JPH0671916A - Thermal transfer recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To record at unequal speeds thereby to reduce the running cost by using an ink film which can be used repeatedly for several times. CONSTITUTION:A recording controlling means 12a of a control part 12 controls a thermal head 1 to record one line while moving an ink film 4 and a recording paper 5 at a predetermined speed. Thereafter, a blind feeding controlling means 12b of the control part 12 makes blind feeding of the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 by a first predetermined amount ((n) lines) without stopping the transfer of the film 4 and the recording paper 5. Further, a rewinding controlling means 12c of the control part 12 rewinds the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 by a second predetermined amount (n+m lines) approximately equal to the first predetermined amount in the opposite direction to the transferring direction after the blind feeding of the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 is completed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording apparatus for recording by transferring ink applied to an ink film onto recording paper by a line type thermal head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A thermal transfer recording apparatus is one in which an ink applied to an ink film is thermally transferred onto a recording paper by heating the ink film with a thermal head while the ink film is superposed on the recording paper. An image is recorded on the recording paper by partially controlling the transfer of ink according to the image to be recorded.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of an ink film and its transfer state. In the figure, 30 is an ink film, which is formed by forming an ink layer 32 on a base material 31. When the recording paper P is superposed on the ink film 30 and heat is applied from the back surface of the ink film 30, the ink in the ink layer 31 is melted, and after the ink film 30 and the recording paper P are separated, as shown in FIG. Most of the ink in the heating range is transferred to the recording paper P.

As described above, in the conventional general ink film, most of the ink in the heating range is transferred to the recording paper P side. For this reason, since the ink film used once has an ink-free area, it cannot be used again.

On the other hand, in recent years, an ink film has been developed which can be used a plurality of times by mixing a large amount of a supercooling material into the ink. In this ink film, the relationship between temperature and viscoelasticity becomes a hysteresis curve as shown in FIG. 4 due to the action of the supercooling material. That is, the temperature TA at which the ink is in the solid state and the temperature T at which the ink is in the molten state
When the temperature is changed between B and B, the viscoelasticity of the ink lowers as the temperature rises, and the viscoelasticity rises as the temperature lowers. However, an arbitrary temperature T between the temperatures TA and TB
The viscoelasticity at X differs when the temperature rises to VC and when the temperature falls to VD.

As described above, the viscoelasticity of ink is lower when the temperature is lower than when the temperature is higher. Therefore, it takes a lot of time to return from the molten state to the solid state, and the ink film and the recording paper are peeled off before the ink is completely returned to the solid state (semi-molten state). This state is shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, an ink film 50 is formed by forming an ink layer 51 on the base material 31. The ink of the ink layer 51 contains a large amount of supercooling material and has the above-mentioned characteristics. As shown in this figure, when the ink of the ink layer 51 is in a semi-molten state when the ink film 50 and the recording paper P are separated, most of them are the base material 3.
The ink having a large adhesive force to the first side and transferred to the recording paper P becomes a part of the ink layer 51. That is, the ink remains on the ink film 50 side. Therefore, the ink film 50 can be used again and can be used repeatedly several times.

However, such an ink film 50
When using, the ink film 50 and the recording paper P must be peeled off while the ink is in a semi-molten state.
However, the facsimile machine records one line each time the received image data is one line.
Here, since the facsimile apparatus employs variable length coding such as MH coding when transmitting the image data, the time required to receive the data for one line is different for each line. Therefore, in the facsimile apparatus, the recording standby time between the lines varies. For this reason,
Since there are cases where the ink film and the recording paper cannot be separated while the ink is in a semi-molten state, it is not possible to apply an ink film that can be used repeatedly several times.

[0008]

As described above, in the conventional thermal transfer recording apparatus, an ink film that can be repeatedly used several times is applied when it is necessary to perform recording at a non-uniform speed like a facsimile apparatus. It was not possible to use an ink film limited to one use. Therefore, the running cost is increased.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to enable recording at an inconstant speed using an ink film which can be repeatedly used several times. Another object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer recording device that can reduce running costs.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, after recording a predetermined line by a thermal head while moving an ink film and a recording paper at a predetermined speed, the ink film and the recording paper are not stopped. For example, the first predetermined amount is transported in the transport direction at the same speed as the transport speed of the ink film and the recording paper when recording on a predetermined line under the control of the recording control unit. Further, after the first predetermined amount of the ink film and the recording paper is conveyed, the ink film and the recording paper are conveyed in a direction opposite to the conveying direction by a second predetermined amount which is substantially the same as the first predetermined amount. I chose

[0011]

By taking such means, the ink film and the recording paper are stopped after the recording of the predetermined line is performed by the thermal head while moving the ink film and the recording paper at a predetermined speed. Instead, the first predetermined amount is conveyed in the conveying direction, and the ink film and the recording paper are once separated from each other in the heated portion of the ink film. After the conveyance of the first predetermined amount of the ink film and the recording paper is completed, the ink film and the recording paper are conveyed in a direction opposite to the conveying direction by a second predetermined amount which is substantially the same as the first predetermined amount.
The recording standby state for the next line is set. Therefore, in the heated portion of the ink film, the ink film and the recording paper are continuously peeled off, and the ink of the ink film is transferred well.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a main configuration of a facsimile apparatus configured by applying the thermal transfer recording apparatus according to this embodiment to a recording section. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a line-type thermal head in which a large number of heating resistance elements are arranged one-dimensionally, and a platen roller 2 is provided so as to face each other. The thermal head 1 is pressed against the platen roller 2 by the spring 3.

4 is an ink film, 5 is a recording paper,
It passes between the thermal head 1 and the platen roller 2 in an overlapping state. The ink film 4 contains a large amount of a supercooling agent in the ink layer and can be repeatedly used a plurality of times, and is wound around a rewinding sprocket 6 in a roll shape. Furthermore, the tip of the ink film 4 is fixed to the take-up sprocket 7, and the ink film 4 is taken up by the take-up sprocket 7. Reference numeral 8 denotes a guide shaft, which keeps the state of the ink film 4 with respect to the thermal head 1 in a predetermined state (state shown in the drawing).

Reference numeral 9 is a platen roller drive source, 10 is a rewind sprocket drive source, and 11 is a take-up sprocket drive source. Under the control of the controller 12, the platen roller 2, the rewind sprocket 6, and the take-up sprocket 7 are controlled. Each is reversibly driven to rotate.

Reference numeral 13 is a communication line such as a public telephone line. Facsimile data arriving via this communication line 13 are network control circuit 14a and modulation / demodulation circuit 14b.
After being received and demodulated by the transmitting / receiving unit 14 consisting of
It is supplied to the decoding unit 15 via the control unit 12. The decoding unit 15 receives the supplied facsimile data (for example, M
H-encoded) to reproduce the image data. The image data reproduced here is the line memory 1
6 is supplied. The line memory 16 is a memory that can hold image data for one line. The line memory 16 outputs the held image data for one line to the head driver 17 under the control of the control unit 14. The head driver 17 drives a large number of heating resistors forming the thermal head 1 based on the image data output from the line memory 16.

By the way, the control section 12 has, for example, a microcomputer as a main control circuit, and controls the present facsimile apparatus as a whole. This control unit 12
Is a recording control means 12a and an idle feed control means 12b in addition to well-known general control means in a facsimile machine.
And rewinding control means 12c. Here, the recording control means 12a controls each unit so as to perform recording of one line every time image data of one line is received, and causes the recording operation to be performed at an unequal speed. The idle feed control unit 12b controls each unit so as to idle feed the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 by n lines after the recording of one line is completed under the control of the recording control unit 12a. Rewinding control means 12c
Controls the respective parts so as to rewind the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 by [n + m] lines after the idle feeding of the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 based on the control of the idle-feed control means 12b is completed.

Next, the recording operation of the facsimile apparatus configured as described above will be described according to the processing procedure of the control unit 12. First, when receiving a facsimile, the control unit 1
As shown in FIG. 2, in step ST1, the 2 starts inputting to the line memory 16 the image data reproduced by decoding the received facsimile data by the decoding section 14. Thus, the line memory 16 is in a state of taking in image data.

In this state, in step ST2 and step ST3, the control unit 12 waits until the input of image data for one line to the line memory 16 is completed or the reception is completed. When the input of the image data for one line to the line memory 16 is completed, the control unit 12 shifts the processing from step ST2 to step ST4. Control unit 1
In step ST4, after inputting the image data to the line memory 16 is stopped in step ST4, the image data for one line held in the line memory 16 is output from the line memory 16 in step ST5. The image data thus output from the line memory 16 is sent to the head driver 17
Is taken into.

Subsequently, at step ST6, the control section 12 starts the feeding of the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5. This is a platen roller drive system 9, a rewind sprocket drive system 10 and a take-up sprocket drive system 11.
Control the platen roller 2, the rewinding sprocket 6 and the take-up sprocket 7 in the forward rotation (arrow FW in the figure).
Rotation in the direction indicated by)).

Further, the control unit 12 causes the head driver 17 to start driving the thermal head 1 in step ST7. In response to this, the head driver 17, based on the image data for one line captured as described above,
The thermal head 1 is driven by selectively controlling the energization of a large number of heating resistors forming the thermal head 1.

In this state, the control unit 12 waits for the completion of recording of one line in step ST8, and when the driving of the thermal head by the head driver 17 is completed, the process proceeds to step ST9. The control unit 12 performs step ST9
Then, the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 are fed by n lines. This controls the platen roller drive system 9, the rewinding sprocket drive system 10 and the take-up sprocket drive system 11 to transport the platen roller 2, rewinding sprocket 6 and take-up sprocket 7 for n lines. This is done by rotating the rotor in a fixed amount. It should be noted that this idle feeding is continuously performed without stopping the conveyance of the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 during the recording of one line. Further, the conveyance speed of the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 during the idling is the same as the conveyance speed of the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 during the recording of one line.

By the way, the n lines, which are the idle feed amounts of the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 performed in step ST9, are set to a length sufficient for the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 to be separated at the current recording line position. It Therefore,
At least until the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 are separated at the current recording position, the conveyance of the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 is continued without stopping and at a constant speed.

When the above n lines of idle feeding are completed, the control section 12 rewinds the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 by [n + m] lines in step ST10. This is a platen roller drive system 9, a rewind sprocket drive system 10 and a take-up sprocket drive system 11.
Is controlled to reversely rotate the platen roller 2, the rewinding sprocket 6, and the take-up sprocket 7 by a predetermined amount (rotation in the direction indicated by arrow RV in the figure) corresponding to the conveyance of [n + m] lines. It should be noted that m is set so as to compensate for an error in the carry amount of the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 due to rattling of the mechanism, paper slippage, etc., and is set to a minute value. In other words, rewinding is performed slightly more than the idle feed amount in step ST9. And step ST
After the rewinding in 10 is completed, the control unit 12 returns the process to step ST1 and repeats the above process to record the subsequent lines.

When the recording proceeds as described above and the reception of the facsimile data is completed, the control unit 12 shifts the processing from step ST3 to step ST11. Then, in step ST11 to step ST14, the control unit 12 performs the same process as the process of step ST5 to step ST8 described above to record the final line. When the recording of the line is completed, the recording paper 15 is printed in step ST15.
After the recording paper is fed to eject the sheet, the processing is ended.

Thus, according to this embodiment, after the recording of one line is completed, the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 are continuously and equally until the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 are separated at the position of the line. It is fed at high speed. That is, after heating the ink film 4, the heating range of the ink film 4 is quickly peeled off from the recording paper 5.
Then, after the end of the above-described blank feeding, the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 are rewound by a little more than the blank feeding amount to prepare for recording on the next line.

Accordingly, although the recording is performed at a non-uniform speed, the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 are separated from each other while the ink of the ink film 4 is in a semi-molten state, and the desired ink transfer can be performed. Ink film 4 that contains a large amount of supercooling agent in the layer and can be used multiple times repeatedly
Good recording can be performed by using. Thus, since one ink film can be used repeatedly, the running cost can be reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, since the rewinding amount is set larger than the idling amount, the returning amount of the recording paper 5 is insufficient due to rattling of the mechanism or slipping of the paper. It is possible to prevent the above blanks from opening. In human vision, a slight overlap between lines does not significantly affect the image quality, but there is a property that a relatively large deterioration in image quality appears when there is an unnecessarily large space between lines. The effect of preventing the opening of more blank space than necessary is great.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the thermal transfer recording apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a facsimile apparatus, but it may be an independent thermal transfer recording apparatus or may be applied to an apparatus other than the facsimile apparatus.

In the above embodiment, the rewinding amount is set larger than the idling amount, but it may be set to be the same or the rewinding amount may be set smaller than the idling amount. . Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the conveyance speed of the ink film 4 and the recording paper 5 at the time of idling is the same as that at the time of recording, but it is optional as long as the ink can be separated from the recording paper 5 in the semi-molten state. May be In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0030]

According to the present invention, after recording a predetermined line by the thermal head while moving the ink film and the recording paper at a predetermined speed, without stopping the ink film and the recording paper, for example, A first predetermined amount is conveyed in the conveyance direction at the same conveyance speed as the ink film and the recording paper at the time of recording a predetermined line under the control of the recording control unit. Further, after the first predetermined amount of the ink film and the recording paper has been conveyed, the ink film and the recording paper are moved in a direction opposite to the conveying direction by a second amount substantially equal to the first predetermined amount.
Since the ink is conveyed by a predetermined amount, it is possible to perform recording at an unequal speed using an ink film that can be repeatedly used several times, and the thermal transfer recording apparatus can reduce the running cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of main parts of a facsimile device configured by applying a thermal transfer recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a control unit 12 in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Thermal head, 4 ... Ink film, 5 ... Recording paper, 12 ... Control part, 12a ... Recording control means, 12b ... Idle feed control means, 12c ... Rewind control means.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A thermal head comprising a large number of heating elements arranged one-dimensionally to remove ink from an ink film,
In a thermal transfer recording apparatus for performing thermal transfer recording on recording paper conveyed in a conveying direction intersecting the arrangement direction of the plurality of heating elements together with the ink film, the ink film and the recording paper are moved at a predetermined speed. At the same time, a recording control unit that causes the thermal head to perform recording for a predetermined line, and after the recording of the predetermined line by the control of the recording control unit is completed, the first direction in the transport direction without stopping the ink film and the recording paper. After the end of the predetermined amount of the ink film and the recording paper under the control of the idle-feed control means for carrying a predetermined amount, the ink film and the recording paper in the direction opposite to the transport direction. 1) Rewinding control means for carrying a second predetermined amount which is approximately the same as the predetermined amount. Copy recording device. 2. The thermal transfer recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second predetermined amount is set to be slightly larger than the first predetermined amount. 3. The idle feed control means conveys the ink film and the recording paper at the same speed as the conveyance speed of the ink film and the recording paper when recording a predetermined line under the control of the recording control means. Item 2. The thermal transfer recording apparatus according to Item 1.