JPS6378779A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To certainly perform the erasure operation of a recording character, by a method wherein a heating means is used in both of recording and erasure operations and, at the time of erasure operation, control is effected so that heating is applied to all of the dots of the region occupied by information to be erased through an erasing sheet. CONSTITUTION:A carriage is moved to a position returned by an acceleration section from the head position of a printed character to be erased and a cam 42 rotated to a position of a radius r2 with respect to a pin 44 in a right direction. The taking-up of the second ribbon (erasing ribbon) 16 is started and the movement of the carriage is also started. The carriage is accelerated and subsequently allowed to run at a constant speed. All of the dots of a thermal head 29 are teated and the carriage is moved by one character to perform erasure and, thereafter, heating is finished. Next, the carriage is decelerated to be stopped and the second ribbon is taken up. Then, the cam 42 is rotated to a r1-position with respect to the pin 44 in the left direction and the carriage is returned to the position showing the position of the erased character. During 0.5 sec after the finish of the erasure, it is judged whether there is the next data and, when there is no data to follow, the cam is rotated to the initial position in the left direction and an erasure routine is finished.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to output devices such as electronic typewriters, facsimile machines, printers used in recording units of personal computers, etc., or word processors, etc. that contain ink. The present invention relates to a recording device that uses an ink sheet to obtain a recorded image in a color corresponding to color information. Note that the present invention includes not only cases in which the aforementioned color information means different colors, but also cases in which they mean the same color.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, printing apparatuses capable of obtaining recorded images in colors corresponding to color information use a wide ink ribbon coated with ink layers of different colors in the width direction, and use a wide ink ribbon coated with ink layers of different colors in the width direction. The ink layer of the desired color had to be guided to the recording section by rotating the ribbon in the vertical direction.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Therefore, the above-mentioned conventional apparatus requires a means for vertically rotating the ink ribbon, which has the problem of making the apparatus larger and more complicated.

[Means for solving problems]

Therefore, the applicant first applied for patent application No. 5.9-260403.
In this issue, we revealed the following multicolor ink ribbon technology.

That is, in order to perform clear recording in multiple colors on a recording medium, a first ink layer and a second ink layer having different tones are provided on a support in order from the support side, and heat is applied from the support side. After applying energy, when the recording medium and the support are peeled off, the selected color can be applied to the recording medium by changing the time from the application of the thermal energy until the separation of the two. It forms a recorded image.

Furthermore, the applicant disclosed the following technology in Japanese Patent Application No. 60-298831.

That is, the first ink layer and the second ink layer are formed on the support.
A thermal transfer recording medium having two ink layers and an adhesive layer at least on one side between the two ink layers or between the first ink layer and the support is brought into contact with the recording medium, After applying thermal energy to the thermal transfer recording medium according to the recorded information, a predetermined ink layer is applied to the recording medium by controlling the peeling time from the time of application until the thermal transfer recording medium and the recording medium are peeled off. By transferring, a recorded image of a selected color is formed on a recording medium.

The present invention is a further development of the above technology,
Write on the recording medium using an ink sheet containing ink.
In a recording apparatus that performs i, a heating means for heating a sheet, an erasing sheet for peeling recorded information from the recording medium, a recording operation using the ink sheet for the heating means, and an erasing sheet control for controlling the heating means so that all dots in the area occupied by the information to be erased are heated via the erasing sheet in the case of the erasing operation. It is characterized by having means.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, when an ink sheet is attached to the attachment section and recording is performed, a clear image in a color corresponding to color information can be recorded on a recording medium.

〔Example〕

In the embodiments described below, an example is provided in which a first loading section common to both can load not only a single color ink ribbon but also a multicolor ink ribbon, and a second loading section capable of loading a correction ribbon for correction. show.

In other words, the embodiments described below are based on an example of an electronic typewriter that has a mechanism to enable the use of multicolor printing ribbons and lift-off ribbons (collector pull ribbons). .

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a typewriter T, which is an output device to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

In the figure, 1-1 is a platen, 1-2 is a recording paper, l
-3 is an exterior, 1-4 is a power switch for controlling power on/off, and 1-5 is a keyboard.

Note that the keyboard 1-5 and the main body side may be separate bodies. 1-6 is a foot switch that is turned on and off by opening and closing the hood 1-3a, which senses the opening and closing of the hood 1-3a and shifts the ink ribbon (described later) to a predetermined position when the hood 1-3a is opened. The keyboard is locked by the punishment signal that emits the signal to do so. M OK Y is the mode key 1 used to set various modes such as ribbon mode setting, which will be described later.

P RKY is a print command key. RV is a density setting volume key, which is used to set data as parameters for printing or erasing operations, which will be described later. or,
SKY is a key for instructing erasure.

The typewriter T also has a built-in printing section, input section, display section, control section, external input/output interface section, and the like. Note that in this embodiment, the input section and the display section are not provided (of course, they may be provided separately. Also, in the present invention, the information to be output may be in the form of text or text). , may be a symbol, a figure, an image, or a combination thereof.In this example, these will be representatively referred to as characters.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the carriage of the typewriter T. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the carriage. The 1l-a-11-b section of the cassette 11 of the first ribbon 10 (single-color ink ribbon or the above-mentioned multi-color ink ribbon) fits into the 12-a-12-b section of the ribbon plate 12 on the main body side. , the cassette 11 is removably and elastically loaded onto the ribbon plate 12 by the coupling member 12-c. A metal plate 13 is pasted on the ribbon plates 1 and 12 to release static electricity generated within the cassette 11.

Further, the ribbon plate 12 is coupled to a body 14 (carriage) by a holder 15. Note that S is a sensor.
This detects the presence or absence of the cassette 11 on the plate 12 or the type of ink ribbon attached to the plate 12. 16 is a second ribbon (correction ribbon), which is wound around a winding core 23 via pulleys 19 and 20 fitted to shafts 17 and 18 and ribbon guides 21 and 22. Note that these parts for the second ribbon may be configured and configured to be integrally attached to a plate (not shown). The arm guide 24 is fitted with a shaft 25 protruding from the body 14, and one end 24a rests on the cam surface 26a of the cam 26.
One end 24b is an arm 27 connected to a ribbon plate.
I'm having fun with.

Now, the head arm 28 is a member that supports the thermal head 29. Further, 30 is a peeling member (second member) pressed against the platen l-1, and the head lever 28, thermal head 29, and second member 30 are all connected to the ribbon outlet of the cassette 11 of the first ribbon 10. 11c and the storage opening lid, and also between the second ribbon outlet 21 and the storage opening 22. Note that this peeling member 30 is in the shape of a kite, and is attached to the platen 1-1 by a mechanism described later.
It is possible to move towards and away from. That is, ribbon cassette 1
1 has a ribbon outlet 11c and a storage opening lid, and houses the ribbon IO in a partially exposed state. Therefore, the thermal head 29 heats the ribbon IO at this exposed portion. Further, the thermal head 29 and the peeling member 30 are located between the draw-out port 11c and the storage port 11d of the ribbon cassette 11 attached to the ribbon plate 12. Note that, as described later, this peeling member 30 controls the timing at which the ink ribbon 10 and the recording paper l-2 are peeled off after the ink ribbon lO is heated by the thermal head 29.

Further, the spring 31 is connected to the head pressure arm 45 and the head arm 2.
8 and generates pressure to press the thermal head 29 supported by the head arm 28 against the platen.

Note that the spring 32 is a spring for returning the head arm 28 and the head pressure arm 45 to their initial positions.

Note that the thermal head may also be a laser bed or the like that performs printing using a laser or the like.

Next, FIG. 4 is a diagram of the operation mechanism of the winding mechanism of the first ribbon and the second ribbon, and the helad arm 28.

In the figure, 40 is a card holder, which is connected to the body 14 with screws 41.

Further, a cover gear is cut on the back side of the cam 42 and is driven by a motor 43. There is a cam track 42a on the upper surface of the cam 42, along which a pin 44 and a head pressure lever 45 connected thereto rotate around a shift shaft 46. In addition, the head arm 2 is coaxially connected to the shift shaft 46.
8 are loosely engaged, and a retaining ring 48 via a spring washer 47 prevents it from coming off.

Further, the cam 26 and the cam 42 are connected to a shaft 4 extending from the body 14.
9, and is pressed from above by a plate 50 to prevent it from coming off. The plate 50 is connected to the body 14 with screws 51:52.

Also on the helad arm 28 is the 2nd L! :) There is an arm 51 for supporting the member 30, a rotation center shaft 52, etc., a connector 53 for electrically connecting the thermal head 29, and a flexible board 54 for electrically connecting it to the terminal block 56. be combined. The spatula door 428 and the thermal head 29 are mechanically coupled by a coupling member 55.

Further, the shaft 80 protruding from the body 14 is connected to the ribbon plate 1
The platen 1-1 on the lower surface of the platen 1-1 is fitted into an elongated hole in a direction perpendicular to the platen 1-1 for left and right positioning. In addition, ribbon play) 1
There is a ribbon winding unit under 2, and holes 60 and 61
It is connected to 62a and 62b of the ribbon plate stand 62 via. Ribbon brake) 12 units have shafts 63, 64,
There are 65 and 66. Here, 66 is a ribbon winding motor,
A one-way clutch 68 that transmits rotational force in only one direction is provided on the cover gear 71 which is meshed with the gear 67 loosely engaged with the shaft 63, and a friction clutch 69 that transfers constant rotational torque is provided above the cover gear 71.
is provided. This leading end 70 is coupled into the winding core of the first ribbon cassette 11.

Further, a spur gear 72 is provided on the outer periphery of the cover gear 71, and meshes with a wheel 73 that is loosely engaged with the shaft 64.

The second part of this foil 73 has a one-way clutch 68.
There is a one-way clutch 74 that transmits rotational force in the same direction as the one-way clutch 74, and the spur gear on the outer periphery of the one-way clutch 74 transmits the rotational force in the same direction as the gear 7 which is loosely engaged with the shaft 65.
It meshes with 5. Furthermore, above this gear 75, there is a friction clutch 76 that transmits a constant rotational torque like the one-way clutch 68, and the top part 77 is connected to the second
The ribbon winding recoa 23 is connected to the ribbon winding recoa.

There is also a tension pulley 78 loosely connected to the shaft 66.
Rotates in one direction while generating constant reverse rotation torque,
The other direction rotates with a much lower rotational torque. Leading section 79 couples into second ribbon supply core 31 .

Therefore, in this embodiment, the first ribbon 10 is wound up by the forward rotation of the motor 66, and the second ribbon 16 is wound up by the reverse rotation of the motor 66.

Note that the sensor 90 is a left limiter for determining the position of the carriage and the frame.

Next, the function of the cam will be explained using FIG.

1) Function of the cam In FIG. 5, the pin 44 connected to the head pressure arm 45 draws an arc of radius R centered on the shift shaft 46 and including the center of the shaft 49. Here, the movement of the head arm 28 that supports the thermal head 29 depends on the cam trajectory 42a, so when the power is turned on, the edge 42 of the shielding plate 42b on the outer periphery of the cam 42
It is positioned by the sensor 33 with respect to c. At this time, an arc of radius r centering on the shift shaft 46 and a cam trajectory 42
When the intersection point of a is set to 00 and θ is taken as shown in the figure, the curve drawn by the displacement position X from the center of the axis 49 to the orbit 42a is as shown in FIG. 9A), which will be described later. Also, θ=
0, one end 24a of the arm guide of the cam surface 26a
If the line where is located is 00, then when θ' is taken as shown in the figure, the curve of the vertical displacement Y of the cam surface 26a is as shown in FIG. 9B). One end of the arm guide 24
The other end 24b of a is loosely engaged with an arm 27 that is connected to the ribbon plate 12. The vertical displacement of the cam surface 26a with respect to the rotation of the cam 26 is transmitted to the arm 27 via the arm guides 24a and 24b, causing the ribbon plate 12 to move up and down. Also, cam 26 and cam 4
2 are connected by a key 100 that is loosely engaged with the shaft 49, so that each X and Y for the same angle of θ and θ'
displacements are carried out simultaneously.

2) Printing using the first ribbon IO (for example, multicolor ink ribbon printing) At the time of initialization of the cam 42, in FIG. 9 A) and B),
θ=θ′ 206 Nito 6, the cam surface 26a is at the lowest position, and the ribbon plate is in a lowered state, that is, the first ribbon 10 is in front of the thermal head 29 (first
Figure O (A)). At this time, the pin 44 is also at the lowest position of the cam track. At this time, the spring 31 causes the contact portion 45b of the head pressure arm 45 to contact the contact portion 28a of the head arm 28.
contact, and the position of the thermal head 29 at that time becomes the initial position (hereinafter, the counterclockwise rotation of the cam 42 is assumed to be 10).

i) Standby position When the motor 43 rotates θ1 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5, the pin 44 comes to the rl point of the cam trajectory 42a (9
(See figure θ=θl). At this time, the head pressure arm 45 and the head arm 28 pulled by the head pressure arm 45 by the spring 31 also rotate about the shift shaft 46 . At this time, rl is set so that the head 29 stops just before the printing paper 1-2 on the platen 1-1. This position is called the standby position. At this position, when the thermal head 29 is separated from the printing paper 1-2 from the printing position described later, it is stopped at this point for a certain period of time, and if a printing command is input during that time,
Printing starts from this position. If no printing command is input after waiting for a certain period of time, the thermal head 29 returns to the initial position by rotation of the motor 43 by -θ1.

Therefore, when the thermal head 29 is at the initial position and a printing command is input, it does not remain at this position but directly rotates (θ1+θ2) to the printing position.

ii) When printing the first spout position, as shown in FIG. 6(D), the motor 43 rotates the position by θ2 from the initial position in the direction of the arrow (standby position). At this time, the thermal head 29
is the printing paper 1-2 on the platen 1-1 when rotated by θX.
and the first ribbon IO contacts the platen at an angle θH (see FIG. 6(C)) (θ・1〈θx〉θ
2). The head arm 28 stops rotating when the thermal head 29 comes into contact with the platen 1-1, but only the head pressure arm 45 rotates along the cam track 42a. At this time, a pressing force F (FIG. 6(C)) is applied to the thermal head 28 by the spring 31 applied between the two members.

iii) As shown in FIG. 6(D), the second throw character position is further rotated by θ3 from the initial position by the motor 43 in the direction of the arrow (FIG. 9 θ3).
(see position), the head pressure arm 45 further rotates until a radius difference r3-r2 is created, and the spring 31 further extends to apply a pressing force F' that presses the platen 1"-1 of the thermal head 29. The bent portion (contact portion) 45a of the pressure arm 45 presses the arm 110 as shown in FIG. By pushing one end, one end of the coiled spring 112 is pushed, and the other end 112a pushes the bent portion 51a of the arm 51 rotatably held on the shaft 52.Then, the shaft 111 coupled on the arm 51 is pressed. rotates in the direction of the platen 1-1, and the second member 30 (separation member) rotatably held at the tip of the shaft 111 comes into contact with the platen 1-2 via the first ribbon IO. It is pressed with a force. Fl is a force larger than the accommodation force (ribbon tension) f of the first ribbon IO.

By this operation, the timing at which the ribbon IO is peeled off from the printing paper on the platen 1-1 can be delayed by 1, and it is possible to handle various types of ribbons, such as multicolored ribbons. Therefore, by controlling the motor 43 as described above in accordance with the color information, it is possible to obtain, for example, a black record or a red record. For example, in the case of using the above-mentioned multicolor ribbon, when the peeling member 30 is applied to delay the peeling, a red record can be obtained when a black record is normally produced.

vi) After the printing is completed, the operation opposite to that described above is performed. That is, when the cam 42 rotates by -(θ3-θ2) due to the rotation of the motor 43, the arm 110 is bent and released from pushing 45a. Then, due to the return force of the coiled spring, the shaft 5
The arm 51 rotates around the shaft 52 in the opposite direction to the platen 1-1 by the spring 57, and returns to the initial state. Furthermore, the cam 42 is moved by the motor 43 to -(
When the thermal head rotates by θ2 - θ1), the thermal head separates from the platen, and the blade arm and head pressure arm rotate by the force of the spring 31 until 45b and 28b come into contact with each other, and the thermal head returns to the standby position (see Fig. 5). B)
).

Further rotation by -61 returns to the initial position (Fig. 6 (A)
).

During this time, the cam 26 also rotates together with the cam 42, but the cam surface in contact with the one end 24a of the arm guide 24 is
) (the height h remains constant even when rotated up to θ'=03)
Since the temperature is maintained at O, the ribbon plate 12 does not move.

3) Correct printing using the second ribbon 16 (for example, correcting erroneous recording using a correction ribbon) Second ribbon 16
For printing, the second ribbon 16 is used in place of the first ribbon 10 in the thermal head 29 as shown in FIG. 10(B).
must be raised to the front of the For this purpose motor 4
3, the cams 42 and 26 are rotated from the cam initial position to θ7 in FIG. 9 in the opposite direction to that during first ribbon printing. Then, since the cam trajectory of the cam 42 remains at the radius ro as shown in FIG. 8(A), the head pressure arm 45, the head arm 28, and the members supported by them do not move. However, the cam surface 26a of the cam 26 rises from hO to b+ as shown in FIG. 9(B). This movement is transmitted to the arm 27 by the arm guide 24, and the ribbon plate 1
2 rotates around the shaft 58, and the second ribbon 16 rises to the front of the thermal head 29.

The subsequent sequence is the same as the first ribbon printing sequence, and the rotation angle of the cam 42 may be changed as follows.

0 → θI <) θ7 → θ6 θ1 → 02) θ6 → θ5 θ2 → θ3 Q θ5 → θ4 At this time, the cam 26 connected to the cam 42 also rotates to θ4, but the height of the cam surface 26a is maintained at b+. Therefore, the ribbon 10 does not move. Therefore, correction printing is performed using the ribbon 16 according to the above sequence.

As described above, in the above embodiment, the rotation of the motor 43 separates the second ribbon I6 mounted on the ribbon plate 12 from the position where it is heated by the thermal head 29 and the retracted position from which it is retracted from the heating position. and the movement between the ink ribbon 10 or the ink ribbon 1 of the thermal head 29.
6 and a retracted position where the retracted position is retracted from the pertinent contact position.

Further, in the above embodiment, in conjunction with the movement of the peeling member 30,
It is also practiced to make the contact force of the thermal head 29 with respect to the ink ribbon 10.16 variable. That is,
When the peeling member 30 comes into contact with the ink ribbon 10, the contact force with which the thermal head 29L contacts the ribbon 10 becomes stronger than in a normal case.

As described above, in this embodiment, multicolor printing or correction printing can be selectively performed.

[Configuration block diagram]

Next, the operation of the output device having the above configuration will be explained.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the configuration of an output device to which the present invention is applied.

The CPU is a central processing unit that performs various controls. KB is a keyboard, RAM is a memory for performing various arithmetic operations, ROM is a memory that stores control programs to be described later, and TRAM is a memory that stores text information to be output such as documents. PT is C at port
The PU connects the aforementioned motor 43. through the port and driver. It controls the rotation of the motor roller that winds up the second ribbon.

Further, the thermal head 29 is driven by the DATA line and/or voltage control. Also, ROM for character fonts
(FROM), communication interface, R3232
C. Communication with the outside world is possible via the Centronics interface. In addition, RV sends data to the CPU as parameters for controlling printing density and erasing, which will be described later, by changing the current, voltage, and time using the density setting volume.
It is given to

[Power on sequence]

A flowchart of the power-on sequence will be explained in FIG. When the power is turned on at S1, the sensor 33 (limit switch) explained in FIG. 5 determines whether it is on or off at S2. Here, "on" refers to a time when the sensor 33 is not detecting the shielding plate 42b. If Yes in S2, cam 42 in S3.
is rotated to the right in FIG. Then, in S4, when the shielding plate 42b is detected by the sensor 33 (OF
F) Proceed to S5.

Further, in S2, when the sensor 33 is OFF and the sensor 33 has detected the shielding plate 42b completely (when the shielding plate 42b is shielding between the light emitting part and the light receiving part of the sensor 33), the process advances to S6. , the cam 42 is rotated to the left in Fig. 5, and when the sensor is turned on (S7), the cam is stopped exactly at the position shown in Fig. 5 (S5).
. Next, at 86, the motor 140 moves the carriage to the left relative to the platen (see FIG. 2). This is because sensor 90 (limit sensor) is OF in S7.
This is to determine the absolute position of the carriage by performing F. Then, the carriage is stopped at that position (S8).

Next, at 89, move the motor 66 shown in FIG.
(to the left) and wind the first ribbon 10 so as to remove the walnut. Next, rotate the motor 66 clockwise,
Wrap the second ribbon 16 around the walnut. This completes the power-on sequence. In order to simplify the explanation, the explanation of the motor as the drive source will be omitted hereinafter.

[Key human power sequence]

Next, the key manual sequence will be explained. When DATA is input from the keyboard at S1, it is determined at S2 whether or not it is a print command. If No, the process advances to S3, and it is determined whether the input data is an erase command. N.

If so, the process proceeds to other functions, but is omitted here. If the input data is an erase command in S3, the process advances to S4, in which it is determined whether or not the attached first ribbon 10 is a collector pull ribbon, and NO
If so, return to Sl. If YES in S4, the process proceeds to S5, and proceeds to an erasing routine to be described later.

Next, in 82, if the input data is messed up by a print command,
Proceeding to S6, it is determined whether the attached ribbon is a ribbon for two-color printing and the command is for basic color (black) printing. Yes
If it is s, set the rotation angle of the cam for two colors and black,
If the answer is NO, the process directly proceeds to the printing routine of S8, which will be described later.

[Print routine (cam control)]

Next, the printing routine will be explained with reference to FIGS. 14-1 and 14-2. In order to make the printing routine easier to explain, cam control will be explained in FIG. 14-1, and overall control will be explained in FIG. 25.

First, at Sl, the carriage is moved to a position further back by an acceleration interval from the beginning of the next printing position. Next 82
The dot image for input characters is converted to character font RO.
Read from M (FROM) and work RAM (RA
M). Next, in step 83, it is determined whether a ribbon capable of printing in two colors is attached and the command is to print the basic color (black). If Yes, proceed to S5 and proceed to the 6th
The position of radius 3 of the cam 42 (shaft 49
Rotate the cam 42 to the left as shown by the arrow in Fig. 6 until the pin 44 reaches (distance between When printing the auxiliary color (ex red) on the ribbon, rotate the cam to the left so that the pin reaches the r2 position of the cam 42 (FIG. 6(C)).

Next, S6. In S7, winding up of the first ribbon 10 is started, and movement of the carriage is started, and in S8, after completion of acceleration of the carriage, low-speed running is performed. In S9, a dot image voltage is applied to the thermal head 29 to perform printing. Next, after the application of a predetermined energy is completed in SIO (SIO), it is determined whether the information just printed was printed in the above basic color (Sll), and if Yes, S1
Proceed to step 2 and overrun by l.

If NO in Sll, the process directly proceeds to S13, where the carriage is decelerated, and in S14, the carriage is stopped, and the winding of the first ribbon IO is completed.

Next, in S15, the cam is rotated clockwise relative to the pin 44 to the position rl (FIG. 6(B)), and the head is returned to the print standby position. Next, at 316, the carriage is returned to a position indicating the next printing position. Then, in S17, turn the timer ONL, S1
9, it is determined whether the next input data has been received before 0.5 seconds have elapsed (S18). If Yes in Sr8, the process advances to Sl to perform the next printing. Also, in S18, N
o5 If the result in S19 is Yes and there is no next input data within 0.5 seconds after printing, the process advances to S20 and the cam 42
is rotated clockwise to the initial position shown in FIG. 6(A), and the printing sequence is completed.

FIG. 14-2 is a time chart of a printing sequence corresponding to each step of the printing sequence shown in FIG. 14-1. In this example, where the horizontal direction is time and the vertical direction is control signals 0 and 1, it is low active.

(Erasing Routine) Next, the erasing routine will be explained. Figure 15-1 shows the
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a control flowchart of an erasing routine. First, at Sl, the carriage is moved to a position that is back by an acceleration interval from the leading position of the printed character to be erased. At S2, the cam 42 is rotated clockwise relative to the pin 44 to a position of radius r2 (FIG. 8(C)). S3. At S4, winding up of the second ribbon (erasing ribbon) 16 is started, and movement of the carriage is also started. The carriage is accelerated in S5 and then travels at a constant speed. Then, perform erasing in S6 (heat all dots on the thermal head 29, and erase in S7).
Move the carriage by one character, execute erasing, and then end the heat. Next, the carriage is decelerated, stopped in S9, and the second ribbon is wound up. Next, in the SIO, the cam 42 is rotated relative to the pin 44.
Rotate counterclockwise to the t position (Fig. 8(B), standby position).

Then, with Sll, the carriage is returned to the position indicating the erased character position. Next, S12. S13. In S14, it is determined whether or not there is next input data within 0.5 seconds after the erasing is completed, and if there is not, the process proceeds to S15 and the cam is rotated counterclockwise to the initial position, that is, the position shown in FIG. 8(A). let me,
End the erase routine. If there is next input data in S13, the process returns to S1.

Note that FIG. 15-2 is a time chart corresponding to each step of the erasing routine shown in FIG. 15-1.

Note that the horizontal axis is time, and the vertical axis is the control signal 0.1, which is lo in this example.
w active.

[Elimination/Other Examples]

Next, an application example of the above-described erasure sequence will be described.

As the second ribbon, which is the erasing ribbon, an erasing ribbon made of a base film such as a polyester film and coated with a heat-sensitive adhesive material on the printing paper side is used.

FIG. 16 shows a graph of the adhesion force between the erasing ribbon and the image to be erased which are pressed and heated by the thermal head 29 onto the image to be erased on the recording paper 2, and the change over time in the temperature of the erasing ribbon at that time. The values in this graph show an example obtained through our experiments and calculations, and may vary depending on the thickness of the base film used, the material of the energy recording ribbon of the thermal head 29, etc., so specific values may vary. However, it is not limited to this.

In FIG. 16, the thermal head heating time 203 (2 m s in FIG. 16) is determined by the thermal head 29.
The erasing ribbon heated by e c ) curve 201
A temperature curve is drawn as shown in FIG.

As a result, the adhesive force between the erasing ribbon and the image to be erased shows a curve 202 (that is, the adhesive force was zero (that is, the ink adheres to the paper) before heating). , adhesiveness occurs due to heating, and as the temperature of the curve 201 decreases as the heating ends, the adhesive strength increases,
The adhesive strength is maximum when the erase ribbon temperature returns to room temperature. Taking FIG. 16 as an example, the time for this is about 6 m5 ec after the end of heating. This value varies depending on the conditions of the apparatus, ribbon used, etc., but is a value determined in advance through experiments, calculations, etc.

Therefore, in order to erase the characters to be erased without leaving any erased characters on the printing paper 2 side, the erasing ribbon is used to remove the image to be erased from the printing paper 204 after the end of heating by the thermal head 29 in FIG. 16. It is necessary to remove it from step 2. However, if the print density of the characters to be erased is low, that is, if the adhesive strength between the paper and the characters to be erased is low,
Erasing is possible even if the time is less than 204 hours.

A flowchart for this purpose is shown in FIG. 17, and the explanation will be based on it.

The difference from the above-mentioned (main patent) erasing routine (FIG. 15-1) is that in step So5, it is checked whether the concentration setting volume Rv is greater than the set value and the timer is set to a time T] or T2. In 22, for example, when the concentration Rv is high, it is assumed to be 'r l , and when it is low, it is assumed to be T2 (TI>72). In S6, the timer is ONL at 87 at the same time as the heat ends, and the timer value is set at SIO after the carriage stop at S9 (in the example in Fig. 16, the highest value is 204, which is 6m5).
ec) Check to see if the time has elapsed, and if it has, then wind up the ribbon for one character.

The behavior of the erasing ribbon and the image to be erased at this time will be explained with reference to FIG.

FIG. 18(a) shows the area between 85 and 86 in FIG. 17.

FIG. 18(b) shows the state shown in FIG. 1789, in which the erasing ribbon 16 has not been wound up yet, so the image to be erased 20
It remains glued to 6. After this, at 810 in FIG. 17, if it is determined that the time set in the timer (for example, TI, T2) has elapsed after the end of the heat, the first
7 In FIG. 85l, the erasing ribbon 16 is moved 1 toward the arrow 207 side.
The image 206 is rolled up by the characters, resulting in the state shown in FIG. 18(c), and the image to be erased 206 is peeled off from the printing paper 2 while remaining adhered to the erasing ribbon 16 side.

That is, the image to be erased 206 is peeled off from the printing paper 2 after the time set on the timer has elapsed after the erasing ribbon 16 is heated and the adhesive force with the image to be erased 206 reaches its maximum. be exposed. Note that the time until peeling is T+ or T
2 is not particularly required to be longer than time 204 in FIG. 16, and may be shorter than time 204 as long as the adhesive force is stronger than the adhesive force between the image to be erased 206 and the printing paper 2 at the time of peeling. Of course, the process after 812 in FIG. 17 is exactly the same as the flowchart S10 and subsequent steps shown in FIG. 15-1.

Next, still another embodiment in which erasing is performed reliably will be described.

That is, here, a case will be described where the running speed is slower than the normal printing speed in order to ensure erasing. Figure 19 shows the 5th part of the clearing routine shown in Figure 15-1.
This is a case where l-S5 is changed, and will be explained below based on FIG. 19. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of the operation in which the speed is changed to facilitate erasing. 207 is a heating element provided in the thermal head 29, and L is a distance from the end surface of the thermal head 29 to the end of the heating element 207. (2) is the running speed of the carriage, that is, the running speed of the thermal head 29. As is clear from FIG. 20, the erasing ribbon 16
The peeling off of the image to be erased 206 from the printing paper 1-2 is carried out after the erasing ribbon 16 is heated by the heating element 207 and passes a distance at a speed V.

That is, if the distance of the erasing ribbon 16 is L (mm) and the speed is V (mm/5ee), then after heating is completed (L/V)
Peeling starts at X 1000 (msec) =T. Thermal head 9. A characteristic value Lo (constant value) is determined. Therefore, this T(m
sec) is larger than the time 204 (Fig. 16), then (Lo/V=To>204
) Since the erasing ribbon 205 is peeled off after it has cooled down sufficiently, good erasing can be achieved as explained in FIG. 16.

Now, considering the recording (printing) side, in recent years, the recording speed has tended to be faster than the market requirements, and the traveling speed V' of the carriage 3 has also tended to increase accordingly.

The carriage speed of current general thermal transfer printers is approximately 50 mm/sec~l 50
m m /sec.

In order to stably secure the time 204 in Figure 16 at this speed (for example, the time 204 must be 10 m s
If e c, L = 0, 5 mm or more), the distance becomes thick (and conversely, the temperature of the printing ribbon during recording drops too much, making it impossible to obtain good printing quality).

Therefore, in order to improve erasing performance without adversely affecting print quality, the traveling speed of the carriage 3 during erasing must be set to the above-mentioned value V, and the value of V needs to be slower than the carriage traveling speed during printing. (v<v”).

Although this slows down the erasing processing speed during erasing, it can be ignored because it is used less frequently than in printing. As explained above, by making the carriage traveling speed variable,
By controlling the above-mentioned appropriate erasing time during erasing by the running speed, erasing can be carried out extremely efficiently and reliably.

Note that the time until peeling does not need to be longer than time 204 in FIG. 16, and may be shorter than time 204 as long as the adhesive force is stronger than the adhesive force between the image to be erased 206 and the printing paper 1-2 at the time of peeling. Of course it's a good thing.

In So, 5 of Fig. 19, if the value of the concentration volume is larger than a certain set value, the constant running speed of S4 is set to the first speed, and if it is higher than that, the second speed is set (the first
speed (second speed). The following continues with FIG. 15-1 86. Thereby, erasing can be performed reliably according to the density.

Also, by setting the head heat voltage value in memory (work RAM RAM) at 81.2 or Sl, 4 in Fig. 19, the heat drive voltage (energy) can be controlled according to the concentration, ensuring erasing. It can be carried out.

Next, another embodiment for ensuring erasing will be described.

In other words, here we use the erase ribbon 1 to ensure erasing.
6 from the recording paper 1-2 using the above-mentioned peeling member 30.

A flowchart for this purpose is shown in FIG. 21, and the explanation will be based on it.

31.5, if the concentration volume is above the set value, the cam 42 is rotated to the r3 position, and if it is lower than that, the cam 42 is rotated to the r2 position.
Rotate to position.

In S2, the second step is to rotate the cam to the r3 position.
The second member 30 is also used during the erasing operation (FIG. 8(D)), and furthermore, in S8, the second member 30
By overrunning the carriage by a distance l from 1 to 3, it is possible to ensure that the erasing ribbon is peeled off from the printing paper 1-2 to the left of the second member 30. Thereby, erasing can be performed reliably according to the density.

The rest is the same as the erasing routine shown in Figure 15-1,
The steps after Sll are the same as Sll in FIG. 15-1.

The state of erasing near the thermal head 29 at that time is shown in the second section.
This will be explained using Figure 2.

In FIG. 22, 16 is an erasing ribbon, 206 is an image to be erased, 207 is a heating element provided on the thermal head 29, and V
υ indicates the carriage speed, that is, the speed of the thermal head 29 in the direction of the arrow.

After the erasing ribbon 16 is heated by the heating element 207 of the thermal head 29, the erasing ribbon 16 can peel off the image to be erased 206 from the print paper 1-2 with a delay of l.

Therefore, after being heated as described in FIG.
6 and the image to be erased 206 until the time 204 at which the adhesive force reaches its maximum elapses before peeling, the carriage speed does not become Vυ, and this can be carried out very easily, and good erasing quality can be obtained.

Note that the time until peeling does not need to be longer than time 204 in FIG.
If the adhesive strength is stronger than that of printing paper 1-2, the time is 20.
Of course, it may be shorter than 4.

Note that any one of the above-mentioned peeling conditions (time, speed, lever) or a combination thereof may be set to an appropriate condition.

[Printing example]

Next, actual printing will be explained in more detail.

FIG. 23 shows the actual recording on the recording paper and the movement of the center position of the heating element of the head. A is the width for one character (head movement distance), B is the overrun amount after printing when the auxiliary color (red) is printed with a ribbon for two-color printing, and l is the ribbon for two-color printing. This is the amount of overrun after printing when the basic color (black) is printed.

Figure 24 is based on text information (including spaces, etc.) from the text RAM, and the text includes, for example, codes and
Stores dot information. As is clear from the figure, (1) in Figure 24 is an example of recording in which one line is recorded. As is clear from the figure, HIJKL-IM can be freely changed from black to red to red to black to black to - to red within one line. This shows how the color has changed.

Figures 24 (2) and (3) are diagrams showing the movement of the head corresponding to one line of printing in Figure 24 (1).
), the data is sequentially read from the memory, and the head moves in the opposite direction only when the color changes from black to red. Figure 24 (3) is 1
It shows movement for each character. In other words, the overrun amount l or B is returned for each character. Actually, since an acceleration region is required, it is necessary to return to a larger amount than that, but this is omitted to simplify the explanation. In addition, the last B in Figure 24 (2) and (3)
The only thing that is returned is for the next printing.

[Printing Routine (Overall Sequence)] Next, the printing routine will be explained with a focus on the movement of the head (equivalent to a carriage or carrier).

First, in Sl, it is confirmed that there is no space command, and the process proceeds to S2. If the character string shown in (1) in FIG. 23 is to be recorded, there is an H (black) print command, so the process proceeds to 83. Since the printing color is black, the motor is driven in step 84 to lower the thermal head 29 and peeling roller. S5
In step S6, the carrier drive motor 140 is rotated forward to move the carrier in the printing direction, and in step S6, the heating element is energized to perform printing, and the area corresponding to one character, that is, the specified ffi [
A] is moved (S7), and the heating element is no longer energized (
S8) Do it. Note that this regulation fi [A] may be variable depending on the character.

Next, at 89, the next letterwork (red) (Fig. 24 (I)
) because there is a print command, the process advances to SIO, and since it is a print command, the process advances to 328. Here, since the immediately preceding is not a space (the immediately preceding is H), the process proceeds to S32, and since H is printed in black, it is 333, and the next printing color is red, so it is 334. In S35, the carrier drive motor is rotated forward to move the current print H (black) until it is completely peeled off by the peeling roller. Here, the carrier is stopped (S36) and the thermal head and peeling roller are raised (S37). Then, the carrier drive motor is reversed and moved to the printing start position of the next character. That is, the carrier is moved by a prescribed amount [f] (338), and then the carrier is stopped (S39). Then, the thermal head is lowered (S15) and printing of I (red) is started. Then, in the same way as the above H (black) printing, S5→S6→
Proceed as S7...→S8→S9, and next print command J (red)
Then, 5IO-4S28, and immediately before, I is printed, so go to S32, I (red) is printed in red, so go to 340, and the next print color is J (red), so go to 85, and as before, S
5→S6→S7~S8→S9→S10→S28→S32
→Proceed to S40, and since the next printing color is K (black), lower the peeling roller at 341, return to S5, and print again.
Same as last time S5 → S6 → S7 ~ S8 → S9 → SIO → S2
Proceeds from 8 to S32, and the current print color is K (black), so it is 333.
The next printing color is L (black), so return to S5 and print again, and as before, S5 → S6 → S7 ~ S8 → S9 → S
Proceed to IO, next is a space command, so proceed to Sll, -
The carrier is moved by characters (S12). Then, return to S9 and proceed to SIO, and the next print will be M (red), so S28
Proceed until.

Here, there is a space just before it, so 829. The print before the space is black (L), so the process goes to S30. The next print color is red (M), so go to 331, raise the peeling roller, go back to S5, print again, and go to S5 as before. →S
6 → S7 to S8 → S9, and if there is no next command, S
The process proceeds from 9 to S16, and further in S17, since the current printing color is red (M), the process proceeds to S24, in which the carrier is moved by the red overrun amount, that is, the specified amount [B], and peeling is performed, and in S25, the carrier is removed. Stop the drive motor. Then, in S26, the thermal head is raised, and in S27, the carrier drive motor is reversed to move the carrier by a prescribed amount [B], and the carrier is stopped at the next printing position (S22). and,
The process advances to S23, and since one line has been completed, the process goes to END.

It goes without saying that the term "multicolor" in the present invention includes a case where a plurality of the same colors are used.

〔effect〕

As described in detail above, the present invention enables the erasing operation of recorded characters to be performed even if the device has a thermal head.
It is now possible to do this reliably.

In addition, the device heats an ink sheet to perform printing, and has the advantage of being able to selectively use an ink sheet that can selectively print in multiple colors at the same position and a collector ink sheet. be.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for printing by heating an ink sheet, and in order to ensure the erasing operation, the peeling conditions between the recording medium and the ink sheet are set such that, for example, the conditions for peeling off the ink sheet after printing are set. When controlling by time such as timing, for example, the slack of the sheet is controlled by winding up the sheet by a motor, the recording speed is controlled by the movement of the head of the heating section, or the sagging of the sheet is controlled by the movement of the head of the heating section, or by controlling the peeling lever. This can be done by controlling movement.

Furthermore, by combining these, it has become possible to provide an apparatus that can be set to optimal conditions.

Further, according to the present invention, in an apparatus that heats an ink sheet to print, the head for printing characters is also used to erase characters, and furthermore, the head for printing characters is used to erase all dots in the area of the characters to be erased. By heating the paper sheet, erasing can be performed reliably.

Further, according to the present invention, in an apparatus that performs printing by heating an ink sheet, multicolor recording can be switched multiple times within one line.

Further, according to the present invention, when recording is performed using an ink sheet for multicolor recording, recording can be performed efficiently by performing the operation necessary for switching colors in conjunction with the recording operation, such as a space operation. It can be carried out.

Further, according to the present invention, in an apparatus that performs printing by heating an ink sheet, the amount of relative movement between the sheet and the heating position can be made variable within one line depending on the color to be recorded.

Further, in the device according to the present invention capable of printing in multiple colors by heating an ink sheet, the color can be switched from the first color to the second color or from the second color to the first color according to each color. Therefore, the peeling of the ink sheet after recording with the first color and the recording operation with the next color can be controlled, and multicolor recording can be performed efficiently.

Further, according to the present invention, in an apparatus that heats an ink sheet to perform printing, the pressing force of the head on the ink sheet can be
By making it variable according to color information when performing multicolor printing, appropriate printing can be performed.

Further, by varying the pressing force of the head for erasing and the pressing force of the head for printing via a collector sheet, proper erasing can be performed.

In addition, depending on recording conditions such as print density, head position control during erasing, carriage movement speed control, erasing sheet winding timing control, peeling lever control, or erasing By variably controlling the energy of , or a combination thereof, it has become possible to perform erasing extremely efficiently and reliably.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, chromaticity can be changed without stopping the carriage movement when a return, space, or skip occurs in response to a color conversion command.

Further, according to the present invention, in an apparatus that performs printing by heating an ink sheet, a member for peeling off the ink sheet is provided between the supply side and the receiving side of the ink sheet, and a space (space) is provided.
This has the effect that it can be used effectively.

Further, according to the present invention, in an apparatus that performs printing by heating an ink sheet, it is possible to selectively use a collector ink sheet and an ink sheet for multicolor printing, and in the ink sheet for multicolor printing, the basic The peeling lever used when printing colors can now also be used to erase characters printed with the collector's ink sheet.

Further, according to the present invention, in an apparatus that performs printing by heating an ink sheet, an ink sheet of a collector or an ink sheet capable of selectively printing in multiple colors at the same position, and an ink sheet of the collector through the ink sheet of the collector It has become possible to provide a device that can be equipped with an erasing sheet for erasing printed characters.

Further, according to the present invention, a printing operation using an ink sheet of the collector pull or a printing operation using an ink sheet for multicolor printing, and a method for erasing characters printed via the ink sheet of the collector pull are provided. It has become possible to provide an apparatus that can drive an erasing operation using an erasing ribbon using one control member.

Furthermore, in the device for printing by heating an ink sheet according to the present invention, a member for peeling off the ink sheet can be provided on the device main body side, and even if the device can be replaced in various ways, the structure of the ink sheet side can be changed. It was possible to make it simple.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is an external view of an output device to which the present invention is applied, and Figures 2-
Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the carriage, Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the cam,
Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the movement of the cam during recording, Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the drive mechanism of the peeling member 30, Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the movement of the cam during erasing, and Fig. 9 is an illustration of the bed and platen. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the platen, carriage, and ribbon. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the configuration of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the power-on sequence. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the key manual operation. Figures 14-1 and 14-2 are illustrations of the printing routine, Figures 15-1 and 15-2 are illustrations of the erasing routine, and Figure 16 is an illustration of the erasing ribbon and the erased object. Figures 17, 19, and 21 are control flowcharts for ensuring reliable erasing; Figures 18, 20, and 22 are diagrams showing the adhesion of the image and changes in erasing ribbon temperature over time. 23 is a diagram showing the state of peeling by the erasing ribbon 16, and FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the relationship between the recorded image and the amount of head movement.
Figures 24 (1), (2), and (3) are diagrams showing the recorded image of one line and the movement of the head in relation to each character or before and after that, and Figure 25 is the same as Figure 24 (2). Show, 1
A flowchart that controls the recording of a sequence of characters in a line.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A recording device that records on a recording medium using an ink sheet containing ink, comprising: heating means for heating the sheet; and an erasing sheet for peeling recorded information from the recording medium. , The heating means is used for both the recording operation using the ink sheet and the erasing operation using the erasing sheet, and in the erasing operation, the heating means is used for all dots in the area occupied by the information to be erased. Heat is applied through the above erasing sheet.
A recording device comprising a control means for controlling the heating means.