JPH03254981A - Multicolor image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To record a multicolor image of the ununiform use of colors with the less wasteful use of a film by a method wherein a plurality of ribbon cassettes of different ribbon colors are alternatively positioned on a recording position of a thermal head, and only the ribbon of the ribbon cassette positioned on the recording position at the time of recording action is selectively fed. CONSTITUTION:Ribbons of different colors are respectively loaded on thermal heads 3A, 3B, 3C. Only the ribbon cassette 3C which is positioned on a recording position of a thermal head 2 is connected to a drive shaft 34 with an inside projection part 35 and a fin part 36. The drive shaft 34 is only loosely inserted through other ribbon cassettes 3A, 3B. A recording action is repeatedly conducted per color while the ribbon cassettes 3A, 3B, 3C are alternatively used. Namely, the respective ribbons of different colors are used in accordance with the frequencies of use of the colors. In this manner, even a multicolor image of ununiform color use can be recorded with the less wasteful of the ribbons.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer multicolor image recording apparatus suitable for, for example, facsimile image recording.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A conventional device of this type has two \-
Y (yellow LM (magenta), C
(cyan) three color ink surface 1.01. 1.02゜1
A multicolor thermal transfer film 100 in which 03 are arranged alternately is used, and the film surface 101 of each color is printed on the same recording surface.
102. By repeating records based on 1.03,
Multicolor images were recorded using the three colors Y, M, and C (see, for example, "Nikkei Electronics May 7, 1984 issue," published by Nikkei BP, pages 7 to 188).

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with this configuration, there is a problem in that a large amount of thermal transfer film is wasted.

The above problem arises for the following reasons.

That is, the usage ratio of each color in a multicolor image differs greatly from image to image. For example, in the case of a multicolor image recorded using three types of MMC colors, the frequency of use of the three MMC colors varies from image to image, and while there are cases where the three colors are used evenly, there are cases where only a specific color is used more frequently. In some cases, colors are used unevenly, or certain colors are rarely used.

3.-- In such a case, in the conventional apparatus using the above-mentioned multicolor thermal transfer film, the surface of the film that is used less frequently is wasted. For example, when recording a multicolor image in which only M is frequently used, the less frequently used Y and C film surfaces are rarely used and are replaced with new film surfaces.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multicolor image recording device that can record multicolor images in which colors are unevenly used while reducing film waste. .

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention uses a plurality of ribbon cassettes each having a different ribbon color when performing thermal transfer recording using a parallel dot method on recording paper fed and driven in the sub-scanning direction. The ribbon cassette is positioned alternately at the recording position of the thermal head, and only the ribbon of the ribbon cassette positioned at the recording position is selectively fed and driven during the recording operation.

According to the present invention, with the above-described configuration, it is possible to record a multicolor image by overlapping recording on each of a plurality of ribbon cassettes, and the ribbons of each color can be used according to the frequency of use of the color. In order to be able to
Even multicolor images in which colors are unevenly used can be recorded with less ribbon waste.

Example Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 4 each show a schematic configuration of the essential parts of a multicolor image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, ] is recording paper that is fed and driven in the sub-scanning direction Y, 2 is a thermal head having a plurality of heat-generating recording elements in the sub-scanning direction, and 3A, 3B, and 3C are each loaded with ribbons of different colors. The ribbon cassette 3.6 is a head base in which a ribbon drive mechanism and the like are incorporated.

Thermal head 2 is Ribonka Nanano) 3A, 3E.

Thermal transfer recording is performed on the recording paper 1, which is moved in the main scanning direction The three ribbon cassettes 3A, 3B, and 3C are loaded in a stacked state in the sub-scanning direction Y, and are configured to move in the main-scanning direction X together with the thermal head 2.

In FIG. 2, 4 is the ribbon cassette 3A.

A cassette moving mechanism section moves 3B and 3C in the sub-scanning direction Y, and 5 is a head drive mechanism section that pushes out the thermal head 2 in the direction Z toward the recording paper 1 during recording.

This allows the ribbon cassettes 3A, 3B, and 3C to be alternately positioned at the recording position of the thermal head 2. The thermal head 2 moves in the main scanning direction Thermal transfer recording is performed on paper 1 using a parallel dot method.

6. Figure 3 shows the schematic configuration of the ribbon cassette 3, in which 31 is the hub on the side from which the unused portion of the ribbon 100 is fed out, and 32 is the hub on the side where the used portion of the ribbon 100 is wound up. A hub, 33 is an idle rotating shaft passing through the feed-out side knob 31, 34 is a drive shaft passing through the take-up side knob 32, 35 is an inner protrusion of the hub 31, 32,
Reference numeral 36 denotes a fin portion partially provided on the outside of the drive shaft 34.

The drive shaft 34 is rotationally driven only when the thermal head 2 performs a recording operation. The fin portion 36 of the drive shaft 36 is adapted to engage with the inner protrusion 35 of the take-up knob 32. Thereby, the winding) side hub 32 is connected to the drive shaft 34, and the thermal head 2
The ribbon is rotated in the winding direction only during the recording operation to supply a new ribbon to the recording position.

Figure 4 shows the thermal head 2, ribbon cassettes 3A, 3
The mutual positional relationship of B, 3C, and the drive shaft 34 is shown.

As shown in the same figure, there are three colored ribbons (3A).

7...-7 Among the cassettes 3B and 3C, the ribbon cassette 3C located at the recording position of the thermal head 2 is the only cassette connected to the drive shaft 34 by the inner protrusion 35 and the fin part 36; The cassettes 3A and 3B are configured so that the driving shirt 1-371 only passes through them freely.

The drive shaft 34 is driven by a ribbon drive mechanism (not shown) incorporated in a head base 6 that loads the thermal head 2 and ribbon cassettes 3A, 3B, and 3C and moves in the main scanning direction X. It is rotated only when a recording operation is performed.

As a result, only the ink ribbon of the ribbon cassette 3C positioned at the recording position is fed and driven in accordance with the recording operation of the thermal head 2, and the other ribbon cassettes 3
In A, 3B, the ribbon is not fed.

The operation of the image recording apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 5, the image recording operation is performed by the tono method. In other words, the thermal head 2 is moved along with the ink ribbon cassette in the main scanning direction against the recording paper J, which is driven in the sub-scanning direction Y. By moving it in the direction X, images of a plurality of lines are recorded in a band shape every - degrees.Reference numeral 7 shows a recorded image thermally transferred from the ribbon by the heat-generating recording element of the thermal head 20.

"The two consecutive recording operations are ribbon force seso) 3A, 3B, 3
This is repeated for each color while alternating C. That is, when recording the first color, the first color ribbon 3A is positioned at the recording position of the thermal head 2. As a result, only the ribbon 3A of the first color positioned at the recording position is used during the recording operation, and the image of the first color is recorded in a band shape.

On top of the recording with the first color, recording with the ribbon cassette 3B of the second color, and recording with the ribbon cassette 1-3C of the third color.
By sequentially overlapping recordings, a multicolor image using three colors can be recorded.

After these three color recording operations, the recording paper 1 is scanned in the sub-scanning direction 9.
-7 Drive to feed by a predetermined pitch in the Y direction. And after this,
The recording operation for the three colors described above is repeated again.

As described above, when thermal transfer recording is performed on the recording paper 1 fed and driven in the sub-scanning direction Y by the parallel focusing method, three ribbon cassettes 3A, 3B, and 3C of different colors are connected to the thermal head 2. By alternately positioning the ribbons in the recording positions and selectively feeding and driving only the ribbons of the ribbon cassettes positioned at the recording positions during the recording operation, the force of each ribbon is increased.
A multicolor image can be recorded by overlapping recorded images of B and 3C ribbon colors.

What should be noted here is that the use of the ribbon is limited to the recording operation and is limited to the ribbon of the cassette positioned at the recording position. As a result, ribbons of each color are used according to the frequency of use of each color, and even multicolor images where colors are unevenly used can be recorded without wasting ribbons that are used less frequently. be able to.

Effect 10 of the Invention Vane As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides a method for performing thermal transfer recording using a parallel dot method on recording paper that is fed and driven in the sub-scanning direction. By positioning the cassettes alternately at the recording position of the thermal head and selectively feeding and driving only the ribbon of the ribbon cassette positioned at the recording position during the recording operation, the colors of multiple ribbons are superimposed. In addition to being able to record images, ribbons of each color can be used according to the frequency of use of each color, so even multicolor images where colors are unevenly used can be used to reduce ribbon waste. This has the effect that it can be recorded.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 4 are schematic configuration diagrams showing the main parts of a multicolor image recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a part of an image recorded by the same device, and FIG. 6 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a multicolor thermal transfer film used in a conventional device. 1...Recording paper, 2.Thermal head, 3,3A. H'・-7 3B, 3C... Ribbon cassette, 31... Feeding side hub, 32... Winding side hub, 33... Idle rotation shaft, 34... Drive shaft, 35... - Inner protrusion, 36... fin part, 4... cassette moving mechanism part,
5... Head drive mechanism section, 6... Head base in which the ribbon drive mechanism is incorporated, 7... Recorded image, X... Main scanning direction, Y... Sub-scanning direction.

Claims (1)

[Claims] This is a parallel or multi-dot type multicolor image recording device that performs thermal transfer recording on recording paper that is fed and driven in the sub-scanning direction by a thermal head that moves in the main-scanning direction together with a ribbon cassette. A cassette drive mechanism that alternately positions ribbon cassettes at the recording position of the thermal head, and a ribbon drive mechanism that selectively connects only the ribbon cassette positioned at the recording position during a recording operation to drive the ribbon. A multi-color image recording device.