JPH10278325A - Thermal color printer and printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermal color printer and printing method in which the margin can be bleached appropriately. SOLUTION: At the time of feeding a thermal color recording sheet 4, one end 4a thereof in the carrying direction is detected by means of a microswitch 14 and then the color thermal recording sheet 4 is stopped temporarily with the marginal part thereof facing a photofixing unit 10. The margin is bleached by lighting a UV-lamp 27 for magenta in the photofixing unit 10 before each thermal coloring layer is thermally recorded and the recorded sheet is discharged.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color thermal printer and a color thermal printing method for recording a full-color image on a color thermal recording paper having a light fixing property.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art On a support, at least three types of thermosensitive coloring layers, for example, a cyan thermosensitive coloring layer, a magenta thermosensitive coloring layer,
2. Description of the Related Art There is known a color thermal printer in which a color thermal recording paper having a yellow thermal coloring layer sequentially arranged is nip-reciprocated by a transport roller pair as a recording paper transport means and reciprocated, and a thermal head and an optical fixing device print a full-color image. ing. In this color thermal printer, a thermal head is pressed against a color thermal recording paper moved by a pair of conveying rollers, and a yellow image is formed on a yellow thermal coloring layer having the highest thermal sensitivity.
Thermal recording is performed line by line, and immediately thereafter, the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer is optically fixed by an optical fixing device. Next, a magenta image is heat-recorded on the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer, and this is optically fixed. Finally, a cyan image is thermally recorded on the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer to obtain a full-color image.

In the above-described color thermal printer, the nip of the color thermal recording paper by the pair of transport rollers is not released during thermal recording in order to maintain the positional relationship between the color thermal recording paper and the thermal head and prevent misregistration. . Therefore, one end of the color thermosensitive recording paper is an unfixed portion where no fixing is performed. When not used, the color thermosensitive recording paper has a light green color, and after a lapse of time, turns into a sepia color, which impairs the print finish. For this reason, in the color thermal printer, after the thermal recording on each thermal coloring layer is completed, the color thermal recording paper is stopped at a position where the unfixed portion faces the optical fixing device, and fixing (bleaching) is performed by irradiating ultraviolet rays. Before the paper is ejected.

[0004]

Problems to be Solved by the Invention
In the case where the size is reduced or the paper feeding mechanism is simplified as in the color thermal printer described in Japanese Patent Publication No.
A part of the color thermal recording paper is exposed from the color thermal printer during thermal recording. This allows the user to check the printing status of the color thermal printer by moving the color thermal recording paper, but misunderstands that the printing operation has been completed when the unfixed part where the color thermal recording paper stops moving is bleached. In some cases, the color thermal recording paper is forcibly pulled out of the color thermal printer.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a color thermosensitive recording paper is provided so as to prevent the color thermosensitive recording paper from being easily removed during the printing period or the end of the printing, such as a lamp or the like. What is necessary is just to provide the mechanism etc. which grip a recording paper firmly. However, some users may miss the lamp,
Since the color thermal printer may be used without knowing the meaning of the lamp, it is not possible to completely prevent the color thermal recording paper from being pulled out. Further, even if the color thermosensitive recording paper is firmly gripped, it may be forcibly pulled out, causing a problem that the color thermosensitive recording paper and the printer are damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a color thermal printer and a color thermal printing method capable of appropriately bleaching margins.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a color thermal printer according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein a blank portion is provided at a position facing a light fixing device when a color thermal recording paper is fed. The color thermosensitive recording paper is stopped, and the margin is fixed.

Further, in the color thermal printing method according to the second aspect, a marginal portion of the color thermal recording paper is fixed before thermal recording on the first thermal coloring layer.

[0009]

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a color thermal printer. This color thermal printer 2
Each component is incorporated in the outer case 3. On the front surface of the outer case 3, a recording paper entrance 5 through which unused color thermal recording paper 4 is manually fed and a printed color thermal recording paper 4 is discharged is provided. On the back side of the exterior case 3 facing the recording paper entrance 5, there is provided an evacuation opening 6 for projecting a part of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 out of the exterior case 3 during printing. In this way, by exposing a part of the color thermal recording paper 4 to the outside during printing, the transport path of the color thermal recording paper 4 in the outer case 3 is shortened, and the color thermal printer 2 is downsized.

Behind the recording paper entrance 5 is a recording paper entrance 5
A reflection type photosensor 8 for detecting one end 4a of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 inserted into the recording paper 4 is further provided.
A first transport roller pair 9, an optical fixing device 10, a micro switch 14, a second transport roller pair 11, a thermal head 12, and a platen roller 13 are arranged. The color thermal printer 2 is controlled by a controller 22 composed of a computer or the like. A detection signal when the reflective photosensor 8 detects one end 4 a of the color thermal recording paper 4 is input to the controller 22.

The first conveying roller pair 9 constituting the recording paper conveying means sandwiches the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 inserted into the recording paper entrance 5 and feeds the recording paper 4 into the outer case 3 and also prints the color thermosensitive recording. The paper 4 is discharged from the recording paper entrance 5. The first transport roller pair 9 includes a capstan roller 15 that is driven to rotate, and the capstan roller 1.
5 and a nip roller 16 that is driven and rotated. The nip roller 16 is constantly pressed against the capstan roller 15 by a spring (not shown) having a weak urging force.

The second transport roller pair 11 constituting the recording paper transport means is for moving the color thermosensitive recording paper relative to the thermal head 12 at the time of thermal recording. A small-diameter nip roller 19 is driven and rotated by the capstan roller 18. The nip roller 19 is constantly pressed against the capstan roller 18 by a strong spring (not shown) and conveys the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 so as not to slip.

The capstan roller 15 of the first transport roller pair 9 and the capstan roller 1 of the second transport roller pair 11
8 is driven by a stepping motor 21.
The stepping motor 21 is controlled by a driver 23, and the driver 23 is controlled by a controller 22.

The optical fixing device 10 is disposed between the first conveying roller pair 9 and the second conveying roller pair 11. The optical fixing device 10 irradiates near-ultraviolet rays of 420 nm to optically fix the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4, and irradiates 365 nm ultraviolet rays to optically fix the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer. UV lamp for magenta 2
7 and a reflector 28 that covers the upper and side portions of the ultraviolet lamps 26 and 27 and reflects ultraviolet light toward the color thermosensitive recording paper 4.

The thermal head 12 has a heating element array 12a in which a large number of heating elements are arranged in a line in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is conveyed, and is fixed at a position shown in the drawing. I have. Heating element array 12a
Generates heat energy suitable for each thermosensitive coloring layer of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4.

The platen roller 12 is rotatably held by a holding lever 31 that rotates about a shaft 30 by a rotating mechanism (not shown). During thermal recording, the platen roller 12 rotates upward as shown in FIG. The color thermal recording paper 4 is sandwiched between the thermal head 12 and the heating element array 12a.

As is well known, the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 has a cyan thermosensitive coloring layer, a magenta thermosensitive coloring layer, and a yellow thermosensitive coloring layer sequentially formed on a support. The yellow thermosensitive coloring layer, which is the uppermost layer, has the highest thermal sensitivity and develops yellow with small heat energy. The cyan thermosensitive coloring layer, which is the lowermost layer, has the lowest thermal sensitivity and develops cyan with large thermal energy. The yellow thermosensitive coloring layer has a thickness of 420 nm.
Loses its coloring ability when irradiated with near ultraviolet rays. The magenta thermosensitive coloring layer develops magenta color with a thermal energy approximately between the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer and the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer, and loses its coloring ability when irradiated with 365 nm ultraviolet rays. Further, the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 may be provided with, for example, a black thermosensitive coloring layer to form a four-layer structure.

As shown in FIG. 3, the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is thermally recorded by the thermal head 12 when it is conveyed leftward in the drawing with the other end 4b at the head, and as shown in FIG. The sheet is fixed by the optical fixing device 10 when the sheet is conveyed rightward in FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, a full-color image is recorded in the center portion, and a blank space in which nothing is recorded is formed around the full-color image. Of these margins, the margin L formed on one end 4a side of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 does not face the optical fixing device 10. Therefore, the range L1 in the margin L is fixed by reflection of the reflector 28 or the like, but L2 is fixed to the second conveying roller pair 11.
Is not fixed because it is always nipped by

The microswitch 14 has a plunger 14a with which one end 4a of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 contacts. When one end 4a of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 at the time of paper feeding comes into contact with the plunger 14a, the microswitch 14 is turned on, and this detection signal is input to the controller 22.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The color thermal printer 2 is connected to, for example, a computer. When the print start operation is performed by the computer,
The color thermal printer 2 prompts the supply of the color thermal recording paper 4 by blinking a recording paper insertion lamp (not shown) provided on the front surface of the outer case 3, for example. The print data is sent from the computer to the color thermal printer 2, and the color thermal printer 2 prepares for printing based on the print data.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is inserted into the recording paper entrance 5, one end 4 a of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 abuts on the first conveying roller pair 9. On the way, one end 4a of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is detected by the reflection type photo sensor 8, and this detection signal is input to the controller 22.

The controller 22 rotates the stepping motor 22 forward through the driver 23 based on the detection signal of the reflection type photosensor 8, and rotates the capstan rollers 15, 18 clockwise in the drawing. As a result, the pinch roller 16 pressed against the capstan roller 15 rotates counterclockwise and nips one end 4a of the color thermal recording paper 4.

The color thermosensitive recording paper 4 conveyed by the first conveying roller pair 9 passes below the optical fixing device 10 and
As shown in (1), one end 4a contacts the plunger 14a of the microswitch 14. When the micro switch 14 is turned on, this signal is input to the controller 22, and the controller 22 stops the stepping motor 21 based on the signal of the micro switch 14. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5, the margin L on one end 4a side of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 faces the magenta ultraviolet lamp 17.

At the same time when the stepping motor 21 stops,
The controller 22 turns on the magenta ultraviolet lamp of the optical fixing device 10, and from one end 4 a of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4,
The blank between the wavy lines 35 indicated by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 5 is bleached. Since the bleaching is performed so as to overlap the range L1 bleached by the optical fixing device 10 during the printing operation, the margin L can be surely bleached.

Further, by performing margin bleaching when feeding the color thermal recording paper 4 before the printing preparation is completed,
Immediately after recording on all thermosensitive coloring layers, color thermosensitive recording paper 4
Can be discharged, so that the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is not forcibly pulled out when the margin is bleached after recording on all the thermosensitive coloring layers as in the conventional color thermosensitive printer. Also, by performing margin bleaching within the print preparation time, which has conventionally slowed down the print time, the print time can be reduced.

When the controller 22 turns on the magenta ultraviolet lamp 27 for a specified time, the controller 22 turns off the magenta ultraviolet lamp 27. When the preparation for printing is completed, the stepping motor 21 is rotated again. The color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is conveyed toward the thermal head 12 by the first conveying roller pair 9 with one end 4a at the head, and is nipped by the second conveying roller pair 11 on the way.
The color thermosensitive recording paper 4 conveyed by the first conveying roller pair 9 and the second conveying roller pair 11 passes between the thermal head 12 and the platen roller 13, and as shown in FIG. It protrudes out of the color thermal printer 2. Then, in a state where the other end 4b of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is sandwiched by the second conveying roller pair 11, the controller 22
Stops the rotation of the stepping motor 21.

Immediately after the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 stops, the controller 22 causes the holding lever 31 to rotate by a rotating mechanism (not shown) and presses the platen roller 13 against the thermal head 12. As a result, between the heating element array 12a of the thermal head 12 and the platen roller 13,
The color thermal recording paper 4 is sandwiched.

The controller 22 includes a driver 23
, The stepping motor 21 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is
Is transported first. The platen roller 13 rotates following the conveyance of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4. When the leading edge of the recording area reaches the heating element array 12a while the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is being conveyed, each heating element generates heat energy corresponding to each pixel of the yellow image, and the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer forms a yellow image. Is thermally recorded line by line.

The color thermosensitive recording paper 4 on which the yellow image has been thermally recorded is again nipped by the first conveying roller pair 9,
A part is protruded from the recording paper entrance 5. When the thermal recording on the yellow thermosensitive coloring layer of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is completed,
The controller 22 stops driving the thermal head 12 and rotates the platen roller 13 to a retracted position away from the thermal head 12. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the driving of the stepping motor 21 is stopped in a state where the one end 4a of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is nipped by the second conveying roller pair 11.

The controller 22 turns on the ultraviolet lamp 26 for yellow immediately after the stepping motor 21 stops, and further rotates the stepping motor 21 in the forward direction.
a to the top of the thermal recording paper 4
Conveyed toward 2. 420n emitted from the yellow UV lamp 26 during the conveyance of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4
The near-ultraviolet light of m is applied to the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 and fixed so that yellow does not develop at the time of the next thermal recording on the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer.

When the leading edge of the recording area of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is transported again to the position of the heating element array 12a, the stepping motor 21 stops once and the yellow ultraviolet lamp 26 is turned off. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the platen roller 13 again presses against the thermal head 12, the stepping motor 21 rotates in the reverse direction, and conveys the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 with the other end 4b at the top. The thermal head 12 performs thermal recording by applying thermal energy to the magenta thermosensitive coloring layer according to the magenta image.

When the thermal recording of the magenta image is performed to the rear end of one end 4a of the color thermal recording paper 4, the platen roller 13 moves to the retracted position again as shown in FIG. The pressing is released, and the stepping motor 21 is stopped once. As with yellow,
Immediately after this, the magenta ultraviolet lamp 27 is turned on, and at the same time, the stepping motor 21 rotates forward. The magenta ultraviolet lamp 27 irradiates the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of about 365 nm, and is light-fixed so that magenta does not develop color during the next thermal recording of the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer.

When the leading edge of the recording area of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 is conveyed to the position of the heating element array 12a, the platen roller 13 returns to the thermal recording position as described above.
At the same time, the stepping motor 21 rotates in the reverse direction to convey the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 with the other end 4b at the top. During this transport, the thermal head 12 thermally records a cyan image on the cyan thermosensitive coloring layer.

When the thermal recording on all the thermosensitive coloring layers is completed, the platen roller 13 moves to the retracted position again. As shown in FIG. 7, the stepping motor 21 continues to rotate in the opposite direction to protrude a part of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 from the recording paper entrance 5 and discharge it from the recording paper entrance 5.

Although the color thermal printer 2 which conveys the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 in the horizontal direction and performs printing has been described as an example, the present invention, as shown in FIG. When paper is fed from the recording paper entrance 41 and printing is performed on the color thermal recording paper 4 by the thermal head 42 and the optical fixing device 43, a part of the color thermal recording paper 4 is projected from the evacuation opening 45 on the front surface and printed. A vertical color thermal printer 40 which discharges paper from the upper recording paper entrance 41 after completion
Alternatively, a micro switch 46 for detecting one end of the color thermosensitive recording paper 4 may be provided.

Also, a three-pass, one-head type color thermal printer in which thermal recording is performed three times on a color thermal recording paper by one thermal head has been described. It can also be used for a 1-pass, 3-head type color thermal printer. Also, a color thermal printer in which the color thermal recording paper is exposed to the outside during printing has been described. However, even in a printer in which the color thermal recording paper is not exposed during printing,
It can be used to reduce printing time. Furthermore, a color thermal type thermal printer has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to a monochrome thermal type thermal printer.

[0037]

As described above, according to the color thermal printer and the color printing method of the present invention, when the color thermal recording paper is fed, the color thermal recording paper is formed in such a manner that a blank portion faces the optical fixing device. Because the printer stopped once and fixed the margins, the degradation of print quality and damage to the printer due to insufficient fixing caused by pulling out of the color thermal recording paper when fixing the margins after recording, as in the past, Can be prevented. In addition, since the margin can be fixed within the print preparation time, which is a wasteful time in printing, the print time can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of a color thermal printer during margin fixing.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state of a color thermal printer at the time of paper feeding.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of a color thermal printer at the start of thermal recording.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the color thermal printer at the start of fixing.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the color thermosensitive recording paper.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the color thermal printer of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state of the color thermal printer at the time of paper ejection.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a color thermal printer according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Color thermal printer 4 Color thermal recording paper 5 Recording paper entrance 6 Evacuation port 9 First transport roller pair 10 Optical fixing device 11 Second transport roller pair 12 Thermal head 13 Platen roller 14 Micro switch 22 Controller

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. At least first to first different colors
Using a color thermosensitive recording paper provided with a third thermosensitive coloring layer, one end of the color thermosensitive recording paper is gripped and moved by a recording paper conveying means while moving one end of the thermosensitive coloring layer with a thermal head. Before the next heat-sensitive coloring layer is colored, fixing light is applied to the colored heat-sensitive coloring layer by irradiating fixing light from an optical fixing device, and a full-color image is heat-recorded face-sequentially. In the color thermal printer in which the color thermal recording paper is fixed, when the color thermal recording paper is fed, the color thermal recording paper is stopped in a state where a blank portion faces the optical fixing device, and the margin is fixed. A color thermal printer. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first color and the second color are different colors.
A third thermosensitive coloring layer is provided, and the lower thermosensitive coloring layer has lower thermal sensitivity, and the uppermost first thermosensitive coloring layer on the surface side and the second thermosensitive coloring layer therebelow. By using a color thermal recording paper that has optical fixability to ultraviolet light in a specific wavelength range, the surface of the color thermal recording paper is heated by the thermal head while moving the thermal head and the color thermal recording paper relatively. The color recording is performed in order from the upper thermosensitive coloring layer, and the first thermosensitive coloring layer and the second thermosensitive coloring layer are fixed immediately after the coloring recording, so that a full-color image is printed on the color thermosensitive recording paper. A color thermal printing method for sequentially recording, wherein a marginal portion of a color thermal recording paper is fixed before thermal recording on the first thermal coloring layer.