JP3094173B2 - 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 thermal transfer printer for forming an image on transfer paper by a thermal transfer method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional thermal transfer printer, an ink ribbon is pressed against transfer paper by a pressurizing means, and an ink ribbon is heated by a heating and printing means to melt the ink on the surface. Transcription was recorded. As this heating printing means, a thermal head composed of a contact type line heating element having a fine cellular heating section has been used. The thermal transfer printer using a thermal head has a simple structure and requires no maintenance, and its use is expanding.

However, if the heating element of the thermal head is made too small, its service life becomes too short, and the size of the heating element is limited also from the viewpoint of manufacturing yield. The limit is about dots / mm.

FIG. 14 shows a printing state of an image on transfer paper using a conventional thermal head having the above print recording density. With respect to the transfer paper 110 inserted into the thermal transfer printer, the heating elements 103a of the thermal head 103 are arranged in parallel with one side of the transfer paper 1, and the arrangement direction of the heating elements 103a is the main scanning direction of the thermal transfer printer. The direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction was the sub-scanning direction of one line printing cycle. Details of a printing state on the transfer paper 110 by the heating element 103a will be described with reference to an enlarged view of FIG. The size of the square in FIG. 15 corresponds to the printing area of one heating element 103a of the thermal head 103. In the case of a print recording density of 16 dots / mm, the size of the heating element 103a in the horizontal direction, that is, in the main scanning direction is d1 =
62.5 μm, and the size in the vertical direction, that is, the sub-scanning direction, was also d2 = 62.5 μm. When an image having a required shape is printed using the heating element 103a, printing is performed for one line in the main scanning direction, and then the relative position between the thermal head 103 and the transfer paper 110 is set in the sub-scanning direction. d
2 = 62.5 μm, and printing was performed again at this position for one line in the main scanning direction. Therefore, the print recording density of the conventional thermal transfer printer was 16 dots / mm in both the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.

[0005]

However, in this conventional thermal transfer printer, if the outline of the image does not coincide with the main scanning direction or the sub-scanning direction, for example, an oblique line, the outline forms a step-like shape. There was a disadvantage that a smooth so-called high quality image could not be obtained.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and by enabling printing in a space smaller than one heating element, smooth and high-quality printing can be performed without reducing the size of the heating element. The purpose is to get.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object, the present invention has the following constitution.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink ribbon having a heat-sensitive ink layer on a substrate, a heating element array which presses and contacts the ink ribbon to supply heat to the ink layer, Transfer paper for transferring the ink layer heated and melted in contact with a ribbon, and a heating element heat control means for sending a heating signal corresponding to required print data to each heating element constituting the heating element row, In a thermal transfer printer that performs main scanning in the direction in which the heating element rows are arranged and forms an image on the transfer paper while performing sub-scanning in a direction intersecting with the main scanning direction, the direction in which the heating element rows are arranged is The heating element row is not orthogonal to the direction in which the sub-scanning is performed, and is inclined by 30 ° to 70 ° with respect to the direction in which the sub-scanning is performed. Forming an image by performing the sub-scanning at a distance shorter than the distance between the heating elements adjacent to each other, and the sub-scanning is performed by heating element row moving means for moving the heating element row in parallel with respect to the transfer paper. When printing of one line in the main scanning direction is completed, the heating element array moves in parallel in the sub-scanning direction by a minute distance where the heating element array overlaps with the transfer paper, and performs one line of main scanning again. A thermal transfer printer which prints an image of the image and repeats main scanning and sub-scanning to form a required image. ].

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink ribbon having a heat-sensitive ink layer on a substrate, a heating element array which presses and contacts the ink ribbon to supply heat to the ink layer; Transfer paper for transferring the ink layer heated and melted in contact with a ribbon, and a heating element heat control means for sending a heating signal corresponding to required print data to each heating element constituting the heating element row, In a thermal transfer printer that performs main scanning in the direction in which the heating element rows are arranged and forms an image on the transfer paper while performing sub-scanning in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, the heating element rows are arranged in the sub-scanning direction. A preceding heating element row and a succeeding heating element row arranged in parallel at a distance from each other, and the feed pitch in the sub-scanning direction of the preceding heating element row and the subsequent heating element row is L, and a natural number is n. Do Said preceding interval D of the sub-scanning direction of the heating element row and the rear row heating element arrays D = (n + (1 /
4 to 1/2)) has a relationship represented by L, and the preceding heating element and the succeeding heating element constituting the preceding heating element row and the succeeding heating element row have the same shape, and have the respective main scanning directions. And the respective subsequent heating elements corresponding to the preceding heating elements have a deviation represented by (1/4 to 1/2) M with respect to the main scanning direction. Thermal transfer printer. ].

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ink ribbon having a heat-sensitive ink layer on a substrate, a heating element array which presses and contacts the ink ribbon to supply heat to the ink layer, Transfer paper for transferring the ink layer heated and melted in contact with a ribbon, and a heating element heat control means for sending a heating signal corresponding to required print data to each heating element constituting the heating element row, In a thermal transfer printer that performs main scanning in the direction in which the heating element rows are arranged and forms an image on the transfer paper while performing sub-scanning in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, the heating element rows are arranged in the sub-scanning direction. A preceding heating element row and a succeeding heating element row arranged in parallel at a distance from each other, and the feed pitch in the sub-scanning direction of the preceding heating element row and the subsequent heating element row is L, and a natural number is n. Do Said preceding interval D of the sub-scanning direction of the heating element row and the rear row heating element arrays D = (n + (1 /
2 ± 1/4)) and the preceding heating element and the following heating element have the same shape and are arranged at the same pitch M in the respective main scanning directions. Wherein each of the following heating elements corresponding to the following has a deviation represented by (1/2 ± 1/4) M with respect to the main scanning direction. ].

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the heating element heat generation control means generates a heating signal corresponding to print data which makes the stepped uneven portion of the hatched outline printed by the preceding heating element row smoother. 4. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, wherein the control signal is sent to the succeeding heating element column. ].

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the method according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, wherein the preceding heating element row and the following heating element row are provided on the same substrate. A thermal transfer printer as described. ].

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, wherein the preceding heating element row and the following heating element row are provided on separate substrates. A thermal transfer printer as described. ].

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: "the sub-scanning is performed by a heating element row moving means for moving the preceding heating element row and the following heating element row in parallel to an arbitrary position with respect to the transfer sheet. The thermal transfer printer according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein: ].

[0015]

In the thermal transfer printer according to the first aspect of the present invention, the main scanning is performed in the direction in which the heating element rows are arranged, and a heating signal corresponding to required print data is sequentially sent to each heating element by the heating element heating control means. The heating element array is pressed into contact with the ink ribbon to supply heat to the ink layer, and the heated and melted ink layer is transferred onto transfer paper to form an image for one line, and printing for one line in the main scanning direction. Is completed, the heating element array is moved in parallel in the sub-scanning direction by a minute distance and the main scanning for one line is performed again, a predetermined image is printed, the main scanning and sub-scanning are repeated, and Form an image.

In the thermal transfer printer according to the second and third aspects of the present invention, the preceding printing is performed by performing the main scanning and the sub-scanning in the pre-heating element row, and the predetermined printing in the sub-scanning direction from the pre-heating element row. It is arranged in parallel with an interval,
In addition, the subsequent heating element corresponding to the preceding heating element has a predetermined displacement in the main scanning direction, and the subsequent heating element row prints again while tracing the previously printed portion to form an image.

Further, in the thermal transfer printer according to the present invention, a heating signal corresponding to print data which makes the stair-like uneven portion of the hatched outline printed earlier by the preceding heating element row smoother is generated by the heating element heating. The control means sends to the succeeding heating element column.

In the thermal transfer printer according to the fifth aspect, the preceding heating element row and the subsequent heating element row may be provided on the same substrate, or in the thermal transfer printer according to the sixth aspect, May be provided on the substrate.

In the thermal transfer printer according to the present invention, the sub-scanning is performed while the preceding heating element row and the succeeding heating element row are moved in parallel to arbitrary positions with respect to the transfer paper by the heating element row moving means.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a thermal transfer printer in which heating element arrays are not orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the same.

This thermal transfer printer A includes a ribbon unwinding roller 2 for winding an unused ink ribbon 1, a thermal head 3 constituting thermal printing means, and a thermal head 3
2 arranged on both sides of the ink ribbon 1 fed under the
A guide bar 4, two head carriages 5 that reciprocate along the guide bar 4 while gripping the guide bar 4, and a head carriage 5 that is orthogonal to the transport direction of the ink ribbon 1 and before and after the thermal head 3. And a ribbon take-up roller 7 for winding the printed ink ribbon 1, and a head carriage 5 connected to one of the head carriages 5.
Moving means 8 for moving the paper along the guide bar 4, a thermal transfer printer A which sends a moving signal to the carriage moving means 8, sends a winding signal to the ribbon winding roller 7, and further sends a print data signal to the thermal head 3. Control means 9.

The two head carriages 5 are provided with two ribbon feed rotation rollers 6 and a roller 4 in the transport direction of the ink ribbon 1.
Both ends of the thermal head 3 arranged at an inclination of 5 ° are integrally formed by being fixed to each other, and the carriage moving means 8 drives the thermal head 3 to integrally form the transfer paper 10 disposed on the lower surface of the thermal head 3. Reciprocating movement is performed integrally.

The thermal head 3 is provided with a close contact type line heating element 3a having a fine cell-shaped heating portion, which is arranged in a row. Each of the heating elements 3a switches heating based on a print data signal sent from the control means 9.
When the main scanning is completed at a certain position, that is, heating and printing for one row of the heating element 3a are completed, the control means 9 sends a signal to the carriage moving means 8 to perform the sub-scanning, that is, moves the head carriage 5 along the guide bar 4 for a small distance. Is translated. The main scanning is performed again at that position, and a required image is formed on the transfer paper 10.

Details of the printing status of the thermal transfer printer A will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement state of a heating element array mounted on the thermal head 3, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a printing state by the heating element, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a printing state.

The thermal head 3 of the thermal transfer printer A
The arrangement of the heating elements 3a mounted on the thermal head 3
Are arranged in a direction inclined by 45 ° with respect to the sub-scanning direction. The heating element 3a generates heat in the main scanning direction based on the print data signal input to the control means 9. The thermal head 3 has 16
Since the heating elements 3a satisfying the print recording density of dot / mm are used, 16 heating elements 3a are arranged per 1 mm in the main scanning direction (FIG. 4A). When this printing situation is projected in the sub-scanning direction, the projection length L2 is obtained because the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction are inclined by 45 °.
= The number of heating elements 3a per 1 mm is 16 × 1.412 =
22.6. That is, the apparent print recording density of the transfer paper 10 in the direction orthogonal to the direction of conveyance of the head carriage 5 is 22.6 dots / mm.

When printing for one line is completed in the main scanning direction, the thermal head 3 is moved parallel to the transfer paper 10 in the sub-scanning direction by d = 44.2 μm (FIG. 4B).
The moving distance d in the sub-scanning direction is determined by the following equation in order to set the apparent print recording density on the transfer paper 10 to 22.6 dots / mm in consideration of the size of one heating element 3a of 62.5 μm. It is a thing.

D = 62.5 ÷ 1.412 = 44.2 [μ
m] As described above, the main element is moved in parallel for a minute distance in which the heating element array overlaps, and the main scanning for one line is performed again to print a predetermined image.
The required image is formed by repeating the main scanning and the sub-scanning (FIG. 4C). Even when the outline of the image formed here does not coincide with the main scanning direction or the sub-scanning direction, the size of the staircase shape is reduced to about half that of the conventional one, so that a smooth so-called high quality An image is obtained.

Although the heating element 3a is arranged at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the sub-scanning direction of the thermal head 3, the crossing angle is not limited to this. However, since printing is performed by the thermal head 3 inclined with respect to each side of the transfer paper 10 as shown in FIG. 5, if the intersection angle α is too small, the thermal head 3 becomes longer or its moving range becomes larger. It is uneconomical because it is too long. Conversely, if the crossing angle is too close to α = 90 °, the apparent improvement in print recording density can hardly be expected. Therefore, the inclination angle of the heating element 3a is desirably about α = 30 ° to 70 °.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a thermal transfer printer in which a preceding heating element row and a succeeding heating element row are provided on the same substrate, and FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of a heating element forming the preceding heating element row and the succeeding heating element row. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a hatched portion printing state using a preceding heating element row and a succeeding heating element row, FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of a heating element forming another succeeding heating element row, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the printing condition of the oblique line part which used the succeeding heating element row.

The thermal transfer printer A comprises a ribbon unwinding roller 12 for winding an unused ink ribbon 11, a thermal printing means, and a preceding heating element row 13a and a subsequent heating element row 1
3b, a platen roller 14 disposed opposite to the thermal head 13,
A ribbon take-up roller 15 for winding the printed ink ribbon 11, a transfer paper unwinding roller 16 for winding a transfer paper 20 before printing, a printed transfer paper 20, and a platen roller 14 and a thermal head 13. Control means 19 for sending a winding signal to the peeling roller 18 for peeling off the transfer ribbon 20 and the ink ribbon 11 polymerized by the above, and sending a print data signal to the thermal head 13 while sending a winding signal to the ribbon winding roller 15 and the transfer paper winding roller 17 respectively. And

Next, the arrangement of fine heating elements forming the preceding heating element row 13a and the succeeding heating element row 13b is shown in FIG.
It will be described based on.

The present invention has a preceding heating element column 13a and a succeeding heating element column 13b, and the feed pitch in the sub-scanning direction of the preceding heating element column 13a and the succeeding heating element column 13b is represented by L and a natural number is obtained. If n, the preceding heating element array 13
a in the sub-scanning direction between a and the subsequent heating element column 13b is D
= (N + (1/4 to 1/2)) L, and the preceding heating element column 13a and the following heating element column 13
b, the preceding heating element and the succeeding heating element have the same shape and are arranged at the same pitch M in the respective main scanning directions, and the respective following heating elements corresponding to the preceding heating element are arranged in the main scanning direction with respect to the main scanning direction ( In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the relative feed pitch of the transfer paper 20 in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the preceding heating element array 13a and the like is L, and the natural number is a natural number. n (n = 1, 2, 3,...
.), A case where D = (n + ／) L and the following heating element has a displacement represented by M / 2 with respect to the main scanning direction will be described.

In consideration of the accuracy of the feed pitch in the sub-scanning direction, it is desirable that the interval D between the two heating element arrays satisfies the following relationship (1).

[0034]

(Equation 1) The preceding heating element 13c and the following heating element 13d constituting the preceding heating element row 13a and the following heating element row 13b have the same shape, and are arranged at the same pitch M in the respective main scanning directions. Moreover, the preceding heating element 13c
Have a deviation of M / 2 with respect to the main scanning direction.

For this reason, after the preceding heating element array 13a performs one line of main scanning at the position (a) in FIG.
When the sub-scanning is performed n times, the line printed by the preceding heating element 13c reaches the position (b). This line position is different from the arrangement position (c) of the succeeding heating element column 13b in the sub-scanning direction. The L / 2 shift and the arrangement of the respective subsequent heating elements 13d are also shifted by M / 2 in the main scanning direction. Therefore, the place where the subsequent heating element 13d prints is the corresponding preceding heating element 13c.
Only 1/4 of the printed area is wrapped.

In this embodiment, the size of each side of each heating element is α = 57.5 μm in the main scanning direction and β = 7 in the sub-scanning direction.
0 μm, and the arrangement pitch in the main scanning direction is M = 62.5 μ.
m (16 dots / mm), the number of heating elements per row is 4096 dots in B4 size. Further, the distance between the two heating element rows is set as D = 781.25 μm. In this embodiment, the feed pitch in the sub-scanning direction is L = 6.
Since it is 2.5 μm, D = 0.78125 [mm] <
62.5 [mm], which satisfies the relationship of Expression 1.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the relative feed pitch of the transfer paper 20 in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the preceding heating element array 13a and the like is L, and the natural number is n (n = 1, 2, 3,.
..), the description has been given of the case where the following heating element has a relationship represented by D = (n + 1/2) L and the subsequent heating element has a displacement represented by M / 2 with respect to the main scanning direction. However, in the present invention, the distance D is D = (n + (1
/ 4 to 1/2)) L, and each subsequent heating element corresponding to the preceding heating element is displaced by (1/4 to 1/2) M with respect to the main scanning direction. Has a number of different combinations.

The preheating element array 13a having the above configuration
And thermal head 13 with subsequent heating element column 13b
The printing status of a hatched portion obliquely intersecting the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a hatched outer portion printed on the transfer paper 20. A printed portion 20a indicated by a solid line is a portion thermally transferred by the preceding heating element 13c, and a printed portion indicated by a broken line. Reference numeral 20b denotes a portion printed by the subsequent heating element 13d. As described above, when the control unit 19 sends a print data signal so that the succeeding heating element 13d prints in the hatched outer portion overlapping with the printing portion 20a of the preceding heating element 13c, the uneven portion formed in the hatched outer portion is removed. Can be smooth.

In order to make the outer contour of the oblique line smoother, in addition to the subsequent heating element column 13b, another subsequent heating element column 1
13b may be provided to control the print data signal so that the even-angle portions of each of the following heating elements 113b are in contact with the dashed line representing the hatched outline in FIG.

FIG. 9 shows an example of the arrangement of the other succeeding heating element columns 113b in this case. Other subsequent heating element column 11
The heating element 113d constituting 3b is a heating element 13c
And have the same shape as the subsequent heating element 13d, and are arranged at the same pitch M in the respective main scanning directions. However, the deviation of each heating element 113d corresponding to the preceding heating element 13c in the main scanning direction is (1/2 ±
１ ／) M, and the distance in the sub-scanning direction between the preceding heating element column 13a and the other following heating element column 113b is D1 = (n +
(1/2 ± １ ／)) L.

FIG. 10 shows the printing state of the thermal transfer printer A provided with all of the above four sets of the other succeeding heating element columns 113b, and the corresponding printing portion 2 of the preceding heating element 13c.
0a and the printing portion 20c of each heating element 113d have four different types of wrapping situations. In FIG. 10, the printing portion 20c on the one-dot chain line representing the hatched outline is selected.
Control means 1 so as to overlap and print on the printing portion 20a of
When the print data signal 9 is transmitted, the uneven portion formed on the outer periphery of the oblique line can be made smoother. 10 and 9
When forming the outline of the diagonal lines with different 0 ° directions,
Is selected and printed.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the description has been made of the thermal transfer printer A provided with the succeeding heating element column 13b and all four sets of the other succeeding heating element columns 113b. May be used alone or in combination of two or more. However, in order to obtain high quality printing, only the subsequent heating element column 13b is used alone as described above, or the other subsequent heating element column 1b is used in addition to the subsequent heating element column 13b.
It is better to have all four sets of 13b.

Next, another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The thermal transfer printer A shown in FIG. 11 has two thermal heads 23 and 33, one of which is a thermal head 23.
Is provided with a preceding heating element row 23a, and the other thermal head 33 is provided with a subsequent heating element row 33b. In the case of the thermal transfer printer A, the thermal heads 23 and 33 are also used.
The configuration and operation are exactly the same as those of the thermal transfer printer A shown in FIGS.

The size of each heating element used in the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 is: main scanning direction α = 78 μm, sub-scanning direction β = 9
0 μm, and the arrangement pitch in the main scanning direction is M = 83.3.
μm (12 dots / mm), the number of heating elements per row is B
3000 dots in 4 sizes. The interval between the two heating element rows mounted on the separate thermal heads 23 and 33 is D = 4.207 mm, and the feed pitch in the sub-scanning direction is L = 83.3 μm. In this case, D =
4.207 [mm] <83.3 [mm].
Meet the relationship. The printing condition of the hatched portion is exactly the same as that in which two heating element rows are provided on the same substrate, and the uneven portion formed on the outer periphery of the hatched portion is formed smoothly.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
It will be described based on. FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of a thermal transfer printer in which a preceding heating element row and a succeeding heating element row provided on the same substrate are orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction, and FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of the same. In the thermal transfer printer A shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a thermal head 43 orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction is provided with a preceding heating element column 43a and a succeeding heating element column 43b, but other components are shown in FIGS. Thermal head 3 shown
Has the same configuration as that of the thermal transfer printer A which is not orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction.

However, the thermal head 3 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 performs sub-scanning on the transfer paper 10 while moving in parallel a distance smaller than the size of one heating element 3a, thereby printing. Although the recording density has been increased, FIG.
The thermal head 43 shown in FIG. 13 prints by performing sub-scanning while moving two heating element rows in parallel with respect to the transfer paper 10 to increase the apparent print recording density.
Therefore, even in the thermal transfer printer A shown in FIGS.
Similar to the two heating element rows shown in FIG. 7, a succeeding heating element row 43b is provided in parallel with a predetermined interval in the sub-scanning direction from the preceding heating element row 43a. The subsequent heating element has a predetermined displacement with respect to the main scanning direction. Also in this case, the preceding heating element array 43
The subsequent heating element column 43b traces the portion printed by the letter "a" and prints again, forming a smooth image with the uneven portions formed on the oblique outline.

[0048]

As described above, in the thermal transfer printer according to the first aspect, the main scanning is performed in the direction in which the heating element arrays are arranged, and the heated and melted ink layer is transferred onto the transfer paper, and one line worth of the ink is transferred. When an image is formed and printing for one line is completed in the main scanning direction, the heating element array moves in parallel in the sub-scanning direction by a small distance in the sub-scanning direction, and main scanning for one line is performed again. , And by repeating the main scanning and sub-scanning to form a required image, the apparent print recording density projected in the sub-scanning direction can be improved without reducing the size of the heating element. It is possible to print in a smaller space than in this case, and it is possible to obtain smooth and high-quality image printing.

In the thermal transfer printer according to the second and third aspects, the succeeding heating elements are arranged in parallel in the sub-scanning direction at a predetermined interval from the preceding heating element row, and have a predetermined deviation from the main scanning direction. By providing the heating element array, printing is performed again while tracing the previously printed portion, the apparent print recording density is improved, and smooth and high-quality image printing can be obtained. In addition, since it is only necessary to provide a plurality of heating element arrays in which the arrangement and arrangement of the heating elements are slightly different, high quality printing can be obtained at a low cost without increasing the size of the thermal transfer printer.

Further, in the thermal transfer printer according to the fourth aspect, by sending print data for smoothing the step-like uneven portion on the outer side of the oblique line to the succeeding heating element array, it is possible to minimize the location of the overlap printing. Thus, the cost can be reduced, and stains on the transfer paper can be reduced to obtain high quality printing.

Further, in the thermal transfer printer according to the fifth aspect, by providing the preceding heating element row and the succeeding heating element row on the same substrate, the apparatus can be reduced in size and simplified.

In the thermal transfer printer according to the sixth aspect of the invention, by providing the preceding heating element row and the succeeding heating element row on separate substrates, it is possible to easily perform overprinting on transfer paper on a curved surface. it can.

In the thermal transfer printer according to the present invention, high-quality printing can be easily performed by performing sub-scanning while moving the preceding heating element row and the succeeding heating element row in parallel by the heating element row moving means. make it happen.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a thermal transfer printer in which a heating element row moving unit is not orthogonal to a sub-scanning direction.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a thermal transfer printer in which a heating element row moving unit is not orthogonal to a sub-scanning direction.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement state of a heating element array mounted on a thermal head.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a printing state by a heating element.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a printing situation.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a thermal transfer printer in which a preceding heating element row and a succeeding heating element row are provided on the same substrate.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of a heating element forming a preceding heating element row and a succeeding heating element row.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a hatched portion printing state using a preceding heating element row and a succeeding heating element row.

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of a heating element forming another subsequent heating element column.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a hatched portion printing state using another succeeding heating element array.

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of a thermal transfer printer in which a preceding heating element row and a following heating element row are provided on different substrates.

FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of a thermal transfer printer having a heating element row moving unit including a preceding heating element row and a subsequent heating element row.

FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of a thermal transfer printer having a heating element row moving unit including a preceding heating element row and a succeeding heating element row.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a printing state of a conventional thermal transfer printer.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view showing details of a printing state of a conventional thermal transfer printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Thermal transfer printer 1 Ink ribbon 3 Thermal head 3a Heating element 5 Head carriage 9 Control means 10 Transfer paper

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Sota Kawakami 1 Sakuracho, Hino-shi, Tokyo Inside Konica Corporation (56) References JP-A-63-197666 (JP, A) (JP, U) Actually open sho 59-171946 (JP, U) (58) Fields studied (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/32-2/325 B41J 2/345 B41J 2/255

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. An ink ribbon having a heat-sensitive ink layer on a substrate, a heating element array that presses and contacts the ink ribbon to supply heat to the ink layer, and is heated and melted by contacting the ink ribbon. Transfer paper for transferring the ink layer,
Heating element heat control means for sending a heat signal corresponding to the required print data to each heating element constituting the heating element row, performing a main scan in the direction in which the heating element row is arranged,
In a thermal transfer printer that forms an image on the transfer paper while performing sub-scanning in a direction that intersects with the main scanning direction, the direction in which the heating element arrays are arranged is not orthogonal to the direction in which the sub-scanning is performed. 30 ° to 7 with respect to the direction
The main scanning is performed in a direction in which the heating element rows are arranged, and the sub-scanning is performed at a shorter distance than an adjacent distance between the heating elements forming the heating element rows to form an image. The sub-scanning is performed by a heating element row moving unit that moves the heating element row in parallel with the transfer paper. The heating element row transfers the transfer paper when one line of printing is completed in the main scanning direction. In contrast, a parallel movement of the heating element array in the sub-scanning direction by a very small distance, main scanning for one line is performed again, a predetermined image is printed, and main scanning and sub-scanning are repeated to form a required image. Characteristic thermal transfer printer. 2. An ink ribbon having a heat-sensitive ink layer on a substrate, a heating element array which presses and contacts the ink ribbon to supply heat to the ink layer, and is heated and melted by contacting the ink ribbon. Transfer paper for transferring the ink layer,
Heating element heat control means for sending a heat signal corresponding to the required print data to each heating element constituting the heating element row, performing a main scan in the direction in which the heating element row is arranged,
In a thermal transfer printer that forms an image on the transfer paper while performing sub-scanning in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, the heating element row is separated from the preceding heating element row in the sub-scanning direction and the rear heating element row. Having a row heating element column, and assuming that a feed pitch in the sub-scanning direction of the preceding heating element column and the subsequent heating element column is L and a natural number is n, the preceding heating element column and the subsequent heating element column Has a relationship represented by D = (n + (1/4 to 1/2)) L, and further comprises a preceding heating element row and a preceding heating element row And the following heating elements are of the same shape and are arranged at the same pitch M in the respective main scanning directions, and the respective subsequent heating elements corresponding to the preceding heating elements are (（to に 対 し) with respect to the main scanning direction. 1/2) M
A thermal transfer printer having a deviation represented by: 3. An ink ribbon having a heat-sensitive ink layer on a substrate, a heating element array which presses and contacts the ink ribbon to supply heat to the ink layer, and is heated and melted by contacting the ink ribbon. Transfer paper for transferring the ink layer,
Heating element heat control means for sending a heat signal corresponding to the required print data to each heating element constituting the heating element row, performing a main scan in the direction in which the heating element row is arranged,
In a thermal transfer printer that forms an image on the transfer paper while performing sub-scanning in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction,
The heating element row has a preceding heating element row and a succeeding heating element row disposed in parallel in the sub-scanning direction, and the pre-heating element row and the following heating element row in the sub-scanning direction. Where L is a natural number and the feed pitch is L, the distance D in the sub-scanning direction between the preceding heating element row and the following heating element row is represented by D = (n + (1/2 ± 1/4)) L. And the preceding heating element and the following heating element have the same shape, are arranged at the same pitch M in the respective main scanning directions, and each of the following heating elements corresponding to the preceding heating element Is (1/2) with respect to the main scanning direction.
A thermal transfer printer having a deviation represented by ± 1/4) M. 4. The heating element heating control means includes a heating signal corresponding to print data for smoothing a stepped uneven portion of a hatched outline printed by the preceding heating element row to the subsequent heating element row. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, wherein the thermal transfer printer is sent. 5. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, wherein the preceding heating element row and the following heating element row are provided on the same substrate. 6. The thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, wherein the preceding heating element row and the following heating element row are provided on separate substrates. 7. The sub-scanning is performed by a heating element row moving means for translating the preceding heating element row and the following heating element row to arbitrary positions with respect to the transfer sheet. The thermal transfer printer according to any one of claims 2 to 6.