JPH01297280A - Color thermal transfer recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the occurrence of color shift and to reduce a recording time, by providing guide rollers between thermal heads so that a travel distance of an ink sheet between the respective thermal heads is a specific value. CONSTITUTION:A guide roller group 15a-15c is disposed between thermal heads so that a travel distance of an ink sheet 12 between the thermal heads 11a-11d is a length obtained by adding a thermal head arrangement pitch lto a single recording image plane unit length a+x. By recording an Yellow in, the sheet 12 is fed by the length l, a recorded image with Yellow is disposed right under the head 11b. Simultaneously, a top of a Magenta ink area is disposed right under the head 11b. Then, simultaneously when the head 11a transfers the Yellow ink for a next line, the head 11b is driven to transfer the Magenta ink. In a similar manner, when the recorded image with Yellow and Magenta reaches right under the head 11c, a Cyan ink is transferred. Lastly, a Black ink is transferred by the head 11d.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a color thermal transfer recording device, and more particularly to a color thermal transfer recording device used in a color facsimile that obtains a recording surface by thermally transferring inks of a plurality of colors.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of color thermal transfer recording apparatus, as shown in FIG. an ink sheet 2 in which black ink is applied in order in addition to the length of at least one recording screen unit, a recording paper 3 on which the ink from the ink sheet 2 is transferred to form a color recorded image, and a recording paper 3. It is constituted by a conveyance mechanism that overlaps the ink sheets 2 on the heating resistor of the thermal head 1 and conveys them in the sub-scanning direction.

To perform recording, first, color image signals are stored in a buffer memory in advance, and while the ink sheet 2 and recording paper 3 are conveyed via the platen roller 4, the ink sheet 2 is
The image signal corresponding to the upper ink color is read from the buffer memory and the thermal head 1 is driven to heat and melt the ink on the ink sheet 2 and transfer it to the recording paper 3.

In this way, when recording corresponding to any one color of ink is completed, the ink sheet 2 is attached to the thermal head 1.
Then, the pressure state of the platen roller 4 via the recording paper 3 is released, and the ink sheet 2 is conveyed so that the ink of the next recording color is located directly below the heating resistor row of the thermal head 1, and The recording paper 3 is conveyed in the return direction so that the first recording line on the recording side formed by the ink of the recording color is located directly below the heating resistor array of the thermal head 1. Thereafter, the platen roller 4 is brought into pressure contact state, and while the ink sheet 2 and the recording paper 3 are being conveyed, recording of the second color is performed.

In the same way, change the above operation to yellow and magenta.

By repeating the process for the number of ink colors including cyan or black, one color recording image is finally obtained.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional color thermal transfer recording device described above sequentially records images of each recording color while reciprocating the recording paper, so the recording position of each ink differs depending on the conveyance accuracy of the recording paper, resulting in color misregistration on the recording side. This has the disadvantage of degrading the quality on the recording side.

Furthermore, since the recording of the next color is started after the recording of each color is completed, there is a drawback that it takes a long time to complete the color recording.

[Means to solve the problem]

The color thermal transfer recording device of the present invention includes an ink sheet on which each of a plurality of colors of ink is sequentially applied in the sub-scanning direction in a length of at least one recording screen unit, and an ink sheet arranged at a predetermined array pitch along a recording paper conveyance path. A plurality of line-shaped thermal heads melt corresponding ink in accordance with an image signal corresponding to the color and transfer it onto a conveyed recording paper, and the ink is transferred to the thermal through the ink sheet and the recording paper. The travel distance between the platen roller corresponding to each of the thermal heads that conveys the ink sheet and the recording paper while pressing and the respective thermal heads of the ink sheet is the one recording screen unit length and the arrangement pitch. and a group of guide rollers provided between the respective thermal heads so as to obtain a value obtained by adding .

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, four line-shaped thermal heads 11 are arranged at a predetermined arrangement pitch along the recording paper conveyance path. ~11. , an ink sheet 12 on which yellow, magenta, cyan, and black color inks are sequentially applied each in a length of at least one recording screen unit, and an ink sheet 12 on which the ink is heated and melted by a thermal head while being conveyed along a recording paper conveyance path. recording paper 13 and each thermal pad 11. The heating resistor rows of ~11d are placed on the ink sheet 12.
and the ink sheets 1 and 2 while pressing through the recording paper 13.
and four platen rollers 14 that transport the recording paper 13. ~
14d and the ink sheet 12, three guide roller groups 15. ~15
．． and a transport mechanism.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the ink sheet in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a plan view of the ink sheet in Figure 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a conveyance mechanism for explaining the operation of the illustrated embodiment. The operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

Prior to the start of recording, color image signals are stored in advance in a buffer memory (not shown), and the color image signals are transferred to the platen roller 14. ~
After releasing the pressure contact state of the ink sheet 14d, the ink sheet 12 is conveyed in the direction D of the arrow shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. When the platen roller 14. ~14. into pressure contact state.

Then, while conveying the ink sheet 12 and the recording paper 13 in the conveyance direction A shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an image signal corresponding to yellow is read from the buffer memory, and thereby the thermal head 11. and ink sheet 12
The upper yellow Y ink is melted and transferred onto the recording paper 13.

Here, the recording scanning line pitch on the recording paper 13 is d, and the thermal head 11. ~llb.

Between 11b and 11° and between 11° and 1. Let the array pitch between ld be l. At this time, assuming that nine recording scanning lines (n is a natural number) can be drawn between adjacent thermal heads, 1. R=nd.

Now, as shown in FIG. 2, yellow Y and magenta M, where a is the length of the recorded image in the conveying direction.

Let the length of each color of cyan C and black B in the transport direction (one recording screen unit length) be a+x. However, X is to allow for extra length, and is used for conveyance accuracy and ink sheet 1.
This is to ensure that ink of a predetermined color can be recorded even if the recording start position of each ink area on the ink sheet 12 is slightly shifted due to an error in the length of each ink area on the ink sheet 12. be.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the lengths of the ink sheets 12 stretched between the respective thermal heads are assumed to be a+ and f2+x.

When recording of yellow Y ink is performed up to line n counting from the first line of the image, the ink sheet 12 is conveyed by a distance p, and the thermal head 11. The first recording line of the image recorded using the yellow Y ink is directly below the thermal head llb. At the same time, as shown in Figure 3, the beginning of the magenta M ink area
It comes directly under lb. And the thermal head 11. transfers the yellow Y ink of the (n+1)th line, and at the same time reads the image signal corresponding to the magenta M ink from the buffer memory and drives the thermal head 11b to transfer the magenta M ink on the ink sheet 12. Melt the ink and transfer it onto the recording paper 13.9 In the same way, when the first recording line of the recorded image with the yellow Y and magenta M inks comes directly under the thermal head 11°, transfer the ink to the cyan C ink. The thermal head 11° is driven by the corresponding image signal, and the cyan C ink on the ink sheet 12 is transferred onto the recording paper 13.

Finally, Thermal Herad 11. Transfer the black B ink. In this way, recording starts in the order of yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, and black B, and when the recording of the last line corresponding to black B ink is completed, one color recorded image is completed. can get.

FIG. 4 shows recording timing sections for each color of ink to explain the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, at time t. Recording of yellow Y is started at time t1 with a delay of n lines, recording of magenta M is started at time t1 with a delay of n lines, recording of cyan C is started at time t2 with a delay of n lines, and so on. are recorded in parallel with a time delay corresponding to .

After the recorded image thus obtained is conveyed out, the pressure contact state of the platen rollers 141 to 14d is released, the ink sheet 12 is conveyed to the position shown in FIG. 3, and then the platen roller 14. 14d is brought into pressure contact state, and the recording of the next double-sided image signal is started.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention arranges independent thermal heads for each recording ink at predetermined intervals, and calculates the running distance of the ink sheet between the respective thermal heads between the thermal heads corresponding to the length of the ink sheet in the conveyance direction of each color. Since it is not necessary to transport the recording paper back and forth, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of ink misalignment due to transport accuracy and improve the quality of the recorded image.

Further, since each color can be recorded in parallel with a predetermined time delay within the recording time of one screen for each color, there is an effect that the recording time required for one recording image can be shortened.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the ink sheet of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a conveyance mechanism for explaining the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1. 4 is a recording timing diagram of ink of each color for explaining the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an example of a conventional color thermal transfer recording apparatus. 1.11. ~11. ...Thermal head, 2゜12・
... Ink sheet, 3.13 ... Recording paper, 4゜14,
~14 d-platen roller, 15. ~15c...Guide roller group, B...Black, C...Cyan, M
...Magenta, Y...Yellow.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An ink sheet on which each of a plurality of colors of ink is sequentially applied in a length of at least one recording screen unit in the sub-scanning direction, and an ink sheet arranged at a predetermined arrangement pitch along a recording paper conveyance path according to image signals corresponding to each color. A plurality of line-shaped thermal heads melt the corresponding ink and transfer it onto the conveyed recording paper, and the ink sheet and the recording paper are connected to each other while pressing the thermal head through the ink sheet and the recording paper. Each thermal head is adjusted so that the traveling distance between the platen roller corresponding to each thermal head conveying the ink sheet and each thermal head of the ink sheet is the sum of the unit length of one recording screen and the arrangement pitch. 1. A color thermal transfer recording device comprising: a conveyance mechanism having a group of guide rollers provided between the heads.