JP2963610B2 - Drive control method for thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drive control method for a thermal transfer printer which melts a heat-meltable ink of an ink ribbon by a thermal head movable along a platen and transfers the melted ink to a printing paper to perform printing. In particular, the present invention relates to a drive control method for a thermal transfer printer using a color ink ribbon having a plurality of ink layers called a multicolor ribbon.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows a general thermal transfer printer, in which a platen 2 in the form of a flat plate is disposed substantially at the center of a frame 1 so that its printing surface is substantially vertical. A shaft 3 is disposed below and in front of the platen 2 in parallel with the platen 2. A flange-like guide portion 4 is formed on the front edge of the frame 1, and a rack 5 is formed on the inner edge of the guide portion 4. A carriage 6 is attached to the shaft 3 and the guide portion 4. The carriage 6 is reciprocally movable along the shaft 3 and the guide portion 4 by driving a gear meshing with the rack 5 by a motor.
A thermal head 7 is attached to the leading end of the carriage 6 so as to face the platen 2, and a side of the carriage 6 is housed in an ink ribbon cassette (not shown) mounted on the upper surface of the carriage 6. A photo sensor 8 for detecting a marker portion at the end of the ink ribbon and a marker portion for displaying each color of the color ink ribbon is provided.

A paper insertion port 9 for feeding printing paper forward of the platen 2 is formed behind the platen 2, and a paper feed roller 10 for transporting the printing paper at a predetermined speed is formed in the paper insertion port 9 portion. Is provided. Below the paper feed roller, a pressure roller 11 that is pressed against the paper feed roller is rotatably arranged, and the paper feed roller 10 nips and transports the paper inserted from the paper insertion port 9. It has been made like that.

The drive control of such a thermal transfer printer is performed as follows.

A printing paper is inserted from a paper insertion slot 9, the printing paper is sandwiched between a paper feed roller 10 and a pressure roller 11, and the paper feed roller 10 is driven to rotate, so that the printing paper is moved in the moving direction of the carriage 6. And a predetermined amount in the direction orthogonal to Then drive the ink ribbon winding motor,
The winding of the ink ribbon is performed until the ink layer of the desired color comes to the printing position. Place the thermal head 7 on the platen 2
The thermal head 7 is driven on the basis of a desired recording signal while the carriage 6 is moved in a state of being pressed against and the ribbon winding motor is driven to rotate the winding bobbin 12 to wind the ink ribbon. And to perform desired printing on recording paper.

When printing is performed in a different color during the printing of one line, the movement of the carriage 6 is stopped at that time, and then the thermal head 7 is lifted from the platen 2 and after this lifting operation is completed, the printing operation is repeated. The ribbon winding motor is driven, the ribbon winding bobbin 12 is rotated to convey the ink ribbon, a marker portion of a desired color is detected by the photo sensor 8, and the ink layer of the desired color faces the printing position. At this point, the ribbon winding operation is stopped, the thermal head 7 is again pressed against the platen 2, and then the carriage 6 is moved to perform the next recording.

[0007]

In the drive control method of the conventional thermal transfer printer described above, a detection operation is required when printing is performed in a different color during the printing of one line. Long time and consequently 1
There is a problem that the printing time per page becomes longer. As a method for solving this problem, it is conceivable to increase the speed of the ribbon winding motor to increase the rotation of the ribbon winding bobbin. Even though the ink ribbon has stopped the ribbon winding operation, there is a problem that the ribbon is further rotated by inertia, and the ribbon is slackened, which hinders the next printing.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of this point, and the drive control method for a thermal transfer printer according to the present invention shortens the color detection operation time and does not cause slack of the ribbon after the ribbon winding operation is stopped. Is intended to be

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a drive control method for a thermal transfer printer according to the present invention is directed to a thermal transfer printer using a color ink ribbon. Is being transported to the printing position, and when the desired color is the second color or later of the currently used color, the ribbon is wound at a high speed for a predetermined length, and thereafter the ribbon is wound at a low speed. It is characterized by winding.

[0010]

The above means operates as follows.

If the desired color is the second or subsequent color of the color currently being printed during printing using the color ink ribbon, the ribbon is wound at a high speed, the winding is sequentially performed at a low speed, and the winding is stopped. By controlling the driving, the color detection operation time can be reduced.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A drive control method for a thermal transfer printer according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the operation timing charts shown in FIGS. Regarding the configuration of the thermal transfer printer of the present invention, the same components as those described in the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted.

As shown in the figure, a color ink ribbon 20 used for color printing is formed on a long ink ribbon along its length direction by magenta (M), cyan (C), black (B), and yellow (Y). Are successively arranged in a repeating unit, and marker portions 20a to 20d which do not transmit light are arranged at the boundary of each color. The RE output is output when this portion passes through the photosensor 8. Colors are distinguished by signals.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the operation timing when the desired color is the color of the next division. For example, when the printing is completed in magenta and the next printing is cyan, the movement of the carriage 6 is stopped at that point, The head 7 is raised from the platen 2 (position A), and after the raising operation is completed, the ribbon winding motor is driven again, the ribbon winding bobbin 12 is rotated at a low speed to convey the ink ribbon 20, and the marker section is moved. 20c is detected by the photo sensor 8 (position b), the rotation speed is gradually reduced (slow down), and control is performed so that the ribbon winding operation is stopped when the cyan ink layer faces the printing position. After pressing the plate 7 against the platen 2 again, the carriage 6 is moved to perform the next recording. In this embodiment, the case of magenta → cyan has been described, but cyan → black, black → yellow,
Yellow to magenta can be controlled in a similar manner.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the operation timing when the desired color is the second color currently in use. For example, when the printing is completed in magenta and the next printing is black, the movement of the carriage 6 is stopped at that time. Then, the thermal head 7 is raised from the platen 2 (position A), and after the raising operation is completed, the ribbon winding motor is driven again, and the ribbon winding bobbin 12 is rotated at a high speed to convey the ink ribbon 20. Then, the marker 20c is detected by the photo sensor (position b), the ink ribbon 20 is transported by a predetermined amount (step A), and then the ribbon winding bobbin 12 is rotated at a low speed to transport the ink ribbon. After detecting the boundary (position c) from black to yellow, gradually reduce the rotation speed (slow down) and take up the ribbon when the black ink layer faces the printing position. Controlled so as to stop the operation,
After the thermal head 7 is pressed against the platen 2 again, the carriage 6 is moved to perform the next recording. In the present embodiment, the case of magenta → black has been described, but control of cyan → yellow, black → magenta, and yellow → cyan can be performed in a similar manner.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the operation timing when the desired color is the third color of the currently used color. For example, when the printing is completed in magenta and the next printing is yellow, the movement of the carriage 6 is stopped at that time. Then, the thermal head 7 is raised from the platen 2 (position a), and after the raising operation is completed, the ribbon winding motor is driven again, and the ribbon winding bobbin 12 is rotated at a high speed to convey the ink ribbon. Then, the boundary (position c) from black to yellow is detected by the photosensor 8, and after the ink ribbon 20 is transported by a predetermined amount (A step), the marker 20d is detected by the photosensor 8 (position d). , Gradually reducing the rotation speed (slow down) and controlling the ribbon winding operation to stop when the yellow ink layer faces the printing position,
After the thermal head 7 is pressed against the platen 2 again, the carriage 6 is moved to perform the next recording. In this embodiment, the case of magenta → yellow has been described, but cyan → magenta, black → cyan, yellow →
Black can be controlled in a similar manner.

[0017]

As described above, in the present invention, when detecting the color of the color ink ribbon, the ribbon is slackened by a drive control method in which a predetermined amount of ribbon is wound up at a high speed and then the ribbon is wound up at a low speed. Without this, there is an effect that the color detection time of the color ink ribbon can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an example showing operation timing when a desired color is a color of a next section.

FIG. 2 is an example showing an operation timing when a desired color is a second color currently in use;

FIG. 3 is an example showing an operation timing when a desired color is the third color currently in use;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a general thermal transfer printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Frame 2 Platen 3 Shaft 4 Guide part 5 Rack 6 Carriage 7 Thermal head 8 Photosensor 9 Paper insertion port 10 Paper feed roller 11 Pressure contact roller 12 Winding bobbin 20 Ink ribbon 20a-20d Marker part

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B41J 35/10-35/18 B41J 35/22-35/23 B41J 33/14 B41J 33/38-33 / 388 B41J 17/02-17/12 B41J 11/42

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A ribbon winding mechanism for winding the ink ribbon, wherein three or more color ink layers are arranged in a continuous unit on the long ink ribbon along its length direction; In a thermal transfer printer using a color ink ribbon in which a marker portion representing each color is formed for each color division, the ribbon winding mechanism is driven to drive a ribbon winding mechanism to convey a desired color to a printing position. A drive control method for a thermal transfer printer, characterized in that when the desired color is the second color or later of the currently used color, the ribbon is wound at a high speed for a predetermined length, and thereafter the ribbon is wound at a low speed.