JPH1191195A - Thermal transfer type recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simply optimize a heater line position of a heat-generating body of a thermal recording head to a top point of a platen roller and surely prevent generation of wrinkle-based image losses on recording papers in a thermal transfer type recording apparatus. SOLUTION: In a thermal transfer type recording apparatus carrying out recording with holding a recording paper and a transfer film between a heat- generating body 15A of a thermal recording head 15 and a platen roller 32, a heater line setting-switching device 60 is provided which can switch setting of a heater line position P1 of the heat-generating body 15A of the thermal recording head 15 to a top point of the platen roller 32. This heater line setting- switching device 60 has a first and a second cylindrical head guides 61A, 61B and a ring groove-like engagement part 61C in an axial direction of a guide cylindrical body 61 fitted in the circumference of a supporting shaft 32A at each side of the platen roller 32 supported at a case, and also includes a guide position-switching device 63.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer type recording apparatus, and more particularly, to a color sublimation type thermal transfer type recording apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a recording apparatus (printer), there is a thermal transfer type recording apparatus for transferring ink of a transfer film such as a fusion type ink ribbon and a sublimation type ink ribbon to recording paper by heating. In this thermal transfer type recording apparatus, a recording operation is performed with a recording paper and a transfer film interposed between a heating element of a thermal recording head and a platen roller.

[0003]

However, in the thermal transfer recording apparatus, the heating elements of the thermal recording head are arranged continuously along the axial direction of the platen roller to form a heater line. According to this, there is an appropriate position where the heater line position (offset amount of the heater line) formed by the heating element of the thermal recording head with respect to the vertex of the platen roller differs for each type of recording paper.

However, in the prior art, the heater line position formed by the heating element of the thermal recording head with respect to the apex of the platen roller is fixed. For this reason, when two types of recording paper are used in a single recording apparatus, a heater line is set at an intermediate position between two appropriate heater line positions corresponding to each of the two types of recording paper. In this case, since the heater line position is not a genuine proper position, a wrinkle-like printing defect occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer type recording apparatus in which a heating element of a thermal recording head easily adjusts a heater line position with respect to an apex of a platen roller, thereby ensuring occurrence of wrinkle-like printing defects on recording paper. It is to prevent.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermal transfer recording apparatus for performing a recording operation with a recording paper and a transfer film interposed between a heating element of a thermal recording head and a platen roller. And a heater line setting changing device which can switch and set a heater line position formed by the heating element of the thermal recording head with respect to the apex of the platen roller.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the heater line setting changing device further includes a head guide provided around a support shaft of a platen roller supported on a support base. A plurality of head guides are provided around the support of the platen roller when abutting the positioning abutment portions of the head frame supporting the thermal recording head to determine the heater line position. It is provided with a guide position switching device that can sequentially position the abutment position by the abutment portion.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of heads in the axial direction of a guide cylinder fitted around a support shaft of a platen roller supported by the support table. A guide and an engagement portion are provided, and the guide position switching device engages the engagement portion provided on the movable plate moving with respect to the support base with the engagement portion of the guide cylinder in the support shaft direction of the platen roller. In addition, an operating unit is provided which enables the moving plate to move in the direction of the support shaft of the platen roller so that each head guide is sequentially positioned at the abutment position by the positioning abutment unit of the head frame.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the following operations are provided. The position of the heater line formed by the heating element of the thermal recording head with respect to the vertex of the platen roller can be switched and set. As a result, the heater line position of the thermal recording head can be set to an appropriate position determined for each type of recording paper, and the occurrence of wrinkled print defects on the recording paper can be prevented.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the following operations are provided. The heater line setting changing device is supported on the head frame by sequentially positioning each of the plurality of head guides provided around the support shaft of the platen roller at the abutting position by the positioning abutting portion of the head frame by the guide position switching device. The heater line position of the thermal recording head can be easily and reliably switched and set as described above.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the following operations are provided. The heater line setting changing device controls each of the plurality of head guides of the guide cylinder fitted around the support shaft of the platen roller by the operating portion of the guide position switching device and the moving plate by the positioning butting portion of the head frame. By sequentially positioning them at the combined position, the heater line position of the thermal recording head supported by the head frame can be easily and reliably switched and set as described above.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a thermal transfer type recording apparatus, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a thermal recording head and a platen roller, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 is a side view, FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a pressing device, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the pressing device.

The color sublimation type thermal transfer recording apparatus 10
As shown in FIG. 1, a recording paper supply unit 12 and a recording paper pull-out unit 13 that constitute a recording paper feeding device, a ribbon cassette 14 that constitutes a transfer film feeding device, a thermal recording head 15, and a recording paper discharge A section 16, a cutting section 17, a stacker section 18, and an electrical component 19 are provided.

The case 11 has a lower door 11A on the front side of the recording paper supply section 12, and an upper door 11B around the ribbon cassette 14, the recording paper discharge section 16 and the cutting section 17.

The recording paper supply unit 12 includes a recording paper unwinding shaft 21 to which the core 1A of the rolled recording paper 1 can be attached and detached, a tension applying device 22 connected to the recording paper unwinding shaft 21, and a recording paper winding motor 23. Is provided. The tension applying device 22 applies a load torque to the recording paper unwinding shaft 21,
A back tension is applied to the recording paper 1 pulled out from the recording paper unwinding shaft 21 by the recording paper draw-out section 13 so as to stabilize the drawing state of the recording paper 1. Recording paper take-up motor 23
Is a process of rewinding the recording paper 1 to the recording paper unwinding shaft 21 by the return movement of the recording paper unwinding unit 13,
The recording paper unwinding shaft 21 is driven to rotate in the reverse direction so that the recording paper 1 can rewind the recording paper 1 in a stable winding form.

The recording paper draw-out section 13 has a clamp device 31 for clamping the leading end of the recording paper 1, and the recording paper 1 clamped by the clamp device 31 is fed to a recording paper unwinding shaft 21.
From around the platen roller 32. The recording paper drawer 13 linearly reciprocates the recording paper 1 between the initial position A and the drawing position B each time the thermal recording head 15 performs recording. The clamp moving unit 33 attaches a timing belt to a gear provided outside the clamp device 31 and causes the clamp device 31 held by the timing belt to reciprocate linearly by rotating the timing belt with a pulse motor or the like. The pull-out speed and the pull-back speed of the recording paper 1 between the initial position A and the pull-out position B are regulated by the moving speed of the clamp device 31 by the clamp moving unit 33.

The platen roller 32 is supported by a bearing 32B having a support shaft 32A fixed to the case 11, and is free to rotate.

The ribbon cassette 14 has a ribbon take-out shaft 41 and a ribbon take-up shaft 41 for detachably mounting a take-up core 2A and a take-up core 2B of a sublimation type ink ribbon 2 having yellow, magenta, cyan, and black dye layers in a surface order. A shaft 42 is provided. The ribbon 2 wound around the ribbon winding shaft 42 unwound from the ribbon unwinding shaft 41 is wound around the platen roller 32 and a ribbon winding motor 43 is provided. The ribbon 2 is pressed together with the recording paper 1 by the platen roller 32 by the thermal recording head 15 during printing, and
The recording paper 1 is moved out of the ribbon unwinding shaft 41 by being moved along with the recording paper 1 pulled out by the third clamp device 31, and is also wound up loosely on the ribbon winding shaft 42 driven by the ribbon winding motor 43.

The thermal recording head 15 is supported by an upper door 11B of the case 11 so as to be movable up and down.
Is fixed to a head frame 45 which is detachably attached to the head frame 45. The upper door 11B can swing in the opening direction on the case 11 via the support shaft 11C, and the lifting frame 44 is supported on the upper door 11B via the support shaft 11D and can be raised and lowered by a lifting motor (not shown). ing. The lifting frame 44 includes a lower-limit support portion 44A and left and right support portions 44B.
And a vertical regulating roller 45 of the head frame 45.
A is brought into contact with the lower-limit support portion 44A and the left-right direction regulating roller 45B is brought into contact with the left-right support portion 44B, and the horizontal frame 46 regulates the head frame 45 with the horizontal lower limit position and the left-right direction position of the head frame 45 regulated. We support pulling. The position of the head frame 45 in the front-rear direction is
It is regulated by abutting a positioning abutting portion 62 of the head frame 45, which will be described later, with a guide cylinder 61 provided around the support shaft 32 </ b> A of the platen roller 32.

The thermal recording head 15 additionally includes a pressurizing device 70 supported on the elevating frame 44 as described later, and the resilient force of the spring 73 of the pressurizing device 70 causes the thermal recording head 15 to platen. Pressure is applied to the roller 32 side.

That is, the thermal recording head 15 has a head frame 45 which is lowered by the lowering of the elevating frame 44 during printing.
Together with the platen roller 32 so that the recording paper 1 and the ribbon 2 are sandwiched between the head frame 45 and the platen roller 32.
Of the vertical direction regulating roller 45A is lifted from the lower limit support portion 44A of the lifting frame 44,
The recording paper 1 and the ribbon 2 are pressed by the platen roller 32 by being pressed by 0, and printing is performed by a sublimation type thermal transfer system.

The recording paper discharge unit 16 returns to the initial position after the printing by the thermal recording head 15 is completed.
The recording paper 1 discharged by the third clamp device 31 is guided from the discharge guide 51 to the stacker 18.

The cutting section 17 cuts the recording paper 1 into a predetermined size by a cutter 52 provided in the recording paper discharge section 16.

The stacker section 18 accumulates the recording paper 1 cut by the cutting section 17 and discharged by the recording paper discharge section 16 on a tray 53.

Accordingly, the printing operation by the recording device 10 is performed as follows. (1) The leading end of the recording paper 1 is clamped by the clamp device 31 of the recording paper drawer 13 and the thermal recording head 1 is clamped.
5 is lowered from the standby position, and the thermal recording head 15 is pressed against the platen roller 32 by the pressurizing device 70, and the recording paper 1 and the ribbon 2 are moved by the thermal recording head 15 to the platen roller 3.
Between the two.

(2) The recording paper 1 is pulled out from the initial position by the clamp device 31 of the recording paper drawer 13, and printing is performed during the pulling. The ribbon 2 moves along with the recording paper 1 and is wound up from the ribbon unwinding shaft 41 to the ribbon winding shaft 42. Clamping device 31 for recording paper drawer 13
Is reached, the thermal recording head 15 is raised to the standby position, and the recording paper 1 is pulled back. Recording paper 1
Is pulled back by the clamping device 3 of the recording paper drawer 13.
1 is returned to the initial position, and the recording paper winding motor 23 rotates the recording paper unwinding shaft 21 in the reverse direction.

(3) If the print is multicolor, the above-mentioned (2) is performed using the ribbons 2 of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.
repeat.

(4) After the above (2) and (3), the recording paper drawer 13 positioned at the initial position and the recording paper discharger 16
Is performed. That is, the recording paper drawer 13
The leading end of the recording paper 1 is fed to a discharge guide 51 of the recording paper discharge unit 16 by a paper discharge roller provided in the clamping device 31 of FIG. Cut the tray 53 of the stacker section 18
To accumulate.

In the printing in the above (2) and (3), the sublimable dye of the ribbon 2 which is sublimated by heating from the back surface of the dye layer of the ribbon 2 by the heating element 15A of the thermal recording head 15 is recorded. It diffuses and dissolves in the receiving layer of the paper 1 and is colored.

However, in the recording apparatus 10, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the thermal recording head 15 forms a heater line 15B in which the heating elements 15A are continuously arranged along the axial direction of the platen roller 32, and includes a heater line setting changing device 60. Heater line position P with respect to vertex T of platen roller 32
Can be set by switching.

The heater line setting changing device 60 includes first and second cylindrical members in the axial direction of the guide cylinder 61 fitted around the support shafts 32A on both sides of the platen roller 32 supported on the case 11 (support table). In addition to providing head guides 61A and 61B and a ring groove-shaped engaging portion 61C, a guide position switching device 63 is provided, and positioning abutting portions 62 provided on both sides of a head frame 45 supporting the thermal recording head 15 are provided.
Against one of the first and second head guides 61A and 61B to determine the position P of the heater line 15B (FIG. 4). In FIG. 4, for example, offset relative to the apex of the heater line position P ₁ is a platen roller 32 positioned abutment 62 abuts on the first head guide 61A of the head frame 45 is 0, the positioning abutments 62 second head heater line position P ₂ which abuts on the guide 61B is offset amount becomes f with respect to the vertex of the platen roller 32. That is, the guide position switching device 63
Position the respective head guides 61A and 61B of the guide cylinder 61 in the abutment position of the positioning abutment portion 62 of the head frame 45, and position the positioning abutment portion 62 of the head frame 45 in each of the head guides 61A and 61B. Crabs can be selectively collated. Specifically, the guide position switching device 63 includes a plate-shaped engaging portion 66 provided on both sides of a movable plate 65 that moves with respect to a guide plate 64 fixed to the case 11. The engagement plate 61C is engaged with the platen roller 32 in the axial direction, and the movable plate 65 of the platen roller 32 is moved so that the head guides 61A and 61B are sequentially positioned at the collision positions by the positioning collision unit 62 of the head frame 45. An operation unit 67 that moves in the axial direction is provided. The operation section 67 includes a crank pin 67B having a fixed arm length with respect to the rotation center axis of the rotating disk 67A pivotally mounted on both sides of the guide plate 64. The crank pin 67B is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the movable plate 65. Long hole 65 drilled in the direction
A is engaged. Rotating disk 67 by operating unit 67
By the rotation operation of A, the moving plate 65 reciprocates on the guide plate 64 with a constant stroke (rotational diameter of the crank pin 67B), and the plate-like engaging portion 6 of the moving plate 65
By reciprocating the guide cylinder 61 engaged with the cylinder 6 at the same stroke, the first cylinder at the one stroke end
At the other stroke end, the head guide 61A positions the second head guide 61B at the abutment position of the positioning abutment portion 62 of the head frame 45.

Therefore, the heater line setting changing device 60 is used as follows (FIG. 4). (1) When the offset amount of the appropriate heater line position P formed by the heater line 15B of the thermal recording head 15 with respect to the vertex of the platen roller 32 is 0 depending on the type of the recording paper 1, the operation unit of the guide position switching device 63 First by 67
The head guide 61 </ b> A is positioned at an abutment position by the positioning abutment unit 62. Thereby, the head frame 45
Positioning abutments 62 abuts on the first head guide 61A, a heater line 15B of a thermal recording head 15 is set to a proper heater line position P ₁ where the offset amount to zero.

(2) When the offset amount of the appropriate heater line position P formed by the heater line 15B of the thermal recording head 15 with respect to the vertex of the platen roller 32 becomes f by changing the type of the recording paper 1, the guide position is switched. The second head guide 61 </ b> B is positioned at the abutment position by the positioning abutment unit 62 by the operation unit 67 of the device 63. Thus, the positioning abutment 62 of the head frame 45 abuts to the second head guide 61B, the heater line 15B of a thermal recording head 15 is set the offset amount to a proper heater line position P ₂ to f.

Therefore, in the recording apparatus 10, the provision of the heater line setting changing device 60 enables the following:
Has the effect of The heating element 15A of the thermal recording head 15 is the platen roller 3
The position of the heater line P to be formed with respect to the second vertex can be set by switching. Thus, the heater line position P of the thermal recording head 15 can be set to an appropriate position determined for each type of the recording paper 1, and the occurrence of wrinkle-like printing defects on the recording paper 1 can be prevented.

The heater line setting change device 60 moves each of the plurality of head guides 61A and 61B of the guide cylinder 61 fitted around the support shaft 32A of the platen roller 32 to the operation section 67 of the guide position switching device 63 and the movement. By sequentially positioning the head frame 45 at the abutting position by the positioning abutting portion 62 by the plate 65,
The heater line position P of the thermal recording head 15 supported by the head frame 45 can be easily and reliably switched and set as described above.

Next, in the recording apparatus 10, the pressurizing device 70 is configured as shown in FIGS. Pressurizing device 7
Reference numeral 0 denotes an operation unit 71 that can be switched and set between a standby position and a work position with respect to the elevating frame 44 (support), a pressing unit 72 connected to the operating unit 71, and an elevating frame 44.
And a spring 73 interposed between the heat recording head 15 and the pressure unit 72. Further, the pressurizing device 70 has a standby setting unit 74 provided on the elevating frame 44 to hold the operation unit 71 at the standby position.

More specifically, the operating section 71 includes a large-diameter shaft 71A and a small-diameter shaft 71B coaxial with each other.
L-shaped plate 71C (hole 71D) with hole on the upper end surface of A
Is provided. Further, the standby setting section 74 is formed of a double hole having a large diameter hole 74A and a small diameter hole 74B.

Accordingly, the pressure device 70 is used as follows (FIG. 5). (1) At the time of replacement due to failure of the thermal recording head 15, an operating tool 76 such as a screwdriver is passed through an operating hole 75 provided in a portion of the lifting frame 44 corresponding to the pressurizing device 70, and the tip of the operating tool 76 is The large-diameter shaft 71A is pulled up from the large-diameter hole 74A against the resilience of the spring 73 by the operating tool 76, and the small-diameter shaft 71B is drawn into the small-diameter hole 74B. After the insertion, the operating portion 71 is set to the standby position by a one-touch operation of engaging the lower end surface of the large-diameter shaft 71A around the small-diameter hole 74B (FIG. 5).
(C), (D)). Thus, the spring 73 is compressed from the predetermined working length to the standby length, the pressing unit 72 is separated from the thermal recording head 15, and the thermal recording head 15 can be replaced.

(2) After replacing the thermal recording head 15,
By using the operating tool 76 in the reverse procedure of (1), the spring 73 is immediately returned to the predetermined working length by a one-touch operation of pulling the large-diameter shaft 71A of the operating section 71 back into the large-diameter hole 74A and loosely inserting the same ( 5 (A) and 5 (B)), the pressurizing portion 72 can be resiliently moved toward the thermal recording head 15 with a predetermined resilient force.

That is, in the recording device 10, the operation unit 7
1 has a large-diameter shaft 71A and a small-diameter shaft 71B, and a simple configuration in which two continuous holes are used as a standby setting unit 74 allows the operation unit 71 to be easily switched between a standby position and a work position by one-touch operation. Thereby, the thermal recording head 15 can be easily replaced.

In the recording apparatus 10, a pressure device 80 shown in FIG. 6 can be used instead of the pressure device 70 described above. Similarly to the pressurizing device 70, the pressurizing device 80 includes an operation unit 81 that can be switched between a standby position and a work position with respect to the elevating frame 44 (support) and a pressurizing unit connected to the operation unit 81. 82, the lifting frame 44, and the pressing unit 82
And a spring 83 interposed between the spring 83 and the pressing portion 82 so as to be resilient to the thermal recording head 15. Further, the pressurizing device 80 has a standby setting unit 84 provided on the elevating frame 44 to hold the operation unit 81 at the standby position.

At this time, specifically, the pressurizing device 80
The operation unit 81 includes a deformed shaft 81A having a D section or the like and a small-diameter shaft 81B, and the standby setting unit 84 includes a deformed hole 84A. Then, the operation section 81 is moved up and down while being grasped by fingers, and the small-diameter shaft 81B is loosely inserted into the modified hole 84A and the modified shaft 81A is formed.
Is engaged around the modified hole 84A and at the standby position (FIGS. 6C and 6D), the modified shaft 81A is moved to the modified hole 84A.
To the working position (FIG. 6 (A),
(B)). Therefore, with the simple configuration in which the deformed shaft 81A and the small diameter shaft 81B are provided in the operation unit 81 and the deformed hole 84A is set as the standby setting unit 84, the setting of the operation unit 81 can be easily switched between the standby position and the work position by one-touch operation. . This allows
The thermal recording head 15 can be easily replaced.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the design can be changed within the scope of the present invention. The present invention is also included in the present invention. For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the head guide that the positioning butting portion of the head frame abuts is not necessarily provided around the support shaft of the platen roller as long as it is provided on the case 11 (support base) side. No need.

In the practice of the present invention, case 1
A single head guide is provided on the 1 (support base) side, a plurality of positioning abutments are provided on the head frame side, and each positioning abutment is selectively abutted against the head guide by the abutment switching device. Thus, the heater line position may be set by switching.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the heater line position may be adjusted in multiple stages of three or more stages or in a stepless manner.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the guide position switching device (or the above-described abutting portion switching device) is not limited to a device for manually operating the operation unit, and a recording paper set on a control panel of the recording device 10 or the like. The head guides (or positioning abutments) may be controlled to move by automatically operating the drive motors according to the type information.

The present invention is not limited to the sublimation type thermal transfer system, but can be widely applied to a thermal transfer type recording device, such as a fusion type thermal transfer system.

[0048]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the thermal transfer recording apparatus, the position of the heater line formed by the heating element of the thermal recording head with respect to the apex of the platen roller can be easily adjusted, and wrinkles on the recording paper can be obtained. The occurrence of print defects can be reliably prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a thermal transfer recording apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a thermal recording head and a platen roller.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a pressing device.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the pressurizing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording paper 2 Ribbon (transfer film) 10 Recording device 11 Case (support stand) 15 Thermal recording head 15A Heating element 15B Heater line 32 Platen roller 60 Heater line setting change device 61 Guide cylinder 61A, 61B Head guide 61C Joining part 62 Positioning butting part 63 Guide position switching device 64 Guide plate 65 Moving plate 66 Plate-shaped engaging part 67 Operating part

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Mitsuhiro Hamajima 1-1-1 Ichigaya Kagacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] In a thermal transfer type recording apparatus for performing a recording operation by sandwiching a recording paper and a transfer film between a heating element of a thermal recording head and a platen roller, the heating element of the thermal recording head is located at the top of the platen roller. A thermal transfer type recording apparatus comprising a heater line setting changing device which can switch and set a heater line position to be set. 2. The heater line setting change device abuts a positioning abutment portion of a head frame supporting a thermal recording head against a head guide provided around a support shaft of a platen roller supported on a support base. A plurality of head guides provided around the support of the platen roller when determining the heater line position, and a guide position switching device for sequentially positioning each head guide at an abutting position by the positioning abutting portion of the head frame. 2. The thermal transfer recording apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: 3. A plurality of head guides and an engaging portion are provided in an axial direction of a guide cylinder fitted around a support shaft of a platen roller supported by the support base, and the guide position switching device is provided with respect to the support base. Along with engaging the engaging portion provided on the moving plate to move in the support shaft direction of the platen roller with the engaging portion of the guide cylinder,
3. The thermal transfer recording apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: an operation unit configured to move the moving plate in the support shaft direction of the platen roller so that each head guide is sequentially positioned at the abutting position of the positioning abutment unit of the head frame.