JPH023364A - Thermal transfer system color printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use an ink ribbon without waste by mounting the ink ribbon with a recording track, a detecting section for detecting the unused state of the recording track and a recording section for recording the previous printing of the recording track. CONSTITUTION:An ink ribbon 11 has an ink track 12 and a recording track 13, and is housed in a cartridge 16. The recording track 13 is coated with heat- sensitive paints discolored by heat. A thermal transfer head 10 applies heat to the recording track at every printing and discolors the recording track. In the detecting section of the recording track, a light-emitting diode 15 is light-emitted, light from the light-emitting diode 15 passing through the recording track is received by a phototransistor 14, and the discoloration of the recording track is decided by detecting the change of brightness. Accordingly, the unused state of the ink track 12 corresponding to the section not discolored of the recording track is determined, and the section is employed for printing, thus allowing repeated usage until the unused section is used.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a thermal transfer color printer.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, thermal transfer color printers use ink ribbons in the form of several colors of ink ribbons connected together, as shown in Figure 5, and the ink ribbons are advanced until the desired color is reached before printing. .

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional thermal transfer color printer mentioned above, after the ink ribbon is used once, there are many unused parts, but since it does not detect the used part and the unused part, it is not possible to print from the second time onwards once the ink ribbon has passed - degree. There is a drawback.

[Means to solve the problem]

The thermal transfer color printer of the present invention includes an ink ribbon having a recording track and an intratrack, and a detection unit for detecting whether a certain part of the ink track is unused or used from the recording track corresponding to the ink track. and a recording section for recording that printing has been completed on this recording track.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a printed portion in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a top view of the same portion as FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a view showing an ink ribbon.

1 to 3, this embodiment is a thermal transfer type color printer that thermally transfers onto printer paper, and an ink ribbon 11 has an ink track 12 and a recording track 13.
It is stored in a cartridge 16. Recording track 13
are coated with heat-sensitive paint that changes color when exposed to heat. The portion of the thermal transfer head 10 that faces the recording track serves as a recording section, and each time printing is performed, heat is applied to the recording track as well, causing the recording track to change color. Furthermore, the recording track detection section includes a light emitting diode 1.
5, the phototransistor 14 receives and receives the light from the light emitting diode 15 that has passed through the recording track, and by detecting a change in brightness, it is determined whether the recording track has changed color.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the ink track 12 corresponding to the portion of the recording track that has not changed color is determined to be unused, and by using that portion for printing, the ink track 12 can be repeatedly used until there are no unused portions left. I can do it. In the above description, a case has been described in which recording is performed using a heat-sensitive paint and detection is performed using a printing tie plate and a phototransistor, but it goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained regardless of the recording method or the detection method.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention includes an ink ribbon having a recording track, a detection section for detecting that the rack for recording 1 is unused, and a recording section for recording that this recording track has been printed. By holding it, you can use the ink ribbon without wasting it.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the printing part of a thermal transfer color printer which is an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a top view showing the same part as Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is the ink ribbon shown in Fig. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a printing part of a conventional thermal transfer color printer, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a conventional ink ribbon. 10... Thermal transfer head, 11... Ink ribbon, 1
2... Ink track, 13... Recording track, 1
4... Phototransistor, 15... Light emitting diode, 16... Ink ribbon cartridge, 17...
printer paper.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An ink ribbon with a recording track and an ink track,
It has a detection section for detecting whether a certain part of the ink track is unused or used from a recording track corresponding to the ink track, and a recording section for recording that printing has been completed on this recording track. A thermal transfer color printer characterized by: