JPH058114B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "Field of Industrial Application" This invention relates to a printing method in a thermal transfer color printer.

"Prior Art" FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing section in a thermal transfer color printer. In this diagram,
Reference numeral 1 is a printing paper, and 2 is a color ink film.As shown in FIG.
(cyan) color ink is applied alternately. In FIG. 4, numeral 3 is a delivery roll for sending out the color ink film 2, 4 is a rewinding roll for rewinding the paper 1, 4a, 4a, . . . are sprocket pins, and 5 is a roller. Also, 6 is a platen roll, 7 is a thermal head, 8 and 9 are rollers, and 10
1 is a take-up roll for winding up the color ink film 2, and 11 is a cutter having an acute blade at its tip.

Next, the general operation of color printing will be explained with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the paper 1 and the Y color of the color ink film 2 are superimposed, and while the paper 1 and the color ink film 2 are fed one step at a time, one page of Y color dots is printed by the thermal head 7 (6th page). Diagram steps
SP1). When this one page worth of Y color dot printing is completed, the paper 1 and the color ink film 2 between the thermal head 7 and the roller 8 are in a state of being adhered. Then, the paper 1 and the color ink film 2 are fed to separate the adhesive portions (step SP2). At the end of this feeding, the M color leading end of the color ink film 2 is located at the thermal head 7. Next, after rewinding only paper 1 to its original position, M color printing is performed (step SP3).
Next, the paper 1 and the color ink film 2 are separated in the same manner as in step SP2 (step SP4).
Next, after rewinding only the paper 1, C color printing is performed (step SP5), and then the paper 1 and the color ink film 2 are separated (step SP5).
SP6). Through the above process, one page of color printing is completed. Next, the paper 1 is fed by a certain amount and the printing process is completed (step SP7).

"Problems to be Solved by the Invention" As mentioned above, in a thermal transfer color printer, the operation of separating the paper 1 and the color ink film 2 (steps SP2, SP4, SP6) is essential. When printing a second page following printing of the first page, a margin always appears between the printing of the first page and the printing of the second page. This is extremely undesirable, especially when a color printer is to be used in place of the pen of a pen recorder. In addition,
Although it is conceivable to use a color ink film in which each color has a long ink portion, there is a problem in this case that wrinkles are likely to occur in the color ink film.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printing method for a thermal transfer color printer that allows each page to be printed continuously without any blank spaces.

"Means for Solving the Problems" The present invention includes a first step of reading data in a memory and printing one page in color using each of a plurality of color inks applied to a color ink film. After the first step is completed, there is a second step of feeding the paper and the color ink film to separate the paper and the color ink film, and at the time the second step is completed, a third step of determining whether or not there is data to be printed; and, if there is data to be printed in the memory, rewinding the paper by an amount corresponding to the feed amount in the second step; The method is characterized by having a fourth step.

"Embodiment" Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control circuit for a color printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the printing section in this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. 4.

In Figure 1, 15 is a CPU (central processing unit);
16 is a ROM in which programs are stored, 17 is an RMA for data storage, and 18 is an interface circuit. This interface circuit 18 complies with the Centronics standard, and when a ready signal READY is sent to an external device, the external device sends 1 byte of image data D and a strobe signal STB in parallel. The interface circuit 18 reads the image data D upon receiving the strobe signal STB, outputs it to the bus line 19, and
Sends an acknowledgment signal ACK back to the external device.
A parallel/serial conversion circuit 20 converts 8-bit parallel data supplied via the bus line 19 into serial data and outputs the serial data to the head drive circuit 21. The head drive circuit 21 has an internal serial-in/parallel-out shift register consisting of flip-flops of the same number as the heating elements of the thermal head 7, and a gate for controlling opening/closing of each output of this shift register. The output is supplied to each heating element of the thermal head 7. The mechanical unit control circuit 23 controls each mechanism of the printing unit shown in FIG.
The color ink film winding motor 27 drives the color ink film winding roll 10, and a color band detection sensor 30 detects each color band of the color ink film 2.

Next, the operation of the color printer having the above configuration will be explained with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, when you press the print command button (not shown), the CPU 15
detects this and outputs a ready signal READY to the external device via the interface circuit 18.
The external device receives this signal READY and sends Y, M, C
The image data D of each color is sequentially supplied to the interface circuit 18 in byte units. The image data D supplied to the interface circuit 18 is
5 are sequentially stored in the RAM 17.

Next, the CPU 15 performs initial setting processing at step S1 shown in FIG. That is, first, a paper set command is output to the mechanism control circuit 23. Upon receiving this command, the mechanism control circuit 23 operates the paper feeding pulse motor 2 by a preset number of steps.
5 to rotate the platen roll 6, thereby setting the paper 1 at the initial position. next
The CPU 15 outputs a color ink film set command to the mechanism control circuit 23. Upon receiving this command, the mechanism control circuit 23 activates the color band detection sensor 30.
Based on the output, the color ink film winding motor 27 is driven to set the color ink film 2 in Y color. Next, the CPU 15 performs the step
Proceed to S2 and perform Y color printing processing. That is, first, Y color image data D is sequentially read from the RAM 17 and output to the parallel/serial conversion circuit 20. The parallel/serial conversion circuit 20 converts the image data D into silica gel data and outputs it to the head drive circuit 21. This serial data is sequentially read into a shift register within the head drive circuit 21. Next, when one line of dot data is read into the same shift register, the CPU 15
A print command PR is output to the head drive circuit 21.
As a result, the gate in the head drive circuit 21 is opened, the dot data in the shift register is supplied to the thermal head 7, and the Y in the first row is
Color dot printing is performed. Next, CPU15 is
The paper feeding pulse motor 25 and the color ink film winding motor 27 are driven for one line, and then the image data D of the second line of Y color is transferred to the RAM 17.
, and then print one page in Y color in the same manner.

Next, the CPU 15 proceeds to step S3 in FIG.
A command for separating the paper 1 and the color ink film 2 is output to the mechanism control circuit 23. The mechanism control circuit 23 receives this command and operates the paper feeding pulse motor 25 by a predetermined number of steps.
and color ink film winding motor 27
to drive. Next, when the process advances to step S4, M color printing is performed overlapping the page on which Y color printing was performed in step S2. That is, the paper 1 is rewound, and then M color printing is performed line by line in the same process as step S2. and,
When printing of this M color page is completed, the process advances to step S5, where paper 1 and color ink film 2 are printed.
separation is performed (see step S3). Next, when proceeding to step S6, C color printing is performed on the same page as above, and then proceeding to step S7,
The paper 1 and the color ink film 2 are separated in the same manner as steps S3 and S5.

Next, when the process advances to step S8, it is determined whether or not there is image data to be printed in the RAM 17.
If the result of this judgment is "NO", the process advances to step S9, where the paper 1 is fed by a certain amount, and the printing process is ended. On the other hand, if the above judgment result is "YES", the process advances to step S10. In step S10, a paper rewind command is output to the mechanism control circuit 23. The mechanism control circuit 23 receives this command and rewinds the paper 1 by a predetermined amount. As a result, the next line of the printed page of the paper 1 is positioned immediately before the thermal head 7. Next, the process returns to step S2, and the second page is then printed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the printing process of paper 1, and each diagram shows the point in time when the next process is completed.

First page C color printing Separation of paper 1 and color ink film 2 Rewinding for continuous printing Y color printing of second page Separation of paper 1 and color ink film 2 Rewinding for M color printing M color printing on the 2nd page Separation of paper 1 and color ink film 2 Rewinding for C color printing C color printing on the 2nd page Separation of paper 1 and color ink film 2 Feed of paper 1 at the end of printing By repeating the above-mentioned steps, continuous printing can be performed for a longer period of time.

"Effects of the Invention" As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the effect that printing can be performed continuously without providing margins between pages.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the printing process in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the configuration of the printing section of a color printer, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the color ink film 2 in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the printing process in a conventional color printer. It is. 1...Paper, 2...Color ink film, 1
5...CPU, 16...ROM, 17...RMA,
23... Mechanism control circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A thermal transfer color printer that stores image data supplied from an external device in a memory and prints based on the data stored in the memory, comprising: (a) reading data in the memory; a first step of printing one page in color using each of a plurality of color inks applied to a color ink film; (b) after the first step is completed, feeding the paper and the color ink film; (c) at the time when the second step is completed, a third step of determining whether or not there is data to be printed in the memory; and (d) a fourth step of rewinding the paper by an amount corresponding to the feed amount in the second step when there is data to be printed in the memory. A printing method for a thermal transfer color printer.