KR0160625B1 - Thermal transfer head and thermal transfer printer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a thermal transfer head and a thermal transfer printer apparatus. The present invention incorporates a thermal transfer head having a heating element arranged in a zigzag shape on at least two (M) heating element lines and at least two lines therein, and the data for a line corresponding to a predetermined interval spaced from the line memory. By controlling the delay to control the heating element of the heating element line of the heating element line of the heat transfer head to be configured to generate the heating element of the heating element of the plurality of heating element lines to reduce the effect between adjacent dots can be printed in high quality.

Description

Thermal head and thermal printer

1 is a view for explaining the surface of the heating element of the conventional thermal transfer head.

2 is a block diagram of a thermal transfer printer apparatus incorporating the thermal transfer head shown in FIG.

3 is a view for explaining the heating element surface of the thermal transfer head according to the present invention.

4 is a view for explaining the heating element surface of another thermal transfer head according to the present invention.

5 is an enlarged view of a portion of the thermal head shown in FIG.

6 is a block diagram according to an embodiment of the thermal transfer printer apparatus according to the present invention.

7 to 12 are diagrams for explaining the order of printing by the thermal transfer head shown in FIG.

13 is a block diagram according to another embodiment of the thermal transfer printer apparatus according to the present invention.

14 is a side view for explaining a drum method using a conventional thermal transfer head.

15A and 15C are side views for explaining the drum method using the thermal transfer head according to the present invention.

16 is a side view for explaining an example of a capstan method using a conventional thermal transfer head.

17 is a side view for explaining a capstan method using a thermal transfer head according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

100: frame memory 101,102: first and second address counter

103,104: first and second line memory 105,106: first and second control switch

107: toggle signal generator 108,109: first and second intermediate tone control unit

110: thermal transfer head

The present invention relates to a thermal transfer head in which a plurality of heating elements are arranged in a zigzag pattern with a plurality of heating element lines, and a thermal transfer printer apparatus expressing an energization factor by the thermal transfer head.

In general, an apparatus for expressing the energization factor using a thermal transfer head (hereinafter referred to as TPH) includes a thermal transfer printer, a color copying machine, and a fax (faxil). A printer is a device that applies desired energy to TPH and prints a desired image or picture based on the amount of dye transferred onto the recording paper by subliming the dye of the film coated with the dye with the energy generated by the TPH.

The heating element surfaces of the TPH composed of conventional N heating elements are arranged in a line as shown in FIG. An enlarged projection for a portion of the thermal transfer head having such an arrangement is disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,990.930.

2 is a block diagram of a thermal transfer printer device incorporating the TPH shown in FIG.

The A / D converter 10 inputs an image signal transmitted from a signal input source (not shown) such as a video camera or a television as a red (R), green (G), or blue (B) signal to form a digital signal. Convert to

In the first selector 20, a digital graphic image transmitted from a signal output from the A / D converter 10 or from a digital signal input source such as a personal computer or a graphic computer through a protocol such as GP-IB, SCSI, CENTRONICS, or the like. Select the data.

Under the control of the memory controller 40 which controls the writing and reading timing of data, the selection signal of the first selection unit 20 is stored in the frame memory 30 for image data corresponding to a frame or a field.

The second selector 50 configured as a multiplexer sequentially switches one signal for the R, G, and B data stored in the frame memory 30 so that the color converter 60 has a complementary Y ( Yellow) signal is converted into a M (Magenta) signal having a complementary color relation to the G signal, and a C (Cyan) signal having a complementary color relation to the R signal.

Inverted signals of the original video signal outputted from the line memory 70 through the color converter 60 are stored on a line basis, and data read out from the line memory 70 on a line basis in advance is stored in the intermediate control unit 80. After the gray level comparison with the set gray level value, a pulse width modulation signal PWM corresponding to the heating time is generated for each of the compared gray levels, and the color printing is performed by driving the TPH 90 during this heating time width. That is, color printing can be performed by performing Y, M, and C three colors in surface order when color printing is performed.

Here, the A / D converter to the memory controller 10-40 correspond to the image signal processing circuit 1, and the second selector to the TPH 50-100 correspond to the print control circuit 2. An image display circuit for processing the output of the signal processing circuit 1 to be displayed on a display device such as a monitor may be further added.

Therefore, when using TPHs in which heat generating elements are arranged adjacent to each other, the amount of heat generated varies depending on the presence or absence of data or the large and small data values, which affects the heating elements located on the left and right sides (influence between adjacent dots). There was a problem that the heat generated does not adversely affect the image quality.

Here, the internal structure of the TPH 90 is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 62-21469 and 63-4949.

An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer head having a plurality of heat generating heads having a plurality of heat generating lines.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer printer apparatus for printing a plurality of heating elements in a high quality by embedding a thermal transfer head having two or more plurality of heating element lines.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer printer apparatus using a thermal transfer head having a plurality of heating contacts on a drum surface in a thermal transfer printer apparatus using a drum method.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer printer apparatus having a capstan shaft corresponding to a plurality of heating contacts in order to have a plurality of heating contacts in a thermal transfer printer apparatus using a capstan method.

In order to achieve the above object, the thermal transfer head according to the present invention comprises a plurality of (N) heating elements composed of a plurality of (M) heating element lines of at least two lines so that each heating element line is configured to have N / M heating elements , The first line has M-fold heating elements arranged from the first heating element, the second line has M-fold heating elements arranged from the second heating element, and the M-line is zigzag shape with M-fold heating elements arranged from the M th heating element. The heating element lines are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval.

In the thermal transfer printer apparatus according to the present invention, in the thermal transfer printer apparatus for expressing the energization factor by the thermal transfer head after comparing the gradation value preset in line units with the image data:

The plurality of heating elements (N) are formed of at least two lines of heating elements (M) of at least two lines, and each heating line is configured to have N / M heating elements, the first line of which is an M multiple of heating elements arranged from the first heating element. In the first line, M multiple heat generators are arranged from the second heating element, and in the M line, the M multiple heat generating elements are arranged in a zigzag pattern from the Mth heating element, and the heat transfer heads are spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals. ;

At least one line memory for storing the image data in line units; And

Heat generation for controlling the heating elements of the heating element line of the thermal transfer head to start heating by delaying the data of the line corresponding to the spaced predetermined intervals from the output of the line memory. And control means.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described a preferred embodiment of the thermal transfer head and thermal transfer printer apparatus according to the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the heating element surface of the thermal transfer head according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, if the number of conventional heating elements is composed of N, the present invention does not change the number of N heating elements, and as shown in FIG. 3, N / 2 heating elements are arranged in two lines, that is, the radix-numbered heating elements. May be arranged in the first heating element line, and the even-numbered heating element may be arranged in the second heating element line and arranged in a zigzag form.

As shown in FIG. 4, the N / 3 heating elements can be configured in a zigzag array with three lines, and the heating element lines can be further extended according to the designer's intention.

If the heating element surface shown in FIG. 3 is further enlarged, it can be seen that the adjacent heating elements having different heating element lines are spaced at predetermined intervals as shown in FIG.

The distance from the center of the heating element of one line to the center of the heating element of the next line is called the distance between the heating elements, and the distance between the heating elements can set a predetermined line spacing by the manufacturer's desired distance.

For example, TPH with 300 dpi (dots per inch) resolution can produce 11.8 dots per 1m / m when the heating element line spacing is 2m / m, so 23.6 dots can be expressed at 2m / m. This occurs.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when using TPH having 2 heating element lines, the heating element of the second heating element line is heated with about 24 lines of data transmission interval when the heating element of the first heating element line starts to generate heat. This can solve the problem of spacing.

6 to 13 will be described with reference to the embodiment of the thermal transfer printer device incorporating the thermal transfer head according to the present invention.

The thermal transfer printer apparatus of the present invention includes a frame memory 100 for storing image signals in units of frames, and first and second address counters for controlling data reading of the frame memory 100 in correspondence with line spacing between heating element lines. 101, 102, first and second line memories 103 and 104 for storing the output of the frame memory 100, and first first and second switches for outputting the first and second line memories 103 and 104, respectively. And control signals for enabling / disabling the second control switches 105 and 106, the first and second address counters 101 and 102, and the first and second control switches 105 and 106. Data comparing the output of the toggle signal generator 107 for generating a control signal to be turned off and the outputs of the line memories 103 and 104 output through the first and second control switches 105 and 106 with a preset gray scale value; First and second halftone control outputting a strobe signal for controlling heat generation time according to the compared grayscale value First and second shift registers 111 and 112, and first and second shift registers 111 and 112 for shift storing the outputs of the 108 and 109, and the outputs of the first and second halftone control units 108 and 109, respectively. And the radiant heat generator 115 and the radiant heat generator 115 for generating the output of the first and second latch registers 113 and 114 and the first and second latch registers 113 and 114 respectively. TPH 110. Although not shown in the drawing, an image processing circuit 1 and an image display circuit shown in FIG. 2 may be further added, and the first and second address counters 101 and 102 and the first and second control switches 105 may be added. 106, the toggle signal generator 107 may be referred to as a memory controller.

The operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 6 will be described.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, a TPH composed of two heating line lines is used, and assuming that the interval difference between the radix heating line and the excellent heating line is 6 dots.

The frame memory 100 stores digital R, G, and B signals flowing from a signal input source (not shown) in units of frames.

The output of the frame memory 100 is stored in the first and second line memories 103 and 104 according to addresses generated by the first and second address counters 101 and 102 in lines or 1/2 lines.

First, when printing the first line, the first line memory 103 stores only one line of the first line or only the odd-numbered data of the first line (for 1/2 line), and this line memory has one It can be designed to use a line memory of or to use a plurality of line memories in correspondence to the number of heating element lines.

When printing is performed, the second address counter 102 is disabled for a predetermined time. If the interval between the radix heating element and the even heating element is 2 mm, and printing is performed at 300 dpi, the second address counter 102 is disabled until the number of 24 is counted.

In the present embodiment, six dots are defined for convenience, so that the second address counter 102 is disabled until the number of six is counted.

The first address counter 101 generates an address for the first line data and inputs it to the read address of the frame memory 100.

Here, the first address counter 101 may generate only an address of one line of the first line or an address of the odd-numbered data of the first line.

At this time, the toggle signal generator 107 generates a control signal for turning on the first control switch 105 for enabling the first address counter 101.

The gray level data of the output of the first line memory 103 is transmitted to the first shift register 111 through the first halftone control unit 108.

Here, the technology for the intermediate tank control unit is disclosed in Korean Application No. 92-15487 and Japanese Patent No. 63-4949 filed by the same applicant.

Data stored in the first shift register 111 is temporarily stored in the first register register 113 by a latch signal, and data stored in the first latch register 113 is output from the first intermediate tone control unit 108. During the strobe signal period, the radix heater 0 is generated. The first shift register 111 and the first latch register 113 may store only the odd pixel for one line or one line.

As a result of printing the first line, as shown in FIG. 7, only the dot corresponding to the odd number of the data of the first line of the heating element 115 of the TPH 110 is generated.

8 shows that as a result of printing the second line, the second line also generates only the odd dot. When six lines of data are generated in this way, a printing result as shown in FIG. 9 is obtained.

At the time of printing the seventh line, the second address counter 102 operates to transmit the read address of the data corresponding to the first line to the frame memory 100, and the corresponding data is transferred to the second line memory 104. Is written.

The toggle signal generator 107 generates an enable signal for enabling the second addresser 102 and a control signal for turning on the second control switch 106.

In this case, the second address counter 102 may generate only an address of one line of the first line or an address of even-numbered data of the first line. In addition, the first address counter 101 transmits the read address corresponding to the seventh line to the frame memory 100, and the corresponding data is written to the first line memory 103.

The first and second control switches 105 and 106 are both turned on to transmit the outputs of the first and second line memories 103 and 104 to the first and second mid-tone controllers 108 and 109.

The seventh line of data is transmitted to the first shift register 111, and the first line of data is transmitted to the second shift register 112. As a result, at the time of printing the seventh line, data of the seventh line is shift-stored in the first shift register 111 and data of the first line is shift-stored in the second shift register 112.

The first latch register 113 and the second latch register 114 latch the data stored in the first and second shift registers 111 and 112 to generate the first and second intermediate tone control units 108 and 109. Both of the heating element lines generate heat during the strobe signal period. The printing result at this time is as shown in FIG.

Next, when the radix data of the 8th line and the radix data of the 2nd line generate heat and repeat in the same way as above, as shown in FIG. 11, the heat generation for the radix data of the last line for one screen is finished. It can be seen that the heat generation for the excellent data is not generated for 6 lines than the heat generation for the odd data.

At this time, the first address counter 101 does not operate according to a control signal for disabling the first address counter 101 generated by the toggle signal generator 107 and a control signal for turning off the first control switch 106. Only the two address counters 102 operate to print the last 6 lines of good data of one screen.

That is, data corresponding to the address generated by the second address counter 102 is read from the frame memory 100 and written to the second line memory 104. Since the second control switch 106 is turned on, the even data for the remaining six lines are transmitted to the second shift register 112 through the second halftone control unit 109 in units of one line, and the second latch register 114 is provided. Latches this to generate the excellent heat generating element (E).

In this way, printing of data for all lines is completed as shown in FIG.

13 is a view for explaining another embodiment of the thermal transfer printer apparatus incorporating the thermal transfer head according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 13, the odd-numbered data read out by the first address counter 201 from the frame memory 200 to use one line memory 204 is transferred to the line memory 204 through the multiplexer 203. Even-numbered data stored at the odd-numbered address and read by the second address counter 202 are stored at the even-numbered address of the line memory 204 through the multiplexer 203. Unlike the sixth half of the intermediate tone control unit 206, the gray level comparison data using only one is stored in the first and second shift registers 211 and 212.

Even if the shift register and the latch register have a capacity of one line, the heating element 215 is composed of two heating element lines, so that the gray-scale compared data generates only the portion in which the heating element is formed and is printed in the same manner as in FIG.

FIG. 14 is a side view showing the contact between the heating element of the TPH and the curved surface of the drum in the thermal transfer printer apparatus using the conventional drum method.

In the case of using a TPH in which a conventional heating element is composed of one row, the heating element has one heating contact on the drum.

The conventional drum technique is disclosed in US Patent No. 4,990,930.

15A is a side view for explaining a drum method in the thermal transfer printer apparatus using TPH according to the present invention.

In the case of expressing by TPH having two heating element lines as shown in FIG. 15A, two lines of data are printed on the drum in six line intervals as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. Heating elements, the gap between the TPH heating element line and the heating element line Give it L and between the two heating line It is inclined by t and has two heating contacts in the inclined section.

L and t is a value determined by the radius of curvature of the drum, but L and The radius of curvature of the drum may be determined by t.

Shown in Figure 15b L and The equation for t can be obtained by the following equations (1) and (2).

The angles θ and Φ are the same as angles, and Φ and φ ° are also the same as angles.

X + Φ ° = 90 °,

X + Φ ° = 90 °.

Therefore, θ and Φ ° are equal to each other because θ ° = Φ °.

FIG. 15C shows a case where the TPH has three heat generating lines and three heat generating contacts on the drum. By the above formulas (1) and (2) L11, With L12 t1, t2 can be known.

On the other hand, the thermal transfer printer apparatus using the conventional capstan method uses one capstan shaft since one heating contact is generated as shown in FIG. The capstan shaft is used to support the heating contact so that the TPH heating contact normally generates heat on the recording sheet.

A conventional capstan type thermal transfer printer apparatus is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,148,216.

Figure 16 shows the capstan method of the thermal transfer printer apparatus using the TPH according to the present invention.

In the case of using the TPH shown in FIG. 3, the capstan shaft may be printed by the number corresponding to the heating element line (here two). Position of capstan shaft spacing of TPH heating element line It should be arranged considering L1.

When the present invention is applied to the drum type and the capstan type, the difference between the heating element lines in the capstan type is as in the drum type. There is no need to incline t and the spacing of the heating element lines in the capstan method L1 is drum type Is larger than L.

Therefore, the thermal transfer printer apparatus according to the present invention can be applied regardless of any printing method, and can minimize or zero the influence between adjacent dots.

As described above, the thermal transfer head and the thermal transfer printer apparatus according to the present invention have a plurality of constituent lines of the heating element, thereby increasing the spacing of each heating element, thereby reducing the influence between adjacent dots, and thus printing the image with high quality.

Claims (6)

A thermal transfer printer apparatus for expressing an energization factor by a thermal transfer head after comparing a gray level value preset in line units with a gray level value: A plurality of heating elements (N) as a plurality of heating element lines (M) of at least two lines. Each heating element line is configured to have N / M heating elements, the first line is arranged M heating elements from the first heating element, the second line is M heating elements arranged from the second heating element, M The line is a heat transfer head is arranged in a zigzag pattern, the heating elements of the M multiple times from the M-th heating element, each heating element line is spaced at a predetermined interval; A frame memory for storing the image signal in frame units; A plurality of line memories corresponding to the number of heating element lines for storing the output of the frame memory in line units; Memory control means for reading data from the frame memory at a line interval corresponding to the predetermined interval and outputting the data to a corresponding line memory; And an intermediate tone control unit configured to compare the output of the line memory with a preset gray level value, and output a plurality of strobe signals corresponding to a plurality of heating element lines controlling the heating time for each gray level, together with the gray level comparison data, to the thermal transfer head. Thermal transfer printer device characterized in that it comprises a. The heat transfer head of claim 1, wherein the thermal transfer head comprises: a heating element arranged in a zigzag shape on the plurality of heating element lines of at least two lines; A plurality of shift registers corresponding to the number of heating element lines for storing the output of the intermediate control unit; And a plurality of latch registers which latch the outputs of the plurality of shift registers and supply the latched outputs to the corresponding heating elements during the strobe signal period output from the halftone control unit. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory control means comprises: a plurality of address counters for generating an address so as to read data at a line interval corresponding to the predetermined interval from the frame memory and outputting the address to the plurality of line memories; A plurality of control switches for respectively switching outputs of said plurality of line memories; And a toggle signal generator for generating a signal for enabling / disabling the plurality of address counters and the plurality of control switches. A thermal transfer printer apparatus using a drum method; A drum clamping recording paper; And a thermal transfer head configured to have a plurality of heating contacts on the drum. 5. The thermal transfer printer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the thermal transfer head is formed to be inclined at a value obtained according to the distance between the heat generating contacts and the radius of curvature in multiple stages so that the thermal transfer head can be connected in plural places on the drum. A thermal transfer printer apparatus using a capstan method; A thermal transfer head having a plurality of heating contacts; And a plurality of capstan shafts supporting the plurality of heat generating contacts of the thermal transfer head to be in close contact with recording paper.