JPS6141579A - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to enhance the use efficiency of an ink donor film, by controlling unwinding operation on the basis of read information. CONSTITUTION:The information meaning ''used'' by the magnetization processing of a writing head 23 is inputted to a magnetic stripe 11 corresponding to the part, to which thermal transfer was applied by a thermal head 16, of an ink donor film 10. Recording paper 22 after thermal recording processing is discharged to a discharge tray 18 by a drive roll 21 to be wound up by a wind-up roll 19. Thereafter, the film 10 having passed the recording part 22 is unwound and a non-used part is found out by a reading head 24 and checked when the unwinding of the non-used part was finished and the non-used part can be used in the thermal recording to the succeeding new recording part 15.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to thermal transfer printers, and in particular, to input predetermined information into an ink donor film, which also serves as a storage means used in thermal transfer printers. The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer that improves the usage efficiency of an ink donor film by providing a means for reading out information.

[Conventional technology]

The structure of a conventional thermal transfer printer is shown in FIG. The conventional thermal transfer printer 1 includes a donor film supply roll 3 in which an ink donor film 2 on which a thermally transferable ink is applied to a film base material is wound into a roll, and a P (to be described later) from the donor film supply roll 3. A thermal spatula r4 selectively heats the donor film 2 sent out by the take-up of the live roll 9 in accordance with the image signal while being in pressure contact with the recording paper 5 inserted from the recording paper insertion tray 30, and the thermal head 4 records the image. A platen roll 6 that presses the paper 5 is provided (a recording unit 7 is constituted by a thermal spatula P4 and a solaten roll 6).

Further, a drive roll 9 having its own drive source (motor) 32 is provided for conveying the recording paper 5 after recording to the ejection tray 31 and the donor film 10 in the direction of the rner film winding roll 8.

The donor film take-up roll 8 is used to collect the used ink donor film 2 after recording.

To explain the operation in the above configuration, the recording paper 5
When the ink donor film 2 is inserted from the recording paper insertion tray 30, it is conveyed to the recording section 7 overlapping the ink donor film 2 supplied from the donor film supply roll 3 by the take-off sheet of the 2247 day roll 9, and is then printed by the thermal head 4. A thermal recording process is performed. Thereafter, the recording paper 5 is discharged onto the discharge tray 31, and the ink donor film 2 is collected onto the donor film winding roll 8.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the conventional thermal transfer printer 1, the ink donor film 2 is supplied to the recording section 7 together with the recording paper 5 to perform thermal recording processing, so that the recording portion of the recording paper 5 as shown in FIG. C- of the corresponding ink donor film 2 to perform heat-sensitive recording processing only for R.
Although only the area between 9 and 9 is subjected to the transfer process, the area between donor film B and C and between D and D corresponds to the size of the recording paper 5.
B-8 space, which is the sum of 8 spaces, is required for the recording paper 5 to pass through the recording unit 7. Furthermore, in order to feed the recording paper 5,
The donor film between B and E-F was also consumed for paper ejection, regardless of thermal transfer recording. As a result, the donor film 2 having a length between A and F passed through the recording section 7 and was consumed, although the length between C and F was actually used for thermal recording. As a result, the usage efficiency is very low (this decreases as the ratio of the recording portion R to the recording paper 5 decreases).

[Means and effects for solving the problems] The present invention has the following features:
In view of the above, in order to improve the usage efficiency of the ink donor film, a magnetic material is used to apply thermal transferable ink and to store predetermined information in the non-printing area along the longitudinal direction. In a thermal transfer printer that prints on recording paper using an ink donor film provided with a band-shaped storage means using reading means for reading the input information;
The present invention provides a thermal transfer printer including a control section that controls a rewinding operation of the ink donor film based on information read out by the reading means.

Hereinafter, a thermal transfer printer according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

〔Example〕

FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B) show an embodiment of the thermal transfer printer 12 of the present invention, and an ink donor film 10 (as shown in FIG. 3, a thermal transferable ink is applied to a film base material). A donor film supply roll 13 in which a magnetic stripe 11 is provided on one side of the non-printing area along the longitudinal direction of the film is wound into a roll, and a drive roll 2 to be described later from the donor film supply roll 13.
A thermal head 16 selectively heats the P-chi film 10 sent out by the puller 1 according to an image signal while being in pressure contact with the recording paper 15 inserted from the recording paper insertion tray 14, and a thermal spatula P16 that selectively heats the P-chi film 10 in accordance with the image signal. A platen roll 17 is provided which presses the recording head 15 (the recording unit 22 is constituted by the thermal head 16 and the platen roll 17). Further, a unique drive source (motor) 2 conveys the recording paper 15 after recording to the ejection tray 18 and the P-chi film 10 in the direction of the donor film winding roll 19.
A drive roll 21 having 0 is provided. Said r
The donor film winding roll 19 is for collecting the used ink donor film 10 after recording.

Further, in the recording section 22, a writing head 23 having a structure as shown in FIG. 4(A) is installed between the rner film supply roll 13 and the recording section 22 as shown in FIG. A read head 24 having such a structure is provided respectively. Write to yY2
3 and the read head 24, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, coils 23b and 24b are wound around magnetic cores 23a and 24a made of soft iron or the like. Each section of the thermal transfer printer 12 described above is controlled by a built-in control section (for example, a microcomputer) 25. The control unit 25 has an input interface 25a that inputs various sensor signals and operation command signals in the printer 12, and a program necessary for arithmetic processing of the input signals (searches for an unused ink donor film and performs recording again using that part). a ROM 25 b that stores programs such as programs to perform operations, etc.; and a CPU 25 that performs predetermined calculations based on the programs.
e and RAM that temporarily stores calculation results, data, etc.
25 d, and an output interface 25 that outputs control signals to various control objects of the printer 12 (drive source 20 of the r live roll 21, writing head 23, etc.) based on the calculation results.
It has e.

To explain the operation in the above configuration, the recording paper 1
5 is inserted from the recording paper insertion tray 14, it is overlapped with the ink donor film 10 supplied by the drive roll 21 from the donor film supply roll 13, and is conveyed to the recording unit 22 where it is subjected to heat-sensitive recording processing by the thermal spatula P16. will be carried out. In this heat-sensitive recording process, the magnetic stripe 11 corresponding to the part of the ink donor film 10 on which the thermal transfer was performed by the thermal spatula P16 has 1
Then, the recording paper 22 for which the thermal recording process has been completed is discharged to the output tray 18 by the drive roll 21, and the r-chi film 10 is wound on the donor film winding roll 19. Thereafter, the ink donor film 10 that has passed through the recording section 22 is rewound, the read spatula P24 is used to search for an unused portion, and when the unused portion has been rewound, the unused portion is checked. The unused portion can be used for thermal recording on the subsequent new recording paper 15. The unused portion of the ink donor film 10 can be found by rewinding the ink donor film 10 at a specific timing. conduct.

Next, writing information to the effect that "1 used" onto the magnetic stripe 11 is performed by magnetizing the magnetic stripe 11 as shown in FIG. 4(A).The coil 23 in FIG. 4(A)
When a current is passed through b in the direction of the arrow, lines of magnetic force are generated in the magnetic core 23a, and N and S are generated at both ends of the spatula r of the magnetic core 23a.
I can do it.

Next, when placing the magnetic stripe 11 under this head,
The magnetic lines of force pass through the magnetic stripe 11 and form S' and N' at its entrance and exit, as shown in FIG. 4(a). When N and S are formed at both ends of the pick and the head, S/ and N/ are formed on the magnetic stripe 11, magnetizing the used portion. In this way, information is read onto the magnetic stripe 11 as shown in FIG. 4(b). Next, in the case of reading, it is performed as shown in FIG. 4 (c). That is, as shown in FIG. 4(c), when the magnetic core 24a is brought close to the magnetized magnetic stripe 11, the magnetic gauze passes through the head of the magnetic core 24a and a visiting voltage e is generated in the coil 24b.

This rust conduction voltage of eV becomes a reproduction output signal and is sent to the control section 25.
It is output to live. On the other hand, in the non-magnetized portion, no output appears as shown in Fig. 4). That is, it is determined whether the ink donor film in the image area has been used or not, depending on whether or not the ev reproduction output signal is output.

Other embodiments include those shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b). The same parts as in FIG. Instead, a heating element outside the recording range of a thermal spatula '16 for image recording is used. For example, when the magnetic stripe 11, which has been magnetized from the beginning, is formed from chromium dioxide (CrO2), the temperature at the Curie point of chromium dioxide is 75°C. , the recording paper 15 is subjected to a thermal recording process, and at the same time the magnetic stripe 11 is demagnetized. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the induced voltage e is zero at a location corresponding to that portion, so that the used and unused portions of the ink donor film 10 can be easily identified. In this manner, the second embodiment eliminates the need for the magnetic head for the write head used in the first embodiment, which has the added advantage of lower costs. Thereafter, prior to new thermal recording, the ink donor film 10 is run, the reading spatula F24 searches for an unused portion of the ink donor film 10, and thermal recording is performed using that portion. That is, ink P in FIG.
This makes it possible to reuse the sections A-C and D-F in the Nerfilm.

Further, regarding the rewinding of the ink donor film 100, the usage efficiency can be further improved by rewinding each roll of the roll instead of rewinding each page of the recording paper 15. In that case, when the readout spatula P24 detects the magnetic information of END provided at the end portion of the ink donor film 10 (this magnetic information is input in advance), it automatically reads all the volumes of the ink donor film 10. It may be arranged so that the return is performed.

Further, if a mechanism is provided to convey the recording paper 15 and the ink donor film 10 independently, it becomes possible to utilize the unused portion between CD and C in FIG. 5.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the thermal printer according to the present invention, a band-shaped storage means is applied with thermal transferable ink and uses a magnetic material to store predetermined information in a non-printing area along the longitudinal direction. In a thermal printer that prints on a recording paper using an ink donor film provided with, an input means for inputting predetermined information into a storage means of the ink donor film, a means for reading out information input by the input means, Since the printer is provided with a control section that controls each section of the printer based on the information read out by the reading section, it is possible to improve the usage efficiency of the ink donor film.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1 (0) and (b) are explanatory views showing the structure of an embodiment of a thermal transfer printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 (a). (B) is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of another embodiment of the thermal transfer printer according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the ink donor film used in the thermal transfer printer of the present invention, and FIG. ), (b), (c), and (b) are explanatory diagrams of the structure and principle of the writing head and reading spatula P of a thermal transfer printer. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of a conventional thermal transfer printer. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the printing area of the recording paper and the use area of the ink donor film in a thermal transfer printer. Explanation of symbols 10... Ink donor film, 11... Magnetic stripe, 12... Thermal transfer printer, 15... Recording paper, 16... Thermal head, 23... Writing spatula P124... - Reading head, 25...control unit. Figure 1 (a) ===F\ 23 ”' 19 r−−−−−=−−−+−−−−”−−”−11: '25di 娑+25a'.Figure 25゜Figure 2 (a) Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 [□:4

Claims (1)

[Claims] An ink donor film coated with thermally transferable ink and provided with a band-shaped storage means using a magnetic material for storing predetermined information in a non-printing area along the longitudinal direction. A thermal transfer printer that prints on memory paper, comprising: input means for inputting predetermined information into the storage means of the ink donor film; reading means for reading out the information input by the input means; and information read by the reading means. A thermal transfer printer comprising: a control unit that controls a rewinding operation of the ink donor film based on the following.