JPH05452U - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] An object is to provide a thermal transfer printer that can promptly detect not only ribbon breakage due to ribbon end but also ribbon forgetting. A heat-meltable ink ribbon having a color identification mark at the head of each color, mark sensors 9A and 9B for monitoring the mark, and a timer 11 for inputting the output of the mark sensor are provided. A second timer in a thermal transfer type printer that detects ribbon breakage after a predetermined time T1 has elapsed from when one of the marks detects a predetermined mark 14Y to when the mark is detected again This second timer has a second timer 12 for each mark when a time period from the detection of the mark by the mark sensor to the detection of a mark in the next order is shorter than the predetermined time T1 and a preset time T2 has elapsed. It is characterized in that a ribbon break detection signal 2 is generated.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to ribbon breakage detection means in a thermal transfer printer.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 FIG. 3 shows the area around the head of a thermal transfer type thermal printer. 1 is a thermal head, 2 is a platen, 7A and 7B are pinch rollers, 4 is a heat-melting ink ribbon shown in FIG. Is a ribbon supply side roller, 6 is a ribbon take-up roller, 8A and 8B guide rollers, and 9 is a sensor unit, which is provided with two sensors 9A and 9B as shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, 7 is a motor for driving the ribbon winding roller 6, 10 is a printer control circuit, 11 is a timer for detecting ribbon breakage at a set time T1, and 13 is paper.

FIG. 6A shows a three-color ink ribbon of yellow Y, magenta M, and cyan C, and FIG. 6B shows a four-color ink ribbon of Y, M, C, and black Bk, which are 14Y, 14M, and 14C. , 14Bk are color identification marks, and 15 is a ribbon shaft.

In this configuration, the ink ribbon 4 pulled out from the ribbon supply side roller 5 passes through the guide roller 3A, is supplied between the thermal head 1 and the platen 2, and passes between the both, and then the guide roller 3A. And is wound around the ribbon winding roller 6. While the ink ribbon 4 passes under the thermal head 1, the portion of the applied ink corresponding to the heating dots of the thermal head 1 is thermally transferred. On the other hand, the paper 10 is picked from an unprinted paper stack portion (not shown) and sent between the pinch roller 7A and the platen 2 and overlapped with the ink ribbon 4, and the space between the platen 2 and the heat generating portion of the thermal head 1 is set. In the meantime, the heat-melted ink of the ink ribbon 8 is transferred during the passage, is peeled off from the ink ribbon 4 after the passage, passes through the pinch roller 7B, and is sent to a not-shown already-printed paper stack stand. ..

The sensors 9A and 9B monitor one side edge portion and the other side edge portion of the ink ribbon 4 in the visual field to monitor the identification mark. Further, the timer 11 is set to the set time T1 each time the ribbon winding roller 6 is started. The set time T1 is about 5 seconds when the ink ribbon 4 is monochrome, 35 seconds when it is three colors, and about 40 seconds when it is four colors.

At the start of printing, the control circuit 10 sets the timer 11 and winds the ink ribbon 4 until the mark sensors 9A and 9B detect the first identification mark 14Y. Now, it is assumed that the ink ribbon 4 is the three-color ink ribbon shown in FIG.

When the mark sensors 9A and 9B detect the first mark 14Y, the control circuit 10 stops the motor 7 and executes Y-color printing. When printing of one page is completed, the timer 11 starts timing and the motor 7 is driven (during this time, the ink ribbon 4 is wound and the paper 13 is rewound). When the winding of the ink ribbon 4 progresses and the mark sensor 9B detects the mark 14M, the winding motor 7 is stopped and the timer 11 stops counting, so that the M color is printed on the same paper 13. Let it run. When this printing is completed, the timer 11 starts to count the time and the motor 7 is driven. When the winding of the ink ribbon 4 progresses and the mark sensor 9B detects the identification mark 14C again, the winding motor 7 is stopped and the timer 11 stops counting the time, and the C color on the same sheet 13 is stopped. Print it. Then, as shown in the flow of FIG. 5, both the mark sensors 9A and 9B detect the identification mark 14Y until the set time T1 elapses after both the mark sensors 9A and 9B detect the identification mark 14Y. In that case, the timer 11 is reset and a new set time T1 is set. However, even if the set time T1 elapses after both the mark sensors 9A and 9B detect the identification mark 14Y, the mark sensor 9A is set. 9B and 9B do not detect the identification mark 14Y, the timer 11 times up, and the ribbon end (ribbon cut) is determined by the time-up signal of the timer 11 at this time.

[0008]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 As described above, the thermal transfer printer has a ribbon breakage detecting means, but the conventional ribbon breakage detecting means is for detecting the ribbon breakage due to the end of the ribbon.For example, forget to set the ink ribbon. If you press the print start button, for example, 35 seconds have passed and timer 11 has timed out until you notice that you have forgotten to set the ink ribbon for the first time when you try to replace the ribbon. There was a problem that it took a long time.

The present invention has been made to solve this problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal transfer printer that can promptly detect not only ribbon breakage due to ribbon end but also ribbon forgetting. To aim.

[0010]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, the present invention uses an ink ribbon provided with a color identification mark at the head of each color, and is equipped with a mark sensor for monitoring this mark and a timer for inputting the output of the mark sensor. In the thermal transfer type printer, the ribbon breakage is detected when a predetermined time elapses from the time when the sensor detects one of the predetermined identification marks and the time when the mark is detected again. The second timer has a timer, and for each mark, when the time from the detection of the mark by the mark sensor to the detection of the mark in the next order is shorter than the predetermined time, the second timer Is generated.

[0011]

[Action]

 In the present invention, when the ink ribbon is set and sent normally, the second timer only repeats setting and resetting of the set time, but when forgetting to set it, the sensor detects the next identification mark. When the time that should be detected elapses, the time is up, and the setting time of the second timer can be made considerably shorter than the setting time of the first timer, so that the forgetting to set can be immediately known.

[0012]

【Example】

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

In FIG. 1, 12 is a timer for checking the ribbon breakage, which is a set time T2. The set time T2 is T2 <T1 and is, for example, 10 seconds. The control circuit 10 generates the ribbon cut signal (first ribbon cut signal) when the timer 11 times out, and generates the second ribbon cut signal when the timer 12 times up. Other configurations are the same as those in FIG. Next, the operation of the ribbon breakage detecting means of this embodiment will be described with reference to the operation flow of FIG.

At the start of printing, the control circuit 10 sets timers 11 and 12 to wind the ink ribbon 4 until the mark sensors 9A and 9B detect the mark 14Y. Now, it is assumed that the ink ribbon 4 is the three-color ink ribbon shown in FIG. 6A and is normally set.

When the mark sensors 9A and 9B detect the first identification mark 14Y, the control circuit 10 stops the motor 7 and executes Y-color printing. When the printing of one page is completed, the timers 11 and 12 start timing and the motor 7 is driven (during this time, the ink ribbon 4 is wound and the paper 13 is rewound). The winding of the ink ribbon 4 progresses, and the mark sensor 9B detects the identification mark 14M within the set time T2. As a result, the control circuit 10 stops the winding motor 7 and at the same time stops the timers 11 and 12 to measure the time and causes the same paper 13 to be printed in M colors. When this printing is completed, the timer 12 is set to the set time T2, the timers 11 and 12 start counting, and the motor 7 is driven. The winding of the ink ribbon 4 progresses, and the mark sensor 9B detects the identification mark 14C again within the set time T2. As a result, the control circuit 10 stops the winding motor 7 and also stops the timers 11 and 12 to measure the time, and executes the printing of C color on the same paper 13. When this printing is completed, the timer 12 is set to the set time T2, the time counting of the timers 11 and 12 is started, and the motor 7 is driven. The winding of the ink ribbon 4 progresses (new paper 13 is set in the meantime), and the mark sensors 9A and 9B detect the identification mark 14Y within the set time T 1 and the set time T2. To do. As a result, the control circuit 10 stops the winding motor 7 and also stops the timers 11 and 12 to measure the time, and executes printing of Y color on the new paper 13. Thereafter, this operation is repeated, and when the set time T1 elapses after the last identification mark 14Y of the ink ribbon 4 has passed below the sensors 9A and 9B, the control circuit 10 causes the first ribbon break signal ( Ribbon end signal) is generated.

In this way, when either of the mark sensors 9A and 9B detects the identification mark within the set time T2, the timer 12 is reset and the time does not expire, but when the ink ribbon 4 is not set, Even if the set time T2 elapses, neither of the mark sensors 9A and 9B generates a detection signal, so that the timer 12 times up and the control circuit 10 sends a second ribbon break signal (ribbon abnormal signal). Will occur.

The present invention can be used in a thermal transfer printer such as a heat melting method or a sublimation method to obtain the above effects.

[0018]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, when the ink ribbon is set and is sent normally, the second timer only repeats setting and resetting of the set time, but when the set is forgotten, etc. , When the time when the mark sensor should detect the next identification mark elapses, the time is up and the set time of the second timer can be made considerably shorter than the set time of the first timer. You can immediately know if you forget to set it.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operation flow of a ribbon breakage detection unit of the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a head and its surroundings of a thermal transfer printer provided with a conventional ribbon breakage detecting means.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of conventional ribbon break detection means.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the conventional ribbon breakage detection means.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an ink ribbon.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Thermal Head 2 Platen 4 Ink Ribbon 5 Ribbon Supply Side Roller 6 Ribbon Winding Roller 8 Paper 9A, 9B Sensor 10 Printer Control Circuit 11 First Timer 12 Second Timer 14Y, 14M, 14C, 14Bk Identification Mark

Claims (1)

Claims for utility model registration: 1. An ink ribbon having a color identification mark at the head of each color is used, and a mark sensor for monitoring the mark and a timer for inputting the output of the mark sensor are provided. In the thermal transfer printer, the ribbon breakage is detected when a predetermined time elapses from the detection of one of the marks by the mark sensor until the mark is detected again. The second timer has a timer, and for each mark, when the time from the detection of the mark by the mark sensor until the detection of the mark in the next order is shorter than the predetermined time, a second timer is provided. A thermal transfer printer that generates a ribbon break detection signal.