JPH07276761A - Thermal transfer serial printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the waste of color ink ribbon and simplify the ink ribbon conveyance control. CONSTITUTION:A thermal head 20 comprises an array 45 of heater elements arranged in the main scanning direction, and a mark sensor 49. A color ink ribbon 40 carries repeated patterns of an yellow ink area 62, a magenta ink area 63 and a cyan ink area 64. A mark 65a is provided in front of each yellow ink area 62. The other color ink areas are preceded by marks 65b. Every time a line of recording is completed, the color ink ribbon 40 is conveyed a short distance L1 without recording so that the mark sensor 49 detects the mark 65a or 65b preceding the color ink area to be subsequently used for recording. When the mark is detected, the non-recording conveyance of the color ink ribbon 40 is stopped so that the thermal head 20 faces the leading end of the ink area to be subsequently used. The ink area cueing is thus performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer serial printer, and more particularly to improvement of a mark sensor for cueing an ink area.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A thermal transfer serial printer is provided with a reciprocating head carriage on which a color ink ribbon cassette is mounted. A thermal head having a plurality of heating elements formed in the main scanning direction is attached to the head carriage. While the head carriage moves in the sub scanning direction, the color ink ribbon pulled out from the color ink ribbon cassette is used as a recording sheet. It is superposed on (image-receiving paper) and pressed and heated from behind to transfer the ink of the color ink ribbon to the recording paper. In the case of three color ink ribbons, the head carriage reciprocates three times and then the recording paper is fed by about one line in the main scanning direction.

In the color ink ribbon cassette, two reels are rotatably accommodated in the cassette, and the color ink ribbon is pulled out from one reel and passes through the sensor set position and the headset position before the other reel. It is wound up on a reel. This sensor set position is located at the front corner of the color ink ribbon cassette,
The mark sensor provided on the head carriage is set. The headset position is located on the front side of the color ink ribbon cassette and the thermal head is set.

For example, in the case of three colors, as shown in FIG. 6, a yellow ink area 3, a magenta ink area 4, and a cyan ink area 5 having a constant length are repeatedly formed on the color ink ribbon 2. . In front of the yellow ink area 3, for example, a mark 6a having two bars,
A mark 6b with a bar in front of the other ink areas
Are formed. These marks 6a and 6b are detected by the mark sensor 7 of the head carriage, and thereby the ink area is cued so that the leading portion of the ink area faces the thermal head 8.

At present, a horizontally long A4 size color ink ribbon cassette is mainly used, and the length l1 of each ink area is 348 mm. The length 12 of the passage between the sensor set position and the headset position is 77 mm. When the recording of one line is completed, the mark sensor 7
Must be positioned before the next mark 6b, the maximum length available for recording one line is l3 (= l
1-12) is about 270 mm.

For example, when the magenta ink is recorded after the yellow ink is recorded, the color ink ribbon 2 is idly fed while the head carriage is returning. During this idle feeding, the mark provided in front of the magenta ink area is detected by the mark sensor 7. After this detection, the color ink ribbon 2 is further fed by the length corresponding to the length l2 of the passage between the sensor set position and the headset position, and the leading portion of the magenta ink area 4 is moved to the thermal head 8. Face to face.

[0007]

As described above, in the conventional thermal transfer serial printer, the color ink ribbon 2 has at least the length l when the respective ink areas are cueed.
This is wasted because only 2 are fed in the air. Actually, since the margin length l4 is secured in consideration of the slip between the color ink ribbon 2 and the recording paper, the length (l2
+14) is wasted. Further, after the mark sensor 7 detects the mark, the feeding of the color ink ribbon is stopped after feeding the length l2, so that the feeding amount measuring unit and the like are required, and the feeding control of the color ink ribbon becomes complicated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer serial printer which can reduce the waste of color ink ribbons. Another object of the present invention is to
An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer serial printer in which the feeding control of a color ink ribbon is easy.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a mark sensor in a thermal head, and when the mark sensor detects a mark during the idle feeding of a color ink ribbon, the color ink is detected. The ribbon idling is stopped so that the leading portion of the next ink area faces the thermal head. By arranging the mark sensor on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the color ink ribbon, the idling of the color ink ribbon can be stopped at the same time as the detection of the mark, and the feeding control of the color ink ribbon becomes simple.

[0010]

For example, after recording the yellow ink area, the color ink ribbon is idly fed so that the next magenta ink area faces the thermal head. During this idling, when the mark sensor detects the mark arranged in front of the magenta ink area, idling of the color ink ribbon is stopped. Since the mark sensor is close to the thermal head, the idling amount of the color ink ribbon is small and the waste of the color ink ribbon is reduced.

[0011]

FIG. 2 shows a thermal transfer serial printer of the present invention.
3 and FIG. 3, a paper feed port 11 is formed in the upper part of the box-shaped printer body 10, and the recording paper 12 is inserted from this. The recording paper 12 includes a pair of feed rollers 13,
It is nipped by 14 and sent toward the head carriage 15. These feed rollers 13 and 14 are rotated by a pulse motor 16 during printing and intermittently feed the recording paper 12 line by line in the main scanning direction indicated by the arrow. The pulse motor 16 has a controller 18 via a driver 17.
The rotation is controlled by.

The head carriage 15 is provided with a thermal head 20 and reel drive shafts 21 and 22, on which a color ink ribbon cassette 23 is set. The thermal head 20 moves between a print position advanced toward the recording sheet 12 by a solenoid or the like and a retracted position separated from the recording sheet 12.

The head carriage 15 is inserted into a guide rod 24 and is slidably supported by a guide rail 25. A part of the timing belt 26 is fixed to the head carriage 15. The timing belt 26 is wound around pulleys 27 and 28. One pulley 27 is connected to a pulse motor 29, and the rotation of the pulse motor 29 is controlled by a controller 18 via a driver 30. A platen 31 is arranged so as to receive the back of the recording paper 12.

The printer body 10 is provided with a print key 33 for instructing the start of printing and a display 34. The display 34 is used for displaying warnings of operating procedures and various troubles.

The controller 18 includes drivers 17, 3
0, 36, a head control unit 37, and a mark determination unit 38 are connected. The driver 36 is connected to a pulse motor (not shown) provided in the head carriage 15,
As is well known, this pulse motor rotates the reel shaft 21 to feed the color ink ribbon 40. The head controller 37 drives the thermal head 20 according to the image data of each color read from the frame memory 39. Image data for one frame, which is input from a still video camera or a video player, is written into the frame memory 39 for each color, and the image data for one line of pixels of the color to be printed at the time of printing is written. Is read. This reading can be performed for each pixel for one column arranged in the main scanning direction.

The mark determination section 38 detects the passage of the mark on the color ink ribbon 40 and determines the color of the ink area. Simultaneously with the detection of this mark, the controller 18 stops the feeding of the color ink ribbons 40 to perform the heading of each ink area. Further, when recording one line in the order of yellow, magenta, and cyan, it is confirmed whether or not the head of the yellow ink area has been cued at the start of recording one line.

In FIG. 4, the thermal head 20 is L
A head substrate 44 is attached to the character-shaped holder 43. On the head substrate 44, a heating element array 45 in which a plurality of heating elements are arranged in the main scanning direction is formed. Further, one end 46 a of the flexible printed board 46 is connected to the head board 44. The flexible printed board 46 passes through the slit 43 a of the holder 43 and is drawn out behind the holder 43.

Further, a mark sensor 49 is arranged on the holder 43 at a position downstream of the feeding path of the color ink ribbon 40. The mark sensor 49 includes a light emitting diode 47 that projects light onto the color ink ribbon 40,
The photo sensor 48 receives the reflected light from the color ink ribbon 40. The signal from the mark sensor 49 is sent to the mark determination unit 38.

The color ink ribbon cassette 23 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, reels 53 and 54 fitted in reel shafts 21 and 22 are respectively provided in a plastic cassette 52.
Is rotatably stored. These reels 53,5
4 is a color ink ribbon 4 with its end fixed.
0 is wrapped around. The color ink ribbon cassette 23 is a double track type capable of reciprocating the color ink ribbon 40 between the reel 53 and the reel 54.

Two notches 5 are formed on the front surface of the cassette 52.
5, 56 are formed so that the thermal head 20 can be inserted even if either the front or back of the cassette 52 is on the top. Since the length of the heating element array 45 is approximately half the width of the color ink ribbon 40, when the track on one side is used up, the color ink ribbon cassette 23 can be turned upside down to use another track on one side. . Of course, when the length of the heating element array 45 is close to the width of the color ink ribbon 40, two tracks are used at the same time, which is similar to the single track type in which the color ink ribbon can be wound in only one direction. To be used.

Inserting the notches 55 and 56, respectively,
Slit 57a serving as an entrance / exit of the color ink ribbon 40
.About.57d are formed. The color ink ribbon 40 pulled out from the reel 54 passes through the guide pin 58a and is sent out of the cassette 52 through the slit 57a. Then, it passes through the notch 55 and enters the cassette 52 through the slit 57b. The color ink ribbon 40 that has rotated around the guide pin 58b comes out of the cassette 52 again through the slit 57c. Next, it passes through the notch 56 and enters the cassette 52 through the slit 57d. The color ink ribbon 40 that has entered the cassette 52 reaches the other reel 53 after passing through the guide pin 58c, and is wound around the outer periphery thereof.

As shown in FIG. 1, the color ink ribbon 4
At 0, a yellow ink area 62, a magenta ink area 63, and a cyan ink area 64 are repeatedly formed. In addition to these three colors, four colors including a black ink area may be used. In front of the yellow ink area 62, for example, a mark 65a having two bars is provided,
A mark 65 with a bar in front of the other ink areas
b is provided.

When the length of each ink area is the same as the recording width of the recording paper 12, the length L1 of the idle feed is the mark 65.
Only the recording areas a and 65b are required. In actual printing, the color ink ribbon 40 may slip, and a mark may pass the mark sensor 49 during printing. Since the detection of marks is ignored by software during printing, in this case, almost all of the ink area to be printed next is idly fed.

Therefore, since the length of each ink area is the length obtained by adding the maximum slip amount to the recording width of one line,
For example, at the time when the recording of cyan is completed, the thermal head 20 moves to the cyan ink area 1 as shown by the chain double-dashed line.
Near the end of 7. In the present invention, the heating element array 45
The mark sensor 49 is provided on the thermal head 20 in order to shorten the distance between the mark sensor 49 and the mark sensor 49. Therefore, if the color ink ribbon 40 is fed by the length L1, the mark sensor 49 detects the mark 65a. If the feeding of the color ink ribbon 40 is stopped immediately after detecting the mark 65a, the thermal head 20 faces the leading portion of the yellow ink area 62. As a result, the ink area can be cueed by a short idle feed of the length L1, and the waste of the ink ribbon is reduced.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described. First, from a still video camera or the like, image data for one frame is loaded into the frame memory 39 in a state of being divided for each color. Next, the color ink ribbon cassette 23 is set on the head carriage 15. During the setting of the color ink ribbon cassette 23, the hubs of the reels 53 and 54 are fitted to the reel shafts 21 and 22, respectively, and the thermal head 20 is inserted into the notch 56.

When the print key 33 is operated, the controller 18 drives the pulse motor built in the head carriage 15 via the driver 17 to rotate the reel 53 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Wind up. During the winding of this color ink ribbon 40,
When the mark sensor 49 detects the passage of the mark,
The detection signal is sent to the mark determination unit 38.

Since the mark determination section 38 sends a mark detection signal to the controller 18, the controller 18 stops the rotation of the pulse motor 16 via the driver 17. As a result, the ink area is cueed, and the head portion thereof faces the thermal head 20.

The first of the color ink ribbons 40 is
Since the yellow ink area 62 is formed, the mark determination unit 38 starts printing when it determines that the mark is the mark 65a. However, when the mark determination unit 38 determines that the mark is 65b, it is a determination error, and therefore the color ink ribbon 40 is rewound and then rewound to perform mark detection. Even in this case, the mark 65b
If it is determined that the mark sensor 49 is defective or the color ink ribbon cassette 23 is defective, this abnormality is displayed on the display 34 and the printing is disabled.

Next, the controller 18 drives the driver 17
The pulse motor 16 is driven via the to rotate the pair of feed rollers 13 and 14. These feed rollers 13, 1
Reference numeral 4 nips the recording paper 12 inserted from the paper supply port 11 and conveys it toward the head carriage 15. The head portion of the recording area of the recording paper 12 is the thermal head 2.
When facing 0, the rotation of the pulse motor 16 stops.

The controller 18 drives the solenoid to move the thermal head 20 toward the print position. By this movement, as shown in FIG. 5, the thermal head 20 slightly pulls out the color ink ribbon 40,
This is pressed against the recording paper 12.

The head controller 37 includes a frame memory 39.
To read the image data of each pixel in the first row of the yellow image for each column, and send the image data of the pixels in each column to the head controller 37. The head controller 37 converts the image data of the pixels for one column arranged in the main scanning direction into drive data. This drive data is sent to the thermal head 20,
The heating of each heating element of the heating element array 45 is controlled. Each heating element selectively generates heat to heat the yellow ink area 62 from behind, and transfers the melted or softened yellow ink to the recording paper 12.

The head controller 37 causes each heating element to generate heat so that the area of the ink dot recorded in each pixel changes in accordance with the image data of each pixel in the column. At the same time, the controller 18 drives the pulse motor 29 via the driver 30 to rotate the timing belt 26 in the clockwise direction. By the rotation of the timing belt 26, the head carriage 15 moves by a fixed amount in the sub-scanning direction indicated by the arrow. In synchronization with the movement of the head carriage 15, the head carriage 1 is passed through the driver 36.
Rotate the pulse motor in 5 to move the color ink ribbon 4
Roll up 0 by a fixed amount.

As described above, while the head carriage 15 is moved in the sub-scanning direction and the color ink ribbon 40 is wound up, the yellow image for one line is recorded column by column. At the time when the recording of the first line is completed, the thermal head 20 is near the end of the yellow ink area 62, as can be inferred from FIG.

When the recording of the first line of the yellow image is completed, the movement of the head carriage 15 and the winding of the color ink ribbon 40 are temporarily stopped. After that, the thermal head 20 is moved to the retracted position, the pulse motor 29 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the head carriage 15 is returned to the initial position.

While the head carriage 15 is being returned, the reel shaft 21 is rotated to idle feed the color ink ribbon 40. During this idling, the mark sensor 49 makes the mark 65
When the passage of b is detected, the winding of the color ink ribbon 40 is stopped. Here, since the thermal head 20 is provided with the mark sensor 49, a slight length L1
If the color ink ribbon 40 is simply idled, the mark 65b in front of the magenta ink area 63 is detected by the mark sensor 49. At this time, the second magenta ink area 63 is cued, and the leading portion thereof faces the heating element array 45.

After the thermal head 20 is moved toward the print position, the recording of the first line of the magenta image is performed. At this time, the head control unit 37 reads the image data of each pixel in the first row of the magenta image from the frame memory 39 for each column, converts the image data into drive data, and sends the drive data to the thermal head 20. Similar to the recording of the yellow image, the magenta ink area 63 of the color ink ribbon 40 is heated from the back, and the melted or softened magenta ink is transferred to the recording paper 12.

The first row of the magenta image is recorded column by column while moving the head carriage 15 in the sub-scanning direction. When the recording of the first line is completed, the head carriage 15 is returned to the initial position, the color ink ribbons 40 are wound up, and the cyan ink area 64 is located. Then, in the same procedure, the first row of the cyan image is sequentially recorded for each column.

By recording the three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan, the recording of the first line of the full-color image is completed. As described above, when the head carriage 15 is returned,
The color ink ribbon 40 is wound up. At the same time, the pulse motor 16 causes the pair of feed rollers 13, 14 to move.
Is rotated and the recording paper 12 is fed by about one line in the main scanning direction indicated by the arrow in FIG.

In the same manner as described above, the recording of the second line of the full color image is performed by recording the three colors of yellow, magenta and cyan. Thereafter, similarly, a full-color image is recorded on the recording paper 28 by the three-color line sequential recording.

Since the present embodiment is a double cassette, when most of the color ink ribbon 40 is wound on the reel 53, the end mark of the color ink ribbon 40 is detected by the mark sensor 49. In this case, since the end of the color ink ribbon is displayed on the display 34, the color ink ribbon cassette 23 is removed from the head carriage 15, turned over, and then loaded again in the head carriage 15.

When the color ink ribbon cassette 23 is turned upside down and set on the head carriage 15, the thermal head 20 enters into the notch 55. The color ink ribbon 40 is pulled out from the reel 53 and wound around the outer periphery of the reel 54 via the reverse path.

When the length of the ink area matches the recording width of the specified recording paper, the idle feed amount is small,
There is no waste of color ink ribbon. Therefore, it is preferable to prepare a plurality of types of color ink ribbon cassettes having different ink area lengths, and use an optimum color ink ribbon cassette according to the size of the recording paper.

When a plurality of types of color ink ribbon cassettes are prepared, it is preferable to provide the cassette with a code signal portion indicating the length of the ink area, that is, the optimum size of the recording paper. On the other hand, the thermal transfer serial printer is provided with an input key for designating the type of recording paper to be printed. At the time of printing, after inputting the size of the recording paper to be used, the color ink ribbon cassette is set on the head carriage. The code signal portion of this cassette is read and compared with the size of the recording paper input by the input key. In the case of a color ink ribbon cassette most suitable for recording paper, printing is possible, but if the combination is inappropriate, a warning is displayed on the display and printing is disabled. In this case, the ink area having an ink area that is too long compared to the size of the recording paper is erroneously used, and it is possible to prevent the color ink ribbon from being wasted.

Although the above-mentioned embodiment is a melting type in which the ink of the color ink ribbon is melted and transferred to the recording paper, the present invention can be applied to a sublimation type color ink ribbon cassette in which the ink is transferred by sublimation. You can

[0045]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, since the mark sensor is provided in the thermal head,
Since the idling amount is smaller than that of the conventional one, the waste of the color ink ribbon can be reduced. Further, since the feeding of the color ink ribbon can be stopped when the mark sensor detects the mark, the feeding control mechanism becomes simple.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between a thermal head and an ink area.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a thermal transfer serial printer of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a thermal transfer serial printer.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a thermal head.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the color ink ribbon cassette set in the head carriage.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 in a conventional color ink ribbon cassette.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Thermal Transfer Serial Printer 12 Recording Paper 15 Head Carriage 20 Thermal Head 23 Color Ink Ribbon Cassette 40 Color Ink Ribbon 45 Heating Element Array 49 Mark Sensor 62 Yellow Ink Area 63 Magenta Ink Area 64 Cyan Ink Area 65a, 65b Mark

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A color ink ribbon in which at least a yellow ink area, a magenta ink area, and a cyan ink area are repeatedly formed, and a mark for cueing is provided between the ink areas, and a color ink ribbon is used in the main scanning direction. A thermal head with multiple heating elements arranged in the sub-scanning direction
In a thermal transfer serial printer that reciprocates once to record three colors of ink on one line, then feeds the recording paper for about one line in the main scanning direction, and records a full-color image on the recording paper in a three-color line sequence, The thermal head is provided with a mark sensor for detecting the mark, and when the mark sensor detects a mark during the idle feeding of the color ink ribbon, the idle feeding of the color ink ribbon is stopped and the head of the next ink area is stopped. A thermal transfer serial printer characterized in that its part faces the thermal head. 2. The thermal transfer serial printer according to claim 1, wherein the mark sensor is arranged on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the color ink ribbon.