JPS61192580A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to perform good quality printing, by providing a means for smoothing the recording surface of a medium prior to recording on a carriage. CONSTITUTION:A slenoid 9a is cut off from the supply of a current and demagnetized at the time of recording and a thermal head 1 is contacted with a recording medium 6 under pressure through a head holder 2 and an ink ribbon 5 by the energizing force of a spring 10a. A solenoid 9b also demagnetized and a projection 3 is directly contacted with the recording medium 6 under pressure through a holder 4 by the energizing force of a spring 10b. In this state, a carriage 11 is run to the direction shown by an arrow F by driving a drive means and the thermal head 1 is driven and heat is generated to perform recording to the recording medium 6 through the ink ribbon 5. During this time, the F-direction side of the recording medium from the thermal head 1, that is, the surface (recording surface) thereof prior to recording is pressed and rubbed by the projection 3 moving along with the carriage 11 and smoothed while recording is performed to the smoothed recording surface with high quality.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, and more particularly to a recording apparatus that records on a recording medium using a recording head that is transported along the recording medium by a carriage.

[Prior Art] In recent years, with the rapid development of the information industry, various information processing systems have been developed, and recording methods and devices suitable for each information processing system have also been developed and adopted. One such recording method that has recently attracted particular attention is a thermal transfer recording method.

This thermal transfer recording method generally uses a thermal transfer material formed by melt-coating a thermal transfer ink, which is made by dispersing a coloring agent in a heat-melting binder, onto a ribbon-shaped support. is superimposed on the recording medium so that the thermally transferable ink layer is in contact with the recording medium, and heat is supplied from the support side of the thermal transfer material by a thermal head to transfer the melted ink layer to the recording medium. A transfer ink image is formed on a recording medium according to the shape of heat supply.

However, in this thermal transfer recording method, the transfer recording performance, that is, the recording quality, is greatly affected by the surface smoothness, and although good recording is performed on a highly smooth recording medium,
In the case of a recording medium with low smoothness, there is a drawback that the recording quality is significantly degraded.

In addition, even with other recording methods, the smoothness of the recording medium has no effect on recording quality in the case of thermal transfer recording, but better recording quality can be obtained by recording on a medium with higher smoothness. The same thing applies.

[Purpose] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a recording device that can record with good quality even on recording media with low smoothness with a simple and inexpensive configuration. is intended to provide.

[Structure of the Invention] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a recording apparatus in which a recording head that is transported along a recording medium by a carriage records on the medium. A configuration is adopted in which means for smoothing the recording surface of the medium before recording is provided on the carriage.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, details of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a recording section of a thermal transfer recording apparatus according to this embodiment.

In the figure, the reference numeral 7 denotes a platen which serves both as a recording stage and a paper feeder, and a recording medium 6 such as recording paper is wound around the outer periphery of the platen. In this case, platen 7
The length and width of the recording medium 6 are described below for simplicity.

It is shown as being smaller than the actual value.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a carriage, which is slidable along the outer peripheral surface of the platen 7 on the side where the recording medium 6 is set, by means of a guide shaft 8 and a support means (not shown), that is, as indicated by arrows F and R. It is slidably provided in the recording and return directions shown.

On the front surface of the carriage 11 facing the recording medium 6 is an ink ribbon 5 for thermal transfer led out from an ink ribbon cassette (not shown) mounted on the carriage 11.
is being strung up.

Further, in front of the carriage 11, a heating pad 1 of a recording means is provided, and in front of the ink ribbon 5, the above-mentioned stretched ink ribbon 5 is provided.
are guided closely. Thermal spatula 1 is supported by a head holder 2, and this head holder 2 is connected to a guide shaft 8.
It is rotatably supported by a spring 10a stretched between its lower end and the arm ridge 11, and is constantly biased in the clockwise direction in the figure, that is, in the direction in which the thermal head 1 is brought into pressure contact with the recording medium 6. ing. Further, a solenoid 9a for rotating the head holder 2 is provided near the lower back surface of the head holder 2.

Further, on the front side of the carriage 11, a semi-cylindrical protrusion 3 constituting a means for smoothing the recording medium 6 according to the present invention is adjacent to the F direction (recording direction) side of the heating pad 1 and is connected to the head holder 2. It is supported by a similar holder 4.

The length of this protrusion 3 in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 is larger than the length of the top and bottom of the heating element part of the heating element 1, and its upper end is higher than the upper end of said part, and its lower end is at a position lower than the lower end of said part. It is arranged like this.

Similarly to the head holder 2, the holder 4 of the protrusion 3 is rotatably supported by a guide shaft 8, and a spring 10b stretched between the lower end of the holder 4 and the carriage l, 1 moves the protrusion 3 clockwise in the figure. is constantly biased in a direction in which it comes into pressure contact with the recording medium 6. Further, a solenoid 9b for rotating the holder 4 is provided near the lower back surface of the holder 4.

Note that the ink ribbon 3 stretched here is configured to pass through the back side of the holder 4.

Next, the operation of this embodiment having the above configuration will be explained.

During recording, the solenoid 9a is deenergized and demagnetized, so that the head holder 2 is moved by the biasing force of the spring loa.
The heating pad 1 is brought into pressure contact with the recording medium 6 via the ink ribbon 5. Further, since the solenoid 9b is also demagnetized, the protrusion 3 is also brought into direct pressure contact with the recording medium 6 via the holder 4 due to the biasing force of the spring 10b.

At this time, the compressive force of spring 10b is spring lO
By using a material larger than a, the above-mentioned pressing force of the protrusion 3 is configured to be larger than that of the heating pad l.

In this state, the carriage l'l is driven by a drive means (not shown) to travel in the direction of the arrow F, and the drum l is driven and generates heat, thereby recording on the recording medium 6 via the ink ribbon 5.

During this period, the protrusion 3 moves together with the gear ridge 11.
The heat of the recording medium 6 is pressed on the side in the F direction from the radius l, that is, the surface before recording (recording surface).

It is rubbed and smoothed, and high-quality recording is performed on this smoothed recording surface.

When one line of recording is completed in this way, solenoid 9
a and 9b are energized and excited, and their drive shafts (not shown) press the head holder 2 and holder 4 and rotate them counterclockwise in FIG. Move away from 6.

Next, the platen 7 is rotated by a pitch of one line in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 1 by driving of a drive means (not shown), thereby feeding the recording medium 6 by a pitch of one line in the direction of the arrow B. That is, the above-mentioned spacing is so as not to impede this feeding. This separation also prevents the protrusions 3 from smoothing the non-recorded portions of the recording medium 6.

After the feeding is completed in this manner, the carriage 11 is driven in the direction of arrow R and returned to the home position, after which the solenoids 9a and 9b are demagnetized again.

By repeating the above operations, high-quality recording is sequentially performed by the projections 3 on the recording surface of the recording medium 6, which has been smoothed in advance before recording.

If the smoothness of the recording medium 6 is extremely low, the solenoid 9b is demagnetized when the carriage 11 returns so that the protrusions 3 smooth the next recording line. That is, in this case, the effect of smoothing can be further enhanced by smoothing the same portion twice.

As described above, according to this embodiment, since the recording surface of the recording medium is smoothed before recording, recording can be performed with good quality even on a medium with low smoothness.

In addition, in the above-mentioned configuration, the pressing force of the protrusion 3 is the same as that of the spring 1.
0b, and is not particularly limited as long as there is no problem in driving the carriage 11 in relation to the torque of the drive motor of the carriage 11, but the range is approximately 1 to 100 kg.
Preferably within the range of 12, more preferably approximately 10 to 5
It should be within the range of 0Kg/c thought2.

Further, the shape of the protrusion 3 is not limited to the above-mentioned semi-cylindrical shape, but may be any shape having a curved surface that does not cause damage to the surface of the recording medium 6. For example, FIG. 2(A) shows a modification of this embodiment, in which the protrusion 3 has a smaller tip radius than that of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2(B) shows another modification of this embodiment, in which a roller 12 rotatably provided on the holder 4 is used instead of the protrusion for smoothing. In this way, smoothing may be performed using a structural member other than the protrusion.

Further, the position of the smoothing member such as the protrusion 3 or the roller 12 may be located on the side of the recording direction from the heating pad 1, and is preferably as close to the heating pad 1 as possible, although it is not particularly limited.

Finally, I would like to add that the configuration of the present invention in which a member for smoothing the medium is attached to the carriage as described above is applicable not only to thermal transfer recording devices but also to other types of recording devices such as impact type and inkjet type. Of course.

[Effects] As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, in a recording apparatus in which a recording head that is transported along a recording medium by a carriage performs recording on the medium, the recording head that presses against the medium and records on the recording medium is provided. A simple and inexpensive configuration in which a means for smoothing the recording surface of the medium before recording is provided on the carriage has the advantage of being able to record with good quality even on recording media with low smoothness. You can get the same effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a recording section of a thermal transfer printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. FIG. 2(b) is a perspective view showing a modification in which a roller is used instead of the protrusion. 1... Thermal head 2... Head holder 3...
-Protrusion 4...Holder 5...Ink ribbon 6...Recording medium 7...Platege 8
...Guide shafts 9a, 9b...Solenoids 10a, 10b...Springs 11...Carriage 12...Lack of rollers\ - Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a recording device that records on a recording medium using a recording head that is transported along the recording medium by a carriage,
A recording apparatus characterized in that means is provided on the carriage for smoothing the recording surface of the medium by pressing against the medium before recording.