EP1075391B1 - Economical printing method using an imaging tape and device for implementing said method - Google Patents

Economical printing method using an imaging tape and device for implementing said method Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1075391B1
EP1075391B1 EP99916965A EP99916965A EP1075391B1 EP 1075391 B1 EP1075391 B1 EP 1075391B1 EP 99916965 A EP99916965 A EP 99916965A EP 99916965 A EP99916965 A EP 99916965A EP 1075391 B1 EP1075391 B1 EP 1075391B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tape
printing
image
print
ribbon
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP99916965A
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German (de)
French (fr)
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EP1075391A1 (en
Inventor
Philippe Leylde
Roger Roullier
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Sagem SA
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Sagem SA
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Publication of EP1075391B1 publication Critical patent/EP1075391B1/en
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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J35/00—Other apparatus or arrangements associated with, or incorporated in, ink-ribbon mechanisms
    • B41J35/16—Multicolour arrangements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J17/00—Mechanisms for manipulating page-width impression-transfer material, e.g. carbon paper
    • B41J17/02—Feeding mechanisms
    • B41J17/12—Special adaptations for ensuring maximum life
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J33/00—Apparatus or arrangements for feeding ink ribbons or like character-size impression-transfer material
    • B41J33/14—Ribbon-feed devices or mechanisms
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J33/00—Apparatus or arrangements for feeding ink ribbons or like character-size impression-transfer material
    • B41J33/14—Ribbon-feed devices or mechanisms
    • B41J33/52—Braking devices therefor

Definitions

  • the invention relates to printers such as are found in particular in fax machines.
  • the invention relates to printers using a ribbon as a printing consumable.
  • printers can be printers by thermal transfer or by sublimation, that is to say printers in which are printed by ink transfer from a ribbon using a thermal source, comprising a thermal print head or again, by way of example, of mechanical transfer printers comprising a needle print head.
  • the printing ribbon used in roll, includes a support film in polyethylene coated with a layer of hot-melt ink.
  • a roll food supplies virgin ribbon which is entrained, concomitantly with a print medium, in front of the thermal print head provided heating elements under activation of which ink is transferred from ribbon on the support, then the ribbon is rewound on a take-up roller intended to be thrown away. The ribbon is thus driven from the food roll to the take-up roller, passing in front of the print head.
  • Document US 4,616,236 teaches a method for printing on X format print media images smaller than X / 2, at using a printing ribbon supporting a succession of ink ranges in X format.
  • To print two print media in succession concomitantly drives the support and the printing ribbon in front of a head in the forward direction, and we print the two supports using the two halves of the same ink pad, respectively, driving the ribbon backward between successive prints of two supports.
  • the format of the image to be printed must be less than half the size of the ink pads.
  • the present invention first proposes to save printing ribbon whatever the format of the image to print.
  • the invention relates to a method for printing successively, by ink transfer, a plurality of images on at least one support printing using a printing ribbon, a process in which, for the printing of each image, we train concomitantly the ribbon and the media in front of a printhead in a forward direction, and between two successive image prints, we drag the ribbon, in the reverse direction, the along a displacement such as one prints the following image using at least of a remaining printing area of a portion of ribbon previously used, process characterized by the fact, when printing a plurality of print media shifted by a spatial interval determined the bottom edge of each of the supports from the top edge of the next support, we drive the ribbon in the return direction, between successive impressions of support, along at least equal displacement said spatial interval.
  • ink transfer is meant both the thermal transfer stricto sensu that sublimation, i.e. any ink transfer process by a thermal source of a printing ribbon on a support printing.
  • the ribbon is unrolled of a food roll and we rewind it on a take-up roll, and between two successive prints, unroll it from the take-up roll and rewinds on the food roll.
  • the invention also relates to a device for printing successively, by ink transfer, a plurality of images on at least one support printing using a printing ribbon, for the implementation of the method according to claim 1, comprising a housing for receiving a food roll of printing ribbon, a receiving a print ribbon take-up roll, one head printing, ribbon drive means arranged to drive the ribbon, in a forward direction, from the food roll to the take-up roll passing in front of the print head, means for driving the support arranged to drive the support in the forward direction in front of the head printing, and means arranged to drive the ribbon in the direction return, device characterized in that it comprises a single motor ribbon drive in the forward direction and in the reverse direction, wheel mounted free, to drive the food roll in the return direction, rotary drive means, mounted freewheeling, to drive the take-up roller in the forward direction, means for slowing down the drive of the food roller driven in the forward direction and means to brake the drive of the take-up roller driven in the return direction.
  • the printer belongs to a fax.
  • This is a thermal transfer printer including a thermal print head 1, a housing for receiving a roll ribbon food, receiving housing for a take-up roller ribbon, a magazine 5 for the input of print media to be printed, in the kind of reamed sheets of paper, a sheet outlet store after printing, a separation edge 4 and a mechanism 7 for printing ribbon 10 and a backing sheet printing.
  • Both rolls, food and receiver are supported by two respective axes 2 and 3 which are both mounted free in rotation.
  • a pinion 38 and a pinion 39 are fixed respectively on the axis 2 and on axis 3.
  • the printing ribbon 10 (FIG. 3) comprises a polyethylene film 11 supporting a printing layer 12 here comprising a plurality of hot-melt ink pads 12a, 12b, 12c in cyan, magenta, yellow colors and black, arranged one next to the other along the length of the ribbon 10.
  • the film 11 also supports a marking area 13 located on the along the longitudinal edge of the tape 10, in the vicinity of the layer 12, and containing a plurality of positioning indications, here black bars, placed side by side along the edge of the ribbon 10, at regular intervals.
  • the drive mechanism 7 is also intended to drive the ribbon 10 in the reverse direction in front of the thermal head 1, delivering it of the take-up roller and rewinding it on the food roll, as this will be explained later.
  • the forward direction of a pinion, a roller or any other rotary element of the printer is the direction of rotation of this element corresponding to the direction in which the ribbon is driven from the roll food with the take-up roller and / or in the sense that a sheet is driven from the input magazine 5 to the output magazine 6.
  • the return direction is of course the opposite direction to this forward direction.
  • the mechanism 7 includes a single motor 18 for rotational drive of a motor shaft 19, in the forward direction and in the reverse direction, and a system gear for driving the ribbon 10 and a support sheet printing.
  • the gear system includes in particular, for the drive of the ribbon 10 in the forward direction, a pinion 33 mounted in free wheel.
  • the pinion 33 engages, via a differential, with the pinion 39 of the axis 3 roller support receiver and is arranged to be rotated in the forward direction by the motor shaft 19, via a set of drive pinions not shown.
  • the take-up roller Under the action of the rotational drive in the forward direction of the motor shaft 19, the take-up roller is thus intended to be driven in rotation in the forward direction, via the pinion set intermediate, pinion 33 and pinion 39.
  • the gear system For driving the ribbon 10 in the return direction, the gear system includes two pinions 29 and 32 integral and coaxial.
  • Pinion 32 mounted in freewheel, meshes with the pinion 38 of the axis 2 support of the food roller and the pinion 29 meshes with the pinion 28 meshed itself a pinion 23.
  • This mounted free to rotate, is meshed with a pinion 34 arranged to be rotated by the drive shaft 19, by through the set of drive gears not shown.
  • the pinion 34 and the pinion 33 are coaxial.
  • the food roller is intended to be rotated in the return direction, under the action of the rotary drive of the motor shaft 19 in the return direction, via the gear chain comprising the intermediate gear set and the gears 34, 23, 28, 29, 32 and 38, as will be explained later.
  • the gear system For driving a printing sheet, the gear system includes an axis 24 for loading the sheet, adjacent to the input magazine 5, and an axis 25 for ejecting the sheet, adjacent to the outlet magazine 6.
  • the axis 24 and the axis 25 respectively support loading rollers and ejection rollers.
  • a pinion 40 and two coaxial and integral pinions 41, 35 are respectively fixed on the loading axis 24 and on the ejection axis 25.
  • the two pinions 41 and 40 are meshed with a pinion 26.
  • the drive pinion 23 is thus arranged to drive the axis 25 support of the ejection roller in the forward direction, via the pinion 35, and, under the action of the rotational drive of the pinion 41, the pinion 26 is intended to be driven in rotation and to drive itself in rotation in the direction go the axis 24 support of the load rollers, via the pinion 40.
  • the axis 25 of the ejection roller is mounted freewheeling so that it cannot to be rotated only in the forward direction corresponding to the direction ejection, which avoids any risk of inadvertent loading of a sheet by the outlet store 6.
  • Two non-return systems 30, 31 are mounted respectively on the pinion 38 of axis 2 of the food roller and on the pinion 39 of axis 3 of the roller receiver.
  • the non-return system 30 of the food roller is intended for apply a resistant torque to the pinion 38 when the latter is driven in rotation in the forward direction.
  • the non-return system 31 of the take-up roller is intended to apply a resistant torque to the pinion 39 when it is driven in the return direction. Thanks to this, the ribbon is always tense when it is driven in the forward direction or in the reverse direction.
  • the printer further includes a page storage memory 14 image of received faxes, a block 15 for digital analysis of the images of fax stored as data in memory 14, a sensor 16 for detecting sheets of print media, a sensor 17 for detection of indications of positioning of the printing ribbon 10 and a control block 21, in this case a microprocessor, to which all the electrical and electronic components of the printer (head 1, sensors 16-17, block 15, motor, etc.) are connected.
  • the thermal head 1 is here arranged to print the images line by line.
  • the printing line of the thermal head 1, the virtual line 8 along which the thermal head 1 prints the lines successive of an image on a printing sheet scrolling in front of it.
  • the sensor 16 is provided for detecting the presence of a sheet to be printed passing through the printing line 8.
  • the sensor 17 is intended to detect the indications for positioning the printing ribbon 10 when the latter passes through the printing line 8.
  • image line and "empty image line” are intended to denote respectively a line containing, in whole or in part, image points and a line without image points.
  • a "portion of ribbon previously used” means a portion of the ribbon 10 passed in front of the print head 1, in the forward direction, in other words after a print pass.
  • the printer further comprises a man-machine interface 20 with an input keyboard and a display screen
  • the input keyboard includes an economical print button for controlling economical printing of images in memory 14, as well as a normal print key to print in mode normal.
  • the images to be printed which are here image pages, are stored under form of data in memory 14.
  • the motor shaft 19 is rotated in the forward direction by the motor 18 and drives the pinion 33, via the set of pinions previously mentioned intermediary.
  • the pinion 33 drives itself in rotation axis 3 of the take-up roller, and therefore the take-up roller itself, in the forward direction, via the pinion 39.
  • the pinion 23 Under the action of the drive of the motor shaft 19, the pinion 23 is driven in rotation, in the forward direction, through the set of gears and the pinion 34.
  • the pinion 23 rotates in the forward direction, the roller writing 27, through its pinion 28, as well as pinion 41 by through the pinion 35.
  • the pinion 41 rotates the pinion 26 which itself drives the pinion 40 of the axis 24 of the loading roller, in the forward direction.
  • the ejection roller 25 and the loading roller 24 are thus rotated respectively in the direction of ejection and in the direction of loading.
  • the food roller is rotated by the effort of traction exerted by the tape 10.
  • the non-return system 30 applies a resisting torque on pinion 38 of axis 2 of the food roller, so that the rotation of the food roller is slowed down.
  • the food roll thus rotates slower than the take-up roller and, as a result, the ribbon 10 tightens.
  • a print sheet 100 is driven in the forward direction from entrance store 5 to exit store 6, passing in front of the head thermal 1 and, concomitantly, under the action of the rotation of the roller receiver and food roll, the ribbon 10 is driven in the direction go from the food roll, from which it is unwound, to the take-up roll, on which it is wound, passing in front of the thermal head 1.
  • the sheet 100 and the ribbon 10, concomitantly trained in front of the head thermal 1, are pressed against it by the writing roller 27 and, under the activation of the heating elements of head 1, ink is transferred from ribbon 10 on sheet 100 and the image page is thus printed, line by line, on sheet 100.
  • the analysis block 15 examines the image pages contained in the memory 14 in the form of data.
  • top and bottom of an image page that is to say the top and bottom of the page, are by definition the parts of the page respectively printed successively by the head thermal 1.
  • the block 15 For printing each of the successive image pages to be printed, the block 15, under the control of control block 21, examines, from top to bottom, the successive lines composing the page to be printed. For each line, the block 15 determines if it is a picture line, and therefore if it is a line to print in whole or in part, or if it is an empty line of image, in order to deduce if the page to be printed contains an upper zone, a band upper image void. If applicable, block 15 counts the number of empty image lines making up the empty image top area and, each line having a given height, evaluates the height of the empty upper area image.
  • height is meant the dimension along the direction perpendicular to that of the lines making up the image page.
  • the analysis block 15 For printing each of the successive pages, except for the first page, the analysis block 15, under the control of the control block 21, also examine, from bottom to top, the lines making up the image page previous page (i.e. the previously printed page), kept in the memory 14. Block 15 determines for each line, whether it is a line image or if it is an empty line of image in order to deduce if the page previous contains an empty image bottom area. If applicable, the block 15 counts the number of empty image lines composing the lower zone blank image and, each line having a given height, evaluates the height of the bottom empty image area.
  • the printer drives one after the other two print sheets in front of thermal head 1, shifting one of the other of an "interpage". This is a determined spatial interval from which shifts the lower edge and the upper edge respectively by two sheets successively driven in front of the thermal head 1 for printing. A such interpage consumes an equivalent length of ribbon.
  • block 15 evaluates a rewinding length, i.e. a length of tape that should be rewound around the food roll. For this, block 15 add, if necessary, the height of the interpage between the sheet previously printed and the sheet to be printed, the height of the area upper blank image of the page to print and the height of the area lower image void from the previous page, and subtracting from that a predefined tolerance height.
  • a rewinding length i.e. a length of tape that should be rewound around the food roll.
  • the motor shaft 19 between successive prints of two image pages and under the control of the control block 21, is rotated in the direction return by the motor 18 until the ribbon 10 of the take-up roll is unwound, which is simultaneously rewound on the food roll, estimated rewinding length.
  • the take-up roller is rotated in the return direction, under the tensile force exerted by the tape 10.
  • the non-return system 31 applies a resistant torque to the axis 3 roller support receiver so that it is braked and turns slower than the roller food. Thanks to this, the ribbon 10 is well tensioned during its rewinding on the food roll.
  • the sensor 17 detects and counts print ribbon positioning bars 10 passing through the printing line 8 of the thermal head 1 and, the bars being separated from each other by a given and fixed interval, evaluates the length of which the ribbon 10 is effectively rewound.
  • the control block 21 commands the stop motor 18.
  • block 15 would convert the height rewind rated in number of revolutions of motor 19 and this one would rotated in the reverse direction substantially by the number of turns thus evaluated.
  • the printer comprises, in addition to the elements described above, a working memory intended to contain the positions of printing lines and unusable lines of previously used tape portions as well that the positions of image lines and empty image lines of pages image to print.
  • positions of the lines of the ribbon are defined by relation to the print line of the writing head and the positions of the lines of the image page are defined relative to the top line of the page to to print.
  • print lines and "unusable lines” mean here respectively designate blank lines of ribbon 10 and lines of ribbon already used, in whole or in part, for printing image points.
  • the digital analysis block analyzes the lines of this page image.
  • the unusable lines and the printing lines of the portion of ribbon used correspond respectively to image lines and lines image blanks from the image page previously printed with this portion of ribbon.
  • the digital analysis block compares, by their respective positions, the image lines of the page examined and the remaining print lines of the portion of ribbon previously used, to determine if the lines image of the page under review can at least in part be printed at using the remaining print lines from the ribbon portion previously used, separated from the portion of ribbon not yet used by at least one unusable line.
  • the digital analysis block determines the length of ribbon rewind, i.e. the length of ribbon along which it should drive the tape in the return direction, by unwinding the roll receiver and rewind on the food roll, so as to position suitably the printing ribbon in relation to the printing line of the thermal head.
  • the ribbon is correctly positioned when the lines of the remaining portion of ribbon previously used, for printing image lines of the page to be printed, go to across the thermal head printing line for printing these image lines on a print media sheet.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates such an example in which an element is first printed oval 101 then a triangular 102 element using the portion of ribbon already used.
  • Arrows 36 and 37 indicate respectively the forward direction and the return direction of the ribbon.
  • the oval element 101 is printed in negative during a first ribbon printing pass in the forward direction 36 in front of the thermal head, then the ribbon is driven backward 37 and, within one second ribbon printing pass in the forward direction 36 in front of the thermal head, the triangular shaped element 102, located in FIG. 4 upstream of the oval-shaped element 101 in the forward direction 36 is printed.
  • a line of a portion of ribbon previously used is a print line, in other words a line can be used to print an image line, if this line of the ribbon is blank.
  • lines of the printing ribbon are used slightly depleted in ink to print image lines.
  • the block analysis tool assesses the ink surface density of each line of the portion of ribbon previously used, compares it to a predefined threshold and, in the case where the density evaluated is greater than the threshold, the analysis block considers that said line of the ribbon is a printing line, usable for print an image line.
  • the digital analysis block evaluates the density of image points of the image line previously printed using this ribbon line.

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  • Impression-Transfer Materials And Handling Thereof (AREA)
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Description

L'invention concerne les imprimantes telles qu'on en trouve notamment dans les télécopieurs.The invention relates to printers such as are found in particular in fax machines.

Plus particulièrement, l'invention concerne les imprimantes utilisant un ruban d'impression comme consommable d'impression. Il peut s'agir d'imprimantes par transfert thermique ou par sublimation, c'est-à-dire d'imprimantes dans lesquelles l'impression s'effectue par transfert d'encre d'un ruban au moyen d'une source thermique, comportant une tête d'impression thermique ou encore, à titre d'exemple, d'imprimantes par transfert mécanique comportant une tête d'impression à aiguilles.More particularly, the invention relates to printers using a ribbon as a printing consumable. These can be printers by thermal transfer or by sublimation, that is to say printers in which are printed by ink transfer from a ribbon using a thermal source, comprising a thermal print head or again, by way of example, of mechanical transfer printers comprising a needle print head.

Dans une imprimante par transfert thermique, pour reprendre cet exemple, le ruban d'impression, utilisé en rouleau, comporte un film support en polyéthylène revêtu d'une couche d'encre thermofusible. Un rouleau alimentaire débite du ruban vierge qui est entraíné, concomitamment avec un support d'impression, devant la tête d'impression thermique pourvue d'éléments chauffants sous l'activation desquels de l'encre est transférée du ruban sur le support, puis le ruban est rembobiné sur un rouleau récepteur destiné à être jeté. Le ruban est ainsi entraíné du rouleau alimentaire au rouleau récepteur, en passant devant la tête d'impression.In a thermal transfer printer, to use this example again, the printing ribbon, used in roll, includes a support film in polyethylene coated with a layer of hot-melt ink. A roll food supplies virgin ribbon which is entrained, concomitantly with a print medium, in front of the thermal print head provided heating elements under activation of which ink is transferred from ribbon on the support, then the ribbon is rewound on a take-up roller intended to be thrown away. The ribbon is thus driven from the food roll to the take-up roller, passing in front of the print head.

Avec de telles imprimantes, on gaspille des portions de ruban encore vierges.With such printers, we are still wasting portions of ribbon virgins.

Le document US 4 616 236 enseigne un procédé pour imprimer sur des supports d'impression de format X des images de format inférieur à X/2, à l'aide d'un ruban d'impression supportant une succession de plages d'encre de format X. Pour imprimer successivement deux supports d'impression, on entraíne concomitamment le support et le ruban d'impression devant une tête d'impression, dans le sens aller, et on imprime les deux supports à l'aide des deux moitiés d'une même plage d'encre, respectivement, en entraínant le ruban dans le sens retour entre les impressions successives de deux supports. Document US 4,616,236 teaches a method for printing on X format print media images smaller than X / 2, at using a printing ribbon supporting a succession of ink ranges in X format. To print two print media in succession, concomitantly drives the support and the printing ribbon in front of a head in the forward direction, and we print the two supports using the two halves of the same ink pad, respectively, driving the ribbon backward between successive prints of two supports.

Avec un tel procédé d'impression, le format de l'image à imprimer doit être inférieur à la moitié du format des plages d'encre.With such a printing process, the format of the image to be printed must be less than half the size of the ink pads.

La présente invention propose d'abord d'économiser du ruban d'impression quel que soit le format de l'image à imprimer.The present invention first proposes to save printing ribbon whatever the format of the image to print.

A cet effet, l'invention concerne un procédé pour imprimer successivement, par transfert d'encre, une pluralité d'images sur au moins un support d'impression à l'aide d'un ruban d'impression, procédé au cours duquel, pour l'impression de chaque image, on entraíne concomitamment le ruban et le support devant une tête d'impression dans un sens aller, et entre deux impressions successives d'image, on entraíne le ruban, dans le sens retour, le long d'un déplacement tel qu'on imprime l'image suivante à l'aide au moins d'une zone d'impression restante d'une portion de ruban précédemment utilisée, procédé caractérisé par le fait, dans le cas où on imprime une pluralité de supports d'impression en décalant d'un intervalle spatial déterminé le bord inférieur de chacun des supports du bord supérieur du support suivant, on entraíne le ruban dans le sens retour, entre les impressions successives de support, le long d'un déplacement au moins égal audit intervalle spatial.To this end, the invention relates to a method for printing successively, by ink transfer, a plurality of images on at least one support printing using a printing ribbon, a process in which, for the printing of each image, we train concomitantly the ribbon and the media in front of a printhead in a forward direction, and between two successive image prints, we drag the ribbon, in the reverse direction, the along a displacement such as one prints the following image using at least of a remaining printing area of a portion of ribbon previously used, process characterized by the fact, when printing a plurality of print media shifted by a spatial interval determined the bottom edge of each of the supports from the top edge of the next support, we drive the ribbon in the return direction, between successive impressions of support, along at least equal displacement said spatial interval.

Par "transfert d'encre", on entend désigner aussi bien le transfert thermique stricto sensu que la sublimation, c'est-à-dire tout procédé de transfert d'encre par une source thermique d'un ruban d'impression sur un support d'impression.By "ink transfer" is meant both the thermal transfer stricto sensu that sublimation, i.e. any ink transfer process by a thermal source of a printing ribbon on a support printing.

Avantageusement, pour l'impression de chaque image, on déroule le ruban d'un rouleau alimentaire et on le rembobine sur un rouleau récepteur, et entre deux impressions successives, on le déroule du rouleau récepteur et on le rembobine sur le rouleau alimentaire.Advantageously, for printing each image, the ribbon is unrolled of a food roll and we rewind it on a take-up roll, and between two successive prints, unroll it from the take-up roll and rewinds on the food roll.

L'invention concerne également un dispositif pour imprimer successivement, par transfert d'encre, une pluralité d'images sur au moins un support d'impression à l'aide d'un ruban d'impression, pour la mise en oeuvre du procédé selon la revendication 1, comprenant un logement de réception d'un rouleau alimentaire de ruban d'impression, un logement de réception d'un rouleau récepteur de ruban d'impression, une tête d'impression, des moyens d'entraínement du ruban agencés pour entraíner le ruban, dans un sens aller, du rouleau alimentaire au rouleau récepteur en passant devant la tête d'impression, des moyens d'entraínement du support agencés pour entraíner le support dans le sens aller devant la tête d'impression, et des moyens agencés pour entraíner le ruban dans le sens retour, dispositif caractérisé par le fait qu'il comprend un unique moteur d'entraínement du ruban dans le sens aller et dans le sens retour, montés en roue libre, pour entraíner le rouleau alimentaire dans le sens retour, des moyens d'entraínement rotatifs, montés en roue libre, pour entraíner le rouleau récepteur dans le sens aller, des moyens pour freiner l'entraínement du rouleau alimentaire entraíné dans le sens aller et des moyens pour freiner l'entraínement du rouleau récepteur entraíné dans le sens retour.The invention also relates to a device for printing successively, by ink transfer, a plurality of images on at least one support printing using a printing ribbon, for the implementation of the method according to claim 1, comprising a housing for receiving a food roll of printing ribbon, a receiving a print ribbon take-up roll, one head printing, ribbon drive means arranged to drive the ribbon, in a forward direction, from the food roll to the take-up roll passing in front of the print head, means for driving the support arranged to drive the support in the forward direction in front of the head printing, and means arranged to drive the ribbon in the direction return, device characterized in that it comprises a single motor ribbon drive in the forward direction and in the reverse direction, wheel mounted free, to drive the food roll in the return direction, rotary drive means, mounted freewheeling, to drive the take-up roller in the forward direction, means for slowing down the drive of the food roller driven in the forward direction and means to brake the drive of the take-up roller driven in the return direction.

L'invention sera mieux comprise à l'aide de la description suivante d'un mode de réalisation particulier du procédé d'impression de l'invention, et d'une forme de réalisation particulière et d'une variante de l'imprimante ainsi que d'une forme de réalisation particulière du ruban d'impression, pour la mise en oeuvre du procédé, en référence au dessin annexé sur lequel:

  • la figure 1 représente une vue de côté schématique d'un système d'engrenage de l'imprimante pour l'entraínement du ruban d'impression et d'un support d'impression, selon la forme de réalisation particulière;
  • la figure 2 représente un schéma bloc fonctionnel de l'imprimante, selon la forme de réalisation particulière ;
  • la figure 3 représente une vue de dessus d'une portion de ruban d'impression, selon la forme de réalisation particulière et
  • la figure 4 représente une vue de dessus d'une portion de ruban usagée de la figure 3.
The invention will be better understood using the following description of a particular embodiment of the printing method of the invention, and of a particular embodiment and of a variant of the printer as well as of a particular embodiment of the printing ribbon, for implementing the method, with reference to the appended drawing in which:
  • Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a gear system of the printer for driving the printing ribbon and a printing medium, according to the particular embodiment;
  • FIG. 2 represents a functional block diagram of the printer, according to the particular embodiment;
  • FIG. 3 represents a top view of a portion of printing ribbon, according to the particular embodiment and
  • FIG. 4 represents a top view of a portion of used tape from FIG. 3.

Dans l'exemple particulier de la description, l'imprimante appartient à un télécopieur. Il s'agit ici d'une imprimante par transfert thermique comprenant une tête d'impression thermique 1, un logement de réception d'un rouleau alimentaire de ruban, un logement de réception d'un rouleau récepteur de ruban, un magasin 5 d'entrée de supports d'impression à imprimer, en l'espèce des feuilles de papier en ramette, un magasin de sortie des feuilles après impression, une arête de décollement 4 et un mécanisme 7 d'entraínement du ruban d'impression 10 et d'une feuille support d'impression. Les deux rouleaux, alimentaire et récepteur, sont supportés par deux axes respectifs 2 et 3 qui sont tous deux montés libres en rotation. Un pignon 38 et un pignon 39 sont fixés respectivement sur l'axe 2 et sur l'axe 3.In the particular example of the description, the printer belongs to a fax. This is a thermal transfer printer including a thermal print head 1, a housing for receiving a roll ribbon food, receiving housing for a take-up roller ribbon, a magazine 5 for the input of print media to be printed, in the kind of reamed sheets of paper, a sheet outlet store after printing, a separation edge 4 and a mechanism 7 for printing ribbon 10 and a backing sheet printing. Both rolls, food and receiver, are supported by two respective axes 2 and 3 which are both mounted free in rotation. A pinion 38 and a pinion 39 are fixed respectively on the axis 2 and on axis 3.

Un rouleau d'écriture 27, monté libre en rotation, est légèrement en appui contre la tête thermique 1 et supporte un pignon 28, solidaire et coaxial. A writing roller 27, mounted to rotate freely, is slightly in contact against the thermal head 1 and supports a pinion 28, integral and coaxial.

Par souci de clarté, on notera d'emblée que tous les axes de l'imprimante sont perpendiculaires à un même plan qui est celui de la figure 1.For the sake of clarity, it should be noted at the outset that all of the axes of the printer are perpendicular to the same plane which is that of Figure 1.

Le ruban d'impression 10 (figure 3) comprend un film 11 en polyéthylène supportant une couche d'impression 12 comportant ici une pluralité de plages d'encre thermofusible 12a, 12b, 12c de couleurs cyan, magenta, jaune et noire, disposées les unes à côté des autres dans le sens de la longueur du ruban 10. Le film 11 supporte également une zone de marquage 13 située le long du bord longitudinal du ruban 10, au voisinage de la couche d'impression 12, et contenant une pluralité d'indications de positionnement, ici des barres noires, disposées côté à côte le long du bord du ruban 10, à intervalles réguliers.The printing ribbon 10 (FIG. 3) comprises a polyethylene film 11 supporting a printing layer 12 here comprising a plurality of hot-melt ink pads 12a, 12b, 12c in cyan, magenta, yellow colors and black, arranged one next to the other along the length of the ribbon 10. The film 11 also supports a marking area 13 located on the along the longitudinal edge of the tape 10, in the vicinity of the layer 12, and containing a plurality of positioning indications, here black bars, placed side by side along the edge of the ribbon 10, at regular intervals.

Le mécanisme d'entraínement 7 est agencé, lors de l'impression d'une image sur une feuille support pour:

  • entraíner le ruban d'impression 10 dans un sens aller, en le débitant du rouleau alimentaire et le rembobinant sur le rouleau récepteur, et
  • entraíner dans le même sens aller la feuille support du magasin d'entrée 5 au magasin de sortie 6,
    en faisant passer la feuille et le ruban 10 concomitamment devant la tête thermique 1.
The drive mechanism 7 is arranged, when printing an image on a support sheet for:
  • drive the printing ribbon 10 in a forward direction, delivering it from the food roll and rewinding it on the take-up roll, and
  • drive in the same direction go the support sheet from the input store 5 to the output store 6,
    by passing the sheet and the ribbon 10 concomitantly in front of the thermal head 1.

Le mécanisme d'entraínement 7 est également destiné à entraíner le ruban d'impression 10 dans le sens retour devant la tête thermique 1, en le débitant du rouleau récepteur et en le rembobinant sur le rouleau alimentaire, comme cela sera explicité plus loin.The drive mechanism 7 is also intended to drive the ribbon 10 in the reverse direction in front of the thermal head 1, delivering it of the take-up roller and rewinding it on the food roll, as this will be explained later.

Par définition, le sens aller d'un pignon, d'un rouleau ou de tout autre élément rotatif de l'imprimante est le sens de rotation de cet élément correspondant au sens suivant lequel le ruban est entraíné du rouleau alimentaire au rouleau récepteur et/ou au sens suivant lequel une feuille est entraínée du magasin d'entrée 5 au magasin de sortie 6. Le sens retour est bien sûr le sens opposé à ce sens aller.By definition, the forward direction of a pinion, a roller or any other rotary element of the printer is the direction of rotation of this element corresponding to the direction in which the ribbon is driven from the roll food with the take-up roller and / or in the sense that a sheet is driven from the input magazine 5 to the output magazine 6. The return direction is of course the opposite direction to this forward direction.

Le mécanisme 7 comprend un unique moteur 18 d'entraínement en rotation d'un arbre moteur 19, en sens aller et en sens retour, et un système d'engrenage pour l'entraínement du ruban 10 et d'une feuille support d'impression.The mechanism 7 includes a single motor 18 for rotational drive of a motor shaft 19, in the forward direction and in the reverse direction, and a system gear for driving the ribbon 10 and a support sheet printing.

Le système d'engrenage comprend notamment, pour l'entraínement du ruban 10 dans le sens aller, un pignon 33 monté en roue libre. Le pignon 33 s'engrène, via un différentiel, avec le pignon 39 de l'axe 3 support du rouleau récepteur et est agencé pour être entraíné en rotation dans le sens aller par l'arbre du moteur 19, par l'intermédiaire d'un jeu de pignons d'entraínement non représenté. Sous l'action de l'entraínement en rotation dans le sens aller de l'arbre moteur 19, le rouleau récepteur est ainsi destiné à être entraíné en rotation dans le sens aller, par l'intermédiaire du jeu de pignons intermédiaire, du pignon 33 et du pignon 39.The gear system includes in particular, for the drive of the ribbon 10 in the forward direction, a pinion 33 mounted in free wheel. The pinion 33 engages, via a differential, with the pinion 39 of the axis 3 roller support receiver and is arranged to be rotated in the forward direction by the motor shaft 19, via a set of drive pinions not shown. Under the action of the rotational drive in the forward direction of the motor shaft 19, the take-up roller is thus intended to be driven in rotation in the forward direction, via the pinion set intermediate, pinion 33 and pinion 39.

Pour l'entraínement du ruban 10 dans le sens retour, le système d'engrenage comprend deux pignons 29 et 32 solidaires et coaxiaux. Le pignon 32, monté en roue libre, s'engrène avec le pignon 38 de l'axe 2 support du rouleau alimentaire et le pignon 29 s'engrène avec le pignon 28 engrené lui-même un pignon 23. Celui-ci, monté libre en rotation, est engrené avec un pignon 34 agencé pour être entraíné en rotation par l'arbre moteur 19, par l'intermédiaire du jeu de pignons d'entraínement non représenté. Le pignon 34 et le pignon 33 sont coaxiaux.For driving the ribbon 10 in the return direction, the gear system includes two pinions 29 and 32 integral and coaxial. Pinion 32, mounted in freewheel, meshes with the pinion 38 of the axis 2 support of the food roller and the pinion 29 meshes with the pinion 28 meshed itself a pinion 23. This, mounted free to rotate, is meshed with a pinion 34 arranged to be rotated by the drive shaft 19, by through the set of drive gears not shown. The pinion 34 and the pinion 33 are coaxial.

Ainsi, le rouleau alimentaire est destiné à être entraíné en rotation dans le sens retour, sous l'action de l'entraínement en rotation de l'arbre moteur 19 dans le sens retour, par l'intermédiaire de la chaíne d'engrenage comprenant le jeu de pignons intermédiaire et les pignons 34, 23, 28, 29, 32 et 38, comme cela sera explicité plus loin.Thus, the food roller is intended to be rotated in the return direction, under the action of the rotary drive of the motor shaft 19 in the return direction, via the gear chain comprising the intermediate gear set and the gears 34, 23, 28, 29, 32 and 38, as will be explained later.

Pour l'entraínement d'une feuille d'impression, le système d'engrenage comprend un axe 24 de chargement de la feuille, voisin du magasin d'entrée 5, et un axe 25 d'éjection de la feuille, voisin du magasin de sortie 6. L'axe 24 et l'axe 25 supportent respectivement des galets de chargement et des galets d'éjection. Un pignon 40 et deux pignons coaxiaux et solidaires 41, 35 sont respectivement fixés sur l'axe de chargement 24 et sur l'axe d'éjection 25. Les deux pignons 41 et 40 sont engrenés avec un pignon 26.For driving a printing sheet, the gear system includes an axis 24 for loading the sheet, adjacent to the input magazine 5, and an axis 25 for ejecting the sheet, adjacent to the outlet magazine 6. The axis 24 and the axis 25 respectively support loading rollers and ejection rollers. A pinion 40 and two coaxial and integral pinions 41, 35 are respectively fixed on the loading axis 24 and on the ejection axis 25. The two pinions 41 and 40 are meshed with a pinion 26.

Le pignon d'entraínement 23 est ainsi agencé pour entraíner l'axe 25 support du rouleau d'éjection dans le sens aller, par l'intermédiaire du pignon 35, et, sous l'action de l'entraínement en rotation du pignon 41, le pignon 26 est destiné à être entraíné en rotation et à lui-même entraíner en rotation dans le sens aller l'axe 24 support des galets de chargement, par l'intermédiaire du pignon 40.The drive pinion 23 is thus arranged to drive the axis 25 support of the ejection roller in the forward direction, via the pinion 35, and, under the action of the rotational drive of the pinion 41, the pinion 26 is intended to be driven in rotation and to drive itself in rotation in the direction go the axis 24 support of the load rollers, via the pinion 40.

L'axe 25 du rouleau d'éjection est monté en roue libre de sorte qu'il ne peut être entraíné en rotation que dans le sens aller correspondant au sens d'éjection, ce qui évite tout risque de chargement inopportun d'une feuille par le magasin de sortie 6.The axis 25 of the ejection roller is mounted freewheeling so that it cannot to be rotated only in the forward direction corresponding to the direction ejection, which avoids any risk of inadvertent loading of a sheet by the outlet store 6.

Deux systèmes anti-retour 30, 31 sont montés respectivement sur le pignon 38 de l'axe 2 du rouleau alimentaire et sur le pignon 39 de l'axe 3 du rouleau récepteur. Le système anti-retour 30 du rouleau alimentaire est destiné à appliquer un couple résistant sur le pignon 38 lorsque celui-ci est entraíné en rotation dans le sens aller. Le système anti-retour 31 du rouleau récepteur est quant à lui prévu pour appliquer un couple résistant sur le pignon 39 lorsque celui-ci est entraíné dans le sens retour. Grâce à cela, le ruban est toujours tendu quand il est entraíné en sens aller ou en sens retour.Two non-return systems 30, 31 are mounted respectively on the pinion 38 of axis 2 of the food roller and on the pinion 39 of axis 3 of the roller receiver. The non-return system 30 of the food roller is intended for apply a resistant torque to the pinion 38 when the latter is driven in rotation in the forward direction. The non-return system 31 of the take-up roller is intended to apply a resistant torque to the pinion 39 when it is driven in the return direction. Thanks to this, the ribbon is always tense when it is driven in the forward direction or in the reverse direction.

L'imprimante comprend en outre une mémoire 14 de stockage de pages d'image de télécopies reçues, un bloc 15 d'analyse numérique des images de télécopie stockées sous forme de données dans la mémoire 14, un capteur 16 de détection des feuilles supports d'impression, un capteur 17 de détection d'indications de positionnement du ruban d'impression 10 et un bloc de contrôle 21, en l'espèce un microprocesseur, auquel tous les éléments électriques et électroniques de l'imprimante (tête 1, capteurs 16-17, bloc 15, moteur, etc.) sont reliés.The printer further includes a page storage memory 14 image of received faxes, a block 15 for digital analysis of the images of fax stored as data in memory 14, a sensor 16 for detecting sheets of print media, a sensor 17 for detection of indications of positioning of the printing ribbon 10 and a control block 21, in this case a microprocessor, to which all the electrical and electronic components of the printer (head 1, sensors 16-17, block 15, motor, etc.) are connected.

La tête thermique 1 est ici agencée pour imprimer les images ligne par ligne. Par définition, on appelle "la ligne d'impression" de la tête thermique 1, la ligne virtuelle 8 le long de laquelle la tête thermique 1 imprime les lignes successives d'une image sur une feuille d'impression défilant devant elle.The thermal head 1 is here arranged to print the images line by line. By definition, we call "the printing line" of the thermal head 1, the virtual line 8 along which the thermal head 1 prints the lines successive of an image on a printing sheet scrolling in front of it.

Le capteur 16 est prévu pour détecter la présence d'une feuille à imprimer passant à travers la ligne d'impression 8. Le capteur 17 est destiné à détecter les indications de positionnement du ruban d'impression 10 lorsque celui-ci passe à travers la ligne d'impression 8.The sensor 16 is provided for detecting the presence of a sheet to be printed passing through the printing line 8. The sensor 17 is intended to detect the indications for positioning the printing ribbon 10 when the latter passes through the printing line 8.

Le bloc d'analyse numérique 3 comprend un logiciel d'application agencé pour :

  • examiner les lignes composant les pages d'image stockées dans la mémoire 14, afin de déterminer, pour chaque page d'image, les lignes, les zones, de la page vides d'image et les lignes d'image,
  • déterminer les zones d'impression restantes d'une portion de ruban précédemment utilisée et
  • calculer la longueur de rembobinage de ruban 10 entre deux impressions successives d'image.
The digital analysis block 3 includes application software designed to:
  • examining the lines making up the image pages stored in the memory 14, in order to determine, for each image page, the empty image lines, zones, of the page and the image lines,
  • determine the remaining printing areas of a previously used portion of ribbon and
  • calculating the length of rewinding of tape 10 between two successive image prints.

Par les termes "ligne d'image" et "ligne vide d'image", on entend désigner respectivement une ligne contenant, en tout ou partie, des points d'image et une ligne sans points d'image.The terms "image line" and "empty image line" are intended to denote respectively a line containing, in whole or in part, image points and a line without image points.

Une "portion de ruban précédemment utilisée" s'entend d'une portion du ruban 10 passé devant la tête d'impression 1, dans le sens aller, autrement dit après une passe d'impression.A "portion of ribbon previously used" means a portion of the ribbon 10 passed in front of the print head 1, in the forward direction, in other words after a print pass.

L'imprimante comprend en outre une interface homme-machine 20 comportant un clavier de saisie et un écran d'affichage Le clavier de saisie comprend une touche d'impression économique destinée à commander l'impression en mode économique des images contenues dans la mémoire 14, ainsi qu'une touche d'impression normale pour imprimer en mode normal.The printer further comprises a man-machine interface 20 with an input keyboard and a display screen The input keyboard includes an economical print button for controlling economical printing of images in memory 14, as well as a normal print key to print in mode normal.

Le procédé pour imprimer successivement, par transfert d'encre, de façon économique, une pluralité d'images ici sur une pluralité de feuilles supports d'impression à l'aide du ruban d'impression 10, correspondant au fonctionnement de l'imprimante va maintenant être décrit.The method for successively printing, by ink transfer, in a manner economical, a plurality of images here on a plurality of support sheets using the printing ribbon 10, corresponding to the operation of the printer will now be described.

Les images à imprimer, qui sont ici des pages d'image, sont stockées sous forme de données dans la mémoire 14.The images to be printed, which are here image pages, are stored under form of data in memory 14.

Afin d'imprimer de façon économique les pages d'image contenues dans la mémoire 14, un opérateur appuie sur la touche d'impression économique du clavier de saisie (20).In order to economically print the image pages contained in the memory 14, an operator presses the economic printing key on the input keyboard (20).

Impression des pages d'imagePrinting image pages

Pour l'impression de chaque page d'image, sous la commande du bloc de contrôle 21, l'arbre moteur 19 est entraíné en rotation dans le sens aller par le moteur 18 et entraíne le pignon 33, par l'intermédiaire du jeu de pignons intermédiaire précédemment évoqué. Le pignon 33 entraíne lui-même en rotation l'axe 3 du rouleau récepteur, et par conséquent le rouleau récepteur lui-même, dans le sens aller, par l'intermédiaire du pignon 39.For printing each image page, under the control of the block of control 21, the motor shaft 19 is rotated in the forward direction by the motor 18 and drives the pinion 33, via the set of pinions previously mentioned intermediary. The pinion 33 drives itself in rotation axis 3 of the take-up roller, and therefore the take-up roller itself, in the forward direction, via the pinion 39.

Sous l'action de l'entraínement de l'arbre moteur 19, le pignon 23 est entraíné en rotation, dans le sens aller, par l'intermédiaire du jeu de pignons et du pignon 34. Le pignon 23 entraíne en rotation, dans le sens aller, le rouleau d'écriture 27, par l'intermédiaire de son pignon 28, ainsi que le pignon 41 par l'intermédiaire du pignon 35. Le pignon 41 entraíne en rotation le pignon 26 qui entraíne lui-même le pignon 40 de l'axe 24 du rouleau de chargement, dans le sens aller. Le rouleau d'éjection 25 et le rouleau de chargement 24 sont ainsi entraínés en rotation respectivement dans le sens d'éjection et dans le sens de chargement.Under the action of the drive of the motor shaft 19, the pinion 23 is driven in rotation, in the forward direction, through the set of gears and the pinion 34. The pinion 23 rotates in the forward direction, the roller writing 27, through its pinion 28, as well as pinion 41 by through the pinion 35. The pinion 41 rotates the pinion 26 which itself drives the pinion 40 of the axis 24 of the loading roller, in the forward direction. The ejection roller 25 and the loading roller 24 are thus rotated respectively in the direction of ejection and in the direction of loading.

On soulignera que le pignon 32 étant monté en roue libre, il n'est pas entraíné en rotation sous l'action de l'entraínement en rotation de l'arbre moteur 19 dans le sens aller.It will be emphasized that the pinion 32 being mounted in free wheel, it is not rotated under the action of the shaft rotational drive motor 19 in the forward direction.

Le rouleau alimentaire est quant à lui entraíné en rotation par l'effort de traction exercé par le ruban 10. Le système anti-retour 30 applique un couple résistant sur le pignon 38 de l'axe 2 du rouleau alimentaire, de sorte que la rotation du rouleau alimentaire est freinée. Le rouleau alimentaire tourne ainsi moins vite que le rouleau récepteur et, grâce à cela, le ruban 10 se tend.The food roller is rotated by the effort of traction exerted by the tape 10. The non-return system 30 applies a resisting torque on pinion 38 of axis 2 of the food roller, so that the rotation of the food roller is slowed down. The food roll thus rotates slower than the take-up roller and, as a result, the ribbon 10 tightens.

Sous l'action de l'entraínement en rotation de l'axe de chargement 24 et de l'axe d'éjection 25, une feuille à imprimer 100 est entraínée dans le sens aller du magasin d'entrée 5 au magasin de sortie 6, en passant devant la tête thermique 1 et, concomitamment, sous l'action de la rotation du rouleau récepteur et du rouleau alimentaire, le ruban 10 est entraíné dans le sens aller du rouleau alimentaire, duquel il est déroulé, au rouleau récepteur, sur lequel il est enroulé, en passant devant la tête thermique 1.Under the action of the rotational drive of the loading axis 24 and the ejection axis 25, a print sheet 100 is driven in the forward direction from entrance store 5 to exit store 6, passing in front of the head thermal 1 and, concomitantly, under the action of the rotation of the roller receiver and food roll, the ribbon 10 is driven in the direction go from the food roll, from which it is unwound, to the take-up roll, on which it is wound, passing in front of the thermal head 1.

La feuille 100 et le ruban 10, concomitamment entraínés devant la tête thermique 1, sont plaqués contre celle-ci par le rouleau d'écriture 27 et, sous l'activation des éléments chauffants de la tête 1, de l'encre est transférée du ruban 10 sur la feuille 100 et la page d'image est ainsi imprimée, ligne par ligne, sur la feuille 100.The sheet 100 and the ribbon 10, concomitantly trained in front of the head thermal 1, are pressed against it by the writing roller 27 and, under the activation of the heating elements of head 1, ink is transferred from ribbon 10 on sheet 100 and the image page is thus printed, line by line, on sheet 100.

Rembobinage du ruban d'impressionRewinding the printing ribbon

Sur la commande de la touche d'impression économique, le bloc d'analyse 15 examine les pages d'image contenues dans la mémoire 14 sous forme de données.On the command of the economic printing key, the analysis block 15 examines the image pages contained in the memory 14 in the form of data.

On notera d'emblée que le haut et le bas d'une page d'image, c'est-à-dire la partie supérieure et la partie inférieure de la page, sont par définition les parties de la page imprimées respectivement successivement par la tête thermique 1.It will be noted at the outset that the top and bottom of an image page, that is to say the top and bottom of the page, are by definition the parts of the page respectively printed successively by the head thermal 1.

Pour l'impression de chacune des pages d'image successives à imprimer, le bloc 15, sous la commande du bloc de contrôle 21, examine, de haut en bas, les lignes successives composant la page à imprimer. Pour chaque ligne, le bloc 15 détermine s'il s'agit d'une ligne d'image, et donc s'il s'agit d'une ligne à imprimer en tout ou partie, ou s'il s'agit d'une ligne vide d'image, afin d'en déduire si la page à imprimer contient une zone supérieure, une bande supérieure vide d'image. Le cas échéant, le bloc 15 compte le nombre de lignes vides d'image composant la zone supérieure vide d'image et, chaque ligne ayant une hauteur donnée, évalue la hauteur de la zone supérieure vide d'image.For printing each of the successive image pages to be printed, the block 15, under the control of control block 21, examines, from top to bottom, the successive lines composing the page to be printed. For each line, the block 15 determines if it is a picture line, and therefore if it is a line to print in whole or in part, or if it is an empty line of image, in order to deduce if the page to be printed contains an upper zone, a band upper image void. If applicable, block 15 counts the number of empty image lines making up the empty image top area and, each line having a given height, evaluates the height of the empty upper area image.

Par "hauteur", on entend désigner la dimension suivant la direction perpendiculaire à celle des lignes composant la page d'image.By "height" is meant the dimension along the direction perpendicular to that of the lines making up the image page.

Pour l'impression de chacune des pages successives, à l'exception de la première page, le bloc d'analyse 15, sous la commande du bloc de contrôle 21, examine également, de bas en haut, les lignes composant la page d'image précédente (c'est-à-dire la page précédemment imprimée), conservée dans la mémoire 14. Le bloc 15 détermine pour chaque ligne, s'il s'agit d'une ligne d'image ou s'il s'agit d'une ligne vide d'image afin d'en déduire si la page précédente contient une zone inférieure vide d'image. Le cas échéant, le bloc 15 compte le nombre de lignes vides d'image composant la zone inférieure vide d'image et, chaque ligne ayant une hauteur donnée, évalue la hauteur de la zone inférieure vide d'image.For printing each of the successive pages, except for the first page, the analysis block 15, under the control of the control block 21, also examine, from bottom to top, the lines making up the image page previous page (i.e. the previously printed page), kept in the memory 14. Block 15 determines for each line, whether it is a line image or if it is an empty line of image in order to deduce if the page previous contains an empty image bottom area. If applicable, the block 15 counts the number of empty image lines composing the lower zone blank image and, each line having a given height, evaluates the height of the bottom empty image area.

On notera ici que pour les impressions successives de deux pages d'image sur deux feuilles d'impression, l'imprimante entraíne l'une après l'autre les deux feuilles d'impression devant la tête thermique 1, en les décalant l'une de l'autre d'un "interpage". Il s'agit là d'un intervalle spatial déterminé duquel on décale le bord inférieur et le bord supérieur respectivement de deux feuilles successivement entraínées devant la tête thermique 1 pour impression. Un tel interpage consomme une longueur équivalente de ruban.Note here that for successive prints of two image pages on two print sheets, the printer drives one after the other two print sheets in front of thermal head 1, shifting one of the other of an "interpage". This is a determined spatial interval from which shifts the lower edge and the upper edge respectively by two sheets successively driven in front of the thermal head 1 for printing. A such interpage consumes an equivalent length of ribbon.

Entre les impressions successives de deux pages d'image, le bloc 15 évalue une longueur de rembobinage, c'est-à-dire une longueur de ruban qu'il convient de rembobiner autour du rouleau alimentaire. Pour cela, le bloc 15 additionne, le cas échéant, la hauteur de l'interpage entre la feuille précédemment imprimée et la feuille à imprimer, la hauteur de la zone supérieure vide d'image de la page à imprimer et la hauteur de la zone inférieure vide d'image de la page précédente, et en ôtant de cette somme une hauteur de tolérance prédéfinie.Between the successive prints of two image pages, block 15 evaluates a rewinding length, i.e. a length of tape that should be rewound around the food roll. For this, block 15 add, if necessary, the height of the interpage between the sheet previously printed and the sheet to be printed, the height of the area upper blank image of the page to print and the height of the area lower image void from the previous page, and subtracting from that a predefined tolerance height.

Dans le cas où la longueur de rembobinage n'est pas nulle, l'arbre moteur 19, entre les impressions successives de deux pages d'image et sous la commande du bloc de contrôle 21, est entraíné en rotation dans le sens retour par le moteur 18 jusqu'à dérouler le ruban 10 du rouleau récepteur, qui est concomitamment rembobiné sur le rouleau alimentaire, de la longueur de rembobinage évaluée.In the case where the rewinding length is not zero, the motor shaft 19, between successive prints of two image pages and under the control of the control block 21, is rotated in the direction return by the motor 18 until the ribbon 10 of the take-up roll is unwound, which is simultaneously rewound on the food roll, estimated rewinding length.

Sous l'action de l'entraínement en rotation de l'arbre moteur 19 dans le sens retour, le pignon 34 est entraíné en rotation dans le sens retour et entraíne lui-même en rotation le pignon 23 dans le sens retour. L'entraínement du pignon 23 provoque l'entraínement en rotation du pignon 28 qui entraíne à son tour le pignon 32, par l'intermédiaire du pignon 29. Et enfin, sous l'action de l'entraínement en rotation du pignon 32, le pignon 38 de l'axe 2 du rouleau alimentaire est entraíné en rotation dans le sens retour.Under the action of the rotational drive of the motor shaft 19 in the direction return, the pinion 34 is rotated in the return direction and drives itself in rotation the pinion 23 in the return direction. The training of pinion 23 causes the rotational drive of pinion 28 which causes turn the pinion 32, via the pinion 29. And finally, under the action of the rotational drive of the pinion 32, the pinion 38 of the axis 2 of the food roller is rotated in the return direction.

On soulignera que le pignon 33 et l'axe d'éjection 25 étant montés en roue libre, ils ne sont pas entraínés en rotation sous l'action de l'entraínement en rotation de l'arbre moteur 19 dans le sens retour.It will be emphasized that the pinion 33 and the ejection axis 25 being mounted on a wheel free, they are not rotated under the action of the drive in rotation of the motor shaft 19 in the return direction.

Le rouleau récepteur est quant à lui entraíné en rotation dans le sens retour, sous l'effort de traction exercé par le ruban 10. En outre, le système anti-retour 31 applique un couple résistant sur l'axe 3 support du rouleau récepteur de sorte que celui-ci est freiné et tourne moins vite que le rouleau alimentaire. Grâce à cela, le ruban 10 est bien tendu lors de son rembobinage sur le rouleau alimentaire.The take-up roller is rotated in the return direction, under the tensile force exerted by the tape 10. In addition, the non-return system 31 applies a resistant torque to the axis 3 roller support receiver so that it is braked and turns slower than the roller food. Thanks to this, the ribbon 10 is well tensioned during its rewinding on the food roll.

Au cours de l'entraínement du ruban 10 dans le sens retour, le capteur 17 détecte et compte les barres de positionnement du ruban d'impression 10 défilant à travers la ligne d'impression 8 de la tête thermique 1 et, les barres étant séparées les unes des autre par un intervalle donné et fixe, évalue la longueur de laquelle le ruban 10 est effectivement rembobiné. Lorsque la longueur effective de rembobinage du ruban 10 est sensiblement égale à la longueur de rembobinage évaluée, le bloc de contrôle 21 commande l'arrêt du moteur 18. During the drive of the ribbon 10 in the return direction, the sensor 17 detects and counts print ribbon positioning bars 10 passing through the printing line 8 of the thermal head 1 and, the bars being separated from each other by a given and fixed interval, evaluates the length of which the ribbon 10 is effectively rewound. When the effective rewinding length of the tape 10 is substantially equal to the evaluated rewinding length, the control block 21 commands the stop motor 18.

On pourrait également envisager d'utiliser un ruban d'impression sans indications de positionnement. Dans ce cas, le bloc 15 convertirait la hauteur de rembobinage évaluée en nombres de tours de moteur 19 et celui-ci serait entraíné en rotation dans le sens retour sensiblement du nombre de tours ainsi évalué.We could also consider using a printing ribbon without positioning indications. In this case, block 15 would convert the height rewind rated in number of revolutions of motor 19 and this one would rotated in the reverse direction substantially by the number of turns thus evaluated.

Une variante plus perfectionnée du procédé d'impression économique de l'invention ne diffère du mode de réalisation du procédé décrit ci-dessus, que par ce qui va maintenant être décrit.A more sophisticated variant of the economical printing process of the invention differs from the embodiment of the process described above only by what will now be described.

L'imprimante comprend, outre les éléments précédemment décrits, une mémoire de travail destinée à contenir les positions de lignes d'impression et de lignes inexploitables de portions de ruban précédemment utilisées ainsi que les positions de lignes d'image et de lignes vides d'image de pages d'image à imprimer.The printer comprises, in addition to the elements described above, a working memory intended to contain the positions of printing lines and unusable lines of previously used tape portions as well that the positions of image lines and empty image lines of pages image to print.

On notera d'emblée que les positions des lignes du ruban sont définies par rapport à la ligne d'impression de la tête d'écriture et les positions des lignes de la page d'image sont définies par rapport à la ligne supérieure de la page à imprimer.It will be noted at the outset that the positions of the lines of the ribbon are defined by relation to the print line of the writing head and the positions of the lines of the image page are defined relative to the top line of the page to to print.

Par les termes "lignes d'impression" et "lignes inexploitables", on entend ici désigner respectivement des lignes vierges de ruban 10 et des lignes de ruban déjà utilisées, en tout ou partie, pour l'impression de points d'image.The terms "print lines" and "unusable lines" mean here respectively designate blank lines of ribbon 10 and lines of ribbon already used, in whole or in part, for printing image points.

Pour l'impression de chaque page d'image, le bloc d'analyse numérique examine:

  • les lignes de la page à imprimer afin de déterminer les positions des lignes d'image et celles des lignes vides d'image dans la page, et
  • les lignes de la portion de ruban précédemment utilisée, ici pour l'impression de la page précédente, afin de déterminer les positions des lignes d'impression restantes et celles des lignes inexploitables cette portion de ruban précédemment utilisée.
For the printing of each image page, the digital analysis block examines:
  • the lines of the page to be printed in order to determine the positions of the image lines and those of the empty image lines in the page, and
  • the lines of the portion of ribbon previously used, here for printing the previous page, in order to determine the positions of the remaining printing lines and those of the lines which cannot be used with this portion of ribbon previously used.

On soulignera ici qu'en imprimant une image sur une feuille d'impression, par transfert d'encre du ruban 10 sur la feuille, on imprime également "en négatif' l'image sur le ruban 10. De ce fait, pour examiner les lignes de la portion de ruban précédemment utilisée pour l'impression d'une page d'image, le bloc d'analyse numérique analyse les lignes de cette page d'image. Les lignes inexploitables et les lignes d'impression de la portion de ruban utilisée correspondent respectivement aux lignes d'image et aux lignes vides d'image de la page d'image précédemment imprimée avec cette portion de ruban.Note here that by printing an image on a print sheet, by ink transfer from the ribbon 10 onto the sheet, we also print "in negative 'image on ribbon 10. Therefore, to examine the lines of the portion of ribbon previously used for printing a page image, the digital analysis block analyzes the lines of this page image. The unusable lines and the printing lines of the portion of ribbon used correspond respectively to image lines and lines image blanks from the image page previously printed with this portion of ribbon.

Les positions des lignes d'image et des lignes vides d'image de la page à imprimer et celles des lignes d'impression et des lignes inexploitables de la portion de ruban précédemment utilisée sont enregistrées dans la mémoire de travail.The positions of the image lines and the empty image lines of the page to be print and those of the print lines and unusable lines of the previously used portion of ribbon is saved in memory of work.

Le bloc d'analyse numérique compare, par leurs positions respectives, les lignes d'image de la page examinée et les lignes d'impression restantes de la portion de ruban précédemment utilisée, afin de déterminer si les lignes d'image de la page examinée peuvent au moins en partie être imprimées à l'aide des lignes d'impression restantes de la portion de ruban précédemment utilisée, séparées de la portion de ruban non encore utilisée par au moms une ligne inexploitable.The digital analysis block compares, by their respective positions, the image lines of the page examined and the remaining print lines of the portion of ribbon previously used, to determine if the lines image of the page under review can at least in part be printed at using the remaining print lines from the ribbon portion previously used, separated from the portion of ribbon not yet used by at least one unusable line.

Si tel est le cas, le bloc d'analyse numérique détermine la longueur de rembobinage de ruban, c'est-à-dire la longueur de ruban le long de laquelle il convient d'entraíner le ruban dans le sens retour, par déroulement du rouleau récepteur et rembobinage sur le rouleau alimentaire, de façon à positionner convenablement le ruban d'impression par rapport à la ligne d'impression de la tête thermique. Le ruban est correctement positionné lorsque les lignes d'impression restantes de la portion de ruban précédemment utilisée, destinées à imprimer des lignes d'image de la page à imprimer, passent à travers la ligne d'impression de la tête thermique pour l'impression de ces lignes d'image sur une feuille support d'impression.If this is the case, the digital analysis block determines the length of ribbon rewind, i.e. the length of ribbon along which it should drive the tape in the return direction, by unwinding the roll receiver and rewind on the food roll, so as to position suitably the printing ribbon in relation to the printing line of the thermal head. The ribbon is correctly positioned when the lines of the remaining portion of ribbon previously used, for printing image lines of the page to be printed, go to across the thermal head printing line for printing these image lines on a print media sheet.

On soulignera que cette variante du procédé d'impression économique permet d'imprimer en négatif sur un ruban d'impression des images, ou des portions d'image, séparées de la portion de ruban non encore utilisée par une autre image, ou une autre portion d'image, précédemment imprimée. La figure 4 illustre un tel exemple dans lequel on imprime d'abord un élément de forme ovale 101 puis un élément de forme triangulaire 102 à l'aide de la portion de ruban déjà utilisée. Les flèches 36 et 37 indiquent respectivement le sens aller et le sens retour d'entraínement du ruban.Note that this variant of the economical printing process allows to print negatively on a printing ribbon images, or image portions, separated from the portion of ribbon not yet used by a another image, or another image portion, previously printed. The figure 4 illustrates such an example in which an element is first printed oval 101 then a triangular 102 element using the portion of ribbon already used. Arrows 36 and 37 indicate respectively the forward direction and the return direction of the ribbon.

L'élément de forme ovale 101 est imprimé en négatif au cours d'une première passe d'impression du ruban dans le sens aller 36 devant la tête thermique, puis le ruban est entraíné dans le sens retour 37 et, au cours d'une seconde passe d'impression du ruban dans le sens aller 36 devant la tête thermique, l'élément de forme triangulaire 102, situé sur la figure 4 en amont de l'élément de forme ovale 101 dans le sens aller 36, est imprimé.The oval element 101 is printed in negative during a first ribbon printing pass in the forward direction 36 in front of the thermal head, then the ribbon is driven backward 37 and, within one second ribbon printing pass in the forward direction 36 in front of the thermal head, the triangular shaped element 102, located in FIG. 4 upstream of the oval-shaped element 101 in the forward direction 36 is printed.

Dans la description qui vient d'être faite des deux modes de réalisation du procédé d'impression, on considère qu'une ligne d'une portion de ruban précédemment utilisée est une ligne d'impression, autrement dit une ligne utilisable pour imprimer une ligne d'image, si cette ligne du ruban est vierge.In the description which has just been made of the two embodiments of the printing process, consider that a line of a portion of ribbon previously used is a print line, in other words a line can be used to print an image line, if this line of the ribbon is blank.

Dans une autre variante, on utilise des lignes du ruban d'impression faiblement appauvries en encre pour imprimer des lignes d'image. Le bloc d'analyse numérique évalue la densité surfacique d'encre de chaque ligne de la portion de ruban précédemment utilisée, la compare à un seuil prédéfini et, dans le cas où la densité évaluée est supérieure au seuil, le bloc d'analyse considère que ladite ligne du ruban est une ligne d'impression, utilisable pour imprimer une ligne d'image. Pour l'évaluation de la densité surfacique d'encre des lignes du ruban, le bloc d'analyse numérique évalue la densité de points d'image de la ligne d'image précédemment imprimée à l'aide de cette ligne du ruban.In another variant, lines of the printing ribbon are used slightly depleted in ink to print image lines. The block analysis tool assesses the ink surface density of each line of the portion of ribbon previously used, compares it to a predefined threshold and, in the case where the density evaluated is greater than the threshold, the analysis block considers that said line of the ribbon is a printing line, usable for print an image line. For the evaluation of the surface density ribbon lines, the digital analysis block evaluates the density of image points of the image line previously printed using this ribbon line.

Claims (10)

  1. Method for successively printing, by ink transfer, a plurality of images on at least one print medium (100), using a print tape (10), a method in the course of which, in order to print each image, the tape (10) and the medium (100) are driven simultaneously in front of a printing head (1) in a forward direction, and between two successive instances of image printing, the tape (10) is driven in the reverse direction along a travel path such that the next image is printed using at least one remaining printing zone of a previously used portion of tape, method characterised by the fact that when a plurality of printing media are printed by offsetting by a predetermined spacing the lower edge of each of the media from the upper edge of the following medium, the tape (10) is driven in the reverse direction between each successive printing of the medium, along a travel path at least equal to said spacing.
  2. Method according to claim 1, wherein, in order to print each image, the tape (10) is unwound from a feed roller and rewound onto a receiving roller, and between two successive instances of printing, the tape is unwound from the receiving roller and rewound onto the feed roller.
  3. Method according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein, when pages of images are being printed, one determines, for each page to be printed, whether the preceding page includes a lower zone with no image and, if need be, the height of said lower zone is estimated and, between the respective printing of two successive pages, the tape (10) is driven in the reverse direction along a travel path at least substantially equal to the height thus estimated.
  4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, when pages of images are being printed, one determines for each page whether it includes an upper zone with no image and, if need be, the height of said upper zone is estimated and, before the page is printed, the tape (10) is driven in the reverse direction along a travel path at least substantially equal to the height thus estimated.
  5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, for each image to be printed, image zones are determined, a previously used tape portion is broken up into printing zones and unusable zones, the image zones and the printing zones of the previously used portion of tape are compared so as, if need be, to drive the tape in the reverse direction along a travel path such that, in order to print at least one zone of the image to be printed, a printing zone of the used tape portion is used which is separated by an unusable zone from a tape portion which has not yet been used.
  6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the tape is broken up into a plurality of zones, the surface density of ink on each of these zones is assessed and in the case where this density is greater than a predetermined threshold, said zone is considered to be a printing zone.
  7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein since the tape (10) supports a marking zone (13) including indications for positioning the tape, said indications are detected and, depending on these, the tape (10) is positioned in relation to the printing head (1).
  8. Device for successively printing, by ink transfer, a plurality of images on at least one print medium (100) using a print tape (10), to implement the method according to claim 1, said device comprising a receiver to accommodate a feed roller for imaging tape (10), a receiver to accommodate a roller to receive the print tape (10), a printing head (1), means (18, 19, 33, 39) for driving the tape, arranged to drive the tape (10) in a forward direction from the feed roller to the receiving roller, passing in front of the printing head (1), means (18, 19, 34, 23, 35, 41, 26, 40) for driving the medium (100) arranged to drive the medium (100) in the forward direction in front of the printing head (1) and means (18, 19, 34, 23, 28, 29, 32) arranged to drive the tape (10) in the reverse direction, a device characterised by the fact that it comprises a single motor (18) for driving the tape (10) in the forward and reverse directions, rotary driving means (32) in a freewheel mounting, to drive the feed roller in the reverse direction, rotary driving means (33) in a freewheel mounting, to drive the receiving roller in the forward direction, means (30) to brake the driving of the feed roller when it is driven in the forward direction and means (31) to brake the driving of the receiving roller when it is driven in the reverse direction.
  9. Device according to claim 8, comprising means for tautening the tape when it is driven in the reverse direction.
  10. Device according to one of claims 8 and 9, wherein the means (18, 19, 34, 23, 35, 25, 26, 24) for driving the tape (10) in the reverse direction are arranged to unwind the tape (10) from the receiving roller and to rewind it on the feed roller.
EP99916965A 1998-04-30 1999-04-30 Economical printing method using an imaging tape and device for implementing said method Expired - Lifetime EP1075391B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR9805515A FR2778143B1 (en) 1998-04-30 1998-04-30 ECONOMIC PRINTING METHOD USING A PRINTING TAPE, PRINTING DEVICE, AND PRINTING TAPE FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD
FR9805515 1998-04-30
PCT/FR1999/001033 WO1999056961A1 (en) 1998-04-30 1999-04-30 Economical printing method using an imaging tape and device for implementing said method

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1075391A1 EP1075391A1 (en) 2001-02-14
EP1075391B1 true EP1075391B1 (en) 2002-03-20

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EP99916965A Expired - Lifetime EP1075391B1 (en) 1998-04-30 1999-04-30 Economical printing method using an imaging tape and device for implementing said method

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EP (1) EP1075391B1 (en)
JP (1) JP2002513700A (en)
AU (1) AU3526499A (en)
DE (1) DE69901058T2 (en)
FR (1) FR2778143B1 (en)
WO (1) WO1999056961A1 (en)

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP3574763B2 (en) 1999-08-11 2004-10-06 株式会社大生機械 Printing method with line thermal head
US7474323B2 (en) * 2005-08-02 2009-01-06 Sony Corporation Print apparatus, ribbon movement control device, ribbon film, ribbon movement control method, and program
JP4929032B2 (en) * 2007-04-26 2012-05-09 日本電産サンキョー株式会社 Printing device

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS6021279A (en) * 1983-07-15 1985-02-02 Toshiba Corp Image forming apparatus
JPS6114972A (en) * 1984-07-02 1986-01-23 Minolta Camera Co Ltd Transfer-type thermal color printer
JPS6131282A (en) * 1984-07-24 1986-02-13 Fuji Xerox Co Ltd Serial color thermal transfer printer
JPH0361061A (en) * 1989-07-28 1991-03-15 Nec Home Electron Ltd Printer
JPH03176175A (en) * 1989-12-06 1991-07-31 Canon Inc Thermal transfer recording apparatus
JPH0569643A (en) * 1991-09-11 1993-03-23 Sony Corp Ribbon cartridge type printer and ribbon cartridge
EP0635368A3 (en) * 1994-05-26 1995-09-06 Illinois Tool Works Method and apparatus for low cost thermal printing.

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Publication number Publication date
DE69901058T2 (en) 2002-10-31
WO1999056961A1 (en) 1999-11-11
DE69901058D1 (en) 2002-04-25
AU3526499A (en) 1999-11-23
JP2002513700A (en) 2002-05-14
EP1075391A1 (en) 2001-02-14
FR2778143B1 (en) 2000-06-09
FR2778143A1 (en) 1999-11-05

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