JPH0336079A - Thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remove complicated control and a detection switch for discriminating an ink ribbon cartridge by providing a bar code different in the number of bars according to the difference of an ink ribbon to the ink ribbon and discriminating the number of the bars of the bar code by a bar code reading means. CONSTITUTION:A color ink ribbon 1' has an upper printing zone 5' and a lower bar code zone 4' and a bar code is printed on the bar code zone 4' using an impervious material in the same way as a case of a monochromatic ribbon. An ink ribbon is fed out in the direction shown by an arrow by a ribbon feed mechanism before the start of printing operation and, when a bar code 10 is detected by a photoelectric detection switch 2, two pulse signals 11 are generated to confirm that the ink ribbon is a color ribbon. Thereafter, the ribbon feed mechanism is stopped. A cyan region 7 is scanned by a printing head to perform the printing of one line and the ribbon is subsequently fed out by definite quantity by the ribbon feed mechanism to feed a magenta region to a printing head part and, thereafter, the same printing as the printing data in the cyan region is performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for identifying a ribbon cartridge for a thermal transfer printer, and particularly to a thermal transfer printer that performs printing by mounting various ribbon cartridges capable of color printing.

[Conventional technology]

Traditionally, this type of thermal transfer printer used single-color ribbons, so there was no need to identify the ribbon cartridge.
In recent years, as color printing thermal transfer printers have been developed by various companies, it has become necessary to distinguish between conventional single-color ribbon cartridges and color ribbon cartridges. Therefore, in order to distinguish between a single-color ribbon cartridge and a two-ribbon cartridge, a detection switch for ribbon cartridge identification is provided, and the type of ribbon/cartridge is identified based on the presence or absence of a detection SW signal from the ribbon cartridge.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, a detection switch for identifying the ribbon cartridge is required, and two types of ribbon cartridges are required, one of which is a single color ribbon and the other is a colored ribbon, which requires complicated management.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides a bar code for identifying a single color ribbon or a color ribbon on the ribbon, and when printing starts, the ribbon is fed repeatedly and a ribbon end detection switch reads the bar code to identify whether it is a single color ribbon or a color ribbon. Accordingly, the ribbon cartridge identification detection switch can be removed.

Further, it is possible to provide an apparatus in which management complexity can be eliminated by mounting monochrome or colored ribbons in the same ribbon cartridge without changing the ribbon cartridge depending on the type of ribbon.

The present invention provides a thermal transfer printer that prints monochromatic ribbons and color ribbons using the same device, in which different numbers of barcodes are provided on the ink ribbons depending on the ink ribbons, and the number of barcodes is determined by a barcode reading means. By making it possible to automatically determine the type of ink ribbon cartridge installed in the device, you can load different ink ribbons into the same ink ribbon cartridge without changing the ink ribbon cartridge according to the ribbon type. By doing so, it is possible to provide an apparatus that not only eliminates complicated management but also eliminates a detection switch for identifying an ink ribbon cartridge.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1(A) shows a method for identifying a monochrome ink ribbon, and FIG. 2(B) shows a method for identifying a color ink ribbon.

In FIG. 1(A), a single color ink ribbon 1. Transmissive photoelectric detection switch 2. Barcode 3 is shown.

By running the monochrome ink ribbon 1 in the direction of the arrow before starting printing, when the barcode 3 passes the photoelectric detection switch 2, the identification detection switch 2 reads the barcode 3 and generates a pulse signal. The barcode is printed with an opaque material in the barcode zone 4 of the monochromatic ink ribbon 1, and when the light is blocked by the barcode when passing through the photoelectric detection switch 2, the photoelectric detection switch emits one pulse signal. emanate. The upper zone 5 of the monochromatic ribbon 1 represents the printing zone. When the firmware is set to recognize that a monochrome ribbon is mounted when the photoelectric switch 2 emits one pulse signal, the pulse signal shown in 6 is emitted every time the monochrome ribbon 1 passes the photoelectric switch 2. When you recognize that it is a single color ribbon, you can do this.

In FIG. 1(B), 1 is a color ribbon, 2 is a transmission type photoelectric switch, and 3 is a bar code. The operation shown in FIG. 1(B) is the same as that shown in FIG. 1(A), but the color ribbon 1
is divided into the three primary colors of color thermal transfer green/green, cyan, magenta, and yellow, at equal intervals. The cyan, magenta, and yellow areas are assumed to be 7° and 8.9°, respectively. The color ink ribbon 1' has a printing zone 5 and a barcode zone 4' on the upper and lower sides, and a barcode is printed on an opaque material in the barcode zone 4' as in the case of the monochrome ribbon. In FIG. 2, two barcodes 10 are provided between a cyan area 7 and a yellow area 9, and when they pass through a photoelectric switch 2, two pulse signals 11 are emitted.

Next, the operation of FIG. 1(B) will be explained. Before the start of the printing operation, when the ink ribbon is sent out in the direction of the arrow by a ribbon feeding mechanism (not shown) and the barcode 10 is detected by the photoelectric detection switch 2', two pulse signals 11 are generated and it is recognized that it is a color ribbon.

After this, the ribbon feeding mechanism is stopped. At this time, the print head (not shown) is located in the cyan area 7. The print head scans 7 parts of the cyan area and prints one line, then feeds the ribbon by a certain amount using the feed/feed mechanism, and after feeding the magenta area with the print head housing, prints the ribbon in the cyan area. Prints the same as the print data.

With the above operation, one line of printing is printed with cyan and magenta completely overlapping each other, so that a coloring effect is performed. Multicolor printing can be performed by overlapping printing using a combination of cyan, magenta, and yellow.

In this embodiment, a photoelectric switch is used for the barcode detection switch, but when a magnetic material is used for the barcode, the same effect can of course be obtained by using a magnetic sensor or the like.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, when different numbers of barcodes are set depending on the type of ink ribbon, a pulse signal is generated by the barcode reading means, and the type of ink ribbon attached is automatically determined based on the number of parcodes. By configuring the ink ribbon to be discriminated between the two, it is possible to load different types of ink ribbons into the same ribbon cartridge, thereby eliminating the complexity of management and eliminating the need for a detection switch for distinguishing between the types of ribbon cartridges.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B are front views of a barcode detection section showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1.1'... Ink ribbon, 2,2'...
...Photoelectric switch, 3.10...Barcode,
6.11...Pulse signal.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A thermal transfer printer that uses a single color ribbon and a color ribbon in the same device, characterized by having an ink ribbon having a different number of barcodes depending on the type of ink ribbon, and a barcode reading means.