JPH04238075A - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a thermal transfer printer capable of printing easily data at a specified position on a leaf recording medium without the necessity of performing a complicated print positioning process. CONSTITUTION:A thermal transfer printer operates to form characters or an image on a leaf recording medium 1 using thermal transfer technique. In addition, the printer consists of a recording medium fixing device 2 which fixes the recording medium 1, a position detection device 3 which detects a coordinate position on the recording medium fixing device 2 of the recording medium 1, a calculation device 5 which calculates an actual printing start position based on coordinate position data obtained by the position detection device 3 and specified printing start position coordinate data on the recording medium 1, and a printing unit drive control device 7 which moves a printing unit to a printing start position calculated by the calculation device 5.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer that forms characters or images on a sheet of recording material by a thermal transfer method.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Postcards, mask materials for image formation, etc. are examples of sheet recording materials, and text can be easily printed on such postcards and mask materials for image formation using a thermal transfer method using a thermal transfer printer. or can form an image.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in a thermal transfer printer that thermally transfers onto a sheet of recording material, such as a word processor, in order to start printing from a desired position, complicated positioning is required, and in some cases, the process is repeated several times. I was doing some trial printing.

[0004] Furthermore, in the method of positioning a sheet of recording material using a guide plate or the like, problems such as hitting the guide plate may occur when the head of the printing unit comes into close contact with the recording material. Ta.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer printer that can easily print at a desired position on a sheet of recording material without the need for complicated print positioning. The purpose is

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 provides a thermal transfer printer that forms characters or images on a sheet recording medium by a thermal transfer method. A recording body fixing means for fixing the recording body, a position detecting means for detecting the coordinate position of the recording body on the recording body fixing means, and a coordinate position data obtained from the position detecting means and the coordinate position data inputted in advance on the recording body. a calculation means for calculating an actual print start position from desired print start coordinate data;
The printing apparatus is characterized by comprising a printing unit drive control means for moving the printing unit to the printing start position calculated by the calculation means.

In the thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, the invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the printing unit is fixed, and the recording medium is moved so that the printing unit is located on the printing start position calculated by the calculation means. It is characterized by having recording body moving means for moving the fixing means.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the invention, a sheet of recording material is fixed by the recording material fixing means, and the coordinate position of this recording material on the recording material fixing means is detected by the position detecting means. The calculation means calculates the actual print start position from the coordinate position data obtained from the detection means and the desired print start coordinate data on the recording medium inputted in advance, and controls the print unit drive control means to calculate the actual print start position. The printing unit is moved to a printing start position, and characters or images are formed at a predetermined position on a sheet of recording material by a thermal transfer method.

[0009] Furthermore, in the invention according to claim 2, claim 1
In the thermal transfer printer described above, the printing unit is fixed, and the recording medium fixing means is moved so that the printing unit is located on the printing start position calculated by controlling the recording medium moving means by the calculation means, and sheet recording is performed. Characters or images are formed at predetermined locations on the body using a thermal transfer method.

0010

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a thermal transfer printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a process diagram showing printing on a sheet of recording material.

This thermal transfer printer forms characters or images on a sheet of recording material 1 by a thermal transfer method, and includes a recording material fixing means 2 for fixing the recording material 1, and a recording material fixing means 2 on the recording material 1. position detection means 3 for detecting the coordinate position at
and a calculating means 5 for calculating an actual print start position from the coordinate position data obtained from the position detecting means 3 and the desired print start coordinate data on the recording medium 1 that has been previously input into the storage means 4. It has a printing unit drive control means 7 for moving the printing unit 6 to the printing start position calculated by the calculation means 5.

Next, printing by this thermal transfer printer will be explained. For example, there is a postcard etc. as a sheet recording medium 1, and this recording medium 1 has a printing area 1a as shown in FIG.
is provided, and its end is the printing start position 1b. This recording body 1 is placed and fixed on a stage 20 constituting the recording body fixing means 2, and the coordinate position of this recording body 1 on the recording body fixing means 2 is detected by the position detecting means 3. Position information from the detection means 3 is input to the calculation means 5. The calculation means 5 calculates the actual print start position from the coordinate position data obtained from the position detection means 3 and the desired print start coordinate data on the recording medium 1 that has been input in advance to the storage means 4, and controls the printing unit drive. The line head 60 of the printing unit 6 reaches the printing start position calculated by controlling the means 7.
is moved to form characters or images at predetermined positions on the sheet recording medium 1 using the thermal transfer sheet 61 by a thermal transfer method.

As the recording body fixing means 2, those shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, for example, are used. The recording body fixing means 2 shown in FIG.
1, the recording medium 1 is attracted to and fixed on the stage 20.

The recording body fixing means 2 shown in FIG. 4 has a conductor 22 provided on the lower surface of the stage 20, connects a battery 24 by operating a switch 23, and fixes the recording body 1 on the stage 20 by electrostatic adsorption. .

The recording body fixing means 2 shown in FIG. 5 is provided with a bendable presser piece 25 on the upper surface of the stage 20, and mechanically fixes the recorder 1 placed on the stage 20 by pressing the recorder 1 with the presser piece 25. .

The position detecting means 3 is one that uses light, for example, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8. The position detecting means 3 in FIG. 6 places the recording medium 1 on a transparent stage 26 and scans the recording medium with light from the light projecting means 30 from the side of the recording medium, using a photodiode array 31 arranged in the scanning direction of the light receiving means 30. The position of the recording medium 1 is detected.

The position detecting means 3 in FIG. 7 is a transparent stage 26.
The position of the recording medium 1 is detected by placing the recording medium 1 on it and scanning it with a photocoupler 32 having a light emitting/receiving means.

The position detecting means 3 in FIG. 8 is an opaque stage 2.
The recording medium 1 is placed on the recording medium 6a, and the position of the recording medium 1 is detected by scanning with a photocoupler 33 having a light emitting/receiving means on the recording medium side.

The printing unit 6 is not limited to one that uses the line head 60 shown in FIG. 1, but may also be one that uses an ink ribbon 63 housed in a ribbon cassette 62 and prints with a serial head 64 as shown in FIG. It can also be used.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the thermal transfer printer of the present invention. The thermal transfer printer of this embodiment has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. The present invention differs in that it includes a recording body moving means 8 that moves the recording body fixing means 2, and by moving the recording body fixing means 2 at the time of starting printing, the recording body 1 is moved to a predetermined starting position and printing is started. do.

[0021]

As described above, in the invention according to claim 1, the coordinate position of the recording medium on the recording body fixing means is detected by the position detecting means, and the calculating means detects the coordinate position data obtained from the detecting means and The actual printing start position is calculated from the desired printing start coordinate data on the recording medium input in advance, the printing unit is moved to the calculated printing start position by controlling the printing unit drive control means, and the printing unit is moved to the calculated printing start position. In the invention as set forth in claim 2, in the thermal transfer printer as set forth in claim 1, the printing unit is fixed, and the recording body is fixed such that the printing unit is positioned on the printing start position calculated by controlling the recording body moving means by the calculation means. Since characters or images are formed at a predetermined position on a sheet of recording material using a thermal transfer method by moving the means, there is no need for complicated print positioning, and the characters or images can be easily placed on the sheet of recording material at the desired position. Printing is possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a thermal transfer printer.

FIG. 2 is a process diagram showing printing on a sheet recording medium.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of recording body fixing means of a thermal transfer printer.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment of recording body fixing means of a thermal transfer printer.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment of recording body fixing means of a thermal transfer printer.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a position detection means of a thermal transfer printer.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment of the position detection means of the thermal transfer printer.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of another embodiment of the position detection means of the thermal transfer printer.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a printing unit of a thermal transfer printer.

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of another embodiment of a thermal transfer printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Recording body 2 Recording body fixing means 3 Position detection means 4. Storage means 5 Calculation means 6 Printing unit 7 Printing unit drive control means 8 Recording body driving means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A thermal transfer printer that forms characters or images on a sheet of recording material by a thermal transfer method, comprising: a recording material fixing means for fixing the sheet of recording material; and a recording material fixing means for fixing the sheet of recording material; a position detection means for detecting a coordinate position; a calculation means for calculating an actual print start position from the coordinate position data obtained from the position detection means and desired print start coordinate data on the recording medium inputted in advance; A thermal transfer printer comprising: printing unit drive control means for moving the printing unit to a printing start position calculated by the calculation means. 2. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the printing unit is fixed, and the recording body moving means moves the recording body fixing means so that the printing unit is located on the printing start position calculated by the calculation means. A thermal transfer printer characterized in that it has a means.