JPH0415111B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ink donor film used in a recording device such as a thermal transfer recording device.

In a thermal transfer recording device, the ink surface of an ink donor film and a recording paper are overlapped, and a thermal head is used to selectively thermally transfer ink from the ink donor film to the recording paper to record information. For this reason, this device is equipped with a drive system that supplies the ink donor film to the recording section at a predetermined running speed. It is then wound onto a take-up roll.

By the way, in conventional thermal transfer recording apparatuses, even when recording progresses and there is only a small amount of ink donor film left to be supplied to the recording section, there is no means for displaying this to the operator. Therefore, the operator cannot detect when it is time to replace the ink donor film until recording is actually no longer possible, and recording may be interrupted due to replacement of the ink donor film at a time when prompt recording is required. There was an inconvenience that this may occur. In other words, if recording is interrupted while one page of recording paper is being recorded, it becomes necessary to resend the recorded content.

Therefore, if this recording device is a printer device that is a terminal device for a central control device such as a computer or a personal computer, the operator must operate the central control device again after replacing the ink donor film. . In addition, if this recording device is a facsimile device, the receiver's operator must, after replacing the ink donor film, notify the transmitter that recording has been interrupted and request retransmission. . In this case, the sender's handler would retransmit the message based on the request.
In other words, in such cases, both parties were forced to bear a heavy burden.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink donor film in which the vicinity of the end of the film can be physically identified and recording is not interrupted.

The present invention provides a mark that can be electrically, optically, or magnetically constructed on an ink donor film, and is used in a recording apparatus that stops recording operation on recording paper after detection by a mark detection means that detects the mark. The above object is achieved by arranging the mark near the end so that it has a recordable area longer than at least the length of one page of recording paper.

The present invention will be explained in detail with reference to Examples below.

FIG. 1 shows an ink donor film in which the vicinity of the end portion can be optically detected. The ink donor film has a recordable area 12 coated with ink on one side, except for a non-recordable area 11 near the end thereof. An end mark 14A from which the ink layer has been removed is formed on the right end of the ink donor film at a position about 300 mm from the boundary line 13 between the two regions toward the film's leading edge, extending approximately 10 mm square. The end mark 14A may have a long length extending toward the unrecordable area 11. In short, it is sufficient that the recordable area 12 of a predetermined length is secured after the end mark 14A is detected. Such an end mark 14A is created by partially removing the ink surface using mechanical means during the ink donor film manufacturing process, or by transferring a portion of the ink surface onto the paper using a thermal head. , can be easily created.

The end mark 14A portion is transparent because the ink layer has been removed, and the other portions of the recordable area 12 are opaque because the ink layer is continuously applied. Therefore, by arranging photoelectric conversion elements facing each other in the path of the ink donor film so as to sandwich the ink donor film, the vicinity of the end of the ink donor film can be detected by detecting the end mark 14A. . Moreover, since the end mark 14A is provided at the side edge of the recordable area 12, it does not affect recording. Since the distance between the boundary line 13 and the detection position for the end mark 14A is set to be longer than the length of one page of the recording paper used, the recording being performed at the time the end mark 14A is detected is , can be completed in the recordable area 12, and then the recording operation is stopped. Therefore, there is no need to retransmit the recorded contents of the same page.

FIG. 2 shows an ink donor film in which the vicinity of the end portion can be electrically detected. The film surface near the end of the ink donor film recordable area 12 has a width of 20 mm and a length of 30 mm.
A certain amount of aluminum film is deposited, and an end mark 14B is formed.

The end mark 14B portion is conductive, and the other portions are kept insulating. Therefore,
The two detection electrodes 21 and 22 are placed adjacent to each other in a non-contact state, and while sliding on the film surface of the ink donor film, these detection electrodes 2
If the current detecting means 23 and the power source 24 are connected in series between the ink donor film 1 and 22, the vicinity of the end of the ink donor film can be detected based on the current change.
Moreover, if the thickness of the film is sufficiently thin, it will not adversely affect the recorded image.

Of course, the end mark 14B can also be detected by a reflective light detection means that detects light reflected from the film surface of the ink donor film. In this case, there is an advantage that the end mark can be detected without contacting the ink donor film.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the end mark is provided on the ink donor film, it is possible to accurately inform the operator of the time to replace the ink donor film using a display means such as an alarm lamp. Furthermore, the mark is detected in a state where there is a recordable area longer than the length of one page of recording paper, and the recording performed at the time of detection can be completed within the recordable area. Recording is not interrupted midway, and there is no need to retransmit the recorded contents of the same page.

In the examples, an end mark that can be detected optically or electrically was explained, but it goes without saying that if the end mark is formed of a magnetic material, the end of the ink donor film can be detected magnetically. be. Furthermore, in the examples, an aluminum film was deposited on the ink donor film, but it goes without saying that it is also possible to adhere a conductive sheet such as aluminum foil.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an ink donor film in a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a detection mechanism near the end of the ink donor film in a second embodiment of the present invention. be. 14A, 14B...End mark.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An ink donor film formed in a roll shape, which has a mark that can be detected electrically, optically, or magnetically, and after the mark is detected, the ink donor film is attached to a recording paper. The mark is detected by a mark detection means of a recording device that stops the recording operation, and is arranged near the end so as to have a recordable area that is longer than at least the length of one page of the recording paper. Ink donor film.