink ribbon 3 is wound up. There is a problem in that the winding is inconvenient.

This idea was created taking the above points into consideration.
When performing color recording by thermal transfer while feeding an ink ribbon on which multiple color layers are formed to a recording head section that has multiple recording elements corresponding to each color layer, there is a problem in the movement of the recording paper and the ink ribbon. A thermal transfer color that allows the ink ribbon to be wound so as not to create a relative relationship to eliminate stains on the recording paper, and also to allow the ink ribbon to be wound without causing wrinkles. It provides printers.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the thermal transfer color printer according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. Three recording elements H1, H2, H linearly arranged in the main scanning direction
A recording head consisting of 3, a delivery side ribbon core 7 of the ink ribbon 3 supplied to the recording head portion, a take-up side ribbon core 8, and a driving mechanism thereof are integrally mounted. The drive mechanism for the ink ribbon 3 is constructed by mounting the delivery-side ribbon core 7 and the winding-side ribbon core 8 on rotatable shafts 9 and 10, respectively, and pressing the drive roller 11 against one of the winding-side ribbon cores 8. The ink ribbon 3 can be wound up. The drive roller 11 is driven by a dedicated motor (not shown) or a motor for driving the carriage body 6, and is attached to the tip of a rod 13 which has a fulcrum O at one end and has a spring 12 mounted between it and the fixed side. By pulling the drive roller 11 outward against the spring 12, the take-up ribbon core 8 can be easily attached and detached. Further, in the figure, reference numerals 14 and 15 respectively indicate guide members for feeding the ink ribbon 3 to the recording head portion.

In this structure, especially in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the recording elements H1 and H2 are
and between H2 and H3, a conical roller 16,
17 respectively, and their conical rollers 16,1
7 to displace the ink ribbon 3 supplied to each recording element H1, H2, H3 by a predetermined amount in the width direction, and the yellow (Y) color layer of the ink ribbon 3 is printed on the recording element H1. Element H2
A magenta (M) color layer is formed on the recording element H3.
A cyan (C) color layer is supplied from one direction. It should be noted that each of the recording elements H1 to H3 is driven so that the respective recording colors are divided into yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C). Overlapping thermal transfer by the recording elements H1 to H3 is appropriately performed on the same location on the recording paper 1 to perform recording in a predetermined color.

Each of the conical rollers 16 and 17 is constructed by placing one cylindrical roller in the center and two conical cylindrical rollers arranged in opposite directions on both sides of the roller. ribbon 3
As a result, the directions of the widthwise deviations of the ink ribbon that occur in each pair of conical columnar roller portions in the conical rollers 16 and 17 are opposite to each other and cancel each other out, and as a result, the ink ribbon 3 is moved in the width direction. I make sure that it doesn't shift.

In the thermal transfer color printer of the present invention constructed as described above, the recording paper 1 is fed in the sub-scanning direction and the carriage body 6 is fed in the main scanning direction under the control of the system controller through each drive mechanism (not shown). Color recording by thermal transfer is sequentially performed while feeding the ink ribbon 3 and driving the recording head according to recording data as appropriate. At that time, each recording element H1, H2, H3
On the other hand, since the ink ribbon 3 is always fed and wound in parallel to the main scanning direction , it is possible to wind up the recording paper 1 with the ink ribbon 3 without staining it, and it is possible to prevent wrinkles from forming on the ink ribbon 3 when the ink ribbon 3 is peeled off from the recording paper 1 at the thermal transfer location. It disappears.

As described above, in the thermal transfer color printer according to the present invention, a recording head consisting of a plurality of recording elements arranged linearly in the main scanning direction is mounted on a carriage body that moves in the main scanning direction with respect to the recording paper surface that is fed in the sub-scanning direction. and a mechanism unit that supplies an ink ribbon having a plurality of color layers formed in the width direction to the recording head portion, and ink is supplied to each recording element portion by a conical roller provided between each recording element. The ribbon is displaced in the width direction so that each corresponding color layer of the ink ribbon is supplied to each recording element parallel to the main scanning direction, creating a relative relationship between the movement of the recording paper and the ink ribbon. This method has excellent advantages in that the ink ribbon can be fed without any problem, and the ink ribbon can be wound up without staining the recording paper or causing wrinkles in the ink ribbon.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a conventional thermal transfer color printer, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the thermal transfer color printer according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 is an ink ribbon in the recording head portion of the same embodiment. FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Recording paper, 2... Recording head, 3... Ink ribbon, 4... Platen roller, 5... Guide shaft, 6... Carriage body, 7... Delivery side ribbon core, 8... Winding side ribbon core , 11... Drive roller, 16, 17... Conical roller, H1 to H3
...Recording element.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A recording head consisting of a plurality of recording elements arranged linearly in the main scanning direction is mounted on a carriage body that moves in the main scanning direction with respect to the recording paper surface that is fed in the sub-scanning direction, and a plurality of color layers are arranged in the width direction in the recording head portion. It is equipped with a mechanism unit that feeds an ink ribbon with an ink ribbon formed thereon, and is provided between each recording element, with one cylindrical roller in the center and two conical columnar rollers on both sides of the roller in opposite directions. By displacing the ink ribbon supplied to each recording element portion in the width direction by conical rollers arranged so that A thermal transfer color printer configured for parallel feeding.