JP3364552B2 - Thermal transfer recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal transfer recording apparatus, and more particularly, to an improvement in a recording apparatus for automatically feeding a cut sheet-shaped image receiving film to a printing section for printing. Things. 2. Description of the Related Art In a thermal transfer recording apparatus, an image receiving sheet is fed together with an ink ribbon between a thermal head and a platen roller. A printing method is used in which the ink on the ink ribbon is melted or sublimated by a pressing force and transferred onto an image receiving sheet. by the way,
As a method of feeding an image receiving sheet in a conventional thermal transfer recording apparatus, automatic feeding from a roll-shaped sheet and automatic feeding of a cut sheet are generally adopted. There is a strong demand for operators to know in advance the remaining amount of sheets in order to avoid various problems caused by sudden paper end during printing. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-116054 discloses a method in which a sheet is pulled out from a roll-shaped sheet held inside a device, printed by a printing unit, and then ejected from the device. And a display section for indicating the remaining amount of sheets is provided at an outlet of the apparatus, and the remaining amount display means for displaying the remaining amount of sheets on the discharged sheet is displayed on the display section. A technique has been disclosed in which the remaining amount of paper is known from the position crossing the sheet. However, most of the thermal recording apparatuses using cut sheet-shaped image receiving sheets are of the manual sheet feeding type, one sheet at a time, and temporarily feed the image receiving sheets stacked and stored in a sheet cassette to the printing unit one sheet at a time. However, it was impossible to visually check the remaining amount inside the cassette. Use of a complicated remaining amount detection mechanism using a photo sensor or the like is disadvantageous in terms of cost and the like. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has a mechanism for feeding a cut sheet-like image receiving film stored in a paper feed cassette in a stacked state to a printing unit one by one. In a thermal transfer recording device, a thermal transfer recording device capable of always visually checking the remaining amount of the image receiving film in the sheet cassette without incurring a cost increase by using a complicated remaining amount detection mechanism or the like. It is intended to provide. [0004] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printing unit for printing on a cut sheet-shaped image receiving film,
A heat cassette comprising: a film cassette in which the image receiving films are stacked and stored with the front side facing downward; and a paper feeding means for taking out the image receiving films in the film cassette one by one from the top and supplying the film to the printing unit. In the recording apparatus, the number of sheets is written on the back of each image receiving film in the order of lamination, and a window for exposing the number of sheets written on the back of the uppermost film in a suitable place of the film cassette is provided. An opening is formed. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a thermal transfer apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.
(b) is the top view and front view which show the structure of a film cassette. The thermal transfer device includes a printing unit 1 for printing on an image receiving film in the form of a cut sheet, a film cassette 3 in which the image receiving film 2 is stacked and stored with the front side facing down, and a film cassette 3 in the film cassette 3. Image receiving film 2
And a sheet supply means 4 for taking out the sheets one by one from the uppermost portion and supplying the sheets to the printing section. The printing unit 1 includes a thermal head 5, a platen roller 6 disposed opposite to a tip of the thermal head 5, an ink ribbon 7, an ink ribbon supply roll 8, and an ink ribbon take-up roll 9.
The film cassette 3 has a case 11 removably mounted on a detachable portion 10 provided on a housing of the thermal transfer device, and is vertically movably disposed in the case, and the image receiving film 2 is placed on the upper surface in a stacked state. It has a bottom plate 12, a leaf spring 13 that constantly urges the bottom plate upward, a window 14 for viewing the number formed at an appropriate position on the upper surface of the case 11, and an opening 15 for feeding paper. A pickup roller 16 serving as the paper feeding means 4 enters the paper feeding opening 15 and rotates so as to take out the uppermost image receiving film 2. Pickup roller 1
The image receiving films 2 taken out one by one by 6 are sent between the platen roller 6 and the thermal head 5 by the transport rollers 21 via the transport guide 20, and the heat generated by the thermal head is added to the thermal head 5 while being superimposed on the ink ribbon. By receiving the pressure, the ink on the ink ribbon is transferred. The transfer method may be any of a method of melting ink and a method of sublimating ink. [0006] The characteristic structure of the present invention is the surface (printing surface).
When the image receiving film 2 is set on the bottom plate 12 with the surface facing downward, the number N representing the film stacking order is described in the stacking order at the position corresponding to the window 14 on the back surface of the image receiving film 2. Exist. As the number N, the number described on the lowermost image receiving film is 1, and the number described on the uppermost image receiving film is a number representing the final number. In addition, since the window 14 is formed on the case portion exposed to the outside when the cassette 3 is mounted on the transfer device, any of these numbers formed on the back surface of the image receiving film located at the uppermost position is at a glance from the window 14. The operator can easily know the remaining number of sheets, and can prevent occurrence of an unexpected situation that suddenly becomes a paper end during printing. Although the present invention can be used for cassettes of various types of recording apparatuses, it is particularly suitable for image receiving film cassettes used in sublimation type thermal transfer apparatuses. That is, for an image receiving film that is sold in a state of being stored in a cassette in advance, a number indicating the number of sheets can be described at a predetermined location on the back surface in the manufacturing stage, and the film is stored in a sequence according to the number. If so, the remaining amount can be easily known from the window. As described above, according to the present invention, the printing unit 1 for printing on the image receiving film 2 in the form of a cut sheet, and the film in which the image receiving film 2 is stacked and stored with the front side facing down. In a thermal recording apparatus comprising a cassette 3 and a sheet feeding means for taking out the image receiving films in the film cassette one by one from the top and supplying the same to the printing section, the back side of each image receiving film is provided with a number. A window 14 for visually exposing the number of sheets described on the back surface of the uppermost film is formed in an appropriate position of the film cassette in the stacking order, so a complicated remaining amount detection mechanism or the like is used. Thus, the remaining amount of the image receiving film in the sheet cassette can be always visually confirmed without incurring a cost increase or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a thermal recording apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2 (a) and (b) are a plan view and a front sectional view of an example of a film cassette. [Description of Signs] 1 printing unit, 2 image receiving film, 3 film cassette, 4 paper feeding means, 5 thermal head, 6 platen roller, 7 ink ribbon, 8 ink ribbon supply roll, 9 ink ribbon take-up roll, 10 attachment / detachment unit , 11
Case, 12 bottom plate, 13 leaf spring, 14 window, 15
Opening,

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-5-58475 (JP, A) JP-A-5-24345 (JP, A) JP-A-4-334458 (JP, A) JP-A-63-1988 267575 (JP, A) JP-A-60-139474 (JP, A) JP-A-59-140239 (JP, U) JP-A-59-173634 (JP, U) JP-A-59-71222 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65H 1/26 B41J 3/20 B41J 13/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] (1) A printing unit for printing on a cut sheet-shaped image receiving film, a film cassette in which the image receiving film is stacked and stored with the front side facing down, and the film In a thermal recording apparatus having a sheet feeding means for taking out the image receiving films in a cassette one by one from the uppermost portion and supplying the same to the printing unit, the number of each film is described in the stacking order on the back surface of each image receiving film, A thermal transfer recording apparatus, characterized in that a window for exposing the number of sheets described on the back surface of the uppermost film is formed at an appropriate position in the film cassette so as to be visible.