JPH0350712B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field The present invention performs recording by thermally transferring heat-melting or heat-sublimating ink applied to transfer paper onto image-receiving paper using the heat of a recording head such as a thermal head. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording device.

Conventional configurations and their problems In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for devices that make color hard copies of displays such as CRTs, and as a method that requires no maintenance, a system that uses multiple heat-melting or heat-sublimation inks is being applied. There is a need for an apparatus that sequentially transfers and records images onto image-receiving paper using transferred paper.

An example of a conventional thermal transfer recording device will be described below.

FIGS. 1 to 3 schematically show the main recording portion of an example of a conventional thermal transfer recording device. First, FIG. 1 will be explained. 1 is image receiving paper, 2 is a rotatably supported drum, and 3 is the tip of image receiving paper 1 attached to drum 2.
Holder 4 clamps holder 3 to drum 2
5 is a paper guide that guides the image receiving paper 1 to the holder 3; 6 is a rotatable shaft that is always biased toward the approximate center of the drum 2 (the configuration is omitted); A supported pressure roller, 7 a transfer paper coated with heat-melting or heat-sublimation ink of multiple colors, 8 a supply reel around which the transfer paper 7 is wound, and 9 a take-up reel around which the transfer paper 7 is wound. , 10
1 is a thermal head which is fixed to an arm 11 rotatably supported by an arm 11 which is pressed into contact with the drum 2 or separated from the drum 2 by overlapping the image receiving paper 1 and the transfer paper 7.

The operation of the conventional thermal transfer recording apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

The leading edge of the image-receiving paper 1 is held on the drum 2 by the holder 3, the image-receiving paper 1 is tightly wound around the drum 2 by the pressure roller 6, and the transfer paper 7 of the first color (for example, cyan) and the image-receiving paper 1 are transferred by the thermal head 10. The drum 2 is pressed against the drum 2 and rotated in the direction of arrow A, and the ink on the transfer paper 7 is thermally transferred onto the image receiving paper 1 by the thermal head 10 which is heated by the recording signal. When the recording of the first color is completed, the arm 11 rotates, the thermal head 10 is separated from the drum 2, and the drum 2 is rotated in the direction of arrow A until the position of the heating element of the thermal head 10 and the recording start position of the first color coincide. It rotates and stops. The transfer paper 7 is wound up by the take-up reel 9 until the substantially leading edge of the second color (for example, yellow) coincides with the heating element of the thermal head 10 and then stopped. Next, the thermal head 10 again holds the image receiving paper 1 and the transfer paper 7 and is pressed against the drum 2.
rotates in the direction of arrow A, and the second color is recorded. A third color (for example, magenta) is recorded in the same manner to obtain a color hard copy. Thereafter, the drum 2 rotates in the direction opposite to the arrow A, and the image receiving paper 1 is removed from the drum 2 by releasing the holder 3 discharged onto the paper guide 5.

However, in the above configuration, the transfer paper 7
When replacing the transfer paper 7, since it is not in a cassette, it requires complicated steps such as attaching the supply reel 8 wound with the transfer paper 7 to the main body and fixing the leading end of the transfer paper 7 to the take-up reel 9. It had a point.

As an improved device, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a supply reel 12 is rotatably supported.
Another example uses a take-up reel 13 which is rotatably supported, and a cassette 14 containing transfer paper 7 wound around the supply reel 12 and stretched between the supply reel 12 and the take-up reel 13. be.

This structure will be explained below.

The cassette 14 has a thermal head 10 and a drum 2.
It is inserted into or removed from a predetermined position at a greater distance (FIG. 3). Cassette 14
When the lock lever 16 is inserted into a predetermined position, the tip of the lock lever 16, which is pivoted on the shaft 15, is inserted into the opening 17 of the cassette 14, and the cassette 14 is locked. The lock lever 16 is always locked by the spring 18.
Since the tip of the cassette 14 is biased so as to be engaged with the opening 17, the cassette 14 cannot be taken out unless the lock lever 16 is rotated in the direction of arrow B. Further, the cassette 14 is provided with an opening on the side of the drum 2 and the thermal head 10, through which the thermal head 10 can be brought into pressure contact with the drum 2 via the image receiving paper 1 and the transfer paper 7.

The operation of this device will be explained below.

The leading edge of the image receiving paper 1 is held on the drum 2 by the holder 3, the thermal head 10 is pressed against the drum 2 via the image receiving paper 1 and the transfer paper 7, the drum 2 is rotated in the direction of arrow A, and the thermal head is transferred by the recording signal. The heating element of the head 10 generates heat to transfer and record the ink on the transfer paper 7 onto the image receiving paper 1 (FIG. 2). When recording of the first color is completed, the thermal head 10 is separated from the drum 2 by rotation of the arm 11. At this time, the thermal head 10 is protruding from the opening on the side of the drum 2 and the thermal head 10 of the cassette 14.
The cassette 14 is therefore ready for removal (FIG. 3). In this state, the drum 2 rotates in the direction of arrow A, and stops when the first color recording start position of the image receiving paper 1 reaches the position of the heating element of the thermal head 10. After the thermal head 10 is separated from the drum 2, the transfer paper 7 is wound up by the take-up reel 13 until the approximately leading edge of the second color reaches the position of the heating element of the thermal head 10, and then stopped (the drive of the take-up reel 13 (Mechanism not shown). Thereafter, the thermal head 10 is brought into pressure contact with the drum 2 of the cassette 14 through the opening on the side of the thermal head 10, the image receiving paper 1 and the transfer paper 7, and the second color is recorded. After the third color is recorded in the same way as above, the thermal head 10
is rotated away from the drum 2 to the position shown in FIG. Thereafter, the drum 2 is rotated in the opposite direction to the arrow A, the image receiving paper 1 is discharged onto the paper guide 5, and the holder 3 is released and the image receiving paper 1 is taken out as a color hard copy.

According to this device, in order to insert or remove the cassette 14, it is necessary to provide a large distance between the thermal head 10 and the drum 2. There is a problem in that the movement time of the thermal head 10 for winding up the transfer paper 7 when recording is stopped becomes long.

Also, if the lock lever 16 that locks the cassette 14 is inadvertently rotated in the direction of arrow B and the transfer paper 7 is being wound up during recording or when recording is stopped, the cassette 14 will be ejected and the recording will not be completed completely. There have been problems such as not being carried out or the transfer paper being damaged.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a thermal transfer recording device that can shorten the recording time. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that can prevent the cassette from being removed during recording.

Structure of the Invention The present invention involves winding image-receiving paper around a drum, and pressing a thermal head over the image-receiving paper through transfer paper that is built in a cassette and sequentially painted with a plurality of colors using heat-melting or heat-sublimating ink. Accordingly, the thermal transfer recording device heat-transfers the ink on the transfer paper to the image receiving paper in sequence, and when recording is stopped, there is a first position where the cassette can be inserted and removed, and a position where the cassette cannot be inserted and removed but from the drum. The thermal head is located at a second position slightly apart from the drum.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the recording operation has been completed or recording preparations have been completed. 20 is image receiving paper, and 21 is a paper guide. Reference numeral 22 denotes a holder, which is rotatably mounted on a rotation shaft 24 fixed to the drum 23 which is supported on a shaft 46 . Further, the holder 22 is always connected to the drum 2 by a spring 25 fixed to the drum 23 at one end.
3 is biased approximately toward the center. Reference numeral 50 is a cassette (shown as a cross-sectional view in FIGS. 4 to 6), which includes a supply reel 27 and a take-up reel 28 which are rotatably supported, and which contain heat-fusible or heat-sublimable inks of different colors. The transfer paper 2 is sequentially coated with cyan C, yellow Y, and magenta M (FIG. 7), is wound around a supply reel 27, and has its other end locked on a take-up reel 28.
It has 6 built-in. Reference numerals 29 and 30 designate guide rollers for the transfer paper 26 rotatably supported by the cassette 50. A thermal head 31 is composed of a heating element base 32, a base material 33, and a paper guide section 34. The thermal head 31 is fixed to an arm 36 rotatably attached to a rotation shaft 35. The arm 36 is connected to the thermal head 3 across the rotating shaft 35.
A spring 38 is stretched between the arm 37 and an arm 37 rotatably attached to a rotation shaft 35 on the opposite side. The arm 3 is rotatably attached to a rotation shaft 35.
A sector gear 39 held between the arm 37 and the arm 37 is meshed with a drive gear 40 connected to a drive motor (not shown). The sliding lever 41 is slidably engaged with a fixed shaft 42 through a long hole 43, and one end is pivotally connected to the arm 37 via a shaft 44. 5
Reference numeral 1 designates a locking lever that is engaged with the opening 52 of the cassette 50 and is pivoted on a shaft 54 that locks the cassette 50. The locking lever 51 is always biased by a spring 53 in a direction in which it is engaged with the opening 52 . Fourth
In the state shown in the figure, the sector gear 39 rotates in the direction of arrow F due to the rotation of the drive gear 40 and comes into contact with the arm 36, so that the tension of the spring 38 causes the arm 37 to rotate. Therefore, the sliding lever 41 slides along the shaft 42, abuts the end of the holder 22, and rotates the holder 22 against the spring 25 to open it. Further, the thermal head 31 is separated from the drum 23. The locking lever 51 is also engaged on the opposite side of the paper guide portion 34 against the spring 53 and rotated to be released from the opening 52 . Therefore, the cassette 50 can be inserted and removed freely, and in this state, the cassette 50 is inserted into a predetermined position for recording. Also, in this state, move the image receiving paper 20 to the paper guide 2.
When the leading edge of the image-receiving paper 20 is positioned in the notch 45 of the drum 31, the drive gear 4
0 is reversed, the sector gear 39 rotates in the opposite direction to the arrow F, and the holder 22 is accordingly rotated by the panel 25 to clamp the image receiving paper 20 on the drum 23. FIG. 5 shows the state. At this time, the thermal head 31 is not yet pressed against the drum 23. Further, the locking lever 51 rotates and engages with the opening 52 to lock the cassette 50. In this state, the drive gear 40
stops. At this time, the sliding lever 41 is separated from the holder 22. Next, in this state, drum 2
3 clamps the leading edge of the image receiving paper 20 with the holder 22,
The image receiving paper 20 is attached to the drum 23 using a spring member (not shown).
The thermal head 31 rotates in the direction of arrow G while being pressed against it by a roller 47 that is always urged toward the approximate center of the drum 23, and stops at a position where the heating element of the thermal head 31 contacts the drum 23 slightly behind the notch 45. do. The transfer paper 26 is also taken up by the take-up reel 28 at the same time, and when the thermal head 31 comes into contact with the drum 23, approximately the top of the first color (cyan) of the ink applied to the transfer paper 26 is heated by the thermal head 31. It stops at the position where it touches the body. Next, the drive gear 40 continues to reverse, and the sector gear 39 rotates in the opposite direction to the arrow F, thus causing the thermal head 31 to rotate the receiving paper 20,
The transfer paper 26 is held between the drums 2 and 2 by the tension of the spring 38.
3. This state is shown in FIG. In this state, the locking lever 51 remains engaged with the opening 52. When the thermal head 31 is brought into pressure contact with the drum 23, the drum 23 rotates in the direction of arrow G, and ink from the transfer paper 26 is transferred and recorded onto the image receiving paper 20 in accordance with the signal. At this time, the transfer paper 26 sent by the drum 23 is wound up by the take-up reel 28.
When the first color is recorded, the drum 23 is temporarily stopped and the thermal head 31 is moved away to the state shown in FIG. Thereafter, the drum 23 rotates again in the direction of arrow G until the position where the first color is recorded coincides with the position of the heating element of the thermal head 31 during pressure contact, and then stops, and the transfer paper 26 is transferred to the second color of the applied ink. The take-up reel 28 is moved until the approximate beginning of the color (yellow) matches the position of the heating element of the thermal head 31 during pressure contact.
to stop winding. Next, as shown in FIG. 6 again, the thermal head 31 is brought into pressure contact with the drum 23, and the second color is recorded on the image receiving paper 20 over the first color. Similarly, the third color is recorded over the first and second colors to obtain a color hard copy.

When recording is completed, the thermal head 31 rotates to the position shown in FIG. It rotates in the direction shown in Fig. 4 and stops. After this, the fourth
The sector gear rotates in the direction of arrow F to the position shown in the figure, the holder 22 rotates, and the receiving paper 20 is released and taken out as a color hard copy.
Further, since the locking lever 51 is also released from the opening 52, the cassette 50 can be taken out freely.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the first effect is that the position where the thermal head 31 is separated from the drum 23 and stopped is the position where the cassette 50 is inserted or removed (FIG. 4) and the position where the transfer paper 26 is moved when recording is stopped. Since the drum 23 has two stop positions (Fig. 5) for rotating the drum 23 to the recording start position for winding or recording the next color, the rotating time of the thermal head 31 is shortened. It only needs to be short, so the recording time can be shortened. Also, when recording (6th
Since the difference in the travel length of the transfer paper 26 between the time when the transfer paper 26 is wound up to the next recording position (FIG. 5) is small, less transfer paper is required.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the locking lever 51 engages with the opening 52 in conjunction with the rotation of the thermal head 31.
Since the cassette 50 is not removed during recording, there is no possibility of erroneous operation.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the thermal transfer recording device of the present invention has two positions: a first position where a cassette containing transfer paper can be inserted or taken out; In contrast to the first position, a stop position of the recording head is provided at a second position close to the drum, and the image receiving paper is wound up or the drum is rotated at the second position when recording is stopped. , the movement of the recording head is short, and therefore the recording time as a color hard copy can be shortened, and the traveling path length of the transfer paper during recording and the traveling path length of the transfer paper when recording is stopped are Since the difference is small, the length of the transfer paper can be shortened, and its practical effect is great. Furthermore, by providing a locking member that engages with the cassette in conjunction with the rotation of the thermal head, it is possible to prevent malfunctions such as ejecting the cassette during recording.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the recording state of a conventional thermal transfer recording apparatus when the cassette is not used, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the recording state when the same cassette is used.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a recording suspension state when the same cassette is used, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second recording suspension state of the thermal transfer recording apparatus in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the first state of the recording pause, and FIG.
The figure shows the state during recording, and FIG. 7 is a plan view of the transfer paper used in the apparatus. 1, 20... image receiving paper, 7, 26... transfer paper,
2, 23...drum, 10, 31...thermal head, 16...lock lever, 51...locking lever, 14, 50...cassette.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 An image-receiving paper, a transfer paper coated with heat-melting or heat-sublimating ink, a cassette containing the transfer paper, a locking member that fixes the cassette at a recording position, and a mechanism for winding the image-receiving paper. The recording head includes a rotatably supported drum, and a recording head which clamps and presses the image receiving paper and transfer paper against the drum during recording and is separated from the drum when recording is stopped, and the recording head is separated from the drum. A first position in which the cassette is released from being fixed to the recording position by the locking member and can be inserted and removed; and a first position in which the cassette is fixed at the recording position by the locking member and cannot be inserted or removed, but the recording head can be inserted. A thermal transfer recording device is set at two second positions slightly apart from the drum.