JPS6287374A - Recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a transfer paper cassette to be easily fitted and detached easily and smoothly at the time of replacement thereof, by a construction wherein a thermal head brought into contact with and separated from a platen roller is turnable, a transfer paper cassette containing part is provided between the platen roller and the thermal head, and the cassette can be freely fitted and detached wen retracting from the platen roller. CONSTITUTION:In replacing a transfer paper cassette 1, a switch for removing the cassette 1 is turned ON to rotate an output shaft of a geared motor 17 clockwise, whereby a rack gear 14 is moved rightward, a thermal head 9 and a link 13 are retracted from a transfer paper cassette containing part 5, and the head 9 and the link 13 are located on the lower side of the cassette 1 and the cassette containing part 5. Under this condition, there is no member that interferes with drawing out the cassette 1 rightward from the containing part 5, so that the cassette 1 can be easily drawn out from the containing part 5 to the exterior of a main body of a recorder.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a type of recording apparatus, such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a printer, in which a heat-melting or heat-sublimation transfer paper is used.

[Prior art and its problems]

In recording devices that use a roll of transfer paper with heat-melting or heat-sublimable ink on a base film, the transfer paper cannot be used permanently, so the transfer Paper roll needs to be replaced.

However, the transfer paper placed between the supply side transfer paper roll and the take-up side transfer paper roll is held between the thermal head and the platen roller, so replacing the transfer paper is troublesome. . In particular, the transfer paper roll is usually stored in a transfer paper cassette that holds the transfer paper to protect the transfer paper, so when installing and removing the transfer paper cassette from the recording device, the thermal head and platen roller must be used. There is a high risk of damaging the

For this reason, in the past, the entire recording device was constructed so that it could be divided into two parts, one containing the thermal head and the other containing the platen roller, and when replacing the transfer paper cassette, the part containing the thermal head had to be opened. A system in which the transfer paper cassette is exchangeable has been proposed as a two-divided system.

However, since this type of proposed recording device is a two-part type, it is large and complicated, and the thermal head cannot be set correctly at the predetermined position on the platen roller after replacing the transfer paper cassette. In some cases, the thermal head is misaligned from a predetermined position on the platen roller, so that the heat generating portion of the thermal head does not come into uniform contact with the surface of the platen roller, and transfer printing may not be performed properly.

Also, because it is a two-part type, there are of course major restrictions on where it can be installed, especially when it is incorporated into local equipment such as a television receiver or personal computer. The disadvantage is that the constraints are even greater.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and includes a platen roller, a thermal head supported around one end thereof as a rotation center, and provided to press against and separate from the platen roller, and the thermal head. a thermal head rotation mechanism that rotates the thermal head about the one end portion as a rotation center and retracts the thermal head away from the platen roller; and a transfer paper cassette containing transfer paper when the thermal head is retracted from the platen roller. The present invention provides a recording apparatus that includes a transfer paper cassette storage section that can be attached and detached between the platen roller and the thermal head during retraction.

〔Example〕

Figures 1 to 4 show one embodiment of the recording apparatus according to the present invention, and Figure 1 shows the transfer paper cassette being installed in the transfer paper cassette storage section with the thermal head retracted from the platen roller. Side view with the cover removed, 2nd
Figure 3 shows a side view and a perspective view with the cover removed when the thermal head rotates and approaches the platen roller, and Figure 4 shows the thermal head moving linearly and pressing against the platen roller. FIG. 3 is a side view with the cover removed at a stage where recording is being performed.

In each figure, 1 is a transfer paper cassette that houses a supply roll 2a and a take-up roll 2b wound with transfer paper 2 on which heat-melting or heat-sublimable ink is provided on a base film. In this transfer paper cassette 1, pins 4 provided on both outer walls of the transfer paper cassette 10 are guided by grooves in a rail 3 fixed to the main body of the recording apparatus, and the transfer paper cassette 1 can be inserted or removed from the right side in the figure. It is configured so that it can be done.

That is, the transfer paper cassette 1 allows the transfer paper cassette 1 to perform recording by moving the bin 4 provided on the outer wall of the transfer paper cassette 1 in and out while being guided by the groove of the rail 3 when the thermal head is in a retracted state, which will be described later. The transfer paper cassette 1 can be attached to a transfer paper cassette storage part 5 formed between the rails 3 of the apparatus main body, or can be taken out from the transfer paper cassette storage part 5 when replacing the transfer paper 2.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a platen roller rotatably provided on a shaft 6a at a fixed position of the recording apparatus main body at the upper part of the transfer paper cassette storage section 5, and 7 a clamper provided on the platen roller 6 for holding the recording paper 8. It is.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a thermal head, and this thermal head 9 is rotatably mounted around a shaft 1o provided at one end of the thermal head 9 located at the lower part of the transfer paper cassette storage section 5. Further, this shaft 10 is loosely fitted into a long hole 12 provided in a chassis 11 fixed to the main body of the recording apparatus, and the thermal head 9 is connected to the shaft 6a, which is the center of rotation of the shaft 10 and the platen roller 6. It is installed so that it can also move in a straight line along the straight line connecting the two.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a link whose one end is rotatably attached to the shaft 9a on the distal end side of the thermal head 9, and the other end of this link 13 is attached to the shaft 13a with respect to the rack gear 14.
It is rotatably attached.

This rack gear 14 is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction (in the direction of attachment and detachment of the transfer paper cassette 1) by a guide pin 15 and a guide groove 16 provided in the main body of the recording apparatus.

17 is a gear motor whose rotation is sufficiently reduced; a pinion gear 18 provided on the output shaft of this gear motor 17;
is meshed with the rack gear 14, and the gear motor 1
7 is activated, the rack gear 14 moves in the horizontal direction.

Therefore, when the gear motor 17 operates and its output shaft rotates clockwise, and the pinion gear 18 rotates clockwise, the rack gear 14 moves to the right in the figure, and the other end of the link 13 and the rotation center of the thermal head 90 rotate. The distance between the shaft 10 in the position increases, the link 13 rotates counterclockwise,
Further, the thermal head 9 rotates clockwise around the shaft 10, and the tip of the thermal head 9 is retracted from the transfer paper cassette storage section 5, as shown in FIG. When the gear motor 17 operates in the opposite manner to the above case and its output shaft rotates counterclockwise and the pinion gear 18 rotates counterclockwise, the rack gear 14 moves to the left in the figure, the distance between the other end of the link 13 and the shaft 10 located at the rotation center position of the thermal head 9 becomes shorter, and the link 1
3 rotates clockwise, and the thermal head 9 rotates around the shaft 10.
Rotate counterclockwise around
The leading end of the paper enters the transfer paper cassette accommodating section 5, and as shown in FIGS. The transfer paper 2 between the side roll 2a and the take-up side roll 2b is pulled out toward the platen roller 6, and the thermal head 9 is rotated to a predetermined position.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a detection means for the transfer paper cassette 1 such as an optical sensor provided at the tip of the transfer paper cassette storage section 5. When it is detected that the paper cassette 1 is set at a predetermined position, the gear motor 17 is activated by the output signal of the detection means 20, and the pinion gear 18 is rotated counterclockwise.

Note that when the gear motor 17 is activated by the output signal of the detection means 20 and the thermal head 9 is in the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rack gear 14 cannot be moved further to the left in the figure, so the gear motor An overload acts on the gear motor 17, and when this overload condition is detected, the gear motor 17 stops its operation.

21 is a rotary solenoid fixed at a predetermined position on the main body of the recording apparatus, and 22 is a cam fixed to the output shaft of the rotary solenoid 21.

The cam 22 is configured so that it does not come into contact with a roller 23 provided on the outer side of the tip of the link 13 when the link 13 is in the moving state shown in FIGS. 1 to 2. In the state shown in FIG. 3, when the output shaft of the rotary solenoid 21 is rotated counterclockwise by a certain angle, they come into contact with each other, and the output shaft of the rotary solenoid 21 is further rotated by a certain angle in the same direction. Then,
As shown in FIG. 4, the roller 23 is subjected to a pressing force by the cam 22, and the link 13 is slightly rotated clockwise, and the thermal head 9 is dragged by this, and the shaft 10 is attached to the elongated hole 12.
The thermal head 9 moves linearly along a straight line connecting the shaft 10 and the shaft 6a of the platen roller 6, so that the heat generating portion of the thermal head 9 is pressed against the surface of the platen roller 6.

Note that when the switch of the rotary lenoid 21 is turned off, the pressure on the roller 23 by the cam 22 is released, so the thermal head 9 is separated from the platen roller 6 by the weight of the thermal head 9, the link 13, etc., and the link 13, etc. is also returned to the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Naturally, a forced return means such as a spring may be provided.

If the recording apparatus is configured as described above, when replacing the transfer paper cassette 1, turn on the switch for taking out the transfer paper cassette 1 (not shown), and rotate the output shaft of the gear motor 17 as shown in FIG. The rack gear 14 is moved to the right in FIG. 3 by rotating clockwise in FIG.
is the upper side of the transfer paper cassette 1 and the transfer paper cassette storage section 5.

The condition shown in Fig. 1 is as shown in Fig. 1.

In the state shown in FIG. 1, there is nothing obstructing the removal of the transfer paper cassette 1 from the transfer paper cassette storage section 5 toward the right in the figure, and the transfer paper cassette 1 can be easily stored in the transfer paper cassette. It can be extracted from the section 5 to the outside of the recording apparatus main body.

After loading a new transfer paper into the transfer paper cassette 1, the transfer paper cassette 1 is inserted into the transfer paper cassette storage section 5, and when the transfer paper cassette 1 is set at a predetermined position, this is detected by the detection means. 20 detects, and this detecting means 20
The gear motor 17 is activated by the output signal, and the output shaft of the gear motor 17 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. Then, the link 13 is rotated clockwise to bring the thermal head 9, link 13, and transfer paper 2 into the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

When the state shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is set, the preliminary stage for starting recording is reached, and when the recording start switch (not shown) is turned on, the recording paper 8 is stored. The recording paper 8 is supplied to the platen roller 6 by a predetermined means (not shown) from a cassette in which the recording paper 8 is loaded.
The leading end of the recording paper 8 is held by the clamper 7, and the recording paper 8 is wound around the platen roller 6. In this state, after the platen roller 6 rotates by a certain angle, the rotary lens 21
When the cam 22 starts to press the roller 23, the thermal head 90 heats the transfer paper 2 and the recording paper 8 between them and presses them against the platen roller 6, resulting in the state shown in FIG. A predetermined signal current is passed through the heat generating portion of the thermal head 9, the heat generating portion of the thermal head 9 generates heat, and transfer printing recording is performed.

After the transfer print recording is completed, the rotary solenoid 2
1 is turned off, the press state of the thermal head 9 against the platen roller 6 is released, and the state shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 2, and FIG. By this means, the recording material is discharged from the platen roller 6 to the outside of the recording apparatus main body.

〔effect〕

As described above, the recording device according to the present invention enables the thermal head that comes into contact with and separates from the platen roller to rotate, and also includes a transfer paper cassette storage section between the platen roller and the thermal head, so that the thermal head can be rotated. Since the transfer paper cassette stored in the transfer paper cassette storage section can be freely attached and detached when the transfer paper cassette is evacuated from the platen roller due to This can be done easily and smoothly by moving the thermal head and retracting it outside the transfer paper cassette housing. Compared to the conventional method in which the entire thermal head pressurizing mechanism is moved (divided into two), this recording device can be made much smaller, and as a result,
There are fewer restrictions on the installation location and integration into other equipment, and by using the simple thermal head rotation mechanism described above, even when the thermal head is moved from the retracted state to the recording state, the thermal head does not move around the platen roller. It has the advantage of being set correctly in a predetermined position and recording can be performed with high precision without positional deviation unlike conventional methods.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 to 4 show one embodiment of the recording apparatus according to the present invention, and Figure 1 shows the transfer paper cassette being installed in the transfer paper cassette storage section with the thermal head retracted from the platen roller. Side view with the cover removed, 2nd
3 and 3 are a side view and a perspective view with the cover removed at a stage where the thermal head approaches the platen roller, and FIG. 4 is a side view with the cover removed at the recording stage. 1...Transfer paper cassette, 2°°゛transfer paper, 2a...
Supply side roll, 2b... Winding side roll, 3... Rail, 4... Pin, 5... Transfer paper cassette storage section, 6
...Platen roller, 6a...Rotation center axis, 7...
- Clamper, 8... Recording paper, 9... Thermal head, 9a, No, 13a... Axis, 11...
Chassis, 12... Long hole, 13... Link, 14.
... Rack gear, 15... Guide pin, 16... Guide groove, 17... Gearmo! ', 18... Pinion gear, 19... Roller, 20... Detection means, 21...
・Lower solenoid, 22...cam, 23...roller. Shin Chi

Claims (1)

[Claims] It is supported around the platen roller and one end as the center of rotation,
A thermal head provided to press against and separate from the platen roller; a thermal head rotation mechanism that rotates the thermal head about the one end portion and retreats the thermal head away from the platen roller; When the thermal head is retracted from the platen roller, the transfer paper cassette containing the transfer paper is placed between the platen roller and the transfer paper cassette.
A recording device comprising a transfer paper cassette storage section that can be attached to and detached from a thermal head during evacuation.