JPS63274562A - Multicolor thermal printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To speed up printing by arranging in two rows heat-generating resistors and the corresponding light emitters on a heat-resistant substrate in a multicolor thermal printer which uses selective color-developing printing paper capable of black color development before exposure and red color development after exposure, through heating respectively. CONSTITUTION:In a multicolor thermal printer which uses selective color- developing printing paper which develops a black color by heating prior to exposure and a red color after exposure, a thermal head 3 is constituted of a plurality of heat-generating resistors 33 and light-emitting diodes 35 formed on a heat-resistant substrate 32, with individual light-emitters 34 arranged corresponding to the heat-generating resistors 33 set in a longitudinal direction. Then the heat-generating resistors 33 are energized, and printing is performed where the light emitters 34 are inoperative, the print becomes black, while if printing is performed where the light emitters 34 are turned ON, the print becomes red. In this way, high-speed and high-precision printing is assured.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Summary] The method of rewinding the paper on which the black part has been printed and printing the red part on top of it has the problem that the printing speed is significantly reduced and the printing position is shifted.

Therefore, this paper eliminates the need to rewind the paper, thereby increasing the speed and precision of printing.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a thermal printer used as an output device for various electronic devices, and more particularly to a multicolor thermal printer using selective color printing paper.

Conventional thermal printers develop colors from dyes attached to tape and transfer the colors onto plain paper, allowing for multicolor printing by replacing the tape and printing overlappingly on the same area. However, thermal printers that develop colors using pigments deposited on printing paper cannot print in multiple colors because the print color depends on the pigment.

However, as thermal printers have become widespread in a wide range of fields, there has been a growing demand for thermal printers that produce color from pigments on printing paper to be capable of multicolor printing. Therefore, as a means to meet this demand, selective coloring printing paper capable of multicolor printing has been developed, and a multicolor thermal printer using such selective coloring printing paper is being developed.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a conventional multicolor thermal printer.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), a conventional multicolor thermal printer consists of a rubber roller-shaped platen 2 that supports printing paper 1 from the back, and a thermal head 3 that is rotatably held by a shaft 31 and prints. At this time, the thermal head 3 is pressed against the printing paper 1 with an appropriate force.

A plurality of heating resistors 33 arranged in the length direction of the substrate 32 are formed on the surface of the heat-resistant substrate 32 constituting the No. 3 Maruhed 3 that is in contact with the printing paper 1, as shown in Fig. 4). When a corresponding heating resistor 33 is selected from the plurality of heating resistors 33 and energized, the heat generated in the heating resistor 33 is transmitted to the printing paper 1 and the dye develops color.

The selective coloring printing paper 1 develops a black color when heated before exposure, and develops a red color when heated after being irradiated with light of a specific wavelength and exposed. Therefore, a multicolor thermal printer using printing paper 1 with selective color development has a thermal head 3 as shown in the figure.
In addition, it is equipped with a light source 4 that emits light of a specific wavelength, and the printing paper 1 before printing is covered with a light-shielding cover 5.

In multicolor printing in a thermal printer using such selective coloring printing paper, first, the unexposed printing paper is sequentially fed and the heating resistor 33 is energized to print the black portion. The printing paper 1 on which the black portion has been printed is exposed to light when passing under the light source 4. After the printing and exposure of the black area has been completed, the printing paper 1 is once rewound, and while the printing paper is being sequentially fed again, the heating resistor 33 is energized to print the red area. It may also be exposed to light from a fluorescent lamp.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, the method of rewinding the paper on which the black part has been printed and printing red overlay on top of the paper results in a significant reduction in printing speed, such as the time required for printing being more than twice as long as in normal single-color printing. There is also a problem in that the printing position of the black part and the printing position of the red part are misaligned due to slippage between the printing paper and the platen that occurs when the printing paper is returned.

[Means for solving problems]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the principle of a multicolor thermal printer according to the present invention. The same objects are represented by the same symbols throughout the figures.

The problem described above is that in a multicolor thermal printer that uses selective color printing paper that develops black when heated before exposure and red when heated after exposure, a plurality of heating resistors formed on the heat-resistant substrate 32 are used. body 33 and heat-resistant substrate 3
This problem is solved by the multicolor thermal printer of the present invention, which includes a thermal head 3 composed of two heat generating resistors 33 arranged in the length direction and a plurality of light emitters 34 corresponding to the respective heat generating resistors 33.

[Effect]

In FIG.
By configuring the heat generating resistors 33 arranged in the length direction and a plurality of light emitting bodies 34 corresponding to each of the heat generating resistors 33, the energization and deactivation of the heat generating resistors and the lighting and deactivation of the light emitting bodies are performed as shown in the following table. It is possible to select and print black and red without having to rewind the printing paper once.

In thermal blinking, which uses selective color printing paper, when the heating resistor is energized and the part of the light emitting element that was at rest is printed, the printed color becomes black, and the heat generating resistor is energized and the light emitting element lights up. If you print on the area that was previously marked, the print color will be red.

By eliminating the need to rewind the printing paper in this way, it becomes possible to increase the printing speed, and it is possible to eliminate the misalignment between the printing position of the black part and the printing position of the red part.

[Examples] Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the invention.

An embodiment of the multicolor thermal printer according to the present invention is shown in FIG. Each of the light emitting bodies 34 constituting the LED array 35 corresponds to the heating resistors 33 arranged in the length direction of the heat-resistant substrate 32.

In a multicolor thermal printer equipped with such a thermal head 3, when the heating resistor 33 is energized to print on the resting part of the light emitter 34, the printed color becomes black, and the heat generating resistor 33 is energized and the light emitter 34 is turned off. If you print on the part that was lit, the print color will change to red.

Further, in another embodiment of the multicolor thermal printer according to the present invention, as shown in FIG.
It is composed of a plurality of heat generating resistors 33 formed on the top, a light emitting mechanism consisting of one long light source 36 and a plurality of shanks 37, and a plurality of shutters 37 made of liquid crystal etc. , correspond to the heating resistors 33 arranged in the length direction of the heat-resistant substrate 32. In the figure, numeral 38 indicates a light shielding cover.

In a multicolor thermal printer equipped with such a thermal head 3, light leaks from the shutter 37 when the shutter 37 is opened? The part where the light of s36 acts as a light emitter 34, energizes the heating resistor 33 and closes the shutter 37,
When printing on the part where the light emitter 34 was at rest, the print color becomes black, and when the heating resistor 33 is energized and the print is printed on the part where the shutter 37 was open, that is, the part where the light emitter 34 was lit. The print color will be red.

In this way, in a thermal printer that uses printing paper with selective coloring, multiple light emitters corresponding to each heating resistor are built into the thermal head, and the heating resistors are energized and paused, and the light emitters are turned on and paused. By combining the combination, when the heating resistor is energized and printed on the part of the light emitter that was not lit, the print color becomes black, and when the heat generating resistor is energized and printed on the part of the light emitter that was lit, the print color is red. become. As a result, there is no need to rewind the printing paper, increasing the printing speed, and also eliminating the misalignment between the printing position of the black part and the printing position of the red part.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a multicolor thermal printer that achieves high speed and high precision printing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the principle of a multicolor thermal printer according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the invention. 4 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a conventional multicolor thermal printer. In FIG. array,
36 represents a light source, 37 represents a shutter, and 38 represents a light shielding cover.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A multicolor thermal printer using selective color printing paper that develops a black color when heated before exposure and a red color when heated after exposure, comprising: The heat generating resistor (33) is arranged in the length direction of the heat resistant substrate (32), and a plurality of light emitters (34) corresponding to each of the heat generating resistors (33) are arranged in the length direction of the heat resistant substrate (32). , thermal head (
3) A multicolor thermal printer characterized by comprising: