JPH0825665A - Thermal color printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To pass a thick or hard medium, to prevent color deviation and to accelerate printing. CONSTITUTION:A printing mechanism 7 has end thermal heads 4 having an end face thermal head 4Y, an end face thermal head 4M and an end face thermal head 4C sequentially aligned in parallel and horizontally from a printing direction, a head operating mechanism 8 for vertically moving the heads 4, and fixing lamps 9Y, 9M corresponding to the heads 4Y, 4M, 4C. A conveying unit has a wide belt 10 made on the surface of an elastic material, rollers 11 for applying suitable tension to the belt 10, and a drive roller 12 for driving the belt 10. A conveyance control mechanism 13 controls to drive the conveying unit, A controller 14 controls the entire thermal color printer.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal color printer, and more particularly to a thermal color printer using a special medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional thermal color printer will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view _{showing a} thermal color printer _{disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-63636} . In the conventional thermal color printer, the medium 2 fed from the hopper unit 1 is printed through the conveyance path 3 and the printing unit 6 including the thermal head 4, the drum 5 and the fixing lamp 9. _{Describing the} printing process _{by the print unit 6,} the medium 2 is first paper feed is conveyed to the drum 5, it is transported wound around the drum 5 to the printing unit _6, a thermal head 4 _{that is} temperature set for yellow The image is printed and then fixed by the yellow fixing lamp 9Y of the fixing lamp 9 in front of it. Next, the front end of the medium 2 is returned to the thermal head 4, and printing is performed _{by the} thermal head 4 _whose temperature is set for magenta this time, and then the fixing lamp 9M for the magenta fixing lamp 9 is fixed. . Next, cyan is printed by the same procedure, and the printing is completed.

[0003]

In this conventional thermal color printer, the medium 2 is curved and brought into close contact with the drum 5, and passes through the printing unit 6 including the thermal head 4, the drum 5 and the fixing lamp 9 a plurality of times. Therefore, there is a drawback that thick media and hard media cannot be used. Further, since it is necessary to pass the thermal head portion a plurality of times, there is a drawback that the print quality is deteriorated due to color misregistration due to skew of the medium or uneven feeding. Furthermore, for printing One _{not a} single color, there is also a disadvantage that the speed is slow.

[0004]

The thermal color printer of the present invention uses an end face type thermal head in a thermal color printer that uses a medium that develops each color according to a given temperature and fixes each primary color _by irradiation with a fixing lamp. A plurality of head operating mechanisms are arranged in parallel and horizontally, and the end face type thermal heads are individually moved up and down _, and a fixing lamp corresponding to each thermal head is provided on one side, and the medium is conveyed horizontally on the other side. surface is a wide belt made of an elastic _member, a roller that gives appropriate tension to the _belt, characterized in that it has _a transport control mechanism for driving _the belt.

[0005]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a _block diagram showing an embodiment of a thermal color printer of the present invention. Further, FIG. 2 _{shows the} embodiment of _FIG.
Is an explanatory view _{showing the} operation _{of the} thermal head _in.

The printing mechanism 7 includes an end surface type thermal head 4Y, an end surface type thermal head 4M, and an end surface type thermal head 4C, which are arranged in parallel and horizontally in this order from the printing direction, and the respective end surface type thermal heads 4. a head moving mechanism 8 for raising and lowering the head _4, the end face type thermal head _{4Y, 4M,} fixing lamp 9Y corresponding _{to 4C,} it is composed of a fixing lamp 9M. Conveying section includes a wide belt 10 having a surface made of an elastic _body, the roller 11 to provide the proper tension on the belt _{10, and a} drive roller 12 for driving the belt 1 _0.

The transport control mechanism 13 controls the drive of the transport unit, and the control unit 14 controls the entire thermal color printer _{shown in FIG} .

[0009] The control unit 14 receives the image data from the host _{device 15} decomposes the image data, the thermal head 4 of the printing mechanism 7 in accordance with the thermal color printer of _this
Transfers data to Y, 4M, and 4C, and further transport control mechanism 1
A print start signal is transmitted to 3. Upon receiving the print start signal, the transport control mechanism 13 starts transporting the medium 2 to be printed.

_{Referring to} FIG. 2 _{, the} front end _{of the} end surface type thermal head 4 _which is on standby for printing is not in contact with the belt 10 by the head operation mechanism 8 and printing is performed on the medium conveyed by the conveyance control mechanism 13. When the operation is started, the timing is calculated by the control unit 14, an operation command is sent to the head operation mechanism 8 and the end surface type thermal head 4 is moved down to contact the medium.
Then, when printing is completed, the end surface thermal head 4 moves up by the operation of the head operation mechanism 8. This operation is individually performed by the end surface type thermal heads 4Y, 4M, and 4C.

The medium printed by the end surface type thermal head 4Y is fixed by the fixing lamp 9Y immediately thereafter. The fixed medium is the end face type thermal head 4M.
Is printed and is fixed by the fixing lamp 9M. Due to the characteristics of the medium 2, fixing after cyan printing is not necessary, so printing is performed by the end surface type thermal head 4C and printing is completed.

[0012]

As described above, in the thermal color printer of the present invention, a plurality of end face type thermal heads are arranged in parallel and horizontally, and the medium is conveyed by the belt.
Since the reciprocating movements are not required a plurality of times, the print quality is not deteriorated due to the color misregistration, and the printing is performed by one conveyance, so that the printing speed is improved. Furthermore, since the medium is conveyed horizontally, the thickness and hardness of the medium do not matter.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 _is a _{configuration} diagram _{of an} embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram _{showing the} operation of _the end face type thermal head _{in Figure 1.}

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 medium 4 end surface type _{thermal head} 7 printing mechanism 8 head operating mechanism 10 belt 11 roller 12 driving roller 13 transport control mechanism 14 control unit _{15 host device}

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A color develops according to a given temperature,
In a thermal color printer using a medium in which each primary color is fixed _by irradiation with a fixing lamp, a head operation mechanism in which _a plurality of end face type thermal heads are arranged in parallel and horizontally and the end face type thermal heads are individually moved up and down _, a fixing lamp corresponding to each of the thermal head in one direction, driving the other into the medium by the conveying horizontally surface wide belt made of an elastic _member, a roller that gives appropriate tension to the _{belt, the} belt thermal color printer characterized by having _a transport control mechanism for. 2. The thermal color printer according _{to claim 1} , wherein a thermal head having a heating element near the end face is used. Wherein the distal end _{of the} end face type thermal head in _the print standby are not in contact with the belt by the head operating mechanism, the control unit the timing when starting the printing medium being transported by the transport control mechanism Calculated by sending an operation command to the head operation mechanism to lower the end surface type thermal head to contact the medium, and when printing is completed, the end surface type thermal head is raised by the operation of the head operation mechanism,
The medium printed by one of the end-face thermal heads is immediately fixed by the first fixing lamp, the fixed medium is printed by another one of the end-face thermal heads, and the second fixing lamp is printed. The thermal printing method is characterized in that it is fixed by the above method, and printing is performed by another one of the end face type thermal heads.