JPH0316773A - Ink sheet and recording device using the ink sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate an area where recording is impossible on an ink sheet and thereby ensure an effective use of the whole sheet by forming bar codes for detection of each color ink at specified positions on a support and applying ink even on the areas where the bar codes are formed. CONSTITUTION:An ink sheet 1 consists of thermally transferable inks A to C of different colors applied repeatedly by lengths LA to LC on a longitudinal transparent polyethyleneterephthalate film support. A bar code 1b is formed at a specified downstream distance of each color boundary. Thus the head of each color can be read using a sensor. The bar code 1b is formed by application of a black ink with a higher melting temperature than those of the color inks A to C, and the inks A to C are applied even on the bar code. Consequently an area where recording is impossible no longer exists on the ink sheet 1 and the entire length of the ink sheet is shorter in relation to the useful recording length.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an ink sheet for multicolor recording without unrecordable areas and a recording apparatus using the ink sheet. Conventional technology> Today, electronic typewriters, Word Brosse, etc.
A-devices are widely used, and the thermal transfer recording method using an ink sheet is generally used as the recording method for these devices due to its ease of handling and low noise. In addition, in recent years, in thermal transfer recording, color recording has been made possible by using an ink sheet 50 to which yellow Y, magenta M, and cyan C inks are sequentially applied, as shown in FIG. 9, for example. Ink sheets for color recording are generally provided with bar codes corresponding to each color at the boundary 5l of each color, as shown in Figure 9, in order to locate the ink of a desired color. be. That is, when locating a desired color, the bar code is read by a sensor, and the ink sheet 50 is wound up by the distance of the recording head from the sensor.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, in the conventional ink sheet 50, color ink is not applied to the boundary portion 5l where the barcode is provided, so printing cannot be performed in this area, and as a result, printing is not possible. The number of characters was reduced. Also, after the sensor detects the color, the ink sheet 50 is wound up by the distance between the sensor and the recording head to locate the beginning of the ink sheet, but since the length of this winding is unclear, the ink sheet 50 is longer than the maximum recording range of each color. There were problems such as the need to lengthen the ink application area of each color.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ink sheet and a recording apparatus using the ink sheet, which can solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, eliminate the unrecordable area of the ink sheet, and make effective use of the entire ink sheet. Means for Solving the Problems> A typical means according to the present invention for solving the above problems is an ink sheet in which inks of a plurality of colors are sequentially applied on a long support, A barcode for detecting each color ink is formed at a predetermined position of the barcode, and the ink is also applied to the barcode forming area. Further, a recording apparatus using the ink sheet includes a conveying means for conveying the ink sheet, a recording head for applying energy to the ink sheet in response to both signals, and a recording head for applying energy to the ink sheet in accordance with both signals. a sensor for detecting a barcode, and a distance along the ink sheet conveyance path from the recording head to the sensor;
The present invention is characterized in that the distance from the recording start position corresponding to each color of the ink sheet to the detection end position where the sensor detects the barcode is the same.

Effect> With the ink sheet according to the above means, it is possible to record even a barcode area.

Furthermore, in a recording device using this ink sheet, when each color is detected by a sensor, the head of the ink of that color is located at the position of the recording head. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and efficiently perform multicolor recording without causing unnecessary movement of the ink sheet.

<Embodiment> Next, an embodiment in which the above means is applied to a serial type thermal transfer recording device will be described.

[First embodiment]

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are explanatory views of the ink sheet. This ink sheet 1 is coated on a transparent polyethylene terephthalate film la, which is a long support, with heat-transferable (heat-melting, heat-softening, heat-sublimating, etc.) inks A, B, and C having different colors.
are repeatedly applied to lengths La and LmL, respectively. This length ALm, L. may be the same, or may have different lengths. Then, a barcode 1b is formed a predetermined distance downstream from the boundary of each color, and in this embodiment, one barcode is used to detect ink A, and six or two barcodes are used to detect ink B. However, three barcodes are formed to detect the ink C, and by reading these with a sensor 7, which will be described later, the cue for each color is determined.

The barcode 1b is formed by applying black ink having a melting temperature higher than that of each color ink A, B, and C, and as shown in FIG. , C is applied. Therefore, even in the area where the barcode lb is formed, the inks A, B, C
can be transferred and recorded, and the inks A, B, and C can be transferred and recorded.
Even if the barcode lb is melt-transferred, the barcode lb is not peeled off from the support 1a. In this way, by applying inks A, B, and C to the barcode area, there is no unrecordable area on the ink sheet l, and the length of the entire ink sheet relative to the effective recording length can be shortened. Next, a description will be given of a thermal transfer recording device using the above-mentioned ink sheet 1. As shown in FIG.
The cassette 2 is configured to be able to be attached to a recording device.

A housing is formed by a lower case 2a and an upper lid 2b on the side of the cassette 2, and a supply core 3 and a winding core 4 are rotatably provided within this housing. Further, the ink sheet 1 described above is wound around the supply core 3, and this ink sheet 1 is attached to a guide shaft 2c provided in the lower case 2a.
It is guided by guide rollers 2d, exposed once in cassette recess 2e, and then wound around winding core 4. Further, a friction member 5 such as felt is provided closer to the supply core 3 than the cassette recess 2e, and this W! Rubbing member 5
is configured to come into pressure contact with the ink sheet l being conveyed by a temporary spring 6. The friction force from the friction member 5 applies back tension to the ink sheet 1 being conveyed.

Further, a window 2r is provided at a predetermined position on the side surface of the cassette 2, and a photo sensor 7, which will be described later, can detect the barcode 1b of the ink sheet l through the window 2f.

The cassette 2 is mounted on a carriage 8, which is configured to be movable back and forth along a guide shaft 9, and a bell opening Oc is connected between the poo'JIOa and 10b. ing. Furthermore, the pool loa
A carriage motor 10d is connected to the carriage motor 10d, and the carriage 8 is driven to move by driving the motor 10d.

A winding shaft 11, into which the winding core 4 of the cassette 2 is fitted, is rotatably attached to a predetermined position of the carriage slide 8 in the direction of arrow a.
A take-up motor 1lb is connected via. Further, a locking member 12 is provided protrudingly on the carriage 8, and is formed into a groove capable of locking with a locking groove 2g formed around the cassette 2. In other words, the locking member 12 is configured to lock the locking member 12 with the locking member 11. By stopping the cassette 2, the cassette 2 can be loaded into the carriage 8.
At this time, the winding core 4 is horizontally held so that it is fitted and locked onto the winding shaft l1. A photosensor 7 is attached to the carriage 8 at a position facing the window 2r when the cassette 2 is loaded, and serves as a means for detecting the barcode tb of the ink sheet 1.

This photosensor 7 is a conventionally known one, and in this embodiment, a reflective photosensor is used, and the photo sensor 7 is turned on according to the number of barcodes. It emits an off signal.

Further, the cartridge 8 is equipped with a recording head 13 in which a large number of heating elements 13a that generate heat when energized are arranged in a line, and this recording head 13 is located in the cassette recess 2e when the cassette 2 is loaded into the cartridge 8. It is arranged as follows. The recording head 13 is configured to move up and down in the direction of arrow b by means of known means such as a solenoid (not shown).

Further, a platen l4 is provided parallel to the guide shaft 9 and at a position facing the recording head 13, and a conveyance path for the recording sheet l5 is formed between the platen I4 and the recording head l3. ．． The conveyance means for this recording sheet l5 is a conveyance roller 17 driven and rotated by a conveyance motor l6.
Then, a driven roller (not shown) is pressed against the recording sheet 15, and when the conveying roller l7 rotates, the recording sheet 15 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow along the guide plate 1B, and is conveyed between the recording head 13 and the platen 14. It is structured as if it were to be done.

Now, to explain the positional relationship between the recording head l3 and the photosensor 7, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the recording start position P1 for each color ink A, B, and C is
The distance L from 1 to the detection end position P, where the photosensor 7 detects the barcode lb of the recording start color, and the distance from the recording head 13 to the photosensor 7 along the ink sheet transport path are set to be the same. ing. Note that the recording start position P1 of the ink sheet 1 may be set at the boundary line between each color ink, but in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. The recording start position P is set on the downstream side in the direction. Also, the barcode detection end position i1 by the photo sensor 7
If the black line width of the barcode 1b is 11 and the black line interval is 12 as shown in FIG. If not, the number of black lines in the barcode lb is determined.

Therefore, in this embodiment, a distance of 13 minutes downstream in the transport direction from the last black line of the barcode 1b is set as the detection end position P2.

As mentioned above, P,, P of ink sheet 1. By matching the distance between the recording hemisphere 13 and the ink sheet conveyance path distance between the photo sensor 7, the heating element 13 of the recording hemisphere 13
a is now located at the recording start position p of that color,
It becomes possible to start recording at the same time as color detection ends.

This eliminates waste in recording time and also eliminates waste in sheet feeding, making it possible to shorten the sheet length for each color. Also, to explain the feeding and conveyance of the ink sheet 1, first, when starting the desired color, the recording head 1
3 with the head up, drive the winding motor 1lb to rotate the winding shaft 11. As a result, the winding core 4
rotates, and the ink sheet 1 is transferred from the supply core 3 to the take-up core 4.
It is brought out. At this time, the photo sensor 7 detects the barcode lb, and when the barcode 1b corresponding to the desired color is detected, the drive of the winding motor 1lb is stopped. As a result, the beginning of the desired color ink is completed, and at this point, the heating element 13a of the recording head 13 is located at the recording start position P1 of the desired color ink. Next, after locating the beginning of the desired color ink as described above, during recording, the recording head l3 is lowered and the ink sheet l is pressed against the recording sheet l5, and the carriage motor 1
0d to move the carriage 8 at a constant speed in the direction of arrow d in Figure 3. At this time, since both sheets 115 are in close contact with each other, the ink sheet 1 is fed out and conveyed at a constant speed from the supply core 3 as the carriage 8 moves, and in synchronization with this, the recording head 13 is heated in accordance with the image signal. By doing so, the ink of the desired color is transferred onto the recording sheet 15.

During this recording, the take-up motor 1lb is driven, and its driving force causes the take-up shaft l1 to rotate while receiving a certain amount of sliding friction, thereby imparting front tension to the fed-out ink sheet 1. The winder is wound onto the winding core 4 at the same time. As described above, the structure of this embodiment makes it possible to widen the printable area of the ink sheet 1 and to start printing immediately after the desired color is detected. [Other Embodiments] In the first embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the photosensor 7 was arranged on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the ink sheet 1 with respect to the recording head 13, but as shown in FIG. head l
3, the photosensor 7 may be arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the ink sheet l.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, a barcode 1b for detecting the color is formed on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the ink sheet 1 for the recording start position P of each color ink AB, C. Just do it. In this case, the distance ML from the color detection end position rtlpz by the photosensor 7 to the recording start position P of that color and the ink sheet Ill transport path from the photosensor 7 to the recording head l3 are The same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained by reducing the distance.

Further, in the first embodiment described above, an example was shown in which the barcode lb for marking the ink sheet 1 was provided on the color ink coated surface side of the support 1a, but as shown in FIG.
b may be provided on the surface of the support 1a opposite to the color ink-applied surface.

Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments have shown examples of serial type thermal transfer recording apparatuses, the present invention can be similarly applied to line type recording apparatuses.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, in the present invention, since recording ink is applied to the barcode portion that detects the colors of the multicolor ink sheet, the entire ink sheet becomes a recordable area, and the ink sheet can be used without wasting it. It is possible. Also, because the distance from the ink sheet's recording start position to the color detection end position is the same as the distance from the print head to the barcode detection sensor, when the sensor detects color, the ink sheet's recording start position is recorded. This eliminates wasted recording time and makes it possible to use the recording area without wasting it.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are explanatory views of the structure of an ink sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the structure of a thermal transfer recording device, and FIG. 4 is a positional relationship between the recording head and the photosensor. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the recording start position of the ink sheet and the color detection end position. FIGS. 6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams of the recording apparatus and ink sheet according to other embodiments. 8
The figure is an explanatory diagram of another embodiment of the ink sheet, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the prior art. l is ink sheet, 1a support, lb is barcode, 2
is a cassette, 2a is a lower case, 2b is an upper lid, 2c is a guide shaft, 2d is a guide roller, 2e is a recess, 2r is a window, 2g
is a locking groove, 3 is a supply core, 4 is a take-up core, 5 is a friction member, 6 is a temporary spring, 7 is a photo sensor, 8 is a carriage body,
9 is a guide shaft, 10a and 10b are pulleys, 10c is a belt, 10d is a carriage motor, 1l is a winding shaft, l
la is a slip clutch, llb is a take-up motor, 12 is a locking member, l3 is a recording head, 13a is a heating element, 14 is a platen, X5 is a recording sheet, 16 is a transport motor, l
7 is a conveyance roller, and 18 is a guide plate.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An ink sheet in which multiple colors of ink are sequentially applied onto a long support, a barcode for detecting each color ink is formed at a predetermined position on the support, and a barcode is formed in the barcode formation area. An ink sheet characterized by being coated with the ink described above. (2) A recording apparatus that performs recording using the ink sheet according to claim (1), comprising: a conveyance means for conveying the ink sheet; and a means for imparting energy to the ink sheet in accordance with an image signal. a recording head, and a sensor for detecting a barcode on the ink sheet, the distance from the recording head to the sensor along the ink sheet conveyance path, and the recording start position corresponding to each color of the ink sheet. A recording device characterized in that the distance from the sensor to the detection end position where the barcode is detected by the sensor is the same.