JP2000141845A - Printer and ink ribbon tension control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a printer and an ink ribbon tension controller in which use efficiency of ink ribbon can be enhanced significantly. SOLUTION: Before printing is started, winding diameter of an ink ribbon 36 wound around a winding reel 35 is calculated by measuring rotational amount of the winding reel 35 and a feed reel 34 for an identical time and then rotational amount of the winding reel 35 is controlled based on the winding diameter such that tension of the ink ribbon 36 is kept in a specified state between the feed reel 34 and the winding reel 35. Since the ink ribbon 36 can be stretched with an optimal tension between the feed reel 34 and the winding reel 35, use efficiency of the ink ribbon 36 can be enhanced significantly.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer and a method for controlling the tension of an ink ribbon, and more particularly, to a method suitable for a thermal transfer printer and a method for controlling the tension of an ink ribbon used in the printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG.
Is pressed onto a platen 7 via a roll-shaped ink ribbon 5 supported by a supply reel 3 and a take-up reel 4 and a printing medium 6, so that various dyes applied to the ink ribbon 5 are The color image is printed on the surface of the printing medium 6 by thermally transferring the printing image to the surface of the printing medium 6 based on the printing signal.

In the printer 1, a supply reel 3 and a take-up reel 4 are separately driven to rotate by drive motors (not shown), and encoders (not shown) attached to output shafts of the respective drive motors. Z)
Is used to measure the number of rotations of the supply reel 3 and the take-up reel 4 per unit time as pulses when the ink ribbon 5 runs.

The ink ribbon 5 is occupied by yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively, each of which is applied with a predetermined length. The ink ribbon 5 is sequentially searched for each color and is provided for printing for each color. It has been made like that.

In the printer 1, the thermal transfer head is located at a home position sufficiently distant from the platen 7 during non-printing, and the platen 7 during printing.
The platen 7 is sequentially moved to a printing position in which the platen 7 comes into pressure contact with the platen 7 through an intermediate position slightly floating with respect to the platen 7 while approaching the platen 7.

Here, the printing apparatus 1 adjusts the winding force of the winding reel 4 in consideration of the back tension of the supply reel 3 at the time of printing, thereby maintaining the tension of the printing medium 6 constant while maintaining the tension of the printing medium 6. The medium 6 travels in the direction indicated by the arrow a.

The winding force of the take-up reel 4 is adjusted by applying an optimum voltage to the drive motor of the take-up reel 4 based on the diameter of the ink ribbon 5 wound around the take-up reel 4. Done.

[0008]

However, to measure the diameter of the ink ribbon 5 wound on the take-up reel 4 in such a printer device 1, it is necessary to measure the diameter of the ink ribbon 5 based on the rotation speed of the platen 7. The travel distance for one color and the rotation speed of the take-up reel 4 must be measured. For this purpose, it is necessary to perform the printing operation for one color of the ink ribbon 5.

For this reason, before the start of the first printing after the power is turned on, as the voltage value applied to the drive motor of the take-up reel 4, for example, a predetermined value such as an average value at the time of the past printing is used. Thus, the tension of the ink ribbon 5 is kept almost constant.

However, when the ink ribbon 5 is entirely wound around the supply reel 3 or the take-up reel 4, the ink ribbon 5 is excessively slackened or pulled too much, and an optimum tension can be obtained. There was a risk of disappearing.

When the printer apparatus 1 performs cueing of the ink ribbon 5, as the thermal transfer head 2 moves from the home position to the printing position, the ink ribbon 5 is pressed against the thermal transfer head 2 and pressed against the platen. Can be

At this time, the slack when the ink ribbon 5 is pulled when the thermal transfer head 2 moves from the home position to the printing position (hereinafter, referred to as a ribbon path) is determined by rotating the take-up reel 4 in the rotation direction by the drive motor. , The ink ribbon 5 wound around the supply reel 3 is pulled in. As a result, the unused ink ribbon 5 is pulled without being used for printing by the length of the ribbon path, so that the format of the ink ribbon 5 is conventionally set to be longer by the length of the ribbon path for each color. Had been done.

Therefore, as one method of shortening the format of the ink ribbon 5, a method of eliminating the difference in the ribbon path by rotating the take-up reel 4 in a reverse direction at a predetermined time when the ink ribbon 5 is caught is considered. However, if the drive motor of the take-up reel 4 is rotated in reverse without measuring the diameter of the ink ribbon 5 wound around the take-up reel 4, how long the take-up length is required Is determined in accordance with the winding amount of the take-up reel 4, the operator cannot determine the optimum degree of reverse rotation. As a result, when the degree of reverse rotation is too strong, the ink ribbon 5 jams. On the other hand, when the degree of reverse rotation is too weak, the ink ribbon 5 may run short.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to propose a printer apparatus and a method for controlling the tension of an ink ribbon which can significantly improve the efficiency of use of the ink ribbon.

[0015]

According to the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus comprising: a head which is pressed into contact with a platen via an ink ribbon and a printing medium to thermally transfer the ink applied to the ink ribbon; In a printer device for printing an image based on a print signal on a printing medium, a supply reel on which an ink ribbon is wound and a take-up reel for winding the ink ribbon wound on the supply reel are detachably engaged. First and second rotation support means for supporting the supply reel and the take-up reel so as to rotate together when engaged, driving means for rotating the second rotation support means, and first and second rotation support means. First and second rotation amount measuring means for measuring the rotation amount of the second rotation supporting means at the same time, respectively, and the first and second rotation amount measuring means obtained from the first and second rotation amount measuring means before the start of printing. Winding diameter calculating means for calculating a winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound on the take-up reel based on the respective rotation amounts of the first and second rotation supporting means, and an ink ribbon calculated by the winding diameter calculating means. And control means for controlling driving of the driving means so that the tension of the ink ribbon is maintained in a predetermined state between the supply reel and the take-up reel in accordance with the winding diameter of the reel.

As described above, before the start of printing, the winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound on the take-up reel is calculated by measuring the rotation amounts of the supply reel and the take-up reel at the same time. The amount of rotation of the take-up reel can be controlled based on the winding diameter, and as a result, the ink ribbon can be stretched between the supply reel and the take-up reel with optimal tension.

In the present invention, an image based on a print signal is printed on a printing medium by pressing the head against a platen via the ink ribbon and the printing medium and thermally transferring the ink applied to the ink ribbon. In the method of controlling the tension of the ink ribbon, after measuring the rotation amounts of the supply reel and the take-up reel at the same time, before starting printing, the take-up reel is determined based on the respective rotation amounts of the supply reel and the take-up reel. The winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound around is calculated. Subsequently, the take-up reel is driven to rotate so that the tension of the ink ribbon is maintained in a predetermined state between the supply reel and the take-up reel according to the calculated winding diameter of the ink ribbon.

As described above, before the start of printing, the rotation diameter of the supply reel and the take-up reel at the same time is measured to calculate the winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound on the take-up reel. The amount of rotation of the take-up reel can be controlled based on the winding diameter, and as a result, the ink ribbon can be stretched between the supply reel and the take-up reel with optimal tension.

Further, in the present invention, the head is pressed against the platen via the ink ribbon and the printing medium,
In a printer device that prints an image based on a print signal on a print medium by thermally transferring ink applied to an ink ribbon, a supply reel around which the ink ribbon is wound and an ink ribbon wound around the supply reel are used. First and second rotation support means for detachably engaging a take-up reel to be wound and supporting the supply reel and the take-up reel so as to rotate integrally with each other when the take-up reel is engaged; Driving means for rotating the support means, first and second rotation amount measurement means for measuring the rotation amounts of the first and second rotation support means at the same time, respectively,
A winding diameter calculating means for calculating a winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound on the take-up reel based on the respective rotation amounts of the first and second rotation support means obtained from the second rotation amount measuring means; ,
According to the winding diameter of the ink ribbon calculated by the winding diameter calculating means, after calculating the length of the ink ribbon pulled out from the supply reel when the head is pressed against the platen,
Control means for controlling the driving of the driving means based on the calculated length, wherein the driving means pulls back the length calculated by the control means from the take-up reel at the time of cueing of the ink ribbon. The second rotation support means is driven to rotate.

As described above, when the ink ribbon is caught, the amount of rotation of the supply reel and the take-up reel at the same time is measured to calculate the diameter of the ink ribbon wound on the take-up reel. The amount of rotation of the take-up reel can be controlled based on the winding diameter, and as a result, when the head is pressed against the platen, the ink ribbon can be pulled back from the take-up reel by a length that is drawn from the supply reel. .

Further, in the present invention, the head is pressed against the platen via the ink ribbon and the printing medium,
In the ink ribbon tension control method of printing an image based on a print signal on a printing medium by thermally transferring the ink applied to the ink ribbon, the rotation amounts of the supply reel and the take-up reel at the same time were measured. After that, before starting printing, the winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound on the take-up reel is calculated based on the respective rotation amounts of the supply reel and the take-up reel. Subsequently, according to the calculated winding diameter of the ink ribbon, the length of the ink ribbon pulled out from the supply reel when the head is pressed against the platen is calculated. The take-up reel is driven to rotate so that the length is pulled back from the take-up reel.

As described above, when the ink ribbon is caught, the amount of rotation of the supply reel and the take-up reel at the same time is measured to calculate the winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound around the take-up reel. The amount of rotation of the take-up reel can be controlled based on the winding diameter, and as a result, when the head is pressed against the platen, the ink ribbon can be pulled back from the take-up reel by a length that is drawn from the supply reel. .

[0023]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(1) Overall Configuration of Card Printer In FIG. 1, reference numeral 20 denotes a card printer as a whole, and a card as a printing medium inserted from a card insertion slot 21A of a housing 21 via cleaning rollers 22A and 22B. The material 23 can be transported by the card transport section 24 along the transport path CR.

In this embodiment, the card material 23 is a so-called ISO (International Organization for International Organization).
A magnetic stripe is formed along the longitudinal direction on one side of the card material 23 along the longitudinal direction, and an IC (Integrated Circuit) memory is provided at a predetermined position on the other end of the card material 23. Is buried.

The card transport section 24 includes a first transport section 24A and a second transport section 24B disposed before and after the transport path CR via a platen 26, and includes a first transport section 24A and a second transport section 24B. The transport unit 24B includes a pair of transport rollers 27A to 27A.
0A and 27B to 30B are rotatably supported at predetermined intervals along the transport path CR.

The upper conveying rollers 27A to 30A
Rotate in the same direction in conjunction with each other in response to the rotation of a drive motor (not shown), and
B to 30B are the corresponding upper conveying rollers 27A to 30B.
A in a state where the transfer rollers 27A to 27A
It is made to rotate in the opposite direction according to the rotation of 30A,
Thus, the card member 23 inserted between the upper conveying rollers 27A to 30A and the lower conveying rollers 27B to 30B
Can be freely transported in the front-rear direction along the transport path CR according to the rotation of the upper transport rollers 27A to 30A.

A color image printing section 31 is provided above the card transport section 24 at a predetermined position facing the platen 26. In the color image printing unit 31, the head holding mechanism unit 38 including the head unit 32 extends in the direction in which the thermal transfer head 33 supported at the tip of the head unit 32 is pressed against the platen 26, or separates from the platen 26. It has been made to shorten in the direction to do.

In the printing mode, the color image printing unit 31
The thermal transfer head 33 is driven by driving the head holding mechanism 38 to the platen 26 via the roll-shaped ink ribbon 36 supported by the supply reel 34 and the take-up reel 35 and the card material 23 positioned on the platen 26. After the pressing, the thermal transfer head 33 is heated in this state based on a predetermined printing signal, so that the ink of the ink ribbon 36 can be thermally transferred to one surface of the card material 23.

In this case, the roll-shaped ink ribbon 36 is accommodated in a ribbon cassette 37, and the ribbon cassette 37 is printed with a color image through a cassette insertion opening (not shown) formed on the side surface of the housing 21. It can be detachably loaded between the portion 31 and the platen 26.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ink ribbon 36 is applied to the respective color dyes of yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black K, each of which is applied with a predetermined length as a dye for one card material 23. Subsequently, the film-like sheet L
Is arranged. Further, a predetermined mark (not shown) is applied to the top position of each page of the ink ribbon 36, and the mark is marked by an optical sensor (not shown) provided on the traveling path of the ink ribbon 36. The detection enables the cue of the ink ribbon 36 to be performed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the supply cassette 34 and the take-up reel 35 of the ribbon cassette 37 are rotatably supported in a cassette body 37A.
On one end side, a ribbon code ring 39 integrally formed in parallel with a predetermined pattern of a reflection cord 39A and a predetermined number of gears 39B is rotatably attached. The reflection code 39A has a different pattern depending on the type of the ribbon cassette 37, and an optical sensor (not shown) provided near the ribbon code ring 39 detects the reflection code 39A, so that the current loading is performed. It is possible to determine the type of the ribbon cassette 37 (that is, the type of the ink ribbon 36).

Further, a magnetic recording / reproducing section 40 is provided below the transport path CR in the second transport section 24B, and the magnetic head 41 is exposed on the transport path CR only during recording / reproducing so that the lower transport roller 29B is connected to the magnetic head 41. The magnetic head 41 is arranged to be in contact with the upper conveying roller 29A and to be hidden from the conveying path CR except during recording and reproduction.

The magnetic recording / reproducing unit 40 records information based on a predetermined recording signal on a magnetic stripe (not shown) formed on one surface of the card material 23 with the magnetic head 41 exposed, By reproducing the information, it is possible to determine whether or not a recording error exists in the magnetic stripe.

The first and second stages of the first transport section 24A and the second stage
A photointerrupter-type optical sensor 42, 43, and 44 are provided at the front stage of the transport section 24B, respectively, so that the presence or absence of the card material 23 sent along the transport path CR can be detected. .

Further, at the subsequent stage of the second transport section 24B and near the card outlet 21B of the housing 21, a rotary transport section 25 is provided along the transport path CR. In the rotary transport unit 25, a rotation mechanism unit 45 is supported rotatably about a rotation shaft 46 in a direction indicated by an arrow r or in a direction opposite thereto. The first flipper rollers 47A and 47B and the second flipper rollers 48A and 48B are rotatably supported by the rotating mechanism 45 via a rotating shaft 46 while maintaining a symmetrical positional relationship with each other. I have.

The flipper rollers 47A and 48A at one end rotate in the same direction in conjunction with each other according to the rotation of a drive motor (not shown), and the flipper rollers 47B and 48B at the other end are Each of the flipper rollers 47A and 48A is pressed against the corresponding one of the flipper rollers 47A and 48A.
The card material 23 inserted between the first flipper rollers 47A and 47B and / or between the second flipper rollers 48A and 48B is rotated in the opposite direction in accordance with the rotation of A. The paper is sent out before and after the transport path CR according to the rotation of 48A.

As described above, the rotary transport section 25 transports the card material 23 sent from the second transport section 24B to the rotary mechanism section 4.
In the state of being pinched by 5, after rotating by a predetermined angle in the direction indicated by the arrow r or in the opposite direction as necessary, and positioning,
The card material 23 can be sent out in the determined predetermined direction.

An IC recording / reproducing section 50 is provided near the rotary transport section 25, and the card material 23 sent out from the rotary transport section 25 is inserted into the insertion port 50A of the IC recording / reproducing section 50.
, Each terminal of an IC memory (not shown) provided on the other surface of the card material 23 comes into contact with an interface connector (not shown). As a result, after recording information based on a predetermined recording signal, the IC recording / reproducing unit 50 can determine whether or not a recording error exists in the IC memory by reproducing the information. I have.

A defective card tray 51 is provided in the vicinity of the rotary transport section 25, and the magnetic recording / reproducing sections 40 and I
The card material 23 determined to have a recording error in the C recording / reproducing unit 50 is transferred from the rotary transport unit 25 to the entrance 51.
The defective card is discharged into the defective card tray 51 via A.

On the other hand, the rotary transport unit 25 transfers the card material 23 determined by the magnetic recording / reproducing unit 40 and the IC recording / reproducing unit 50 to have no recording error to the outside via the card outlet 21B of the housing 21. To a card tray (not shown).

The first flipper rollers 47A and 47
A first optical sensor 52 and a second optical sensor 53 of a photo-interrupter type are provided on the outer side of B and on the outer side of the second flipper rollers 48A and 48B (that is, on both sides on the centrifugal side of the rotating shaft 46). Each transport path CR
The presence or absence of the card material 23 sent along is detected.

Incidentally, in this card printer 20,
The card transport unit 24, the rotary transport unit 25, the color image printing unit 31, the magnetic recording and reproducing unit 40, and the IC recording and reproducing unit 50
Each is driven to a predetermined state according to the control of a host computer (not shown) as a control means.

(2) Structure of the Head Holding Mechanism As shown in FIG. 4, the head holding mechanism 38 of the color image printing unit 31 is fixedly supported by a support plate (not shown) in the housing 21. One end of a support member 61 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 60 as a center of rotation in a direction indicated by an arrow a or in a direction opposite thereto, and a rear end of the head unit 32 is attached to the other end of the support member 61 by a support shaft 62. Are supported rotatably in the direction indicated by arrow b or in the opposite direction.

The head unit 32 includes a support member 61
The coil spring 63 is mounted between the two and is held in a state of being pressed against the support member 61 in the direction indicated by the arrow b around the support shaft 62 in response to the bias of the coil spring 63. As a result, the head unit 32 is integrated with the support member 61 so that the arrow a
It is designed to be able to rotate in the direction shown by or in the opposite direction.

In the vicinity of the fixed shaft 60, one corner of the substantially triangular lever member 65 is pivoted about the fixed shaft 64 supported by the support plate in the housing 21 in the direction indicated by the arrow c or in the direction indicated by the arrow c. It is attached to be rotatable in the opposite direction.

At the other corner of the lever member 65, the connecting member 6
6 is rotatably connected about the connecting shaft 67 in the direction indicated by the arrow d or in the opposite direction, and the other end of the connecting member 66 is connected to the other end of the supporting member 61 and the supporting shaft 62.
Are connected so as to be rotatable in the direction indicated by an arrow b or in the opposite direction.

As described above, in the head holding mechanism 38, a link mechanism including the support member 61, the connecting member 66, and the lever member 65 is formed using the fixed shafts 60 and 64 as fixed links.

Further, in the vicinity of the fixed shaft 64, the front cam 69 is rotatable in a direction indicated by an arrow e or in a direction opposite thereto with a head drive shaft 68 supported by a support plate in the housing 21 as a cam shaft. Is fixedly supported.

As shown in FIG. 5, a shaft hole 69A for supporting the head drive shaft 68 is formed at the center of one side surface of the front cam 69, and is symmetrical around the shaft hole 69A. A cam groove 69B having a mold shape is formed.

A pin 70 projecting from the other corner of the lever member 65 is separably engaged with the cam groove 69B of the front cam 69, and the front cam 69 is rotated with the rotation of the head drive shaft 68. Is rotated, the pin 70 slides along the cam groove 69B, so that the lever member 65 is fixed to the fixed shaft 64.
Can be swung around the center in the direction indicated by arrow c or in the opposite direction.

As described above, in the head holding mechanism section 38, not only the link mechanism as described above, but also the head drive shaft 68 as the cam shaft, and the front cam 69 and the connecting member 65 are used.
Are also formed as a driving mechanism and a follower, respectively.

At this time, the cam groove 69B of the front cam 69 is formed so as to be bilaterally symmetric, so that the front cam 69 rotates only in the direction indicated by the arrow e or in the opposite direction. Also, the link mechanism swings, and the head unit 32 reciprocates between the home position and the position facing the platen 26. Therefore, the overrun of the link mechanism causes the thermal transfer head 33 to move the platen 2
6 can be avoided.

A pair of guide members (not shown) are fixed to the bearings on both sides of the platen 26, and guide grooves 82 A for position regulation are formed in each of the guide portions on both sides of the distal end of the head unit 32. Positioning pin 3
2A. As a result, the head unit 32 moves the support shaft 6 so as to separate from the support member 61.
While rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow b or in the opposite direction around the center 2, it is possible to approach the platen 26 while regulating the position in the vertical direction indicated by the arrow f.

Here, actually, in the head holding mechanism 38,
At the initial stage in FIG. 4, the pin 70 attached to the corner of the lever member 65 is positioned at the initial position A ₁ (FIG. 5) of the cam groove 69B of the front cam 69, and the head unit 32 is moved to the platen 26. It is held in a state sufficiently separated from it (hereinafter, this state is referred to as an initial state).

Subsequently, in the printing mode, the head holding mechanism 38 rotates the front cam 69 in the direction indicated by the arrow e with the head drive shaft 68 as the cam shaft in accordance with the driving of the head motor (not shown). pin 70 provided at a corner portion of the lever member 65 slides from the initial position a ₁ along the cam groove 69B formed in the front cam 69 to the intermediate position a ₂ to a ₃ (FIG. 5). As a result, the lever member 65 rotates about the fixed shaft 64 in the direction indicated by the arrow c, and the connecting member 6
6, the support member 61 also rotates about the fixed shaft 60 in the direction indicated by the arrow a.

As a result, the head unit 32 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow a with respect to the platen 26 in response to the rotation of the support member 61 about the fixed shaft 60 as shown in FIG. While being positioned slightly above the platen 26 (hereinafter, this state is called a standby state).

At this time, the ink ribbon 36 (FIG. 1) is pressed against the thermal transfer head 33 of the head unit 32. In this standby state, the supply reel 34 and the take-up reel 35 eliminate the difference in the ribbon path of the ink ribbon 36. At the same time, the head position of one page is searched.

Subsequently, when the front cam 69 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow e in response to the driving of the head motor (not shown), the head holding mechanism 38 rotates the pin 70 along the cam groove 69B of the front cam 69. converting mechanism slides from the intermediate position a ₂ to a _3, slides in the direction indicated by the arrow f along the guide groove 82A of the positioning pins 32A also guide member.

When the pins 70 reach the printing positions A _{3 to} A ₄ of the cam groove 69B, the head holding mechanism 38 stops driving the head motor (not shown), and the positioning pins 32A move the guide grooves 82A. As shown in FIG. 7, the thermal transfer head 33 supported at the tip of the head unit 32 is connected to the platen 26 via the ink ribbon 36 because the position is regulated at a predetermined position in the guide groove 82A while the position is regulated. (Hereinafter, this state is referred to as a printing state).

In this printing state, the card transport unit 13
When the card material 23 is inserted between the thermal transfer head 33 and the platen 26 along the transport path CR, the head holding mechanism 38 rotates the transport path C in synchronization with the rotation of the platen 26.
A dye of a predetermined color is thermally transferred to one surface of the card material 23 which moves while being pressed against the thermal transfer head 33 on the R, so that an area corresponding to the predetermined color in a desired color image is formed. Print.

Thereafter, after a predetermined color is printed over the entire surface of the card material 23, the head holding mechanism 38 drives a head motor (not shown) to move the front cam 69 to the head drive shaft 68. rotation in the direction indicated by an arrow e as a cam shaft, the pin 70 slides from the printing position a ₃ to a ₄ along the cam groove 69B of the face cam 69, the positioning pins 32A also guide member guide groove 82A Along arrow f
Slides in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by.

[0063] Then, after the pin 70 has slid to the original initial position A ₁ through an intermediate position A ₄ to A ₅ of the cam groove 69B, when stopping the driving of the head motor (not shown), the head unit 32 is initially Returned to state.

(3) Mechanical Configuration of Color Image Printing Unit Actually, the color image printing unit 31 has a support plate 80 having an opening 80A formed in the center, and an overhang formed so as to partition the opening 80A. A drive motor 81 is fixedly held at 80B. On one side of the support plate 80, the supply reel 34 and the take-up reel 35 of the ink cassette 37 (FIG. 3) are provided.
The fixed shafts 82 and 83 are pivotally supported, respectively, and the reel holders 84 and 85 correspond to the fixed shafts 82 and 83 respectively.
Each is pivoted around the center.

The output shaft 81A of the drive motor 81 is fixedly fitted to the other end of a worm gear 87 supported at one end by a bearing 86 via an overhang 80B. It is made to be able to rotate. The worm gear 87 includes the integrated first and second gears 8.
The third gear 90 meshes with the gears 8 and 89. At this time, the first and second gears 88 and 89 are rotatably fitted and fixed to a shaft 91 supported by the support plate 80, and the third gear 90 is supported by the support plate 80. It is rotatably fitted and fixed to the fixed shaft 83.

Therefore, when the drive motor 81 is driven to rotate, the worm gear 87, the first and second gears 88, 89
, A reel holder 85 on the take-up side (hereinafter referred to as a take-up reel holder) 85 can be rotated integrally with the third gear 90.

The take-up reel holder 85 can be removably fitted to the take-up reel 35 when the ribbon cassette 37 is mounted, and the take-up reel 35 is integrated with the take-up reel 35 according to the rotation of the drive motor 81. It is made to be able to rotate.

On the other hand, the supply-side reel holder (hereinafter referred to as a supply reel holder) 84 is provided with a torque limiter 92 for applying a predetermined torque during rotation, and always provides a back tension to the ink ribbon 36. It is made to put on.

The supply reel holder 84 can also be detachably fitted to the supply reel 34 when the ribbon cassette 37 is mounted, and the supply reel holder 84 rotates in response to the rotation of the take-up reel 35 via the ink ribbon 36. The reel 34 can be integrally rotated and held.

In addition to the above configuration, between the output shaft 81A of the drive motor 81 and the worm gear 87, the output shaft 81A
A substantially disk-shaped encoder (hereinafter referred to as a winding-side encoder) 93 is fitted so as to rotate integrally with the supply reel A, and the supply reel holder 84 and the torque limiter 92
A substantially disk-shaped encoder (hereinafter, referred to as a supply-side encoder) 94 is inserted between the supply reel holder 84 so as to rotate integrally with the supply reel holder 84.

The winding-side encoder 93 has 24 blades 93A formed at equal intervals on the outer periphery, and uses a photointerrupter type optical sensor 95 provided in the vicinity to form the blades 93A.
The number of rotations per a predetermined time is detected by counting the number of pulses according to the presence or absence of the pulse.
The supply-side encoder 94 is provided with 72 perforated holes 9 in an annular shape.
4A is formed, and the number of pulses per predetermined time is detected by counting the number of pulses according to the presence or absence of the perforated hole 94A using a photo interrupter type optical sensor 96 provided in the vicinity. I have.

The rotational drive of the drive motor 81 is reduced and transmitted to the take-up encoder 93 via the worm gear 87 and the first, second and third gears 88, 89, 90. In the case of the mode, the reduction ratio of the winding-side encoder 93 to the drive motor 81 is 62.

On the other hand, the supply-side encoder 94 rotates integrally with the supply reel holder 84 about the same axis as the supply reel holder 84 so that the supply-side encoder 9
The reduction ratio of 4 is 1.

Here, the count number by the winding side encoder 93 when the winding reel 35 makes one rotation is 24 × 2 × 6.
2 = 2976, and the number of counts by the supply-side encoder 94 when the supply reel 34 makes one rotation is 72 × 2 =
144.

The reel radius of the take-up reel 35 and the supply reel 34 is set to the same r ₀ (= 9 [mm]).
Assuming that the radius of the ink ribbon 36 completely wound around 5, 5 is r _max (= 18 [mm]), the ink ribbon 36 wound around the take-up reel 35 and the supply reel 34 in the predetermined winding state is assumed. When the winding diameters are r ₁ and r ₂ , respectively, the area of the winding side surface of the ink ribbon 36 is always equal.

[0076]

(Equation 1)

Is established, the equation is solved and the take-up reel 3
The winding diameter r ₁ of 5 is given by the following equation:

[0078]

(Equation 2)

Is obtained.

Subsequently, the ink ribbon 36 is moved to the take-up reel 35.
And the number of pulses per predetermined time of the winding-side encoder 93 and the supply-side encoder 94 at the time of cueing immediately before printing is n ₁ and n.
_2, and when the travel distance of the ink ribbon 36 at this time is L, each pulse number n ₁ and n ₂ the following equation,

[0081]

(Equation 3)

[0082]

(Equation 4)

When the running distance L of the ink ribbon 36 is deleted from the equations (3) and (4) and rearranged, the winding diameter r ₂ of the supply reel 34 is given by the following equation:

[0084]

(Equation 5)

## EQU10 ## The winding diameter r ₁ of the take-up reel 35 is obtained by substituting equation (5) into equation (2),

[0086]

(Equation 6)

Is obtained. In this way, the winding diameter r ₁ of the take-up reel 35 is set to the number of pulses n ₁ , n _{2 of the} winding-side encoder 93 and the supply-side encoder 94 per predetermined time.
Respectively can be calculated as a function of

Next, the voltage V [v] applied to the drive motor 81
Is given by the following equation, where Tt [g cm] is the generated torque of the drive motor 81 and N [rpm] is its rotation speed.

[0089]

(Equation 7)

Is represented by

Here, the reduction ratio Gt of the take-up reel holder 85
(= 62), assuming that the target tension is Pt [g], the traveling speed of the ink ribbon 36 is v [cm / min], and the torque transmission efficiency is ηt, the ink ribbon 36 wound around the take-up reel 35 The generated torque Tr is expressed by the following equation:

[0092]

(Equation 8)

[0093] Accordingly, the generated torque Tt of the drive motor 81 is expressed by the following equation:

[0094]

(Equation 9)

Is represented by

The rotation speed Nr of the ink ribbon 36 wound on the take-up reel 35 is given by the following equation:

[0097]

(Equation 10)

[0098] The rotational speed N of the drive motor 81 is calculated by the following equation based on the equation (10).

[0099]

[Equation 11]

Is represented by

As apparent from the equations (9) and (11), the torque Tt generated by the drive motor 81 and the rotation speed N are functions of the winding diameter r ₁ of the take-up reel 35.
By substituting the equations (9) and (11) into the equation (7), the voltage V [v] applied to the drive motor 81 becomes

[0102]

(Equation 12)

As described above, it is expressed as a function of the winding diameter r ₁ of the take-up reel 35.

Therefore, when the winding diameter r ₁ of the winding-side encoder 93 in the above equation (6) is substituted into the equation (12), the voltage V applied to the drive motor 81 is given by the following equation:

[0105]

(Equation 13)

In this expression (13),
Since the reduction ratio Gt is 62, and the torque transmission efficiency ηt and the traveling speed v [cm / min] of the ink ribbon 36 are preset constants, the voltage V It becomes a function of the number of pulses n ₁ and n ₂ per predetermined time of the encoder 93 and the supply-side encoder 94.

By setting the optimum tension Pt [g] of the ink ribbon 36 at the time of cueing using the equation (13), the drive motor 81 corresponding to the tension Pt is set.
Can be calculated.

(4) Ink ribbon cueing process In the card printer 20, the color image printing unit 3
When the user 1 performs cueing of the ink ribbon 36, the head unit 32 is sequentially moved from an initial state (FIG. 4) to a printing state (FIG. 6) through a standby state (FIG. 5).

At this time, the supply reel 34 and the take-up reel 3
The ink ribbon 36 stretched with the above-described optimum tension during the period 5 is pressed against the thermal transfer head 33 when the head unit 32 shifts from the initial state to the standby state, and the platen is shifted by the thermal transfer head 33 when shifting to the printing state. 26.

As the thermal transfer head 33 moves from the initial state to the printing state, the ink ribbon 36 wound around the supply reel 34 is pulled out, and the slack (ribopath) is reduced to about 26 mm. It has been extended to.

Therefore, by rotating the take-up reel 35 in a reverse direction at a predetermined degree when the ink ribbon 36 is caught,
The length of the ribbon path can be pulled back from the ink ribbon 36 wound on the winding reel 35 on which printing has already been performed.

In this case, the amount of retraction of the ink ribbon 36 due to the rotation of the take-up reel 35 varies depending on the diameter of the ink ribbon 36 wound around the take-up reel 35 (that is, the amount of winding). It is necessary to determine the reverse rotation amount of the drive motor 81 according to the winding diameter of the reel 35.

Therefore, when the winding diameter r ₁ of the take-up reel 35 is the largest, the reverse rotation amount of the drive motor 81 is the largest, so that the winding diameter r ₁ (=
r _max ) is used as a reference to determine the desired amount of retraction. The winding diameter r _{max of the} winding reel 35 at the end of winding is
18 is a [mm], when the length L ₁ of the ribbon path was 20 mm and the take-up reel _{35 L 1 / 2πr max (=} 20/36
(π 回 転 0.177) may be reversed in the direction indicated by the arrow r.

This means that the drive motor 81 is set to a value obtained by multiplying the rotation angle of the take-up reel 35 by a reduction ratio 62 by 62L ₁ / 2π.
This means that it is sufficient to rotate by an angle of r _max (= 1240 / 36π ≒ 10.964). Therefore, the winding-side encoder 93
Since the number of blades 93A is 24, the number of pulses 48 × 62L ₁ obtained by multiplying the number of pulses 48 per rotation is 48.
The drive motor 81 may be rotationally driven by / 2πr _max (= 59520 / 36π ≒ 526.288).

Further, after the printing of one sheet has already been completed, based on the number of pulses n ₁ and n ₂ of the winding encoder 93 and the supply encoder 94 obtained at the time of the printing,
After calculating the current winding diameter r ₁ of the take-up reel 35 using Expression (6), the drive motor 81 is set to 48 × 62L _{1 in the same} manner as described above.
The take-up reel 35 can be accurately reverse-rotated by the length L _{1 of the} ribbon path by rotating and driving it by / 2πr ₁ .

For example, when the length L _{1 of the} ribbon path is 20 [mm], the take-up reel 35 moves the arrow r by an angle of 20 / 2πr _1.
If brought into reverse rotation in the direction indicated by the well, the drive motor 81 it is sufficient rotational drive only 9472 / r ₁ number of pulses of the take-up-side encoder 93.

[0117] (5) Color printing process 12 of the image printing section shows a circuit configuration of a color image printing unit 31, a host computer (not shown) a predetermined print data D _P
Is supplied, the memory controller 100
101 under the control of, the printing data D color print data _CP corresponding to each color D _PY (yellow Y), D _PM (magenta M), D _PC (cyan C) and D _Pk (loiter K) and laminates The data D _PL (film-like sheet L) is stored in the corresponding frame memories 102 to 106 respectively.
Write for each stamp screen.

Next, the memory controller 100
Under the control of U101, each of frame memories 102 to 1
06 to the color print data D _PY , D _PM , D _PC and D
After reading the _Pk and laminates data D _PL at a predetermined timing, the out color printing data D _PY, with D _PM and D _PC respectively sent to the color adjustment unit 107 to 109, the color print data D _Pk and laminates data D _{The PL} is sent to one input terminal of the selector 110.

In the color adjustment units 107 to 109,
A color conversion table (not shown) having standard printing characteristics is provided for each color, and the color conversion table is obtained after performing color adjustment according to an adjustment curve set for each color before and after color matching processing. Each color print data D _PY1 ,
_DPM1 and _DPC1 are sent to the masking unit 111.

The masking section 111 separates unnecessary data from the supplied color print data D _PY1 , D _PM1 and D _PC1 and then obtains the obtained color print data D _PY2 and D _PC1 .
It sends _PM2 and _DPC2 to the other two inputs of selector 110.

The selector 110 _converts the data sequentially selected from the given color print data D _PY2 , D _PM2 , D _PC and D _Pk and the laminate data D _PL as needed under the control of the CPU 101 into a gamma correction section. Send to 112. The gamma correction unit 112 performs density energization time conversion based on a predetermined thermal correction coefficient set based on the control of the CPU 101, and then supplies the print image data _DT obtained as a result to the thermal transfer head controller 113.

This thermal transfer head controller 113
Head unit 32 is provided (FIG. 4) within converts the print image data D _T into a current signal D _I, be provided to the thermal print head 33. This result is a thermal transfer head 33, a plurality of heating resistors provided on the head surface (not shown) generates heat respectively according to the current signal D _I. Thus the color image printing unit 31 can generate heat the head surface of the thermal transfer head 33 based on the print data D _P, one surface of a desired color image card material 23 in accordance with the print data D _P based on the heat generation Alternatively, it can be printed on another side.

The CPU 101 can move the thermal transfer controller 113 in the head unit 32 so as to approach or separate from the platen 26 (FIG. 4) by controlling the driving of the head motor 115. Also C
The PU 101 transmits a control command to be transmitted to each of the above-described circuits via a bus 114.

(6) Information Recording and Printing Processing Procedure by Card Printer The host computer in the card printer 20 is shown in FIG.
3 to 15, predetermined information is recorded as necessary on magnetic stripes and IC memories formed on one surface and the other surface of the ISO standard card material 23, respectively, by executing the printing process procedure RT1 shown in FIG. Alternatively, a desired color image is printed on one or both sides of the card material 23.

First, when the power is turned on, the host computer enters the printing processing procedure RT1 shown in FIG. 13 from step SP0, and in the following step SP1, the card material 23 is inserted into the card insertion slot 21A on the end face of the housing 21.
After being inserted into the card member 23, when the optical sensor 42 is detected by the optical sensor 42 at the previous stage of the first transport unit 24A, it is determined whether or not predetermined information is magnetically recorded on the magnetic stripe formed on one surface of the card material 23 in step SP2. Judge.

When a positive result is obtained in step SP2, the host computer proceeds to step SP3 to move the card material 23 from the first transport section 24A to the platen 26 along the transport path CR in the direction indicated by the arrow a. Through the second transport unit 24B.

Subsequently, when the card material 23 is detected by the optical sensor 44 provided in the preceding stage of the second transport unit 24B, the host computer proceeds to step SP4 and transfers the card material 23 to the magnetic recording / reproducing unit 40. The magnetic head 41 is moved to the transport path C
The magnetic head 41 is exposed to R and is pressed against the upper conveying roller 29A.

Subsequently, the host computer proceeds to step S
At P5, the card material 23 is sequentially inserted between the transport roller 29A and the magnetic head 41 in accordance with the rotation of the transport roller 29A, and the magnetic recording / reproducing unit 40 is controlled so that the card material 23 is slid in contact with the magnetic head 41 sequentially. After recording predetermined information on the magnetic stripe, the information is reproduced.

At this time, when the magnetic recording / reproducing section 40 starts magnetic recording on the card material 23, the host computer controls the rotating / conveying section 25 to move the rotating mechanism section 45 to an arrow r.
By rotating the card material 23 gradually along the transport path CR during magnetic recording by rotating the card material 23 by a predetermined angle in the direction indicated by or in the direction opposite thereto, the first flipper roller 47A of the rotation mechanism 45 and Contact with the 47B or the second flipper rollers 48A and 48B can be avoided. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively prevent the recording material recorded on the card material 23 from being jittered due to the card material 23 contacting each roller during the magnetic recording.

Next, the host computer proceeds to step S
After proceeding to P6 to determine whether a recording error exists in the card material 23, the process proceeds to step SP7 only when a positive result is obtained.

On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP2, the card printer 20 proceeds to step SP7 without performing magnetic recording processing on the card material 23.
Proceed to.

If a negative result is obtained in step SP6, this indicates that the card material 23 is defective. At this time, the host computer proceeds to step SP8 (FIG. 14) and Is controlled so that the first flipper rollers 47A and 47B and the second flipper rollers 48A and 48B are arranged in the direction indicated by the arrow a (hereinafter, referred to as a transport reference position).
After positioning the rotation mechanism 45 in the magnetic recording / reproducing section 4
By controlling 0, the magnetic head 41 exposed on the transport path CR is concealed so as to be off the transport path CR.

Subsequently, when the first optical sensor 52 detects the card material 23 sent out from the card transport section 24, the host computer controls the rotary transport section 25 to cause the first flipper roller on one end side to rotate. By rotating and driving the 47A and the second flipper roller 48A, the card material 23 is fed between the second flipper rollers 48A and 48B along the transport path CR while being sandwiched between the first flipper rollers 47A and 47B.

After that, the card material 23 is connected to the second optical sensor 5.
3, the host computer controls the rotary conveyance unit 25 to control the first flipper roller 4 on one end side.
7A and the second flipper roller 48A are stopped to rotate the card material 23 to the first flipper roller 4A.
7A and 47B and the second flipper rollers 48A and 48
8B.

Next, the host computer proceeds to step S
In P9, the control unit controls the rotary transport unit 25 to rotate the rotation mechanism unit 45 at the transport reference position by a predetermined angle in the direction indicated by the arrow r, and moves the card material 23 to a position corresponding to the entrance 51A of the defective card tray 51. (Hereinafter, referred to as a defective card ejection position).

Thereafter, the host computer proceeds to step S
Proceeding to P10, the first flipper roller 47A on one end side
After rotating the second flipper roller 48A to move the card material 23 in the direction indicated by the arrow b and ejecting the card material 23 into the carry-in entrance 51A of the defective card tray 51, the process proceeds to step SP11 (FIG. 14) to perform the printing. The processing procedure RT1 ends.

In the following step SP7, the host computer determines whether or not to record the predetermined information in the IC memory provided on the other surface of the card material 23. If a positive result is obtained in step SP7, the host computer proceeds to step SP12 to control the rotary transport unit 25 to position the rotating mechanism unit 45 at the transport reference position, and then controls the magnetic recording / reproducing unit 40. The magnetic head 41 exposed on the transport path CR is concealed so as to be off the transport path CR.

Subsequently, when the card material 23 sent out from the card transport unit 24 is detected by the first optical sensor 52, the host computer controls the rotary transport unit 25 to control the second optical sensor as described above. The first flipper roller 47A and the second flipper roller 48A are rotationally driven until the card material 23 is detected by the first flipper roller 47A and the second flipper roller 48A and 48B. Let it be pinched.

Next, the host computer proceeds to step S
In P13, the control unit controls the rotary transport unit 25 to rotate the rotation mechanism unit 45 at the transport reference position by a predetermined angle in the direction indicated by the arrow r so that the card material 23 corresponds to the insertion port 50A of the IC recording / reproducing unit 50. Position (hereinafter referred to as an IC recording / reproducing position).

Thereafter, the host computer proceeds to step S
Proceeding to P14, the first flipper roller 47A on one end side
After inserting the card material 23 into the insertion opening 50A of the IC recording / reproducing unit 50 while rotating the second flipper roller 48A to move the card material 23 in the direction shown by the arrow c, the process proceeds to step SP15 to remove the card material 23. IC recording / reproducing unit 5
Positioning is performed so as to be in the cueing state with respect to 0.

Next, the card printer 20 proceeds to step SP16 shown in FIG. 14 and controls the IC recording / reproducing unit 50 to connect an interface connector (not shown) to each terminal of the IC memory provided on one surface of the card material 23. After contact, the information based on a predetermined recording signal set in advance is recorded, and then the information is reproduced.

Next, the host computer proceeds to step S
After proceeding to P17 to determine whether a recording error exists in the card material 23, the process proceeds to step SP18 only when a positive result is obtained.

If a negative result is obtained in step SP17, this indicates that the card material 23 is defective. At this time, the host computer proceeds to step SP8 and controls the rotary transport unit 25 to control the rotary transport unit 25. After rotating the first flipper roller 47A and the second flipper roller 48A on one end side to pull out the card material 23 in the direction opposite to the direction shown by the arrow c, the process proceeds to step SP9, and the rotating mechanism at the IC recording / reproducing position The part 45 is rotated by a predetermined angle in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow r to position the defective card at the defective card discharge position.

Thereafter, the host computer proceeds to step S
Proceeding to P10, the first flipper roller 47A on one end side
After rotating the second flipper roller 48A to move the card material 23 in the direction indicated by the arrow b and discharging the card material 23 into the carry-in entrance 51A of the defective card tray 51, the flow proceeds to step SP11 to execute the printing processing procedure RT1. finish.

On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP7, the host computer proceeds to step SP1 without performing IC recording processing on the card material 23.
Proceed to 8.

In the following step SP18, the host computer determines whether or not to print on one side of the card material 23. If a positive result is obtained in step SP18, the host computer proceeds to step SP19.
To control the rotary transport unit 25 to rotate the first flipper roller 47A and the second flipper roller 48A at one end to pull out the card material 23 in the direction opposite to the direction shown by the arrow c, and then to step SP20 Then, the rotation mechanism 45 at the IC recording / reproducing position is rotated by a predetermined angle in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow r, and is positioned at the original transport reference position.

Subsequently, in step SP21, the host computer transfers the card material 23 from the second transport section 24B to the first transport section via the platen 26 along the transport path CR in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow a. After the card material 23 has been sent out to the first transport unit 24A, when the optical sensor 43 provided at the subsequent stage of the first transport unit 24A detects that the card material 23 has passed, the card material 23 is provided at a position facing the platen 26. Positioning is performed with respect to the color image printing unit 31 so as to be in a cueing state.

In the next step SP 23, the host computer sets the thermal transfer head 3 in the color image printing section 31.
After the positioning of No. 3 in the standby state, the process proceeds to step SP24 to control the drive of the supply reel 34 and the take-up reel 35 to remove the slack of the ink ribbon 36 and to perform the cueing of the head position for one page.

After that, in step SP25, the host computer detects the winding diameter of the ink ribbon 36, and sets the ribbon motor driving conditions for controlling the winding state while applying tension to the ink ribbon 36. Proceeding to step SP26, the thermal transfer head 33
Is moved downward so as to be in a printing state.

Subsequently, the host computer proceeds to step S
While the winding of the ink ribbon 47 is started in P27, the process proceeds to step SP28 shown in FIG.
Rotate 6. In this state, the host computer proceeds to step SP29, and starts printing of an area corresponding to one color (yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C or black K) based on predetermined print data on one surface of the card material 23. Alternatively, after the transfer of the film-like sheet L is started, when it is detected that the card material 23 has passed through by the optical sensor 44 provided before the second transport unit 24B, the printing is performed in step SP30. Alternatively, the transfer is terminated.

Thereafter, the host computer proceeds to step S
By driving the head motor 115 in P31 to rotate the front cam 69 in the direction shown by the arrow e, the ink ribbon 36 is peeled from the card material 23 while the head unit 32 in the printing state is raised, and the step SP32 After returning to the standby state, the program proceeds to step SP33, where the supply reel 34 and the take-up reel 35 are driven to remove the slack of the ink ribbon 36.

Thereafter, the host computer proceeds to step S
After proceeding to P34 to determine whether printing or transfer is completed, the process proceeds to step SP18 only when a positive result is obtained.

If a negative result is obtained in step SP34, the host computer proceeds to step SP36.
, The card material 23 is sent back in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow a along the transport path CR via the second transport section 24B and the first transport section 24A sequentially, and the first transport section 2
When the optical sensor 43 provided at the subsequent stage of 4A detects that the card material 23 has passed, the process proceeds to step SP37, where the card material 23 is again set to the cueing state with respect to the color image printing unit 31. Position so that

Subsequently, the host computer proceeds to step S
Proceeding to P38, the supply reel 34 and the take-up reel 35 are rotated so that the ink ribbon 36 travels by a predetermined length to find the next color dye or a film-like sheet. By controlling the card transport unit 24 and the color image printing unit 31 again, the printing process up to step SP33 is performed again as described above, and the same process is repeated until a positive result is obtained in step SP34.

When a positive result is obtained in step SP34, this means that all the color images are printed on one side of the card material 23 and the film-like sheet L is laminated on the one side. ,
At this time, the host computer proceeds to step SP35, and determines whether or not the other surface of the card material 23 is to be printed.

If a negative result is obtained in step SP35, the host computer proceeds to step SP39 and transfers the card material 23 on which only the desired color image has been printed on one side from the card transport unit 24 along the transport path CR. It is sent out in the direction indicated by arrow a. Thereafter, the host computer controls the rotary transport unit 25 to control the first flipper roller 4 on one end side of the rotation mechanism 45 at the transport reference position.
By rotating the 7A and the second flipper roller 48A, the card material 23 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow a while the card tray (not shown) provided outside through the card discharge port 21B on the end face of the housing 21. ),
Proceeding to step SP11, the print processing procedure RT1 ends.

On the other hand, if an affirmative result is obtained in step SP35, the host computer returns to step SP19, and transfers the card material 23 to the card transport unit 2.
4 along the transport path CR in the direction indicated by the arrow a, and controls the rotary transport unit 25 to control the first flipper rollers 47A and 4A in the rotation mechanism 45 at the transport reference position.
7B and the card material 23 is sandwiched between the second flipper rollers 48A and 48B.

Next, the host computer proceeds to step S
Proceeding to P20, control the rotary transport unit 25 to rotate the rotary mechanism 45 at the transport reference position in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow r.
After the card material 23 is rotated by 180 degrees and positioned at a position corresponding to the second transport portion 24B of the card transport portion 24 (hereinafter, referred to as a reverse transport reference position), step SP2 is performed.
1 to rotate the first flipper roller 47A and the second flipper roller 48A at one end to rotate the card material 2
3 is sent to the card transport unit 24 while being moved in the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow a.

Thereafter, the host computer controls the card transport section 24 and the color image printing section 31 to execute step S
By executing the printing process similar to the above from step P22 to step SP34, a color image based on predetermined printing data can be printed on the other surface of the card material 23 and the film-shaped sheet L can be transferred.

If a negative result is obtained in step SP35 in this manner, this means that a desired color image has been printed on both sides of the card material 23, and the host computer directly proceeds to step SP3.
9, the card material 23 having the desired color image printed on both sides is transferred from the card transport unit 24 to the transport path C in the same manner as described above.
After sending out in the direction indicated by the arrow a along R and passing through the rotation mechanism unit 45 at the transport reference position and sending it out to the card tray provided outside through the card discharge port 21B on the end face of the housing 21, step Proceeding to SP11, the printing processing procedure RT1 ends.

On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step SP18, the host computer proceeds to step SP3 without performing printing processing on the card material 23.
9, the card material 23 is sent out from the card outlet 21B to the externally provided card tray in the same manner as described above.
To end.

(7) Operation of this Embodiment In the above configuration, when the ribbon cassette 37 is loaded, the gear train 87 to 90 having a predetermined reduction ratio is set in the color image printing section 31 of the card printer 20. The take-up reel holder 85, which is operatively connected to the output shaft 81A of the drive motor 81, and the take-up reel holder 84 provided coaxially with a torque limiter 92 having a predetermined torque, for supporting the ink ribbon 36. The reel 35 and the supply reel 34 are detachably fitted.

The rotational speed of the take-up reel holder 85 is measured using a take-up encoder 93 provided on the output shaft 81A of the drive motor 81, and the supply reel holder 8
4 is measured by the supply-side encoder 94, and based on the number of pulses obtained from the take-up encoder 93 and the supply-side encoder 94, the take-up reel 35
The diameter of the wound ink ribbon 36 can be calculated.

By supplying a predetermined voltage based on the winding diameter of the take-up reel 35 to the drive motor 81, an optimal tension is applied between the take-up reel 35 and the supply reel 34 during cueing before printing. Can be stretched.

Therefore, when measuring the winding diameter of the take-up reel 35 as in the related art, unlike the method of measuring the traveling distance of the ink ribbon 36 based on the rotation speed of the platen 26, the present embodiment is According to this, the tension of the ink ribbon 36 can be set in a stable state from the time of the printing operation for the first one color.

At the time of cueing of the ink ribbon 36, the winding diameter of the take-up reel 35 is measured by using the winding-side encoder 93 and the supply-side encoder 94, and based on the winding diameter, the ribbon path of the ink ribbon 36 is determined. The amount of reverse rotation of the take-up reel holder 85 can be measured according to a predetermined length in consideration of the above, and a voltage value to be applied to the drive motor 81 can be calculated according to the measurement result.

The voltage value obtained as a result is
In this case, the take-up reel 35 can be reversely rotated almost exactly by the length of the ribbon path. As a result, the ink ribbon 36 is pulled back from the take-up reel 35 by the length of the ribbon path. , Supply reel 3
It is possible to effectively prevent the unused ink ribbon 36 wound around 4 from being wastefully used.

Thus, the ink ribbon 36 can be shortened by the length of the ribbon path for each color, and the format set for each color of the conventional ink ribbon 36 can be shortened by the length of the ribbon path. it can.

(8) Effects of the Embodiment According to the configuration described above, in the card printer 20, the take-up encoder 9 is attached to the take-up reel holder 85 and the supply reel holder 84 in the color image printing section 31, respectively.
3 and a supply-side encoder 94 are provided, and when the ribbon cassette 36 is mounted, the take-up-side encoder 93 and the supply-side encoder that are obtained according to the rotation of the take-up reel 35 and the supply reel 34 that support the ink ribbon 36. Encoder 9
By calculating the winding diameter of the ink ribbon 36 wound around the winding reel 35 based on the number of pulses of 4, the rotation drive amount of the winding reel holder 85 is controlled based on the winding diameter. As a result, the ink ribbon 36 can be stretched optimally between the take-up reel 35 and the supply reel 34, and the ink ribbon 36 is moved toward the take-up reel 35 by an optimal ribbon path length. The cueing can be performed after pulling back, and thus the card printer 20 that can greatly improve the use efficiency of the ink ribbon 36 can be realized.

(9) Other Embodiments In the above-described embodiment, the supply reel 34 and the take-up reel 35 are removably engaged with each other. Although the case where the supply reel holder 84 and the take-up reel holder 85 are respectively applied as the first and second rotation support means for supporting the rotation so as to rotate has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and If the supply reel 34 and the take-up reel 35 can be rotatably supported, various other first and second
May be widely applied.

In the above-described embodiment, the driving means for rotating and driving the take-up reel holder 85 as the second rotation supporting means comprises the driving motor 81 and the gear trains 87 to 90 having a predetermined reduction ratio. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be widely applied to various other driving means as long as the take-up reel holder 85 can be rotated in a predetermined rotation direction. in this case,
The reduction ratio between the drive source and the take-up reel holder 85 may be set to various values as long as the ink ribbon 36 can run at an appropriate speed.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the supply-side encoder 94 serves as the first and second rotation number measuring means for measuring the rotation amounts of the supply reel holder 84 and the take-up reel holder 85 at the same time, respectively. Although the case where the winding encoder 93 is applied has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and if the rotation amounts of the supply reel holder 84 and the take-up reel holder 85 at the same time can be measured, the supply reel The holder 84 and the take-up reel holder 85 need not be integrally provided coaxially.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, before the start of printing, winding is performed based on the respective rotation amounts of the take-up reel holder 85 and the supply reel holder 84 obtained from the take-up encoder 93 and the supply encoder 94. A case where photointerrupter-type optical sensors 95 and 96 and a host computer (not shown) in the card printer 20 are applied as winding diameter calculating means for calculating the winding diameter of the ink ribbon 36 wound around the take-up reel 35. As described above, the present invention is not limited to this.
5 and 96 and CPU 10 in color image printing section 31
1 may be applied as a winding diameter calculating means. In other words, if the winding diameter of the ink ribbon 36 wound on the take-up reel 35 can be calculated, various other configurations may be used as the winding diameter calculating means. May be widely applied.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the card printer 20 is used as control means for controlling the drive of the drive motor 81 as drive means in accordance with the diameter of the ink ribbon 36 wound around the take-up reel 35. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the driving means is configured to maintain the tension of the ink ribbon 36 between the supply reel 34 and the take-up reel 35 in a predetermined state. Can be controlled as well as the CPU 101 in the color image printing section 31 as a control means.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the card material 23 of the ISO standard is applied as the print medium has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the JIS (Ja)
PanIndustrial Standard) card materials may be used, and the present invention can be applied to various card materials having no IC memory and / or magnetic stripe. In addition to the card material, the printing medium may be widely applied to various media.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the thermal transfer type card printer 20 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the point is that the head (in this embodiment, The present invention can be widely applied to various other printer devices as long as the printer device performs printing by pressing the thermal transfer head 33) against the platen 26.

[0177]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the printer apparatus and the ink ribbon tension control method,
Before printing is started, the winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound on the winding reel is calculated by measuring the rotation amounts of the winding reel and the supply reel at the same time, and then the ink ribbon is determined based on the winding diameter. By controlling the amount of rotation of the take-up reel so that the tension of the ink reel is maintained in a predetermined state between the supply reel and the take-up reel, the ink ribbon is stretched between the supply reel and the take-up reel with an optimum tension. Thus, it is possible to realize a printer device and a method of controlling the tension of the ink ribbon, which can significantly improve the efficiency of use of the ink ribbon.

Further, according to the present invention, in the printer device and the ink ribbon tension control method, before starting the printing, the rotation amounts of the take-up reel and the supply reel at the same time are measured so as to be wound around the take-up reel. After calculating the winding diameter of the rotated ink ribbon, winding is performed based on the winding diameter such that the ink ribbon is pulled out from the supply reel when the head is pressed against the platen so as to be pulled back from the winding reel. By controlling the amount of rotation of the reel, it is possible to pull back from the take-up reel by the above-described length, and thus to significantly improve the use efficiency of the ink ribbon. Can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an external configuration of a card pun rita according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an ink ribbon.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view for explaining a ribbon cassette;

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view illustrating a configuration of a head holding mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing the shape of the front cam of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing a standby state of the head unit.

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing a printing state of the head unit.

FIG. 8 is a schematic side view showing a mechanical configuration of a color image printing unit.

FIG. 9 is a schematic end view showing a mechanical configuration of a color image printing unit.

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view for explaining a winding diameter of a take-up reel and a supply reel;

FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view for explaining a cueing process of the ink ribbon.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of a color image printing unit.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining a print processing procedure.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining a print processing procedure;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining a print processing procedure;

FIG. 16 is a schematic side view showing a configuration of a conventional printer device.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 card printer, 24 card transporter, 25
...... Rotating / conveying section, 26 ... Platen, 31 ... Color image printing section, 32 ... Head unit, 33 ... Heat transfer head, 34 ... Supply reel, 35 ... Take-up reel, 36
.... Ink ribbon, 38 ... Head holding mechanism, 40 ...
... magnetic recording / reproducing unit, 50 ... IC recording / reproducing unit, 80 ...
Support plate, 81: drive motor, 82, 83: fixed shaft,
84 ... supply reel holder, 85 ... take-up reel holder, 87 ... worm gear, 88 ... first gear, 89
... A second gear, 90 a third gear, 92 a torque limiter, 93 a winding encoder, 94 a supply encoder, 95, 96 optical sensors.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A printer for printing an image based on a print signal on a printing medium by pressing a head against a platen via an ink ribbon and a printing medium and thermally transferring ink applied to the ink ribbon. In the apparatus, a supply reel around which the ink ribbon is wound and a take-up reel for winding the ink ribbon wound around the supply reel are detachably engaged with each other. First and second rotation supporting means for supporting the reels so as to rotate integrally, driving means for driving the second rotation supporting means to rotate, and first and second rotation supporting means. First and second rotation amount measuring means for respectively measuring the rotation amount at the same time; and the first and second rotation amount measurement means obtained from the first and second rotation amount measuring means before the start of the printing. Winding diameter calculating means for calculating a winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound on the take-up reel based on each rotation amount of the second rotation supporting means; and the ink ribbon calculated by the winding diameter calculating means. And a control means for controlling the driving of the driving means so that the tension of the ink ribbon is maintained in a predetermined state between the supply reel and the take-up reel in accordance with the winding diameter of the printer. . 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said ink ribbon is drawn out from said supply reel when said head is pressed against said platen in accordance with a winding diameter of said ink ribbon calculated by said winding diameter calculating device. After calculating the length, the drive unit is driven and controlled based on the calculated length, and the drive unit calculates the length calculated by the control unit when cueing the ink ribbon. The printer device according to claim 1, wherein the second rotation support means is rotationally driven so as to be pulled back from the take-up reel. 3. A printer for printing an image based on a print signal on the print medium by pressing the head against a platen via the ink ribbon and the print medium and thermally transferring the ink applied to the ink ribbon. In the apparatus, a supply reel around which the ink ribbon is wound and a take-up reel which winds the ink ribbon wound around the supply reel are detachably engaged with each other. First and second rotation supporting means for supporting the reels so as to rotate integrally, driving means for driving the second rotation supporting means to rotate, and first and second rotation supporting means. First and second rotation amount measuring means for respectively measuring the rotation amount at the same time; and the first and second rotation amount measurement means obtained from the first and second rotation amount measuring means before the start of the printing. Winding diameter calculating means for calculating a winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound on the take-up reel based on each rotation amount of the second rotation supporting means; and the ink ribbon calculated by the winding diameter calculating means. Calculating the length by which the ink ribbon is pulled out from the supply reel when the head is pressed against the platen according to the winding diameter of the head, and then drives the driving means based on the calculated length. Control means for controlling the second rotation support means so as to pull back the length calculated by the control means from the take-up reel at the time of cueing of the ink ribbon. A printer device which is driven to rotate. 4. The control means according to claim 1, wherein said ink ribbon is pulled out of said supply reel when said head is pressed against said platen. 4. The printer according to claim 3, wherein the determination is made based on the diameter. 5. An ink for printing an image based on a print signal on the printing medium by pressing the head against a platen via the ink ribbon and the printing medium and thermally transferring the ink applied to the ink ribbon. In the ribbon tension control method, a first step of measuring a rotation amount of the supply reel and the take-up reel at the same time, respectively, and a rotation amount of the supply reel and the take-up reel before the start of printing. A second step of calculating a winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound on the take-up reel based on the above, and supplying the tension of the ink ribbon according to the calculated winding diameter of the ink ribbon. A third step of rotating the take-up reel so as to maintain a predetermined state between the take-up reel and the take-up reel. Tension control method of the ribbon. 6. In the third step, according to the calculated winding diameter of the ink ribbon, the length of the ink ribbon pulled out from the supply reel when the head is pressed against the platen is determined. The ink according to claim 5, wherein, after the calculation, the take-up reel is rotationally driven such that the calculated length is pulled back from the take-up reel at the time of cueing of the ink ribbon. Ribbon tension control method. 7. An ink for printing an image based on a print signal on the print medium by pressing the head against a platen via the ink ribbon and the print medium and thermally transferring the ink applied to the ink ribbon. In the ribbon tension control method, a first step of measuring a rotation amount of the supply reel and the take-up reel at the same time, respectively, and a rotation amount of the supply reel and the take-up reel before the start of printing. A second step of calculating a winding diameter of the ink ribbon wound on the take-up reel based on the above, and pressing the head against the platen in accordance with the calculated winding diameter of the ink ribbon. A third step of calculating a length by which the ink ribbon is pulled out from the supply reel; and A fourth step of driving the take-up reel to rotate so as to pull back the set length from the take-up reel. 8. The ink ribbon according to claim 3, wherein a length of the ink ribbon pulled out from the supply reel when the head is pressed against the platen is used as the ink ribbon at the end of winding on the take-up reel. The tension control method for an ink ribbon according to claim 7, wherein the determination is made based on the winding diameter of the ink ribbon.