JPS62288054A - Thermal recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform printing under optimum printing pressure according to each printing state, by relaxing the pressing force of a thermal head when an ink ribbon cassette is not mounted on a carriage. CONSTITUTION:When an ink ribbon is not mounted on a carriage 6, no force is applied to the detection part of a lever 10 and a thermal head 4 is pressd to a platen 1 in the direction shown by an arrow A by the forces of springs 9, 5. The moment of force applied to the thermal head 4 is obtained by subtracting the force due to the spring 9 from the force due to the spring 5. When a ribbon cassette 11 is mounted, the lever 10 revolves against the elestic force of the spring 9 in order to press the detection part 10a of the lever 10a of the lever 10 and the thermal head 4 is pressed to the platen 1 in the direction shown by an arrow D only by the force of the spring 5 in the direction shown by an arrow E. Therefore, when printing is performed using thermal recording paper, since the springs 5, 9 negate the forces thereof mutually, the thermal head 4 is pressed to the platen 1 by weak force to perform printing and, when printing is performed using the ink ribbon, the thermal head 4 is pressed to the platen 1 by the strong force only of the spring 5 to perform printing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention 3. Detailed Description of the Invention Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a thermal recording device such as a thermal transfer printing device.

2. Description of the Related Art Heat-sensitive recording devices have been widely used as output devices for computers and the like. FIG. 6 is a top view of a conventional thermal recording device, in which 2 is printing paper, 1 is a platen that holds the thermal recording paper, printing paper 2, etc. wrapped around it, 3 is an ink ribbon, and 4 is a plurality of heating resistors. The thermal head 4 is rotatably supported around a shaft 8, as shown in more detail in FIG. It is pressed against the platen 1 via the ribbon 3. 6th
In the figure, 6 is a carriage that holds the thermal head 4 and the ink ribbon 3, etc., and 7 is the carriage 6 that is attached to the platen 1.
A shaft 15 that is slidably supported along the carriage 6 is a belt that is directly connected to the carriage 6 and drives the carriage 6.

In the conventional thermal recording apparatus, when printing on the printing paper 2, as shown in FIG. 6, the ink on the ink ribbon 3 is selectively melted by the thermal head 4 and transferred onto the printing paper 2. When printing on thermal recording paper (not shown in the figure), the ink ribbon 3 is removed and the thermal recording paper is directly heated to develop color.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In general, the optimum contact force is different when printing via an ink ribbon and when printing directly onto thermal recording paper. Because the head comes into contact with the head, if the pressure force is too strong, it will cause streaks of dirt or part-like gloss, and if printing is done via an ink ribbon, a weak pressure force will cause problems (heat will not be transmitted and the print quality will deteriorate). However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, since the force that presses the thermal head 4 is constant, there is a problem in that it is not possible to obtain optimal printing in either printing condition.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention includes a pressing force adjusting means that detects whether an ink ribbon cassette is attached to the carriage and reduces the pressing force of the thermal head when the ink ribbon cassette is not attached to the carriage. It is something.

The two configurations described in "Operation" allow printing to be performed with the optimum printing pressure corresponding to each printing condition.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the main parts of a thermal recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a platen, 4 is a thermal head, and 6
1 is a carriage, 7 is a shaft, and 10 is a lever having a detection portion 10a and a shaft 10b, as shown in more detail in FIG. 2, and one end of the lever 10 is attached to the carriage 6 via a spring 9.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the main parts of the thermal recording device of this embodiment,
8 is a shaft, 5 is a spring, and 16 is a rib provided on the thermal head 4. The thermal head 4 is supported by a carriage 6 so as to be rotatable around the shaft 8, and the lever 10 is also supported by a shaft on the carriage 6. It is rotatably supported around 1ob.

Regarding the thermal recording apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above, changes in the printing pressure of the thermal head 4 will be explained below.

First, when the ink ribbon is not mounted on the carriage 6 as shown in FIG. The platen 1 receives a force shown by an arrow C by a spring 5, and is pressed against the platen 1 in a direction shown by an arrow A by the force of a spring 9 and a spring 5.

At this time, the forces from the springs 5 and 9 apply contradictory moment forces to the thermal head 4, so the thermal head 4
The moment force applied to is from spring 5 to spring 9
minus the amount due to

Next, the case where the ribbon cassette 11 is attached as shown in FIG. 5 will be described. At this time, ribbon cassette 1
1 is the detection part 1 of the lever 10. Since Oa is pressed, the lever 10 is rotating against the elastic force of the spring 9.

Therefore, the lever 10 does not come into contact with the thermal head 4, so the thermal head 4 is pressed against the platen 1 in the direction shown by the arrow only by the force of the spring 5 in the direction shown by the arrow E.

As described above, in this embodiment, when printing is performed using thermal recording paper, the springs 5 and 9 cancel out each other's forces with a weak force, and when printing is performed using an ink ribbon, the springs 5 and 9 are applied with a weak force. Printing is performed in a state where the thermal head 4 is pressed against the platen 1 with a strong force only by the print head 5.

Effects of the Invention The present invention includes a pressing force adjustment means that detects whether an ink ribbon cassette is attached to the carriage and relieves the pressing force of the thermal head when the ink ribbon cassette is not attached to the carriage, and corresponds to each printing condition. Printing can be performed with the optimum printing pressure.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a thermal recording device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the main part, FIG. 3 is a side view of the main part, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the main part showing the state when printing is performed using the same ink ribbon, FIG. 6 is a top view of the conventional thermal recording device, FIG. 7 is a side view of the main part. 4...Thermal head, 5...Spring, 6...
Carriage, 8...axis, 9...spring,
1o... Lever, 16... Rib Name of agent Patent attorney Toshio Nakao 1 person Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] A thermal head that is pressed against a platen, a carriage carrying the thermal head, and whether or not an ink ribbon cassette is attached to the carriage are detected, and if the ink ribbon cassette is not attached to the carriage, the pressing force of the thermal head is detected. A heat-sensitive recording device characterized by comprising a pressing force adjusting means for relaxing.