JPH068967B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a thermal recording using an ink donor sheet in addition to a first image forming unit for forming image information on a sheet. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus provided with a second image forming unit of a system.

(Prior Art) For copying a drawing or the like created by a copying machine,
The date, company name, drawing number, etc. are often entered. In order to enter such characters, numbers, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "characters"), various stamps have been hitherto generally used. However, this kind of work is performed especially when the number of copies is large. Is very troublesome. Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-24482, a stamper for automatically printing characters on a copy made by a copying machine is also proposed. This stamper presses a plate such as a rubber plate mechanically against an ink roll and then presses the plate against the copy surface. With such a stamper, the efficiency of the imprinting work is enhanced.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) However, even in the above stamper, when the characters to be printed are changed (for example, the date is changed every day) or the direction of printing is changed, the rubber plate or the like is manually operated. It was necessary to replace it with another one or change the orientation of the plate.

Therefore, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of forming further image information on a sheet on which image information is formed, such as the above copy, and easily changing the contents of the latter image information. It is intended to be provided.

(Means for Solving Problems) The image forming apparatus of the present invention is configured to form image information on a sheet.
Image forming means, a paper carrying path for carrying the paper on which image information is formed by the first image forming means, the paper and the ink donor sheet sent through the paper carrying path, a pressure roll and a thermal head. A second sheet which is sandwiched by and forms image information different from the image information on the sheet.
In the image forming apparatus having the image forming means, the input means for inputting information formed by the second image forming means, the operation of the thermal head based on the input from the input means, and the thermal head Control means for controlling the pressing and releasing of the pressure roll against the pressure roll.

(Operation) When the pressure roll is pressed against the thermal head based on the input information from the input means and the thermal head is operated to generate heat, the solid ink of the ink donor sheet pressed by the thermal head is dissolved. The ink is transferred to the paper to form image information such as desired characters on the paper surface. The image information can be easily changed only by operating the input means.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on an example shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a copying machine which is an embodiment of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. The copying machine 1 is an electronic copying machine as an example, and a platen glass 2 is formed by a known electrophotographic method.
A toner image of the original 3 placed on the surface is formed on the surface of the drum-shaped electrophotographic photosensitive member 4, and the toner image is transferred to the copy paper 5. The copy sheet 5 is peeled from the photoconductor 4 and then sent to a fixing device 6 where the toner image is fixed on the copy sheet 5 to form a copy 5a of a so-called original 3. In this embodiment, the electrophotographic apparatus described above constitutes the first image forming means.

The copy 5a is transported by the transport roll 7 and discharged onto the output tray 8. A printing device 10 as a second image forming means is provided between the output tray 8 and the fixing device 6. Has been. FIG. 2 shows the printer 10 in detail, and the printer 10 will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 2 as well. A rotatable pressure roll is provided at a position contacting the back surface of the copy 5a.
11 is arranged in parallel with the transport roll 7, and a thermal head 12 is provided at a position facing the pressure roll 11 with the copy 5a in between. The pressure roll 11 is copied 5a by the roll vertical movement device 13.
It is adapted to be moved in the vertical direction between a position where it is pressed against the thermal head 12 and a position where it is separated from the thermal head 12. The thermal head 12 is fixed to, for example, a wire 15 driven by a stepping motor 14, and when the wire 15 is driven, the thermal head 12 is moved in the left-right direction, that is, in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction (arrow A direction) of the copy 5a. Has become. Between the copy 5a and the thermal head 12, an ink donor sheet 18 wound around a supply roll 16 and stored, transported by a sheet transport roll 20 and wound from a leading end side to a take-up roll 17 is stretched. There is. The ink donor sheet 18 is a known one in which a heat-soluble solid ink is applied to the surface of a sheet-shaped base material such as paper, condenser paper, polyester film, etc., and the solid ink application surface is the copy 5a side. It is arranged to face.

The thermal head 12 is a publicly known one that selectively heats a number of heating elements (not shown) arranged in line according to a drive signal. The thermal head 12 has a control circuit.
The head operation signal S1 is input from 19. A head movement signal S2 is input from the control circuit 19 to the stepping motor 14. The character information signal S3 is input to the control circuit 19 from a keyboard 22 provided on the upper surface of the copying machine 1. Further, a copy position signal S4 synchronized with the driving of the transport roll 7 is input to the control circuit 19,
Further, the control circuit 19 controls the roll vertical movement control signal S5 for controlling the drive of the roll vertical movement device 13, and the winding roll 17
And a sheet conveyance control signal S6 for controlling the rotation drive of the sheet conveyance roll 20.

When characters are printed on the copy 5a by using the printing device 10 having the above-described configuration, first, a desired character is typed in by the keyboard 22, and the position, direction, etc. are specified, and the control circuit
A character information signal S3 relating to this character is input to 19.
If the characters typed in as described above are displayed on the display 24 via a microcomputer or the like, it is possible to confirm the correctness, position, size, etc. of the characters. The character information input to the control circuit 19 as described above, that is, the information regarding the character content, position, direction, etc.,
Once stored in a memory (not shown) in the control circuit 19. When a print command is given (this may be given via the keyboard 22), the control circuit 19 advances to a predetermined position where the leading end of the copy 5a faces the thermal head 12 based on the copy position signal S4. At that time, the roll vertical movement control signal S5 is input to the roll vertical movement device 13, and the copy 5a is transferred to the thermal head 12 via the ink donor sheet 18.
The pressure roll 11 is lifted so that it comes into pressure contact with. At the same time, the control circuit 19 outputs the sheet conveyance control signal S6 to start the sheet conveyance, and the ink donor sheet 18
Is run on the copy 5a. And the control circuit 19
Outputs a head actuation signal S1 based on the character information when the character writing position of the copy 5a indicated by the character information reaches the position where it contacts the thermal head 12. The heating elements of the thermal head 12 are selectively set to a heat generation state by the head operation signal S1.
In the portion of the ink donor sheet 18 that is in contact with the heating element that has generated heat in this way, the solid ink is dissolved,
This ink is transferred to the surface of the copy 5a. In this way, the thermal head 12 is operated, while the copy 5a is moved with respect to the thermal head 12, the copy 5
On the surface of a, desired characters typed in with the keyboard 22 are printed at desired positions. Depending on the printing position designated by the character information, the head moving signal S2 is input from the control circuit 19 to the stepping motor 14 to move the thermal head 12 in the width direction of the copy 5a. In this way, it is possible to set the printing position on the copy 5a in a wide range even if the thermal head 12 that is relatively small is used.

To change the content, size, orientation, etc. of the characters to be written on the copy 5a as necessary, use the keyboard 22 to control the circuit.
Enter the text information in 19 again.

It should be noted that, by driving a microcomputer or the like as described above by a predetermined program, the characters input by the keyboard 22 can be made into double-width characters or half-width characters with one touch by operating the function keys of the keyboard 22, or
It will be even more convenient if you can rotate it 90 ° so that portrait characters can be changed to landscape characters.

(Effect of the Invention) As described in detail above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, desired characters can be automatically written on a copy of a document or the like by using the second image forming means. Moreover, since the entered characters can be easily changed by operating the input means such as the keyboard, the efficiency of the printing work can be improved.
Especially when the printed characters are changed frequently, the printing work efficiency is significantly improved. Further, in the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the pressure roll is pressed against the thermal head,
By controlling the release of the pressure by the control means, it is possible to easily switch between the state in which the thermal head presses the sheet via the ink donor sheet and the image formation is possible, and the state in which the thermal head and the ink donor sheet do not interfere with the sheet. it can. Therefore, the apparatus of the present invention does not need to switch the paper conveyance path between when the image is formed by the second image forming means and when the image is not formed, and the paper conveyance path at the time of image formation and the time when the image formation is unnecessary. Compared with a device that is provided with a paper conveyance path and switches this path according to the presence or absence of an image formation request, the configuration of the paper conveyance path is simplified, and the effect of downsizing the apparatus and preventing paper jams is further improved. It will be expensive.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevation view showing a copying machine which is one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view showing the apparatus of the above embodiment. 1 ... Copier, 5a ... Copy, 7 ... Conveying roll 10 ... Printing device, 12 ... Thermal head 13 ... Roll up / down device 18 ... Ink donor sheet 19 ... Control circuit, 22 ... Keyboard

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first image forming means for forming image information on a sheet, a sheet conveying path for conveying the sheet on which the image information is formed by the first image forming means, and a sheet conveying path for conveying the sheet. And a second image forming unit that sandwiches the sheet and the ink donor sheet with a pressure roll and a thermal head to form image information different from the image information on the sheet, Input means for inputting information formed by the second image forming means, and operation of the thermal head and control of pressing and releasing of the pressure roll against the thermal head based on the input from the input means. An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit.