JPH0535680B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a multicolor recording device used in facsimiles and the like.

[Conventional technology]

Regarding this type of multicolor recording device,
The technique described in No. 161568 "Recording method in two-color copying machine" is known.

The multi-color (two-color) recording device according to the above-mentioned known technology is composed of two thermal heads and two platens, and the first color is printed via a recording paper and an ink paper between the thermal head and the platen. Record.
Next, another set of thermal head and platen was used to record the second color.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The above-mentioned known technology does not take into consideration the components, control circuits, and running costs of the recording apparatus, and has problems in miniaturizing the apparatus and reducing running costs. That is, two sets of thermal heads and platens are used to sequentially perform two-color recording, and two expensive thermal heads must be installed, which increases the cost and reduces the ratio of component parts to the device. It became too large to be miniaturized, and there were also problems with running costs for ink, etc. Furthermore, even if multicolor printing is not necessary and only one color is printed, the recording paper cannot be ejected unless a printing process for each color is performed, so there is a problem that high-speed printing cannot be performed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a multicolor recording device that is miniaturized by reducing the number of component parts and enables high-speed printing.

[Means for solving problems]

The above purpose is to print a recording paper conveyed between a first platen and a thermal head directly facing the first platen in a first color, and to print the printed recording paper in the first color in a first color. In a multicolor recording device that prints in a second color by conveying between two platens and a thermal head directly facing the second platen, one thermal head is moved relative to the first platen and the second platen. a moving means that sequentially faces the first platen and the second platen, and a moving means that transports thermal recording paper that is sensitive to heat and develops color between the first platen and the thermal head, and then moves the recording paper to the second platen and the moving means. a recording paper transport means for transporting a recording paper between the first platen and the thermal head, and a thermal transfer ink paper of a color different from the color that the thermal recording paper develops when it is sensitive to heat, between the first platen and the thermal head. or an ink paper conveying means that is conveyed between the second platen and the thermal head and inserted between the thermal head and the thermal recording paper; 2
This can be achieved by providing a means for discharging the liquid before conveying it to the platen side.

[Effect]

With the above configuration, one thermal head can be
By alternately facing two or more platens, one thermal head can print in two or more colors. In addition, since thermal recording paper is used and one side of printing is performed by thermal recording, an ink paper conveying means for thermal transfer is not required in this thermal recording section, simplifying the device configuration and further downsizing the device. achieved. moreover,
When printing with only the first color, the printing process with the second color is omitted and the recording paper is ejected.
Enables high-speed printing.

To make the one thermal head alternately face each of two or more platens, the thermal head side may be moved, or the platen side may be moved. It doesn't prevent you from moving both, but it's not necessary.

Further, the mode of moving the one thermal head or two or more platens may be linear reciprocating motion or reciprocating rotation.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, and a flowchart of the recording system is shown in FIG. 2, which will be described in conjunction with FIG. The method of this example performs multicolor recording, and the recording order is such that the first color that is frequently recorded is thermally developed, and the other colors are recorded as thermal transfer. The configuration includes one thermal head, two platens 2 and 3, a recording paper detection sensor (A sensor) 5, a print start position detection sensor (B sensor) 6, ink paper 9, and a cutter 1.
3, head pressing jig 10, head moving mechanism 11,
Consisting of a recording paper transport mechanism (rollers, etc.) 12, the first
After one color is printed with the platen 2 and the thermal head 4 facing each other, the head moving mechanism 11 moves the thermal head in parallel to a position facing the second platen 3 (indicated by an imaginary line 4').

The recording operation will be explained using recording paper 1 as a reference. The presence or absence of the recording paper 1 is detected by the A sensor 5, and the recording paper 1 is wound around the first platen 2 by the transport mechanism 12. When the B sensor 6 for detecting the print start position detects that the recording paper 1 has been wound to a certain extent, the conveyance mechanism 12 stops, and recording is performed between the first platen 2 and the thermal head 4 facing it. Paper 1 is now present. The thermal head 4 is pressed against the first platen 2 by the head pressing mechanism 10, and the heat generating portion of the thermal head 4 comes into contact with the recording paper 1. In this state, start printing with a print command,
Record only the required amount and finish. After finishing, the recording paper is conveyed, cut by the cutter 13, and the second paper is cut.
Move to platen 3 side. At the same time, the thermal head 4 is released from being pressed against the first platen 2. The printing of the first color is thus completed, and in this state it is determined whether to print other colors, and if there is no need to print other colors, the recording paper is ejected as is and the recording is completed.
When it is necessary to print in another color, the recording paper 1 is conveyed to the second platen 3 side by the conveyance mechanism 12 based on the print command for the other color, and the recording paper is detected by the recording paper detection C sensor 7. 2nd platen 3
D sensor 8 for detecting the print start position
It is transported to the position. Simultaneously with the start of conveyance of the recording paper 1, the thermal head 4 is moved in parallel by the head moving mechanism 11 from a position facing the platen 2 to a position 4' (indicated by an imaginary line) facing the platen 3. Ink paper 9 for printing in other colors is set in advance, and the ink paper 9 and recording paper 1 are placed between the thermal head 4' and the second platen 3.
This is a state in which there is an intervening state. Next, as in the first color printing described above, the thermal head 4' is pressed against the second platen 3 by the head pressing mechanism 10, and the heat generating portions come into contact with each other. When the pressing of the head ends, printing of another color starts, and the printing of the other color is completed at the same time. After the printing is completed, the thermal head 4' is released from being pressed, moves in parallel to four positions facing the first platen 2, and waits until the next printing. In this way, by repeating parallel movement of one thermal head 4 between both platens 2 and 3, multicolor printing is realized. Although this embodiment has been described in which the first color is thermally colored and the other colors are thermally transferred, the order may be changed so that the first color is thermally transferred and the other colors are thermally colored.

Another embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The recording method of this embodiment is performed in the order explained in FIG. 1, but the difference in configuration is that the thermal head 4
The movement methods are different. That is, the thermal head 4 and both platens 2 and 3 are arranged axially symmetrically, and the thermal head 4 is rotated 180 degrees to the 4' position (imaginary line) using the head moving mechanism 11 to perform the same operation. make it happen. In this case, there is no head pressing mechanism, and the second platen 3 is moved by the platen support spring 1.
By elastically supporting the thermal head 4, the rotation of the thermal head 4 is facilitated, and contact with the second platen 3 is also facilitated.

Another embodiment in which the thermal head 4 is rotated will be described with reference to FIG. The recording method is almost the same as that described above, except that the thermal head 4
The rotational movement angle is 90° or less. By reducing the rotational movement angle in this way, high-speed movement becomes possible.

In the above embodiments, the thermal head is moved and the platen is fixed, but it is also possible to use a method in which the thermal head is fixed and the platen is moved.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In the prior art, multicolor recording devices used in facsimiles and the like had to be equipped with at least two thermal heads, but by applying the present invention, only one thermal head is required, reducing head costs and reducing the cost of attached circuits. It becomes possible to reduce the scale.

In addition, since one of the multiple colors is thermally recorded,
The number of ink paper conveying means can be reduced by one, further downsizing can be achieved, and since records that are not printed in all colors are ejected midway, high-speed printing is possible.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a flowchart of recording system operation; Figure 3;
FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of an embodiment different from the above. 1...Recording paper, 2...First platen, 3...Second platen, 4...Thermal head in a position facing the first platen, 4'...State in a position facing the second platen (indicated by imaginary line) 5... A sensor, 6... B sensor, 7... C sensor, 8... D sensor, 9... Ink paper, 10, 1
0'... Head pressing mechanism, 11, 11'... Head moving mechanism, 12... Conveyance mechanism (roller etc.), 13... Cutter, 14... Platen support mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A recording paper conveyed between a first platen and a thermal head directly facing the first platen is printed in a first color by the thermal head, and a printed record in the first color is printed. In a multicolor recording device that conveys paper between a second platen and a thermal head directly facing the second platen and prints in the second color, one thermal head is positioned relative to the first platen and the second platen. a moving means that sequentially moves the thermal recording paper to directly face the first platen and the second platen;
a recording paper conveying means for conveying between a platen and the thermal head and then between a second platen and the thermal head after being moved by the moving means; and a color that develops when the thermal recording paper is sensitive to heat. An ink paper for thermal transfer of a different color from the ink paper is conveyed between the first platen and the thermal head or between the second platen and the thermal head and inserted between the thermal head and the thermal recording paper. A multi-color recording apparatus comprising: a conveying means; and a means for ejecting the printed thermal recording paper before conveying it to the second platen when printing in a second color is not required. 2. The multicolor recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cutter for cutting the thermal recording paper between the first platen and the second platen. 3. The multicolor recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving means reciprocates the thermal head in parallel to sequentially bring it directly facing the first platen and the second platen. 4. In claim 1, a first platen and a second platen are arranged facing each other, and a thermal head is arranged between the first platen and the second platen, and the thermal head is used as the moving means to rotate the thermal head at 180 degrees. A multicolor recording device characterized in that it rotates back and forth to face a first platen and a second platen sequentially. 5 In claim 1, the moving means moves the first thermal head to the fixedly arranged thermal head.
A multicolor recording apparatus characterized in that the first platen and the second platen are sequentially moved to directly face the thermal head. 6. The multifunction device according to claim 1, characterized in that means is provided for relatively pressing the thermal head and the first platen or the second platen that face each other and pressing the recording paper between them against the thermal head. Color recording device.