JPS61188176A - Printing system for thermal printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable to print in both leftward and rightward directions, by a construction wherein a ribbon is so enclosed that it is fed in one direction through one of two ribbon opening parts and in the opposite direction through the other of the ribbon opening parts, and two printing heads are opposed respectively to the two opening parts. CONSTITUTION:The ribbon 23 has a width of about 2 times the width of a conventional ribbon, and an upper region and a lower region thereof are used respectively for leftward printing and rightward printing, therefore the ribbon part used for leftward printing does not overlap with the ribbon part used for rightward printing. In addition, in order to oppose the proper ribbon surface to a recording paper at each of the opening parts, the ribbon 23 is reversed face side back by a face-back reversing roller 22. With a take-up shaft 14 rotated, the ribbon 23 is fed in the rightward direction (direction of arrow D) through the opening part 12 and in the leftward direction (direction of arrow C) through the opening part 13. Accordingly, the opening part 13 is used during a rightward spacing and printing operation of the head carrying the ribbon cassette 11 thereon, and the opening part 12 is used during a leftward spacing and printing operation of the head.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to improvements in the printing method of thermal transfer printers.

A thermal transfer printer is a printer that prints by heating an ink ribbon with a print head and transferring the ink to recording paper.The ink ribbon can generally be used only once, and the recording paper and ink ribbon are separated during printing. They must not move with each other.

Therefore, in printers equipped with a printing ribbon cassette (hereinafter referred to as ribbon cassette) in the head section, the ribbon is wound in conjunction with the spacing during printing, and the winding is controlled to stop at carriage return (CR). ing.

As described above, thermal transfer printers usually print in one direction, and therefore have the problem of slow printing speed. Therefore, there is a demand for a printing method that allows bidirectional printing.
(Prior art) Fig. 3(a) is a top view of the printing section of a thermal transfer printer equipped with a conventional ribbon cassette, and Fig. 3(b) is a side view illustrating the ribbon cassette winding mechanism. .

In FIG. 3(a), 1 is a platen, 2 is a beam/bon cassette, and 3 is a print head, and the ribbon cassette 2 is wound up together with the print head 3 while spacing (printing operation) in six directions.

That is, during spacing, the take-up reel 5 of the ribbon cassette 2
The winding shaft 6 [Fig. 3(b)] that is fitted into the winding shaft 6 is connected to a gear 8 via a clutch 7, and the gear 8 is rotated by a fixed gear 9 arranged parallel to the platen 1 at the spacing speed. Wind up the ribbon 10 in the C direction.

When one line of printing is completed, the carriage returns to the home position in the B direction, but during this operation, the clutch 7 is disengaged and the winding of the ribbon 10 is stopped. Therefore, when printing is performed in the A direction again, an unused ribbon portion is supplied.

In the mechanism described above, in order to perform bidirectional printing, it is necessary to provide spacing in the B direction and to wind the ribbon 1 in the O-t-D direction. You will have to move back and forth depending on the location.

In order to make the unused part correspond to the print head, next time 1
It is necessary to perform winding control using a motor, etc. when the gear ridge returns so that the unused ribbon can be wound up after printing a line.
Since it takes time to wind up the paper, the printing speed cannot be improved.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As explained above, conventional printing methods have slow printing speeds,
Further, there are problems in that complex control is required to perform bidirectional printing and printing speed cannot be improved.

[Means for solving problems]

The above conventional problem is that the ribbon cassette has two openings, the ribbon is stored in the two ribbon openings so as to be transported in opposite directions, and each opening has a print head. According to the printing method of the present invention, when the gears are moved in one direction, the print head in one opening prints, and when the carriage moves in the other direction, the print head in the other opening prints. It can be solved.

[Effect]

In other words, a ribbon cassette in which unused ribbon is always supplied in both the left and right printing directions, and in which the relative speed between the ribbon and the recording paper is O in unidirectional winding, is not suitable for unidirectional winding. It is sufficient that the ribbons transported in opposite directions are opened, and in the case of ribbons that can be used only once, the ribbon width should be two lines in the upper and lower directions.

Therefore, two ribbon openings that can face the print head are provided in parallel or perpendicular to the printing direction, and means for transporting the ribbon in opposite directions at each opening is provided in the ribbon cassette.

In the printer using the ribbon cassette of the present invention, two print heads are provided in parallel to the printing direction in the case of the ribbon cassette having parallel openings, and two print heads are provided in the ribbon cassette having two openings in the vertical direction. In this case, the ribbon cassette is moved up and down depending on the printing direction so as to face one print head.

Note that a motor or the like is used for unidirectional winding.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1(a) to 1(e).

The first embodiment is an example in which two ribbon openings are provided parallel to the printing direction.

In FIG. 1(a), 11 is a ribbon cassette; 12.
13 is a ribbon opening, 14 is a take-up ribbon, 15 is a supply ribbon, and 22 is a reverse roller.

The ribbon 23 has a ribbon width approximately twice the width of a conventional ribbon, and its upper and lower regions are used for left and right bidirectional printing, respectively. Therefore, the ribbon parts used for left and right printing do not overlap.

Further, the ribbon 23 is turned over by a front-back reversing roller 22 so that the normal ribbon surface faces the recording paper at each opening.

In the cassette having the above structure, when the take-up shaft 14 rotates as shown, the ribbon 23 is transferred to the right (D direction) at the opening 12 and to the left (C) at the opening 13. Therefore, when the head carrying the ribbon cassette 11 performs spacing and printing in the right direction, the opening 13 is used, and when performing spacing and printing in the left direction, the opening 12 is used.

The bidirectional printing operation when using the ribbon cassette having the above structure will be described below.

The printer includes a cam mechanism 19 that moves the ribbon cassette 11 up and down. Ribbon winding motors 18. Print heads 20 and 21 are provided parallel to each other.

When printing in the right (or left, hereinafter the same) direction, the ribbon opening 13 (12) is used, so the hood 13 (12) approaches the printing area and the print head 12
(13) is retracted and the upper (lower) portion of the ribbon is used, and the cam mechanism 19 is controlled to move the ribbon cassette 11 downward (upward). [Figure 1 (C) +8) is printed in the right (A) direction.

Figure 1 (b) and (d) are printed in the left (B) direction] The take-up during spacing printing is rotated at a constant speed in one direction [Figure 1 (a) -E direction] regardless of the left and right printing direction. , stop when performing a carriage return.

Note that since the relative positions of the print heads used in both the left and right directions are different, each has a home position position control means.

Bidirectional printing is possible with the above ribbon cassette and printer.

In recent years, ink ribbons that can be used multiple times have been developed, but when such ribbons are used, the width of the ribbon can be the same as before, and therefore a cam mechanism for moving the ribbon cassette up and down is not required.

FIG. 2(a) (bl) shows a ribbon cassette 24 which is a second embodiment.

In this embodiment, openings are provided at the top and bottom.

25 is a winding ribbon, 26 is a supply ribbon, 27 is an upper opening, 28 is a lower opening, and 29 is a reversing roller.

That is, the unused ribbon is stored in the opening 2 below the supply ribbon 26.
81 reversing roller 29. It passes through the upper opening portion 27 and is wound onto the take-up reel 34.

Therefore, in the upper/direction frontage section 27, the direction is to the left (direction C).

In the lower opening 28, the ribbon is transferred in the right direction (D).

A printer using a ribbon cassette with the above structure includes a cam mechanism 30 that moves the ribbon cassette up and down, a winding motor 32 that rotates in one direction. Clutch 31 and print head 3
3 will be provided.

The operation is similar to the first embodiment, but since there is only one print head, the cam mechanism 30 is simply controlled so that the opening faces the print head 33.

Since the left and right home position control as in the first embodiment is not required, there is an advantage that simple driving is possible.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the ribbon cassette according to the present invention having two openings through which the ribbon is transported left and right enables printing in both left and right directions, and has the effect of improving printing speed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1(a) is a top view of the ribbon cassette of the first embodiment. Figure 1 (bl is a side view illustrating the operating mechanism when printing in the right direction. Figure 1 (C) is a side view when printing in the left direction. Figures 1 (d) and (e) are the printing direction and Figure 2 (a) is a perspective view of the ribbon cassette of the second embodiment. Figure 2 (b) is a side view showing the same operating mechanism. Figure 3 (a) is a conventional diagram. Whistle 3 to explain the ribbon cassette of
Figure ('b) is a side view illustrating the drive mechanism. It is. In the figure. 2.11.24 is a ribbon cassette. 12.13, 27.28 are openings. 19.30 is a cam mechanism. 18.32 is the winding motor. 17.31 is the clutch. 20.21.33 is the print head 22.29 is a reversing roller. 14.25 is the winding ribbon, (b) 1-Ya A 8

Claims (1)

[Claims] The printer is a thermal transfer type printer in which a part of the ribbon stored in a ribbon cassette mounted on a carriage is pressed onto printing paper by a print head, and the ink on the ribbon is transferred to the printing paper by the heat generated by the print head, and the ribbon cassette is 2
The ribbon is stored in the two ribbon openings so as to be transported in opposite directions, and a print head is opposed to each opening, so that when the carriage moves in one direction, A printing method for a thermal transfer printer characterized in that printing is performed by a print head in one opening, and when the carriage moves in the other direction, printing is performed by a print head in the other opening.