JPH04173171A - Thermal ink-transfer recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To confirm the use number of ink donor films and to dispense with resetting labor after the set number of the films are used by displaying the count value of a count means whose value is successively changed at each time when the recording start mark at every set of colors is detected and setting said count value to an initial value when an end mark is detected. CONSTITUTION:A microcomputer 13 increases the value of a use number-of-ink donor film counter set within a memory region by 1 each time when the detection mark 4a showing the head of a set of respective colors constituting one page is detected and displays said value on a display apparatus 17. When the end mark 4f formed to the terminal part of the ink donor film 1 is detected, the used ink donor film 1 is taken out of the apparatus and, when a new ink donor film is set and the recording of an image is started, the display on the display apparatus 17 successively changes in the order of '0', '1', '2'.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording device that records color images by thermal transfer.

[Conventional technology]

There are various types of color image recording apparatuses, one of which is a transfer type color image recording apparatus that uses thermal transfer. This transfer-type color image recording apparatus uses an ink donor film on which inks of four colors, yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, are repeatedly applied in sequence. When producing a color image, the recording paper and ink donor film are sandwiched between the platen drum and the thermal head while being conveyed, and the thermal head is driven with an image signal corresponding to each color to generate heat in the desired pixel area and ink. The paint in the donor film is transferred to the recording paper by sublimation or melting.

The ink donor film has one set of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and a certain number of sets, for example, 100 sets, that is, 100 images, is set as one roll in a film cassette or film magazine. has been done. In order to know when to replace the ink donor film roll, it is necessary to detect the end of the ink donor film.

Therefore, in conventional thermal transfer recording devices, an end mark is printed or pasted on the end of the ink donor film.
The end of the ink donor film can be recognized by detecting this end mark, or by installing a mechanical counter on the main body of the thermal transfer recording device to count the number of sheets recorded, and by looking at the value displayed on this counter. was.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, with the former detection method, it is not possible to determine how much of the set ink donor film is left, and the film runs out before a spare ink donor film is prepared, which interrupts the recording process. This causes the inconvenience of being exposed. In addition, even if a counter for counting the number of recorded sheets is provided outside the film cassette or film magazine as in the latter case, the number of sheets set on the ink donor film ends and a new
After replacing the film with a donor film, it is necessary to manually reset the counter each time, which is a hassle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, to make it possible to recognize the number of used ink donor films, and to eliminate the need for manual resetting after using a set number of ink donor films. .

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ink donor film in which sets of different colors are repeatedly arranged, and a recording start mark is attached for each set of colors, and a recording end mark is attached at the end. In a thermal transfer recording apparatus, which controls the position of the ink donor film by detecting the recording start mark with a mark detection means during image recording, each time the recording start mark for each color group is detected. It is characterized by comprising a counting means whose value changes sequentially, a means for displaying the counted value of the counting means, and a means for setting the counted value of the counting means to an initial value when the end mark is detected. do.

[Effect]

According to the thermal transfer recording apparatus of the present invention, the value of the counting means is sequentially changed each time a recording start mark for each color group is detected. Since the contents of the counting means are displayed on the display device, the user can recognize the number of ink donor films used.

Then, when the ink donor film is completed and the end mark is detected, the contents of the counting means are automatically set to the initial value and returned to the initial state.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the features of the present invention will be specifically explained based on examples.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an embodiment of a thermal transfer recording apparatus of the present invention. The ink donor film 1 used in this example is as shown in FIGS.
A color material layer 3 containing heat-fusible or heat-sublimable pigments or dyes of various colors is formed on the entire surface of one side of a base material 2 made of a transparent synthetic resin film such as ET, by coating or the like.

Note that A in the figure indicates the effective printing width. In this color material layer 3, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a color set consisting of a yellow part 3Y, a magenta part 3M, a cyan part 3C, and a black part 3B is used to form one page of color images. are formed repeatedly at regular intervals.

Further, on the coloring material layer 3, a detection mark 4 for positioning the ink donor film 1 made of a pigment such as carbon black or the like is printed. The detection marks 4 include a page head mark 4a for defining the head position of each color set, intercolor head marks 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e for defining the head position of each color, and end of ink donor film. There is an end mark 4f to indicate.

Note that a page head mark 4a is provided at one side edge of the ink donor film 1, and intercolor head marks 4b, 4c are provided at the other side edge.

46, 4e are provided. Further, the end mark 4f is provided at the end of the ink donor film 1 over the entire width. Further, on the other surface of the base material 2, a heat-resistant layer 5 made of a surfactant and a resin is formed.

Next, a transfer type color image recording apparatus in which the above ink donor film 1 is used will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. The above-described ink donor film 1 is wound around a supply roll 6 with the coloring material layer 3 side facing inside, and the ink donor film 1 pulled out from this supply roll 6 is placed on a platen drum 7 rotating in the direction of arrow B. and a thermal head 8 that is pressed against the platen drum 7 together with the recording paper 9 wound around the platen drum 7 . The thermal head 8 can be moved toward and away from the platen drum 7 in the direction of arrow C by a solenoid device (not shown), and is in pressure contact with the platen drum 7 only when recording an image, and at other times, it is not in contact with the platen drum 7. evacuate.

The ink donor film 1 that has passed through the pressure contact position between the thermal head 8 and the platen drum 7 is taken up by a take-up roll 11 via a guide roller 10 . The guide roller 10 has a light reflecting surface, and first and second mark sensors 12a and 12b are arranged near the guide roller 10 and sandwich the ink donor film 1 therebetween. These mark sensors 12a, 12b are
As schematically shown in FIG.
As you move in the direction of the arrow, the page top mark 4
a and the intercolor leading marks 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e pass through.

Each of the mark sensors 12a, 12b includes an infrared light emitting element and a light receiving element, and the infrared light from the light emitting element is reflected by the surface of the guide roller 10 and enters the light receiving element. A material that transmits infrared rays is selected as the pigment or dye of the color material layer 4 of the ink donor film 1, and a material that blocks not only visible light but also infrared rays, such as carbon black, is used as the detection mark 4. ing. Therefore, each mark sensor 12a,
When there is no ink donor film 1 in the portion 12b, or when a portion of the ink donor film 1 other than the detection mark 4 is passing through, there is light incident on the light receiving element and the mark sensor is turned on, for example, and the detection mark is detected. When the four portions have passed, no light is incident on the light receiving element, and the mark sensor is turned off, for example. The output of each mark sensor 12a, 12b is supplied to a microcomputer 13, and an ink donor film feeding device 14 feeds the take-up roll 11 depending on the presence or absence of the detection mark 4.
The rotation of the winding motor 15 that rotates the winding motor 15 is controlled.

As shown in FIG. 1, the microcomputer 13 includes, in addition to the ink donor film feeding device 14, an EEFROM (electrically erasable and electrically writable) that stores the number of ink donor films used in the recording device. non-volatile storage devices such as (read-only memory) 1
6. A display device 17 for reading and displaying the contents of the storage device 16 or the contents stored in the memory within the microcomputer 13 is connected.

Next, the basic operation of the above-mentioned transfer type color image recording apparatus will be explained.

When the power of the transfer type color image recording apparatus is turned on, first, the thermal head 8 goes into a retracted state, and the platen drum 7 is driven by a drum motor (not shown).
A gripper (not shown) that holds the recording paper 9 is rotated to the paper feeding position. Further, the microcomputer 13 and the ink donor film feeding device 14 start the rotation of the take-up motor 15, and accordingly the take-up roll 11 rotates to start moving the ink donor film 1 in the direction of the arrow. Then, the detection marks 4a and 4b of the ink donor film 1 are detected by the mark sensor 1.
2a and 12b at the same time, the rotation of the take-up motor 15 is stopped and the ink donor film 1 is
to stop. As a result, the yellow part 3Y of the ink donor film 1 is transferred to the platen drum 7 and the thermal head 8.
It will be located between.

That is, the cueing of the set of color materials including yellow, magenta, cyan, and black is completed.

Next, when a print start command is sent from a host device (not shown), the recording device starts receiving red, blue, and green image data sequentially sent from the host device. In addition,
Image data is transmitted from the host device to the recording device in synchronization with the timing of recording in the recording device. The received red, blue, and green image data is processed by a color correction circuit (
(not shown) into yellow, magenta, cyan, and black print data, which are sequentially supplied to the thermal head 8.

Prior to printing, the recording paper 9 is held by a gripper (not shown) of the platen drum 7 and rotated to the printing position, and then the thermal head 8 is pressed against the platen drum 7.
Then, the platen drum 70 rotates, the ink donor film 1 is conveyed, and printing by the thermal head 8 is started. That is, the host device first transmits yellow image data, and the thermal head 8 starts recording the yellow image on the recording paper 9.

After printing one color, the thermal head 8 is separated from the platen drum 7, and the detection mark 4C for the magenta portion 3M is removed.
When detected by the mark sensor 12b, the movement of the ink donor film 1 is temporarily stopped. As a result, the beginning of the magenta section 4M is searched. Thereafter, as in the case of yellow, a magenta image is recorded superimposed on the yellow image on the recording paper 9.

Similarly, cyan and black images are multiple-transferred, and a color image is recorded as the platen drum 704 rotates. The ink donor film 1 after being used for transfer is wound onto a take-up roll 11, as shown in FIG.

Next, the operation of displaying the number of used ink donor films in this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

As described above, when recording a color image, the ink donor film feeding device 14 controlled by the micro combinator 13 detects the detection mark 4 formed on the ink donor film 1 with the mark sensors 12a and 12b. The conveyance control of the ink donor film 1 is performed by.

At this time, the microcomputer 13 sets the detection mark 4as in the memory area of the microcomputer 13 every time the detection mark 4as indicating the beginning of each color group constituting one page, that is, the page beginning mark is detected (step 101). The value of a counter (not shown) for counting the number of sheets used is incremented by 1 (step 102), and this value is displayed on the display device 1 and 17 (step 103), and is stored in the storage device 16 (step 104). .

When the power of the device is turned off, the display of the number of sheets used disappears, but the data of the number of sheets used is stored in the non-volatile storage device 16, so when the power is turned on again, the contents of the storage device 16 are restored. The ink donor film is read out and stored in a counter for counting the number of used ink donor films, and the number of used ink donor films is correctly displayed.

Further, when the end mark 4f formed at the end of the ink donor film 1 is detected (step 105),
The counter for counting the number of sheets used is cleared (step 10)
6). Therefore, the used ink donor film 1
When the ink donor film is removed from the device, a new ink donor film is loaded, and image recording is started, the displays on the display device 17 are rO'', rl'', r2'', ・
・Changes sequentially.

Note that the end mark 4f is detected by both mark sensors 12 immediately after the detection mark is detected only by the mark sensor 12b.
Detection can be performed by determining that a detection mark is detected at points a and 12b.

In the above embodiments, the number of ink donor films used is displayed, but if the number of ink donor films set is constant, the set number, for example,
The remaining number of sheets may be displayed by decreasing the display value from "100" for each recorded sheet. In this case, the remaining number of sheets may be set to rloo_J when the end mark is detected.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the number of used ink donor films can be known at any time, and if the set number of ink donor films is constant, the number of remaining ink donor films can also be known. Furthermore, when the ink donor film is finished, the contents of the counting means are automatically set to the initial value, which has the effect of eliminating the need for manual resetting.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an embodiment of the thermal transfer recording device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of an ink donor film used in the thermal transfer recording device, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a transfer type color image recording device to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a part of the ink donor film shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of displaying the number of used sheets. 1; Ink donor film 2: Base material 3: Color material layer 3Y: Yellow part 3M = Magenta part 3C; Cyan part 3: Black part 4: Detection mark 4a; Page top mark 4b,
4c, 4d, 4e: Inter-color leading mark 4f: End mark 5: Heat-resistant layer 6: Supply roll 7: Platen drum 8: Thermal head 9: Recording paper 10: Guide roller 11: Take-up roll 12a
, 12b: Arc sensor 13: Microcomputer 14: Ink donor film feeding device 15: Take-up motor 16: Storage device 17: Display device Fig. 2, Fig. 4, Fig. 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Using an ink donor film in which sets of different colors are repeatedly arranged, and a recording start mark is attached for each set of colors, and an end mark is attached at the end,
In a thermal transfer recording device that controls the position of the ink donor film by detecting the recording start mark with a mark detection means during image recording, each time the recording start mark for each color group is detected, the value is sequentially changed. A thermal transfer recording comprising: a counting means that changes; a means for displaying the counted value of the counting means; and a means for setting the counted value of the counting means to an initial value when the end mark is detected. Device.