JPS63224978A - Thermal printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make a device small and to reduce a transfer time and the possibility of color deviation, by a construction wherein a material to be subjected to transfer is so carried by a belt as to rotate two or more times in the same direction. CONSTITUTION:A material to be subjected to transfer 6 is clamped to a clamper 7 on a belt 2. A pinch roller 5 is separated and brought into pressure contact after the clamper 7 passes through. When the clamper 7 passes through, a thermal head 1 of a transfer part is similarly separated, however being depressed down after it passes through. During transfer, wrinkle is eliminated by applying a back tension to the transfer material 6 with a pinch roller 5. After one color is transferred, second and succeeding colors are transferred by repeating a similar operation, carrying the transfer material 6 in one direction, and leading it to the transfer part a plurality of times; in this manner, a multi-color transfer can be performed. Therefore, the carry of the transfer material 6 in one direction realizes a short transfer time and a small skew, thus enabling the reduction of color deviation. Additionally, since a belt 2 is decreased in thickness by being held by a plurality of rollers, i.e. rollers 3, 4, a whole device can be made small.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention is a transfer type that transfers a colorant from a transfer material such as a thermal transfer material to a transfer material, and the transfer material is guided to a transfer section multiple times. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the transfer section of a conventional thermal printer, which transfers a predetermined image by repeating the transfer operation.
This is shown for other methods shown in . In Figure 3, 1
is a thermal head, 6 is a transfer material, 30 is a drum whose outer circumferential surface is covered with rubber or the like, 7 is provided on the outer circumference of the drum 30,
This is a clamper that clamps the transferred material 6.

The operation of the drum system shown in FIG. 3 will be explained. A clamper 7 provided on the drum 30 clamps the transfer material 6 at the position shown in the figure, and the drum 30 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure by the power of a pulse motor or the like.

When the clamper 7 passes the thermal head 1 which is pressed against the drum 30 by a spring or the like, the thermal head l is UFJ'4 from the drum 30, and after the clamper 7 passes the thermal head 1, The thermal head 1 is brought into pressure contact with the drum 30 again and transfer starts. When the first color of the transfer material (the transfer material is not shown) has been transferred, the drum 30 is further rotated, and the transfer material 6 is guided again to the thermal head section, which is a transfer section, to transfer the second color. In this way, the drum 30 is rotated multiple times, and the transfer material 6 is guided to the transfer section multiple times to transfer a predetermined image.

On the other hand, in FIG. 4, 1 is a thermal head, 6 is a material to be transferred, 12 is a transfer material roll in which the material to be transferred 6 is wound into a roll, and 13 is a transfer material 6 sandwiched between the transfer material 6 and a pinch roller 14. A capstan to be fed out, 20 indicates a platen roll.

Next, the operation of the platen system shown in FIG. 4 will be explained. The transferred material 6 is pulled out from the transferred material roll 12,
First, it is guided between the platen roll 20 and the thermal head 1, and then it passes between the capstan 13 and the pinch roller 14 and is guided outside. When transferring the first color of the transfer material (the transfer material is not shown), the capstan 3 is driven by a pulse motor or the like, and the capstan 13 and the pinch roller 14 pull out the transfer material from the transfer section. After transferring the first color, move the transfer material roll 13 in the direction that involves the transfer material 6.
Roll it up to the color transfer start position. Next, add the second color to 1
Transfer in the same way as the color and complete the transfer by repeating this operation multiple times.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Conventional drum-type thermal printers are, for example, A.
When transferring to size 3 paper, the outer diameter of the drum should be 1
60 yen is required, which poses a problem in that the entire device becomes large.

In addition, in the conventional platen method, the transfer material is moved back and forth multiple times for transfer, so the time required to transfer one sheet is not long, and when the transfer material is cut paper, the space between the platen roller and the capstan is There are problems in that the transferred material tends to be skewed while moving back and forth, and color shift is likely to occur.

This invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a thermal printer device that can reduce the size of the device, shorten the transfer time, and is less likely to cause brown color shift. .

[Means for solving the rIIi problem] The thermal printer according to the present invention has an endless belt stretched around a plurality of rollers, and a clamper is provided on the belt.

[Effect]

In this invention, since the belt continuously rotates in one direction and conveys the transfer material in one direction, the transfer time is short, the skew is small, and color shift can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the belt is supported by a plurality of rollers, its thickness is reduced, and the entire device can be made smaller.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, 3 is a drive roller driven by a pulse motor or the like, 4 is a roller supported so that both ends are free in the rotational direction, 2 is a belt stretched between these rollers 3 and 4, 1 and 5 is a belt 2 wound around a roller 3
A thermal head and a pinch roller are attached to the parts so as to be press-contacted and releasable, 6 is a transfer material, and 7 is a clamper fixed on the belt 2 for clamping the transfer material.

The operation of the thermal printer configured as above will be explained. The transfer material 6 is clamped by a clamper 7 fixed on the belt 2, and the clamper 7 passes with the pinch roller 5 separated, and presses the pinch roller 5 after passing. The thermal head 1, which is the transfer part, is moved to the clamper 7.
When passing, the thermal head l opens in the same way,
After passing, it is pressed into contact. The point at which the clamper 7 passes the thermal head 1 is the transfer start point. During the transfer, the pinch roller 5 applies pack tension to the transferred material 6 to remove wrinkles from the transferred material. After transferring one color, repeating the same operation for the second color and rotating in the same direction to guide the transferred material to the transfer section multiple times allows multicolor transfer.

Next, FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 2, as rollers for tensioning the belt 2, a drive roller 3 and two free rollers 41.4b are arranged in a triangular shape. Reference numeral 10 denotes a transfer material cassette 1 which stores a large number of transfer materials in order to automatically supply the transfer material 6;
Reference numeral 1 denotes a pickup roller for taking out the transfer material 6 one by one from this cassette. Note that 7& indicates the transfer start position of the clamper 7, and 7b indicates the position where the transfer material 6 is clamped. By arranging the rollers in this manner, it becomes easy to guide the transfer material 6 to the clamper 7b located on the outer periphery of the roller 4b (by bringing the transfer material cassette 10 and the clamper 7 closer together). Note that the heating surface of the thermal head is uneven in the print width direction, but is it possible to use a platen whose surface is covered with rubber for the roller 3 on the side that contacts the thermal head? As a result, even if a steel belt is interposed in the middle, the material to be transferred can be uniformly pressed against the thermal head.

Although the above embodiment describes a multicolor transfer thermal printer, it is of course applicable to other printers as well.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the transfer material is conveyed by the belt so that it is continuously rotated in the same direction multiple times, so the device is compact, the transfer time is short, and there is little brownish shift. This has the effect of providing high-quality transfer.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of the present invention as a route map, Figure 2 is a side view showing another embodiment of the invention, and Figures 3 and 4 are route maps of a conventional thermal printer. FIG. In the figure, 1 is a thermal head, 2 is a belt, 3.4 is a roller, 6 is a transfer material, and 7 is a clamper. Note that the same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) In a thermal printer that forms an image by transferring an ink donor onto a transfer material, the transfer material is led to a transfer section multiple times to repeat the transfer operation to form a predetermined image. a belt having a clamper for clamping the tip of the transferred material and wound between a plurality of rollers, and a thermal head disposed so as to be able to approach and separate from one of the rollers, 1. A thermal printer characterized in that a belt wound around the body is continuously driven to rotate in one direction to perform transfer. (2) Claim 1, characterized in that the surface of the roller in contact with the thermal head is covered with rubber.
Thermal printer described in section. (3) The thermal printer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the belt is supported by three rollers. (4) The thermal printer according to claim 2, wherein the belt is a steel belt.