JPH0569566A - Multicolor thermal recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a multicolor thermal recording apparatus capable of shortening the time up to the completion of recording. CONSTITUTION:Recording of black and Y(yellow) is applied to a multicolor thermal recording sheet 14 wound in a roll form in the direction crossing a feed direction at a right angle by a line head 22 and subsequently fixed by a light source 24. Continuously, an M(magenta) color forming layer is developed by a pen like body 26 to be fixed by a light source 28 and a C(cyan) color forming layer is further developed by a pen like body 30 to form a color image. By this constitution, a graph line based on data can be recorded by the pen like bodies 26, 30 during a period when a black frame or a character is inserted by the line head 22 and a recording time is shortened.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multicolor thermal recording apparatus used in color printers, plotters, fax machines, recorders and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A thermal head is brought into contact with a multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet having a plurality of color-developing layers laminated on a support to thermally record an image, and thereafter, light from a light source for fixing is irradiated. A multicolor thermosensitive recording apparatus capable of obtaining a color printed matter has been proposed.

For example, the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet is Y
It has (yellow), M (magenta), and C (cyan) color-developing layers. When recording an image or the like on this multicolor heat-sensitive recording sheet, first, a predetermined amount of heat is supplied to the Y coloring layer from the thermal head to record the image, and the light from the light source for fixing is applied to the Y coloring layer. Fix the color. Then, sequentially, M
A similar process can be performed on the color forming layer and the C color forming layer to obtain a color image.

[0004]

By the way, when the above-mentioned steps are carried out by one thermal head, an image or the like must be recorded for each of the Y, M and C color forming layers.
There is a problem that it takes a long time to complete a color image.

The present invention has been made to solve this type of problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multicolor thermosensitive recording apparatus which shortens the time required to complete a color image.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention records an image on a multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet in which a plurality of color forming layers having different color forming wavelengths are laminated on the same support. A multi-color thermosensitive recording device, comprising: first heat generating means in which a plurality of heat generating elements are arranged along the main scanning direction of the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet conveyed in the sub-scanning direction; Second heat generating means having at least one heat generating element configured to be displaceable along the line, and fixing for fixing the images recorded by the first and second heat generating means to the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet. And a light source for use.

[0007]

The image portion to be recorded is divided by a plurality of color-developing means, so that a color image can be recorded in a short time.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A multicolor thermosensitive recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, a multicolor thermal recording apparatus 10 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the multicolor thermosensitive recording apparatus 10 is equipped with a conveying section 16 for conveying a multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 14 wound in a box 12 in a roll shape.

The transport section 16 is provided with the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 1.
4, the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 1 from one end along the conveyance direction
4. A shaft body 15 for loading the roll body of No. 4, a cutter 18 for cutting the recording sheet 14 into a predetermined length, a plurality of conveying roller pairs 20, and a line head 22 composed of a heating element for black and Y recording. , A light source 24 for Y fixing, a pen-shaped body 26 having a heating element for M recording formed at the tip and a drive mechanism 27 for displacing the pen-shaped body 26 in the main scanning direction, a light source 28 for M fixing, C Recording pen 30 and pen 3
A drive mechanism 31 for displacing 0 in the main scanning direction is provided. A platen roller 23 is provided on the opposite side of the line head 22 across the recording sheet 14. In addition, pedestals 32 and 34 are provided on the opposite sides of the recording sheets 14 so as to face the pen-shaped bodies 26 and 30 so that the pen-shaped bodies 26 and 30 are in good contact with the recording sheet 14. A paper tray 36 is provided on one side surface of the box body 12, which is the other end of the transport unit 16.

As shown in FIG. 3, the multicolor heat-sensitive recording sheet 14 is provided with a support 37 made of paper or film, and one surface of the support 37 has a C (cyan) color developing layer 40 and an M.
The (magenta) color developing layer 42 and the Y (yellow) color developing layer 44 are laminated via the intermediate layers 46a and 46b. A protective layer 48 is provided on the Y coloring layer 44. A back coat 38 is provided on the other surface of the support 37 for the purpose of preventing curling.

As shown in FIG. 4, the multicolor heat-sensitive recording sheet 14 has different image density characteristics of the color forming layers 40, 42 and 44 with respect to the applied heat energy. That is, by adjusting the thermal energy applied to the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 14, a specific coloring layer, for example, the Y coloring layer 44.
It becomes possible to color only these, and these coloring layers 4
A good image can be obtained by sequentially developing colors of 0, 42, and 44.

The multicolor thermal recording apparatus 1 having the above-mentioned structure
The operation of 0 will be described.

First, the roll body of the multicolor heat-sensitive recording sheet 14 is fitted into the shaft body 15, and one end of the multicolor heat-sensitive recording sheet 14 is nipped by the transport roller pair 20. With the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 14 loaded in this manner, the conveying roller pair 20 is rotated in response to a control signal sent from a controller (not shown) to move the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 14 in the sub-scanning direction. Transport. For example, in the case of making a graph of experimental results and the like and recording them in color, the line head 22
The black frame is formed by supplying the thermal energy for coloring all of the Y, M, and C coloring layers 44, 42, and 40, and
The thermal energy corresponding to the Y coloring layer 44 is supplied to the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 14, whereby the Y coloring layer 44 is colored,
Record the characters.

After the Y coloring layer 44 of the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 14 is colored, the fixing light source 24 is used to
The Y color forming layer 44 is subjected to fixing work by being irradiated with light of 420 nm.

After the coloring and fixing work of the Y color forming layer 44 is completed, the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 14 is further conveyed by the conveying roller pair 20 and is located higher than the Y color forming layer 44 from the heating element of the pen-shaped body 26. A fixed amount of heat energy is supplied and M
The coloring operation of the coloring layer 42 is performed, and the pen 26 is displaced in the main scanning direction by the driving mechanism 27 to record a line on the graph. Since the Y coloring layer 44 has already been fixed by the fixing light source 24, it is not recorded by the pen-shaped body 26. In the portion of the M coloring layer 42 where the coloring work is completed, from the fixing light source 28, for example,
The fixing work is performed by irradiating light of 365 nm.

Further, the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 14 is conveyed by the conveying roller pair 20, and a predetermined amount of heat energy higher than that of the M coloring layer 42 is supplied from the pen-shaped body 30 to C of the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 14. The coloring work of the coloring layer 40 is performed, and the pen 30 is displaced in the main scanning direction by the driving mechanism 31 to record a line on the graph.

When a graph or the like is recorded in this way,
Multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 1 by cutter 18 at a predetermined position
Cut 4. The cut multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 14 is
The transport roller pair 20 transports the paper to the paper tray 36.

Since the multicolor thermal recording apparatus 10 is constructed as described above, while the line head 22 is inserting a black frame or a character, the other pen-shaped bodies 26, 30 record a graph line based on the data. And the printing time is shortened.

Here, the colors are developed in the order of Y, M, and C, but the order may be changed according to the need of the recording target. Further, the number of line heads may be increased depending on the recording mode.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The constituent elements that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the multicolor thermal recording apparatus 50 of the second embodiment, the carrying section 16 is curved, and the serial heads 52, 54 are used instead of the pen-shaped bodies 26, 30 of the first embodiment. Is different from the first embodiment.

By thus providing the transport portion 16 in a curved shape, the multicolor thermal recording apparatus 50 can be downsized. The serial heads 52 and 54 have a plurality of heating elements in the conveyance direction of the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet 14,
It is configured so as to be displaceable in the main scanning direction, whereby the recording time can be further shortened.

[0025]

According to the multicolor thermal recording apparatus of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, since a plurality of heat generating means are provided for each function, another recording operation can be performed by another heat generating means while recording by one recording means. Therefore, the recording time for the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet in the multicolor thermosensitive recording apparatus can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram of a multicolor thermal recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the multicolor thermosensitive recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram of a multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the image density of the color forming layer and the thermal energy applied to the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram of a multicolor thermal recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a main part of the multicolor thermal recording apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 50 ... Multicolor thermal recording device 14 ... Multicolor thermal recording sheet 16 ... Conveying section 22 ... Line head 24, 28 ... Fixing light source 26, 30 ... Pen-shaped body 52, 54 ... Serial head

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A multicolor thermosensitive recording apparatus for recording an image on a multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet in which a plurality of color forming layers having different color developing wavelengths are laminated on the same support, and is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction. A first heat generating means having a plurality of heat generating elements arranged along the main scanning direction of the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet; and a first heat generating means having at least one heat generating element configured to be displaceable along the main scanning direction. 2. A multicolor thermosensitive recording apparatus comprising: two heat generating means; and a fixing light source for fixing the image recorded by the first and second heat generating means to the multicolor thermosensitive recording sheet.