JPH0226772A - Thermal transfer type printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a transfer mistake by providing a glossiness detector for measuring the reflecting quantity of light from non-transfer image receiving paper before sent in a transfer part and judging whether the transfer surface of the image receiving paper is turned toward an ink sheet on the basis of the measured result. CONSTITUTION:In the judge result by a glossiness detector 21, when image receiving paper P is judged to be set in a correct direction, a forward rotation signal, for sending the image receiving paper P to a transfer part as it is, is emitted to the drive system of a paper feed roller 13 from a system controller 22 through a mechanical driver circuit 24. When the image receiving paper P is judged to be set in an erroneous direction, a reversal signal is emitted to the drive system of the paper feed roller 13 from the system controller 22 through the mechanical driver circuit 24. Further, a signal showing a judge result is emitted to an operation display panel 35 from the system controller 22 and, when the image receiving paper P is judged to be set in the erroneous direction, it is displayed that the resetting of the image receiving paper P is necessary, on the operation display panel 25. By this method, a transfer mistake is prevented and the wastefulness of the image receiving paper and an ink sheet can be avoided.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer, and particularly to a thermal transfer printer in which an ink sheet is superimposed on a transfer surface of an image receiving paper in a transfer section to perform a printing and recording operation. Regarding a thermal transfer printer.

[Prior Art] A thermal transfer printer uses a thermal head to overlay an ink sheet 1- coated with heat-sublimating or heat-melting ink up to the image receiving area 7, and generate a thermal pattern according to image recording information. Recording is performed by selectively transferring the above ink. The image-receiving paper used in this thermal transfer printer is provided with a transfer portion having high smoothness on one side thereof. For example, in sublimation type receivers 1 and 2, a receiving layer coating is applied to one side of the base paper to form a highly smooth transfer portion. In addition, one side of the melt-type image receiving paper is subjected to a super calendering process, resulting in a height of 11 mm.
A Z-smooth transfer surface is formed. When using an image receiving paper having such a highly smooth transfer surface on one side, it is necessary to feed the paper so that the transfer surface faces the ink sheet 1.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in order to feed paper so that the transfer surface of the image-receiving paper always faces the ink sheet, it is necessary to set the image-receiving paper with both front and back sides in the paper feeding section.

- If you load the receiving paper into the paper feed section with the wrong side facing up, the mistake is often confirmed only after the transfer recording operation has been performed, and in this case, you will have no choice but to perform the transfer again. I don't get it. In order to avoid confusing the front and back sides of the receiving paper, some have the manufacturer's name printed on the S side, which is the non-transfer side, to indicate that it is not the transfer side, but mistakes still occur. In addition, when the document is used as an official document, the mark indicating the back side may become a hindrance.

Therefore, the present invention provides a thermal transfer printer that can detect before the transfer operation that the image receiving paper is set in the paper feed section with the wrong side facing up, and can prevent transfer errors in advance. The purpose is to provide

[Means and Means to Solve the Problem] In order to achieve the above object, the invention in item 1 of δ11 is to transfer an ink sheet to the transfer surface of an image receiving paper having a transfer surface with high smoothness on one side. overlap in the
In a thermal transfer printer that performs a printing operation by selectively transferring the ink on the ink sheet using a thermal head that generates a thermal pattern according to the image recording information, the unused paper before being sent to the transfer section is Measure the amount of light reflected from the transfer receiving paper and calculate the total amount i
+III The present invention includes a glossiness detection device that determines whether or not the transfer surface of the image-receiving paper is facing the ink sheet side based on the result.

1□1゛The invention in item 2 of claim 1 is such that an image receiving paper having a highly smooth transfer 1■ on one side is sent from a paper feeding section to a transfer section, and 1 is applied to the transfer surface of the image receiving paper. In a thermal transfer printer that performs a printing operation by overlapping ink sheets in a transfer section and selectively transferring the ink on the ink sheets using a thermal head that generates a thermal pattern corresponding to image recording information. ,
Calculate the amount of light reflected from the untransferred image-receiving paper in 1) II sent to the transfer unit, and check whether the transfer surface of the image-receiving paper is directed toward the ink sheet 1 or not based on the total i1M result. a glossiness detection device configured to determine the
The apparatus is configured to include a paper feeding mechanism that selectively executes an operation of feeding the untransferred image-receiving paper to the transfer unit side and an operation of sending it back to the paper feeding unit side based on the determination result by the glossiness detection device. .

[Operation] In the invention in claim 1, the glossiness detection device determines the front and back sides of the image receiving paper before it is fed into the transfer section, and the correctness or incorrectness of the state of the image receiving paper in the sensor 1 is detected. There is.

Further, in the invention according to claim 2, the front and back sides of the image receiving paper before being sent to the transfer section are determined by the glossiness detection device, and the correctness or incorrectness of the state of the image receiving paper 7 in the sensor 1 is detected, and the setting of the image receiving paper If the condition is correct, the image receiving paper is fed directly to the transfer unit side by the paper feeding mechanism, and if the setting condition of the image receiving paper is incorrect, the image receiving paper is sent back to the paper feeding unit side by the paper feeding mechanism. It looks like this.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

The thermal transfer printer according to the present invention includes a transfer unit as shown in FIG. 11, for example.

In FIG. 1, the ink sheet 1 is pulled out from the sheet 1 to the delivery roll 2 and inserted into the transfer section 'r between the thermal head 3 and the platen drum 4. Furthermore, the ink sheet 1 is ejected from this transfer portion T, passed through a discharge roller 5, and wound up onto a sheet 1 to a take-up roll 6. The image-receiving paper is wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of the platen drum 4, its iη edge portion is gripped by a clamp 7, and is pressed onto the surface of the platen drum 4 by a presser roller 8 in an area before transfer.

When a transfer operation is performed, the thermal head 3 is lowered so that the ink sheet 1 and the image receiving paper are brought into close contact with the transfer portion T between the platen drum 4. The thermal head 3 has a function of generating a heat pattern according to the recording information of one image.
By selectively transferring the ink of the ink sheet 1-1, the printing and recording operation is performed.

11 The Braken drum 1 is configured to rotate in the direction of the arrow by transmitting the rotational output from the rotation motor 9 via the timing belt 10, and the platen drum 4 and the ink sheet 1 is one line circumference IU of the image take sent to the thermal head 3 [
1 to F11 are performed at the same times as jtll and t, respectively, and a transfer operation is performed.

When the transfer is performed, the thermal spatula 1-3 is raised and the image receiving paper is ejected.

The image-receiving paper used is one that has a highly smooth surface and is provided with a cylindrical surface. For example, the fifth
In the sublimation-type image receiving jlt; Pa shown in Figure (a), a receiving layer coating Pa is applied to one side of the base paper Pal to form a pre-transfer image. Also, Figure 4 (
One side of the melt-type image receiving paper 1-) b shown in b) is super calendered to form a highly smooth transfer surface. In such an image receiving paper having a high-smooth transfer surface on one side, the gloss of the high-smooth transfer surface, which is the front surface, is higher than the gloss of the non-transfer surface, which is the back surface, which has low smoothness. being done. When actually used for transfer, it is necessary to feed the paper so that the surface, which is a highly glossy and highly smooth transfer surface, faces the ink sheet 1.

Further, the platen drum 4 is provided with a paper feed mechanism 11 that supplies untransferred image receiving paper to the platen drum 4 in the pre-transfer area, and feeds the transferred image receiving paper 1j1 in the post-transfer area. : Outputting paper ejection mechanism 12
Or attached. A pair of paper feeders (1) are provided in the cut groove 11 for feeding the paper toward the platen 1 and the ram 4 while gripping the paper pulled out from the paper feeder (not shown). Rollers 13 and 13 are provided, and a paper feed passage 14 is formed between the rollers 13 and the platen tram/l. is equipped with a pair of paper ejection rollers 15 and 15 that grip the image receiving paper peeled off from the platen drum 4 and feed the image receiving paper 7 toward the paper ejection tray (not shown), and A paper discharge path 1 is provided between the paper discharge roller 15 and the platen drum 4.
6 is formed. Note that the paper feed roller 13 and the paper discharge roller 15 are each driven to rotate in a predetermined direction by transmitting the rotational output from the common rotation drive motors 1 and 7 via the common timing bell 1-18. It is now possible to do so.

Further, in the middle of the paper feed path 14, a glossiness detection device 21 is installed 4 for determining the front and back sides of the image receiving paper. This light dI! The exposure device 21 is disposed so as to face the side on which the image is to be transferred, that is, the lower side in FIG. 4 of the image-receiving paper in the paper feed path 14. FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the glossiness detection device 21. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG.
A lamp 2 that irradiates inspection light onto the receiving paper 1] so as to face the receiving paper 1 of the paper 1 sent out from the paper 3.
11 and a photoelectric conversion unit that receives reflected light from the image receiving paper IJ and converts it into a signal.
The output signal from the photoelectric converter 212 corresponding to the amount of reflected light from the image receiving paper P is converted into an A/D converter a+.
213 and is now being digitized. A light amount detection signal from the A/D converter 213 in the scale detection device 21 is sent to the system controller 22 shown at 21::l.

In this system controller 22, the level of the light amount detection reliability outputted from the glossiness detection device 21 is compared with a certain discrimination threshold level, and the transfer surface of the image receiving paper P is detected by the glossiness detection device rz21. It is determined whether the target is directed at the target or not. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, if the level d of the light amount detection signal output from the glossiness detection device 21 is greater than a certain discrimination threshold level b, then the amount of light reflected from the receiving paper P is greater than a certain value. In this case, it is determined that the image-receiving paper P is set in the correct direction, with the surface of the image-receiving paper P being oriented toward the optical σ flux detection device 21, that is, toward the ink sheet 1-. On the other hand, if the level C of the light amount detection signal output from the glossiness detection device 21 is smaller than a certain discrimination threshold level b, and therefore the amount of light reflected from the image receiving paper P is smaller than a certain level, then It is determined that the image receiving paper 1) has been censored in the wrong direction because the reverse side (non-conversion: Ij) is oriented toward the glossiness detection device 21, that is, toward the ink sheet 1-.

As shown in FIG. 2, a power supply 23 is connected to the system controller 22, and a light amount detection signal from the glossiness detection device 21 and output signals from various other position sensors are applied. There is. Further, the system controller 22 is connected to the paper feed roller 13 and the paper ejection roller 15 through a mechanical driver circuit 24, and further to the platen drum rotary motor 9.
Alternatively, a rotation command signal is sent to the rotary leg motor for winding up the ink sheet.

The rotation command signal sent to the paper feed roller 13 consists of a normal rotation signal that sends the image receiving paper P to the transfer section side and a reverse rotation signal that sends the image receiving paper P back to the paper feeding section side. The normal rotation signal and the reverse rotation signal are selected and determined based on the determination result by the glossiness detection device 21 described in 1) 7j. In other words, when it is determined that the image receiving paper P is set in the correct direction as a result of the determination by the glossiness detection device 21, a normal rotation signal is sent from the system controller 22 to send the receiving paper P as it is to the transfer unit side. Mecha 1~
51 of the paper feed roller 13 through the driver circuit 24
Issued by the imperial order. On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination result by the glossiness detection device 21 that the image-receiving paper P has been oriented seven times in the wrong direction, then The signal is system controller 1-roller 22
from the paper feed roller 13 through the mechanical driver circuit 24.
(It is designed to be emitted to the drive system.

Further above, from the roller 22 to the system controller 1,
A signal indicating the determination result by the optical three-scale detection device 21 is emitted to the operation display panel 25, and when it is determined that the image-receiving paper 1] is set in the wrong direction, the operation display panel 25 displays the image-receiving paper P. It appears that you need to re-cent.

In such an embodiment, the glossiness detection device 21 determines the front and back sides of the image-receiving paper P before it is fed into the transfer section, and detects whether the image-receiving paper P is in a correct or incorrect state.

If the set state of the image receiving paper P is correct, the image receiving paper P is fed directly to the transfer section side by the normal rotation action of the paper feed mechanism 11, and if the image receiving paper I) is in the incorrect state, the image receiving paper P is The paper P is fed and sent back to the paper section by the reverse action of the paper feed mechanism 11. Therefore, it is necessary to know in advance at the stage of the transfer operation 1111 that the image-receiving paper P is set in the paper feed section with the front and back sides wrong.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, in the invention described in claim 1, it is detected in advance at the stage before the transfer operation that the image receiving paper P is placed in the paper feeder with the wrong side facing up and placed in the senno 1. As shown, the amount of light reflected from the untransferred image-receiving paper before being sent to the transfer section is 81! Since it is equipped with a glossiness detection device that determines whether or not the transfer surface of the image receiving paper is directed toward the ink sheet 1- side based on the RT a result, it is possible to avoid transfer errors beforehand. can be prevented,
It is possible to avoid wastage of the receiver paper and the ink sheet 1, and improve the reliability of the apparatus.

In addition, in the invention described in claim 2, the sleeve: #'
It is detected in advance before the transfer operation that the image-receiving paper P is set with the front and back sides wrong in the section.

Furthermore, in order to ensure that the wrongly set image receiving paper is returned to the original paper feed section, the amount of light reflected from the image receiving paper before being fed into the transfer section is calculated by calculating the total amount of light reflected from the image receiving paper i1++1 L, and the total amount of light reflected from the image receiving paper is determined based on the result of the total d1. A light σ intensity detection device that determines whether or not the transfer surface is facing the ink sheet side, and a paper feed section that feeds the image receiving paper to the transfer section side based on the determination result by the glossiness detection device. It is equipped with a paper feed mechanism that sends the paper back to the side, so there are no transfer mistakes! Prevent before JC, receive 1.1J 5rl: and ink sheet;”!
! ': In addition to being able to avoid waste, it is also possible to easily reset the receiving paper, and the reliability of the apparatus can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are schematic explanatory block diagrams showing (a) four components of the glossiness detection device in one embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the procedure for determining the output from the optical frequency detection device shown in Figs. The side explanatory views shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are 132 cross-sectional views showing the structure of the receiver. 1. Ink sheet, 3. Thermal head, 4.
Platen drum, 11. Paper feeding mechanism, 14... Paper feeding path, 21... Glossiness detection device, 211... Lamp, 21
2...Photoelectric converter. (Ha ka 1 person) ri1jishi ii [;1 2i Tsuzaki darkness

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A thermal system that generates a thermal pattern according to image recording information by overlapping an ink sheet in a transfer section on the transfer surface of an image receiving paper having a highly smooth transfer surface on one side. In a thermal transfer printer that performs a printing operation by selectively transferring the ink on the ink sheet using a head, the amount of light reflected from the untransferred image-receiving paper before being sent to the transfer section is measured, A thermal transfer printer characterized in that it is equipped with a glossiness detection device that determines whether or not the transfer surface of the image receiving paper is facing the ink sheet side based on the measurement results. 2. An image receiving paper having a transfer surface with high smoothness on one side is sent from a paper feeding section to a transfer section, an ink sheet is superimposed on the transfer surface of the image receiving paper at the transfer section, and an ink sheet is superimposed on the transfer surface of the image receiving paper according to the image recording information. In a thermal transfer printer that performs a printing operation by selectively transferring the ink on the ink sheet using a thermal head that generates a thermal pattern, a thermal transfer printer that performs a printing operation by selectively transferring ink on the ink sheet uses a thermal head that generates a thermal pattern. A glossiness detection device that measures the amount of light reflection and determines whether or not the transfer surface of the image receiving paper is facing the ink sheet side based on the measurement result; A thermal transfer printer comprising a paper feeding mechanism that selectively carries out an operation of feeding transfer image receiving paper toward a transfer section and an operation of sending it back toward a paper feeding section.