JPS60174670A - Recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain automatically optimum recording conditions for each color by a method in which the difference of ink ribbons of plural colors is discriminated in a thermal transfer recorder, and the heating quantities of the thermal head are varied. CONSTITUTION:Switches 18, 19 and 20 to be opened when a color ink ribbon case 16 or 21 is not placed on a carrriage 1 are provided. A projection 52a is provided on the bottom of the color ribbon case 16, and a projection 52b is provided on the bottom of the color ribbon case 21. The switch 18 is closed by the projection 52a, and the switch 19 is closed by the projection 52b. A discriminator is made up of the switches 18, 19 and 20 and the projection 52. Since the switches to be closed of the these switches 18, 19 and 20 are different with color ribbon cases, optimum heating quantities for each color can be automatically determined by attaching different color ribbon cases to the carriage 1.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to the improvement of thermal transfer recording devices, and in particular, by simply installing a plurality of color ink cartridge cases of different colors into the recording device, it is possible to automatically select the optimal one for each color. The present invention relates to a recording device that can obtain the amount of heat generated for recording.

[Prior art]

Conventionally, there is a thermal transfer recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1. As shown in the figure, a thermal head 3 is attached to a letterhead heat sink 2 provided on a carriage 1, and the carriage 1 slides on a guide shaft 4 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper. An ink ribbon case 6 in which an ink ribbon 5 is stored is detachably attached to the carriage 1. The ink cartridge 75 is supplied between the recording #8 on the platen 7 and the thermal head 3, and the ink on the di-ink cartridge is transferred onto the recording paper 8 by the heat of the thermal head 3, thereby forming a recording layer.

Further, power for heating is supplied to the thermal head 3 via the connector 9 on the printed circuit board 50 and the flexible cable 10.

FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of a conventional apparatus, in which recording data is input from the host computer 11 to the CPU 13m of the recording apparatus via a signal line 5112.
U 13 a converts the recorded data into a signal for generating heat in the thermal head 3, and this signal for generating heat is transmitted through the signal line 52.
The signal is input to a driver 15 for driving the heat generation of the thermal head 3 via the signal line 14.

The driver 15 is connected via the connector 9 to a flexible cable IO in the mechanical section of the recording apparatus. Note 13b
, 13c are RAM and ROM, respectively.

The amount of heat generated by the thermal head 3, W, is given by the following formula: W=V-t/R... (7) where the resistance value R2 of the heating resistor on the thermal head is the applied voltage (2), and the application time is t.

In such a recording apparatus, various color recordings are performed by using an ink ribbon having an ink ribbon coated with ink of each color other than black ink, for example. However, each color of ink has different components and naturally has different physical properties, so the amount of heat generated for proper thermal transfer recording (
and factors determining the amount of heat generated) differ depending on each color. For this reason, conventional recording apparatuses with a constant amount of heat generation have disadvantages such as inability to obtain good recording depending on the color of the ink.

〔the purpose〕

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, an object of the present invention is to realize a printing apparatus that automatically enables optimum printing conditions for each color when using ink ribbons of each color.

〔composition〕

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a thermal transfer recording device W including: a discriminating means for discriminating the difference between a plurality of color ink cartridges; and a heat generating means for changing the amount of heat generated by a thermal head in accordance with an output signal of the discriminating means. It is characterized by being equipped with a quantity control means.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the drawings. A first embodiment of the present invention will be explained in Fig. 3.4.5; a second embodiment of the present invention will be explained in Fig. 3.4.6.

3 and 4 are schematic cross-sectional views of the printing device in this embodiment, showing the structure and function of the discriminating means. As shown in the figures, the carriage 1 includes a color ink ribbon case 16.
Also provided are switches 18, 19, 20 which are open when Fi 21 is not in place. In addition, the color ribbon case 16 and the color ribbon case 21 each contain a different colored ribbon, and the color ribbon case 1
A protrusion 52a is provided on the bottom of the color ribbon case 6, and a protrusion 52b is provided on the bottom of the color ribbon case 21. The protrusion 52a closes the switch 18, and the protrusion 52b closes the switch 19. The switches 18, 19, 20 and the protrusion 52 form the determining means.

FIG. 5 relates only to the first embodiment of the present invention and is a schematic circuit diagram of this first embodiment, with switch 18.1 as shown in the figure.
9.20 is connected to the CPU 13a which is a heat generation control means.

Next, the effect will be explained. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, switches 18, 19.
Out of 20, the switches that can be closed are different, so CPU 13
Different signals are input to a.

The CPU 13a connects the signal line 5214 according to the input signal.
By switching the pulse width of the signal input to the driver 15 via the
(A (formula)) Change. This application time t is set so as to provide the optimum heating time for each color. By attaching ribbon cases of different colors to the carriage 1, the optimum amount of heat generated for each color is automatically determined.

FIG. 6 is a schematic circuit diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention. The feature of this second embodiment is that a voltage switching circuit 22 is provided as a heat generation amount control means. As shown in the figure, a switch 18 is connected to a voltage switching circuit 22 that switches the voltage applied to the thermal head 3.
19.20'i, and the voltage applied to the thermal head 3 is changed by the voltage switching circuit 22 according to the opening and closing of the switches 18, 19, and 20. The voltage applied to this thermal head 3 is determined so as to provide optimum recording conditions for each color ribbon. The same determining means as in the first embodiment is used. Thus, when color ribbon cases of different colors are attached to the carriage 1, the appropriate amount of heat generation for each color is automatically determined.

〔effect〕

As described above in detail and concretely, the present invention has the remarkable effect that it is possible to realize the optimum recording conditions for a given color only by the unnecessary operation of attaching and detaching the color ink ribbon case.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 relate to a conventional example, FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a conventional recording device, FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of a conventional recording device, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are In order to explain the operation of the discriminating means, a schematic sectional view of the recording apparatus, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic circuit diagrams of the first and second embodiments of the present invention, respectively. In the figure, 5... Ink ribbon, 6.16.21... Ink ribbon case, 13a-CPU, 18, 19,
20-Switch, 22...Voltage cutoff #) switching circuit, 52
m, 52b...Protrusion. Figure 1 5° Figure 2 Shin 3 Figure 4

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A thermal transfer recording device; comprising a discriminating means for discriminating the difference between ink cartridges of a plurality of colors, and a heat generation amount control means for changing the amount of heat generated by a thermal head in accordance with an output signal of the discriminating means. A recording device characterized by: (2) The discrimination means is formed by a protrusion provided on the bottom of the ink ribbon case and a switch operated by the protrusion (open or normally closed is also possible), and the heat generation control means is a CPU. A soft recording device according to claim 1. (3) Claims characterized in that a protrusion provided on the bottom of the ink ribbon case and a switch activated by the protrusion form the discrimination means, and the heat generation control means is a voltage switching circuit. The recording device according to item 1.