JPH0712019Y2 - Variable speed transfer printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of use] The present invention relates to a transfer printer which superposes a transfer film on a recording paper and selectively heats the transfer film by a thermal head to transfer and record the transfer film.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, a transfer printer has been widely used in which a transfer film is placed on a recording paper, and the transfer head is selectively heated by a thermal head that generates heat in response to an image signal to transfer the ink or dye on the transfer film to the recording paper. Has been done. In this transfer printer, the transfer film moves relative to the thermal head as recording progresses.
The transfer film and the recording paper do not move relative to each other. For example, in a serial transfer printer, a recording head holding a thermal head and a transfer film moves while recording in a lateral direction on a recording sheet, and at that time, the transfer film moves at the same speed as the recording head with respect to the thermal head. It moves in the opposite direction at speed, and the relative speed between the recording paper and the transfer film is zero.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

However, such a configuration requires a transfer film having an area equal to the area recorded on the recording paper, which is uneconomical.

To solve this problem, lower the relative speed of the transfer film to the thermal head than the relative speed of the thermal head to the recording paper at the time of recording so that the transfer film has a small area and a larger area than that. It is possible to make a record. However, when this method is adopted,
The transfer film pressed against the recording paper by the thermal head needs to move relative to the recording paper, which makes the transfer film feeding unstable during recording.
There is a problem that the recording quality is deteriorated.

The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, and an object thereof is to provide a variable speed transfer printer capable of performing transfer recording while moving a transfer film relatively stably with respect to a recording paper. .

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In the present invention, in a transfer printer that superimposes a transfer film on a recording paper and selectively heats the transfer film with a thermal head to transfer and record the transfer film, a variable brake capable of adjusting a braking force is provided on a film supply roll for supplying the transfer film. A capstan roller and a pressing roller which are connected to each other and convey the transfer film are provided on the downstream side of the thermal head, and the driving speed of the capstan roller is such that the transfer film conveyed by the capstan roller comes into contact with the thermal head. Variable speed transfer characterized by being variable with respect to the recording speed by the thermal head so that it can be moved relative to the recording paper at a certain position and relatively moved at a constant speed. Printer is the gist.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments of the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a serial transfer printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a recording sheet, 2 is a platen roller that supports and conveys this recording sheet, 3 is a bail roller that presses the recording sheet 1 against the platen roller 2, 4 is a recording head, and 5 is recording. A guide rod 6 for movably holding the head 4 is a belt for moving the recording head 5 along the guide rod 5, and is connected to a driving device (not shown).

The recording head 4 includes a thermal head 8 having a large number of heating elements that selectively generate heat according to an input image signal, a film feeding roll 10 that feeds a transfer film 9, and a film winding roll 11 that winds the transfer film 9. And transfer film 9
A capstan roller 12 and a pressing roller 13 arranged downstream of the thermal head 8 in the traveling direction of the transfer film so as to convey the sheet at a predetermined speed. A drive motor (not shown) is connected to the capstan roller 12. The capstan roller drive motor drives the transfer film 9 at a constant speed V ₂ (for example, 1/1, 1/2, 1) equal to or less than the traveling speed V ₁ of the recording head 4.
It is a variable speed motor that drives the capstan roller 12 so that it can be conveyed at a speed of 3/3, etc., and can adopt multiple speeds according to recording conditions. The presser roller 13 is a capstan roller by a spring (not shown).
The pressing force of the pressing roller 13 is applied so that the transfer film 9 can be stably conveyed even when the tension of the transfer film 9 is increased as described later.
It can be set higher than usual.

The film winding roll 11 is mounted on a drive shaft 15, and the drive shaft 15 is connected to a drive motor via a torque limiter (not shown). With this structure, even if the winding diameter of the film winding roller 11 increases, the transfer film 9 conveyed at a constant speed can be wound. Film feeding roll
10 is mounted on the brake shaft 16. This brake shaft
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, 16 is a head 16a and a small diameter portion 16b.
The small diameter portion 16b is provided with a rotatable brake wheel 17 and a washer 18 movable up and down, the screw portion 16c is provided with a nut 19, a washer 20, and a washer 18c. , 20
A coil spring 21 is provided between them. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the brake wheel 17 has a protrusion 17a on the outer surface thereof, while the hub 10 of the film feeding roll 10 has a protrusion 10a. Rotates integrally with the film feeding roll 10. On the other hand, the brake shaft 16 is fixed to the recording head 4 so as not to rotate, and the brake wheel 17 is connected to the brake shaft by the coil spring 21.
It is pressed against the head 16a of 16 and is given a braking force.
This braking force is determined by the pressing force of the coil spring 21, and the pressing force of the coil spring 21 can be changed by moving the position of the nut 19. Thus, the braking force on the film delivery roll 10 can be adjusted.

Next, the recording operation of the transfer printer having the above configuration will be described.

In FIG. 1, with the thermal head 8 pressing the transfer film 9 against the recording paper 1, the recording head 4 moves to the right in the drawing, and the thermal head 8 selectively heats the transfer film 9 to perform transfer recording. I do. At this time, the transfer film 9 is fed from the film feeding roll 10 so that the new transfer film portion is always positioned in the heating portion of the thermal head 8 and is conveyed by the capstan roller 12 at a predetermined speed to the film winding roll 11. Being rolled up. here,
The moving speed of the recording head 4 is V ₁ , and the transport speed of the transfer film 9 is V ₂ .

During normal recording, the capstan roller drive motor is set so that the transfer film transport speed V ₂ becomes equal to the recording head movement speed V ₁ . FIG. 4 shows the speeds of the thermal head 8 and the transfer film 9 with respect to the recording paper 1, and FIG. 5 shows the relative speeds of the transfer film 9 and the recording paper 1 with respect to the thermal head 8. is there. As is clear from FIG. 5, the recording paper 1 and the transfer film 9 move with respect to the thermal head 8 at speeds V ₁ and V ₂ respectively.
However, as described above, since V ₁ = V ₂ , the relative speed between the recording paper 1 and the transfer film 9 is zero, and recording is performed using the same amount of transfer film as the recording paper. Be seen.
In this case, since the transfer film 9 does not slip with respect to the recording paper 1, the transfer film 9 is relatively stably conveyed, and the braking force applied to the film feeding roll 10 is set low. Further, it is not necessary to increase the pressing force of the pressing roller 13 against the capstan roller 12, and the pressing force is low. Good recording is performed in this state.

Next, when recording is performed while reducing the amount of transfer film used, the drive motor of the capstan roller 12 is set to a low speed, and the transfer speed V ₂ of the transfer film 9 is set to the recording head moving speed.
A predetermined ratio lower than V ₁ , for example, 1/2. This time,
As can be seen from FIG. 5, a relative velocity of V ₁ -V ₂ is generated between the recording paper 1 and the transfer film 9, and the two are in sliding contact with each other, and the transfer film 9 and the recording paper 1 are in contact with each other. Due to the frictional force, a force acts in the direction of pulling the transfer film 9 from the film feeding roll 10. Moreover, since the ink is transferred during recording, the frictional force between the recording paper 1 and the transfer film 9 changes, so that the force acting on the transfer film 9 changes. Therefore, the transfer film 9 is not transferred under the same transfer film transfer conditions (brake force acting on the film feeding roll 10, pressing force between the capstan roller 12 and the pressing roller 13, etc.) as when V ₁ = V ₂ described above. It becomes unstable and good recording is not possible. Therefore, in this case,
The braking force is adjusted by the nuts 16 to give a large braking force to the film feeding roll 10, and the pressing force of the pressing roller 13 against the capstan roller 12 is increased to increase the conveying force to the transfer film 9. Under these conditions, the force required to pull out the transfer film 9 from the film feeding roll 10 is increased, and the tension of the transfer film 9 between the film feeding roll 10 and the capstan roller 12 is increased. Therefore, the transfer film 9
Even if a force in the direction of pulling out the transfer film 9 from the film feeding roll 10 is applied by the frictional force with the recording paper 1, the transfer film 9 is not excessively pulled out, and
Even if the frictional force between the recording paper 1 and the transfer film 9 fluctuates, the transfer film 9 can be stably transported at a predetermined speed, and good recording can be performed. As mentioned above,
If the transfer film transport speed is V ₂ = V _1/2 , the recording paper 1
Recording can be performed with half the transfer film, and the transfer film consumption can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the nut 19 is attached to the brake shaft 16.
By rotating, the nut 19 is moved to adjust the braking force, but the braking force adjustment is not limited to this mechanism, and another mechanism may be used. For example, in FIG. 2, a washer 20 supporting the lower end of the coil spring 21 is supported by an appropriate lever, and the washer 20 is manually set at a position corresponding to the speed of the transfer film.
The position of may be adjusted and the braking force may be adjusted. Further, the above-described embodiment is a case where the present invention is applied to a serial transfer printer, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to a line transfer printer.

[Effect of device]

As described above, in the variable speed transfer printer of the present invention, the transfer speed of the transfer film is variable and the braking force applied to the film feeding roll is variable.
The transfer film is moved relative to the recording paper in addition to the normal recording with the recording area and the consumed transfer film area being 1: 1 without moving the recording paper and the transfer film relatively. However, it has the effect that recording can be performed and the consumption of transfer film can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a schematic plan view of an essential part of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a III-III of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the arrow, FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the moving speeds of the transfer film and the thermal head with reference to the recording paper in the above embodiment, and FIG. It is a figure explaining speed. 1 …… Recording paper, 2 …… Platen roller, 4 …… Recording head, 5
…… Guide rod, 8 …… Thermal head, 9 …… Transfer film, 10 …… Film feeding roll, 11 …… Film take-up roll, 12 …… Capstan roller, 13 …… Pressing roller, 16
…… Brake shaft, 17 …… Brake wheel, 18 …… Washer, 19 ……
Nut, 20 …… washer, 21 …… Coil spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. In a transfer printer which superposes a transfer film on a recording paper, and selectively heats the transfer film by a thermal head to transfer and record the transfer film, a variable brake capable of adjusting a braking force on a film feeding roll for feeding the transfer film. And a capstan roller and a pressing roller for conveying the transfer film are provided on the downstream side of the thermal head, and the driving speed of the capstan roller is such that the transfer film conveyed by the capstan roller contacts the thermal head. The variable speed is variable with respect to the recording speed by the thermal head so that it can be moved relative to the recording paper at a certain position and relatively moved at a constant speed. Transfer printer.