Serial color thermal transfer printer

Abstract

Abstract PURPOSE:To enhance the efficiency in using a ribbon tape, by providing a controlling part which controls the rotating direction and the rotation quantity of an ink ribbon motor on the basis of the consumption of an ink film for each of different color inks so that each color ink surface is entirely used without leaving unused regions. CONSTITUTION:The amount of an ink used in each printing can be calculated by summing up the numbers of pulses contained in a signal (e). In addition, the number of pulses in the period corresponding to one block of C, M and Y inks can be also previously known, so that the amount of which the ink ribbon is to be moved can be known by comparing the number with a count in a counter. When recording in one line by a terminal head 13 is completed, a motor 19 is reversely rotated to set the thermal head 13 to an initial position in order to record in the next color, magenta. Then, a signal (f) is outputted from a ribbon position storing part 20 to drive an ink ribbon motor driving part 16, thereby rotating the motor 17 in accordance with the signal (f) so that an unused part of the magenta color is set to the position of the head 13.

Inventors

• 👤 Hiroshi Kurokawa
• 👤 黒河　宏

Bibliographic Details