JPH0669752B2 - Color printer - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color printer for obtaining a color hard copy from a color TV still image or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a technique for making a TV still image into a hard copy has been developed in a character information system.

[0003]

However, the conventional color printer has a drawback that color unevenness is likely to occur because line-sequential printing is performed by a hammer head or the like using a belt-shaped ink ribbon. . Further, since the printing is performed line-sequentially, there is a problem that the movement control of the ink ribbon becomes complicated.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention winds a printing paper around a platen,
When overlapping the ink ribbon on this printing paper and transferring the dye of the ink ribbon by the thermal head, set each color frame of the ink ribbon to the size corresponding to the area of the still image and mark each color frame. Is added, the movement for cueing the ink ribbon and the movement of each color frame of the ink ribbon can be performed while detecting this mark.

[0005]

Since the ink ribbon is formed by a plurality of color frames having a region corresponding to a still image, and the color ribbon is provided with a driving means for controlling the color frame to move in a predetermined order, a color still image can be displayed. It becomes possible to print in a frame-sequential manner. Further, the ink ribbon is made into a cassette to facilitate ribbon exchange.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a cross section of a part of a color printer showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a printer housing, 2 is a platen, 3 is a thermal head, 4 is a sublimation dye. The ribbon 5 coated with is a cassette containing the ribbon 4. The supply reel 5a and the take-up reel 5b of the cassette 5 are the supply reel and the take-up reel when the cassette 5 is set in the cassette holder 12. Reels 5a, 5b
Is coupled to a motor (not shown) that drives the.

[0007] 6 is a paper feed table, 7 is a paper guide, 8 is a paper picking device for fixing the paper 14 to be printed sent from the paper guide 7 to the platen 2, 9 is a motor, and a belt 10 is used to platen the platen. It rotates two. Reference numeral 13 denotes a detection element mounting bracket, to which a photoelectric conversion element for detecting the mark of the ink ribbon 4 is attached to the tip 13a as described later. In addition,
Reference numeral 11 is a pulley, and 15 is an opening / closing lid of the housing 1.

Next, an outline of the operation shown in FIG. 1 will be described. One sheet of printing paper 14 placed on the paper feed table 6 is a paper guide 7
And is fixed to the paper clamp 8 of the platen 2 by a lever operation (not shown).

In this state, a start switch (not shown)
When the motor 9 is driven by the platen 2 the belt 1
When 0, the rotation starts in the direction of the arrow, and at the same time, an image signal described later is applied to the thermal head 3. When the platen 2 rotates and the printed paper 14 hits the thermal head 3,
The ink ribbon 4 housed in the cassette 5 is pressed against the thermal head 3 by the print paper 14 wound around the platen 2, so that the ink ribbon 4 is fed from the supply reel 5a of the cassette 5 as the platen 2 rotates. , Take-up reel 5b
To be wound up.

When the tip of the thermal head 3 is heated by the voltage applied corresponding to the image signal, the sublimable dye of the ink ribbon 4 which is in contact with the thermal head 3 is vaporized and attached to the printing paper 14. Transfer is performed in a dispersed manner. Therefore, the dye of the ink ribbon 4 composed of the three primary colors of hard copy, yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C), is changed every time the platen 2 is rotated.
If the position of the ink ribbon 4 is controlled so that it hits 4, the multi-color color image having Y, M, and C as the three primary colors is printed by three rotations of the platen 2.

FIG. 2 shows the thermal head 3, the ribbon 4, and the ribbon 4 in order to explain the printing operation in more detail.
3 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of the print-receiving paper 14 and the platen 2. FIG. A heating element 3a is provided at the tip of the thermal head 3.
However, the number of pixels corresponding to one column in the vertical direction of the TV screen to be copied is arranged, and the color TV screen is separated into three primary colors of Y, M, and C on each heating element 3a by a circuit (not shown). Signals are supplied in sequence one after another.

Further, the ink ribbon 4 contacting the front surface of the heating element 3a has a continuous color frame 4a in which three sublimable dyes expressing the colors of yellow Y, magenta M and cyan C are applied as one block. The color mark 4C indicating the position of each color frame 4a and the block mark 4b indicating the position of each color block are provided.

The color mark 4c and the block mark 4b are detected as electric signals by, for example, the photoelectric elements 40a and 40b, and the color frame 4a designated by each rotation of the platen 2 appears by the signals as described later. The take-up reel 5b and the supply reel 5a of the cassette 5.
It controls the motor that drives the. Needless to say, this mark may be a magnetic mark or a conductive mark in addition to the one formed by printing.

Therefore, first, a color signal corresponding to the yellow Y of a color TV still image is extracted, and the pixel signals obtained by sampling the color signal in the vertical direction of the screen are input in parallel to the heating elements 3a while the platen 2 is being sequentially input. Yellow Y
When it is rotated once at a position facing the color frame 4a, the ink ribbon 4 rises in the direction of the arrow while adhering the sublimation dye applied to the color frame 4a of yellow Y to the non-printing paper 14 to form an image of yellow Y. It is printed on the printing paper 14. Next,
When a color signal corresponding to magenta M is extracted from the color TV screen and input to the heating element 3a, the magenta M color frame 4a of the ink ribbon 4 contacts the thermal head 3 and the platen 2 is rotated once. The image of M is yellow Y
Will be superimposed on the print screen. In this way, a color print is obtained by printing the last cyan C.

In such an operation, the time required to copy one TV screen is 1/30 seconds for extracting one pixel line in the vertical direction of the screen from one frame screen in the case of a TV screen. The time required to extract one pixel of the number of pixels N in one direction to produce one color print is (1/30) × N
(Seconds), to print in three primary colors,
It becomes {(1/30) × N} × 3 (seconds). For example, when the number of pixels is 240 × 240, it takes about 24 seconds using 240 thermosensitive elements 3a. The source for supplying the video signal of the still screen may be a reproduction signal of a magnetic tape or a signal stored in memory, or a signal obtained by sweeping a printed picture as well known may be used.

Next, an example of the rotation control of the platen 2 and the control circuit of the ink ribbon 4 housed in the cassette 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, referring to FIG. 3, the motor 9 that drives the platen 2 will be described. H _S is an input terminal of the frame sync pulse of the TV, 21 is a comparator, 22 is a drive circuit for driving the motor 9 according to the error voltage of the comparator 21, and 23 is rotated in synchronization with the motor 9. A pulse output obtained by detecting a slit 23b provided around the slit plate 23 with the photoelectric element 23a by the slit plate is connected to the other input terminal of the comparator 21 via the amplifier 24. Therefore, this circuit forms a servo circuit of the motor 9 that rotates in synchronization with the frame signal of the screen.

Next, the control circuit for the platen 2 and the ink ribbon 4 will be described. Reference numeral 30 is a rotary plate for position detection, which is directly connected to the platen 2, and has a notch 3 at an angle corresponding to the step 2a of the platen 2 where the paper clamp 8 is provided.
0a is formed, and an opening 30b is provided at the stop position indicating the home position. 31 and 32 are motors for driving the take-up reel 5b and the supply reel 5a of the cassette 5, respectively, and 33 is a variable resistor 34 for the motors 31, 32.
A control switch circuit (hereinafter referred to as a CS circuit) provided for supplying the voltages V ₁ , V ₂ and V ₃ set by the control circuit 36 to 36. This circuit is A of the CS circuit 33 when the tension terminal T has a signal. , A voltage V ₂ (about 2V) as shown in FIG. 4 is generated at the B output terminal, and when there is a signal at the fast-forward terminal F, V ₃ (about 10V) is output to the A output terminal and V ₁ ( (About 0.1 V), and when there is a signal at the rewinding terminal R, a voltage V ₃ is generated at the A output terminal V ₁ and the B output terminal.

Reference numerals 40a and 40b are photoelectric elements for detecting the marks on the ink ribbon 4, and 40c and 40d are photoelectric elements for detecting the notches 30a and the openings 30b, 41 to 43.
Is an interfer, 44, 45 and 46 are SR type flip-flops, 47 is an OR gate, and 48 and 49 are gates.
0 and 51 are counters.

Next, the operation of this circuit will be described. The platen 2 that has stopped after detecting the home position is rotated by a motor 9 in synchronization with a frame signal by a start switch (not shown). When the cutout portion 30a of the rotary plate 30 is separated from the photoelectric element 40c, a signal is output to the inverter 41, and when this signal is applied to the tension T terminal, the voltage V ₂ is applied to the A and B output terminals of the CS circuit 33 as described above. Generated, the motor 31 for the take-up reel 5b and the supply reel 5
It is applied to both of the motors 32 for a. The motor 3
1 and 32 are always driven in opposite directions, and cassette 5
The ink ribbon 4 therein is wound around the take-up reel 5b with the rotation of the platen 2 as described above in a state where an appropriate tension is applied by the voltage V ₂ (T ₁ period).

First, yellow Y is printed on the printing paper 14 wound around the platen 2 by the image signal applied to the thermal head 3. When the platen 2 rotates almost once and the printing operation for yellow Y is completed, the photoelectric element 40c comes into contact with the cutout portion 30a. When a signal is detected in the photoelectric element 40c, the signal sets the flip-flop 44 through the gate 48, so that the set signal is applied to the fast-forward terminal F of the CS circuit 33.

Then, as described above, the voltages V ₃ and V ₁ are generated at the output terminals A and B as shown in the T ₂ period in FIG. 4, and the motor 31 for the take-up reel 5b and the supply reel 5 are generated.
It is applied to the motor 32 for a. Since V ₃ > V ₁ , the torque of the motor 31 for the take-up reel 5b is increased and the take-up operation is performed. At this time, the ink ribbon 4 is in contact with the step 2a of the platen 2 and is in a free state without being pressed by the thermal head 3. Therefore, the ink ribbon 4 is wound fast on the take-up reel 5b. When the color mark 4c is detected by the photoelectric element 40a, the flip-flop 44 is reset and the motors 31 and 32 are stopped. This stop position is color frame 4a of magenta M is a position waiting a sublimable dye to be next printed (T ₃ period).

The printing of magenta M starts by the second rotation of the platen 2, but the cutout 30a is again separated from the photoelectric element 40c at that time, so that the ink ribbon 4 is regenerated by the signal input to the tension terminal T. The tension is applied, and the platen 2 is rotated and taken up by the take-up reel 5b (T ₄ period). Thus, ends in the same operation until the printing of the next cyan C (T ₄ ~T _7).

When the platen 2 rotates three times in this way, the counter 50 counting the output of the photoelectric element 40d which has detected the opening 30b generates an output, closes the gate 48, and turns the flip-flop 46 on. set. Since the set output of the flip-flop 46 gives a signal to the rewinding terminal R of the CS circuit 33 via the gate 49, the CS circuit 33 outputs V ₁ to the output terminal A as described above.
Generating a V ₃ becomes the voltage at the output terminal B (T ₈ periods). Therefore, the ink ribbon 4 is driven by the motor 32 for the supply reel 5a.
It is driven in the direction of the dotted line arrow by the voltage V ₃ applied to and is rewound on the supply reel 5a. When the color frame 4a of the ink ribbon 4 is rewound by one block, the block mark 4b is moved by the photoelectric element 40b. It is detected, and the flip-flop 46 is reset by this detection signal.

Therefore, the signal at the rewinding terminal R becomes 0,
The ink ribbon 4 is stopped at a point of detecting the block mark 4b (T ₉ period). Since this position is the point where printing was initially started, the same color frame 4a of the ink ribbon 4 is used again for the next screen to be printed. Although not shown, the output of the counter 50 operates the stop switch as a stop signal of the motor 9 to stop the platen 2 at the home position. In this way, in the present invention, the ink ribbon 4 coated with the dye is automatically returned to the original position after printing one screen in color and is ready for the next printing. It consumes less.

However, in practice, if the ink ribbon 4 is used many times, color unevenness will occur in the hard copy because the sublimable dye is gradually lost. Therefore, in the present invention, a counter 51 that further counts the output of the counter 50 is provided, and after the color printing is performed four times, for example, the output is output to the counter 51, and the output causes the signal of the rewinding terminal R to be output. The gate 49 cuts off the flip-flop 45 at the same time, and the set output is supplied to the fast-forward terminal F through the OR gate 47 to perform the fast-forward operation. In order to detect the position of the new color frame 4a of the ink ribbon 4 supplied by this fast-forward, the next block mark 4b may be detected by the photoelectric element 40b, and the flip-flop 45 is reset by the detection signal to perform the fast-forward operation. Is to stop.

The switch 52 is a switch for supplying a fast-forward signal at any time while observing a hard copy to find the color frame. Also, counter 5
The count values of 0 and 51 can be appropriately set according to the print content. For example, when printing an image with only characters, a clear hard copy can be obtained even if the same color frame 4a of the ink ribbon 4 is used several tens of times. The block mark 4b attached to the ink ribbon 4 can be detected by counting the color mark 4c by a counter provided separately, and is not always necessary.

[0027]

As described in detail above, the color printer of the present invention uses the ink ribbon whose color section is the area corresponding to the area of the still image, and is designed to print the color still image in the frame sequential manner. Therefore, it is possible to prevent uneven printing on the printed hard copy. or,
A cassette is handled because it is provided with a driving means for marking each color section of the ink ribbon and moving the ink ribbon for each color section, and a driving means for moving one set of this color section as a unit. Is easier and
Fast-forwarding and rewinding can be performed by cueing the ink ribbon, and a good printed image can always be obtained, and the ink ribbon consumption can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a control circuit of an ink ribbon.

4 is an operation waveform diagram of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Platen 3 Thermal head 4 Ink ribbon 5 Cassette 14 Printed paper 4b Block mark 4c Color mark

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (56) Reference JP-A-56-8285 (JP, A) JP-A-49-51011 (JP, A) JP-A-50-80713 (JP, A) JP-A-55- 87290 (JP, A) JP 50-141420 (JP, A) JP 54-54049 (JP, A) JP 55-95582 (JP, A) JP 54-121142 (JP, A) JP 51-76049 (JP, A) JP 55-154193 (JP, A) JP 50-39019 (JP, A) JP 54-156647 (JP, A) Actual development 55-57452 (JP, U) Japanese Patent Publication 2-21951 (JP, B2) Japanese Patent Publication 63-50198 (JP, B2)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A color for printing a color still image on a printing paper and a platen for winding and guiding the printing paper, and an ink ribbon pressed against the printing paper on the platen by a thermal head. In the printer, the ink ribbon has a print area of each color section which constitutes one set has an area corresponding to a still image to be printed, and is provided with a mark for detecting the position of each color section. The thermal head has a width corresponding to one side of the still image to be printed, a detector for detecting the mark at a predetermined position, and the ink ribbon for each color segment according to the output of the detector. Drive means for moving the ink ribbon to drive the ink ribbon in accordance with the output of the detector to position the thermal head at the time of printing. By performing printing for one color on the printing paper, a still image for each color is overlapped and printed face-sequentially by a plurality of rotations of the platen according to image signals sequentially supplied to the thermal head. Color printer to do.