KR0165250B1 - Cleaning method for heat transfer head - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of simply cleaning a thermal transfer head in a printing apparatus employing a thermal recording method.

Cleaning method according to the present invention comprises the steps of separating the film cartridge; And a cleaning process of cleaning the passionate head by performing a normal feeding and printing operation and contacting the paper feeding and thermal transfer head.

The cleaning method according to the present invention has the advantage of increasing the convenience of use by enabling the cleaning without separating the thermal transfer head from the device.

Description

How to Clean the Thermal Transfer Head (TPH)

1 is a layout view when the video printer waits for printing.

2 is a layout view at the time of printing of a video printer.

3 is a layout view for performing a cleaning method according to the present invention.

4 is a flowchart showing a cleaning method according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

11: cartridge for printing paper 12: printing paper

13: TPH 14: cartridge for film

15 film 16: drum

17: cleaning paper

The present invention relates to a method of cleaning a thermal print head, and more particularly, to a method of realizing cleaning without the inconvenience of detaching and removing a thermal transfer head mounted on a device.

The thermal transfer head (hereinafter referred to as TPH) refers to an electronic component having a heat generating resistor for forming characters, images, and the like on paper (thermal recording paper) coated with a chemical material developed by the invention. The thermal recording method for printing by using TPH has the advantages of noiseless, odorless, simplicity of handling, and is widely used in measurement recorders, electronic typewriters, fax machines, video printers, and the like.

The present invention can be applied to devices using TPH as the same principle, but will be described with an example applied to a video printer for convenience of description.

A video printer is a device that inputs a video signal from an image processing device and prints images such as text and graphics. The input image signal is stored in the frame memory and divided and printed in line units. Usually TPH has a size corresponding to the line size.

The heat generating element of the TPH generates heat by the color, shade, etc. of the data to be recorded, transfers heat to the film traveling adjacent thereto, and by this heat, the dye deposited on the film is volatilized and attached to the printing paper wound on the rotating drum. The data to be recorded will be printed.

In the printing operation, when foreign matter adheres to the surface of the TPH, thermal transfer is not efficiently achieved, so that a clear recording state cannot be realized or staining occurs.

The conventional TPH cleaning method was to use a cleaning rod or cleaning paper. That is, the TPH is separated from the device, and the foreign matter adhering to the surface is washed with a cleaning rod or a cleaning paper dipped in a cleaning solvent.

TPH is equipped with a semiconductor heating element, which may be damaged by shock or vibration. Therefore, great care must be taken in cleaning. Furthermore, since the head has to be removed from the device, washed, and then remounted, it is inconvenient to use for a general user who is not familiar with the structure of the device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple TPH cleaning method in a device using a thermal recording method, which has been created to overcome the above problems.

A cleaning method of the present invention for achieving the above object is a method for cleaning a thermal transfer head of a device employing a thermal recording method, the method comprising: separating a film cartridge; And a cleaning process of performing a normal feeding and printing operation to clean the thermal transfer head by a contact action between the feeding and the thermal transfer head. Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a layout view when the video printer waits for printing. The thermal recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a print paper cartridge 11, a TPH 13, a film cartridge 14, and a drum 16. The printing paper 12 is attached to the printing paper cartridge 11, and the film 15 is wound around the film cartridge 14.

2 is a layout view at the time of printing of a video printer. In the printing operation, the printing paper 12 mounted on the printing paper cartridge 11 is wound on the drum 16, and the drum 16 rotates in synchronization with the start time of the printing operation.

The heat generating element (not shown) of the TPH 13 transfers heat to the film 15 which is heated by the color, light and shade of the data to be recorded and runs adjacent thereto, and the dye deposited on the film 15 is volatilized by the heat. And attached to the printing container wound on the rotating drum 16, the data to be recorded is printed.

3 is a view showing a layout view during printing according to the cleaning method of the present invention. The cleaning method according to the invention is characterized in that the TPH is cleaned without being separated from the device.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning paper 17 is mounted on the printing paper cartridge 11 during the cleaning operation. The cleaning paper may be made by thinly plotting a material such as cotton on a conventional printing paper and adsorbing a cleaning solvent.

The cartridge 14 for film is separated from the device. This is to prevent the dye deposited on the film 15 from adhering to the TPH. The paper wound on the drum 16 may be cleaning paper 17 or ordinary printing paper. The heat generating element of the TPH 13 does not generate heat unlike in a normal print operation.

The TPH 13 is brought into contact with the cleaning paper 17 attached to the drum 16 and a cleaning operation is performed by friction between the TPH 13 and the cleaning paper 17.

4 is a flowchart of a cleaning method according to the present invention. First, if the cleaning operation is designated, it is determined whether or not the film cartridge 14 is present.

If the film cartridge 14 is installed in the machine, remove it and return to step 42 (step 44).

It is determined whether or not the cleaning paper is installed (step 46).

If no cleaning paper is loaded, install the cleaning paper and return to step 46 (step 48).

Perform printing operation. At this time, the heating element of the TPH 13 is not heated (step 50).

The cleaning paper is discharged by performing the print operation and the cleaning operation is terminated.

As described above, the thermal head cleaning method of the present invention has an advantage of increasing the convenience of use by allowing cleaning without separating the thermal head from the mounted device.

In addition, although a specially prepared cleaning paper is used, it is also possible to use ordinary printing paper, which has the advantage of providing a simple cleaning method.

Claims (2)

A method of cleaning a thermal transfer head of a device employing a thermal recording method, the method comprising: separating a film cartridge; And a cleaning process of performing a normal feeding and printing operation to clean the thermal head by contacting the paper feed and the thermal head. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating process of the thermal transfer head is performed without heating the heating element of the thermal transfer head.