KR100262156B1 - Color recognition device of ink-sheet in a sublimation type color printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A color detector for ink sheet in a thermal color printer is provided which detects color for ink sheet to accord it to color of data to be printed so that it raises quality in printing. CONSTITUTION: In the color detector for ink sheet in the thermal color printer which contains a thermal transfer head(33), ink sheet(53) and a driving motor(40), the color detector comprises the parts of: a holder which is placed in the thermal transfer head; a first and a second photo sensor(10,20) which are placed in the holder at regular intervals to include light-emitting and light-receiving element; a reflection plate(30) which is oppositely placed against the first and the second photo sensor to reflect light from the light-emitting element to the light-receiving element; a bar-code section which displays the start of a frame and the color or the sort of the frame; and a microprocessor which controls the driving motor as the electric signal from the first and the second photo sensor.

Description

Ink sheet color detection device of sublimation color printer

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink sheet color detection device of a sublimation type color printer, wherein the sublimation color printer uses several colors of the ink sheet (for example, yellow, magenta, cyan, hereinafter Y, M, and C). The present invention relates to a color detection device for detecting the color of such an ink sheet by combining the printing.

In general, a sublimation type color printer classifies data into color data corresponding to Y, M, and C primary colors, and prints the data on paper by using a thermal transfer head and an ink sheet.

At this time, the thermal transfer head is in close contact with the platen roller at the bottom and simultaneously transfers the paper and the ink sheet therebetween, and outputs the input data by the amount of heat corresponding to the above data.

In the ink sheet, the Y, M, and C color pixels described above are repeatedly repeated at regular intervals on the ribbon-like film and wound around the supply reel of the ribbon cartridge.

Therefore, during the printing operation, the ribbon film wound on the supply reel is transferred to the take-up reel, so that the ink is sublimated to the corresponding density according to the heat generation of the thermal transfer head, thereby transferring the ink onto the surface of the paper, thereby printing natural colors by blending three primary colors. You can work on it.

For this operation, the sublimation color printer needs to match the color of the data to be printed and the color of the ink sheet adhered to the thermal transfer head, otherwise the data is printed in a completely different color. There was a need for color detection of ink sheets.

In addition, if the color of the ink sheet is different from the color of the data to be output, the frame of the corresponding color should be positioned on the bottom of the thermal transfer head while the ink sheet is transported by the driving motor.

1 is a schematic view showing a state in which an ink sheet color detection apparatus is installed inside a sublimation type color printer according to the present invention;

Figure 2a is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the sensor detects the color of the ink sheet according to the present invention,

Figure 2b is a schematic diagram showing the color arrangement of the ink sheet according to the present invention,

3 is a floor chart showing the operating sequence of the microprocessor according to the present invention.

*** Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing ***

10: first photosensor 11: first light emitting element

13: first light receiving element 20: second photosensor

21: second light emitting element 23: second light receiving element

30: reflector 31: holder

33: thermal transfer head 35: platen roller

40: drive motor 41: drive gear

42: gear train 50: ribbon cartridge

51: supply reel 52: winding reel

53: ink sheet 54: barcode portion

55: Start Bar 56: Code Bar

57: color frame 59: coating frame

The construction means for achieving the present invention is a thermal transfer head for transferring heat in an amount corresponding to the input data, and the thermal transfer head is in close contact with the thermal transfer head and repeatedly applying a color frame such as Y, M, C, or the like. In the sublimation type color printer comprising an ink sheet and a drive motor for transferring the ink sheet,

A holder installed on the thermal transfer head;

First and second photosensors installed at the holder at regular intervals and having light emitting elements and light receiving elements;

A reflection plate disposed opposite the first and second photosensors with the ink sheet interposed therebetween to reflect the light emitted from the light emitting device to be incident on the light receiving device;

A barcode unit positioned in front of the frame of the ink sheet to display the start of the frame and the color of the frame;

And a microprocessor configured to receive a predetermined electrical signal from the first and second photosensors and control the driving motor based on the predetermined electrical signal.

As a preferred embodiment of the present invention according to the above configuration, the bar code portion is divided into a start bar and a code bar, and the code bar is divided into upper and lower parts and is marked at a contracted position according to the color of the corresponding frame.

According to the above configuration, when the frame start bar is detected by the first and second photosensors while the driving motor transfers the ink sheet under the control of the microprocessor (ie, light emitted from the first and second light emitting devices) When the first and second photosensors are turned off and the first and second photosensors are turned off, the microprocessor drives the driving motor to a predetermined step so that the first and second photosensors are positioned on the code bar to detect the color of the ink sheet.

In this case, according to FIG. 2B as an example of the detection signal, when only the first photosensor is ON, the frame is C color, when only the second photosensor is ON, M color, and both the first and second photosensors are If it is ON, the color is Y, and if both the first and second photosensors are OFF, it is a coated frame.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic view showing an ink sheet color detection device installed inside a sublimation type color printer according to the present invention, reference numerals 10 and 20 denote light emitting elements 11 and 21 and a light receiving element 13 of FIG. 2A. First and second photosensors provided with (23), 30 is a reflecting plate for reflecting light from the light emitting elements (11, 21) to the light receiving elements (13, 23), 40 is the ink sheet (53) The drive motor for transferring the, 53 is an ink sheet in which Y, M, C color frame 57 and the coating frame 59 is continuously repeated.

The first and second photosensors 10 and 20 are provided with light emitting elements 11 and 21 and light receiving elements 13 and 23, respectively, on the holder 31 on the front wall of the thermal transfer head 33. It is installed in the lateral direction. In addition, in front of each of the photosensors 10 and 20, the ink sheet 53 is interposed therebetween so that the light of the light emitting elements 11 and 21 is incident to the light receiving elements 13 and 23. The reflective plate 30 is provided.

The ink sheet 53 is continuously repeated with the addition of the above-described color frame 57 and sometimes the coating frame 59 of Y, M, and C colors on the ribbon-like film at regular intervals. . At this time, the front of each of the frame 57, 59 is provided with a bar code unit 54 for displaying the start of the frame (57, 59) and the color of the frame (57, 59).

The bar code unit 54 is divided into a start bar 55 and a code bar 56, wherein the start bar 55 is marked on the entire length, and then the code bar is located at a rear of the predetermined distance. Reference numeral 56 is divided into upper and lower parts, and the mark is indicated at a position contracted according to the color or type of the corresponding frame 57 or 59.

For example, the color code bar 56 of C color is marked only at the bottom, M color is marked only at the top, and Y color is marked both up and down, and the coating frame 60 is. There is no marking on the top and bottom. However, it is noted that this method of marking is an example and may be marked by other combinations.

The drive motor 40 of FIG. 1 is connected to the shaft end of the winding reel 52 by the gear train 42 so as to transfer the ink sheet 53. In this case, the drive motor 40 is mainly used a step motor that is relatively precisely rotated, the drive motor 40 is a predetermined electrical from the first and second photosensors 10, 20 described above It is controlled and rotated by a microprocessor that receives a signal.

Referring to Figure 3 with respect to the operation of the preferred embodiment according to the above configuration as follows.

First, when a data output signal is given from the outside (ST step 1), the microprocessor operates the driving motor 40 to transfer the ink sheet 53 (ST step 2). At this time, when the start bar 55 is detected by the first and second photosensors 10 and 20 (that is, light emitted from the first and second light emitting elements 11 and 21 is blocked). When the first and second photosensors 10 and 20 are turned off (ST 3 stages), the microprocessor moves the drive motor 40 to a contracted step (between the start bar 55 and the code bar 56). Step) and then stop (ST step 4).

Subsequently, the microprocessor detects a predetermined signal according to the above-described code bar 56 from the first and second photosensors 10 and 20 to detect the color of the ink sheet 53 (ST 5). step).

In this case, when the color of the detected ink sheet 53 and the color of the data to be output do not match, the driving motor 40 is operated again to repeat the above operations from step ST 2 to step ST 6.

When the detected color matches the color of the data to be output through the above process (ST 6 step), the driving motor 40 is driven to transfer the ink sheet 53 by the thermal transfer head 33. The data will be output (ST 7 stage).

Subsequently, when the microprocessor detects that the output of the data of the corresponding color is completed (ST 8), the microprocessor determines whether there is residual data. If the data remains, ST 2 through ST 9 Repeat the process until it outputs all the input data.

Subsequently, if it is determined that there is no remaining data (ST 9), the microprocessor initializes the device (ST 10) and terminates the situation.

As can be seen from the above, the ink sheet color detection apparatus according to the present invention detects whether the color of the data to be output from the printer and the color of the ink sheet 53 in close contact with the thermal transfer head 33 is matched. If the color of the ink sheet 53 is different from the color of the data to be output, the data may be output by the ink sheet 53 of the corresponding color while the ink sheet 53 is transferred by the driving motor 40. Do it.

Claims (2)

An ink sheet which transfers heat in an amount corresponding to the input data, and an ink sheet which is transported in close contact with the heat transfer head 33 and repeatedly applies a frame 57 of Y, M, and C colors. A sublimation type color printer comprising a 53 and a drive motor 40 for transferring the ink sheet 53, A holder 31 mounted to the thermal transfer head 33; First and second photosensors 10 and 20 which are installed at the holder 31 at regular intervals and have light emitting elements 11 and 21 and light receiving elements 13 and 23; The light emitted from the light emitting elements 11 and 21 is installed so as to face the first and second photosensors 10 and 20 with the ink sheet 53 interposed therebetween. Reflector 30 for reflecting to be incident to; A barcode unit 54 positioned in front of the frames 57 and 59 of the ink sheet 53 to display the beginning of the frames 57 and 59 and the color or type of the frames 57 and 59; Ink of the sublimation type color printer, characterized in that composed of a microprocessor that receives a predetermined electrical signal from the first and second photosensors 10, 20 and controls the driving motor 40 based on this. Sheet color detection device. The bar code unit 54 is divided into a start bar 55 and a code bar 56, and the code bar 56 is divided into upper and lower parts of the corresponding frames 57 and 59. An ink sheet color detection apparatus for a sublimation type color printer, characterized in that the mark is marked at a predetermined position according to color or type.

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