JPS62201284A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a line of multi-color recording in a single pass of a recording head by sliding a transfer medium having an ink layer where different colors are applied in stripes in parallel with the feeding direction. CONSTITUTION:When the recording is started, an ink ribbon 3 is fed out from a feed roll in the direction of an arrow (z) along with the motion of a carriage in the recording direction (x), and a sliding means 4 is set at a predetermined angle from the feeding direction (z) of the ink ribbon 3 by means of the control section in accordance with a recording information. Then the ink ribbon 3 is guided in a chevron shape by the sliding means 4 and slided upward by a single stripe. When the ink ribbon 3 arrives at the position of a recording head 1, the heating section 1a of the recording head 1 produces heat according to a predetermined recording information thereby the lowermost stripe ink layer 3c in the ink ribbon 3 is fused and transferred to a recording sheet. When the recording apparatus is constructed such that various setting angles of the sliding means against the feeding direction (z) of the ink ribbon 3 are combined and the transferring/recording is performed at a specified timing, a specified color of ink ribbon 3 can be selected and transferred.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that is capable of performing multicolor recording in a short time.

<Prior art> Conventionally, in order to perform multicolor recording using a serial thermal transfer type recording device, an ink ribbon in which multiple colors are sequentially applied in the feed direction, so-called surface sequential or dandara printing, is used. This was done using a recording head.

That is, to print multiple colors on the same line, first scan the print head to print the first color, then return the print head to the first position of the same line and move the ink ribbon to the beginning of the second color. Multi-color recording was performed by repeating the process of scanning the recording head in the same manner and recording the second and subsequent colors for the necessary colors.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, in the above-mentioned printing apparatus, the length of each color of the ink ribbon must be adjusted to the maximum length in the printing direction, and the length of each color of the ink ribbon must be adjusted to the maximum length in the printing direction. Since the head must be scanned the number of times for the required colors, there are problems in that it takes a long time to record multiple colors and a large capacity color memory is required.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems.

Means for Solving the Problems> Means of the present invention for solving the problems described above includes a transfer medium having an ink layer coated with different colors in stripes in a direction parallel to the recording direction; A plurality of recording heads are arranged on the same line in the direction and heat the transfer medium in accordance with recorded information; The transfer medium includes a slide means that slides in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction, and a control section that sets the slide means at a predetermined angle with respect to the transfer direction of the transfer medium.

<Function> According to the above means, the slide means is set at a predetermined angle with respect to the feeding direction of the transfer medium by the control section, and the stripes are painted separately between the recording heads and on the outside of the recording heads at both ends. The transferred transfer medium is slid in a direction perpendicular to its feeding direction, and the heat generating parts of the plurality of print heads generate heat according to the recorded information, thereby melting the transfer medium. , it is possible to press different ink layers of the transfer medium coated in stripes or the same ink layer to the recording head.

<Embodiment> Next, an embodiment of a recording apparatus to which the above-mentioned means is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view as seen from the vertical direction of the recording surface, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1.2 is a recording head having heat generating parts 1a and 2a that generate heat according to recording information, and extends in the recording direction The recording medium is mounted on a carriage (not shown) that is disposed so as to face a platen roller (not shown) that is conveyed to There is. The traveling range of this carriage is such that at least one recording head 1 can be located at the left end of the recording sheet, travel in the recording direction X from this position, and the other recording head 2 can be located at the right end of the recording sheet. configured to be possible.

3 is an ink ribbon which is a replaceable transfer medium, and different ink layers 3a, 3b, and 3c are painted in stripes parallel to the recording direction X, and are supplied from a supply roll (not shown) according to the recording operation. It is housed in a cassette (not shown) so as to be sent in the two directions of the arrows so as to be taken up on a take-up roll.

Further, the heat generating parts 1a and 2a of the recording heads 1 and 2 are each configured to have a size corresponding to the width of the ink ribbon 3.

Reference numerals 4, 5, and 6 refer to slide means for sliding the ink ribbon 3 in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction 2 thereof, each of which is composed of three guide bars and is attached to a carriage.

Here, the slide means 5 will be specifically explained with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The sliding means 5 includes three guide bars 5a and 5b.

5C are attached to the carriage parallel to each other so as to be set at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the recording direction is 5
It is attached at a position farther from the platen roller than a and 5c, and is further communicated with a control unit (not shown), and rotates integrally in the direction of arrow P around point X shown in FIG. 2 according to recorded information. It is installed and configured as follows.

Furthermore, the relationship between Miki's guide bars 5a, 5b, and 5c is as follows: the deviation width of the ink ribbon 3 is Δl, the distance between the guide bars 5a, 5c is a, and the feeding direction 2 of the ink ribbon 3 and the slide means 5.
If the angle formed by Each guide bar 5a, 5b, 5c is attached in parallel with a predetermined interval and angle maintained so that =(m-a)·cosθ.

As a result, the ink ribbon 3 is guided in a "<J" shape, and different ink layers 3a and 3b are formed.

The ink ribbon 3 having a diameter of 3C is configured to slide on the same line as the recording direction X.

Furthermore, the slide means 4 and 6 are constructed similarly to the slide means 5 described above.

Next, the recording operation of the apparatus configured as described above will be explained with reference to FIG.

When the cassette containing the ink ribbon 3 is set in the carriage and recording is started, the ink ribbon 3 is fed out from the supply roll and sent in the direction of the arrow 2 as the carriage moves in the recording direction 4, the feeding direction 2 of the ink ribbon 3 is controlled by the control unit according to the recording information.
It is set at an angle as shown in FIG. Next, the ink ribbon 3 is guided by the sliding means 4 in a ``V'' shape and is slid upward by a distance. After that, when the recording head 1 reaches the position, the heat generating part 1a of the recording head 1 generates heat according to predetermined recording information, and this melts the ink layer 3C of the lowest streak of the ink ribbon 3 and transfers it to the recording sheet. be done.

Next, the slide means 5 is controlled by the control section according to the recorded information.
The ink ribbon 3 is set at an angle opposite to that of the sliding means 4 as shown in FIG. 1, and the ink ribbon 3 is guided by the sliding means 5 in a "V" shape and slid downward by two strokes. After that, when the recording head 2 is reached, the heat generating portion 2a of the recording head 2 generates heat according to predetermined recording information, whereby the uppermost ink layer 3a of the ink ribbon 3 is melted and transferred and recorded on the recording sheet.

Next, the slide means 6 is designed to have the same direction and angle as the slide means 4 by the control section, and the ink ribbon 3 is guided by the slide means 6 in a "<" shape and slid upward by one line, and the cassette The material is wound onto a take-up roll. At this time, the ink ribbons 3 on both outer sides of the slide means 4.6 are fed without being displaced from each other. Therefore, since the rolls on the supply side and take-up side of the cassette do not have any level difference, it is possible to prevent the cassette from becoming thick.

In the embodiment described above, the ink layers 3a, 3 of the ink ribbon 3
Although the example of transferring c is explained, for example, each slide means 4
．． , 5.6 are set at 90 degrees with respect to the feeding direction of the ink ribbon 3, it is possible to transfer and record the ink layer 3b in the middle of the ink ribbon 3 using either of the recording heads 1°2.

Further, the slide means 4 is set at an angle as shown in FIG.
If the slide means 5 is set at 90 degrees with respect to the feeding direction 2 of the ink ribbon 3, and the slide means 6 is set at the same angle as the slide means 4, then both the recording heads 1 and 2 can move the bottom of the ink ribbon 3. The streaky ink layer 3C can be transferred and recorded.

Further, in the above explanation, the ink ribbon 3 is slid one line at a time, that is, one color at a time, but if the ink ribbon 3 is configured to slide to any width using a sliding means, transfer recording can be performed in various color combinations. It is something.

Therefore, if each slide means is combined at a predetermined angle with respect to the feeding direction 2 of the ink ribbon 3 via the control section as described above, and is configured to perform transfer recording at an arbitrary timing, each recording head can , any color of the ink ribbon 3 can be selected and transferred and recorded. However, in these cases as well, it is necessary to construct the ink ribbon 3 so that it does not shift on both sides of the slide means 4 and 6.

Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to transfer media in which the number of colors is two, four, or more.
In this case, by using several recording heads and slide means according to the number of colors, it is possible to combine any colors.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, the present invention is configured such that a transfer medium having an ink layer coated with different colors in stripes in a direction parallel to the feeding direction is slid by an arbitrary width by a sliding means. , it is possible to record one line of multicolor in one pass of the recording head, so the time required for multicolor printing is almost the same as that for monochrome printing, and the color memory capacity is also smaller than before. I can do it. Furthermore, since the slide means can be set at a predetermined angle with respect to the feeding direction of the transfer medium via the control section, it is possible to select any color of the transfer medium, which is painted in different colors in a striped manner, and perform transfer recording. It has the effect that it can be done.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view as seen from the vertical direction of the recording surface, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of FIG. 2. 1.2 is a recording head, Ia and 2a are heat generating parts, 3 is an ink ribbon, and 4.5.6 is a sliding means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A transfer medium having an ink layer coated with different colors in stripes in a direction parallel to the recording direction, and a recording medium that is arranged in plurality on the same line as the recording direction and generates heat in the transfer medium according to recorded information. a head, a sliding means disposed between the recording heads and outside the recording head at both ends, and for sliding the transfer medium in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction thereof; A recording device comprising: a control section for setting a predetermined angle;