JP2534040Y2 - Transfer paper identification mechanism of thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial application field) The present invention identifies a type of transfer paper used in a thermal transfer printer, and enables a single apparatus to use many types of transfer paper. And a transfer paper identification mechanism.

(Prior art) Conventionally, a thermal transfer type in which a color ink (ink) applied to a base film constituting a transfer paper is melted or sublimated by heat of a thermal head to transfer a predetermined color ink onto a recording paper. 2. Description of the Related Art A printer device (hereinafter, also referred to as a device) is generally known. In such a device, a transfer operation as described above is performed, for example, by using yellow, magenta,
A color image can be printed on recording paper by repeating the process for each color such as cyan and black.

In such a general thermal transfer printer, the recording paper is stored in a recording paper supply tray in the apparatus, and the transfer paper is set in a state wound around a pair of cores (cores) in the apparatus. The recording paper and the transfer paper are set in the apparatus independently of each other. When using such a general thermal transfer printer, only one of a hot-melt transfer paper and a thermal sublimation transfer paper is used as the transfer paper, and the transfer paper used by the apparatus is also used. Are configured as a hot-melt type printer device or a thermo-sublimation type printer device according to the type of printer.

On the other hand, the applicant has previously filed an application such as Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 63-123021 and stored the recording paper and the transfer paper in one transfer paper cartridge, and mounted the transfer paper cartridge in the apparatus. We have proposed a transfer paper cartridge and a thermal transfer type printer device which can set recording paper and transfer paper at the same time. The transfer paper cartridge used in this thermal transfer printer has a detection hole for transfer paper identification capable of changing the type of transfer paper, and is detected by transfer paper identification detection means in the apparatus. The printing operation is performed according to the type of transfer paper.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, as the transfer paper used in the thermal transfer printer, several types of transfer paper have already been put into practical use according to the purpose of use.

For example, as described above, hot-melt printing is performed,
Alternatively, the type of transfer paper differs depending on whether thermal sublimation printing is performed or not. That is, when the heat-melting transfer paper is used, plain paper can be used as the recording paper, and the running cost of the apparatus is reduced because the heat-melt transfer paper is inexpensive. In the case of using thermal sublimation type transfer paper, the recording paper is coated with special coating, so the running cost of the apparatus is high, but the color image printed on the recording paper is of high quality like a photograph. It has been widely adopted in the business field and the like.

On the other hand, in a thermal transfer type printer device as shown in the above-mentioned proposed technology, hot-melt type printing or thermal sublimation type printing can be performed only by changing some printing conditions in the same device. Can be shared without changing the configuration. In other words, some of the printing conditions to be changed are, for example, the power supplied to the thermal head, the pressing force for pressing the thermal head against the platen roller, and the like. Then, by discriminating between the heat-melting type transfer paper and the heat-sublimation type transfer paper in the apparatus, it is possible to automatically change some of the printing conditions.

Further, as another example, the case where the color of the transfer paper is composed of three colors (for example, yellow, magenta, cyan), and the case where the color of the transfer paper is composed of four colors (for example, yellow, magenta, cyan and black). The print quality of a color image printed on recording paper is different. In this case, the same apparatus can be used only by changing a part of printing conditions such as a printing operation sequence, and it is necessary to identify transfer paper in the apparatus.

However, in the above-described prior art, when identifying transfer paper, there is a method of detecting a detection hole for transfer paper identification provided in a transfer paper cartridge by a transfer paper identification detection unit in the apparatus. Although this method is proposed, this method is effective for a small-sized and inexpensive disposable transfer paper cartridge, but a large-sized and expensive transfer paper cartridge requires replacement of the entire transfer paper cartridge, thereby increasing the running cost of the apparatus. A point has occurred.

In addition, in the case of general transfer paper, an identification code is pre-printed on the transfer paper, but the production cost of the transfer paper is large, and in this case, the running cost is also increased. A point has occurred.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and uses a transfer paper roll wound around a core having a different length according to the type of transfer paper. A transfer paper for detecting the length of at least one of a pair of cores of a supply roll and a take-up roll on which the transfer paper is wound, wherein the transfer paper is wound on a recording paper via a thermal head. An object of the present invention is to provide a transfer paper identification mechanism of a thermal transfer type printer device comprising an identification detecting means.

(Embodiment) A preferred embodiment of the transfer paper identification mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
This will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a thermal transfer printer employing a transfer paper identification mechanism according to the present invention.
(B) is a longitudinal sectional view showing a transfer paper identification mechanism as a main part.

In FIG. 1, a thermal transfer type printer device 1 (hereinafter, also referred to as device 1) is a transfer paper in which a general platen roller 2, a thermal head 6, a recording paper 22 and a transfer paper 29 are integrally accommodated. Cartridge 20, paper feed / discharge means 8 for transporting recording paper 22, and transfer paper driving means for transporting transfer paper 29
10 and transfer paper identification detecting means 17 for identifying the type of transfer paper 29
And the general configuration.

That is, the platen roller 2 is driven to rotate about the platen shaft 3 by a motor (not shown), and includes a clamper 4 for holding the leading end of the recording paper 22 on the surface of the platen roller 2.

A loading arm 5 is coaxially mounted on the platen shaft 3. A hook portion 5a is formed at the tip of the loading arm 5 as shown in the figure. The hook portion 5a is connected to both ends of a take-up roll 36 to be described later around which the transfer paper 29 in the transfer paper cartridge 20 is wound. While supporting, the loading arm 5 is rotated clockwise so as to be loaded to a predetermined take-up roll drive position 11 for driving the take-up roll 36.

The take-up roll drive position 11 is provided with a transfer paper driving means 10 connected to a drive source (not shown).
29 can be wound around the core 34 of the winding roll 36.

The thermal head 6 is pivotally supported by a shaft 7 to the right of the platen roller 2.

On the other hand, a transfer paper cartridge 20 mounted on the upper left of the platen roller 2 has a recording paper 22 stored in a recording paper storage unit 21 and a transfer paper 29 stored in a transfer paper storage unit 28 as shown in the drawing. The recording paper storage unit 21 and the transfer paper storage unit 28 are connected and integrally formed.

The recording paper storage section 21 in the transfer paper cartridge 20 is disposed on the left side in the figure, and sends the recording paper 22 to the platen roller 2 from below. That is, the recording paper storage unit 21 is a tray 23 on which the stored recording paper 22 is placed.
A spring 24 for urging the tray 23 downward in the drawing, a separating claw 25 for separating the recording paper 22 one by one, and a lid 26 for opening and closing the recording paper storage unit 21 when the recording paper 22 is supplied. The recording paper 22 is sent from the opening 27 to the platen roller 2 by the roller 9 of the paper feeding / discharging means 8 as shown by an arrow.

On the other hand, the transfer paper storage unit 28 is disposed on the right side of the recording paper storage unit 21, and has a fixed unit 30 below and a lid unit 31 that can be opened and closed above. The cover 31 is opened by means (not shown) to form an opening 32, through which the transfer paper 29 is fed into the apparatus 1.

The transfer paper storage unit 28 holds a pair of cores 33 and 34 around which the transfer paper 29 is wound by a bearing (not shown) formed on the side wall of the fixing unit 30. In a state where the transfer paper 29 is wound around the pair of cores 33 and 34, the core 33 side is the supply roll 35.
, And the core 34 becomes a winding roll 36. Then, as described later, during the printing operation, the supply roll 35 is located in the transfer paper storage unit 28, and the take-up roll 36 is loaded to the predetermined take-up roll drive position 11 by the loading arm 5 as described above. It has become.

Here, the transfer paper identification mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The pair of cores 33 and 34 around which the transfer paper 29 is wound are formed of a material such as resin into a hollow pipe shape. The transfer paper 29 is wound around the pair of cores 33, 34 at the time of manufacturing.

For convenience of explanation, the core on the winding roll 36 side is used here.
Only 34 will be described later.

The length L (overall length) of the hollow core 34 differs depending on the type of the transfer paper 29.

When the take-up roll 36 is loaded to the predetermined take-up roll drive position 11 by the above-described loading arm 5, the transfer paper identification detecting means 17 for detecting the core length is used.
As a result, the type of the transfer paper 29 can be detected, and FIG.
The winding roll 36 is supported as shown in FIG.

That is, the core 34 of the take-up roll 36 has a support shaft at both ends.
It is supported rotatably by 12,13. This state is supported at the take-up roll drive position 11 in FIG.

The support shaft 12 has a flange portion 12a, and the flange portion 12a
One end on the side is fitted into the hollow portion 34a of the core 34, and the other end is mounted on a bearing 14 provided on the side wall 1a of the device 1.

The support shaft 13 has a flange portion having the same shape as the support shaft 12.
Similarly, one end on the flange portion 13a side is fitted into the hollow portion 34a of the core 34, and the other end is axially mounted on a bearing 15 provided on the side wall 1b of the device 1. Further, a compression spring 16 is stretched between the flange portion 13a and the bearing 15 on the support shaft 13, and the urging force of the compression spring 16 causes the support shaft 13 to
Is constantly biased toward the support shaft 12 side. Therefore, when the core 34 of the take-up roll 36 is mounted on the support shafts 12 and 13, the support shaft 13 is moved in the direction of arrow X1 by means (not shown) against the urging force of the compression spring 16 so that the winding is performed. Take roll
The structure is such that 36 cores 34 can be easily attached and detached.

On the support shaft 13 side, outside the side wall 1b, a transfer paper identification detecting unit 17 for detecting the length of the core 34 is provided. The transfer paper identification detecting means 17 includes, for example, a transmission type photo sensor 18.
And comprises a light emitting unit 18a and a light receiving unit 18b. Note that a microswitch or the like (not shown) may be used without using the transmission type photosensor 18, and the present invention is not limited to this.

Then, when the core 34 is supported by the support shafts 12, 13,
By the length L of the core 34, the support shaft 13 can move in the direction of the arrow X1 or the direction of the arrow X2 against the compression spring 16, and the amount of movement at this time is detected by the transmission type photo sensor 18 of the transfer paper identification detecting means 17. It has become.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2 (A), when the length L ₁ of the core 34 of the take-up roll 36 is short, the right in the figure the tip of the support shaft 13 supporting the core 34, transparent Type photo sensor 18
Since the light emitting unit 18a and the light receiving unit 18b are not blocked, the comparison circuit unit (not shown) determines that the core length is short. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2 (B), in the case where the length L ₂ of the core 34 is long, the right in the figure the tip of the support shaft 13 supporting the core 34, a transmissive photosensor 18 Because of the interruption, it is determined that “the core length is long”.

By changing the length L of the core 34 of the winding roll 36 as described above, the type of the transfer paper 29 can be detected. Therefore, when using various types of transfer paper 29 in the same apparatus 1, it is only necessary to change the core 34 around which the transfer paper 29 is wound, so that the transfer paper cartridge 20 can be shared, and the running cost of the transfer paper 29 and the apparatus 1 can be reduced. Is inexpensive and has practical advantages.

The type of the transfer paper 29 can be used for identifying the above-described hot-melt transfer paper or thermal sublimation-type transfer paper, or for identifying the three-color transfer paper or the four-color transfer paper. By doing so, the printing conditions are automatically changed, and a color image can be printed on the recording paper 22 in accordance with the result of the identification of the transfer paper 29 by the same apparatus 1.

When there are three or more types of transfer paper 29, a plurality of transmission type photosensors 18 may be provided.

Also, transfer paper identification detecting means for identifying the type of transfer paper 29
17 may be provided on the supply roll 35 (FIG. 1) side. In this case, the core 33 of the supply roll 35 is
What is necessary is just to form in the same shape as 34.

The length of the core 33 of the supply roll 35 and the take-up roll
The length of the core 33 is generally the same as the length of the core 33, but may be different. In this case, the “different length” is an appropriate length and depends on the type of the transfer paper 29. "Different lengths", meaning different lengths, are essentially different.

Further, the transfer paper identification mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to the present invention is not limited to the transfer paper cartridge 20 in which the transfer paper 29 and the recording paper 22 are integrally accommodated, and the transfer paper
Even if the recording paper 22 and the recording paper 22 are separately mounted in the apparatus, no trouble occurs.

Next, the operation of the thermal transfer printer 1 having the above configuration will be briefly described. For details, refer to the above-mentioned proposed technology.

First, when the transfer paper cartridge 20 is mounted on the upper left of the platen roller 2 in the apparatus 1, the recording paper 22 in the recording paper storage unit 21 is held by the clamper 4 of the platen roller 2 by the paper supply / discharge means 8. And is wound on the platen roller 2.

On the other hand, when the cover 26 is opened, the transfer paper
Of a pair of cores 33 and 34 around which 28 transfer papers 29 are wound,
The core 33 of the supply roll 35 remains supported in the transfer paper cartridge 20, while the core 33 of the take-up roll 36
34 is a winding roll drive position by the loading arm 5
Loaded at 11.

Here, the thermal head 6 pivotally supported by the shaft 7 is rotated counterclockwise by a drive motor (not shown) and pressed against the platen roller 2 via the transfer paper 29 and the recording paper 22.

Then, a recording signal is supplied to the thermal head 6 to start printing from the transfer paper 29 of, for example, yellow color. When the printing of yellow is completed, the thermal head 6 is separated from the platen roller 2, and a color image is printed on the recording paper 22 by repeating in the same manner as the color of the next transfer paper 29, so that the paper feed / discharge means 8 Is discharged outside the apparatus 1.

(Effects of the Invention) As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the ink of the transfer paper is thermally transferred using a transfer paper roll wound around a different core length according to the type of the transfer paper. When transferring onto recording paper via a head, by providing a transfer paper identification detecting means for detecting the length of at least one of a pair of cores of a supply roll and a take-up roll around which the transfer paper is wound, The type of transfer paper can be identified.

Therefore, the transfer paper can be identified only by changing the core on which the transfer paper is wound, without replacing the transfer paper cartridge as in the above-mentioned proposed technology or without having to print an identification code on the transfer paper in advance. Therefore, the running cost of the transfer paper and the apparatus is reduced, and there is a practical advantage that can greatly contribute to the user.

In addition, since a plurality of different types of transfer paper can be used in the same apparatus, there is an advantage in utilization such as the use range of the apparatus can be expanded.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a thermal transfer printer employing a transfer paper identification mechanism according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a transfer paper identification mechanism as a main part. FIG. 4 shows a case where the core of the winding roll is short, and FIG. 4 (B) shows a case where the length of the core of the winding roll is long. 1. Thermal transfer printer device 2. Platen roller
5 Loading arm, 6 Thermal head, 1
2, 13 support shaft, 17 transfer paper identification detecting means, 18 transmission photosensor, 20 transfer paper cartridge, 22
Recording paper, 29 transfer paper, 33, 34 core, 35 supply roll, 36 take-up roll.

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A thermal transfer printer device for transferring ink on a transfer sheet onto a recording sheet via a thermal head using a transfer sheet roll wound around a core having a different length according to the type of the transfer sheet. A transfer paper for a thermal transfer printer device, comprising: transfer paper identification detecting means for detecting a length of at least one of a pair of cores of a supply roll and a take-up roll around which the transfer paper is wound. Identification mechanism.