JP3412928B2 - Thermal recording device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal recording apparatus for forming a predetermined image on a recording medium by using a thermal head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a thermal recording apparatus, a thermal head is used for recording on a recording medium held on a platen roller having a metal core material such as hard rubber. Therefore, when recording a fine image, the thermal head is frequently driven to generate a large amount of heat. This leads to a reduction in the quality of the recorded image or a reduction in the life of the thermal head. Therefore, in the conventional device, a thermal head cooling fan that cools the thermal head is provided.

[0003]

However, even if the thermal head is cooled, if the temperature inside the apparatus rises due to the ambient environment or operation, the platen roller may accumulate more heat than a predetermined amount. Once the heat is generated in the platen roller, the platen roller is generally configured as described above, so it is difficult for the platen roller to release heat. In some cases, the temperature of the platen roller rises. In such a heat-sensitive recording apparatus, when a so-called thermal transfer recording apparatus using, for example, a resin-based ink ribbon is manufactured, there is a drawback that drawing quality deteriorates due to an increase in temperature of the platen roller. The present invention has been made to improve this point.

[0004]

Therefore, according to the present invention, the pre-recording guide for guiding the recording medium before recording to the platen roller and the recording medium after recording are transported from the platen roller to the outside of the apparatus. After recording, use the guide to open only the area close to the platen roller.
A substantially enclosed space is formed, and a platen roller cooling fan that dissipates the heat of the platen roller by exhausting the air in this space is provided.

[0005]

In this way, the platen roller cooling fan is used to form a flow of air that takes away heat from the platen roller, so that the heat dissipation efficiency of the platen roller can be increased.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to an embodiment of the drawings. Here, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment device of the present invention. First, the device of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The apparatus of the first embodiment relates to a thermal transfer recording apparatus, and has a main body section, a cover section, and a ribbon cartridge.

The main body section includes a power source and control section, a platen roller 31, a cut sheet upper guide (pre-recording standard guide) 32 as a standard sheet (recording medium), a lower sheet guide 33, and a sheet presence / absence sensor 34. , Platen drive motor 35,
It comprises a platen cooling fan 36, a ribbon drive motor 37, a ribbon cartridge guide 38, a sensor detection plate 39, a roll recording paper guide 301 and a post-recording guide 302.

The cover portion includes an operating portion 11, a head cooling fan 12, a thermal head 13, and a wind direction changing solenoid 1.
4. It has a wind direction changing plate 15 and a ribbon peeling bar 16.

The ribbon cartridge has a ribbon winding roller 21, a ribbon supply roller 22 and a positioning groove 23.

In the state shown in FIG. 1, the ribbon cartridge is attached to the ribbon cartridge guide 38 of the main body and the cover is closed. The roll recording paper 30, the thermal transfer ribbon, and the thermal head 13 are held in this order on the platen roller 31. At this time, the ribbon take-up roller 21 of the ribbon cartridge is engaged with the ribbon take-up motor 37 of the main body, and the ribbon peeling bar 16 of the cover is held at a predetermined peeling position. Further, the wind direction changing plate 15 of the cover portion is positioned at a position facing the thermal transfer ribbon after transfer.

The ribbon cartridge of this embodiment is provided with a physical structure (not shown) for identification according to the color or type of the thermal transfer ribbon held by the ribbon cartridge.
The main body of the apparatus is equipped with a sensor (not shown) that reads the physical structure of the ribbon cartridge and detects which color or type of thermal transfer ribbon is attached.

If the mounted thermal transfer ribbon is a resin type thermal transfer ribbon, it is necessary to sufficiently cool the temperature of the thermal transfer ribbon when peeling it off. Therefore, a command is issued to the wind direction changing solenoid 14 in the cover portion. Wind direction change plate 15
Head cooling fan 1 toward the thermal transfer ribbon direction after transfer
The wind of 2 hits the thermal transfer ribbon after the transfer. If the mounted thermal transfer ribbon is of the wax type, it is not necessary to cool the thermal transfer ribbon after transfer, so the wind direction changing solenoid 14 is provided with the wind direction changing plate 15.
Is positioned at a position unrelated to the thermal transfer ribbon after transfer. Since this apparatus is configured in this way, it is possible to perform appropriate processing according to the type of thermal transfer ribbon.

As shown in FIG. 1, the roll recording paper 30 is
Roll recording paper guide from the holding part (reference numeral 301 in FIG. 2)
And is fed onto the platen roller 31. In this state, the ribbon cartridge is mounted and the cover is closed. By driving the platen roller 31 by the platen drive motor 35 and applying a recording signal to the thermal head 13, desired thermal transfer recording can be performed.

As shown in FIG. 2, a post-recording guide 302, a cut (standard) paper upper guide 32, a cut (standard) paper lower guide 33, a paper presence sensor 34, and a sensor detection plate are provided close to the platen roller 31. 39 and a roll recording paper guide 301 are provided. The post-recording guide 302 and the cut (standard) paper upper guide 32 are closed to form a duct for cooling the platen roller 31, except for a portion facing the platen roller 31, and are configured to form a substantially closed space. There is. That is, the side openings formed by the post-recording guide 302 and the cut (standard) paper upper guide 32, which are arranged opposite to each other, are closed by using a side plate (not shown), and the lower parts are closed by being integrally formed by folding members. ing.

A platen cooling fan 36 is provided on both side plate portions of this substantially closed space which acts as this duct. Each of these two platen cooling fans 3
Reference numeral 6 corresponds to openings (not shown) with slits provided on the side plates on both sides of the device, and acts to discharge the air flow containing the heat of the platen roller 31 to the outside of the device. Further, both side plates of the device that supports the platen roller 31 are provided with slit openings (not shown) near the supporting portions. Therefore, the flow of air due to the operation of the platen cooling fan 36 becomes the air outside the apparatus near the platen roller 31 mounting portion → the platen roller 31 → the platen cooling fan 36 → the outside of the apparatus, and the heat dissipation effect is better than that of circulating the air inside the apparatus. It is good.

When the apparatus uses cut paper (standard size paper), the ribbon cartridge and roll recording paper 30 shown in FIG. 1 are taken out, and the platen roller 31 from the front (right side in FIG. 1) with the cover opened. After the recording, a cut sheet is inserted on the guide 302, and then the other end of the cut sheet is inserted between the cut sheet upper guide 32 and the cut sheet lower guide 33 to be mounted. Then, by mounting the ribbon cartridge and closing the cover, a recordable state can be obtained.

By the way, the apparatus of this embodiment is provided with a mechanism for detecting the presence or absence of the roll recording paper 30 and the cut (standard size) paper in order to make them usable.
As shown in FIG. 2, a sensor detection plate 39 having a roll side piece 391 for detecting the presence or absence of the roll recording paper 30 and a cut side piece 392 for detecting the presence or absence of cut paper is provided. As shown in FIG. 2, if either the roll recording paper 30 or the cut paper is attached to the apparatus,
The sensor detection plate 39 rotates counterclockwise by a predetermined amount. As a result, the detection area of the paper presence sensor 34 is largely covered. Therefore, the amount of reflected light input to the paper presence / absence sensor 34 becomes large and a large output is generated, and it can be known that any recording paper is loaded.

In the apparatus of the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3, the post-recording guide 302 is provided with a recording paper cutting mechanism. A post-recording guide 302 is provided with a cutting lower blade 52 having a length corresponding to the maximum width of the recording paper that can be used, and a rotary blade 51 is attached to a position corresponding to the cutting lower blade 52 via a cutter driving mechanism 51. There is. The rotary blade 51 is configured to be movable in the transverse direction of the recording paper by the cutter driving mechanism 50, and cuts the recording paper into a required size according to a command from the device control unit.

Since the recording paper cutting mechanism is provided in the post-recording guide 302 which forms the duct of the platen roller 31, the paper dust generated by the platen cooling fan 36 is generated even if the paper dust is generated by this cutting. Since it is sucked into the duct, it does not stain the recording paper after cutting, and it is possible to prevent defective cutting due to paper dust remaining in the cutting portion. In this case, the apparatus of this embodiment is provided with a filter for holding the paper powder in the duct in order to prevent the paper powder from being dissipated by cutting.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the guide of the recording paper is used as the duct for cooling the platen roller, the platen roller can be cooled relatively easily and the recording quality of the thermal recording apparatus. In particular, it is possible to improve the recording quality of a thermal transfer recording device using a resin-based thermal transfer ribbon.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the overall configuration of an apparatus showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a main part configuration diagram of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a main part configuration diagram showing a second embodiment device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

302: Guide after recording 32: Upper guide for cut paper 31: Platen roller 36: Platen cooling fan

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A thermal recording apparatus for performing thermal recording on a recording medium transferred onto a platen roller by using a thermal head, wherein a platen roller and a recording medium before recording are provided on the platen roller.
Of the pre-recording guide and the recording medium after recording.
There is a post-recording guide that guides the outside of the device from the platen roller.
However, these pre-recording guides and post-recording guides
When the edge is placed close to the platen roller,
The other end of the pre-recording guide and the post-recording guide.
Recording by providing a member that closes the formed opening
Formed by the front guide, post-recording guide, and platen roller.
A heat-sensitive recording apparatus, characterized in that a closed space is a substantially closed space, and a cooling fan that dissipates heat of the platen roller is provided at a predetermined position in the closed space. 2. A thermal recording apparatus for performing thermal recording on a recording medium transferred onto a platen roller by using a thermal head, wherein the platen roller and one end side thereof are arranged in proximity to the platen roller and pulled out from the roll recording medium. The pre-recording roll guide that guides the pre-recording roll recording medium to the platen roller and the pre-recording recording medium
Pre-recording guide to guide the Latin roller and recording after recording
A post-recording guide that guides the medium from the platen roller to the outside of the apparatus.
It has a pre-record guide and a post-record guide
Place one end of each platen roller close to the platen roller.
The other end of the pre-recording guide and the post-recording guide.
By providing a member that closes the opening formed by the
The pre-recording guide, post-recording guide, and platen roller.
A heat-sensitive recording apparatus, characterized in that the space formed by the platen roller is a substantially closed space, and a cooling fan that dissipates the heat of the platen roller is provided at a predetermined position in the closed space. 3. The thermal recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the post-recording guide is provided with a paper cutting device for cutting the paper after recording.