JPS61132375A - Thermal transfer color printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the construction of a printer from being complicated and maintainability of an ink sheet from being lowered, by a system in which a thermal ink sheet is provided with leading end detection marks for each color, and a detection mark for which both the first sensor and the second sensor are operated is provided at the trailing end of the sheet. CONSTITUTION:When printing in the first color 41 is completed, the thermal ink sheet 2 is fed until the leading end detection mark 40b for the second color 42 is detected by the second photosensor 23b. A detection output from the sensor 23b is judged by a controlling circuit 25 to be a first-time signal after operation of the first photosensor 23a, and a detection output of the leading end detection mark 40c for the third color 43 after printing in the color 2 is judged to be a second-time signal after the operation of the sensor 23a, which condition is treated as completion of printing. When the trailing end detection mark 40d of the sheet 2 is detected simultaneously by the sensors 23a, 23b, it is judged by the circuit 25 that the sheet part in position is the trailing end of the sheet 2, an alarm signal is outputted, and the printing operation is stopped. Accordingly, the construction of the printer can be prevented from being complicated, and the maintainability of the thermal ink sheet can be prevented from being lowered.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application J Thermal transfer in which each color ink of an 'fX thermal ink sheet, which is sequentially painted in three primary colors, is transferred onto a recording paper by the heat generated by a thermal head to perform recording. The present invention relates to a method for detecting the beginning and end of each color of a thermal ink sheet in a color printer.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, thermal transfer color printers perform recording by pressing an m+% ink sheet and recording paper against a thermal head consisting of a plurality of heating elements using a platen roller, and then thermally transferring the ink from the ink sheet onto the recording paper. Conventional devices of this type include those shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5. As an example of a printer with the above-mentioned Hironari Una, there is the vR No. 58-7061. Referring to FIG. 3, (3) this is a tractor that guides and conveys the fi recording paper (1) while applying appropriate tension between it and the platen roller (4). When the recording paper (1) and the three colors yellow, magenta, and cyan, which become fluids at high temperatures, run, the platen roller (4) sequentially moves the three colors by a fixed length to the thermal head (11), which will be described later. Press the heat-sensitive ink sheet (2) coated on one side in a band shape so as to change the position. (13) is a tractor (3
) and a platen drive motor (11) that drives the platen roller (4); (11) is a thermal head (6) having reciprocating heating elements arranged in a straight line; a thermal ink sheet (2);
) is an ink sheet holding section that maintains tension with a predetermined force, and (5) is a supply roll that supplies the heat-sensitive ink sheet (2).

The heat-sensitive ink sheet (2) passes through the printing section (12) and is then taken up by a take-up roll (7) by an ink sheet transport roll (9) (io) driven by an ink sheet transport motor (8).
).

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the support structure for the thermal head (11), and FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view thereof.

In the figure, (16) is the X axis arranged parallel to the platen roller (4), and (17) is this X axis (16) K
The Y-axis pin (18) is a thermal head (11) that is freely fitted and is in a torsion position with respect to the X-axis (16).
) is a tension spring that always urges the X-axis (16) to be positioned parallel to the X-axis (16) side.

(14) is the platen roller (2) which is added by the thermal head (11) K suppression spring support (15).
) is a solenoid that releases the pressure of the

Next, the operation for color printing will be explained.

The recording paper (1), which is recording paper, is set by rolling it around the platen roller (4) and then setting it so that it does not come off the tractor (3). After unwinding the ink sheet (2) from the supply roll (6), the ink sheet (2) is set by the thermal head (11) and platen roller (4).
) is brought into contact with the recording paper (υ), passes through the ink sheet transport rolls (9) and (10) through the thermal head surface, and is fixed to the scraping roll (7). .

Next, when recording, the platen roller (4) is rotated so that the recording paper (1) advances in the
In 3), the recording paper (1)' is conveyed. Thermal head (
11) Due to the heat generation, - of the heat-sensitive ink sheet (2)
Color ink is transferred to recording paper (1). At this time, the ink sheet transport rollers (9) and (10) are also rotated at the same circumferential speed as the platen roller (4) and the tractor (3), and the thermal ink sheet (2) is rolled up and placed on the roll (7). transport in the direction.

Next, the thermal head (11) is applied to the platen roller (4) whose position is fixed by applying suction force that overcomes the pressing force of the pressing spring support (15) to the tension/id (14) of the pressing force release means. ), and the pressing force fcf@ is removed by creating a gap between the thermal head (11) and the platen roller (4).

In this state, the thermal ink sheet (2) is conveyed individually in the (A) direction to the next color, and the recording paper (1) is conveyed in the (G) direction to the red printing start position, each independently. When each reaches its home position, the suction force of the solenoid (14) is released, the platen roller (4) is pressed against the thermal head (11), and the next color is recorded.

In this way, color printing is performed by recording the three primary colors.

In order to perform color printing correctly, each color of the thermal ink notebook (2) must be reliably selected and sent to the correct position. In addition, in order to prevent wasteful flow of recorded information due to thermal ink sheet slipping and to ensure printing, it is necessary to reliably recognize the end of the 18-inch ink sheet (2) and stop the operation.

Therefore, I8. % Ink Sheet (2) A method of detecting the position of the marked mark using a sensor is considered.

FIG. 6 shows an example of such a sensor, in which the light emission tW of the light emitting diode (21) & the sheet [ of the thermal ink sheet (2)]
FiK irradiation is performed, and the presence or absence of the irradiation light is detected by a 7-ototransistor (22). Since the mark on the sheet surface is black, there is no reflected light from the mark, and therefore there is no output from the phototransistor (22), so the position or termination can be detected.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In this way, when the method of detecting the marks made on the I[S thermal ink sheet using a sensor is carried out, it is necessary to simply detect the end of the sheet for each color of ink on the thermal ink sheet. Providing too many sensors due to the detection mark will cause problems such as cluttering the printer due to sensor storage space and cable routing space, and deterioration of maintainability of the thermal ink sheet. There were problems such as the time it took to adjust the positions of the sensor and marker.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and reduces the number of sensor failures, the complication in the printer due to the sensor installation space and the goople routing space, and the deterioration of the maintainability of the 18 thermal ink sheet. To provide a thermal transfer color printer which is simple and inexpensive, and which can reduce the time required for adjusting the positions of sensors and markers.

[Problems and Means for Solving] In the present invention, the thermal ink sheet has cue detection marks for each color, and the position of the cue detection mark for the first color is the same as that for the second and third colors. parallel to each other with respect to the position of the cue detection mark and the feeding direction of the thermal ink sheet,
The second and third detection marks are arranged in series with each other, and the first sensor is connected to the cue detection mark of the first color.
Second sensors operate on cue detection marks of the second and third colors, and are arranged in parallel, and the first sensor and the second sensor are arranged at the end of the I8 thermal ink sheet.
By arranging the detection marks so that the two sensors are simultaneously activated, the end of the heat-sensitive ink sheet can also be detected.

[Effect]

The position of the first color is detected by the operation of the first sensor.
The second sensor operates for the first time after the second sensor operates, and the position of the second color is detected.The second sensor operates for the second time after the first sensor operates. Accordingly, the position of the third color can be detected by operating the first sensor and the second sensor simultaneously, so that it is possible to determine the final position.

[Embodiment 1 of the Invention Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of one embodiment, Fig. 2 is a
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an apparatus for carrying out this invention. (40) is a detection marker coated on a heat-sensitive ink sheet (2)'. For the first color (41), a cue detection mark (40a), for the second color (42), a cue detection mark (40b), and for the third color (0). On the other hand, there is a cue detection mark (40c),
There is an end detection mark (40d) at the end of the thermal ink sheet (2). The cue detection mark (41Ja) and the cue detection marks (4ob) and (40c) are arranged in parallel with the cue detection mark (40b) in the feeding direction A of the thermal ink sheet (2). (40c) are in series. Optical sensors are arranged corresponding to these detection marks (40) K, and each cue detection mark (40a
), there is a first optical sensor (23a), and there is a second optical sensor (23b), corresponding to the cue detection mark (4Ub) (4 (Jc)).

Therefore, the first optical sensor (23a) and the second optical sensor (
23b) is located parallel to the feeding direction A of the thermal ink sheet (2). End detection mark (40d
) is the first light sensor? (23a) and the second optical sensor (23a)
3b) at the same time.

Next, the operation will be explained.

First, when the power is turned on, the Ws thermal ink sheet (2) is sent in the direction of arrow A by an ink sheet conveying roller (not shown), and the first optical sensor (23a) detects the cue of the first color (41). The output that detected the mark (40a) is shaped into a rectangular wave by the waveform shaping circuit (24), and the output is shaped into a rectangular wave by the control circuit (25).
The presence or absence of a mark is determined by . The control circuit (25) then generates a predetermined number of tarok pulses. The waveform conversion circuit (26) converts the tarok pulse into a continuous waveform.
The control circuit (25) can be composed of an IC (integrated circuit), and the driver (27) rotates the motor (28) for a period of t/i delay time. Paper feeding and paper feeding sequences can be programmed.

In addition, when not printing, that is, when the thermal head (11) is not used, there is no need to press the thermal head (11) against the platen roller (4), so the suction force of the renoid (14) can be used to press and release the thermal head (11). However, the release of this pressure is performed simultaneously with the detection of the position of the ink sheet.

A relay drive circuit (28) and a relay (29) operate according to the judgment of the ink sheet position made by the control circuit (25) to control the inlenoid. In this way, the first color (
7. Second light sensor where the printing of 41) ends? (2
3b) is the cue detection mark (40) of the second color (42).
b) The thermal ink sheet (2) is fed until it is detected. In this way, the second optical sensor (23b) detects 7'? , the specific output is determined by the control circuit (25),
After the operation of the first optical sensor (23a), the second color (42) is judged as the second signal, and then the print apprentice 3 of the second color (42)
The output of detecting the cue detection mark (40c) of color (43) is sent to the first optical sensor (25) by the control circuit (25).
This signal is determined as the second signal after the operation in step 23a), and is processed as the end of printing r. That is, the second seven f'
The output detected by (23b) is used instead of a catank, and the output detected by the first optical sensor (23a) is
The printing sequence is controlled by counting the number of previous prints of the sensor (23b). Next, the end detection mark of the thermal intersheet (2) is detected by the first sensor (2).
3a) and the second sensor (23b) at the same time, the control circuit (25) determines that it is the end of the W&thermal ink sheet (2), and according to the pre-installed ZA-gram, issue an alarm signal,
The printing operation is stopped.

In the above embodiment, black ink is applied to the detection mark (40) of the heat-sensitive ink sheet (2), and the optical sensor (23) is coated with black ink.
) A VC reflective sensor was used, but a thermal ink sheet (2
) as a detection mark (40), and a transmission type sensor may be used as the optical sensor (23).

Also, optical sensor (23) and detection mark (40)
They may be arranged in parallel at one end in the middle direction of the k heat-sensitive ink sheet (2), but may also be arranged in parallel on both sides.

Furthermore, although the shape of the detection mark (40) is square in the embodiment, the same effect can be obtained regardless of the shape.

[Effect of the invention J] According to this @man, what is the position of the cue detection mark of the first color on the heat-generating ink sheet for each color? The second... The third detection marks are arranged in series with each other, and the first sensor corresponds to the cue detection mark of the first color, and the third sensor detects the cue detection mark of the second and third colors. The two sensors each operate and are arranged in parallel, and a detection mark is arranged at the end of the heat-sensitive ink sheet so that the first sensor and the second sensor operate simultaneously. Since it is also possible to detect the end of the heat-sensitive ink sheet, the number of sensors can be reduced, saving space for sensor installation and cable pulling.
lt, prevents clutter in the printer due to space and deterioration of maintainability of the thermal ink sheet, and also shortens the time required to align the sensor and mark, and is also inexpensive. There is.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an example of a general color glitter, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are thermal head support of the printer shown in FIG. 3. The mechanism diagram, FIG. 6, is a configuration diagram of a sensor that detects marks. In the figure, (1) is the recording paper, (2) is the thermal ink sheet, (4) is the buffer roller, (11) is the thermal head, (23) is the optical sensor, (25) is the control circuit, (
13) is a platen drive motor. Identical parts in each figure indicate the same or equivalent parts. Agent Masuo Oiwa Figure 2, Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6 ('21 Issue L7'Ioto 22:1-F Totranstor procedure amendment (self-proposal) Showa year, month, day

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A thermal transfer color printer that performs recording by transferring ink of each color on a thermal ink sheet, which is painted in three primary colors sequentially onto a recording paper using heat generated by a thermal head, wherein the thermal ink sheet is coated with three primary colors. , and the position of the first color cue detection mark is relative to the position of the second and third color cue detection marks and the feeding direction of the thermal ink sheet. parallel to each other, the second,
The third detection marks are arranged in series with each other, the first sensor detects the cue detection mark of the first color, and the second sensor detects the first color cue detection mark;
, a second sensor for detecting a cue detection mark of a third color;
A thermal transfer color printer characterized in that a detection mark is provided at a position where the sensor and the second sensor operate simultaneously.