JPH10129066A - Thermal transfer recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermal transfer recorder capable of readily judging omission of an ink film before printing operation. SOLUTION: This device comprises an ink film cassette 33 having a reel 31 for winding up an ink film detachably loaded to a device body and a photosensor 116 that is placed on the device body and detects the wind-up side reel 31 from a direction roughly perpendicular to a shaft of the reel through an opening section 112 formed on the ink film cassette 33 by means of a lever 114. Presence or absence of the ink film is judged based on the detection signal of the photosensor 116.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording apparatus suitable for detachably loading and using an ink film cassette (hereinafter, also referred to as a refill type ink film cassette) capable of replacing or refilling an ink film.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A thermal transfer recording apparatus has a platen roller and a thermal head which can be pressed against and released from the platen roller, and recording paper is fed between the platen roller and the thermal head. Between the recording paper and the thermal head, an ink film having one surface coated with a heat-meltable or heat-sublimable ink is transported. This ink film is unreeled from the supply reel and wound on the take-up reel. When a color image is reproduced on recording paper by one thermal head, an ink film in which yellow, magenta, and cyan inks are applied in this order on a thin film base surface is used.

At the time of printing, the ink film is moved by a frictional force between the platen roller and the recording paper conveyed between the platen roller and the thermal head pressed against the platen roller.
The recording paper is pulled out from the supply-side reel and transported together with the movement of the recording paper. On the other hand, the ink film fed from the supply-side reel is wound around the take-up reel by rotating the take-up reel by a motor provided in the main body of the thermal transfer recording apparatus.

In a recent thermal transfer recording apparatus, an ink film cassette accommodating a supply reel and a take-up reel and removably mounted on a main body of the thermal transfer recording apparatus in order to improve workability of an ink film loading operation. Is used.

As this ink film cassette, for example, a disposable type in consideration of usability has been proposed. In this case, the ink film cassette is a consumable item, and is replaced by a new cassette when the ink film housed therein is used up.

On the other hand, with respect to such a disposable type ink film cassette, from the viewpoint of consideration for the global environment, a (refill type) ink film cassette capable of replacing or refilling an ink film instead of disposable is demanded. I have.

As a device using this refill type cassette, for example, a device is known in which the type of an ink film used by a user is determined, and the ink film is loaded into a cassette suitable for the ink film. By detecting the cassette, the apparatus main body confirms that the cassette has been loaded, and additionally determines the type of the ink film.

[0008]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional refill type ink film cassette, although there are advantages such as consideration for the environment, when the user replaces the ink film, the cassette in which the user forgets to insert the ink film is used. When the printer is loaded in the apparatus main body, there is a problem that it is impossible to determine that the user has forgotten to insert the film until the printing operation is started.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the problems associated with the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal transfer recording apparatus capable of easily and easily discriminating whether to forget to insert an ink film before starting a printing operation. It is to provide a device.

[0010]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermal transfer recording apparatus for forming an image by transferring ink applied to an ink film to recording paper by a heating element. An ink film cassette which is removably mounted on the apparatus main body and has a reel for winding the ink film, and which is installed on the apparatus main body,
Reel detection means for detecting the reel from a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the reel through an opening formed in the ink film cassette; andcontrol means for determining the presence or absence of an ink film based on a detection signal of the reel detection means. , Is characterized by having. According to the present invention, when the ink film cassette incorporating the ink film is loaded into the apparatus main body, the reel is detected by the reel detecting means through the opening of the ink film cassette.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the thermal transfer recording apparatus according to the first aspect, the opening is formed by:
The ink film cassette is formed on a take-up side for taking up an ink film. According to the present invention, even in the case where the presence or absence of the ink film is determined by directly contacting the surface of the reel, there is a possibility that a scratch or the like may be caused when the reel is wound on the reel on the winding side. It becomes a printed ink film.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermal transfer recording apparatus for forming an image by transferring ink applied to an ink film to a recording sheet by a heating element, and the ink film is detachably mounted on a main body of the apparatus. An ink film cassette provided with a reel for winding and a detected part fixed to the end of the reel; end detecting means installed in the apparatus main body for detecting the detected part; Control means for determining the presence or absence of an ink film based on a detection signal from the detection means. According to the present invention, if the detected portion is fixed to the end of the reel and has a characteristic, and if this is not detected by the end detecting means, it is determined that there is no ink film.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of a thermal transfer recording apparatus in which an ink film cassette according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is detachably mounted with a cover member opened, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing the internal configuration of the thermal transfer recording apparatus in a state where an ink film cassette is loaded.
(1) to (3) are cross-sectional views schematically showing operating states of the thermal transfer recording apparatus at the time of paper feeding, at the start of printing, and at the end of printing, respectively. For convenience of description, the edge of the recording paper that is the leading end when the recording paper is discharged is referred to as the leading end of the recording paper.

The illustrated thermal transfer recording device 10 is, for example,
It is used in a photo lab where printing is performed, and is used to output so-called index prints that reproduce information recorded on a plurality of frames of a negative film on one sheet of recording paper. A control device (not shown) for performing various image processing on information recorded on the negative film is connected to the thermal transfer recording device 10 via an interface, and image signals and control signals from the control device are input via the interface. It is supposed to be.

A lid member 12 is mounted on the upper surface of a housing 11 forming the main body of the thermal transfer recording apparatus 10 so as to be openable and closable about a swing shaft 12a. It is designed to be loaded into a position. The left side in the figure is the front surface of the apparatus 10, and a paper discharge unit 22 is provided on the front side.
A paper feed unit 21 is provided on the back side. The paper feed unit 21 is provided with a paper feed tray 14 that stores a plurality of recording papers in an inclined manner. Further, the thermal transfer recording apparatus 10 is provided with a cutter unit 23 for cutting an unnecessary portion (a leading end portion and / or a trailing end portion of the recording paper) of the recording paper after reproducing the image. A duster unit 24 for storing paper pieces is provided on the front side of the apparatus so as to be freely inserted and removed. The recording paper from which the unnecessary portion has been cut is discharged vertically through a paper discharge port 16 onto a paper discharge tray 17 provided integrally on the front surface of the duster 24.

The internal structure of the thermal transfer recording apparatus 10 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1, a platen roller 25 is rotatably supported in a housing 11 and a cover member 12 is provided.
A head base 27 having a thermal head 26 is attached to the inner surface side of the base member by a not-shown interlocking member so as to be able to move forward and backward with respect to the platen roller 25. When the head base 27 moves forward with respect to the platen roller 25, the thermal head 26 moves to a position where it comes into pressure contact with the platen roller 25. On the other hand, when the head base 27 moves backward with respect to the platen roller 25, the thermal head 2 moves.
Reference numeral 6 moves to a position where the pressure contact is released. Head base 27
Is biased in a direction shown by an arrow A in FIG. 1 by a resilient means such as a spring (not shown) so as to hold the thermal head 26 at a position retracted with respect to the platen roller 25, that is, a pressure release position.

A drive shaft 28 rotatably mounted on the lid member 12 is brought into contact with a head base 27 to move the head base 27 forward, and to press the thermal head 26 against the platen roller 25. 29 are fixed. By rotating the drive shaft 28, the eccentric cam 2
A thermal head drive motor M <b> 1 composed of a pulse motor is connected to the drive shaft 28 in order to rotate the drive 9.

As shown in FIG. 2, between the thermal head 26 and the platen roller 25, a belt-shaped ink film 32 which is fed from the supply reel 30 and wound on the take-up reel 31 is conveyed. It has become so. The ink film 32 is formed by, for example, applying three color ink layers of yellow, magenta and cyan to the base film in this order.

The supply and take-up reels 30, 31
Are stored in the ink film cassette 33.
The ink film cassette 33 is detachable from the housing 11, and is set at a predetermined position by being set on a holding plate 34 mounted in the housing 11. Gear 35 attached to take-up reel 31
A part of the opening faces the opening formed in the ink film cassette 33. When the cassette is mounted, an ink film winding drive gear 36 provided in the apparatus main body is engaged with the gear 35. The drive gear 36 is driven to rotate by a motor M2. The configuration of the ink film cassette 33 will be described later in detail.

In order to form a conveyance path for the ink film 32, an ink film take-up roller 37 is rotatably provided at a position where it enters the inside of the cassette 33 when the cassette is mounted. The ink film take-up roller 37 is a roller having a surface formed of a rubber material or the like having a high frictional resistance, and is rotationally driven by an ink film take-up motor M3 composed of a pulse motor. Between the ink film winding motor M3 and the ink film winding roller 37,
An electromagnetic clutch (not shown) is provided. The electromagnetic clutch is turned on only when heading of the ink film 32 is performed during non-printing when the thermal head 26 is not pressed against the platen roller 25, and is turned off in other states, for example, during printing.

At the time of printing, the thermal head 26 is in pressure contact with the platen roller 25, and the ink film 32 is in contact with the platen roller 25 and the thermal head 26.
The recording paper 18 is drawn out of the supply-side reel 30 by the frictional force between the recording paper 18 and the recording paper 18 conveyed between the recording paper 18 and the recording paper 18 and is conveyed at the same speed. The ink film 32 fed from the supply reel 30 is taken up by the take-up reel 3 via the drive gear 36 and the gear 35 by the motor M2.
Is driven by an ink film guide plate 38 provided at the tip of the thermal head 26 and an ink film take-up roller 37 to take up the take-up reel 3.
It is wound by one. At the time of this printing, the electromagnetic clutch is turned off, and the ink film take-up roller 37 rotates following the movement of the ink film 32 and functions as a guide roller for guiding the conveyance of the ink film 32.

At the time of non-printing, the thermal head 26
Is released from the pressure contact with the platen roller 25, and when the cue of the ink film 32 is performed, the electromagnetic clutch is turned on and the ink film take-up roller 37 is driven to rotate by the ink film take-up motor M3. Then
The ink film 32 is pulled out from the supply-side reel 30 by the frictional force between the ink film 32 and the ink film take-up roller 37 that is driven to rotate, and is taken up by the take-up reel 31.

The recording paper 18 is held on the paper feed tray 14 in an inclined state. In order to regulate the width direction of the recording paper 18, the paper feed tray 14 is provided with a width regulating plate 40. I have. The width regulating plate 40 is slidable in the width direction according to the size of the recording paper 18.

The recording paper 18 on the paper feed tray 14 is fed one by one by a paper feed roller 45 and a separating roller 46 disposed with a small gap from the paper feed roller 45. The sheet is conveyed while being guided by the guide member 47. The paper feed roller 45 is driven to rotate by a paper feed motor M4 composed of a pulse motor, but the separating roller 46 is not rotated.

On the upstream side of the platen roller 25, adjacent to the platen roller 25, a grip roller 50 and a pinch roller 5 which is in contact with the grip roller 50 are disposed.
1 and the fed recording paper 18 is fed between the rollers 50 and 51. Grip roller 5
0 is a grip roller drive motor M composed of a pulse motor
5, the pinch roller 51 is driven to rotate as the recording paper is conveyed.

On the downstream side of the platen roller 25, in order to discharge the recording paper 18 onto the paper discharge tray 17, a first discharge roller pair 53 located on the paper discharge port 16 side and a platen roller 25 side. The second discharge roller pair 54 is attached at a predetermined distance. These discharge rollers 5
Reference numerals 3 and 54 are adapted to be rotationally driven by a transport motor M6 composed of a pulse motor.

Between the platen roller 25 and the discharge roller pair 54, there is provided a guide member 55 for guiding the conveyance of the recording paper 18 during the discharge processing. This guide member 55
A storage space 56 for storing the recording paper 18 when a printing operation is performed is formed below the space.

In the illustrated thermal transfer recording apparatus 10,
When reproducing a color image on the recording paper 18, first, FIG.
As shown in (1), the recording paper 18 is fed from the paper feed tray 14 and transported forward in the direction shown by the arrow B, and the recording paper 18 is stored in the storage space 56 as shown in FIG. I do. Next, from this state, the recording paper 1 is moved in the direction indicated by arrow C.
While returning and transporting 8, the yellow image is formed, and FIG.
As shown in (3), the recording paper 18 is fed onto the guide member 47. That is, the return printing method is used. After transferring the yellow image while returning and transporting the recording paper 18,
In preparation for reproducing the next magenta image, recording paper 18
Is transported forward. In this way, for example, by superimposing and transferring three-color images by the frame sequential method, the recording paper 1
8, a color image is formed. The thermal head 26 comes into pressure contact with the platen roller 25 only during return transport, and when the recording paper 18 is transported forward, the thermal head 26 is separated from the platen roller 25. When the return conveyance and the forward conveyance are repeated for printing, the grip roller 50 and the pinch roller 51 always keep the recording paper 18 nipped.

Below the guide member 55, the recording paper 18 conveyed by the grip roller 50 and the pinch roller 51 is transferred to the paper discharge section 22 provided with discharge roller pairs 53 and 54 or the storage space 56. A swing guide 58 is provided so as to be swingable about the support shaft 57 in order to selectively guide the swing guide 58 to one of them. The swing guide 58 is formed of a flexible material. As shown in FIG. 3 (2), when the swing guide 58 is swung upward, the recording paper 18 conveyed by the grip roller 50 or the like is stored in the storage space 56. On the other hand, when the swing guide 58 swings clockwise from the upper position to the lower position about the support shaft 57, the recording paper 18 is conveyed toward the paper discharge unit 22.

A cutter unit 23 provided between the first discharge roller pair 53 and the second discharge roller pair 54 includes a rotary cutter 60 and a receiving table 61 for cutting the recording paper 18 in cooperation with the cutter 60. And The non-printing area can be cut by the cutter unit 23, and unnecessary cut pieces of paper are separated by their own weight.
The duster unit 2 disposed below the cutter unit 23
4 falls and is collected.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cutter unit 23 is provided with a leading edge detection sensor S2 for detecting the leading edge of the recording paper. The leading edge detection sensor S2 issues an ON signal when detecting the leading edge of the recording paper 18. Tip detection sensor S2
A pulse for driving the transport motor M6 is managed on the basis of a point in time when the leading end of the recording paper 18 is detected, and a leading end cut for cutting the recording paper 18 by a predetermined length from the leading end of the recording paper;
A trailing end cut for cutting the recording paper 18 by a predetermined length from the trailing end of the recording paper is performed.

As shown in FIG. 2, a sensor S1 is provided adjacent to the grip roller 50 for detecting the leading edge of the recording paper during paper feeding or the trailing edge of the recording paper during printing. The sensor S1 issues an ON signal when detecting the leading edge or the trailing edge of the recording paper 18. Since the sensor S1 detects the trailing edge of the recording paper during printing, it will be referred to as a trailing edge detection sensor S1 in the following description for convenience.

As shown in FIG. 2, a mark detection sensor S3 for detecting a cue mark provided on the ink film 32 is provided adjacent to the ink film guide roller 37. The cue mark is imprinted on the head of each yellow ink layer. The cue of the ink film 32 is performed by turning on the electromagnetic clutch, rotating the ink film take-up roller 37 by the ink film take-up motor M3, and transporting the ink film 32 with the frictional force between the ink film take-up roller 37 and the take-up roller. This is carried out by pulse counting the transport amount of the ink film 32 by an encoder (not shown) provided at one end of 37.

As each of the sensors S1, S2 and S3, a reflection type photo sensor can be exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and a transmission type photo sensor may be used.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a control unit 19 is disposed below the inside of the thermal transfer recording apparatus 10. The control unit 19 is provided at a power supply section for supplying external electric power and outside the apparatus. It has a controller as a control means for receiving signals from a control device (not shown) via an interface and controlling various parts in the device, and various substrates.

Next, the ink film cassette 33 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the ink film cassette according to the first embodiment and a limit switch used for determining the type of the ink film disposed in the apparatus main body. The operation of the limit switch will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ink film cassette 33 includes a central film guide 70, a supply reel housing 71 formed at one end thereof, and a take-up reel formed at the other end thereof. And a receiving section 72. These are upper frames 7 each made of synthetic resin.
3 and the lower frame 74 are assembled by abutting each other. Further, an upper opening window 75 and a lower opening window 76 are formed above and below the film guide portion 70 in the drawing,
A notch 77 for receiving the ink film take-up roller 37 is formed on the side wall of the lower frame 74.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the supply-side reel 30 around which the ink film 32 is wound is incorporated in the supply-side reel storage 71, and the take-up reel storage 72 is A take-up reel 31 is incorporated. 5 of the support shafts 78a and 78b at both ends of the supply-side reel 30.
The support shaft 78b shown on the middle and lower sides is composed of upper and lower frames 73,7.
4 is rotatably supported by a supply-side bearing 79b formed on the side wall. Similarly, of the support shafts 80a and 80b at both ends of the take-up reel 31, the support shaft 80b is rotatably supported by a take-up bearing 81b formed on the side walls of the upper and lower frames 73 and 74. The other support shafts 78a and 80a of the reels 30 and 31, respectively,
It is rotatably supported by the torque limiter 85 and the second torque limiter 97.

The upper and lower frames 73 and 74 of the ink film cassette 33 are openable and closable. Locking pieces 121 and 122 are formed on the side surfaces of the upper and lower frames 73 and 74, respectively. A slider 123 for disconnecting is provided movably. After the two locking pieces 121 and 122 of the upper and lower frames 73 and 74 abut against each other, the slider 123 is moved to the left in the drawing, so that the two locking pieces are connected and the upper and lower frames 73 and 74 are connected.
74 are mutually fastened. On the other hand, if the slider 123 is moved rightward in the drawing, the connection between the two locking pieces is released, and the upper and lower frames 73 and 74 can be opened. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the upper and lower frames 73 and 74 are opened.

A first torque limiter 85 for applying a braking force to the support shaft 78a of the supply-side reel 30 in the cassette 33 is attached to and detached from the ink film cassette 33 between the support shaft 78a of the supply-side reel 30 and the cassette 33. It is provided freely. In addition, the spindle 80a of the take-up reel 31;
Between the cassette 80b and the cassette 33, a braking means 95 for applying a braking force to the spindles 80a and 80b of the take-up reel 31 in the cassette 33 is detachably provided. further,
In the cassette 33, a second torque limiter 97 for limiting the driving torque of the take-up reel 31 is provided detachably.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first torque limiter 85 comprises a gear 35 and a limiter 87 attached to the gear 35. The gear 35 has a disk portion 88 having teeth formed on its outer peripheral surface. And a shaft portion 89 integrally formed with the disk portion 88.
And an inner shaft 91 rotatably held in a through hole formed in the main body 90. The disk portion 88 of the gear 35 and the housing 90 of the limiter 87 are fixed to each other and can be rotated integrally. The inner shaft 91 and the gear 35 include:
A through hole through which the support shaft 78a of the supply reel 30 is inserted is formed. The support shaft 78a of the supply-side reel 30 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the central portion of the supply-side reel 30 around which the ink film 32 is wound, and a radially extending convex portion 96a is formed on the end face of the central portion of the reel 30. (See FIG. 8). A concave portion 96b that engages with the convex portion 96a is formed at the tip of the inner shaft 91, and the supply side reel 30 and the inner shaft 91 rotate integrally by an engaging portion 96 including the convex portion 96a and the concave portion 96b. It is supposed to.

Two through holes (not shown) extending in the radial direction are formed through the main body 90 of the limiter 87. After a spring is inserted into the through hole, the spring is set at the outer opening end. Screws are screwed (neither shown). The two through holes are formed at positions facing each other, and the spring force of the spring acts on the inner shaft 91 from both radial sides.

The first torque limiter 85 is connected to the supply reel 3
In the case of mounting on the supply reel 30, it is inserted into the support shaft 78 a from the inner shaft 91 side, and the projection 96 a and the recess 96 b are aligned and engaged with each other. The shaft 91 is connected. The first torque limiter 85 inserted into the support shaft 78a is assembled in a non-rotating state with respect to the cassette 33. That is, the first torque limiter 85
The gear 35 constituting the second torque limiter 97 is diverted,
The gear 35 is fixed and held, for example, by being sandwiched between upper and lower frames 73 and 74 having a projection formed on the inner surface having a shape corresponding to the gear tooth shape. In this state, the spring force of the spring acts on the inner shaft 91 from both sides in the radial direction, and the spring force of the spring also acts on the supply-side reel 30 connected via the engaging portion 96. I have. Therefore, the supply reel 30 does not rotate unless a torque against the elastic force of the spring acts on the supply reel 30. That is, the first torque limiter 85 applies a braking load to the support shaft 78 a of the supply-side reel 30 in the cassette 33 to apply a rotational load to the supply-side reel 30. In addition, it is also possible to adjust the rotational load according to the tightening amount of the set screw.

The second torque limiter 97 has the same configuration as the first torque limiter 85, and a description of common parts will be omitted. Gear 3 of second torque limiter 97
5 is arranged so as to face the opening 100 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) formed in the lower frame 74. As described above, when the cassette 33 is loaded into the apparatus main body, the opening 1 is opened.
00 and mesh with the ink film winding drive gear 36.

The second torque limiter 97 can also be mounted on the take-up reel 31 in the same manner as the first torque limiter 85. Thus, the first and second torque limiters 85, 9
7 can be easily attached to and detached from the support shafts 78a and 80a. The second torque limiter 97 inserted into the support shaft 80a is assembled so as to be rotatable with respect to the cassette 33. In this state, the resilient force of the spring acts on the take-up reel 31, and when a driving torque greater than the force corresponding to the resilient force of the spring acts on the gear 35, the take-up reel 31 Gear 35
Is not transmitted, and only the gear 35 idles.

As shown in FIG. 5, the braking means 95 includes a take-up bearing 81 for supporting the support shaft 80b of the take-up reel 31.
b and a take-up bearing 81a that supports the gear shaft 89 through which the support shaft 80a is inserted. Winding side bearing 8
The clearance between the shaft 1b and the support shaft 80b and the clearance between the winding-side bearing portion 81a and the gear shaft portion 89 have predetermined dimensions for applying a braking force to apply a rotational load to the winding-side reel 31. The set torque value of the second torque limiter 97 on the winding side which has been set is set to a value in consideration of the rotational load by the braking means 95.

Since the torque limiters 85 and 97 are provided in the cassette as described above, the ink film cassette 3
In the thermal transfer recording apparatus 10 using the printer 3, there is no need to provide a supply-side torque limiter and a take-up side torque limiter in the main body of the recording apparatus 10;
The first and second torque limiters 85 and 97 provided in the device 3 have an advantage that the same durability as other components in the apparatus main body is not necessarily required.

Further, since the first torque limiter 85 is provided, the ink film 32 is not loosened even if an external force is applied during shipping and transportation of the ink film cassette 33, so that the ink film cassette 33 is not immediately fed out from the supply side reel 30. The unused ink film 32 is not wasted. In addition, since the braking means 95 is provided, when the ink film cassette 33 is detached from the thermal transfer recording apparatus during use of the ink film 32, the used ink film 32 can be immediately unwound from the take-up reel 31 even if an external force is applied. There is no.

The first torque limiter 8 on the supply side
5 is set to be larger than the value of the second torque limiter 97 on the winding side, so that when the winding reel 31 is rotated, the loosened ink film 32 is removed from the winding reel 3.
As it is wound up, it becomes tight. Thereafter, even if the take-up reel 31 is further rotated, only the gear 35 idles, and the ink film 32 is not pulled out from the supply reel 30. Also, when the thermal head 26 is lowered for printing and pressed against the platen roller 25, the unused ink film 32 is not pulled out from the supply-side reel 30, but the used ink film 32 is pulled out from the take-up reel 31. The unused ink film 32 is not wasted.

On the other hand, each of the torque limiters 85 and 97 can be incorporated into the cassette 33 together with the reels 30 and 31, or can be taken out of the cassette 33.
8a and 80a, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (A), the first torque limiter 85 is removed from the used supply side reel 30, and the first torque limiter 85 is replaced with a new supply side reel 30 as shown in FIG. It can be easily incorporated into the cassette 33. The same applies to the second torque limiter 97. Therefore, the user himself or herself
Only replacement or refilling work can be performed easily.

It should be noted that the first torque limiter 85, the second torque limiter 97 and the braking means 95 are not limited to the above-described configuration but can be variously modified.
The first torque limiter 85 is connected to the support shaft 7 of the supply side reel 30.
An elastic body such as a sponge that slides on the outer peripheral surface of the cassette 8a may be detachably attached to the inner surface of the cassette 33, and a rotational load may be applied to the supply reel 30 by the sponge.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams schematically showing two types of reels used as the supply reel 30 or the take-up reel 31. FIG.

In the first embodiment, in particular, as shown in FIG. 4, for a specific type of ink film, one end of the supply-side reel 30 and / or the take-up reel 31 is provided with the ink film. An extension 110 is fixedly provided as a portion to be detected, which is represented according to the type, thereby giving the reel a characteristic. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, a reel R1 having a normal length that can be appropriately contained in a cassette is provided.
And a long reel R2 in which the spindle 78b and / or 80b of the reel protrudes a predetermined distance outside the cassette when incorporated in the cassette, and a long reel R2 for a specific type of ink film. Is used as the supply-side reel 30 and / or the take-up side reel 31. Therefore, the portion that protrudes outside the cassette when the long reel R2 is incorporated into the cassette constitutes the extension 110 as the detected part.

The ink film cassette 33 shown in FIG.
For example, a long reel R2 is used as the supply-side reel 30, and a normal-length reel R is used as the take-up reel 31.
1 is used. Supply reel 3 which is a long reel R2
When the ink film cassette 33 is loaded into the apparatus main body, the extension section 110 of 0 is configured to come into contact with a limit switch 101 serving as an end detecting means provided on the apparatus main body side to be turned on. On the other hand, at a similar position on the take-up side, a limit switch 102 as an end detection means that is turned on when a long reel R2 is used as the take-up reel 31 is also disposed. The end detecting means is not limited to a limit switch, and for example, a photo sensor may be used.

FIGS. 10A to 10C are diagrams for explaining the relationship between the length of the reel to be used and the type of the ink film. In the first embodiment, when both of the limit switches 101 and 102 are off, the controller as the control means of the control unit 19 determines whether the cassette is not loaded in the apparatus or the cassette is not loaded. It is determined that a cassette has been loaded, that is, that "there is no ink film".

As a result, the type of the ink film 32 composed of the three types of the ink films 32a, 32b, and 32c can be determined from the two types of the normal length reel R1 and the long reel R2.

That is, as shown in FIG. 10, the supply-side reel 3 corresponds to the ink film 32a of the three types.
In FIG. 10A, a reel R1 having a normal length and a long reel R2 are used for a take-up reel 31. A long reel R2 is used for a supply reel 30 corresponding to the ink film 32b.
A reel R1 having a normal length is used as the take-up reel 31 (see FIGS. 10B and 4).
c, the supply-side reel 30 and the take-up reel 31
A long reel R2 is used for both (FIG. 10C).
Therefore, when the ink film 32a is used, the limit switch 101 is turned off and the limit switch 102 is turned off.
Is turned on, and when the ink film 32b is used, the limit switch 101 is turned on and the limit switch 10 is turned on.
2 is turned off, and when the ink film 32c is used, both the limit switches 101 and 102 are turned on.
Based on this detection result, the type of the ink film can be determined in advance, and the presence or absence of the ink film can be detected before operating the internal mechanism such as the printing operation simply by inserting the ink film cassette 33 into the apparatus main body.

Next, a process for determining the type of the ink film and performing a printing operation based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 11 will be described.

When the ink film cassette 33 is loaded into the main body of the apparatus, the controller first operates the limit switch 1
The presence or absence of the ink film is determined according to the detection results of 01 and 102. Here, limit switches 101 and 10
If both are off, the controller determines that there is no ink film and turns on the red LED on the display (not shown) of the apparatus main body, or displays a message such as "no ink film". (Step S1).

On the other hand, except when both of the limit switches 101 and 102 are off, the controller determines that there is an ink film, and
The type of the ink film is determined in accordance with the detection results of Steps 1 and 102 and displayed on the display unit of the apparatus main body (Step S).
2).

Next, the controller calculates a printable size from the size data of the recording paper and the ink film (step S3). It is also possible to transmit these data to a host computer, which is a control device that is connected to the thermal transfer recording apparatus and sends an image signal and a control signal to the thermal transfer recording apparatus, and causes the computer to perform calculations.

Then, the controller determines whether or not the printable size obtained in step S3 matches the print size based on the print data sent from the host computer. If it is determined that there is a non-conformity, a warning such as "Print size is too large" or "Change the ink film to △△ size" is displayed on the display of the main body to warn the user. (Step S
4).

If a warning is issued in step S1 or step S4, the process does not proceed to the next step but waits until the reason for the warning is resolved. The operation of the thermal transfer recording device such as a printing operation is performed. In this case, the feed amount of the ink film, the energy applied to the thermal head, and the like are set according to the type of the ink film determined in step S2, so that an appropriate image can be formed.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, for at least one end of the specific type of ink film, the extension portion 110 as a detected portion, which is represented according to the type of the ink film, is fixed. Since an ink film cassette incorporating a reel is used, by detecting this with the limit switches 101 and 102, the ink film cassette is wound around the reel in advance before performing a printing operation or the like simply by loading the ink film cassette into the apparatus main body. The type and erroneous loading of the ink film can be determined easily and easily, and the presence or absence of the ink film can be detected without adding any parts or the like.

In addition, a process such as a warning to the user or a printing operation is performed in accordance with the detection results of the limit switches 101 and 102. Therefore, the type of the ink film cannot be determined by the apparatus main body before the printing operation. In addition, it is possible to perform an appropriate printing operation according to the type of the ink film while preventing waste of the ink film and the recording paper.

Further, since the type of the ink film is not determined by the cassette as in the prior art, the determination is made by the reel on which the ink film is wound. Therefore, it is not necessary to have an ink film cassette for each type of the ink film. It is possible to replace the ink film with another cassette without the trouble of having to match the type of the ink film with the cassette for that type when replacing the ink film by the user. It is preferably applied to an ink film cassette (of a refill type).

In FIG. 4, the position where the reel extension 110 can be provided is one end of the supply reel 30 and / or the take-up reel 31, that is, two positions.
It is also possible to use all the ends of each reel to provide four locations. By doing so, the types of ink films that can be determined can be increased.

Further, any one of the four end portions of the reels 30 and 31, for example, the support shaft 7 of the supply side reel 30.
It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the end on the 8a side is used only for determining the presence or absence of the ink film, and the other two or three ends are used for determining the type of the ink film.
In this case, regardless of the type of the ink film, the extension 1 is attached to the end on the support shaft 78a side of all the supply reels 30.
10 to provide a feature, and when the cassette is mounted on the apparatus main body, the extension 1 at the end on the support shaft 78a side.
A limit switch for detecting 10 is arranged on the apparatus body side. This makes it possible to easily determine that there is no ink film by not turning on the limit switch.

On the other hand, an extension 110 is provided on a reel on which the ink film is wound, and the type of the ink film is determined based on the length of the reel. The present invention is not limited to the method of properly using different types of reels on the supply side and / or the winding side, but may be variously modified. For example, as shown in FIG. The type of the ink film can be determined by setting the length of the extension 110 and detecting the length of the extension 110 with the limit switch 103 or the like.

<Embodiment 2> FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing an ink film cassette according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention and a sensor used for determining the type of ink film disposed in the apparatus main body.

In the second embodiment, for a specific type of ink film, one end of the supply-side reel 30 and / or the take-up side reel 31 is provided as a detected portion represented according to the type of the ink film. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a flange 105 having a larger diameter than that of the first embodiment (see a portion indicated by a chain line in FIG. 5) is fixed.

When such an ink film cassette 33 is inserted into the main assembly of the apparatus, the photo sensors 106 and 107 serving as end detecting means disposed on the main assembly side of the apparatus allow the notch 108 formed in the lower frame 74 of the cassette to be cut out. By detecting the flange 105, it is possible to determine the type and the presence or absence of the ink film before the printing operation by a method similar to the method using the detection result of the extension portion 110 of the reel in the first embodiment. Effect.

In FIG. 13, the position at which the flange 105 having a larger diameter than usual can be provided is indicated by the supply reel 30 and / or the supply reel 30.
Alternatively, one end of the take-up reel 31 is provided, that is, two places, but it is also possible to use four ends by using all the ends of each reel. Further, any one of the four end portions of the reels 30 and 31 can be used only for determining the presence or absence of the ink film.

<< Embodiment 3 >> FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing an ink film cassette according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention and a sensor used for determining the type of ink film disposed in the apparatus main body.

In the third embodiment, for a specific type of ink film, one end of the supply-side reel 30 and / or the take-up side reel 31 is used as a detected portion represented according to the type of the ink film. Reflective sheet 109
(Refer to the sticking position indicated by reference numeral G in FIG. 7) is different from the first embodiment in that it is stuck and fixed.

When such an ink film cassette 33 is inserted into the apparatus main body, the reflection sheet 109 is detected by the photosensors 106 and 107 as end detecting means disposed on the apparatus main body side. A similar effect is obtained such that the type and presence or absence of the ink film can be determined before the printing operation by a method similar to the method using the detection result of the reel extension 110. As the reflection sheet 109, for example, a silver tape whose surface is silver and the reflected light can be detected by the photosensors 106 and 107 is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this. I just need.

In FIG. 14, the position where the silver tape 109 can be provided is one end of the supply reel 30 and / or the take-up reel 31, that is, two positions. It is also possible to use four places. Further, any one of the four end portions of the reels 30 and 31 can be used only for determining the presence or absence of the ink film.

Fourth Embodiment FIG. 15 is a partial side view showing a means for detecting a reel from an opening formed in an ink film cassette, and FIG. 16 is a partial plan view of the same.

In the fourth embodiment, a means for determining the presence or absence of an ink film having a different configuration from the means for determining the type of ink film is provided separately in the apparatus main body.
This is different from the first to third embodiments.

That is, as shown in FIG.
A flange 111 for detection is provided in the vicinity of one end, and a part of the flange 111 for detection faces an opening 112 formed below the take-up reel housing portion 72 of the ink film cassette 33. On the other hand,
A lever 114 is provided rotatably about a pin 113 in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of the reel.
Reference numeral 14 is configured so that when the cassette is not mounted, the spring member 115 rotates clockwise in FIG.

When the cassette is mounted, one end of the lever 114 enters the opening 112 formed in the ink film cassette 33, and the lever 114 is pressed by the detection flange 111 of the take-up reel 31, and the spring member 115 Is rotated counterclockwise in the figure against the force of FIG. Here, the lever 114, the pin 113, the spring member 115, and the photo sensor 116 constitute a reel detecting unit. In this case, it goes without saying that the photo sensor 116 is turned on only when the ink film wound on the reel is present in the ink film cassette 33, and is not turned on when the user forgets to put the ink film in the ink film cassette 33.

In FIG. 15, the photo sensor 116 is turned on when there is a reel around which the ink film is wound. However, the photo sensor 116 may be turned on when there is no reel. .

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, it is possible to simply and easily determine the presence or absence of the ink film wound on the reel before performing a printing operation or the like simply by loading the ink film cassette into the apparatus main body. It becomes possible. Further, since means for determining the presence or absence of an ink film having a different configuration is provided separately from the means for determining the type of ink film, for example, when the same means for determining the type of ink film as shown in FIG.
02 are off, that is, the supply reel 3
0 and the take-up side reel 31 both have a normal length reel R1.
Can also be used to determine the type of ink film, and as a result, four types of ink films can be determined.

FIG. 17 is a partial side view showing another example of a means for detecting a reel from an opening formed in an ink film cassette. According to this, since the lever 117 directly contacts the surface of the take-up reel 31 to determine the presence or absence of the ink film, the detection flange 111 is unnecessary. In this case, as the printing proceeds, the take-up reel 31 becomes thicker due to the ink film 32 to be taken up, so that the lever 117 is gradually rotated in the direction of the arrow in the drawing. It is preferable to provide an arc-shaped portion 117a as shown in FIG. When the detection is performed by directly contacting the surface of the reel, the lever 117 may come into contact with the ink film 32 to cause a flaw or the like and adversely affect the image. It is desirable to use the take-up reel 31 on which the printed ink film is taken up.

However, if the method of detecting the presence or absence of the ink film by contacting the lever 114 with a location such as the detection flange 111 is employed, there is a possibility that the lever 114 contacts the ink film 32 and causes scratches or the like. Therefore, the detection flange 111 can be provided near the end of the supply reel 30.

The embodiments described above are not described to limit the present invention, and various changes can be made. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the torque limiter is provided in the ink film cassette, but the supply-side torque limiter and the winding-side torque limiter are provided in the main body of the recording apparatus without being provided in the cassette. It is also possible to apply to.

[0087]

As described above, according to the thermal transfer recording apparatus of the first aspect, the reel is detected through the opening of the ink film cassette by the reel detecting means only by loading the ink film cassette into the apparatus main body. Thus, it is possible to easily and easily determine whether or not there is an ink film wound on a reel before performing a printing operation or the like, with a simple configuration.

Further, according to the thermal transfer recording apparatus of the present invention, even if the presence or absence of an ink film is determined by directly contacting the surface of the reel, there is a possibility that a scratch or the like may be caused. Since the printed ink film is wound on the reel on the take-up side, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that the ink film may be damaged, thereby adversely affecting the image.

Further, according to the thermal transfer recording apparatus of the present invention, the detected portion is fixed to the end of the reel and has a feature, and this is detected by the end detecting means. However, it is possible to easily detect the presence or absence of an ink film wound on a reel before performing a printing operation or the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of a thermal transfer recording apparatus in which an ink film cassette according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is removably mounted, with a cover member opened.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing an internal configuration of the thermal transfer recording apparatus in a state where an ink film cassette is loaded.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views schematically showing an operation state of the thermal transfer recording apparatus, wherein FIG.
(3) indicates the end of printing.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an ink film cassette according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention and a limit switch used for discriminating a type of an ink film arranged in the apparatus main body.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state where each reel is assembled to a lower frame of the ink film cassette.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the ink film cassette.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state where the upper and lower frames of the ink film cassette are opened and the ink film is taken out.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are conceptual diagrams showing a procedure for replacing a torque limiter with a new reel.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams schematically illustrating two types of reels used as a supply-side reel or a take-up-side reel.

FIGS. 10A to 10C are diagrams for explaining the relationship between the length of a reel to be used and the type of an ink film.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a process of determining a type of an ink film and performing a printing operation.

FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view showing a long reel in which several types of lengths of extension portions are set in stages, and a sensor for detecting the length of the extension portion.

FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing an ink film cassette according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention and a sensor disposed in the apparatus main body and used for determining the type of an ink film.

FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing an ink film cassette according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention and a sensor disposed in the apparatus main body and used for determining the type of an ink film.

FIG. 15 is a partial side view showing a unit for detecting a reel from an opening formed in an ink film cassette.

FIG. 16 is a partial plan view of the same.

FIG. 17 is a partial side view showing another example of a means for detecting a reel from an opening formed in an ink film cassette.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Thermal transfer recording device, 18 ... Recording paper, 25 ... Platen roller, 26 ... Thermal head (heating element), 30 ... Supply side reel, 31 ... Winding side reel, 32 ... Ink film, 33 ... Ink film cassette, 78a, 78b ... Spindle of supply side reel, 80a, 80b ... Spindle of take-up side reel, 101-103 ... Limit switch (end detection means), 105 ... Flange (detected part), 106-107 ... Photo sensor (end) 108: Notch, 109: Reflective sheet (detected part), 110: Extension (detected part), 112: Opening, 116: Photosensor (reel detecting means), R1, R2 ... reel.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A thermal transfer recording apparatus for forming an image by transferring ink applied to an ink film to a recording sheet by a heating element, the ink film being detachably mounted on a main body of the apparatus and having a reel for winding the ink film. A cassette, a reel detecting unit installed in the apparatus main body, and detecting the reel from a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis of the reel through an opening formed in the ink film cassette; and a detection signal of the reel detecting unit. A thermal transfer recording apparatus comprising: a control unit for determining whether an ink film is present. 2. The thermal transfer recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening is formed on a take-up side of the ink film cassette on which an ink film is taken up. 3. A thermal transfer recording apparatus for forming an image by transferring ink applied to an ink film to recording paper by a heating element, wherein the reel is removably mounted on an apparatus main body and winds the ink film. An ink film cassette having a detected part fixed to an end; an end detecting means installed in the apparatus main body and detecting the detected part; and an ink film cassette based on a detection signal of the end detecting means. A thermal transfer recording apparatus comprising: a control unit configured to determine presence / absence of the thermal transfer recording apparatus.