JPH0918663A - Original holder and serial printer using same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To read a color original without a color image scanner by mounting a color filter to a holder base and holding a desired original between the holder base and the color filter. CONSTITUTION: While a color filter(CF) 3 is turned up, a prescribed original 5 is set to the CF 3 and the CF 3 is closed and an original 5 is clamped between the holder base 2 and the CF 3. In this case, when a color original is read, the original 5 is set to the holder 1 having the color filters 3 of yellow, magenta, and cyan. Then the image is recorded on a recording medium based on image information of each color component of the original 5 read via the CF 3 of each color by the serial printer. Thus, even when a monochromatic image scanner is used, the image information of a full color original is recorded on the recording medium.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a document holder and a serial printer using the document holder, and more particularly to a document holder for holding a document whose image information is read by an image scanner in a serial printer having an image scanner and the document. The present invention relates to a serial printer that uses a holder.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a predetermined recording medium is sandwiched between a conveying roller and a pressure contact roller which is in pressure contact with the conveying roller, and the recording medium is conveyed between a platen and a recording head. Under a predetermined pressure contact force, and in this state, while moving the carriage, while winding the ink ribbon of the ribbon cassette, the recording head is operated based on a desired print signal, and the ink of the ink ribbon is applied to the paper. Many serial printers are used to perform desired printing on the recording medium by transfer.

In recent years, the applicants have attached an image scanner to a carriage, and in the state where a predetermined document is conveyed between the carriage and a platen, the image scanner is scanned by moving the carriage while the document is being scanned. We have developed a serial printer that reads the image information of and prints on a predetermined recording medium based on this image information.

In such a serial printer,
When reading a color original, a color image scanner is used as an image scanner, and a filter for reading each color is applied to the lens portion of the image scanner when reading each color of yellow, magenta, and cyan.

[0005]

However, in the serial printer, since the color image scanner is used when reading a color original, the component cost becomes extremely high, and when reading each color. In addition, since the structure is such that a filter is applied, there is a problem that a filter switching mechanism is required, the mechanism becomes complicated, and the manufacturing cost becomes high. Further, in order to clearly read black characters and the like instead of a color original, the image scanner needs to be operated in the binarization mode, and therefore it is necessary to switch the image scanner between the binarization mode and the multivalued mode. It also has the problem of being.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a document holder that can read a color document without using a color image scanner, and a serial printer using the document holder. To do.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the document holder according to the invention described in claim 1 is a color for reading a component of each color made of a transparent material on one surface side of a plate-shaped holder base. A filter is mounted so that a desired document is held between the holder base and the color filter.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that a mesh having a screen angle corresponding to each color is formed on the color filter, and the invention according to claim 3 is the color filter. It is characterized in that an identification marker corresponding to each color of the filter is formed.

Further, in the serial printer according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the recording head and the mono-color image scanner are arranged so as to face the platen, and a desired document and a recording medium are housed and the document is stored. And a sheet feeding device for feeding the recording medium between the platen, the recording head, and the image scanner, the original is read by the image scanner, and the read image information is recorded on the recording medium by the recording head. A serial printer configured to record the original document on an original document holder including a plate-shaped holder base and a color filter mounted on one side of the holder base and made of a transparent material for reading components of respective colors. An image of each color component of the original document that is held and read through the color filters of each color A storage means for storing a broadcast, is characterized in that it has provided the control apparatus for recording on the recording medium based on each color image information stored in the storage means.

Further, in the invention according to claim 5, an identification marker corresponding to each color of the color filter is formed on the original holder, and the identification marker is read by the image scanner to thereby obtain the color filter of each color. According to a sixth aspect of the invention, the correction includes at least one of undercolor removal, screen angle, gamma correction, and dither shape change. It is characterized by being a thing.

[0011]

According to the present invention, a desired original document is held by the original document holder which is composed of a flat plate-shaped holder base and a color filter which is mounted on one surface side of the holder base and is made of a transparent material to read the components of each color. The control device records on the recording medium based on the image information of each color component of the original read through the color filters of each color, so that the monochromatic image can be recorded without using an expensive color image scanner. The image information of a full-color original can be properly recorded on a recording medium by using a color image scanner.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a document holder according to the present invention. The document holder 1 has a flat plate-shaped holder base 2, and one surface side of this holder base 2 is
A color filter 3 which is made of a transparent material and is used to read components of respective colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan is mounted. That is, in this embodiment, the document holder 1 to which the color filter 3 for reading the yellow component is attached,
An original holder 1 having a color filter 3 for reading a magenta component and an original holder 1 having a color filter 3 for reading a cyan component are prepared. Further, in this embodiment, the color filter 3 is formed with a mesh 4 having a constant screen angle corresponding to each color.
Further, in the present embodiment, different identification markers (not shown) are formed on the upper part of the document holder 1 according to each color of the color filter 3.

By turning up the color filter 3, the color filter 3 can be opened and closed with respect to the holder base 2, and a predetermined document 5 is placed between the holder base 2 and the color filter 3. It is designed to hold.

2 to 5 show an embodiment of a thermal transfer printer as a serial printer using the document holder 1 according to the present invention, which is a frame 6 of the printer.
Is provided with a plate-shaped platen 7 extending along the longitudinal direction, and is located in front of the platen 7 and extends parallel to the platen 7 between the both side surfaces of the frame 6. A carriage shaft 8 for rotating is supported. A carriage 9 is reciprocally attached to the carriage shaft 8 along the carriage shaft 8.
A thermal head 10 as a recording head is attached to the front end of the carriage 9 so as to face the platen 7 so that the thermal head 10 can be moved toward and away from the platen 7. An ink ribbon (not shown) is housed on the upper surface of the carriage 9, and a ribbon cassette 11 for guiding the ink ribbon between the thermal head 10 and the platen 7 is detachably mounted. A winding bobbin 12 for winding the ink ribbon of the ribbon cassette 11 and a feeding bobbin 13 for feeding the ink ribbon are arranged on the upper surface of the carriage 9.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a mono-color image scanner 14 set in the binarization mode is arranged on one side of the carriage 9. As shown in FIG. 4, the image scanner 1
An opening 15 is formed on the surface of the plate 4 facing the platen 7. Further, inside the image scanner 14 and on both sides of the opening portion 15, two light emitting members 16, 16 such as lamps are arranged so as to be directed to the opening portion 15. An image sensor unit 17 that receives reflected light of the light emitted from the light emitting member 16 to the document 5 and reads a predetermined image is provided inside the unit 14.

On the lower side of one end of the frame 6,
A carriage drive motor 18 is arranged so that its output shaft penetrates the upper surface of the frame 6, and a drive pulley 19 rotatably driven by the carriage drive motor 18 is provided on the output shaft of the carriage drive motor 18. Is provided. A driven pulley 20 is rotatably disposed on the upper surface of the other end of the frame 6, and a part of the driven pulley 20 is connected to the lower surface of the carriage 9 between the drive pulley 19 and the driven pulley 20. The carriage drive belt 21 is stretched around. Then, the carriage drive motor 18 is rotationally driven to drive the carriage drive belt 21 via the drive pulley 19,
The carriage 9 is reciprocated along the carriage shaft 8 in parallel with the platen 7.

A transport roller 22 for transporting a predetermined recording medium at a predetermined speed is disposed below the rear portion of the platen 7, and below the transport roller 22, the transport roller 22 is pressed against the transport roller 22. A plurality of pressure contact rollers 23 are rotatably arranged. Further, a sheet feeding device (not shown) is arranged behind the frame 6, and the sheet feeding device records, for example, a document holder 1 holding a predetermined document 5 and a stencil sheet. A medium and the like are stored. Then, the transport roller 22 is rotationally driven by a transport motor (not shown), so that the document holder 1 and the recording medium supplied between the transport roller 22 and the pressure contact roller 23 from the paper feeding device are transferred to the thermal head 10. It is adapted to be conveyed to and from the platen 7. Further, above the platen 7, a paper discharge roller 24 for guiding the recording medium after printing is arranged.

Further, a positioning marker 25 is formed on one side of the platen 7 of the frame 6, and the stop position of the carriage 9 can be recognized by reading the positioning marker 25 by the image scanner 14. Has been done.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the control device for the serial printer of this embodiment. The CPU 26 has a ROM 27 in which printing conditions and the like according to the type of recording medium used are stored. RAM that stores various data
28 are connected. Image information read by the image scanner 14 is sent to the CPU 26. From the CPU 26, a thermal head drive circuit 29 for controlling energization of the thermal head 10 and a platen for the thermal head 10 are provided. 7, a thermal head contact / separation drive circuit 30 for operating contact and separation with
Control signals are sent to an image scanner drive circuit 31, a carriage drive motor drive circuit 32, and a conveyance roller drive circuit 33, which control the drive of the image scanner 14.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

First, with the color filter 3 turned up, a predetermined document 5 is set on the color filter 3 and the color filter 3 is closed to close the document between the holder base 2 and the color filter 3. Hold 5 in between. In this case, when reading a predetermined color original 5,
Color filter 3 for each of yellow, magenta, and cyan
The originals 5 are attached to the original holders 1 each having

Next, when the original 5 held in the original holder 1 is read by the serial printer and printed on a recording medium, the conveying roller 22 is rotated by a control signal from the CPU 26. ,
The document holder 1 supplied from the paper feeding device between the conveying roller 22 and the pressure contact roller 23 is conveyed between the thermal head 10 and the platen 7.

Subsequently, the carriage drive motor 18 is driven by a control signal from the CPU 26 to move the carriage 9 to cause the image scanner 14 to scan the document 5 in the lateral direction, while the light emitting members 16 shift the document 5. The image sensor unit 17 receives the reflected light from the document 5 while irradiating the light, reads the image information in the lateral direction of the document 5, and stores the image information in the RAM 28 via the CPU 26.

After that, the conveying roller 22 is driven to convey the document holder 1 by a predetermined amount, and while moving the carriage 9 again, the image information of the document 5 is read by the image scanner 14 and stored in the RAM 28. By repeating this operation, all the image information of the original 5 is read and stored in the RAM 28, and the original holder 1 is read.
Then, the reading operation of the image information of the document 5 is completed.

Such a reading operation is carried out for each original holder 1 having the color filters 3 for each color, and the color image information of yellow, the color image information of magenta, and the color image information of cyan are stored in the RAM 28, respectively. In this case, in the present embodiment, since the identification marker corresponding to each color of the color filter 3 is formed on the original holder 1, the color filter of the original holder 1 is read by reading the identification marker with the image scanner. It is possible to distinguish three types, and
When the original 5 is read, if an undercolor removal, screen angle, gamma correction, dither shape change, or other preset processing or correction is performed according to each color, an inexpensive color with some distortion can be obtained. Even when the filter 3 is used, the distortion can be removed and the reproducibility of each color can be improved. Further, since the mesh 4 having a constant screen angle corresponding to each color is formed on the color filter 3, the color reproducibility can be enhanced also by this mesh 4.

Then, by rotating the conveying roller 22 in response to a control signal from the CPU 26, the conveying roller 22 and the pressure contact roller 23 are fed from the paper feeding device.
The recording medium supplied between the thermal head 10 and the platen 7 is conveyed between the thermal head 10 and the platen 7. After that, while the thermal head 10 is pressed against the platen 7 according to the control signal from the CPU 26, the carriage drive motor 18 is driven to move the carriage 9, and the image information of the document 5 stored in the storage device is changed. Based on this, by selectively heating the heating elements of the thermal head 10, desired printing is performed on a predetermined recording medium.

In this case, when the recording medium is a normal paper, a color ink ribbon is used, and the winding bobbin 7 is rotationally driven to wind the color ink ribbon, while the original 5 stored in the storage device is used. By driving the thermal head 5 based on the image information of each color, desired full color printing is performed on a predetermined recording medium. When the recording medium is a stencil sheet, the thermal head 5 directly punches the stencil sheet without using an ink ribbon. In this case, recording is performed on the stencil sheet according to the image information of each color. A yellow stencil sheet, a magenta stencil sheet, and a cyan stencil sheet are respectively obtained.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the desired original 5 is read by the color filter 3 for reading the components of the respective colors.
The image is recorded on the recording medium based on the image information of the components of the respective colors of the document 5 read through the color filters 3 of the respective colors. Even when the scanner is used, the image information of the full-color original 5 can be properly recorded on the recording medium. Therefore, it is not necessary to use an expensive color image scanner, and it is not necessary to apply a filter for reading each color, so that the cost of parts can be remarkably reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a thermal transfer printer as a serial printer has been described, but the present invention can be applied to various serial printers such as an ink jet printer.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, but various modifications can be made if necessary.

[0032]

As described above, the manuscript holder according to the present invention and the serial printer using the manuscript holder hold the desired manuscript in the manuscript holder having a color filter for reading the components of each color, and each color. Since the image is recorded on the recording medium based on the image information of each color component of the document read through the color filter of, the image information of the full-color document can be properly recorded even when using a mono-color image scanner. It can be recorded on a medium. Therefore, since it is not necessary to use an expensive color image scanner and it is not necessary to apply a filter for reading each color, the cost of parts can be remarkably reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a document holder according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a serial printer to which the document holder of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the carriage portion of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the image scanner portion of FIG.

5 is a side view of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a control device for a serial printer of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Document Holder 2 Holder Base 3 Color Filter 4 Mesh 5 Document 6 Frame 7 Platen 9 Carriage 10 Thermal Head 14 Image Scanner 16 Light Emitting Member 17 Image Sensor Unit 18 Carriage Drive Motor 22 Conveying Roller 23 Pressure Contact Roller 26 CPU

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A color filter for reading components of each color made of a transparent material is mounted on one surface side of a flat plate-shaped holder base, and a desired document is held between the holder base and the color filter. A document holder characterized in that 2. The document holder according to claim 1, wherein the color filter is formed with a mesh having a screen angle corresponding to each color. 3. The document holder according to claim 1, wherein an identification marker corresponding to each color of the color filter is formed. 4. A recording head and a mono-color image scanner are arranged so as to face the platen, and a desired manuscript and a recording medium are accommodated to store the manuscript and the recording medium in the platen, the recording head and the image scanner. A serial printer in which a sheet feeding device for feeding the sheet is disposed, the document is read by the image scanner, and the read image information is recorded on the recording medium by the recording head. The original is held by an original holder made of a flat plate-shaped holder base and a color filter which is mounted on one side of the holder base and is made of a transparent material for reading the components of each color, and is read through the color filters of each color. It has a storage means for storing image information of each color component of the original document, and is stored in this storage means. A serial printer having a control device for recording on the recording medium based on image information of each color. 5. An identification marker corresponding to each color of the color filter is formed on the original holder, and the identification marker is read by the image scanner to correct read data or print data according to the color filter of each color. The serial printer according to claim 4, wherein the serial printer is configured to do so. 6. The correction includes undercolor removal, screen angle,
At least one of gamma correction and dither shape change
6. The serial printer according to claim 5, wherein the serial printer performs one of the two.