JPS6120764A - Color printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make possible the beautiful printing without the slippage of a color by providing a plurality of rows of the line thermal heads corresponding to the color ink ribbons painted in a line arrangement with the solid inks of the plural colors. CONSTITUTION:The mark 6 of a color ink ribbon 1 is detected by the sensor arranged as same as the rows of 7-9 of a line thermal head, the line is adjusted and a position of ribbon 1 or heads 7-9 is determined. Here, the head 7-9 which are opposed to the solid inks 2-3 of a desired color are heat impressed selectively, when a printing is carried out without a color composition. Then, each head 7-9 which are opposed to the solid ink 2-4 are heat impressed selectively, simultaneously, when the three original colors are compounded. Therefore, there can not be happen the slippage of the color until a color composition is ended, since there is no necessity of a displacement of the relative positions of the three of the fine thermal head, the color ink ribbon, and the blank 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a color printer that performs thermal transfer using an ink ribbon.

[Conventional technology]

As a color printer of this type that prints in color using a color ink ribbon having color lines formed in the width direction, there is a conventional example described in Patent Application Publication No. 59849 of 1982. This conventional example is characterized by color compositing while feeding finely divided color ink ribbons to paper or thermal for one line to the RAD array, and for this purpose, the solid ink of the color ink ribbons is selectively used. Apply heat.

After melt transfer, remove the color ink ribbon and paper from the thermal array and transfer only the color ink ribbon.
It is necessary to send the line accurately.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in such conventional examples, it is extremely difficult to ensure the feeding accuracy of the color ink ribbon due to its thinness and softness, so it is difficult to ensure the precision of compositing one element point for color compositing. However, there are problems in that it is impossible to do this, and color shift occurs.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a color ink ribbon in which heat-melting solid inks of multiple colors are linearly applied to a base material of paper or a plastic film sheet in a fine regular arrangement, and It is characterized by comprising a plurality of adjacent rows of line thermal heads corresponding to the pitch of each solid ink on the ribbon.

[Effect]

The present invention having the characteristics described above melts solid ink of multiple colors for one raw point by each line thermal head,
By combining the colors and transferring them to paper, each dot is transferred without changing the relative positions of the line thermal head, color ink ribbon, and paper.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1, 2, and 3(a), (b), and (C).

Figure 1 is a side view of this embodiment, Figure 2 is a plan view, and Figure 3 (
a), (b), and (c) are explanatory diagrams showing the progress of color synthesis. In these figures, 1 is a color ink ribbon, and multiple colors of heat-melting solid ink 2°3.4
It is applied linearly in a fine regular array onto a substrate 5 such as paper or a plastic film sheet.

In this embodiment, the solid inks 2, 3, and 4 are of three primary colors, cyan, magenta, and yellow, respectively, but the invention is not limited to this. Further, marks 6 for line alignment are printed or coated on both sides of the color ink ribbon 1.

7.8.9 is a line thermal head, which prints solid ink 2, 2 and 3.4 so as to face the solid ink 2 and 3.4 of each color, respectively.
The pitch is the same as 3.4, and the width is narrower than that of solid ink 2 and 3.4, and 3 lines are arranged in parallel. 10 is paper.

Next, to explain the operation of the above configuration, first, the mark 6 of the color ink ribbon 4 is transferred to the line thermal head 7.8.9.
The color ink ribbon 1 and the line thermal head 7.8.9 are detected by a sensor (not shown) arranged in the same row as the row of the color ink ribbon 1 and the line thermal head 7.8.9. Position yourself.

Here, when printing without color composition, heat is applied only to the line thermal head 1, 8 or 9 facing the solid ink 2, 3 or 4 of the desired printing color, and the adjacent line thermal head 7, 8 Or make sure that 8 and 9 are not thermally printed at the same time. That is, the heat application time of the line thermal head 7.8 or 9 is set so that the next transfer operation begins after the transfer of one solid ink 2, 3, or 4 is completed.

Next, when combining the three primary colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow, the primary colors of the composite color, that is, solid ink 2, '3
, 4, selectively and simultaneously apply heat to each line thermal head 7.8.9 facing the line thermal head 7.8.9. For example, put a black tab on paper 10.
When it is desired to transfer three colors, heat is first applied to the line thermal heads 7, 8 or 9 facing the three colors simultaneously or at an intermediate position between the three colors, and then heat is applied to both sides thereof.

This operation is shown in Figures 1 and 3 (a) and (b) I
To explain in detail based on (c), as shown in FIG. Line thermal head 7.8.9
When the ink is heated, the solid ink 3 gradually melts and becomes the third ink.
As shown in Figure 3(a), the solid ink 3 begins to be transferred to the paper 10, then the solid inks 2 and 4 also begin to dissolve as shown in Figure 3(b), and finally as shown in Figure 3(c). solid ink 2
, 3.4 are all melted and transferred to the paper 10, and in this way, the solid ink 2.3.4 is combined and transferred onto the paper 10.

As mentioned above, line thermal head 7 is used for one raw point.
．． By repeating the heat application control in 8.9! It is possible to print in primary colors or composite colors, and each line thermal head 7.
It is also possible to obtain gradation colors by selecting the dots in 8.9 and controlling the width of the applied pulse and the current value.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.
A line thermal head is additionally placed between the line thermal heads 7°8.9 shown in the example at a position facing the boundary line between the solid inks 2 and 3.4, and the details are shown below based on Fig. 4. Explain. Incidentally, the same parts as in the first embodiment are given the same numbers and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

In Figure 4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 1
Reference numeral 5 denotes a line thermal head, which has a pitch half that of the solid ink 2, 3.4 of the color ink ribbon 1 so as to correspond to the solid ink 2, 3.4.
Make it narrower and arrange 5 lines in parallel.

Such a line thermal head 11.12°13.1
In the color synthesis according to 4.15, two colors are synthesized by applying heat to the thermal heads 12 and 14.

Alternatively, the center of the solid ink 2, 3.4, that is, the line thermal head 11, 12, 13° 14.1
Heat is applied in a controlled manner sequentially from the center of 5 to both sides in order to synthesize the three colors.

Note that the present invention does not limit the number of solid inks 2, 3, 4 of the color ink ribbon 1, the arrangement order and type of colors as in the first and second embodiments, and the line thermal head 7, 8, 9.11゜12.13, 14.
The number of 15 is also not limited.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the color printer according to the present invention,
A color ink ribbon in which heat-melting solid inks of multiple colors are applied in a line in a fine regular arrangement to a paper or plastic film sheet base material, and a pitch of each solid ink applied to the color ink ribbon, respectively. By being equipped with multiple lines of corresponding line thermal heads, each line thermal head melts solid ink of multiple colors for one element point, synthesizes the colors, and transfers them to the paper. There is no need to move the relative positions of the line thermal head, the color ink ribbon, and the paper, and therefore there is no color shift and a significant effect is achieved in which beautiful printing can be performed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a side view showing the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a plan view, Figures 3 (a), (b), and (c) are explanatory diagrams showing the progress of color synthesis, and Figure 4 The figure is a side view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. 1... Color ink ribbon 2, 3. 4... Solid ink 5... Base material 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 131
14.15...Line Thermal Head Patent Applicant Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. Agent Patent Attorney Takashi Kanakura Motorcycle 1 [l; g 2.3.4: Solid I/R 5: Base material 10: Paper

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A color ink ribbon in which heat-melting solid inks of multiple colors are applied linearly in a fine regular arrangement onto a paper or plastic film sheet base material, and a pitch of each solid ink applied to the color ink ribbon. A color printer comprising line thermal heads corresponding to each other, and each line thermal head melts solid ink of a plurality of colors to one dot, synthesizes the colors, and transfers the colors to paper.