JPS62201269A - Multicolor thermal recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a multicolor thermal recording apparatus extended in the life of a head and advantageous from the aspect of cost, by a method wherein thermal heads are provided in the number corresponding to the number of color forming layers possessed by multicolor thermal paper and heat energy necessary for allowing each layer to form a color is applied indivisually at every head and the color forming layer forming a color by one thermal head is recycled. CONSTITUTION:By uniformizing the loads of thermal heads and preparing three same heads, cost reduction is attained and the enhancement of reliability is achieved. A color data distributor 18 receives a state signal Sz from CPU15 along with Y, M and C data and transmits color data to a predetermined head. A pulse distributor 17 receives not only three kinds of pulse ty, tM, tc from a timing controller 16 but also the state signal Sz from CPU15 and applied predetermined pulses to heads 12, 13, 14. Because the load applied to one dot is uniformized, constitution advantageous to the reliability and life of a machine is obtained and a sharp color image can be formed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a multicolor thermal recording device, and more particularly to a color recording device using multicolor thermal paper.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY Conventionally, thermal recording has been mainly monochrome, but color printing is gradually progressing, and two-color and even multi-color thermal paper is being developed.

FIG. 6 shows the structure of a thermal paper having three types of coloring layers. In the figure, 1 is a support, 2 is a first coloring layer, and 3 is a first coloring layer.
4 is a second color developing layer, 5 is a second color erasing agent layer,
6 is the third coloring layer.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram when recording is performed using the above-mentioned multicolor thermal paper. In the figure, 7 is a thermal head, and FIG.
When coloring is done in the coloring layer 6, the figure (b) shows the second coloring layer 4.
(C) is a diagram showing the case where color is developed in the first coloring layer 2. Now, if the amount of heat required to color the third coloring layer 6 is A, the amount of heat required to color the second coloring layer 4 is B, and the amount of heat required to color the first coloring layer 2 is C. A<B<C, and the dot shape is 1
00 x 1.70μm, usually A is 0.4~
0.8mJ/dot, B is 0.9-1. ．． 3n+J/dot, C is 1.5 to 3.5 mJ/dot, with heat amount A, only the third coloring layer 6 develops color, and with heat amount B, the third coloring layer 6 develops color.
The third coloring layer 6 is compatible with the second coloring layer 5 and decolorized, only the second coloring layer 4 develops color, and the third coloring layer 6 is compatible with the second coloring layer 5 and decolored, and the second coloring layer 4 develops color. The layer 4 is compatible with the first decoloring layer 3 and decolorized, and only the first coloring layer 2 develops color.

Figures 8 and 9 are diagrams showing other multicolor thermal paper, respectively. The thermal paper shown in Figure 8 has a coloring layer to improve the clarity of the tone and the storage stability of the image. An intermediate layer 8 is provided between the decoloring layer and the thermal paper shown in FIG. 9 is provided with a protective layer 9 on the uppermost layer in order to improve the matching property. Then, the above three coloring layers were
(yellow).

If M (magenta) and C (cyan) are used, not only these three colors but also their combination (#, difficult to mix) create the possibility of fashionable colors and even Victorian colors.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram for explaining an example of a case where a color image is obtained using three-color thermal recording paper such as a double series.
Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the top layer will be called Y (yellow), the middle layer will be called M (magenta), and the bottom layer will be called C (cyan). Third
In the figure, 11 is three-color thermal paper, 12 is a Y coloring heat-sensitive thermal head, 13 is a M coloring thermal head, 14 is a C coloring thermal head, 15 is a CPU, and 16 is a timing controller 1 roller. Now, if the energy required for color development is E Y + E M I E c, then Ey〈EM〈Ec.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the head drive circuit of the Maruhera 1-1, in which 21 is a shift register;
23 is a latch circuit, 23 is a drive circuit, and 24 is a heating resistor element, which in the illustrated example is driven into four parts by signals ENE1 to ENE4.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the thermal recording apparatus shown in FIG.

When the C data is transferred to the shift register 15, the IATcI+ signal is applied to each thermal head 12, 13.1-4 at the same timing. The LATCI+ signal is also given to the timing controller 16, and using the timing controller 16 as a trigger, the pulse width t
' / + 17 M l t c pulse is emitted. Here, the signal S is a signal that is inverted at the falling edge of the LATCI+ signal and the ENE34 signal, and represents the end of printing one line, =
3- Next CAT(': Used as a gate signal for the I+ signal.

T, is one line writing time. Of course, energy control is possible not only by pulse width but also by voltage, resistance value, etc.

The data transferred at the same time is the distance between heads Q(wn).

If the sub-scanning feed is m (lines/nwn), the signal is shifted by QXm (lines). However, in the configuration shown in FIG. 3, a large amount of energy is always applied to the C (cyan) coloring head 14. in particular,
Ey=0.5mJ, EM=1.0mJ, Ec=3,
Since it is approximately 0 mJ, three types of heads are required from the viewpoint of durability, and in particular, only the load on the head 14 becomes considerably large. When viewed as a machine, such a configuration is disadvantageous in terms of cost and poses a major problem in improving reliability.

-H- The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances.
In particular, in a multicolor thermal recording device using multicolor thermal paper,
This was done for the purpose of prolonging the life of the head and providing a multicolor thermal recording device that is advantageous in terms of cost.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a multicolor thermal recording device that performs color recording using multicolor thermal paper, in which a number of thermal layers corresponding to the number of coloring layers of the multicolor thermal paper is provided. The device is characterized in that it has a head, and the thermal energy necessary to color each layer is individually applied to each head, and one thermal head cycles the coloring layer.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on examples.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, numeral 17 indicates a pulse distributor, numeral 18 indicates a color data distributor, and other components include the thermal recording device shown in FIG. 3. Parts having similar functions are provided with the same reference numerals as in FIG. 3. The embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is designed to reduce costs and improve reliability by equalizing the load on the thermal head and preparing three identical heads. The distributor 18 receives the status signal s2 along with the Y, M, and C data from the CPU 15, and transfers the color data to a predetermined head.

Further, the pulse distributor 17 is connected to the timing controller 16.
Three types of pulses from t! It also receives l'l tM+ Lc and a status signal S2 from the CPU 15, and applies predetermined pulses to the heads 12, 13, and 14.

As shown in Table 1, this status signal S2 is a 2-bit signal at most. Note that the pulse width jy+tM t t
Each c may be set to satisfy the following.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a voltage divider 19 is used to apply a predetermined voltage to the head 1.2.13.1.4. , and the voltages vy and v. +Vc may be set to satisfy the following.

Also, the cycle of the thermal head is 1 line or 1 line.
It is also possible to do this for each copy.

Effects As is clear from the explanation below, according to the present invention, 1
The load on the two dots is evened out, resulting in a configuration that is advantageous for machine reliability and longevity, and allows for sharper color images.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are block diagrams for explaining an embodiment of a thermal recording device according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining an example of a multicolor thermosensitive recording device, and FIG. teeth,
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram for explaining an example of a head drive circuit, FIG. 5 is a time chart for explaining the operation of the recording apparatus shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of multicolor thermal paper. ,
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the coloring method of the thermal paper shown in FIG. 6, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing examples of other thermal paper, respectively. 11...Three-color thermal paper, 12...Y coloring heat-sensitive thermal head, 13...M coloring thermal head, 14
...C coloring thermal head, 15...CPU,
16... Timing controller, 17... Pulse distributor, 18... Color data distributor, 19... Voltage divider. District 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 5 Figure S1'

Claims (1)

[Claims] A multicolor thermal recording device that performs color recording using multicolor thermal paper has a number of thermal heads corresponding to the number of coloring layers that the multicolor thermal paper has, and is capable of applying the thermal energy necessary to color each layer. A multicolor thermal recording device characterized in that a coloring layer is applied individually to each head and one thermal head cycles a coloring layer.