JPH0573593B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a printing and recording device such as a thermal transfer printer using heat-melting ink or heat-sublimating ink.

Structure of the conventional example and its problems When performing thermal transfer recording, each time a predetermined range of printing is performed, a recording head and a platen roller that presses the recording head through a recording paper and an ink sheet are connected. We need to separate them. Below, conventional problems will be explained using a thermal transfer multicolor recording device using a heat-melting ink sheet as an example.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a conventional thermal transfer printer. 1 is a thermal head, 2 is an ink sheet coated with hot-melt ink, 3 is a take-up roll for the ink sheet 2, 4 is a supply roll for the ink sheet 2, 5 is a recording paper, 6 is a supply roll for the recording paper 5,
7 is a platen roller that brings the ink sheet 2 and recording paper 5 into close contact with each other and presses them against the thermal head 1 to transfer them; and 8 is a pressure roller that presses the recording paper 5 against the platen roller 7. The operation of the conventional recording apparatus configured as described above will be described next.

The recording principle of the thermal transfer multicolor recording device is simple, as shown in FIG. In response to this, the heating element 11 of the thermal head 1 is made to generate heat, the ink sheet 2 is heated, and the heat-melting ink applied to the ink sheet 2 is melted and transferred onto the recording paper 5. A plan view of the ink sheet 2 is shown in FIG. Heat-fusible inks of each color, Y for yellow, M for magenta, and C for cyan, are applied, and as shown in FIG. 1, yellow, magenta, and cyan are sequentially superimposed and transferred onto the recording paper 5. Therefore, it is necessary to run the ink sheet 2 only in one direction as shown by arrow A, and to move the recording paper 5 in the direction of arrow A during printing, and to return it to its original position before printing starts each time printing of each color is completed. When returning the recording paper 5 to its original position before printing, move the thermal head 1 along the dotted line 1A.
Then, the recording paper 5 is rewound to its original position before printing, with the recording paper 5 being held between the platen roller 7 and the pressing roller 8.
In this way, heat-melt ink for each color is
Transfer printing is performed from the ink sheet 2 to the recording paper 5 in a repeated overlapping manner. In such a recording device, as described above, it is necessary to separate the thermal head 1 from the platen roller 7 every time printing is performed in a predetermined range.
FIG. 3 shows the detailed structure of a conventional example in which the thermal head 1 is separated from the platen roller 7. A connecting bar 13 connects the thermal head 1 and the plunger 12. Figure 3a is
This figure shows a state in which the plunger 12 is energized in the positive direction and the thermal head 1 is pressed against the platen roller 7 by the electromagnetic force of the plunger 12.
FIG. 3b shows that the plunger 12 is energized in the opposite direction;
This figure shows a state in which the thermal head is separated from the platen roller 7. In such a conventional example, the thermal head 1 is pressed against and separated from the platen roller 7 by relying only on the electromagnetic force of the plunger 12, which makes it difficult to stably obtain a strong pressing force and also to It was difficult to separate the thermal head 1 from the platen roller 7, and reliability was lacking. Furthermore, the plunger 12 needs to be energized at all times, which has the drawback of significantly increasing power consumption.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional examples as explained above, and to provide a printing and recording device with a relatively simple configuration and low cost, which can reliably and stably press and separate the recording head from the platen. This is what we are trying to provide.

Structure of the Invention The present invention includes a recording head, a platen, pressure contact means for pressing the recording head against the platen,
a pressure release lever for separating the recording head from the platen against the pressure force of the pressure contact means, at least a pressure release lever rotatably provided with the pressure release means, and a pressure release lever that is slidable on the pressure release lever. It consists of a rotating cam provided so as to
By rotating the rotary cam, the pressure release lever is swung, and the recording head is pressed against and separated from the platen. The goal is to do it in a stable manner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. A thermal head 21 has a plurality of heating elements 22 arranged in a line in a direction perpendicular to the drawing.
Reference numeral 12 denotes an ink sheet coated with hot-melt ink, and has the same construction as that used in the conventional example shown in FIG. 14 is a take-up roll for the ink sheet 12, 13 is a supply roller for the ink sheet 12, 17 is a platen roller, and a motor 28 is connected by a one-way clutch.
It is connected with. A pressure roller 18 is designed to wrap the recording paper 15 around the platen roller 17. A head holder 25 holds the thermal head 21 and is rotatable about a shaft 25B. Reference numeral 23 denotes a head pressure contact pin which presses the thermal head 21 by the spring force of a compression coil spring 24 to bring the ink sheet 12 and the recording paper 15 into close contact with each other and press them against the platen roller 17. Pressure release means is constructed by sliding a rotary cam 26 on the pressure release lever 27, and by rotating the rotary cam 26, the pressure release lever 27 is swung about a rotation shaft 27A. The projection 25A provided on the head arm 25 is pushed up to separate the thermal head 21 from the platen roller 17. 19 is a capstan, 20 is a pinch roller, the recording paper 15 fed from the recording paper roll 16 is sandwiched between the capstan 19 and the pinch roller 20, and the capstan 19 is rotated by the motor 28 to release the recording paper. 15 is running.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be explained. When a start button (not shown) is pressed, the device starts printing. FIG. 4 shows the state of the apparatus during printing, with the rotary cam 26 stopped at the position shown and the pressure release lever 27 separated from the protrusion 25A of the head arm 25. Therefore, the thermal head 21 presses the recording paper 1 with the predetermined spring force of the compression coil spring 24 using the pressing pin 23.
5 and the ink film 12 are sandwiched between them, and are brought into pressure contact with the platen roller 17.
This means that stable contact force is always obtained.
In this state, the capstan 19 is rotated, the recording paper 15 pinched by the pinch roller 20 is run in the direction of the arrow in FIG. The thermal head 21
The heating element 22 of is made to generate heat according to the recording signal,
The heat-melting ink on the ink sheet 12 is transferred to the recording paper 15.
The images are melt-transferred and printed sequentially in exactly the same manner as in the conventional example. At this time, the platen roller is connected to the motor 28 via a one-way clutch, and the platen roller is completely free and rotates while being pulled by the recording paper 15. Note that, as described above, the ink sheet 12
This device is exactly the same as that used in the conventional device shown in the figure, and the colors yellow, magenta, and cyan are arranged in order from the take-up reel 14 to the supply reel 13 in FIG. Yes, in the first printing, yellow printing is first completed. When the yellow printing is completed, the motor 28 is stopped, the rotary cam 26 is rotated by a motor (not shown) or a rotary solenoid, etc., and the pressure release lever 27 is moved to the head arm 25.
The thermal head 21 held by the head arm 25 is rotated upward about the rotating shaft 25B, and the thermal head 21 is reliably separated from the platen roller 17. FIG. 5 shows a state where the thermal head 21 is separated from the platen roller 17, and in this state, the motor 28 moves the thermal head 21 away from the platen roller 17.
The capstan 19 is rotated in the opposite direction to that during printing, and the recording paper 15 is caused to run in the direction of the arrow in FIG. At this time, the platen roller 17 is connected to the motor 28 via a one-way clutch, and rotates so as to move the recording paper 15 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Since the running speed is slightly faster than the running speed of the recording paper 15, the recording paper 15 sandwiched between the pressure roller 18 and the platen roller 17
runs in the direction of the arrow in the figure with constant tension applied to it. After the recording paper 15 is run in the direction of the arrow in FIG.
When the thermal head 2 is lowered, the pressure pin 23 applies a predetermined spring force of the compression coil spring 24 to the thermal head 2.
1 is brought into constant pressure contact with the platen roller 17 via the ink film 12 and the recording paper 15, resulting in the state shown in FIG. This is how a color image is obtained.

FIG. 6 shows a protrusion 31A on the thermal head 31.
A second embodiment of the present invention is provided with a thermal head 31 rotatably held by a head holder 35.
It is a figure showing an example of. A plurality of heating elements 32 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the drawing. 31A is a protrusion provided on the thermal head 31. The thermal head 31 may be shaped like the protrusion 31A, or may be constructed by attaching a separate member.
Similarly to the first embodiment of the present invention, by rotating the rotary cam 26, the pressure release lever 27 is brought into contact with the protrusion 31A and raised, and the head arm 35
The thermal head 31 can be rotated upward about the rotating shaft 35B, and can be reliably separated from the platen roller 17.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention includes a recording head, a platen, a pressure contact means for pressing the recording head against the platen, and a pressure contact means for pressing the recording head against the platen. At least the pressure release means is constituted by a rotatably provided pressure release lever, and by swinging the pressure release lever, the recording head is moved to the platen. In contrast, it is designed to be pressed and separated,
When the recording head is pressed against the platen, a stable pressing force is always obtained, and the recording head can be reliably separated from the platen. In addition, only when pressing the recording head against the platen and separating it from it, the power to swing the pressure release lever is required.
On a regular basis, no power is required to swing the pressure release lever, and therefore the power consumption for releasing the pressure contact of the recording head from the platen can be significantly reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a principle diagram of a conventional printing and recording device, Fig. 2 is a plan view of an ink film used in this type of printing device, and Figs. The front view showing the pressure release mechanism, and FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 are principle diagrams of the printing and recording apparatus in the embodiment of the present invention. 21, 31... thermal head, 22, 32...
... Heat generating element, 13 ... Ink film supply roll, 25, 35 ... Head arm, 14 ... Ink film winding roll, 26 ... Rotating cam, 12
... Ink film, 27 ... Pressure release lever,
17...Platen roller, 23...Press pin,
18...Press roller, 24...Compression coil spring, 15...Recording paper, 19...Capstan, 1
6... Recording paper roll, 20... Pinch roller.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A recording head, a platen, pressure contact means for pressing the recording head against the platen through a recording paper, and separating the recording head from the platen against the pressure contact force of the pressure contact means. The pressure release means includes a pressure release lever that is rotatably provided and a rotating cam that is provided to slide on the pressure release lever, and the pressure release means is configured to rotate the rotating cam. The printing and recording apparatus is configured to swing the pressure release lever and press the recording head toward and away from the platen. 2. By holding the recording head with a rotatably provided head holder and swinging the pressure release lever in contact with the recording head holder,
2. The printing and recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording head is swung about the center of rotation of said head holder to be pressed against and separated from a platen. 3. The printing and recording device according to claim 2, wherein a rotatably provided head holder is provided with a protrusion, and the pressure release lever is brought into contact with the protrusion of the head holder and swung. 4. The recording head is held by a rotatably provided head holder, and the pressure release lever is brought into contact with the recording head and swung, thereby swinging the recording head about the center of rotation of the head holder. 2. The printing and recording device according to claim 1, wherein the printing and recording device is pressed against and separated from the platen. 5. The printing and recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the recording head is provided with a protrusion, and the pressure release lever is brought into contact with the protrusion of the recording head and swung.