JPS60230876A - Combined color printer and monochromatic printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a color printer to be used as a monochromatic printer through a simple operation, by a construction wherein a platen roll around which a thermal recording paper for a monochromatic printer is wound is provided coaxially with a platen roll around which a transfer recording paper and an ink ribbon are wound, and a thermal head movable between a position faced to the former platen roll and a position faced to the latter platen roll is provided. CONSTITUTION:When color printing is designated, the thermal head 16 is moved to the position faced to a platen roll 6A for thermal transfer, is detected by a position sensor 18A, and a clutch 9A is operated to connect the roll 6A and a shaft 8 to each other. With a take-up roll 11 rotated, the transfer recording paper 1 and the ink ribbon 2 are paid out, and a pattern is transfer printed between the roll 6A and the thermal head 16. When monochromatic printing is designated, the head 16 is moved to the position faced to a platen roll 6B for thermal printing, and a clutch 9B is operated to conduct the roll 6B and the shaft 8 to each other. Then, a thermal recording paper 12 is subjected to development of a color, resulting in monochromatic printing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printer used for office automation equipment, etc., and particularly to a printer that can be used as both a color printer and a monochrome printer. .

"Conventional technology" FIG. 3 shows a conventional example of a color printer.

In this color printer, a transfer paper 1 and a color ink ribbon 2 are overlapped and wound around a platen roll 3, and the ink ribbon 2 is heated in a predetermined pattern by a thermal head 4 installed at a position facing the platen roll 3. transfer the ink from the ink ribbon 2 onto the transfer paper 1, pull the transfer paper 1 upwards, and remove the ink ribbon 2.
is wound on a ribbon winding roll 5.

By the way, color printing by the printer of the above method has a problem of high printing cost due to the expensive ink ribbon 2. Therefore, this type of color printer also has the problem of high printing cost. performance is required.

However, when trying to perform transfer-type monochrome printing using the color printer, for example, it is necessary to replace the ink ribbon with one for monochrome printing. If an attempt is made to do this, an operation is required to replace the transfer paper (plain paper) with thermal paper, and in either case there is a problem in that a complicated operation is required.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] An object of the present invention is to enable a color printer to be used as a monochrome printer with simple operations.

``Means for Solving the Problems'' In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a monochrome printer that has the same axis as the platen roll around which the transfer paper and ink ribbon required for color printers are wound. A platen roll around which thermal paper is wound is provided, and a thermal head is provided which is movable between positions facing both platen rolls.

By arranging the thermal head to face one of the platen rolls, either monochrome printing or color printing can be performed with a simple operation.

"Embodiment of the invention" Figures 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention.
The symbols 6A and 6B in the figure are a platen roll for thermal transfer and a platen roll for thermal printing.

These platen rolls 6A and 6B are arranged with a common axis, and a shaft 8 driven by a drive device 7.
It is connected to and rotated via clutches 9A and 9B. Then, the platen roll 6A for thermal transfer is unwound from the unwinding roll 10 and is placed on the winding roll 11.
The color ink ribbon 2 and the transfer paper 1, which are wound in the opposite direction or in the opposite direction, are wound in an overlapping state. Further, thermal paper 12 is wound around the thermal printing platen roll 6B.

The drive device 7 is composed of, for example, a pulse motor,
The rotation of this drive 7 is transmitted to the shaft 8 via pulleys 13,14 and belt 15.

Further, what is indicated by the reference numeral 16 in FIG.
The solenoid 17 (path shown in Figure 1) is freely supported in a direction parallel to the axes of the wheels 6A and 6B.
etc., and is arranged at a position opposite to the thermal transfer platen roll 6A as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, or at a position opposite to the thermal printing platen roll 6B as shown by the chain line in FIG. It has become. The position of the thermal head 16 is determined by a position detection sensor 18 consisting of a microswitch, an optical sensor, or a sensor.
18B.

Note that reference numerals 19A and 19B in FIG. 1 are guide rolls that respectively guide the transfer paper 1 and the like to the platen rolls 6A and 16B, and reference numeral 20 is a motor that drives the winding roll 11.

Next, a circuit for controlling the printer will be explained with reference to FIG.

That is, reference numeral 21 in FIG. 2 indicates a data acquisition control circuit, and this data acquisition control circuit 21 receives a signal S+ consisting of an analog (composite) signal, an RGB signal, etc.
A color 11022 to which a signal S2 consisting of a TTL level (separate) signal, an RGB signal, etc. is input is connected, and a Centronics I/F 23 to which a signal S3 consisting of a Centronics I/F signal etc. is input is connected, Furthermore, color 11022! : A composite I/F 24 for combining the TTL level signal is provided in parallel with the data import tiIJ (It circuit 21).

Further, the data import control circuit 21 is configured by the CPU 2
This CPL 125 is connected to various circuits and devices to be described later through the I10 port 26 and controls them.

That is, the I10 port 26 has a function setting switch 27 for selecting whether to use the printer as a color printer or a monochrome printer, a density switch 28 for setting print density, and a switch for starting the printer. A bee switch 29, a top form switch 30 that feeds the paper and aligns the head of the page with the thermal head 16, a select switch 31 that selects whether to use the printer online or offline, and a select switch 31 that controls the remaining amount of the ink ribbon 2. The head position detection sensors 18A and 1 are connected to each other, and the head position detection sensors 18A and 1
8B are connected, and furthermore, clutches 9A and 9B are connected.
Clutch drive circuits 33A and 33B1 that respectively drive
Print data signal circuit 34 that controls the thermal head 16
, a head drive circuit 35 that heats and drives the thermal head 16, a drive circuit 36 for the solenoid 17 that moves the thermal head 16, and a pulse motor that is a drive device. 1' control circuit 37, ribbon winding motor 2
0 drive circuit 38 is connected.

In a printer configured as follows, when color printing is instructed, the thermal head 16 activates the solenoid 17.
This movement is detected by the position detection sensor 18A, and the detection signal from the position detection sensor 18A activates the clutch 9A to move the platen roll 6A for thermal transfer. The shaft 8 is in a connected state. In this state, when the drive device 7 is operated to rotate the platen roll 6A and the motor 20 is operated to rotate the take-up roller 11, the transfer paper 1 and the ink ribbon 2 are separated from each other as shown in FIG. The ink ribbon 2 is sent out in the direction of the arrow, and the print pattern is transferred from the ink ribbon 2 to the transfer paper 1 between the platen roll 6A and the thermal head 16. After printing in one color over one page of paper in this way, the transfer paper 1 and ink ribbon 2 are moved in the opposite direction by one page, and then the same printing as described above is performed for the black color. By repeating this process, color printing is performed. In addition, when performing monochrome thermal transfer printing, it is sufficient to replace the ink ribbon 2 with a monochrome one and perform the above-mentioned operation only once.

Also, when monochrome printing is instructed, the thermal head 16
moves to a position opposite to the thermal printing platen roll 6B, the position detection sensor 18B is activated, and the clutch 9B connects the thermal printing platen roll 6B and the shaft 8. In this state, the thermal paper 12 is placed on the platen roll 6B.
At the same time, the thermal paper 12 is colored between the platen roll 6B and the thermal head 16, so that monochrome printing can be performed.

It goes without saying that the configuration of the control circuit that controls this printer is not limited to the one embodiment described above.

"Effects of the Invention" As is clear from the explanation in 1 below, the present invention provides a platen roll for thermal transfer and a platen roll for thermal printing that are disposed on the same axis, and in a direction parallel to the axis of both platen rolls. Since a movable thermal head is provided in the printer and the thermal head is moved to a position facing either of the platen rolls, the printer can be easily operated in color by the simple operation of moving the thermal head. It is possible to switch between printing and monochrome printing, and the effect is that the color printer can be used effectively and running costs can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main parts, FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a control circuit, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main parts of a conventional printer. 1... Transfer paper, 2... Color ink ribbon, 6A, 6B... Platen roll, 7.
... Drive device, 8 ... Axis, 9A, 9B.
・・・・・・Clutch, 10・Old・・Unwinding roll, 11
... Winding roll, 12 ... Thermal paper,
16...Thermal head, 18A, 18B...
...Position detection sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a printer that prints characters, patterns, etc. by inserting printing paper between a platen roll and a thermal head, there are platen rolls for thermal transfer and platen rolls for thermal printing that are arranged on the same axis. The thermal head moves in a direction parallel to the axis and is disposed at a position facing either one of the platen rolls, and a clutch that connects the platen roll facing the thermal head to a drive device. A color/monochrome printer with the following features: .