JPS60189479A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate discriminating a cassette and enable to efficiently perform a color printing operation, by fitting a color identification magnet to a color ink sheet cassette, in a thermal-type printer. CONSTITUTION:When a color ink sheet cassette 14-1 is fitted to a casing 1', the color identification magnet 16 of the cassette is detected by a magnetic sensor 17, a signal from the sensor 17 operates a switch-driving circuit to connects contacts 26-1 and 26-3 of a switch 26, and an algroism in a color sequence 28 is designated to a controlling part 25. By this, a status signal (a) causes a signal from an image-generating part 10 to be sent to an image-processing part 11, and an image signal is outputted to a thermal head 20. Accordingly, the color ink sheet in the cassette can be automatically discriminated, and the color printing operation can be efficiently performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat-generating printer system, and more particularly to a printer in which a color or monochrome ink sheet is stored in a cassette, and an identification mark for the color ink sheet is attached to the cassette.

(b) Conventional technology and problems A conventional heat-generating printer will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of a conventional heat-generating printer. In the figure, l is the printer housing, 2-1 is an ink sheet, 3-1 is paper, 4-1 is a head, 5-1 is a platen, 6 is a head control unit, 7 is an ink roll control unit, 8
1 is a platen control section, 9 is a paper roll control section, 10 is a control section, 11 is an image signal generation section, 12 is an image processing section, R1-
1, R2-1 is the ink sheet ruler, R3-1 is the paper feed roller, R4 is the auxiliary roller, A and A' are the upward and downward moving directions of the head, and B-B' is the 0th point indicating the paper moving direction. In FIG. 1, the case where a monochrome ink sheet is used will first be described. In this case, it is assumed that the paper and the ink sheet are set at predetermined positions.

In FIG. 1, a control ill controls each controller according to a monochrome sequence. That is, this causes the head control unit 6 to operate, raise the head 4-1 in the direction of arrow A, press the ink sheet 2-1 and paper 3-1, operate the paper roll control unit 9, and open the paper slot. -Turn R3-1 to 0FF (off) so that it can rotate freely, rotate the platen 5-1 in the direction of the arrow to feed the paper and ink roll, and operate the ink roll control unit 6 to roll the ink roll. Rotate R1-1°R2-1 in the direction of the arrow. While the above operations are carried out, an image signal is sent from the image signal generating section 11 in response to a control signal from the control section 10. This image signal is converted into a print image signal CP) by the image processing section 12 and input to the head H. The image signal (P) input to the head 4-1 is thermally transferred to the paper 3-1 via the monochrome ink sheet 2-1't- by the heat generation effect of the head H. The transferred paper 3 is transferred to the platen 5-1 and the timer roller R4.
It is pushed out in the direction B of the arrow. Further, the ink sheet 2-1 fed out by the ink roller R1-1 is wound around the ink roller R2-1.

In this way, each image of one screen is transferred onto the paper 3-1 of a predetermined length, and printing is completed.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the structure of a conventional color ink sheet.

In the same figure, Y is a yellow ink sheet, M is a magenta ink sheet, C is a blue ink sheet), rl+r
t*r8 indicates the boundary mark of the ink sheet.

In FIG. 1, the color ink sheet 2 shown in FIG.
-2 is loaded in place of the conventional monochrome ink sheet 2-1, and color image signals are printed.

As shown in Fig. 1, the color ink sheet 2-2 shown in Fig. 2 is fed out from the ink roller R1-1, and the ink roller R
Wind it up to 2-1.

On the other hand, the paper 3-1 is also fed out from the paper feed roller R3-1 and is run in the direction of arrow B to the platen 5-1.The color ink sheet 2-2 has yellow Y, magenta M, and cyan Y areas thermally transferred. The ink is sequentially and repeatedly formed. Then, when printing, move the heat generating head H to arrow A.
paper 3-2 in cooperation with the platen 5-1.
and the color ink sheet 2-2 are brought into close contact with each other. Then, the paper 3-2 and the color ink sheet 2-2 are run together. In this step 3-, the thermal transfer ink impregnated into the ink sheet 2-2 is transferred onto the paper.

More specifically, printing is first performed using the yellow area Y of the color ink sheet 2-2.

Next, the pad 4-11 is moved in the direction of the arrow A' to generate heat, and only the p paper 3-1 is rewound in the direction of the arrow B' by the auxiliary roller R4-1 and the platen 5-1. The amount of rewinding is naturally equal to the amount of travel in the direction of arrow A during printing. When rewinding is completed, the heat generating head 4-1 is moved again in the direction of arrow A, and the paper 3-
1 and the color ink sheet 2-2 are brought into close contact with each other, and transfer is performed using the magenta area Me. When the transfer in this area M is completed, the heating head H is moved in the direction of arrow X, and the paper 3
Only -1 is rewound in the direction of arrow B as described above. After the rewinding is completed, the heat-generating head H is moved in the direction of the arrow A again to perform transfer using the cyan area C.

As described above, shikashi printing is performed by overprinting. The boundaries of each region of the ink sheet 2-2 are detected by detecting a transparent portion at each boundary and detecting this using a photo sensor.

By the way, in order to make it easier to insert and remove the ink sheet, it is possible to store the ink sheet in a cassette.
If a cassette could be used, it would be possible to perform both color and monochrome printing with a single printer by simply replacing the cassette.

In order to achieve the above functions, the present invention stores a color sheet (C) in a cassette, attaches an identification mark of the color sheet to the cassette, makes it easy to attach and remove it from the housing, and uses a color ink sheet. The purpose is to provide a □printer by a known pair of includers and ink clones.

(d) Structure of the Invention An ink cassette is constructed by accommodating color ink sheets or monochrome ink sheets impregnated with thermal transfer ink that are fed out sequentially in a case, and an identification mark of the color ink sheet is attached to the cassette, and the mark is attached to the ink cassette. The method is characterized in that a color print or a monochrome print sequence is selected by the detection.

(e) Embodiments of the Invention The printer of the present invention will be described below. Figure 3 (a
) and (b) are configuration diagrams of an embodiment of the ink cassette of the present invention. In the figure, 14 is an ink cassette case, 15
is a photo sensor, 16 is a color identification magnet, R5, R
6 is an ink roller, R7 and R8 are guide rollers, H, H
A is an opening, and Gu is a guide.

In FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), ink roller R5,
R6, guide rollers R7, R8' are rotatably attached to the case, and guide rollers R7, R8 are installed from ink roller R5 to guide rollers R7, R8'.
The ink sheet is fed out to roller R6 via t-. The middle part of the case 14 has an opening HA1. H.A.
2 is formed, the heating head enters and exits through the HAI, and -
The ink sheet and the paper 1-2 come into close contact at the actual opening HA2. Further, an opening H is formed on the 1111 side of the case 14, and this part is a reflective member rl+ rl+ rs+ r4 provided at the boundary of the area of the ink sheet 2-2.
+ rl... (Figure 2) passes.

A photosensor 15 is set opposite to the opening H, and this photosensor 15 detects the reflected light from the reflecting member.

FIG. 4 shows a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the printer system of the present invention using the ink cassette shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, the same numbers and symbols in FIGS. 1 to 3 indicate the same members.

In FIG. 4, 16 is a color identification magnet, 17 is a magnetic detection sensor, 18 is a head control unit, 19 is an ink roll control unit, 20 is a head, 21 is a platen, 22 is a platen control unit, and 23 is a paper roll. a control unit; 25 is a control unit;
26 is a switch, 26-1 is a movable contact, 26-2.26
-3 is a contact point, 27 is a monochrome sequence, and 28 is a color sequence.

In FIG. 4, when the color ink sheet cassette 14-1 is installed in the housing 1', the magnet 1 of the cassette 14-1
6 is detected by the magnetic sensor 17, and the switch drive circuit is operated by the detection ratio signal to connect the contacts 26-1 and 26-3 of the switch 26, and the color sequence 28 is activated.
The algorithm is instructed to the control unit 25.

As a result, the system status signal is sent from the image generating section to the image processing section 11, and the image processing section 11 sends the image signal (from the image generating section) to the head 20. On the other hand, under the control of the control section 25, ■ Head control Section 18° Ink roll control section 19. The platen control unit 22 drives the paper roll control unit 23, the identification mark r1 of the ink sheet is detected by the photosensor 15, the paper and the color ink sheet 2-2 are positioned, and the image signal is sent to the head 20f.
Under the control of the color control unit 10, the thermal head 20 moves in the direction of the arrow A, and the ink sheet 2-2 is fed out from the ink roller R5 and the paper fed out from the paper feed roller R9. The paper 3-2 is brought into close contact with the platen 21 and the head 20, and the image signal is transferred to the paper 3-2 via the ink sheet 2-2. Then, the paper 3-2 is run in the direction of arrow B by the platen 21 and the auxiliary roller 10, and the ink sheet 2-2 is wound up by the ink roller R6. When the first process of color Y is completed, the transfer process is stopped and the paper 2- which was previously sent out by the paper feed roller R9 is controlled by the control P of the paper roller control unit 23.
2 is returned to the position where it was first set. Then, a control signal is output from the control section 25 for the next color sequence, and the ink rule control section 19. Head control section 18. Platen control 822. Each part of the paper roll control section 23 operates to transfer M (magenta) onto (yellow) in the same manner as in the case of color Y (yellow). M
After the (magenta) transfer, C (cyan) is performed to complete the color transfer.

In the case of a monochrome cassette, since there is no magnet 16 in the case, magnetism is not detected by the magnetic detector 17, so the contact 26-1 is returned to the position of the contact 26-2 and the monochrome sequence is input to the control unit 24. will be done.

The monochrome thermal transfer is one step in the color process, so its explanation will be omitted. In addition, instead of a magnet and a magnetic detector, a projection is provided on the cassette to turn on and off a microswitch, and a hole or a reflector is provided on the cassette to turn on and turn off a photo sensor.
A method of turning it off may also be used.

(f) Effects of the Invention In the present invention, since a color identification magnet is attached to the color cassette, identification becomes easy and color printing work is efficient.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows a conventional printer, FIG. 2 shows a color ink sheet, FIG. 3 shows a cassette of the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1.1' is a printer device, 2-1.2-2 is an ink sheet, 3-1.3-2 is paper, 4-1.20 is a head, 5-1.21 is a platen, R4, RIO is a tensile roll, 6 and 18 are head control units, 7.19 is an ink roll control unit, 8.22 is a platen control unit, 9.23
10.25 is a control unit; 11 is an image signal generation unit; 12 is an image processing unit; 14 is a case; 15
is a photo sensor, 16 is a magnet, 17 is a magnetic detector, 26 is a switch, 26-1 is a movable contact, 26-2, 26-3 is a contact, R1-1, R2-1, R5゜R6 is an ink sheet roll, R3-1, R9 are paper rolls, r I + r
! r B """ is a boundary identification mark, Y, M. C indicates one color.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An ink cassette is constructed by accommodating a pair of ink rollers and a color ink sheet or a monochrome ink sheet impregnated with thermal transfer ink sequentially delivered by the ink roller in a case, and the color ink sheet and the monochrome ink sheet are placed in the cassette. 1. A printer characterized in that an identification mark is attached and a sequence of multi-color printing or monochrome printing is selected by detecting the mark.