JPH0390381A - Serial thermal transfer recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase printing speed by printing characters with the alternating use of the first ink ribbon and the second ink ribbon line by line. CONSTITUTION:First, printing is performed from left to right using either of an upper or a lower ink ribbon 23, 24, and if a single line is completely printed, printing is reversed using either of the other upper or lower ink ribbon 24, 23 by changing the upper and lower positions of an ink ribbon cassette 25. If printing of the next single line is completed, the upper and lower positions of the ink ribbon cassette 25 are again changed, and printing is performed from left to right using the initially used ink ribbon 23 or 24. Thus it is possible to perform printing even when a carriage returns by repeating the action as described. In addition, the unloaded feed of an ink ribbon is no longer necessary and therefore, printing speed can be substantially increased.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a serial printing type thermal transfer recording device used in word processor output devices and personal computer output terminals.

Conventional thermal transfer recording devices have been widely used as output devices for word processors, output terminals for personal computers, etc. because of their low noise, easy maintenance, and ability to print on plain paper.

Part 1 about the conventional serial printing type thermal transfer recording device
This will be explained using FIG. 1 and FIG. 12.

FIG. 11 is a top view showing the main parts of a conventional serial thermal transfer recording device, and FIG. 12 is a top view showing the entire structure of FIG. 11. In FIG. 11, 1 is a platen, 2 is a thermal head, 3 is an ink ribbon, 4 is an ink ribbon cassette that stores the ink ribbon 3, 5 is a recording paper, 6 is a take-up reel for winding up the ink ribbon 3, and 7 is a take-up reel for winding up the ink ribbon 3. A supply reel 8 supplies the ink ribbon 3; a carriage 8 holds the ink ribbon cassette 4 and the thermal head 2 and moves along the platen 1; and 9 a sliding shaft for guiding the carriage 8.

Further, in FIG. 12, 10 is a belt fixed to the carriage, 11 is a pulley that drives the belt 10, 12 is a stepping motor, and 13 is a gear that transmits power from the stepping motor 12 to the pulley 11.

The operation of the conventional serial thermal transfer recording apparatus configured as described above will be described below. The ink ribbon 3 and the recording paper 5 are pressed together by the platen 1 and the thermal head 2, and as the thermal head 2 generates heat according to a desired pattern, the ink spread on the ink ribbon 3 is melted and transferred onto the recording paper 5. transcribed. In the serial printing method, the thermal head 2 and the ink ribbon cassette 4 move sequentially in the direction along the platen 1 (here, in the direction of arrow A), and at the same time wind up the used ink ribbon 3 in the direction of arrow C, thereby recording thermal transfer. will be held. When printing from the left end to the right end of the platen 1 is completed in this way, the pressure bond between the thermal head 2 and the platen 1 is released, and the carriage 4 moves in the direction of arrow B (this is called a return operation). The movement is performed by changing the direction of rotation of the stepping motor 12 shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating the serial thermal transfer recording apparatus shown in FIG. 12. In FIG. 13, the same parts as in FIG. 12 are given the same numbers. As explained using FIG. 12, after one line of printing is completed, the carriage 4 returns to the left end again, and the recording paper 5 is fed by one line in the direction of arrow C, and is again moved from the left end to the right end. will be held.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, conventional serial thermal transfer recording devices cannot print during the return operation, and therefore have a problem in that the actual printing speed is slow.

In order to solve these problems, a serial thermal transfer recording device capable of printing in both directions has been proposed, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 141582/1982. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, this uses a wide ink ribbon, and for example, first prints one line from left to right using the lower part of the ink ribbon. The cutting direction is C direction)
, the next line prints from right to left using the upper part of the ink ribbon by changing the vertical relative position of the ink ribbon and the thermal head (printing direction is B direction, ink ribbon winding direction is direction D). However, even in such a serial thermal transfer recording device, after two lines of printing are completed, it is necessary to feed the ink ribbon one line from right to left, so the actual printing speed does not increase much. .

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an excellent serial thermal transfer recording device with substantially improved printing speed.

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve this object, the serial thermal transfer recording device of the present invention includes a platen, a print head disposed at a position facing the platen, and a print head that holds the print head and is mounted on the platen. an ink ribbon cassette held by the carriage and having a first ink ribbon and a second ink ribbon disposed above or below the first ink ribbon; means for moving the ink ribbon cassette up and down; a first take-up reel for winding in a direction opposite to the printing direction; and a first take-up reel provided in the carriage, the carriage moving in a second printing direction opposite to the first printing direction to print. When printing, the second ink ribbon is
and a second take-up reel for winding in the opposite direction to the printing direction.

With this configuration, printing is first performed from left to right using either the upper or lower ink ribbon, and when the printing for the load is completed, the vertical position of the ink ribbon cassette is changed, and then the upper or lower ink ribbon is used. Print in the opposite direction using the other lower ink ribbon. When printing for the next load is completed in this way, the vertical position of the ink ribbon cassette is changed again, and printing is performed from left to right using the ink ribbon used first. By repeating such operations, it becomes possible to perform printing even when returning, and furthermore, since there is no need for empty feeding of the ink ribbon, it is possible to substantially improve the printing speed.

EXAMPLE An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 are top views showing the main parts of a serial thermal transfer recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 1 showing the printing state and FIG. 2 showing the non-printing state. 3 and 4 are partial sectional views of FIG. 1, and are views seen from the direction of arrow N in FIG. 1. 5 and 6 are side views seen from the direction of arrow M in FIG. 1, and FIG.
The state shown in FIG. 6 corresponds to the state shown in FIG. 4, respectively. In Figures 1 to 6, 21 is a platen, 22
is a thermal head placed opposite the platen 21,
23 is a first ink ribbon disposed between the platen 21 and the thermal head 22; 24 is a first ink ribbon;
is located below the ink ribbon 23 of the platen 2.
1 and the thermal head 22; 25 is the first ink ribbon 2;
26 is a cassette holder that holds the ink ribbon cassette 25, 27 is a carriage that moves along the platen and holds the thermal head 22 and the cassette holder 26, and 28 is a carriage. 27 is a guide rod for guiding the cassette holder 26; 29 is recording paper; 30
31 is a head holder that holds the thermal head 22; 31 is a first cassette reel provided in the ink ribbon cassette 25 for winding up the first ink ribbon 23; 32;
a second cassette reel 3 provided in the ink ribbon cassette 25 for winding up the second ink ribbon 24;
3 is a first shaft fixed to the carriage 27; 34 is a first shaft;
a first take-up reel, 35, rotating about an axis 33;
36 is a pressure plate provided integrally with the take-up reel 34; 37 is a slip plate provided between the gear 35 and the pressure plate 36;
38 is a spring that presses the gear 35 against the pressure contact plate 36 via the slip plate 37; 39 is a third cassette reel provided in the ink ribbon cassette 25 for winding up the first ink ribbon 23; and 40 is an ink ribbon cassette. A fourth cassette reel provided in the set 25 for winding up the second ink ribbon 24; 41 a second shaft fixed to the carriage 27; 42 a second cassette reel rotating around the second shaft 41; 43 is a take-up reel 42
44 is a pressure contact plate provided integrally with the take-up reel 42; 45 is a gear 43 and a pressure contact plate 44;
A slip plate 46 provided between the slip plate 46 and the slip plate 46 is a spring that presses the gear 43 against the pressure contact plate 44 via the slip plate 45. Further, 47 is a passive pulley that rotates by the movement of the belt, 48 is a gear that is rotated by the passive pulley 47, and the rotating shafts of the passive pulley 47 and the gear 48 are fixed to the carriage 27. 49 and 52 are gears 48
The gears 50 and 53 rotate by the gear 4, respectively.
9.52 rotation axis, 51 and 54 are gears 49.
Gears 55 and 56 that drive gear 52 are one-way clutches provided integrally with gears 51 and 54, respectively, and the power of gear 49 is transferred to gear 51 only when gear 49 rotates clockwise in FIG. The power of the gear 52 is set to be transmitted to the gear 54 only when the gear 52 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. Further, 57 is an arm that holds the rotating shafts 50 and 53, 58 is a rotating shaft of the arm 57, 59 is a biasing spring that biases the arm 57 in the direction of the gear 48, and 60 and 61 are provided in the carriage 27. They are reflective sensors, and have a first ink ribbon 23 and a second ink ribbon 24, respectively.
A reflective mark (not shown) provided at the end of the sensor can be detected. Further, 62 is a roller for guiding the first ink ribbon 23 and second ink ribbon 24 provided in the ink ribbon cassette 25, 63 is a belt fixed to the carriage 27, and 64 is a sliding member for guiding the carriage 27. The shaft 65 is a solenoid provided in the carriage 27, and as shown in FIG.
can be moved up and down.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the thermal head 22 and its surroundings, where 70 is a substrate, and 71 is a substrate 70 and 4 at the end of the substrate 70.
An inclined surface provided at an angle of 5 degrees, 72 a glaze layer formed on the substrate 70 , 73 a glaze layer 72
A heating element group 74 is provided at a position approximately in the center of the upper inclined surface 71, an electrode layer 75 is used to supply electricity to the heating element group 73;
is a protective film for protecting the heating element group 73 and the electrode layer 74. Further, the inclined surface 71 and the platen 21 are arranged so as to be substantially parallel to each other.

9a, b and 10 a, b show the cassette reel 31
．． 32, 39.40 and the take-up reel 34.42, in which FIG. 9 is a top view of the cassette reel, FIG. 9 is a partial sectional view thereof, and FIG. FIG. 10 is a top view of the take-up reel, and FIG. 10 is a side view thereof. In Figure 9.

10a and 10b, 66 is a protrusion provided on the inside of the cassette reel, and 67 is a protrusion provided on the outside of the take-up reel.

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

First, the state during printing will be explained using FIGS. 1 and 3. During printing, the thermal head 22 and the platen 21 are pressed against each other, so the arm 57 is not restricted by the head holder 30 and is urged in the direction of the gear 48 by the action of the urging spring 59.
The power of gear 48 is transmitted to gear 49 and gear 52. The initial printing is performed by moving the carriage 27 in the direction of arrow A as the belt 63 moves in the direction of arrow A.
The portion in contact with the passive pulley 47 of No. 3 moves in the B direction, and the passive pulley 47 rotates clockwise. The rotation of the passive pulley 47 is transmitted to the gear 49 and the gear S2 via the gear 48, and the gear 49 and the gear 52 rotate clockwise, respectively.
The gear 51 rotates clockwise due to the action of the one-way clutch 55 and the one-way clutch 56, and the gear 54 does not rotate.

Now, the rotation of the gear 51 is transmitted to the gear 35, and the rotation of the gear 51 is transmitted to the gear 35.
．． Slip plate 37. The first ink ribbon 23 is taken up in the direction of arrow C by the first cassette reel 31 which is transmitted to the take-up reel 34 by the frictional force between it and the pressure contact plate 36 and rotates together with the take-up reel 34. . At this time, the winding speed of the first ink ribbon 23 is set to be always faster than the moving speed of the carriage 27 regardless of the winding diameter of the first ink ribbon 23 on the first cassette reel 31. , gear 35 and pressure contact plate 3
6 through a slip plate 37. In this way, the used first ink ribbon 23 is always wound up at a constant speed (moving speed of the carriage 27) while applying appropriate tension between the thermal head 22 and the first cassette reel 31. become.

On the other hand, between the thermal head 22 and the cassette reel 39, the first ink ribbon 23 also moves at a speed equal to the moving speed of the carriage 27, which causes the cassette reel 42 to rotate counterclockwise and the gear 54 to rotate clockwise. rotated in the direction Here, the rotational speed of the gear 54 is set to be slower than the rotational speed of the gear 52 rotated by the gear 48 regardless of the winding diameter of the first ink ribbon 23 on the cassette reel 42. After all, gear 52
rotates clockwise relative to the gear 54, and the one-way clutch 56 causes the gear 52 to rotate clockwise relative to the gear 54.
There is no power transmission between the gear 54 and the gear 54. Therefore, the third cassette reel 39 is connected to the first ink ribbon 2.
The thermal head 22 and the third
The first ink ribbon 23 is connected to the cassette reel 39 of
There is no sagging.

As mentioned above, when printing in the direction of arrow A, the first
The first ink ribbon 23 is fed and printing is performed with the take-up reel 34 serving as the take-up side and the second take-up reel 42 serving as the supply side. Furthermore, as is clear from the above description, if the thermal head 22 and the platen 21 are pressed together and the carriage 27 is moved in the direction of arrow B, an operation completely opposite to that when printing in the direction of arrow A will occur. The first take-up reel 34 is the supply side, and the second take-up reel 4
2 becomes the winding side and printing can be performed.

Next, the overall operation of this embodiment will be explained.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, printing is initially performed in the direction of arrow A using the first ink ribbon 23 (the ink ribbon winding direction is in the C direction).

- When the printing is completed, release the pressure between the thermal head 22 and the platen 21, feed the recording paper 29 by one load, and raise the cassette holder 26 by the action of the solenoid 65, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. to the state shown. In this state, the thermal head 22 and platen 21 are pressed together again, and this time printing is performed in the direction of arrow B using the second ink ribbon 24 (at this time, the second cassette reel 32 and the first take-up reel 34 rotate together, and the fourth cassette reel 40 and the second take-up reel 42 rotate together, and the ink ribbon winding direction is direction D>.Continuing such operations This makes it possible to print in both directions, effectively increasing printing speed.

Next, the relationship between the cassette reel and the take-up reel will be explained using FIGS. 9a and 9b and FIGS. 10a and 10b. The first cassette reel 31 (cassette reel 31, 32,
39 and 40 have the same shape) and the first take-up reel 34 (the first take-up reel 34 and 42 have the same shape) are provided with a protrusion 66 and a protrusion 67, respectively. When the protrusions 67 engage, the two rotate as one. Therefore, for example, in the state shown in FIG. 3, the first cassette reel 31 and the first take-up reel 34 rotate together, and the third cassette reel 3
9 and the second take-up reel 42 rotate together.

Further, when the thermal head 22 and the platen 21 are released from the press, the arm 57 is operated by the head holder 30 as shown in FIG. 2, and the transmission between the gears 48, 49, and 52 is cut off. Therefore, the first ink ribbon 23 or the second ink ribbon 24 is not wound up. In other words, in the line where printing is performed,
By moving the carriage 27 in this state in areas that are not to be printed (blank areas), wasteful consumption of the ink ribbon can be suppressed. If this operation continues, the first ink ribbons 23 and 31! ! The consumption amount may be different between the second ink ribbon 24, but since the end of the ink ribbon can be detected by the function of the reflective sensors 60 and 61, for example, even if the first ink ribbon 23 reaches the end first, If printing is performed in the B direction using the second ink ribbon 24 until the second ink ribbon 24 reaches its end, the ink ribbon will not be wasted at all. Furthermore, since the thermal head 22 has a shape as shown in FIG. 8, the printing conditions do not change whether printing is performed in either direction A or B, so the printing is constant regardless of the printing direction. Quality can be maintained.

As described above, the serial thermal transfer recording device of this embodiment performs printing by alternately using the first ink ribbon 23 and the second ink ribbon 24 for each line, thereby improving the substantial printing speed. I can do it. Further, since the end of the ink ribbon can be detected by the function of the reflective sensors 60 and 61, for example, even if the first ink ribbon 23 reaches the end first, the second ink ribbon 24 is If printing is performed in the B direction using the ink ribbon 24, the ink ribbon will not be wasted at all. In addition, the substrate 70
An inclined surface 71 forming an angle of 45 degrees with the substrate 70 is provided on the edge of the platen 21, and a heating element group 73 is formed on this inclined surface 71.The thermal head 22 is formed at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the platen 21. The same print quality can be easily maintained regardless of the print direction.

Although this embodiment has been described with respect to a serial thermal transfer recording device using a thermal head, the present invention can also be applied to a serial thermal transfer recording device using an energized recording head.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, since printing is performed by using the first ink ribbon and the second ink ribbon alternately for each line, the printing speed can be substantially improved. By separately providing detection units for detecting the ends of the first ink ribbon and the second ink ribbon, it is possible to eliminate waste of ink ribbons, and furthermore, the thermal head is placed at a 45-degree angle to the edge of the substrate. By providing a sloped surface that forms an angle of can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are top views partially cut away showing the main parts of a serial thermal transfer recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figures 3, 4, and 7 are cross-sectional views showing the main parts of Figure 1, Figures 5 and 6 are side views of Figure 1, and Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the thermal head and its surroundings. , Fig. 9a, I) is a top view and cross-sectional view showing the cassette reel, Fig. 10a, b
11 and 12 are top views of a conventional thermal transfer recording device, FIG. 13 is a perspective view thereof, and FIGS. 14 and 15 are ink ribbons during printing. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing how it is used. 21...Platen, 22...Thermal head, 23...First ink ribbon, 24...
...Second ink ribbon, 25...Ink ribbon cassette, 27...Carriage, 34
...First take-up reel, 42...
Second take-up reel, 65... solenoid.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A platen, a print head disposed opposite the platen, a carriage that holds the print head and moves along the platen, a first ink ribbon held by the carriage, and a first ink ribbon held by the carriage and a first ink ribbon held by the carriage. an ink ribbon cassette having a second ink ribbon disposed above or below the first ink ribbon; a means provided in the carriage for vertically moving the ink ribbon cassette; a first take-up reel for winding the first ink ribbon in a direction opposite to the first printing direction when moving in the first printing direction along the platen and printing; and a first take-up reel in the carriage. and when the carriage moves in a second printing direction opposite to the first printing direction to perform printing, the second ink ribbon is moved in a direction opposite to the second printing direction. A serial thermal transfer recording device comprising a second take-up reel for winding. (2) Serial thermal transfer recording according to claim 1, wherein the first detection section for detecting the end of the first ink ribbon and the second detection section for detecting the end of the second ink ribbon are provided in the carriage. Device. (3) The print head is a thermal head comprising an inclined surface forming an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the principal surface of the substrate, and a group of heating elements formed on the inclined surface. The serial thermal transfer recording device described.