JPH0734572B2 - Read / Record combined device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a read / record composite apparatus having a reading unit and a recording unit, such as a digital copying machine and a facsimile.

[Prior Art] FIG. 2 shows a conventional reading / recording complex apparatus having a plane scanning type reading apparatus disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-75675.

In the figure, a conventional read / record composite apparatus, such as a digital copying machine, is basically divided into two parts, a reading section 35 and a recording section 36. The reading unit 35 includes a transparent manuscript table 15 on which a manuscript 17 is placed, a guide rail 5 provided in parallel with the manuscript table 15, and a close contact type line sensor 1 which scans the guide rail 5 in a plane (reciprocating motion). A scanning mechanism composed of a stepping motor 6 for driving the line sensor 1, a belt 6a, pulleys 7, 7 and a wire 8 and a read signal processing circuit 30 for converting optical information read by the line sensor 1 into a predetermined digital signal. It is equipped with.

The recording unit 36 includes a paper feed mechanism including a paper feed cassette 13, a paper feed roller 14, paper feed guides 18 and 19, a platen 10, and the platen 1.
The thermal head 9 and the paper feed reel 2 which are provided to face 0
A thermal transfer printer including an ink sheet 11 wound around the winding reel 3 and the take-up reel 24, and a recording signal processing circuit
31 and rollers 32, 32, ... The read signal processing circuit 30 and the recording signal processing circuit 31 are electrically connected to each other.

Next, the operation of the conventional example will be described.

The line sensor 1 is rotated by the stepping motor 6,
For example, planar scanning is performed from the left end to the right end (or vice versa) of the document 17. Since the line sensor 1 has, for example, minute light receiving elements arranged in a line, the line sensor 1 outputs information to be read (for example, characters, figures, etc.) on the manuscript 17 in a white or black matrix pattern (color) for each minute area. In the case of a copying machine, it is decomposed for each of the three primary colors, recognized as a light or dark matrix pattern), and an optical matrix pattern is output as an electrical ON or OFF signal.
The read signal processing circuit 30 adds an address code or the like to the output signal from the line sensor 1 and converts it into a predetermined transmission signal. The recording signal processing circuit 31 receives the transmission signal from the reading signal processing circuit 30, and in order to reproduce, for example, the bright and dark matrix pattern read by the line sensor 1, the thermal head 9 corresponding to the dark portion of the matrix pattern, for example.
The signal for heating the micro heat generating element of is output. In the case of a color copying machine, for example, the ink sheet 11 includes inks containing magenta, cyan, and yellow dyes uniformly on a film in a predetermined region in the order of magenta, cyan, and yellow (the order is not limited to this). It is applied to the recording paper 12 between the thermal head 9 and the platen 10. Thermal head 9
Is an array of minute heating elements corresponding to the minute array of light receiving elements of the line sensor 1. Due to the heat generated by the minute heating element of the thermal head 9, the ink on the ink sheet 11 is melted and transferred onto the recording paper 12.

In the case of a color copying machine, the above transfer operation is performed three times on the same recording paper 12 corresponding to each color of magenta, yellow and cyan.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, in the conventional reading and recording combined apparatus, since the plane scanning type line sensor and the thermal transfer printer are simply combined, the structure is complicated and the apparatus becomes large, There was a problem that the cost would be high. Furthermore, when reading and recording are performed almost simultaneously as a digital copying machine, the scanning speed of the line sensor and the recording speed of the thermal transfer printer generally do not match, so a buffer for temporarily storing the data read by the line sensor. It had a problem of requiring a memory.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a small-sized reading / recording composite apparatus having a simplified structure.

[Means for Solving the Problem] A scanning unit that linearly reciprocates, a reading unit that is provided integrally with the scanning unit and optically reads information to be read in synchronization with the reciprocating motion of the scanning unit, It is provided integrally with the scanning means and holds a recording sheet,
A holding means for moving the recording sheet in synchronization with the reciprocating movement of the scanning means, a recording information provided on the recording sheet provided separately from the scanning means and moving in synchronization with the reciprocating movement of the scanning means. A recording means for sequentially recording is provided.

[Operation] The scanning means includes, for example, a carriage, a stepping motor, a guide rail, a belt, a pulley, and a wire, and the carriage reciprocates linearly on the guide rail by the rotational force of the stepping motor.

The reading means is, for example, a line sensor in which minute light receiving elements are arranged in a line, is fixed on the carriage of the scanning means, and reciprocates while facing the document table together with the carriage. That is, the line sensor scans the original placed on the original table in a plane and optically converts the information to be read such as characters and figures into black and white or light and dark patterns, and corresponds to the three primary colors in the case of a black and white pattern or color. A predetermined electric signal is output from the light receiving element corresponding to the bright and dark pattern.

The nipping means is, for example, a clip or the like driven by an electromagnetic force, nips the end portion of the recording paper, and reciprocates the recording paper by the reciprocating motion of the scanning means.

The recording means is, for example, a thermal transfer color printer equipped with a thermal head, a thermal transfer ink sheet, a platen, etc., and the ink on the ink sheet is melted by the heat generated by the thermal head, and a color formed by a collection of minute dots of three primary colors on the recording paper. Images etc. are transferred. The recording signal for driving the thermal head is the output itself of the line sensor when the reading / recording combined apparatus according to the present invention is used as a digital color copying machine, and is simply an external input signal when used for a thermal transfer color printer. .

[Embodiment] A reading and recording composite apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 showing an embodiment thereof.

In FIG. 1, a reading / recording apparatus, for example, a digital color copying machine, has a carriage 3 as a scanning mechanism for scanning in parallel with a document table 15, a guide rail 5 for linearly reciprocating the carriage 3 thereon. A stepping motor 6 serving as a power source for driving the carriage 3, and a belt for transmitting the rotational force of the stepping motor 6 to the carriage 3.
6a, pulleys 7, 7 and wires 8 are provided. Further, on the carriage 3, a document 17 placed on the document table 15 is placed.
A line sensor 1 for reading information to be read, such as characters and figures, and a holding lever 2 for holding one end of the recording paper 12 are provided.

The recording apparatus includes a thermal transfer color printer having a thermal head 9, a platen 10, a thermal transfer ink sheet 11, reels 23 and 24, and the like. The paper feeding / discharging mechanism includes a paper feeding cassette 13, a paper feeding roller 14, and paper discharging rollers 22 and 2.
3, paper feed guides 18, 19 and paper discharge guides 20, 21 are provided.

Next, using the above embodiment as a digital color copying machine,
A case where reading and recording are performed simultaneously will be described. In addition,
The position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line XX in the figure is the start position.

Initially, the right end of carriage 3 is at start position XX. When a copy start button (not shown) is pressed, the recording paper is fed from the paper feed cassette 13 by the counterclockwise rotation of the paper feed roller 14 as indicated by arrow A, and is fed along the paper feed guides 18 and 19. The tip is introduced between the platen 10 and the thermal head 9. Further, by rotating the platen counterclockwise, the leading edge of the recording paper 12 reaches the start position XX or slightly leftward in the drawing. Next, the clamping lever 2 is actuated by the action of, for example, a spring and an electromagnet (not shown in the art), and clamps the leading edge of the recording paper 12. At this time,
Needless to say, the tip of the area of the ink sheet 11 to which the yellow ink is applied is located at the recording position, that is, the pressure contact between the thermal head 9 and the platen 10.

When the recording paper 12 is nipped by the nip lever 2, the stepping motor rotates and the carriage 3 starts moving leftward in the figure as indicated by arrow B. The line sensor 1 uses the original 17 as an image signal of a yellow component at a predetermined resolution (that is, the number of pixels of the matrix determined by the arrangement number of the minute light receiving elements of the line sensor 1 and the predetermined movement amount) for each predetermined movement amount. The information to be read is read as a bright and dark pattern for each scanning line, converted into a predetermined electric signal, and output. The output of the line sensor 1 is input to the thermal head 9 via the signal conversion circuit 4 or directly. Based on the output of the line sensor 1 for each scanning line, the thermal head 9 emits yellow on the recording paper 12 because, for example, the element corresponding to light does not generate heat and the element corresponding to dark generates heat (or vice versa). Transfer the dots of the component. When the reading and transfer of one scanning line are completed, the stepping motor 6 rotates and the carriage 3 moves within a predetermined scanning line width. At this time, the recording paper 12 is fed to the left side in the drawing for one scanning line because the end portion is held by the holding lever 2 fixed to the carriage, and the recording paper 12 is fed to the pressure contact portion between the thermal head 9 and the platen 10. The unused parts of the ink sheet 11 and the recording paper 12 are newly moved. Then, the reading by the line sensor 1 and the transfer of the ink on the ink sheet 11 by the thermal head 9 are performed. The above operation is repeated until the carriage 3 finishes scanning the entire document 17. When all the scanning is completed, a yellow component image is recorded on the recording paper 12 as an aggregate of dots of yellow ink.

When the recording of the image of the yellow component is completed, the stepping motor 6 reversely rotates, the carriage 3 returns to the start position XX, the platen 10 rotates clockwise, and the recording paper 12 is fed backward without slack. At this time, the recording paper 12 that has been fed back is held between the paper ejection guides 20 and 21.
The ink sheet 11 is not fed in the reverse direction by a one-way clutch or the like, that is, it does not move during the backward feeding of the recording sheet 12, and when the backward movement of the recording sheet 12 is completed, the ink sheet
The tip of the area on which a new magenta ink is applied on 11 and the tip of the area on the recording paper 12 on which the yellow image is recorded coincide at the pressure contact points of the thermal head 9 and the platen 10. After that, the transfer operation similar to the above is repeated for the image of the magenta component. When the image of the magenta component is recorded on the recording paper 12, the recording paper 12 is fed back again, the carriage 3 is started and returned to the beginning, and finally the image of the cyan component is transferred onto the recording paper 12. . When the recording of the image of the cyan component is completed, as a result, a color image composed of the three primary colors is recorded on the recording paper 12. The recording paper 12 onto which the color image is transferred is
The pinching by the pinching lever 2 at the tip is released,
By the clockwise rotation of the platen 10 and the rotation of the paper ejection rollers 22, 22, the paper is ejected in the direction indicated by the arrow C.

In the above embodiment, an example of a digital color copying machine using a thermal transfer type printer of three colors of yellow, magenta and cyan is shown, but it is possible to use a single color or a printer of four colors including yellow, magenta, cyan and black in addition. It may be.

Further, although the above embodiment has shown the example of the digital color copying machine, it is needless to say that it can be used as a facsimile or a color printer by adding an external input / output function, a buffer memory, a transmission function and the like.

Furthermore, a CC that uses a reduction optical system instead of a line sensor
It may be a D image sensor. Further, an ink jet type or wire dot type printer can be used instead of the thermal transfer printer.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, since the scanning unit of the line sensor for reading and a part of the feeding unit of the recording sheet are also used, the structure of the device is simplified, and the device is simplified. Can be miniaturized. Further, since the scanning speed of the line sensor and the transfer speed of the thermal head match, it is possible to omit the buffer memory, and the deterioration of the image quality of the recorded image due to the vibration of the device or the uneven rotation of the motor is small. It also has a secondary effect.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a reading / recording composite apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a conventional reading / recording composite apparatus. In the figure, 1 is a contact type line sensor, 2 is a holding lever, 5 is a guide rail, 6 is a stepping motor, 9 is a thermal head, 10 is a platen roller, 11 is a thermal transfer ink sheet, and 12 is a recording sheet.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A scanning unit which linearly reciprocates; a reading unit which is integrally provided with the scanning unit and optically reads information to be read in synchronization with the reciprocating motion of the scanning unit; It is provided integrally, holds the recording paper,
A holding means for moving the recording sheet in synchronism with the reciprocating movement of the scanning means, a recording means provided on the recording sheet provided separately from the scanning means and moving in synchronism with the reciprocating movement of the scanning means. A reading / recording composite apparatus comprising: a recording unit for sequentially recording