JPH0352347B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention relates to a thermal recording device that prints on recording paper using thermal pulses.

``Prior art'' In the thermal transfer recording method, an ink donor film coated with thermofluid or heat sublimation ink of one or more colors is layered on recording paper, and a thermal head applies heat pulses. This is done by transferring characters and figures onto recording paper. Also,
A similar thermal recording method in which a thermal head directly applies heat pulses to recording paper coated with thermosensitive coloring ink is also well known.

The ink donor film used in the thermal transfer recording method is coated with one color of ink over its entire length in the case of monochrome printing. By using an ink donor film for monochrome printing and one thermal head, a so-called black and white image can be printed on recording paper. Two-color images are also printed using two types of ink donor films for single-color printing and two thermal heads. The ink donor films used are selected to correspond to the three primary colors, and the colors are synthesized using three thermal heads.
So-called color (multicolor) printing can also be performed.

Color printing can also be performed using one ink donor film and one thermal head. This ink donor film is coated with inks of four colors, for example, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, in order in the longitudinal direction. FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a main part of a conventional heat-sensitive recording apparatus of a field-sequential color printing method using such an ink donor film.

A long belt-shaped ink donor film 1 wound into a roll is coated with cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks in order in its longitudinal direction. In this figure, for example, only a cyan part 2, a magenta part 3, and a yellow part 4 appear. This ink donor film 1 is conveyed in the direction of arrow 10 through between a back roll 6 and a thermal head 7 while contacting the printing surface of the recording section 5. A pair of drive rolls 8 are provided on each side of the back roll. The drive roll 8 holds the recording paper 5 and transports it back and forth in the direction of the arrow 9.

This device first places the cyan portion 2 of the ink donor film 4 directly below the recording paper 5, and then moves the ink donor film 1 and the recording paper 5 in the direction of the arrow 10 while applying a heat pulse using the thermal head 7. direction and perform cyan printing. Next, the back roll 6 is moved away from the thermal head 7, and the recording paper 5 is transported in the opposite direction by the drive roll 8, returning to the initial state. At the same time, ink donor film 4
The magenta portion 3 of the recording paper 5 is set directly below the recording paper 5, and the printing operation is performed again. Color printing is completed by printing yellow and black in the same manner.

On the other hand, in the case of monochrome printing, a thermal pulse is applied using the thermal head 7 while the ink donor film and the recording paper are transported in the direction of the arrow 10. There is no reversing operation of the drive roll 8, and the sequence is extremely simple.

Generally, the operation of a drive roll of a thermal recording device, a motor for transporting an ink donor film, etc. is controlled by a sequencer built into the device. The operating procedure, ie, sequence, as described above is stored in a memory or the like in the sequencer.

Information regarding the heat pulses applied by the thermal head is also stored within the sequencer or in memory associated with the sequencer. The heat pulse that must be applied to print at an appropriate density varies depending on the material of the plastic tape used as the base of the ink donor film, the type of ink applied, the thickness of the ink applied, etc. This is adjusted by controlling the power supply voltage applied to the thermal head and the energization time.

Even in the case of a method using thermal recording paper, it is necessary to control the heat pulse applied by the thermal head in accordance with the type of color-forming ink applied to the recording paper.

“Problems to be solved by the invention” Conventionally, in the above-mentioned thermal recording device,
Optimum conditions were determined for each model by taking into consideration the ink donor film used in the device, the configuration of the device, the characteristics of the thermal head, etc., and these were stored in the sequencer.

However, for example, ink donor films are improved as research and development of ink materials progresses, but in order to use improved ink donor films in devices that have been sold and used in the past, new printing conditions must be memorized. It is necessary to reinstall the sequencer that has been changed, or to change the conditions by turning a semi-fixed resistor inside the device.

If such complicated maintenance and repair work is to be avoided, it is necessary to continue selling various types of ink donor films and thermal recording papers, which hinders cost reduction.

The present invention has been made focusing on the above points,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal recording device that automatically selects appropriate printing conditions according to the type and characteristics of the attached ink donor film.

"Means for Solving the Problems" The thermal recording apparatus of the present invention includes a thermal head, a heated sheet conveying means for conveying a heated sheet that comes into contact with the thermal head, and a heated sheet conveying means that conveys the heated sheet that comes into contact with the thermal head. Attribute code data reading means for reading attribute code data written on the heating sheet indicating the type of the sheet; decoding means for decoding the read attribute code data to determine the intensity of thermal energy when applying the heat pulse; The apparatus further includes a thermal head driving means for driving the thermal head with the thermal energy determined by the decoding means to perform thermal transfer recording.

The heated sheet is an ink donor film or thermal recording paper to which heat pulses are applied during printing, and its attribute code data indicates the type of heated sheet, that is, the type of ink applied to it. , information indicating coating thickness, base film material or structure, etc.

Such information is attached to the ink donor film, and if the apparatus reads it and selects the necessary sequence, the thermal recording apparatus can perform operations suitable for the ink donor film.

If this device is provided with a nonvolatile memory, the read attribute code data can be stored so that it will not be lost.

If the attribute code data is provided at the beginning of the winding of the heated sheet, the attribute code data of the heated sheet can be read and stored when the heated sheet is attached and prior to its use.

If the attribute code data is attached to the side edge of the sheet to be heated, the attribute code data can be traced and read when the apparatus is started, and it is not necessarily necessary to store the attribute code data.

When attribute code data is attached to the side edge of the sheet to be heated, it can be attached continuously or intermittently in the longitudinal direction. In either case, repeated reading of attribute code data is possible.

``Example'' FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the thermal recording apparatus of the present invention, and FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are examples of ink donor films suitable for use in the apparatus of the present invention, respectively. FIG.

This device includes a reading means 21 and a sequencer 22.
, a non-volatile memory 23 (RAM), an applied pulse control table memory 24 (ROM), a motor 26 and a motor driver 27, a thermal head 28 and a thermal head driver 29. Each of the above parts is connected by a bus line 31.

Attribute code data 37 is attached to the ink donor film 34 in FIG. 2 between its winding start end 35 and ink application area 36. The ink donor film 34 shown in FIG. 3 has attribute code data 37 attached intermittently in the longitudinal direction on the sides of the ink application area 36, that is, on the side edges of the film. The ink donor film 34 shown in FIG. 4 has attribute code data 37 continuously attached to the side edge of the film in the longitudinal direction like the one shown in FIG. has been done.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the reading means 21 for reading the ink donor film 34 and its attribute code data 37 illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the reading means 21 for reading the ink donor film and its attribute code data 37 illustrated in FIG.

In the present invention, the attribute code data 37 attached to the ink donor film 34 is recorded on the front or back surface of the ink donor film 34 in a manner that can be read by various sensors optically, magnetically, or electrically.

The optical material is, for example, a bar code, on which letters, numbers, symbols, etc. can be written as information, and can be read using an optical sensor. The magnetic material uses magnetic paint, and can be read and reproduced using a magnetic head. For electrical purposes, there is application of conductive paint, and the width of the conductive area, slits provided in the conductive area, etc. can be read using a brush or the like. The reading means 21 uses one suitable for such attribute code data.

The sequencer 22 is composed of a microprocessor or the like that controls the operation of each part of the thermal recording apparatus. The non-volatile memory 23 is a random access memory that has a function of retaining the stored contents using a battery (not shown) or the like.
Consists of memory (RAM). The print pulse control table memory 24 is, for example, a read only memory (ROM) that stores various application times of print pulses to be applied to the thermal head 28, from short to long.

The above thermal recording device operates as follows. For example, when the ink donor film 35 shown in FIG. 2 is used, when the ink donor film 35 is first mounted on the apparatus, the reading means 21 traces the attribute code data 37 and reads the information as shown in FIG. This information is written into non-volatile memory 23. Written information does not disappear until it is rewritten with other information. The contents of this information include, for example, an ink donor film for sequential color printing using four color inks, and a standard thermal head printing pulse width of 4 milliseconds.

Based on this information, the sequencer 22 selects a sequence for using the ink donor film for field sequential color printing. Furthermore, the printing pulse control table memory 24 is set in consideration of the standard printing pulse width.
Print pulse width data is selected and taken out from the printer, and the thermal head 28 is driven through the thermal head driver 29. The printing sequence is the same as that described in the conventional example shown in FIG. 7, and the motor driver 27 is controlled accordingly to determine the timing for transporting the drive roll 8, back roll 6, or ink donor film 1 shown in FIG.

Next, when an ink donor film for monochrome printing is attached to this device, the attribute code data 37 is read in the same way, and the operation is performed according to the sequence for monochrome printing stored in advance in the sequencer 22. Since the printing pulses when using an ink donor film for monochrome printing may be different from those for color printing, the necessary printing pulse data is selected to perform printing under different conditions.

Ink donor film 34 of the embodiment shown in FIG.
The attribute code data 37 can be read by moving the ink donor film in the direction of the arrow 38. The ink donor film 34 of the embodiment shown in FIG.
The attribute code data 37 can be read by moving the reading means 21 in the direction shown in FIG.

In the case of the method shown in FIG. 5, the attribute code data 37 is read and stored in the nonvolatile memory 23 only when the ink donor film 34 is mounted on the thermal recording device. Therefore, this ink donor film 3
The same sequence is selected and printing is performed under the same conditions until the number 4 is used up.

On the other hand, in the method shown in FIG. 6, for example, if the attribute code data 37 of the ink donor film 34 is read each time the device is started up, the ink donor film can be used even if the ink donor film is replaced midway through. It is possible to make the film perform an action that is suitable for the film. In order to use it in this way, it is preferable to attach the same attribute code data periodically along the length of the ink donor film, and this attribute code data must always be in a position where it can be read by the reading means. No. It is more preferable if the same attribute code data can be read continuously in the longitudinal direction, that is, no matter which part is read.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which two types of sequences are selected, but if necessary, two types of sequences can be selected in the sequencer.
The above sequences may be stored and selected.

For example, the print pulse width data is stored in the print pulse control table memory 24 as 1 ms, 3 ms, 5 ms, etc.
It is stored in the format of milliseconds, and the sequencer combines them appropriately, for example, 1 millisecond twice to make 2 milliseconds, 3 milliseconds and 1 millisecond to make 4 milliseconds, etc. If controlled, it will be possible to cope with the case where the ink donor film is improved in the future and the applied pulse width is changed significantly.

Note that the voltage of the printing pulse, the transfer speed and amount of the ink donor film, the backroll pressure, etc. may be made selectable as appropriate in accordance with the attribute code data. Further, even in a method using thermal recording paper, the present invention can be implemented in the same manner as described above by attaching attribute code data to the thermal recording paper. Further, two or more attribute code and reading means may be provided.

"Effects of the Invention" The thermal recording apparatus of the present invention described above can automatically perform appropriate printing control depending on the type of ink donor film to be attached. Moreover, since we decided to read the attribute code data written on the heated sheet each time the device is started, even if the heated sheet is replaced midway through, the thermal energy when applying the heat pulse can be adjusted each time. There's no need. In addition, since the attributes written on the sheet to be heated are read, for example, if the sheet is cut due to some kind of accident, or if the sheet is used to the end and no attribute data is written on that part of the sheet, In such cases, measures can be taken such as instructing the driver to replace the seat or prohibiting its use. Furthermore, even if an improved ink donor film of high quality appears in the future, there is a degree of freedom in which the ink donor film can be immediately installed and used without modifying the apparatus.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the thermal recording apparatus of the present invention, and FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are partial plan views of an embodiment of an ink donor film suitable for use in the apparatus of the present invention, 5 and 6 are perspective views showing the ink donor film shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and its attribute code data reading means, respectively, and FIG.
The figure is a perspective view of a main part of a conventional heat-sensitive recording device using a field-sequential color printing method. 21...Reading means, 22...Sequencer, 23
...Nonvolatile memory, 28...Thermal head,
34... Ink donor film, 35... Beginning end of ink donor film, 37... Attribute code data.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A thermal head, a heated sheet conveying means for conveying a heated sheet that comes into contact with the thermal head, and a heated sheet conveying means that conveys a heated sheet that is in contact with the thermal head; Attribute code data reading means for reading attribute code data indicating the product variety; Decoding means for decoding the read attribute code data to determine the intensity of thermal energy when heat pulses are applied; A thermal recording apparatus comprising: a thermal head driving means for driving the thermal head with energy to perform thermal transfer recording. 2. The thermal recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a non-volatile memory that retains the attribute code data read by the attribute code data reading means at least during the period of use of the heated sheet.