JPS58138677A - Heat-sensitive multicolor recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To permit the selection of recording colors without the wastage of ink donor sheets by providing a subfeeding path for supplying papers manually to the main feeding path of recording papers in a heat-sensitive multicolor recorder having plural recording positions. CONSTITUTION:In the case of two-color recording, a paper 19 sent from a supply tray 18 is recorded with black color between a B-color thermal head 5 and a back roller 6, recorded with red color by a R-color thermal head 11 through the main feeding path 15, and then discharged to a discharge tray 23 by feed belts 21 and 22. In the case of black-color recording along, the main feeding path 15 is interrupted by a switching part 30 and a bypass feeding path 28 is opened, whereupon the paper after the black-color recording is discharged to the discharge tray 23 through the bypass feeding path 28. Also, in the case of red-color recording alone, when paper is manually inserted into a subfeeding path 24 through a paper feeding port 25, it is sent to an R-color recording part 2 by a register roll 27.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a multicolor thermal recording device that performs multicolor recording by thermal transfer using multiple sets of donor sheet supply rolls. The present invention relates to a multicolor thermosensitive recording device that performs recording by passing through.

In general, a thermal recording device using a donor sheet supply roll (hereinafter abbreviated as supply roll) overlaps the ink donor sheet fed out from the supply roll with recording paper (plain paper), and then transfers this to a thermal head. By selectively heating the donor sheet, the thermofluid or thermosublimation ink applied to the donor sheet flows or sublimates depending on the image information and is transferred to the recording paper, thereby transferring the image information to the recording paper. It is designed to record.

Furthermore, among this type of thermal recording apparatus, one that performs multicolor recording is known.

To explain this, multiple sets of recording sections each having a thermal head and a supply roll are arranged in series in correspondence with the number of recording colors, and one sheet of recording paper is delivered from each supply roll of the plurality of sets of recording sections. Multi-color recording is performed by sequentially overlapping each ink donor sheet, which is fed out, and performing a thermal transfer recording process each time.

Incidentally, among such multicolor thermal recording devices, one is known that has a function of selecting a recording color depending on the document. For example, in a multicolor thermosensitive recording device that can record in two colors, black and red, it is possible to create a recording section in one color, black or red, or to create recording sections in black and red. It is made possible. However, when recording colors are selected in this manner, one of the following recording methods is employed in conventional multicolor thermal recording apparatuses.

One is to let out ink donor sheets from all the supply rolls during recording, and sequentially overlay one sheet of recording paper on these, and drive only the thermal head corresponding to the color you want to record, thereby creating the desired color. This is a method of creating a recording section using only colors.

The other method is to feed the ink donor sheet only from the supply roller corresponding to the color desired to be recorded during recording, and to pass the recording paper conveyance path only through the thermal head corresponding to the feed roller from which the ink donor sheet is fed. In this method, the recording paper is overlaid only on the ink donor sheet corresponding to the color desired to be recorded, thereby creating a recording section with only the desired color.

However, the former method has the drawback that even when monochromatic recording, for example black, is performed, an ink donor sheet that would otherwise be used for recording other colors such as red is wasted, making it uneconomical. Furthermore, the latter method requires a switching device for switching the conveyance path of the recording paper, which has the disadvantage of complicating the configuration and increasing costs.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a method for manually feeding recording paper into the middle of a recording paper main conveyance path that successively overlaps multiple sets of recording units each having a thermal head and a supply roll. By providing a secondary conveyance path, wasteful consumption of the ink donor sheet can be prevented, and there is no need for a switching mechanism to switch the conveyance path of the recording paper, so the configuration is simple and the cost can be reduced. The purpose is to provide a color thermosensitive recording device.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a multicolor thermosensitive recording device that records in two colors, black and red. This device has black markings.
Two sets of recording units are arranged in series: a B color recording unit 1 for recording red color and an R color recording unit 2 for recording red color. The 8-color ink donor sheet 4 fed out from the color supply roller 3 is connected to the 8-color thermal head 5 and the 8-color back roll 6.
After successively passing through the darkness of the 8-color drive roll 7 and the 8-color drive roll 7, it is wound onto the B-color winding roll 8. In the R color recording section 2, an R color ink donor sheet 10 fed out from an R color supply roll 9 is placed between an R color round head 11 and an 8 color back roll 12.

After passing sequentially through an 8-color back roll 12 and an 8-color drive roll 13, it is wound onto an R-color winding roll 14.

The recording paper main conveyance path 15 is arranged between the 8-color thermal head 5 and the 8-color back roll 6, between the 8-color back roll 6 and the 8-color drive roll 7, and between the R-color thermal head 11 and the R-color bank roll 12. , the R-color back roll 12 and the eight-color drive roll 13 are sequentially overlapped.

At the starting point of this main conveyance path 15, a recording paper supply mechanism 16 is installed.
A recording paper ejecting mechanism 17 is provided at each end of the recording paper. The supply mechanism 16 is configured to send recording sheets 19 placed on a supply tray 18 one by one from the upper side (or lower side) to the starting point of the main conveyance path 15 by means of a feed roll 20 . The horizontal ejector 17 transfers the recording paper 19 that has reached the end point of the main conveyance path 15 to a pair of upper and lower conveyor belts 21.
．． 22, the paper is discharged onto a discharge tray 23.

The recording paper sub-transport path 24 has one end connected to a manual paper feed port 25.
and the other end of both recording units 1.
The structure is such that they are connected to each other in the middle of the two. In the middle of this sub-transport path 24, a first sensor 26. register roll 2
7. A second sensor 28 is sequentially provided.

The main conveyance path 15 has a bypass conveyance path 28 that branches off from a point slightly before the connecting point of the sub-conveyance path 24 and reaches the conveyance belts 21 and 22 of the discharge mechanism 17. Also,
A conveyance path switching mechanism 29 is provided at the branch point.

This switching mechanism 29 has a switching member 30 that is operated by a drive source (not shown) such as a solenoid that is controlled by a mode switching signal (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and by this switching member 30, It is configured to selectively switch between a state in which the bypass conveyance path 28 is shut off and the main conveyance path 15 is opened, and a state in which the main conveyance path 15 is shut off and the bypass conveyance path 28 is opened.

Next, the operation of the multicolor thermosensitive recording device having the above configuration will be explained. First, when performing two-color recording, as shown in FIG. 2, the switching member 30 is switched to a state in which the bypass conveyance path 28 is shut off and the main conveyance path 15 is opened. In this state, the recording paper 1 is removed from the supply tray 18.
When the recording paper 19 is fed out by the feed roller 20, the recording paper 19 passes through the main conveyance path 15 and enters between the eight-color thermal head 5 and the eight-color back roll 6. Then, the 8-color drive roller 7 and the B-color take-up roll 8 start driving, and accordingly, the 8-color back roll 6 rotates in a predetermined direction, and the 8-color ink donor sheet 4 is fed out from the 8-color supply roll 3. It will be done. At this timing, an image signal for black recording is started to be supplied to the 8-color thermal head 5 from the l111-circuit (not shown), and a black color is applied to the distribution paper 19, which is conveyed 1r and overlapped with the 8-color ink donor sheet 4. Image information is recorded in .

The recording paper 19 after the black recording line is peeled off from the 8-color ink donor sheet 4 and then passes through the main transport path 15 in an open state as shown in FIG. Then, the R1 drive roll 13 and the R' color take-up roll 14 start driving, and along with this, the R color back roll 12 rotates in a predetermined direction, and the R color An 8-color ink donor sheet 10 is fed out from the supply wheel 9. Also, at this timing, an image signal for red recording is started to be supplied to the 8-color thermal head 11 from a control circuit (not shown), and the 8-color ink donor sheet 10 The recording paper 19 is conveyed in an overlapping state.
Image information is recorded in red.

After the two-color recording has been completed, the recording paper 19 is peeled off from the eight-color ink donor sheet 10 and then discharged to the discharge tray 23 via the main conveyance path 15 by the conveyor belts 21 and 22.

Note that the ink donor sheet 4 from each supply roll 3.9
．． The feeding of the ink donor sheets 10 is stopped when the recording paper 19 is peeled off from each ink donor sheet 4.10.

Next, when performing black monochrome recording, the switching member 30 is switched to a state in which the main conveyance path 15 is shut off and the bypass conveyance path 28 is opened, as shown in FIG. When the recording paper 19 is fed out from the supply tray 18 in this state, image information is recorded in black on the recording paper 19 in the same manner as described above.

After the black recording has been completed, the recording paper 19 is peeled off from the eight-color ink donor sheet 4 and is discharged to the discharge tray 23 by the conveyor belts 21 and 22 via the bypass conveyance path 28 which is in an open state as shown in FIG. .

In this way, since the recording paper 19 does not pass through the R color recording section 2, the 8 color ink donor sheet 10 is
is not played out, and there is no need for it.

Next, when performing red monochrome recording, the switching member 30
It may be in any of the states shown in FIGS. Incidentally, in this case, the operator manually inserts the recording paper 19 into the sub-transport path 24 via the manual paper feed port 25. Then,
The recording paper 19 is transferred to the sub conveyance path 24 by the first sensor 26.
By detecting that it is inserted into the R color recording section 2, only the R color recording section 2 is brought into a recording state. Thereafter, the recording paper 19 is conveyed by a register roll 27, and when the second sensor 28 detects that the recording paper 19 is fed, the recording paper 19 is transferred to the 8-color recording mode as described later. When reaching section 2, control is performed so that the recording position is appropriate. Thereafter, the recording paper 19 enters the main transport path 15 from the sub-transport path 24, and then enters between the R-color print head 11 and the R-color back print head 12 via the main transport path 15.

Thereafter, in the same way as described above, self information is recorded on the recording paper 19 in red, and the recording paper 19 after the red recording is discharged to the discharge tray 23.

In this way, the recording paper 19 has eight color recording sections 1. , the eight-color ink donor sheet 4 is not fed out from the eight-color supply roll 3, and there is no need to do so.

Also, the recording paper 19 is transferred from the manual paper feed port 25 to the sub conveyance path 2.
4 directly into the main conveyance path 15, there is no need for a switching mechanism to bypass the B-color recording section 1, which simplifies the configuration and makes it impossible to reduce costs. You can aim for it without any problems.

In the above embodiment, the eight-color recording section 1 is provided at the front stage, and the eight-color recording section 2 is provided at the rear stage, but this may be reversed. Also, if the arrangement is reversed like this,
The bypass conveyance path 28 and the switching mechanism 29 may be omitted. This is because when performing single-color recording with a device that can record in two colors, black and red, it is normal to record in black.In this way, the conveyance path switching mechanism Since no one is required, the configuration becomes even simpler and costs can be further reduced.

Further, in the above embodiments, two-color recording has been described, but it goes without saying that the present invention can be similarly applied to multi-color recording of three or more colors. , As explained above,
According to the multicolor thermal recording apparatus according to the present invention, since the sub-conveyance path for manually feeding the recording paper is provided in the middle of the main conveyance of the recording paper that sequentially passes through the plurality of recording units, the ink donor It is possible to prevent wasteful consumption of sheets, and it also has a switching mechanism that switches the conveyance path of recording paper.
It is not necessary, the structure is simple, and costs can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of a multicolor thermosensitive recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the - state and other states of the switching mechanism, respectively. 1...8 color recording section 2...R color recording section 3...8 color supply roll 4...8 color ink donor sheet 5...・・・
8-color thermal head 9...R color supply roll 10...R color ink donor sheet 11...
... 8-color thermal head 15 ... Recording paper main transport path 16 ... Recording paper supply mechanism 17 ... Recording paper ejection mechanism 19 ... Recording paper 24 ... Recording paper sub-conveyance path 25 ... Manual paper feed port 28 ... Bypass transport path 29 ... Conveyance path switching mechanism 30 ... Application for switching parts Representative of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Patent attorney Umeo Yamauchi

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plurality of recording units for thermal transfer recording each having a thermal head and a donor sheet supply roll for supplying an ink donor sheet to the thermal head are arranged in series corresponding to the number of recording colors. a recording paper main conveyance path that sequentially passes through each recording section of the multicolor recording section; a recording paper supply mechanism and a discharge mechanism provided at the start and end points of the main conveyance path, respectively; A multicolor thermal recording apparatus, characterized in that the main conveyance path includes a sub conveyance path for manually feeding recording paper. 2. Claims characterized in that the main conveyance path has a bypass conveyance path that branches off from the middle thereof and reaches the discharge mechanism, and a conveyance path switching mechanism is provided at the branch point. 2. The multicolor thermosensitive recording device according to item 1.