JPS60228183A - Heat transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remove ink ribbon dust adhered to the vicinity of a heating element part, by providing an ink ribbon with a head-clearning tape on the trailing end side of an end mark to wipe the heating element part of a thermal head. CONSTITUTION:The ink ribbon 1 is provided with the head-cleaning tape 1d at a part ranging from the end mark 1c to a core 1a, on the side on which the ribbon 1 is brought into contact with the thermal head 5. When the end mark 1c is detected by a detector 3, the ink ribbon is idly fed to move the head-cleaning tape part while pressing the head 5 against a platen 8 through the head-cleaning tape part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (1) Description of the technical field to which the invention pertains The present invention relates to a thermal transfer printer, and particularly to a cleaning mechanism for a thermal head used in a thermal transfer printer.

(2) Description of Prior Art Conventionally, this type of thermal transfer printer uses a thermal transfer recording method that selectively thermally transfers image information to recording paper using a thermal transfer ink ribbon and a thermal head. It has the advantage of being able to record information to. However, in the case of the Kuma transfer recording method, the ink on the ink ribbon is melted by the heating of the Therma P head, and the ink in the heated part is transferred to the recording paper for recording, so if recording is performed for a long period of time, thermal This method has the disadvantage that scum of molten ink adheres to the vicinity of the heating element of the head, deteriorating the quality of recorded prints.

(3) Description of the purpose of the invention The present invention provides a head cleaning device behind the end mark of the ink ribbon, and after detecting the end mark, pressurizes the thermal head against the recording surface and air-feeds the ink ribbon, thereby generating heat in the thermal head. To provide a thermal transfer printer capable of obtaining good printing quality by removing ink residue adhering to the vicinity of the heating element of the thermal head by wiping the body part with a head cleaning tape.

(4) Structure of the Invention The present invention provides a thermal head that selectively heats a recording surface according to image information, a glue traction mechanism that presses the thermal head against the recording surface, and a recording medium that is heated by the thermal head. In a thermal transfer printer having an ink ribbon on which ink is transferred, a head cleaning tape is provided behind the end mark of the ink ribbon, a detector detects the ribbon end mark, and a thermal head is activated by a signal from the detector. This thermal transfer printer is characterized in that it is provided with means for applying pressure to a recording surface and for air-feeding an ink ribbon.

(5) Description of examples Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the vicinity of a recording section of a thermal transfer printer showing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is an ink ribbon whose both ends are wound around cores la and lb, respectively.
The ink ribbon is pulled out from one core la and guided to guide 2.
a, 2b, 2c, and 2d, and is wound around the other core 1b in the direction of arrow A.

As shown in FIG. 2, an end mark 1c indicating the end of the ink ribbon 1 is provided near the end of the ink ribbon 1 as a transparent part without an ink layer, and a thermist between the end mark lc and the core 1a is provided. ) The contact surface side with the V head 5 is subjected to a matte finish to roughen the surface so as to form a head cleaning tape 1d for cleaning the thermal head 5.

8 is a detector for detecting the end mark lc. Further, 4 is a cartridge, and 6 is the thermal head 5.
This is a solenoid that operates retraction. The above components are mounted on a carrier (not shown) and run in the direction B, which is opposite to the running direction of the ink ribbon 10. Further, 7 is a recording paper, and 8 is a platen.

Next, the operation will be explained with reference to FIG.

When the recording operation progresses and the detector 3 detects the end mark lc of the ink ribbon 1, the output of the detector becomes ``0''.
' to 'l'. Due to this change in output, the carrier drive and recording by the thermal head 5 are stopped, the suction of the solenoid 6 for head retraction is also released, and the pressure applied to the recording paper 7 by the thermal head 5 is also released. on the other hand,
The ink ribbon 1 continues to be driven. The solenoid 6 operates at the time 1 when the head cleaning tape 1d portion behind the end mark 1c of the ink ribbon l passes the heating element portion 5a of the thermanorehend 5. When the head cleaning tape 1d passes the heating element portion 5a of the thermal head 5, suction is again applied, and the head cleaning tape 11d portion of the ink ribbon I is pressed against the platen 8 by the thermal head 5. Since the ink ribbon 1 continues to be driven at this time, the ink ribbon debris adhering to the vicinity of the heating element portion 5a of the thermal head 5 can be removed by the head cleaning tape 1d. Note that the ink cartridge 1 is stopped after a certain period of time t2 after the solenoid 6 is sucked.

According to the present invention, as described above, a cleaning tape portion is provided behind the end mark of the ink ribbon, and after the end mark is detected, the ink ribbon is air-fed, and the thermal head is pressed against the platen via the head cleaning tape portion. By moving the head cleaning tape section, debris on the ink ribbon near the heating element of the thermal head is removed, so good printing quality can be obtained.

In this example, a matte-treated polyester film surface, which is the base material of the ink ribbon, is used as the head cleaning tape section, but another material such as cloth or felt may be connected to the end of the ink ribbon as the cleaning tape. It may be something you have done.

(7) Description of the effects of the invention As explained above, the present invention provides a head cleaning tape behind the end mark of the ink ribbon and wipes off the heating element of the thermal head, thereby cleaning the area near the heating element. It has the effect of removing debris from the ink ribbon and obtaining high quality printing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the vicinity of the recording section of a thermal transfer printer showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the vicinity of the end of an ink ribbon, and FIG. 3 is a time chart diagram showing the operation of the present invention. . ■...Ink ribbon, IC...end mark, ld...
... Hesode cleaning tape part, 3 ... Detector, 4
...Cartridge, 5...Thermal head, 6...
・Solenoid, 7...recording paper, 8...platen.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A thermal head that selectively heats the recording surface according to image information, a traction mechanism that presses the thermal head against the recording l, and a thermal transfer device that transfers ink onto the recording medium by heating the thermal head. In a thermal transfer printer having an ink ribbon, a head cleaning tape is provided behind the end mark of the ink ribbon, a detector detects the ribbon end mark, and a signal from the detector moves the thermal head to the recording surface. A thermal transfer printer characterized by being provided with means for pressurizing and feeding an ink ribbon idly.