JPH05208533A - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide a thermal transfer printer capable of setting a ribbon peeling position suitable for recording conditions and obtaining high quality recording. [Structure] In a thermal transfer printer that performs recording by narrowing a pressure between a recording paper and an ink ribbon between a thermal head and a platen, a ribbon peeling unit that can change a peeling position between the recording paper and the ink ribbon after recording is provided. It is characterized by being provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to thermal transfer printers that use thermal transfer ink ribbons.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional thermal transfer printer will be briefly described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a thermal transfer printer disclosed in JP-A-1-146760. This printer includes a heat sink 31, a head spring 32 that applies a pressure contact force to the platen 35 to the thermal head 38, a cam 33 that operates the thermal head 38 and the peeling roller 30, and a heat sink 3.
1 and is configured by a shaft 34 and the like which serves as a rotation center of up and down of the thermal head 38. The figure shows the recording state.

The recording paper 36 and the ink ribbon 37 moving in the direction of the arrow A are connected to the thermal head 38 and the platen 35.
After being transferred to the position of the peeling roller 30 by pressure contact with the peeling roller 30 and peeled by the peeling roller 30, the ink ribbon 3
7 is conveyed in the direction of arrow B, and the recording paper 36 is conveyed in the direction of arrow C.

The above thermal transfer printer has the peeling roller 30.
Is fixed to the tip of the arm portion 29, the peeling position is always the same, and the peeling method is a method of peeling after the ink of the ink ribbon 37 is completely cooled and then peeling.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a thermal transfer printer disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-182159. This printer includes a platen 35, a recording paper 36, an ink ribbon 37, a thermal head 38, a guide roller 39, rotary rollers 40 and 41.
Etc.

The recording paper 36 and the ink ribbon 37 moving in the direction of arrow E are connected to the thermal head 38 and the platen 35.
After being pressed and contacted with and heated and transferred, the ink ribbon 37 and the recording paper 36 are immediately separated by the conveyance of the ink ribbon 37 in the arrow D direction and the recording paper 36 in the arrow F direction.

The above thermal transfer printer has an ink ribbon 37.
The recording paper 36 and the ink ribbon 37 before the ink of
The method of immediate peeling is used.

[0009]

In the conventional thermal transfer printer, since the peeling positions of the recording paper and the ink ribbon are specified, when trying to obtain a thermal transfer printer using various recording papers and ink ribbons, Due to changes in recording conditions, image quality deterioration and defective recording paper or ribbon conveyance occurred.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art and to provide a thermal transfer printer capable of setting a ribbon peeling position which meets recording conditions and obtaining high quality recording.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a thermal transfer printer for performing recording by narrowing the pressure between a recording paper and an ink ribbon between a thermal head and a platen. It is characterized in that a ribbon peeling means capable of changing the peeling position is provided.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of a thermal transfer printer of the present invention is shown in FIG.
2 (a) (b), 3 (a) (b), 4 (a)
This will be described with reference to FIGS. 5B and 5A and 5B.

The thermal transfer printer of this embodiment can record both monochrome and color. As shown in FIG. 1, the basic configuration includes a platen 6, which is a main paper conveying means for monochrome recording, installed on a thermal head 5, a supply core 1 serving as a supply side core, and a winding side core. The ink ribbon 2 wound around the winding core 3, the paper feeding roller 7 and the paper pressing roller 8 which are the main conveying means at the time of color recording, the supply side ribbon guide roller 10, and the winding side ribbon guide roller. It consists of 12.

The recording sheet 9 is fed by a driving means (not shown) and conveyed between the ink ribbon 2 and the platen 6 to finish the method.

Next, the recording operation will be described. Since the recording operation is different between when the color ink ribbon is used and when the monochrome ink ribbon is used, the recording operation when the monochrome ribbon is used will be described first with reference to FIG.

In the case of monochrome recording, the platen 6 is pressed against the thermal head 5, and the platen 6 is rotated in the direction of arrow f in the figure by the drive transmission from a motor (not shown). At the same time, the ink ribbon 2 is moved in the direction of arrow d in the figure. Recording is done by winding. At this time, the paper pressing roller 8 is released from the paper feeding roller 7, and the recording paper 9 is guided and conveyed by a paper guide (not shown) fixed in parallel with the paper pressing roller 8.

In the case of the monochrome recording described above, especially for rough paper, since the surface unevenness is large, it is necessary to crosslink the ink of the ink ribbon 2 to the surface unevenness of the recording paper 9 and transfer it. Therefore, since ink with strong cohesive force is used,
When the monochrome ink is transferred to the recording paper 9, an immediate peeling method of peeling at the edge portion 15 of the thermal head 5 before the ink is solidified is used as shown in FIG.

Next, in the case of color recording, the paper pressing roller 8 which is released at the time of paper feeding is interposed by the recording paper 2 and the paper feeding roller 7 which is the main paper feeding means by the driving means (not shown).
Then, the platen 6 is pressed against the thermal head 5 with the ink ribbon 2 interposed. After that, by rotating the paper pressing roller 8 following the rotation of the paper feed roller 7 in the direction of arrow i in the figure, the recording paper 9 is conveyed in the direction of arrow e, and the first color is recorded according to the recording signal. Ink ribbon 2 at the same time
Is wound in the direction of arrow d in the figure. At this time, the platen 6 is not driven and is rotated in the direction of arrow f following the conveyance of the recording paper 9. After the recording of the first color is completed, the platen 6 pressed against the recording head 5 is released upward in the drawing, the paper is fed back by the paper feed roller 7, and the edge of the recording paper 9 is detected by a sensor (not shown). The recording of the second color starts. This repetition is repeated several times, and the color recording is completed.

As represented by such color recording, particularly when high quality recording is required, a method of peeling after the recording paper 9 and the ink ribbon 2 are peeled after the ink is completely solidified and the ink is stabilized To use. The embodiment of the thermal transfer printer which is compatible with the immediate peeling and the post-peeling described above is concentrated on the G portion of FIG. 1 and is illustrated in FIGS. 2 (a) and (b), FIGS. 3 (a) and (b), and FIG. ) (B) and FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b).

The structure of the thermal transfer printer of FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3A, 3B, which is the first embodiment, includes a platen 6, a thermal head 5, a recording paper 9, an ink ribbon 2, and a platen. 6 has substantially the same width in the axial direction and is composed of a recording paper 9 and a ribbon peeling roller 11 which is a peeling means for the ink ribbon 2.

The post-peeling method of the recording paper 9 and the ink ribbon 2 is as follows. As shown in FIG. 2A, the ribbon peeling roller 11 is brought into pressure contact with the platen 6 and driven by the winding of the ink ribbon 2 in the direction of arrow d. It is performed by rotating in the g direction.

When performing the immediate peeling with the above ribbon peeling roller 11 mounted, the ribbon peeling roller 11 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 2B, and the edge portion 15 of the thermal head 5 immediately peels it. To do. The moving means of the ribbon peeling roller 11 may be manually switched via a lever or the like, or may be automatically switched by a cam or the like.

In FIG. 3A, the ribbon stripping roller 11 is attached separately from the platen 6. Here, the ribbon peeling roller 11 is arranged so as to be slightly aligned in the direction of the arrow in the figure by providing a biasing means around the axis of both end supporting portions (not shown). By this vertical movement, the ink ribbon 2 and the recording paper 9 are peeled off while absorbing wrinkles due to the lateral tension variation of the ink ribbon 2, and a constant image quality is always obtained.

When performing the immediate peeling with the above ribbon peeling roller 11 mounted, the ribbon peeling roller 11 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 3B, and the edge portion 15 of the thermal head 5 immediately peels it. To do. The ribbon stripping roller 1
The first moving means may be manually switched via a lever or the like, or may be automatically switched by a cam or the like.

In the above embodiment, the ribbon peeling roller 11 is used as the ribbon peeling means, but the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 (a) (b) and 5 (a) (b) is used. Similarly, it is possible to use the ribbon peeling plate 13.

The thermal transfer printer shown in FIGS. 4A, 5B and 5A, 5B has a platen 6, a thermal head 5,
The recording paper 9, the ink ribbon 2, and the platen 6 are formed to have a width substantially the same as the axial width of the recording paper 9 and a ribbon peeling plate 13 as a peeling means for separating the recording paper 9 and the ink ribbon 2.

As for the post-peeling method of the recording paper 9 and the ink ribbon 2, as shown in FIG. 4A, the ribbon peeling plate 13 is brought into pressure contact with the platen 6, and the ink ribbon 2 is moved in the direction of arrow d.
By winding the recording paper 9 in the direction of the arrow e, the ribbon peeling plate 13 is always peeled back.

When performing the immediate peeling with the above ribbon peeling roller 11 mounted, the ribbon peeling roller 11 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 4 (b) and immediately peeled at the edge portion 15 of the thermal head 5. To do. The ribbon stripping roller 1
The first moving means may be manually switched via a lever or the like, or may be automatically switched by a cam or the like.

Next, the ribbon peeling plate 13 can be attached separately from the platen 6. Figure 5 (a)
In (b), urging means is provided at both ends of the ribbon peeling plate 13 so that the ribbon can be finely aligned in the direction of the arrow in the drawing. The ribbon 2 and the recording paper 9 are peeled off. As a result, a constant image quality is always obtained.

When performing the immediate peeling with the above ribbon peeling roller 11 mounted, the ribbon peeling roller 11 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 5B and immediately peeled at the edge portion 15 of the thermal head 5. To do. The ribbon stripping roller 1
The first moving means may be manually switched via a lever or the like, or may be automatically switched by a cam or the like.

The thermal transfer printer shown above is one in which the ribbon peeling method suitable for each recording condition can be selected by manual or automatic switching, and further various recording papers 9 and various recording papers suitable for each recording can be selected. Recording is also possible on the ink ribbon.

[0032]

According to the present invention, the recording paper and the ink ribbon peeling method can be selected according to the recording conditions, so that it is possible to perform recording satisfying various recording conditions with one thermal transfer printer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a main sectional view showing an embodiment of a thermal transfer printer according to the present invention.

[Fig. 2]

[Fig. 3]

[Fig. 4]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration and operation of ribbon peeling means in a thermal transfer printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 6,

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing an example of a conventional thermal transfer printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Supply Core 2 Ink Ribbon 3 Winding Core 5 Thermal Head 6 Platen 7 Paper Feed Roller 8 Paper Pressing Roller 9 Recording Paper 10 Supply Side Ribbon Guide Roller 11 Ribbon Peeling Roller 12 Winding Side Ribbon Guide Roller 13 Ribbon Peeling Plate 15 Edge Section

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a thermal transfer printer for performing recording by narrowing a recording paper and an ink ribbon between a thermal head and a platen, ribbon peeling capable of changing the peeling position between the recording paper and the ink ribbon after recording. A thermal transfer printer comprising means.