JP2021115704A - Image forming device, control method for the same and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To keep a conveying speed of a mono-color ink ribbon constant, even when using the mono-color ink ribbon with no mark formed.SOLUTION: An image forming device comprises: forming means that makes printing means form a mark on an ink ribbon, in a case where the ink ribbon is constituted of mono-color; first deriving means that derives a winding diameter of a ribbon supply roll and a winding diameter of a ribbon winding roll, on the basis of a detected result of the formed mark with a sensor; and second deriving means that derives a rotation speed of a first motor and a rotation speed of a second motor, on the basis of the winding diameter of the ribbon supply roll and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a control method thereof, and a program.

Conventionally, an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a transfer medium such as a transfer film or an image carrier or a printing medium such as a card or a sheet is widely known. In this type of image forming apparatus, for example, a roll-shaped ink ribbon is used to form an image (mirror image) on a transfer medium, and then an image formed on the transfer medium is transferred to a printing medium for indirect printing. There are things that adopt the method.

Along with printing, the ink ribbon is wound from the supply shaft to the take-up shaft, and the diameters of the ink ribbon supply roll and the take-up roll change. According to this, the way in which the torque of the motor provided on the supply shaft and the take-up shaft is transmitted changes, and the speed of the ink ribbon in the printing portion changes. If the speed of the ink ribbon is not properly controlled, there is a problem that printing defects, wrinkles of the transfer medium, peeling defects, and the like occur.

In order to prevent this, in Patent Document 1, marks formed at regular intervals on the ink ribbon are read in advance, and the rotation speed is detected by a rotation detector provided on the supply shaft of the ink ribbon when detecting the marks. The diameter of the roll is calculated based on the detected rotation speed. Then, the motor is controlled so as to give an appropriate amount of rotation based on the calculated diameter. Through such a series of processes, it is possible to keep the transport speed of the ink ribbon constant.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-267086

However, Patent Document 1 has a problem that the diameter is calculated by reading the marks formed at regular intervals on the ink ribbon in advance, and the diameter cannot be applied to the monochromatic ink ribbon on which the marks are not formed.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to keep the transport speed of the ink ribbon constant even when a monochromatic ink ribbon having no mark is used.

The present invention conveys a ribbon supply roll on which an ink ribbon is wound, a ribbon winding roll, a film supply roll on which a film is wound, and a film winding roll, and the film and the ink ribbon. , A printing means for printing by transferring the ink of the ink ribbon to the film, and a first direction for feeding the ink ribbon from the supply side to the winding side, or the first direction of the ribbon supply roll. The first motor that rotates in the second direction opposite to the above, the second motor that rotates the ribbon winding roll in the first direction or the second direction, and the first that detects the number of rotations of the ribbon supply roll. When the ink ribbon is composed of an encoder, a second encoder that detects the number of rotations of the ribbon winding roll, a sensor that detects a change in density on the ink ribbon, and the ink ribbon in a single color, the ink ribbon is produced by the printing means. A first derivation that derives the winding diameter of the ribbon supply roll and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll based on the forming means for forming the mark on the top and the result of detecting the formed mark with the sensor. A second derivation means for deriving the rotation speed of the first motor and the rotation speed of the second motor based on the means, the winding diameter of the ribbon supply roll, and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll. It is an image forming apparatus characterized by having.

According to the present invention, it is possible to keep the transport speed of the ink ribbon constant even when a monochromatic ink ribbon having no mark is used.

The figure which shows the structure of the printing system in 1st Embodiment. The figure which shows the schematic structure of the printing apparatus in 1st Embodiment. Explanatory drawing of the control state by a cam in a standby position where a pinch roller and a film transport roller are separated, and a platen roller and a thermal head are separated from each other. Explanatory drawing of the control state by a cam in a printing position where a pinch roller and a film transfer roller are in contact with each other, and the platen roller and a thermal head are in contact with each other. Explanatory drawing of the control state by a cam in a transport position where a pinch roller and a film transport roller are in contact with each other and the platen roller and a thermal head are separated from each other. The operation explanatory diagram explaining the state of the standby position of a printing apparatus. The operation explanatory drawing explaining the state of the print position of a printing apparatus. The operation explanatory drawing explaining the state of the transfer position of a printing apparatus. FIG. 6 is an external view showing the configuration of a first unit in which a film transport roller, a platen roller, and their peripheral portions are integrated into a printing apparatus. FIG. 6 is an external view showing a configuration of a second unit integrated for incorporating a pinch roller and its peripheral portion into a printing apparatus. FIG. 6 is an external view showing a configuration of a third unit integrated for incorporating a thermal head into a printing apparatus. The block diagram which shows the structure of the control part of the printing apparatus in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart of the card issuance process in 1st Embodiment. Explanatory drawing of an image formed with a transfer film. Flowchart of initialization process. The flowchart of the rough derivation process of the roll winding diameter of an ink ribbon. State transition diagram in the initialization process. The explanatory view of the formed mark and the output value of a sensor, and an encoder in 1st Embodiment. The flowchart of the printing process with the update of the winding diameter in 1st Embodiment. Explanatory drawing of printing in 1st Embodiment and 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart of the printing process which involves the derivation of the winding diameter in 2nd Embodiment. The explanatory view of the formed mark and the output value of a sensor and an encoder in the 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, a printing device that uses a card as a printing medium and records magnetic or electrical information on the card in addition to images such as photographs and characters will be described as an example. However, the recording medium is a card. Not limited. Further, the present embodiment can be applied to other types of printing devices.

<System configuration>
As shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the printing system 200 in the present embodiment includes an information processing device 201 (for example, a host computer such as a personal computer) as a higher-level device and a printing device 1.

The information processing device 201 and the printing device 1 are connected via a cable 202 or the like, and data and information can be transmitted and received between the information processing device 201 and the printing device 1. For example, the information processing device 201 can transmit image data, magnetic or electrical recording data, or the like to the printing device 1 and instruct the printing device 1 to perform a recording operation or the like. The printing device 1 has an operation display unit 5 (see FIG. 12), and the user can operate the operation display unit 5 in addition to instructing the printing device 1 to perform a recording operation from the information processing device 201. It is also possible to instruct 1 to perform a recording operation.

<Configuration of printing device>
As shown in FIG. 2, the printing apparatus 1 has a housing 2, and has an information recording unit A, a printing unit B, a medium accommodating unit C, an accommodating unit D, and a rotating unit F in the housing 2. ..

(1) Information recording unit A
The information recording unit A is composed of a magnetic recording unit 24, a non-contact IC recording unit 23, and a contact IC recording unit 27, and records information on a card.

(2) Medium storage unit C
A plurality of cards Ca are arranged and accommodated in the medium accommodating portion C in a standing position. A separation opening 7 is provided at the tip of the medium accommodating portion C, and the pickup roller 19 sequentially feeds and supplies the card Ca from the front row. In the present embodiment, as the card Ca, a standard size card having a width of 85.6 mm and a length of 53.9 mm is adopted, but the size is not limited to this, and a card of any size may be adopted.

(3) Rotating unit F
The unrecorded card (so-called blank card) Ca that has been drawn out is sent to the rotating unit F by the carry-in roller 22. The rotating unit F is composed of a rotating frame 80 rotatably supported by the housing 2 and two roller pairs 20 and 21 supported by the frame. The roller pairs 20 and 21 are rotatably supported by the rotating frame 80.

The magnetic recording unit 24, the non-contact IC recording unit 23, and the contact IC recording unit 27 described above are arranged on the outer periphery around which the rotation unit F rotates. The roller pairs 20 and 21 form a medium transport path 65 for transporting the card Ca toward any of the recording units 23, 24, and 27, and the card Ca is transported in the recording unit where the card Ca is transported. On the other hand, data is written magnetically or electrically. A temperature sensor Th such as a thermistor that detects the environmental temperature (outside air temperature) is arranged in the vicinity of the rotating unit F. Based on the environmental temperature detected by the temperature sensor Th, temperature correction is performed on a heating element such as a thermal head or a heat roller as a recording head provided in the printing unit B, which will be described later.

(4) Printing unit B
The printing unit B forms an image such as a face photograph or characters on the front and back surfaces of the card Ca. The printing unit B is provided with a medium transport path P1 for transporting the card Ca so as to be an extension of the medium transport path 65. Transfer rollers 29, 30 for transporting the card Ca are arranged in the medium transport path P1, and the transport rollers 29, 30 are connected to a transport motor (not shown).

The printing unit B forms an image by thermally transferring the ink of the ink ribbon 41 to the image forming region of the film conveying mechanism 10 and the transfer film 46 conveyed by the film conveying mechanism 10 with the thermal head 40. It has a part B1 and. Further, the printing unit B has a transfer unit B2 that transfers the image formed on the transfer film 46 to the surface of the card Ca on the medium transport path P1 by the heat roller 33 after the image is formed by the image forming unit B1. .. The image forming region of the transfer film 46 will be described later.

On the downstream side of the printing unit B, a medium transport path P2 for transporting the printed card Ca to the storage stacker 60 is provided on an extension line of the medium transport path P1. Transfer rollers 37, 38 for transporting the card Ca are arranged in the medium transport path P2, and the transport rollers 37, 38 are connected to a transport motor (not shown). A decal mechanism 12 is arranged between the transfer roller pair 37 and the transfer roller pair 38. In the decal mechanism 12, the central portion of the card Ca whose both ends are sandwiched (nipped) by the transport rollers 37 and 38 is sandwiched between the decal unit 33 and the decal unit 34. The card Ca is sandwiched between the downwardly convex decal unit 33 and the concave decal unit 34 pressed by the decal unit 33 to fix the position, and heat treatment is performed to correct the warp generated in the card Ca. Since the decal mechanism 12 is configured to include the eccentric cam 36, the decal unit 33 can move forward and backward in the vertical direction in FIG.

(5) Containment section D
The accommodating unit D is configured to accommodate the card Ca sent from the printing unit B in the accommodating stacker 60. The accommodating stacker 60 is configured to be movable downward in FIG. 2 by an elevating mechanism 61.

<Details of printing section B>
Hereinafter, the above-mentioned printing unit B will be described in more detail. The transfer film 46 exhibits a band shape having a width slightly larger than the width direction of the card Ca. From top to bottom, the transfer film 46 promotes an ink receiving layer that receives the ink of the ink ribbon 41, a transparent protective layer that protects the surface of the ink receiving layer, and an integral peeling of the ink receiving layer and the protective layer by heating. It is formed by laminating the release layer for the purpose and the base film (base film) in this order.

As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the transfer film 46 crosses the width direction (main scanning direction of the thermal head 40) intersecting the printing direction (sub-scanning direction of the thermal head 40) indicated by the arrow. Marks Ma and Mb are formed so as to do so. To be described in detail, marks for setting the image formation start position are formed at regular intervals, and the space between these marks is defined as the image formation region R. That is, the image forming region R is defined by the mark Ma on the upstream side and the mark Mb on the downstream side in the printing direction. In the present embodiment, the image forming region R has a print direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 14 (a)) of 94 mm, a width direction (vertical direction in FIG. 14 (a)) of 60 mm, and marks Ma, Mb. It is assumed that the thickness (width) of each is set to 4 mm. However, these lengths are not limited to the values set here, and any value may be set.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are driven, the transfer film 46 is fed by a rotating supply roll 47 (also referred to as a film supply roll) in the transfer film cassette. The unwound transfer film 46 is wound by a rotating winding roll 48 (also referred to as a film winding roll) in the transfer film cassette. More specifically, in the transfer film cassette, the supply spool 47A is arranged at the center of the supply roll 47, and the rotational driving force of the motor Mr2 is transmitted to the supply spool 47A via a gear (not shown). Further, in the transfer film cassette, a take-up spool 48A is arranged at the center of the take-up roll 48, and the rotational driving force of the motor Mr4 is transmitted to the take-up spool 48A via a gear (not shown).

As the motors Mr2 and Mr4, DC motors capable of forward and reverse rotation are adopted. Each motor shaft of the motors Mr2 and Mr4 is provided with an encoder (hereinafter, referred to as an encoder of the motor Mr2 and an encoder of the motor Mr4) that detects the rotation speed of the roll at a position opposite to the output shaft side. ing. In the present embodiment, the transfer film 46 before the transfer treatment is wound around the supply spool 47A, and the used transfer film 46 (that is, the portion transferred by the transfer portion B2) is wound around the take-up spool 48A. Has been done. Therefore, when performing the image formation process and the transfer process on the transfer film 46, the transfer film 46 is once fed from the supply spool 47A to the take-up spool 48A side, and the image formation process is performed while the transfer film 46 is taken up by the supply spool 47A. And transfer processing.

The film transfer roller 49 is a main drive roller that transfers the transfer film 46, and by controlling the drive of the film transfer roller 49, the transfer amount and the transfer stop position of the transfer film 46 are determined. The film transfer roller 49 is connected to a film transfer motor Mr5 (stepping motor) capable of forward and reverse rotation. When the film transport roller 49 is driven, the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are also driven. The motors Mr2 and Mr4 are used to apply tension to the transferred transfer film 46 by winding the transfer film 46 unwound from either the supply roll 47 or the take-up roll 48 on the other. It is a thing. As described above, the motors Mr2 and Mr4 merely serve an auxiliary function of film transport, and are not a main transport source of the transfer film 46.

A pinch roller 32a and a pinch roller 32b are arranged on the peripheral surface of the film transport roller 49. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the pinch rollers 32a and 32b are configured to be movable so as to advance or retract with respect to the film transport roller 49. In the state shown in FIG. 2, the pinch rollers 32a and 32b advance to the film transport roller 49 side and press contact with each other to wind the transfer film 46 around the film transport roller 49. As a result, the transfer film 46 is accurately transported by a distance corresponding to the rotation speed of the film transport roller 49.

In this way, the film transport mechanism 10 supplies the transfer film 46 from the supply roll 47 to the image forming section by driving the film transport roller 49 of the main transport source arranged between the image forming section B1 and the transfer section B2. It has a function of transporting forward and reverse between B1 and transfer unit B2-winding roll 48. The film transport mechanism 10 also has a function (so-called cueing function, etc.) of positioning the image forming region R of the transfer film 46 and the image formed in the image forming region R at appropriate positions in the image forming unit B1 and the transfer unit B2. Have. A transmissive sensor Se1 is arranged between the take-up roll 48 and the image forming portion B1 (including the thermal head 40 and the platen roller 45). A transmissive sensor Se3 is arranged between the film transfer roller 49 and the transfer unit B2 (including the heat roller 33 and the platen roller 31). The transmissive sensors Se1 and Se3 each have a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and detect a mark formed on the transfer film 46 described above.

The ink ribbon 41 is housed in the ink ribbon cassette 42. Specifically, the ink ribbon 41 is stretched between a supply roll 43 (also referred to as a ribbon supply roll) for supplying the ink ribbon 41 and a take-up roll 44 (also referred to as a ribbon take-up roll) for winding the ink ribbon 41. It is housed in a hung state. A take-up spool 44A is arranged at the center of the take-up roll 44, and a supply spool 43A is arranged at the center of the supply roll 43. The take-up spool 44A is rotated by the driving force of the motor Mr1, and the supply spool 43A is the motor Mr3. It rotates with the driving force. Each motor shaft of the motors Mr1 and Mr2 is provided with an encoder (hereinafter, referred to as an encoder of the motor Mr1 and an encoder of the motor Mr3) that detects the rotation speed of the roll at a position opposite to the output shaft side. Has been done. As the motors Mr1 and Mr3, DC motors capable of forward and reverse rotation are adopted.

The ink ribbon 41 can be used as a plurality of colors or a single color depending on the printing application. In the case of a multi-color ink ribbon, the ribbon is composed of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan) color ribbon panels and Bk (black) ribbon panels that are repeated in a longitudinal direction in a surface-sequential manner. A mark is formed in the initial state. On the other hand, in the case of a monochromatic ink ribbon, the ribbon is composed of one color, and no mark is formed in the initial state.

A ribbon sensor Se2 for detecting a change in density on the ink ribbon is arranged between the supply roll 43 and the image forming unit B1. By detecting the change in the amount of light received from the light emitting element side, the position of the ink ribbon 41 is detected, and the ink ribbon 41 is cueed to the image forming unit B1. In the case of a color ribbon, cueing is performed by detecting the Bk panel. In the present embodiment, in the case of a single-color ink ribbon, a mark is formed by printing, and cueing is performed by reading the mark. Details will be described later.

The platen roller 45 and the thermal head 40 form an image forming portion B1, and the thermal head 40 is arranged at a position facing the platen roller 45. At the time of image formation, the platen roller 45 and the thermal head 40 are in pressure contact with each other with the transfer film 46 and the ink ribbon 41 in between. The thermal head 40 has a plurality of heating elements arranged in a row in the main scanning direction, and these heating elements are selectively heated and controlled based on print data by a head control IC (not shown), and the ink ribbon 41 An image is formed on the transfer film 46 via. At that time, the transfer film 46 and the ink ribbon 41 are conveyed at the same speed in the same direction (the printing direction shown in FIG. 14A and the like, the direction from the lower side to the upper side in FIG. 2). The cooling fan 39 is for cooling the thermal head 40.

The ink ribbon 41 for which the image formation on the transfer film 46 has been completed is peeled off from the transfer film 46 by the peeling roller 25 and the peeling member 28. The peeling member 28 is fixed to the ink ribbon cassette 42, and the peeling roller 25 comes into contact with the peeling member 28 at the time of image formation, and the transfer film 46 and the ink ribbon 41 are sandwiched between the peeling members 28 to perform the peeling. Then, the peeled ink ribbon 41 is wound on the take-up roll 44 by the driving force of the motor Mr1, and the transfer film 46 is conveyed by the film transfer roller 49 to the transfer portion B2 having the platen roller 31 and the heat roller 33. NS.

In the transfer unit B2, the transfer film 46 is sandwiched between the heat roller 33 and the platen roller 31 together with the card Ca, and the image formed in the image forming region R of the transfer film 46 is transferred to the surface of the card Ca. At the time of transfer, the heat roller 33 is pressed against the platen roller 31 via the card Ca and the transfer film 46 (image forming region R), and the card Ca and the transfer film 46 are conveyed in the same direction at the same speed (FIG. 20 (FIG. 20). a), also see FIG. 20 (b)). The heat roller 33 is attached to an elevating mechanism (not shown) so as to be in pressure contact with the platen roller 31 via a transfer film 46 or to be separated from the platen roller 31.

The transfer film 46 after image transfer is separated (peeled) from the card Ca by a peeling pin 79 arranged between the heat roller 33 and the driven roller 37b constituting the transport roller pair 37, and is transported to the supply roll 47 side. NS. On the other hand, the card Ca on which the image is transferred is transported on the medium transport path P2 toward the decal mechanism 12 on the downstream side.

The configuration of the image forming unit B1 will be described in more detail together with its action. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the pinch rollers 32a and 32b are supported by the upper end and the lower end of the pinch roller support member 57, respectively, and the pinch roller support member 57 is attached to a support shaft 58 through which the central portion is inserted. It is rotatably supported. As shown in FIG. 10, the support shaft 58 is bridged to the elongated holes 76 and 77 formed in the pinch roller support member 57 at both ends, and is fixed by the fixing portion 78 of the bracket 50 at the intermediate portion. ing. Further, the elongated holes 76 and 77 have spaces in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the support shaft 58. This makes it possible to adjust the pinch rollers 32a and 32b with respect to the film transport roller 49 described later.

A spring member 51 is mounted on the support shaft 58, and the ends of the pinch roller support member 57 on the side where the pinch rollers 32a and 32b are mounted are in contact with the spring member 51, respectively, due to the spring force of the spring member 51. Is being urged in the direction of.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the bracket 50 is in contact with the cam operating surface of the cam 53 at the cam receiver 81. As shown in FIG. 3, the bracket 50 is attached to the film transport roller 49 in response to the rotation of the cam 53 with the cam shaft 82, which is rotated by the driving force of the motor 54 (see FIG. 10), in the direction of the arrow. On the other hand, it is configured to move in the left-right direction in the figure. When the bracket 50 advances toward the film transfer roller 49 (FIGS. 4 and 5), the pinch rollers 32a and 32b press the transfer film 46 against the spring member 51 and press-contact the transfer film 49. The 46 is wound around the film transport roller 49.

At this time, the pinch roller 32b located at a position far from the shaft 95, which is the rotation fulcrum of the bracket 50, first press-contacts the film transport roller 49, and then the pinch roller 32a press-contacts the film transport roller 49. By arranging the shaft 95, which is the rotation fulcrum, above the film transfer roller 49 in this way, the pinch roller support member 57 comes into contact with the film transfer roller 49 while rotating instead of translating. Therefore, this embodiment has an advantage that the space in the width direction can be reduced as compared with the mode of parallel movement.

The pressure contact force when the pinch rollers 32a and 32b are in pressure contact with the film transport roller 49 is made uniform in the width direction of the transfer film 46 by the spring member 51. At that time, since the elongated holes 76 and 77 are formed on both sides of the pinch roller support member 57 and the support shaft 58 is fixed by the fixing portion 78, the pinch roller support member 57 can be adjusted in three directions. With such a configuration, the transfer film 46 is conveyed in the correct posture without causing skew (skew) due to the rotation of the film conveying roller 49. The "adjustment in three directions" referred to here is specifically as follows. The first direction adjustment is the horizontal direction of the axes of the pinch rollers 32a and 32b with respect to the axis of the film transfer roller 49 in order to make the pressure contact force of the pinch rollers 32a and 32b with respect to the film transfer roller 49 in the axial direction uniform. Refers to the adjustment of parallelism. The adjustment in the second direction is the moving distance between the pinch roller 32a and the pinch roller 32b with respect to the film transfer roller 49 in order to make the pressure contact force of the pinch roller 32a with respect to the film transfer roller 49 and the pressure contact force of the pinch roller 32b uniform. Refers to the adjustment of. The third direction is the adjustment of the vertical parallelism of the axes of the pinch rollers 32a and 32b with respect to the axis of the film transport roller 49 so that the axes of the pinch rollers 32a and 32b are perpendicular to the film traveling direction. Point to.

The bracket 50 is further provided with a tension receiving member 52 that comes into contact with a portion of the transfer film 46 that is not wound around the film transport roller 49 when the bracket 50 advances toward the film transport roller 49. When the pinch rollers 32a and 32b press the transfer film 46 against the film transport roller 49, tension is generated in the transfer film 46. The tension receiving member 52 is provided to prevent the pinch rollers 32a and 32b from retracting from the film transport roller 49 against the urging force of the spring member 51 due to this tension. Therefore, the tension receiving member 52 is attached to the tip of the rotating side end of the bracket 50 so as to come into contact with the transfer film 46 at a position on the left side of the drawings from the pinch rollers 32a and 32b (see FIG. 2). FIG. 2 shows a state in which the tension receiving member 52 is in contact with the transfer film 46.

With such a configuration, the cam 53 can receive the tension generated from the elasticity of the transfer film 46 through the tension receiving member 52. Therefore, this tension prevents the pinch rollers 32a and 32b from retracting from the film transport roller 49 and weakening the pressure contact force of the pinch rollers 32a and 23b. Therefore, the state in which the transfer film 46 is tightly wound around the film transport roller 49 is maintained, and accurate transport can be performed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 and 9, the platen rollers 45 arranged along the lateral width direction of the transfer film 46 are supported by a pair of platen support members 72 that are rotatable around the shaft 71 as a fulcrum. .. The pair of platen support members 72 support both ends of the platen roller 45. Each of the platen support members 72 is connected to the end of the bracket 50A having the shaft 71 as a common rotation shaft via a spring member 99.

The bracket 50A has a substrate 87 and a cam receiving support portion 85 formed by bending from the substrate 87 in the direction of the platen supporting member 72, and the cam receiving supporting portion 85 holds the cam receiving portion 84. A cam 53A that rotates about the cam shaft 83 as a fulcrum by driving the motor 54 is disposed between the substrate 87 and the cam receiving support portion 85, and the cam operating surface and the cam receiving 84 come into contact with each other. It is configured as. Therefore, when the bracket 50A advances in the direction of the thermal head 40 due to the rotation of the cam 53A, the platen support member 72 also moves and the platen roller 45 presses against the thermal head 40.

By arranging the spring member 99 and the cam 53A vertically between the bracket 50A and the platen support member 72 in this way, the platen moving unit can be accommodated within the distance between the bracket 50A and the platen support member 72. Further, the width direction can be accommodated within the width of the platen roller 45, and space can be saved.

Further, the cam receiving support portion 85 is fitted to the perforated portions 72a and 72b formed in the platen support member 72 (see FIG. 9). Therefore, even if the cam receiving support portion 85 is projected in the direction of the platen support member 72, the distance between the bracket 50A and the platen support member 72 does not increase, and space can be saved in that respect as well.

When the platen roller 45 is pressed against the thermal head 40, the spring members 99 connected to the respective platen support members 72 act so that the pressure contact force in the width direction of the transfer film 46 becomes uniform. Therefore, skew is prevented when the transfer film 46 is conveyed by the film transfer roller 49, the image forming region R of the transfer film 46 does not shift in the width direction, and the image is formed on the transfer film 46 by the thermal head 40. Can be done accurately.

A pair of release roller support members 88 that support both ends of the release roller 25 are provided on the substrate 87 of the bracket 50A via a spring member 97. When the bracket 50A advances toward the thermal head 40 by the rotation of the cam 53A, the peeling roller 25 comes into contact with the peeling member 28 and peels the transfer film 46 and the ink ribbon 41 sandwiched between the two. Like the platen support member 72, the peeling roller support member 88 is also provided at both ends of the peeling roller 25, and is configured so that the pressure contact force in the width direction with respect to the peeling member 28 becomes uniform.

A tension receiving member 52A is provided at an end of the bracket 50A opposite to the shaft support end. The tension receiving member 52A is provided so as to absorb the tension of the transfer film 46 generated when the platen roller 45 and the peeling roller 25 are pressed against the thermal head 40 and the peeling member 28, respectively. The spring members 99 and 97 are provided to make the pressure contact force of the transfer film 46 in the width direction uniform, but conversely, the spring members 99 and 97 lose the tension of the transfer film 46 and the pressure contact force to the transfer film 46. Must not be weakened. Therefore, the tension receiving member 52A receives the tension from the transfer film 46. Since the tension receiving member 52A is also fixed to the bracket 50A like the above-mentioned tension receiving member 52, the tension of the transfer film 46 is received by the cam 53A via the bracket 50A, and the tension of the transfer film 46 is received. I will not lose to. As a result, the pressure contact force between the thermal head 40 and the platen roller 45 and the pressure contact force between the peeling member 28 and the peeling roller 25 are maintained, so that image formation and peeling can be performed satisfactorily. Further, when the film transfer motor Mr5 for rotating the film transfer roller 49 is driven, there is no error in the transfer amount of the transfer film 46, and the length of the image forming region R is accurately transferred to the thermal head 40 for accuracy. Images can be formed well (without causing color shift).

As shown in FIG. 3, a belt 98 is stretched between the cam 53 and the cam 53A, and the cam 53 and the cam 53A are rotated by being driven by the same motor (specifically, the motor 54). When the printing unit B is in the standby position shown in FIG. 6, the cams 53 and 53A are in the state shown in FIG. 3, and the pinch rollers 32a and 32b are not pressed against the film transport roller 49. Further, the platen roller 45 is not in pressure contact with the thermal head 40. In other words, when the printing unit B is in the standby position, the platen roller 45 and the thermal head 40 are separated from each other.

Then, when the cam 53 and the cam 53A rotate in conjunction with each other to reach the state shown in FIG. 4, the printing unit B shifts to the printing position shown in FIG. 7. At that time, first, the pinch rollers 32a and 32b wind the transfer film 46 around the film transport roller 49, and the tension receiving member 52 comes into contact with the transfer film 46. After that, the platen roller 45 is pressed against the thermal head 40. In such a printing position, the platen roller 45 moves toward the thermal head 40 and press-contacts the transfer film 46 and the ink ribbon 41 so that the peeling roller 25 and the peeling member 28 are in contact with each other.

In this state, when the transfer film 46 is started by the rotation of the film transfer roller 49, the ink ribbon 41 is also wound by the take-up roll 44 by the operation of the motor Mr1 and conveyed in the same direction. During this transfer, the mark formed on the transfer film 46 passes through the film sensor Se1 and moves a predetermined distance, and when the transfer film 46 reaches the image formation start position, the thermal is applied to the image formation region R of the transfer film 46. Image formation is performed by the head 40. In particular, the tension of the transfer film 46 increases during image formation, and this tension increases the tension in the direction of separating the pinch rollers 32a and 32b from the film transport roller 49, and the peeling roller 25 and the platen roller 45 from the peeling member 28 and the thermal head 40. It works in the direction of separating from. However, as described above, since the tension of the transfer film 46 is received by the tension receiving members 52 and 52A, the pressure contact force of the pinch rollers 32a and 32b is not weakened, and accurate film transfer can be performed. Further, since the tension of the transfer film 46 is received by the tension receiving members 52 and 52A, the pressure contact force between the thermal head 40 and the platen roller 45 and the pressure contact force between the release member 28 and the release roller 25 are not weakened. , Accurate image formation (printing) and peeling can be performed.

The transfer amount of the transfer film 46, that is, the moving distance of the transfer film 46 in the transfer direction (referred to as the transfer distance) is detected by an encoder (hereinafter, referred to as an encoder of the film transfer roller 49) provided on the film transfer roller 49 (hereinafter, referred to as an encoder of the film transfer roller 49). NS. The rotation of the film transfer roller 49 is stopped according to the detected transfer amount, and at the same time, the winding by the take-up roll 44 due to the operation of the motor Mr1 is also stopped. As a result, the image formation by the ink of the ink panel on the image formation region R of the transfer film 46 is completed.

When the ink ribbon has multiple colors, the transfer film and the ink ribbon are rewound and printed in layers (note that this is not performed when the ink ribbon is a single color). First, when the cam 53 and the cam 53A are further rotated in conjunction with each other to reach the state shown in FIG. 5, the printing unit B shifts to the transport position shown in FIG. 8, and the platen roller 45 returns to the direction of retracting from the thermal head 40. do. In this state, the pinch rollers 32a and 32b still wind the transfer film 46 around the film transfer roller 49, the tension receiving member 52 is in contact with the transfer film 46, and the transfer film 46 is initially rotated by the reverse rotation of the film transfer roller 49. It is transported back to the position. At this time as well, the amount of movement of the transfer film 46 is adjusted by controlling the rotation of the film transport roller 49, but the length of the image forming region R in which the image is formed by the one-color ink panel (for example, Y) in the transport direction. The film is transported in reverse. The ink ribbon 41 is also rewound by a predetermined amount by the motor Mr3, and then the ink panel of the ink forming the image is made to stand by at the initial position (the cueing position).

Then, the cams 53 and 53A are in the state shown in FIG. 4 again and are in the print position shown in FIG. 7. The platen roller 45 is pressed against the thermal head 40, the film transfer roller 49 rotates in the positive direction again to transfer the transfer film 46 by the length of the image forming region R, and the thermal head 40 transfers the next ink panel. Image formation is performed with ink.

As described above, in the case of printing a plurality of colors, the operation at the print position and the operation at the transport position are repeated until all or the image formation by the ink of the predetermined ink panel is completed. When the thermal head 40 finishes forming images for the required number of colors, the image forming region R of the transfer film 46 is conveyed to the heat roller 33, but at this time, the cams 53 and 53A move to the state shown in FIG. , The pressure contact with the transfer film 46 is released. After that, the transfer film 46 is transferred to the card Ca while being driven by the film transfer motor Mr5 (and the motors Mr2 and Mr4).

The printing unit B is composed of three divisible units 90, 91, and 92. FIG. 9 is an external view showing a configuration of a first unit 90 in which a film transport roller 49, a platen roller 45, and a peripheral portion thereof are integrated into the printing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 9, in the first unit 90, a drive shaft 70 that is rotated by being driven by a motor 54 (see FIG. 10) is mounted on a unit frame 75, and a film transfer roller 49 is mounted on the drive shaft 70. I am wearing it. A bracket 50A and a pair of platen support members 72 are arranged below the film transport roller 49, and these members are rotatably supported by shafts 71 mounted on both side plates of the unit frame body 75. There is.

In FIG. 9, a pair of cam receiving support portions 85, which are a part of the bracket 50A, appear from the perforated portions 72a and 72b formed in the platen support member 72. The cam receiving support portion 85 holds a pair of cam receiving 84 arranged behind the cam receiving support portion 85. Further behind the cam receiver 84, a cam 53A mounted on the cam shaft 83 through which the unit frame body 75 is inserted is arranged. The cam shaft 83 is mounted on both side plates of the unit frame body 75.

The thermal head 40 described above is arranged at a position facing the platen roller 45 so as to sandwich the transfer path between the transfer film 46 and the ink ribbon 41. As shown in FIG. 11, the thermal head 40, the member related to heating, and the cooling fan 39 are integrated with the third unit 92 and are arranged to face the first unit 90.

The first unit 90 uses a movable bracket 50A to collectively hold the platen roller 45, the peeling roller 25, and the tension receiving member 52A whose positions change during the image forming operation, thereby adjusting the position between these members. Is unnecessary. Moreover, by moving the bracket 50A by rotating the cam 53, these members can be moved to a predetermined position. Further, by providing the bracket 50A, these members can be accommodated in the same unit as the fixed film transport roller 49. In this way, since the transfer drive portion by the film transfer roller 49 and the transfer position restricting portion by the platen roller 45, which must convey the transfer film with high accuracy, are included in the same unit, it is not necessary to adjust the position between them. ..

As shown in FIG. 10, in the second unit 91, the cam shaft 82 to which the cam 53 is mounted is inserted through the unit frame 55, and the cam shaft 82 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 54. Further, the second unit 91 movably supports the bracket 50 on the unit frame 55 so as to abut the cam 53, and the bracket 50 rotatably supports the pinch roller support member 57. The support shaft 58 and the tension receiving member 52 are fixedly attached.

In the pinch roller support member 57, a spring member 51 is attached to the support shaft 58, and the ends thereof are brought into contact with both ends of the pinch roller support member 57 that supports the pinch rollers 32a and 32b, respectively, and the film transport roller 49 It is urging in the direction of. In the pinch roller support member 57, the support shaft 58 is inserted into the elongated holes 76 and 77, and the support shaft 58 is fixedly supported by the bracket 50 at the central portion.

A spring 89 is provided between the bracket 50 and the pinch roller support member 57 to urge the pinch roller support member 57 toward the bracket 50. The spring 89 urges the pinch roller support member 57 in the direction of retreating from the film transport roller 49 of the first unit 90. With such a configuration, the transfer film 46 can be easily passed between the first unit 90 and the second unit 91 when the transfer film cassette is set in the printing apparatus 1.

The second unit 91 holds the pinch rollers 32a and 32b whose positions change according to the image forming operation and the tension receiving member 52 by the bracket 50. In the second unit 91, since the bracket 50 is moved by the rotation of the cam 53 to move the pinch rollers 32a and 32b and the tension receiving member 52, the position adjustment between the two and the pinch rollers 32a and 32b and the film transfer are performed. Position adjustment with the roller 49 is simplified. The second unit 91 is arranged to face the first unit 90 so as to sandwich the transfer film 46.

By unitizing in this way, the first unit 90, the second unit 91, and the third unit 92 are pulled out from the main body of the printing device 1 in the same manner as the cassettes of the transfer film 46 and the ink ribbon 41. It is also possible. Therefore, if these units 90, 91, and 92 are also taken out as needed when the cassette is replaced due to the consumption of the transfer film 46 and the ink ribbon 41, the transfer film 46 and the ink ribbon 41 can be easily installed in the apparatus when the cassette is inserted. Can be hung.

As described above, the platen roller 45, the bracket 50A, the cam 53A, and the platen support member 72 are integrated into the first unit 90, and the pinch rollers 32a and 32b, the bracket 50, the cam 53, and the spring member 51 are integrated. Combine with the second unit 91. At the same time, by arranging and assembling the third unit 92 to which the thermal head 40 is attached so as to face the platen roller 45, it is easy and accurate to make adjustments at the time of assembling and maintenance of the printing apparatus 1. It can be carried out. Further, since it is integrated, it can be easily removed from the apparatus, and the handleability of the printing apparatus 1 is improved.

<Control unit and power supply unit>
Hereinafter, the control unit and the power supply unit of the printing apparatus 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 12, the printing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 100 that controls the operation of the entire printing apparatus 1, and a power supply that converts a commercial AC power supply into a DC power source that can drive or operate each mechanism unit and the control unit. It has a part 120 and the like.

(1) Control Unit As shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 100 has a microcomputer unit 102 (hereinafter, abbreviated as MCU 102) that controls the entire printing device 1. The MCU 102 is composed of a CPU that operates with a high-speed clock as a central processing unit, a ROM that stores programs and program data of the printing device 1, a RAM that works as a work area of the CPU, and an internal bus that connects them.

An external bus is connected to the MCU 102. The MCU 102 is connected to the memory 101 and an interface (not shown) for communicating with the information processing device 201 via an external bus. The memory 101 temporarily stores print data representing an image to be formed on the card Ca, recorded data to be magnetically or electrically recorded on the magnetic stripe of the card Ca or the accommodating IC, and the like.

Further, the MCU 102 is connected to the signal processing unit 103, the actuator control unit 104, the thermal head control unit 105, the operation display control unit 106, and the above-mentioned information recording unit A via an external bus. The signal processing unit 103 processes signals from the sensors Se1 to Se3 and the encoders of the motors Mr1 to Mr5. The actuator control unit 104 includes a motor driver and the like that supply drive pulses and drive power to each motor. The thermal head control unit 105 controls the supply of heat energy to the heat generating elements constituting the thermal head 40. The operation display control unit 106 controls the operation display unit 5.

(2) Power supply unit The power supply unit 120 supplies an operating power supply or a driving power supply to the control unit 100, the thermal head 40, the heat roller 33, the operation display unit 5, the information recording unit A, and the like.

<Card issuance process>
Hereinafter, the card issuance process by the printing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed that each member constituting the printing apparatus 1 is positioned at the initial position (so-called home position) at the time when the flow of FIG. 13 starts (specifically, for example, for example. The printing device 1 is in the state shown in FIG. 2). Further, it is assumed that the initial setting process for expanding the program and the program data stored in the ROM into the RAM is completed, and the print data and the like have been received from the information processing device 201. That is, the CPU of the printing device 1 receives the print data on the one side (in the case of single-sided printing) or the print data on the one side and the other side (in the case of double-sided printing) from the information processing device 201 and stores it in the memory 101. ing. This print data is print data of one color in the case of a single color, and color component print data of Bk, Y, M, and C in the case of a plurality of colors. Further, the CPU of the printing device 1 receives the magnetically or electrically recorded data and stores it in the memory 101.

As shown in FIG. 13, in the card issuing operation, first, in step S1302, the CPU uses the image forming unit B1 to form an image (mirror image) on one side (for example, the surface of the card Ca) on the transfer film 46. (Primary transfer processing) is performed. Specifically, by controlling the thermal head 40 of the image forming unit B1 based on the color component print data of Y, M, and C and the print data of Bk stored in the memory 101, the Y of the ink ribbon 41 is set in the image forming area R. , M, C and Bk ink images are overlaid. The CPU detects the transfer amount (transfer distance) of the transfer film 46 by the encoder of the film transfer roller 49. Further, the CPU outputs print data for each line to the thermal head 40 side via the thermal head control unit 105 while detecting the transfer amount of the transfer film 46, so that the heat generating elements arranged in a row in the main scanning direction Is selectively heated to drive the thermal head 40. Prior to this primary transfer process, the CPU controls the heating elements constituting the thermal head 40 to be preheated via the thermal head control unit 105. Preheating refers to heating the heating element to a predetermined temperature lower than the temperature at which the ink of the ink ribbon 41 is transferred to the image forming region R of the transfer film 46. In the following, "step S-" will be abbreviated as "S-".

In parallel with the primary transfer process in S1302, in S1304, the CPU feeds out the card Ca from the medium accommodating unit C.

In S1306, the CPU uses the transfer unit B2 to perform a process (secondary transfer process) of transferring the image formed in the image forming region R of the transfer film 46 onto one surface of the card Ca. Prior to the secondary transfer process, the CPU controls the temperature of the heaters constituting the heat roller 33 to reach a predetermined temperature, and is formed in the image forming region R of the card Ca and the transfer film 46. It is controlled so that the image arrives at the transfer unit B2 in synchronization with the image.

The transfer film 46 after the secondary transfer treatment in S1306 is separated (peeled) from the card Ca by a release pin 79 arranged between the heat roller 33 and the transfer roller pair 37, and the separated transfer film 46 is separated. , Transported to the supply roll 47 side. On the other hand, the card Ca on which the image is transferred is conveyed toward the decal mechanism 12 on the downstream side of the medium transfer path P2 by the drive of the transfer motor. Further, the CPU still drives the transfer motor, and stops driving the transfer motor after the rear end of the card Ca passes through the release pin 79. As a result, both ends of the card Ca are sandwiched between the transport rollers 37 and 38. After that, in S1308, the CPU performs a decal process for correcting the warp generated in the card Ca.

In S1310, the CPU determines whether to print on both sides. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1312. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S1320.

In S1312, similarly to S1302, the CPU uses the image forming unit B1 to form an image (mirror image) on the other side (for example, the back surface of the card Ca) in the next image forming region R of the transfer film 46. Perform processing.

In parallel with the primary transfer process in S1312, in S1314, the CPU rotates the card Ca sandwiched between the transfer rollers 37 and 38 and positioned in the decal mechanism 12 via the medium transfer paths P2 and P1. Transport to F. Then, the CPU is conveyed to the rotation unit F, and rotates the card Ca whose both ends are sandwiched between the rollers 20 and 21 by 180 °. By this step, the front and back surfaces of the card Ca are inverted.

In S1316, the CPU performs a secondary transfer process of transferring the image formed in the next image forming region R of the transfer film 46 to the other surface of the card Ca by using the transfer unit B2 in the same manner as in step 306.

In S1318, the CPU executes a decal process for correcting the warp generated in the card Ca, similarly to S1308.

In S1320, the card Ca is discharged toward the storage stacker 60, and the card issuance process is completed.

<Initialization process>
Hereinafter, the initialization process to be performed after the power is turned on, after the ink ribbon is replaced, and the like will be described with reference to FIG.

In S1501, the roll winding diameter of the transfer film 46 is derived. In this step, first, the transfer film 46 is loosened by driving the motor Mr4 and rotating the take-up spool 48A in a small amount. Next, the motor 54 is driven to press-contact the transfer film 46 with the film transfer roller 49. In this state, the film transfer motor Mr5 is driven to rotate the film transfer roller 49 by a predetermined amount. At this time, the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are also driven at the same time to feed the transfer film 46 from the take-up roll 48 side to the supply roll 47 side. The motors Mr2 and Mr4 are driven in order to apply a constant tension to the transferred transfer film 46, and the main transfer source of the transfer film 46 is the film transfer roller 49. FIG. 17A is a diagram showing this state.

Let n be the number of rotations detected by the encoders of the motors Mr2 and Mr4 while the film transfer roller 49 rotates a predetermined amount, and let x be the transfer amount (transfer distance) of the transfer film 46 transferred by the film transfer roller 49. In this case, the winding diameters of the supply roll 47 and the winding roll 48 are x / 2πn, respectively. When the film transport speed required during printing is v, the rotation speeds of the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are set so that the angular velocities of the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are v / (x / 2πn), respectively. PWM control is performed for the motors Mr2 and Mr4, and the drive duty is set according to the required rotation speed.

In S1502, the winding diameter of the ink ribbon 41 is roughly derived. Coarse derivation is a derivation with low accuracy. The rough derivation of this step is performed in order to determine the drive duty of the motors Mr1 and Mr3 when the winding diameter of the ink ribbon 41 accompanied by printing of the mark is finely adjusted in S1504 or later. Hereinafter, the rough derivation of the winding diameter of the ink ribbon 41 in this step will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

In S1601, the ink ribbon 41 is loosened by driving the motor Mr1 and rotating the take-up spool 44A in a small amount.

In S1602, the motor Mr1 is driven by a predetermined amount L with a fixed drive duty. At this time, the predetermined amount L is a small amount, specifically, an amount corresponding to the transport distance of the ink ribbon 41 of 40 mm. The reason why the predetermined amount L is set to a small amount in this step is to prevent the ink ribbon from being torn or wrinkled by driving for a long distance without adjusting the duty. The value of the predetermined amount L is not limited to this.

In S1603, the amount of rotation of the take-up roll 44 due to the winding of the ribbon by the motor Mr1 is detected by the encoder of the motor Mr1. Further, the amount of rotation of the supply roll 43 caused by winding the ribbon with Mr1 is detected by the encoder of the motor Mr3. FIG. 17B is a diagram showing this state.

In S1604, the winding diameters of the winding roll 44 and the supply roll 43 are derived by using a table showing the relationship between the rotation amount and the winding diameter based on the rotation amount of the winding roll 44 and the supply roll 43 detected in S1603. .. A table showing the relationship between the amount of rotation and the winding diameter is created in advance and stored in the ROM of the MCU 102. For example, when a plurality of ribbons having a usage rate are prepared and the same control as described above is performed, the relationship between the roll diameter and the amount of rotation of the roll is defined in advance for each usage rate. When the winding diameter of the derived take-up roll 44 is r1, the winding diameter of the supply roll 43 is r3, and the ribbon speed required during printing is v, the angular velocities of the take-up roll 44 and the supply roll 43 are v. The drive duty during printing is set so as to be / r1 and v / r3.

Returning to the description of FIG. In S1503, as shown in FIG. 17C, the platen roller 45 is pressed against the thermal head 40.

In S1504, as shown in FIG. 17D, the motor Mr1 is slightly driven in the direction opposite to the winding direction, and the motor Mr3 is slightly driven in the supply direction to weaken the tension of the ink ribbon 41 and ink. Loosen the ribbon 41 slightly. By this step, the ink ribbon 41 is loosened on the ink ribbon path at a position other than the pressure-contacted image forming portion B1 on the ink ribbon path.

In S1505, as shown in FIG. 17E, the film transfer motor Mr5 for rotating the film transfer roller 49 and the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are driven to move the transfer film 46 in the A1 direction in the drawing at a speed v. Transport. As shown in the figure, the A1 direction is the direction in which the transfer film 46 is fed from the take-up roll 48 side to the supply roll 47 side. In this step, the speed of the transfer film 46 is adjusted by controlling the rotation of the film transfer motor Mr5. Further, the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are driven according to the drive duty set in S1501, and the driving force of the motors Mr2 and Mr4 contributes only to the application of tension to the transfer film 46. The direction opposite to the A1 direction, that is, the direction in which the transfer film 46 is fed from the supply roll 47 side to the take-up roll 48 side is defined as the A2 direction.

At the same time as S1505, in S1506, as shown in FIG. 17E, the motors Mr1 and Mr3 are driven according to the drive duty set in S1502, and the ink ribbon 41 is conveyed in the A3 direction. As shown in the figure, the A3 direction is the direction in which the ink ribbon 41 is fed from the supply roll 43 side to the take-up roll 44 side. The direction opposite to the A3 direction, that is, the direction in which the ink ribbon 41 is sent from the take-up roll 44 side to the supply roll 43 side is defined as the A4 direction.

In S1505 and S1506, the transfer film 46 is conveyed in the A1 direction at a speed v in a state where tension is applied, and the ink ribbon 41 is conveyed in the A3 direction in a state where the tension is weak. In the image forming unit B1, the ink ribbon 41 and the transfer film 46, which are pressure-welded by the platen roller 45 and the thermal head 40, are also pressure-welded by the driven pinch roller. Therefore, in the image forming unit B1, the speed of the ink ribbon 41 follows the speed v of the transfer film 46. In S1507, by printing the mark with the thermal head 40 in this state, the mark can be formed on the ribbon side by the distance that the transfer film 46 is conveyed by the film transfer roller 49. The mark on the ribbon side has a shape in which the color is partially removed from the monochromatic ribbon.

In S1508, the film transfer motor Mr5 and the motors Mr1 to Mr4 are stopped, and the transfer between the ink ribbon 41 and the transfer film 46 is stopped.

In S1509, the platen roller 45 is separated from the thermal head 40.

In S1510, as shown in FIG. 17 (f), the ink ribbon 41 is pulled in the A3 direction in the drawing by driving the motor Mr1 to rotate the take-up spool 44A in the take-up direction by a small amount. Take the slack.

In S1511, as shown in FIG. 17 (g), the ink ribbon 41 is rotated in the A4 direction (the direction opposite to the A3 direction) in the drawing by driving the motors Mr1 and Mr3 to rotate the take-up spool 44A and the supply spool 43A. ), And the mark M is read by the sensor Se2. In this step, the mark M is read when the acceleration of the motors Mr1 and Mr3 is completed and the rotation speeds of the motors Mr1 and Mr3 are in constant speed. Further, the threshold value and the sensitivity of the sensor Se2 are adjusted so that the single-color ribbon and the portion where the color is lost by printing are identifiable values.

In S1512, the encoder of the motor Mr1 is used to derive the amount of rotation of the take-up roll 44 while detecting the mark, and the encoder of the motor Mr3 is used to derive the rotation amount of the supply roll 43 while detecting the mark. Derivation of the amount of rotation.

In S1513, the roll winding diameter of the ink ribbon 41 is derived based on the length of the mark portion and the rotation amount derived in S1512.

Here, S1511 to S1513 will be described with reference to specific examples. FIG. 18A shows the result of detecting the mark M formed on the ink ribbon 41 by the sensor Se2, FIG. 18B shows the output signal of the encoder of the motor Mr3, and FIG. 18C shows the output signal of the motor Mr1. The output signal of the encoder is shown. In this example, as shown in (b), the number of detections by the encoder of the motor Mr3 on the supply side is 11, and as shown in (c), the number of detections by the encoder of the motor Mr1 on the winding side is 20. 5 times.

In the case shown in FIG. 18, a case where the length of the mark portion is 40 mm and the amount of rotation per slit of the encoder is 6 degrees will be examined. In this case, the rotation speed detected by the encoder of the motor Mr3 on the supply side is 11 / (360/6), and the diameter of the supply roll 43 is 40 / {2π × (6 × 11/360)} = 34.7 mm. .. Further, the rotation speed detected by the encoder of the motor Mr1 on the winding side is 20.5 / (360/6), and the diameter of the winding roll 44 is 40 / {2π × (6 × 20.5 / 360)} =. It becomes 18.6 mm. Later, when driving the motors Mr1 and Mr3, the drive duty of each of the motors Mr1 and Mr3 is determined based on the winding diameter of the derived roll and the required rotation speed.

In S1514, as shown in FIG. 17H, the motors Mr1 and Mr3 are stopped after the ink ribbon 41 is conveyed until the mark M formed on the ink ribbon 41 is located on the supply side of the sensor Se2. As a result, the cueing of the ink ribbon 41 is completed. Further, in this step, the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are driven to convey the transfer film 46. Then, as shown in FIG. 17 (h), after the transfer film 46 is conveyed until the mark m indicating the tip of the unused panel to be used next time of the transfer film 46 is located on the winding side from the sensor Se1, the motor Mr2 , Stop Mr4. This completes the cueing of the transfer film 46. The marks m on the transfer film 46 are formed at predetermined intervals, but in FIG. 17 (h), the marks other than the mark indicating the tip of the unused panel to be used next time are omitted. ..

<Printing process with update of winding diameter>
Hereinafter, the printing process accompanied by updating the winding diameter in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20. FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a printing process accompanied by updating the winding diameter in the present embodiment. The process of FIG. 19 shall be started in the state shown in FIG. 20 (a).

In S1901, the platen roller 45 is pressed against the thermal head 40.

In S1902, the film transfer motor Mr5 and the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are driven to transfer the transfer film 46 in the A1 direction. At the same time, the motors Mr1 and Mr3 are driven to convey the ink ribbon 41 in the A3 direction.

In S1903, after the marks are detected by the sensors Se1 and Se2, printing is performed by the thermal head 40 as shown in FIG. 20B. The drive duty when driving the motors Mr1 and Mr3 in this step is derived based on the roll winding diameter derived in S1513.

In S1904, the film transfer motor Mr5 and the motors Mr1 to Mr4 are stopped, and the transfer between the ink ribbon 41 and the transfer film 46 is stopped.

In S1905, the platen roller 45 is separated from the thermal head 40.

In S1906, the transfer film 46 is cueed by driving the film transfer motor Mr5 and the motors Mr2 and Mr4 to transfer the transfer film 46 in the A2 direction. At the same time, the motors Mr1 and Mr3 are driven to convey the ink ribbon 41 in the A4 direction. At this time, a new panel of the ink ribbon 41 is cueed by using the mark position of each panel. This step returns to the state shown in FIG. 20 (a).

In S1907, the roll winding diameter of the ink ribbon 41 is updated based on the length of the wound ink ribbon 41. This step may be performed every time a predetermined number of cards Ca are printed. As an example, consider a case where the roll winding diameter of the ink ribbon 41 is updated every time 10 cards Ca are printed. In this case, when the ribbon thickness is T and the diameter of the original take-up roll 44 is r, the diameter of the take-up roll 44 is updated as r + T × {(94 + 4) × 10 / 2πr} to the updated diameter. Based on this, the drive duty of the motor Mr1 is reset. By this step, it is possible to keep the transport speed of the ink ribbon 41 constant even when the roll winding diameter changes according to printing.

As described above, in a state where the transport speed of the ink ribbon 41 matches the transport speed of the transfer film 46, a mark is formed on the ink ribbon 41, and the formed mark is read to read the ink at the time of executing the initialization process. The roll winding diameter of the ribbon can be derived. By setting the drive duty and rotation speed of the motors Mr1 and Mr3 that convey the ink ribbon based on the derived roll winding diameter, the transfer speed of the ink ribbon 41 can be kept constant.

When the roll winding diameter of the ink ribbon changes according to printing, the changed roll winding diameter is derived again, and the drive duty and rotation speed of the motors Mr1 and Mr3 are determined based on the derived roll winding diameter. Set. As a result, the transport speed of the ink ribbon 41 can be kept constant even when the roll winding diameter changes.

<Second embodiment>
In this embodiment, another method of deriving the ribbon winding diameter during printing will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 to 22. In the following, the difference from the above-described embodiment will be mainly described, and the same reference numerals will be given to the same configurations as those of the above-described embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Further, it is assumed that the winding diameter adjustment at the time of executing the initialization process is performed in advance by the same method as in the first embodiment.

In S2101, the platen roller 45 is pressed against the thermal head 40.

In S2102, the film transfer motor Mr5 and the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are driven to transfer the transfer film 46 in the A1 direction. At the same time, the motors Mr1 and Mr3 are driven to convey the ink ribbon 41 in the A3 direction.

In S2103, after the marks are detected by the sensors Se1 and Se2, the image is printed by the thermal head 40.

In S2104, the mark is printed (formed) by the thermal head 40. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a mark formed on the ink ribbon 41. For the drive duty of the motors Mr1 and 3 when printing the mark in this step, the value determined by the winding diameter adjustment at the time of executing the initialization process is used. Further, in order to form the mark, the mark edge on the film is detected by the sensor Se1 at the start of printing with respect to the position where the ink is transferred to the transfer film 46, so that the mark edge and the ink to be transferred do not overlap. For example, it is between the transferred image and the mark in the image forming region R of FIG.

In S2105, the film transfer motor Mr5 and the motors Mr1 to Mr4 are stopped, and the transfer between the ink ribbon 41 and the transfer film 46 is stopped.

In S2106, the platen roller 45 is separated from the thermal head 40.

In S2107, the motor Mr1 is driven to rotate the take-up spool 44A in the take-up direction by a small amount, and the ink ribbon 41 is pulled in the A3 direction to loosen the ink ribbon 41.

In S2108, by driving the motors Mr1 and Mr3 to rotate the take-up spool 44A and the supply spool 43A, the ink ribbon 41 is conveyed in the A4 direction, and the mark M is read by the sensor Se2. In this step, the mark is read when the acceleration of the motors Mr1 and Mr3 is completed and the rotation speeds of the motors Mr1 and Mr3 are in constant speed.

In S2109, the encoder of the motor Mr1 is used to derive the rotation amount of the take-up roll 44 between the marks, and the encoder of the motor Mr3 is used to derive the rotation amount of the supply roll 43 between the marks.

In S2110, the motors Mr1 and Mr3 are stopped after the ink ribbon 41 is conveyed until the mark M formed on the ink ribbon 41 is located on the supply side of the sensor Se2. As a result, the cueing of the ink ribbon 41 is completed. Further, in this step, the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are driven to convey the transfer film 46. Then, after the transfer film 46 is conveyed until the mark m indicating the tip of the unused panel to be used next time of the transfer film 46 is located on the winding side from the sensor Se1, the motors Mr2 and Mr4 are stopped. This completes the cueing of the transfer film 46. This step returns to the state shown in FIG. 20 (a).

In S2111, the roll winding diameter of the ink ribbon 41 is derived based on the distance between the marks and the rotation amount derived in S2109, and an appropriate drive duty based on the derived roll winding diameter is given to the motors Mr1 and Mr3. Reset.

The roll winding diameter of the ink ribbon may be derived by S2108, S2109, and S2111 every time a predetermined number of cards Ca are printed.

As described above, by printing the mark during printing, the transport speed of the ink ribbon 41 during printing can be kept constant even when the roll winding diameter of the ink ribbon changes.

[Other Embodiments]
In the second embodiment, the motor rotation amount is derived based on the encoder output corresponding to the distance between the two marks. However, the method for deriving the motor rotation amount is not limited to this. For example, the tip and end of one mark may be detected, and the amount of rotation may be derived based on the encoder output corresponding to the length of one mark.

In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, a rectangular mark is formed on the ink ribbon, but the shape of the mark is not limited to the rectangle, and any shape may be adopted as the shape of the mark. The mark may be formed at a position that can be read by the sensor Se2.

When the roll winding diameter of the ink ribbon is unknown in the initial state after the power is turned on, the motors Mr1 and Mr3 transport the ink ribbon in a predetermined amount while applying tension to the ink ribbon 41. Then, it is detected whether or not there is a mark formed in the first embodiment or the second embodiment on the ink ribbon 41, and if there is a mark, the roll of the ink ribbon is based on the already formed mark. The winding diameter is derived, and if there is no mark, a mark is formed. As a result, the number of times of printing control of the mark performed in the first embodiment can be minimized.

The derivation of the roll winding diameter during printing performed in the first embodiment and the derivation of the roll winding diameter during printing performed in the second embodiment may be performed in combination. For example, it is conceivable that the method of the first embodiment is performed every time 10 cards are printed, and the method of the second embodiment is performed every time 30 cards are printed. By combining different forms in this way, it is possible to systematically derive the roll winding diameter while shortening the time.

In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the film is conveyed at a predetermined speed by directly conveying the transfer film by the film conveying roller to which the driving force of the pulse motor is transmitted. However, the above-described embodiment can also be applied to a configuration in which the transfer film side does not have a roller that directly conveys the film by the driving force of the pulse motor. In that case, the transfer speed of the transfer film is adjusted based on the marks formed in advance on the transfer film and the output values of the encoders of the motors Mr2 and Mr4 when the marks on the transfer film are read by the sensor Se1. After that, as shown in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the roll winding diameter of the ink ribbon can be derived by forming a mark by making the transport speed of the ink ribbon follow the transport speed of the transfer film. be.

The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by the processing to be performed. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

1 Printing device (image forming device)
10 Film transport mechanism (part of transport means)
40 Thermal head 41 Ink ribbon 46 Transfer film (recording medium)
49 Film transport roller 100 Control unit (control means)
B1 Image forming unit B2 Transfer unit Mr1, Mr3 Motor for transporting ink ribbon Mr2, Mr4 Motor for transporting transfer film Se1, Se2 Sensor (part of detection means)
m Mark formed on the transfer film M Mark formed on the ink ribbon

Claims (14)

Ribbon supply rolls around which ink ribbons are wound, ribbon winding rolls, and
A film supply roll on which a film is wound and a film take-up roll,
A printing means for printing by transferring the ink of the ink ribbon to the film while transporting the film and the ink ribbon.
A first motor that rotates the ribbon supply roll in the first direction for feeding the ink ribbon from the supply side to the take-up side, or in the second direction opposite to the first direction.
A second motor that rotates the ribbon take-up roll in the first direction or the second direction, and
A first encoder that detects the rotation speed of the ribbon supply roll,
A second encoder that detects the number of rotations of the ribbon winding roll, and
A sensor that detects a change in density on the ink ribbon and
When the ink ribbon is composed of a single color, a forming means for forming a mark on the ink ribbon by the printing means and a forming means for forming a mark on the ink ribbon.
Based on the result of detecting the formed mark by the sensor, a first derivation means for deriving the winding diameter of the ribbon supply roll and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll.
A second derivation means for deriving the rotation speed of the first motor and the rotation speed of the second motor based on the winding diameter of the ribbon supply roll and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll.
An image forming apparatus characterized by having. A third motor that rotates the film supply roll in a third direction for feeding the film from the supply side to the take-up side, or in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction.
A fourth motor that rotates the film take-up roll in the third direction or the fourth direction, and
A third encoder that detects the rotation speed of the film supply roll, and
A fourth encoder that detects the number of rotations of the film take-up roll, and
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising. It further has a film transporting means for transporting the tensioned film at a predetermined transport speed.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the film conveying means includes a film conveying roller. Further having a fifth motor for rotating the film transfer roller in the first direction or the second direction.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein printing by the printing means is controlled based on a transfer distance of the film by the film transfer roller. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the printing means includes a thermal head that thermally transfers the ink of the ink ribbon to the film. The present invention is characterized in that when a mark is formed on the ink ribbon by the printing means, the film and the ink ribbon are pressed against each other to apply tension to the film while weakening the tension of the ink ribbon. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 1 to 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the conveying speed of the film when forming a mark on the ink ribbon by the printing means is equal to the conveying speed of the ink ribbon. When the first motor is stopped and the second motor is rotated by a predetermined amount, the rotation amount of the ribbon supply roll and the rotation amount of the ribbon winding roll are determined by using the first encoder and the second encoder. Detection means to detect
A third derivation means for deriving the winding diameter of the ribbon supply roll and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll based on the rotation amount of the ribbon supply roll and the rotation amount of the ribbon winding roll detected by the detection means.
Based on the winding diameter of the ribbon supply roll and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll derived by the third derivation means, the rotation speed of the first motor and the second motor when the mark is formed on the ink ribbon. And the setting means to set the rotation speed of
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising. The ink ribbon is formed on the ink ribbon while being conveyed by the first motor and the second motor in a state where the pressure contact between the film and the ink ribbon is released and tension is applied to the ink ribbon. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a detecting means for detecting the marked mark using the sensor. In the initial state, the first motor and the second motor further carry the ink ribbon by a predetermined distance, and the sensor further has a detecting means for detecting whether or not there is a mark on the ink ribbon. ,
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein when there is no mark on the ink ribbon, the forming means forms a mark on the ink ribbon. When the winding diameter of the ribbon supply roll and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll are changed by printing, the said ink ribbon is wound on the ribbon winding roll based on the length of the ink ribbon and the thickness of the ink ribbon. It further has an updating means for updating the winding diameter of the ribbon supply roll and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll derived by the first derivation means.
The second derivation means derives the rotation speed of the first motor and the rotation speed of the second motor again based on the winding diameter of the updated ribbon supply roll and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the image forming apparatus is characterized. The first derivation means is characterized in that the winding diameter corresponding to the length of the mark formed on the ink ribbon or the winding diameter corresponding to the distance between the marks formed on the ink ribbon is derived. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11. Ribbon supply rolls around which ink ribbons are wound, ribbon winding rolls, and
A film supply roll on which a film is wound and a film take-up roll,
A printing means for printing by transferring the ink of the ink ribbon to the film while transporting the film and the ink ribbon.
A first motor that rotates the ribbon supply roll in the first direction for feeding the ink ribbon from the supply side to the take-up side, or in the second direction opposite to the first direction.
A second motor that rotates the ribbon take-up roll in the first direction or the second direction, and
A first encoder that detects the rotation speed of the ribbon supply roll,
A second encoder that detects the number of rotations of the ribbon winding roll, and
A sensor that detects a change in density on the ink ribbon and
It is a control method of an image forming apparatus having
When the ink ribbon is composed of a single color, the step of forming a mark on the ink ribbon by the printing means and
A step of deriving the winding diameter of the ribbon supply roll and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll based on the result of detecting the formed mark by the sensor.
A step of deriving the rotation speed of the first motor and the rotation speed of the second motor based on the winding diameter of the ribbon supply roll and the winding diameter of the ribbon winding roll.
A method characterized by having. A program for causing a computer to perform the method according to claim 13.

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