JPH0239951A - Image recording method in current supply thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the dot omission due to a continuity inferior current supply element by a method wherein a current is supplied from one of a pair of normal current supply elements adjacent on both sides of the continuity inferior current supply element to the other one to record the dot to be recorded by the continuity inferior current supply element. CONSTITUTION:In such a state that all of current supply elements 31, 32, 33 are in a normal continuity state, when a current 50 is supplied to said elements, said current 50 flows from said current supply elements to a common return electrode 3 and a dot image 40 is transferred to recording paper to be formed thereon. However, when the current supply element 32 is inferior to continuity, the dot due to the current supply element 32 is not recorded to generate a dot omission phenomenon. Thereupon, the current supply quantities of the respective current supply elements are measured in order to know whether a continuity inferior current supply element is present in a head and a current is allowed to flow from one of a pair of the normal current supply elements 31, 33 adjacent on both sides of the continuity inferior current supply element 32 to the other one to record a dot image 41.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an image recording method in an electric thermal transfer printer.

[Prior Art] In a head formed by arranging and integrating a series of current-carrying elements, the ends of each of the current-carrying elements are brought into contact with a current-carrying ink sheet, and the head is connected to a common return electrode that contacts the current-carrying ink sheet at different positions. A current-carrying thermal transfer printer is known that uses a current-carrying ink sheet to form a current-carrying path in between, and melts the ink on the current-carrying ink sheet and transfers it onto a recording paper by applying current through a current-carrying element.

FIG. 2 schematically shows only the main parts of such an electric thermal transfer printer.

The pinch roller 1 and the capstan roller 2 sandwich the recording paper 6 and rotate in the direction of the arrow to feed the recording paper 6. The head 4 is formed by arranging and integrating a series of current-carrying elements on a substrate in a direction perpendicular to the drawing, and contacts the printing paper 6 and the current-carrying ink sheet 5 together with a platen roller 7 so as to sandwich the recording paper 6 and the current-carrying ink sheet 5 . At this time, the end of each current-carrying element in the head 4 comes into contact with the current-carrying ink sheet 5.

The common return electrode 3 is at a separate location from the head 4.

It is in contact with the energized ink sheet.

FIG. 3 schematically shows the current-conducting path for image recording in FIG. and a current-carrying element represented by the reference numeral 13;
The common return electrode 3 contacts the resistance layer 14 as shown.

As shown in FIG. 3, the common return electrode 3 is connected to a power source 11 via a resistor 19, and a transistor 12 for on/off control is arranged between the power source 11 and the current-carrying element 13. Energizing element 1
3, current flows from the current-carrying element 13 through the conductive WJI 5 through the resistive layer 14 as indicated by the dashed arrow in the figure, and flows back into the common return electrode 3 through the resistive layer 14.

At this time, Joule heat is generated in the resistance layer portion, which is indicated by symbol (■). This Joule heat melts the ink in the ink layer 16 at the portion indicated by the symbol ■. The melted ink is transferred to the recording paper 6. In this way, dots are recorded by the current-carrying element I3, and a recorded image is recorded as a collection of such dots.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In order for the above-mentioned recording method to be performed normally, the conduction state of all current-carrying elements must be normal. This occurs due to poor contact with the ink sheet or an abnormality in the driver system. For this reason, the contact between the current-carrying element and the current-carrying ink sheet must always be well adjusted, and various devices for this purpose have been proposed (for example, JP-A-61
179760).

However, there is no way to correct poor conduction caused by an abnormality in the driver system, and in the past, there was no way to deal with such cases other than replacing the head.

The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and
The objective is to provide a novel image recording method that can record dots to be recorded by the current-carrying element with poor conduction even when the head has a current-carrying element with poor conduction.

[Means to solve the problem] The present invention will be explained below.

In the image recording method of the present invention, an end of each current-carrying element of a head formed by arranging and integrating a series of current-carrying elements is brought into contact with a current-carrying ink sheet, and a common return electrode that contacts the current-carrying ink sheet at different positions is connected to the head. A method for recording five images in a current-carrying thermal transfer printer of a type in which a current-carrying path is formed between a current-carrying ink sheet and a current-carrying element melting the ink of the current-carrying ink sheet and transferring it onto recording paper. , has the following characteristics.

In other words, the amount of current flowing through each current-carrying element in the head is dl
set.

As a result of the measurement, if there is a current-carrying element with poor continuity, use a pair of normal current-carrying elements adjacent to both sides of the current-carrying element with poor conduction, and use one of these normal current-carrying elements 1 to the other. A current is applied to the dots to be recorded by the current-carrying elements having poor conductivity.

[Function] To achieve the object of the present invention, it is necessary to know whether or not there is a 1jfi fi element with poor conduction in the head. For this purpose, the amount of current flowing through each current-carrying element in the head is measured. The amount of current applied is measured as follows.

In FIG. 3, a resistor 19 inserted between the common return path electrode 3 and the power source 11 is a minute resistor used to measure the amount of current flowing in the embodiment of the present invention. When a specific current-carrying element is energized in the state shown in FIG. 3, the amount of energization can be determined by determining the potential difference Vl appearing across the resistor 19. Therefore, if the amount of current is measured one by one in the above manner for all of the current-carrying elements that make up the head 4, it is possible to identify a current-carrying element with poor conductivity due to an abnormality in the amount of current. can.

In this way, when a current-carrying element with poor conductivity is identified, normal dot formation cannot be expected even if this current-carrying element is turned on.

Therefore, in such a case, a pair of normal current-carrying elements adjacent to both sides of the current-carrying element with the faulty current conduction is used, and current is passed from one of the normal current-carrying elements to the other to remove the faulty current-carrying element. It records the dots that should be recorded.

[Example code] Hereinafter, description will be given based on specific examples.

In FIG. 4, symbols 31, 32, 3:l indicate current-carrying elements. Now these current carrying elements 31.
32, 33 are all in a normal conductive state, when these current-carrying elements 31, 32, 33 are energized, a current 50 flows from these current-carrying elements toward the common return electrode 3, and is indicated by reference numeral 40 in FIG. A dot image as shown is transferred onto the recording paper.

However, if the current-carrying element 32 has poor conductivity, the recording method described above would result in one current-carrying element 1-3.
There is no current flowing out from the current-carrying element 32, and the dots caused by the current-carrying element 32 are not recorded, resulting in the phenomenon of missing dots.

Therefore, in such a case, as shown in FIG. 1(I),
Recording is performed by using a pair of normal current-carrying elements 31, 33 and passing current from one of these current-carrying elements to the other.

FIG. 1(1) shows an example in which a current 51 is passed from the current-carrying element 31 to the current-carrying element 33, and a dot image as shown by reference numeral 41 is recorded according to the current flow. In this way, it is possible to record a dot image as if dot recording had been performed even with the current-carrying element 32, and the quality of the recorded image can be maintained despite the presence of the current-carrying element 32 with poor conduction.

As mentioned above, in order to enable current to flow from current-carrying element to current-carrying element, as shown in Figure 1 (II), a grounding transistor is connected to all current-carrying elements of the head along with on/off transistors. do.

Current-carrying elements 31, 32, 33 shown in Figure 1 (1)
To explain this example with reference to FIG. 1 (II), an on/off transistor 124 and a grounding transistor 125 are connected to the current-carrying element 31. In addition, the current-carrying element 33 includes an on/off transistor 126.
Similarly, two transistors are connected to the zero current-carrying element 32 to which the grounding transistor 127 is connected, but these are not shown.

Now, taking the current-carrying element 31 as an example, when a current flows out from the current-carrying element 31, the on/off transistor 124 is turned on, and when a current flows into the current-carrying element 31, the grounding transistor 125 is turned on. .

Therefore, when recording as shown in FIG. 1(I), transistors 124 and 127 are turned on and transistors 125 and 126 are turned off. Then the current 51
As shown in FIG. 1 (II), five energizing elements 31
and flows into the current-carrying element 33. As a result, a dot image 41 as shown in FIG. 1(I) is recorded.

However, since such energization cannot be performed simultaneously, it is necessary to perform it in a time-sharing manner.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a novel image recording method in an electric thermal transfer printer can be provided.

This method is structured as described above.

Even if there is poor continuity due to poor contact between some of the current-carrying elements in the head or malfunction of the driver, it will effectively prevent dots from falling out due to the current-carrying elements with poor conductivity, resulting in high-quality prints. Record images can be recorded.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the present invention in detail, and FIGS. 2 to 4 are diagrams for explaining an electric thermal transfer printer and the problem to be solved by the present invention. Element with poor continuity. 51. Current, 41,. Dot image, 30. . common return electrode

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A head formed by arranging a series of current-carrying elements and having an end of each of the current-carrying elements contact a current-carrying ink sheet, and a common return electrode contacting the current-carrying ink sheet at another position. A method of recording images in a current-carrying thermal transfer printer in which a current-carrying path is formed between the head and the head by a current-carrying ink sheet, and the ink on the current-carrying ink sheet is melted and transferred onto recording paper by energization by a current-carrying element. Then, measure the amount of current flowing through each current-carrying element in the head, and if there is a current-carrying element with poor continuity as a result of the above measurement, use a pair of normal current-carrying elements adjacent on both sides of the current-carrying element with poor continuity. An image recording method characterized in that a current is passed from one of the pair of normal current-carrying elements to the other to record dots to be recorded using the current-carrying element having poor conductivity.