JPH0789183A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a recording device without a drive device exclusive for moving a record head by providing a transmission means which mechanically interlocks recording sheet conveying operation of a recording sheet conveying means to operation of the record head of a record head moving means for touching and detaching from a platen. CONSTITUTION:A transmission means is provided between a recording sheet conveying means for conveying a recording paper 1 by pinching it with a drive roller 5 and a press roller 6 and a moving means for moving a record head 3. Operation of the record head 3 for touching and detaching from a platen roller 4 is performed mechanically being geared to operation for conveying the recording paper 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for recording on a recording sheet by the heat of a recording head and a thermal transfer recording apparatus for thermally recording a dye on a thermal transfer sheet onto the recording sheet by the heat of the recording head. In particular, the present invention relates to a recording apparatus preferably used for a color thermal transfer recording apparatus using a color thermal transfer sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, CAD / CAM and computer
With the development of graphics (CG), a hard copy device for a display is greatly desired. In particular, there is a demand for an apparatus using a color thermal transfer sheet that can be easily handled without requiring maintenance. A color thermal transfer recording apparatus, which is an example of a conventional recording apparatus, will be described below.

7 (a) and 7 (b) show a recording main portion of a conventional apparatus. Reference numeral 81 is a recording head, which is pressed against a platen 82 via a thermal transfer sheet 86 and a recording sheet 85 which will be described later. To be done. Reference numeral 83 is a drive roller, and 84 is a pressure roller in pressure contact with the drive roller 83. The recording sheet 85 is nipped by the driving roller 83 and the pressure roller 84 and is conveyed.

86 is Y (yellow), M (magenta), C
This is a thermal transfer sheet in which (cyan) dye is sequentially applied to different sections, and the thermal transfer sheet 86 is supplied from a supply reel 87 and wound on a take-up reel 88.

Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIG.
In (a), the recording sheet 85 is sandwiched between the driving roller 83 and the pressure contact roller 84, the recording head 81 is moved, and the first color (for example, yellow) of the recording sheet 85 and the thermal transfer sheet 86.
When the drive roller 83 is rotated in the direction of arrow A while the pressure is applied between the recording head 81 and the platen 82 and a recording signal is applied to the recording head 81, the heat generated by the recording head 81 causes heat to be transferred onto the thermal transfer sheet 86. Dye (yellow) is transferred onto the recording sheet 85.

After the recording for one screen of one color is completed, the recording head 81 is moved to be separated from the platen 82 as shown in FIG. 7B. Next, the drive roller 83 is moved to the arrow B, which is the
The recording sheet 85 is rotated in the direction to feed the recording sheet 85, and is stopped when the recording start position of the second color of the recording sheet 85 reaches the heat generation position of the recording head 81.

Further, during this time, the thermal transfer sheet 86 is taken up by the take-up reel 88, and stops when the second color of the thermal transfer sheet 86 reaches the heat generating position of the recording head 81. After that, the recording head 81 is pressed by the platen 82 to be in the state of FIG. 7A, and the second color recording is performed. Similarly, when the recording of the third color is completed, a color copy is obtained.

[0008]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, it is necessary to bring the recording head 81 into and out of contact with the platen 82 every time recording for one color and one screen is performed. Since the recording head 81 is moved by using a dedicated drive unit configured by a motor, a motor or the like, there are drawbacks such as an increase in cost of component materials.

The recording apparatus according to the present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to:
It is necessary to provide a dedicated drive device for moving the recording head by providing transmission means for mechanically interlocking the recording sheet conveying operation of the recording sheet conveying means and the recording head contacting / separating operation of the recording head moving means with respect to the platen. The recording device is not provided.

[0010]

A recording apparatus according to the present invention is a recording apparatus for driving a recording head by pressing the recording head against a platen via a recording sheet between the platen and the recording head to heat the recording apparatus. A recording sheet conveying unit that presses and conveys a recording sheet by a rotating body and a pressure contacting rotating body, a recording head that presses against the platen via the recording sheet and heat-records on the recording sheet, and the recording head with respect to the platen. A recording apparatus comprising: a recording head moving means for contacting and separating, and a transmitting means for mechanically interlocking a recording sheet conveying operation of the sheet conveying means and a contacting and separating operation of the recording head with respect to the platen. is there.

The thermal transfer recording apparatus according to the present invention is a thermal transfer recording apparatus that performs thermal transfer recording by pressing the recording head against the platen via the recording sheet and the thermal transfer sheet between the platen and the recording head to heat the recording head. A recording sheet conveying unit that presses and conveys a recording sheet by a rotating body and a pressure contact rotating body, and a thermal transfer sheet coated with a dye and the recording sheet, presses the platen to apply the dye on the thermal transfer sheet to the recording sheet. A recording head for thermal transfer, a recording head moving unit for bringing the recording head into and out of contact with the platen, a recording sheet conveying operation of the sheet conveying unit, and a contacting / separating operation of the recording head with respect to the platen are mechanically linked. A thermal transfer recording apparatus, characterized in that it is provided with a transmitting means.

[0012]

Since the recording apparatus according to the present invention is configured as described above, the transmission means drives the recording head moving means in conjunction with the recording sheet conveying operation of the recording sheet conveying means to bring the recording head into and out of contact with the platen. Make it possible to do.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to a thermal transfer recording apparatus, and FIGS. 1 to 6 show the ink cassette A, the reel driving device, and the thermal transfer recording apparatus B respectively. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating each relationship. As the order of the description, the configuration of the thermal transfer recording device B, the configuration of the cassette A, the reel driving device, the loading of the cassette A into the recording device B, and the recording operation of the recording device B will be described in this order.

{Explanation of Configuration of Thermal Transfer Recording Device B} FIG. 1
(A), (b) is a cross-sectional view of a recording device B which carries out recording by loading a cassette A described later, and the recording device B records as a recording sheet in response to a recording signal transmitted from another device (not shown). An image is recorded on the paper 1. As the recording sheet, plain paper, plastic sheet or the like can be used.

In FIG. 1A, the recording papers 1 are stacked and accommodated in a paper cassette 11, and are fed one by one from the top by rotating the paper feed roller 7 in the direction of arrow a. . The fed recording paper 1 is nipped by the driving roller 5 and the pressure contact roller 6 which are rotated in the direction of arrow b, and is further conveyed to the recording start position for the first color.

In FIG. 1B, the liner type recording head 3 is used to superpose the superposed recording sheet 1 and the ink sheet 2 as a thermal transfer sheet on a platen roller 4 which is a rotating body.
The recording paper 1 and the ink sheet 2 are conveyed by pressing them to the side and drivingly rotating the driving roller 5 in the direction of arrow c. Then, in synchronization with the conveyance of the recording paper 1 and the ink sheet 2, a plurality of heating elements arranged in the recording head 3 generate heat corresponding to a recording signal to melt the ink applied to the ink sheet 2 (including sublimation, The same is done and the melted ink is transferred to the recording paper 1 to form an image.

With the above, recording for one screen of one color is completed.
Although details will be described later, when recording for three colors and three screens is completed in the same manner, the recording paper 1 is conveyed by the discharge roller pairs 8 and 9 and discharged to the outside of the apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ink sheet 2 is a thermal transfer sheet in which dyes of Y (yellow), M (magenta) and C (cyan) are sequentially applied in different sections. Is wound around a supply reel and a take-up reel housed in a cassette A having a configuration described later.
The cassette A is configured to be detachably loaded into the apparatus main body 10.

{Explanation of Configuration of Cassette A} FIG. 3A shows a supply reel 30 around which the ink sheet 2 having a strip shape is wound.
And FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cassette A that houses the take-up reel 31 and the take-up reel 31.
3B is a perspective view of one end where both reels 30 and 31 shown in FIG. 3A engage with a reel driving device described later.

In FIG. 3A, one side of the long ink sheet 2 is wound around a supply reel 30 which is a first winding member, and the other side is wound around a winding reel 31 which is a second winding member. Has been. The supply reel 30 and the take-up reel 31 are housed in a case 40.

A pivot 32 is formed at one end of each of the reels 30 and 31 in the longitudinal direction, and a small diameter hollow cylindrical portion 33 shown in FIG. 3B is formed at the other end. An engaging claw 33b is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow cylindrical portion 33, and the engaging claw 33b is configured to engage with a reel drive device described later.

The case 40 for accommodating the reels 30 and 31 has a recording window 40a for exposing the ink sheet 2 in the central portion as shown in FIG. 3A, and the reel 3 is provided on one side wall 40b.
A recess 40c for rotatably supporting the pivots 32 of 0 and 31 is formed. The recess 40c is formed to a depth such that the reels 30 and 31 can slide in the longitudinal direction.

The side wall 40d on the other side of the case 40 is formed with a hole 40e into which the small-diameter hollow cylindrical portion 33 of the reels 30, 31 can be inserted. The inner diameter of this hole 40e is the small diameter hollow cylindrical portion 33.
Is formed larger than the outer diameter of.

A leaf spring 41 is attached to the inner surface of the side wall 40b, and the leaf spring 41 causes the reels 30 and 31 to move as shown in FIG.
Is urged in the direction of arrow d. This urging reel
The end surfaces 30a and 31a of the reels 30 and 31 come into pressure contact with the inner surface of the side wall 40d of the case 40, and the reels 30 and 31
Rotation is restricted. Therefore, the cassette A is changed to the recording device B.
In the state of being detached from the reels, the reels 30 and 31 do not idle and the ink sheet 2 does not sag. The reels 30 and 31 are moved to the positions shown in FIG.
Although it slides in the direction of arrow d in (a), the pivot 32 has a length such that it does not fall out of the recess 40c at this time.

{Explanation of reel driving device} The supply reel
As shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), a reel driving device that fits the reel 30 and the take-up reel 31 and drives both reels 30, 31 has a polygonal shaft portion 14a and a small-diameter hollow cylindrical portion 33 at the center. Tip surface 33a
And a contact portion 14b with which the abutting portion abuts, and an engaging claw 33b of the small-diameter hollow cylindrical portion 33 which slides in the longitudinal direction on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 14a in a polygonal shape having an internal shape corresponding to the shaft portion 14a. And a sliding member 15 having a claw portion 15a that locks in the circumferential direction, a spring 17 that biases the sliding member 15 in one direction, and a spring 17 that locks the tip of the sliding member 15 and is attached to the shaft portion 14a. And a fixing member 16.

A rotational force is applied to the reel drive shaft 14 via a drive transmission system (not shown),
The ink sheet 2 is wound around the take-up reel 31 during recording. On the other hand, the reel drive shaft 14 is configured so that a constant load due to frictional force is applied during rotation, and the ink sheet 2 pulled out from the supply reel 30.
It is configured to give a certain tension to the.

The sliding member 15 of the reel drive shaft 14 is provided to facilitate the engagement with the reels 30 and 31, and the sliding member 15 and the engaging claw 33b are engaged with each other. Even when the claw portion 15a and the engaging claw 33b come into contact with each other during the operation, since there is a gap between the inner diameter of the sliding member 15 and the outer diameter of the shaft portion 14a of the reel drive shaft 14, the sliding member 15 rotates. By sliding while rotating a minute amount in the direction, the contact is disengaged and then engaged again.

{Explanation of loading the cassette A into the recording device B} FIGS.
It is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a state of being loaded in. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the cassette loading portion of the recording apparatus B is rotatably attached to the reel drive shaft 14 on a shaft 18 fixed to a rear chassis 19. The rear chassis 19 is attached to the main chassis 20, and the front chassis 21 is attached to the main chassis 20.

The front chassis 21 has a hole 21a into which the cassette A is inserted, and pins are provided at the upper two places of the hole 21a.
22 and 23 are fixed, and the pins 22 and 23 are configured to engage with holes 40f and 40g formed in the case 40 of the cassette A. The one hole 40g is an elongated hole.

Therefore, the cassette A is positioned with respect to the recording device B by engaging the engaging claws 33b of the small-diameter hollow cylindrical portions 33 of the supply reel 30 and the take-up reel 31 with the sliding member 15 of the reel drive device and the case 40. It is possible to perform positioning by engaging the holes 40f and 40g with the pins 22 and 23.

The recording device B is provided with a pressing plate 24 which can be opened and closed facing the side wall 40b of the case 40, and a spring member 25 is attached to the pressing plate 24. The spring member 25 has a predetermined elastic force stronger than the biasing force of the leaf spring 41 provided in the cassette A. When the pressing plate 24 is closed, the spring member 25 is provided with the leaf spring 41 of the cassette A. It is configured to press the side wall 40b in the vicinity thereof.

Therefore, when the sliding member 15 of the reel driving device is fitted into the small-diameter hollow cylindrical portion 33 of each reel 30, 31 of the cassette A and the pressing plate 24 is closed, the abutting portion is urged by the spring member 25. 14b contacts the tip surface 33a of the small-diameter hollow cylindrical portion 33, and presses the reels 30 and 31 in the direction of arrow e in FIG. As a result, the reels 30 and 31 slide in the direction of the arrow e, and the end surface that is in pressure contact with the inner surface of the side wall 40d of the case 40.
30a and 31a are separated from each other, and the reels 30 and 31 are in a freely rotatable state. At this time, the pivot 32 is configured to come into contact with the bottom of the recess 40c, and thereby the positioning in the longitudinal direction of the reel is performed.

{Explanation of recording operation of recording apparatus B} FIG. 6
(A), (b) is a structure explanatory view of the recording part of the recording device B with which the cassette A was loaded. In FIGS. 6A and 6B, the recording head 3 is attached integrally to a rotatable support arm 50 which is integrally configured with a shaft 57 which is rotatably attached to a chassis (not shown). ing.

Further, the platen roller 4, the driving roller 5,
The pressure roller 6 is integrally attached to shafts 54, 55 and 56 that are rotatably attached to a chassis (not shown). Further, pulleys 51 and 52 having toothed portions 51a and 52a having irregularities on the outer circumference are attached to the shafts 55 and 57 so as to be respectively rotatable integrally. A torque limiter (not shown) is built in the pulley 52, and when a predetermined torque or more is applied to the pulley 52, the pulley 52 is stopped in that state and idled with respect to the shaft 55. Therefore, it is possible to rotate the drive roller 5 with the rotation of the pulley 52 stopped.

Reference numeral 53 denotes an endless toothed belt having uneven tooth portions 53a. The toothed belt 53 has its tooth portions 53a.
The pulleys 51, 52 so that they engage with the teeth 51a, 52a.
Is hung on. Reference numeral 58 is a stopper installed on a chassis (not shown), and is configured so that the support arm 50 comes into contact with the stopper 58 to lock the support arm 50. Reference numeral 59 is a sensor that detects the leading edge of the recording paper 1.

In the above-described structure, the recording head 3 can be pressed against the platen roller 4 by sandwiching the recording paper 1 and the ink sheet 2 by rotating the support arm 50 toward the platen roller 4 side. is there. Also support arm
The recording head 3 can be separated from the platen roller 4, the recording paper 1 and the ink sheet 2 by rotating the 50 in the direction opposite to the platen roller 4 side.

Next, the operation will be described. The recording paper 1 is conveyed by the drive roller 5 and the pressure contact roller 6 to a position where the leading edge of the recording paper 1 is detected by the sensor 59, and the first color (for example, yellow) of the ink sheet 2 is transferred. When the recording start position is set, the recording for the first color is ready.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the drive roller 5 is rotated in the arrow A direction while the recording paper 1 is sandwiched between the drive roller 5 and the pressure contact roller 6, the drive roller 5 is coaxial with the drive roller 5. The pulley 52 integrally formed above also rotates in the arrow A direction, the belt 53 starts moving in the arrow B direction, and the pulley 51 rotates in the arrow C direction.

The support arm 50 is formed integrally with the pulley 51 via the shaft 57, and when the pulley 51 rotates in the arrow C direction, the support arm 50 rotates in the arrow D direction. Therefore, at this time, the recording head 3 attached to the support arm 50 can press the platen roller 4 with the recording paper 1 and the ink sheet 2 interposed therebetween.

When the pressing force of the recording head 3 pressing the platen roller 4 increases as the pulley 52 rotates in the same direction to reach a predetermined pressing force, a torque limiter built in the pulley 52 operates and the pulley 52 moves. By stopping the rotation of the recording head 3, the recording head 3 can maintain a predetermined pressing force on the recording paper 1 and the ink sheet 2 interposed between the recording head 3 and the platen roller 4.

When a predetermined recording signal is applied to the recording head 3 in this state, the dye (yellow) on the ink sheet 2 is transferred onto the recording paper 1 by the heat generated by the recording head 3. From this point, the recording of the first color starts, the drive roller 5 is further rotated in the direction a to move the recording paper 1 at a predetermined speed, and the winding reel 31 is driven to move the ink sheet 2 to the recording paper 1. The recording sheet 1 is moved at a speed equal to the speed and recording is performed up to the preset end edge of the recording paper 1. In this way, the recording of the first color is completed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the drive roller 5 is rotated in the arrow H direction, the pulley 52 is also rotated in the arrow H direction, and the belt 53 starts moving in the arrow L direction. , Pulley
51 rotates in the direction of arrow N. Then, the support arm 50 rotates in the arrow direction, and the recording head 3 is separated from the platen roller 4. When the support arm 50 comes into contact with the stopper 58 and locks it, the torque limiter built into the pulley 52 operates to stop the pulley 52, and the transmission force from the drive roller 5 to the support arm 50 is released. 50 is retained in the locked position.

After that, the drive roller 5 continues to rotate in the direction of arrow H, conveys the recording paper 1 by the pressure contact roller 6, and stops at the position where the front end of the recording paper 1 is detected by the sensor 59. Further, during this time, the ink sheet 2 is taken up by the take-up reel 31 and stopped when the second color of the ink sheet 2 reaches the recording start position.

After that, the series of operations described above is performed to record the second color. Similarly, the third color is recorded and one color copy is completed.

In this embodiment, the recording paper conveying operation of the pair of paper nipping and conveying means composed of the driving roller 5 and the pressure contact roller 6 and the contacting / separating operation of the recording head 3 with respect to the platen roller 4 are interlocked with each other. Although the means is constituted by the toothed belt 53, it may be constituted by a transmission means using a rubber belt, a gear or the like.

Although the thermal transfer recording apparatus using the thermal transfer sheet has been described as an example in the above-described embodiment, the structure in which the recording head is brought into contact with and separated from the recording sheet in conveyance is not necessarily the case where the thermal transfer sheet is used. The present invention can also be applied to a heat-sensitive recording apparatus that uses a heat-sensitive sheet as a recording sheet.

[0047]

Since the recording apparatus according to the present invention has the above-described structure and operation, the recording sheet pinching / conveying means constituted by the driving roller and the pressure contact roller is used to press and separate the recording head from the platen. Since it is configured to use the drive source, it is possible to provide a low-cost recording apparatus without the need for a dedicated drive source for moving the recording head as in the conventional case.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural explanatory view of a thermal transfer recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a thermal transfer sheet.

3A is a cross-sectional explanatory view of a cassette, and FIG. 3B is a partial view of a reel housed in the cassette.

FIG. 4 is an assembly view and a sectional view of a reel driving device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory cross-sectional view of a state in which the cassette is loaded in the recording apparatus.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of a recording unit of a recording device loaded with a cassette.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a recording unit of a conventional thermal transfer recording device.

[Explanation of symbols]

A ... Cassette, B ... Recording device, 1 ... Recording paper, 2 ... Ink sheet, 3 ... Recording head, 4 ... Platen roller, 5 ... Driving roller, 6 ... Pressing roller, 7 ... Paper feeding roller, 8, 9 ...
Discharge roller, 10 ... Device body, 11 ... Paper cassette, 14 ... Reel drive shaft, 14a ... Shaft part, 14b ... Abutting part, 15 ... Sliding member,
15a ... Claw portion, 16 ... Fixing member, 17 ... Spring, 18 ... Shaft, 19 ... Rear chassis, 20 ... Main chassis, 21 ... Front chassis, 21a
... Hole, 22,23 ... Pin, 24 ... Pressing plate, 25 ... Spring member, 30 ...
Supply reel, 30a ... End surface, 31 ... Take-up reel, 31a ... End surface, 32 ... Pivot, 33 ... Small diameter hollow cylindrical portion, 33a ... Tip surface, 33b ... Engaging claw, 40 ... Case, 40a ... Recording window, 40
b, 40d ... Side wall, 40c ... Recessed portion, 40e ... Hole portion, 40f, 40g
… Hole, 41… Leaf spring, 50… Support arm, 51, 52… Pulley, 51
a, 52a ... Tooth portion, 53 ... Toothed belt, 53a ... Tooth portion, 54,
55, 56, 57 ... Axis, 58 ... Stopper, 59 ... Sensor

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location B41J 23/02 A B41J 3/20 117 C

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. In a recording apparatus for performing recording by pressing a recording head against a platen and heating the recording sheet via a recording sheet between the platen and the recording head, the recording sheet is sandwiched by a driving rotary member and a pressure contact rotary member. Recording sheet conveying means for pressing and conveying, recording head for pressing the platen through the recording sheet to heat and record on the recording sheet, recording head moving means for bringing the recording head into and out of contact with the platen, and the sheet conveying A recording apparatus, comprising: a transmission unit that mechanically links a recording sheet conveying operation of the recording unit and a contact / separation operation of the recording head with respect to the platen. 2. A recording apparatus for performing thermal transfer recording by pressing a recording head against a platen and heating the recording sheet and a thermal transfer sheet between the platen and the recording head, thereby performing thermal transfer recording. A recording sheet conveying unit that presses and conveys the recording sheet, a recording head that presses against the platen through the thermal transfer sheet coated with the dye and the recording sheet to heat transfer the dye on the thermal transfer sheet to the recording sheet, and the recording Recording head moving means for moving the head to and from the platen, and transmission means for mechanically interlocking the recording sheet conveying operation of the sheet conveying means and the contact / separation operation of the recording head with respect to the platen are provided. A recording device characterized by.