JPH0671804B2 - Thermal transfer color recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a thermal transfer type color recording device, and more particularly, to a thermal transfer type color recording device.
The present invention relates to an improvement of a thermal transfer type color recording apparatus of a type in which a plurality of thermal heads are arranged around one platen roll.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a thermal transfer type color recording apparatus of this type is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-60-73887. As shown in FIG. 3, four thermal heads 2 (specifically, 2a to 2d) are arranged around the platen roll 1 under pressure contact with each other at equal angular intervals (approximately 90 °). Thermal head 2
An ink donor film 3 (specifically, 3a to 3d) coated with color inks having different heat melting properties or heat sublimation properties, for example, yellow, magenta, cyan, and black color inks, between the platen roll 1 and the platen roll 1. Image information from each thermal head 2 and each ink donor film 3
Are sequentially transferred to the recording sheet 4 through the recording sheet 4
A color transfer image is obtained above. still,
Each ink donor film 3 is wound around a supply roll 5 and is sequentially wound around a winding roll 6, and is wound around each pair of guide rolls 7 to follow a predetermined movement path. It is designed to move.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in such a conventional thermal transfer type color recording apparatus, it seems that each ink donor film 3 is replaced or the recording sheet 4 is clogged in the recording process. In such a case, it is necessary to release the pressure contact state between the platen roll 1 and each thermal head 2. For this reason, conventionally, the thermal heads 2 are usually arranged so as to be retractable with respect to the platen roll 1. However, if an attempt is made to secure a large retracted space for each thermal head 2, the color recording apparatus itself becomes large over the entire radial direction of the platen roll 1, so a sufficiently large retracted space for each thermal head 2 is secured. That is actually impossible. For this reason,
It is not possible to secure a sufficient space for replacing the ink donor film 3, which deteriorates the workability of replacing the ink donor film 3 and the recording sheet 4 has a plurality of thermal heads when processing a paper jam. If the thermal head 2 is retracted from the platen roll 1 when it is jammed across two sheets, the paper jam clearance work becomes extremely troublesome as the number of man-hours increases. It was

[Means for Solving Problems] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the replacement work and the recording of the ink donor film are performed without unnecessarily increasing the size of the apparatus itself. A thermal transfer type color recording apparatus capable of easily handling a sheet jamming accident.

That is, in the present invention, a plurality of thermal heads are arranged in pressure contact with each other around the platen roll, and ink donor films of different color components are inserted between each thermal head and the platen roll. Assuming a thermal transfer type color recording device that sequentially transfers image information to a recording sheet via an ink donor film, each thermal head is arranged within a half circumference of the platen roll, and the platen roll is It is supported so as to be movable between a position where it is pressed against each thermal head and a position where it is separated from each thermal head.

In such a technical means, the number and arrangement relationship of the thermal heads may be appropriately changed as long as they are within the half circumference of the platen roll, and the structure of the thermal heads is not limited to the end surface heating type. Instead, a flat heating type in which heating elements are arranged on a flat surface may be appropriately selected. As for the recording medium film, not only an ink donor film coated with a color ink having a different thermal melting property or thermal sublimation property but also a film coated with a desired recording medium may be used. Also, regarding the arrangement relationship of the recording medium films, the thermal heads may be provided separately for each thermal head, or a series of films obtained by sequentially applying each color medium to each thermal head may be shared. . Furthermore. Needless to say, the design structure of the platen roll support structure can be changed as appropriate as long as it is retractable with respect to each thermal head.

[Operation] According to the technical means as described above, by moving the platen roll in one direction, a sufficient space can be secured between each thermal head and the platen roll. Therefore, it is possible to easily deal with the replacement work of the ink donor film and the jamming of the recording medium. Further, since it is not necessary for each thermal head to largely move along the radial direction of the platen roll, there is no concern that the recording apparatus itself will be unnecessarily upsized.

[Embodiment] The present invention will be described in detail below based on an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the basic construction of the heat-sensitive transfer type color recording apparatus is as in the conventional case, in which four thermal heads 2 (specifically 2a to 2d) are pressed around the platen roll 1. The ink donor films 3 (specifically, 3a to 3d) coated with different color inks are inserted between the respective thermal heads 2 and the platen roll 1. It should be noted that the same members as those of the conventional art will be denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the conventional art, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

In this embodiment, the thermal heads 2 are arranged at equal angular intervals of about 45 ° within a range of a half circumference s / 2 of the platen roll 1 and are arranged along the radial direction of the platen roll 1 by about 5 mm. While having a play allowance, it is pressed against the surface of the platen roll 1 by the urging force of a spring member (not shown).

The shaft portion 10 of the platen roll 1 is rotatably supported by a bearing member 11 as shown in FIG. 2, and the bearing member 11 slides along a guide groove 13 of a support frame 12. It is installed freely. In this example,
The guide groove 13 extends in the direction in which the platen roll 1 is separated from each thermal head 2, and is opened at the end of the platen roll 1 in the separation direction. The bearing member 11 is fixedly arranged at the end position of the guide groove 13 by locking the lock mechanism 14, and moves in the guide groove 13 in the detaching direction by releasing the locked state of the lock mechanism 14. It is possible. still,
The lock mechanism 14 is set to the lock or unlock position by rotating the link operating member 15 in the direction of arrow A or B in FIG.

Further, in this embodiment, when the platen roll 1 is arranged at the reference position (the position where the lock mechanism 14 is set in the locked state), the shaft portion 10 end of the platen roll 1 is decelerated with the drive motor. It engages via gears, timing belts, etc. (neither is shown), and when the platen roll 1 moves from the reference position,
The engagement state between the platen roll 1 and the drive motor is released.

Therefore, according to the heat-sensitive transfer type color recording apparatus according to this embodiment, when a color recording image is obtained, the recording sheet 4 together with the ink donor films 3 may be sequentially inserted into each thermal head 2 portion. . At this time, the image information applied to each thermal head 2 is sequentially transferred to the recording sheet 4 via each ink donor film 3, and one color transfer image is obtained.

In such a recording process, the ink donor film 3
When a new one is consumed and needs to be replaced with a new one, as shown in phantom in FIG. 1, the locking mechanism
The lock state of the platen roll 1 by 14 is released, the platen roll 1 is moved in a direction of separating from each thermal head 2, and then a predetermined work is performed. At this time, it is possible to secure a predetermined moment between the platen roll 1 and each thermal head 2 simply by moving the platen roll 1 in one direction. There is no need to move 2 Further, since the platen roll 1 moves in one direction, the gap between the thermal heads 2 and the platen roll 1 is made sufficiently large without securing a particularly large space in the entire radial direction of the platen roll 1. It becomes possible to secure. Therefore, when the ink donor film 3 is replaced, it is easier to secure a working space as compared with the conventional case, and the replacement work of the ink donor film 3 is simplified.

Further, even when the recording sheet 4 is sandwiched between a plurality of thermal heads 2 and a paper jam accident occurs, the platen roll 1 is moved in one direction as indicated by a phantom line in FIG. By doing so, a gap is immediately secured between the thermal head 2 and the platen roll 1 that cause the paper jam, and thus it is possible to immediately deal with the paper jam accident by using this gap. At this time, since it is not necessary to move the thermal heads 2 individually, the number of man-hours required for the paper jam accident is reduced, and the paper jam accident can be dealt with more quickly than in the conventional case.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, according to the thermal transfer type color recording apparatus according to the present invention, the recording medium film replacement operation or the recording sheet jam accident can be performed without unnecessarily increasing the size of the apparatus itself. Can be easily processed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing an embodiment of a thermal transfer type color recording apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an example of a platen roll support structure, and FIG. 3 is a conventional thermal transfer type color recording. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of an apparatus. [Explanation of Codes] (1) ...... Platen roll (2) ...... Thermal head (3) ...... Ink donor film (4) ...... Recording sheet

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of thermal heads are arranged in pressure contact with each other around a platen roll, and recording medium films of different color components are inserted between each thermal head and the platen roll, and an image from each thermal head is inserted. In a thermal transfer type color recording device adapted to sequentially transfer information to a recording sheet through a recording medium film, each thermal head is arranged within a half circumference of the platen, and the platen roll is attached to each thermal head. A heat-sensitive transfer type color recording apparatus, which is supported so as to be movable between a pressed position and a position separated from each thermal head.