Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US7381001?dq=7181427
Timestamp: 2013-12-04 22:28:47
Document Index: 214265404

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 31', 'art 31', 'art 38', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 6', 'art 9', 'art 6', 'art 9', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'Application No. 2005101253732']

Patent US7381001 - Thermal transfer printer - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Advanced Patent Search | Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA thermal transfer printer includes a thermal head, a platen roller which allows the thermal head to be in the head up/down state, an ink ribbon which is drawn between the thermal head and the platen roller, a paper feed roller which can convey a recording paper. A peeling member is disposed on the downstream...http://www.google.com/patents/US7381001?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US7381001 - Thermal transfer printerPublication numberUS7381001 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 11/271,260Publication dateJun 3, 2008Filing dateNov 8, 2005Priority dateNov 17, 2004Fee statusPaidAlso published asCN1775536A, CN100393524C, DE602005021945D1, EP1661715A2, EP1661715A3, EP1661715B1, US20060104695Publication number11271260, 271260, US 7381001 B2, US 7381001B2, US-B2-7381001, US7381001 B2, US7381001B2InventorsTakahito Maruyama, Yoshibumi AbeOriginal AssigneeAlps Electric Co., LtdPatent Citations (27), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (1), Classifications (9), Legal Events (2) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetThermal transfer printerUS 7381001 B2Abstract A thermal transfer printer includes a thermal head, a platen roller which allows the thermal head to be in the head up/down state, an ink ribbon which is drawn between the thermal head and the platen roller, a paper feed roller which can convey a recording paper. A peeling member is disposed on the downstream side of the thermal head in a conveyance direction of the recording paper and can peel the ink ribbon adhered onto the recording paper during printing, and an optical ribbon detecting sensor, which can detect a color discernment marker corresponding to an ink surface of a desired color formed on the surface of the ink ribbon, is disposed between the thermal head and the peeling member.
A thermal transfer printer 31 according to a related art will be described with reference to an invention disclosed in JP-A-2002-144616. As shown in FIG. 4, the thermal transfer printer 31 includes a printer main body 31 a, a cassette mounting part 31 b that can mount a ribbon cassette 39, to be described below, in the printer main body 31 a. In addition, a platen roller 32 is disposed in the printer main body 31 a, and a thermal head 33 is disposed above the platen roller 32.
The ink ribbon 38 is accommodated in the ribbon cassette 39 in a state in which both ends thereof are wound around a supply reel 39 a and a take-up reel 39 b. As shown in FIG. 5, the ink ribbon 38 repeatedly forms ink surfaces 38 a, 38 b and 38 c made of, for example, a yellow ink (Y), a cyan ink (C) and a magenta ink (M) and an overcoat layer 38 d made of a transparent ink. These ink surfaces 38 a, 38 b, 38 c and each of the overcoat layers 38 d are formed in a size slightly larger than the printed area of the recording paper 34.
During printing, the ink ribbon 38, which is closely in contact with the recording paper 34, is separated from the thermal head 33 at a predetermined separation angle, then passes by a guide roller 39 g and is wound around the take-up reel 39 b. A paper feed roller 40 and a pressure-contact roller 41 which is pressure-contacted to the paper feed roller 40 are disposed on the left side of the platen roller 32 in the drawing. While being pinched between the paper feed roller 40 and the pressure-contact roller 41, the recording paper 34 is conveyed in a direction indicated by an arrow A.
When the ribbon cassette 39 is mounted in the cassette mounting part 31 b, the pressure-contact roller 41 is located in the relief groove 39 d. In a portion where the relief groove 39 d is located, an optical ribbon detecting sensor 42 is disposed. A reflective part (not shown) having glossiness which reflects a light irradiated from the ribbon detecting sensor 42 is formed in a partition wall 39 e which faces the ribbon detecting sensor 42. A dimension from a heating element of the thermal head 33 in a head down state to the ribbon detecting sensor 42 is equal to a dimension B of the space part 38 d of the ink ribbon 38.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of an aspect of the invention to provide a thermal transfer printer which can reduce the running cost of an ink ribbon so as to decrease printing cost for one recording paper.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing essential parts of a thermal transfer printer according to the invention;
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Hereinafter, a thermal transfer printer according to an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views showing essential parts of a thermal transfer printer according to the invention, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an ink ribbon according to the invention.
The head supporting member 6 includes a head supporting part 6 a to which the head mounting table 5 is mounted and an extension part 6 b which extends in the right direction (in the drawing) from the head supporting part 6 a in a crank shape. A heat sink part 6 c, which can radiate the heat of the thermal head 4, is mounted to the extension part 6 b. Furthermore, at a right end of the extension part 6 b in the drawing, a supporting arm 6 d is mounted downward, and the supporting arm 6 d is rotatably supported to a support shaft 7 which is bridged and supported by a side plate of the main body case 2.
A lower end of a first coil spring 8 is supported by the head supporting part 6 a of the head supporting member 6. Furthermore, an upper end of the first coil spring 8 is elastically urged by a pressure-contact plate 9 a of a pressure-contact member 9. The pressure-contact member 9 includes the long pressure-contact plate 9 a which is parallel to a longitudinal direction of the thermal head 4 on one end thereof, and both ends of the pressure-contact plate 9 a are integrally formed on one end of a pair of rotating arms 9 b. In addition, the other ends of the rotating arms 9 b are supported by the support shaft 7, and the pressure-contact plate 9 a moves up and down as the rotating arms 9 b rotate about the support shaft 7 as a fulcrum.
In the pressure-contact member 9, a holding part 9 c is formed by cutting and bending a portion of each of the rotating arms 9 b, and the extension part 6 b of the head supporting member 6 is held by the holding part 9 c. Further, the pressure-contact member 9 is elastically urged upward by an elastic member (not shown). Therefore, when the pressure-contact plate 9 a is released from pressure-contact that is caused by a cam member 10 to be described below, the head supporting member 6 and the pressure-contact member 9 rotates upward about the support shaft 7 as a fulcrum so that the stated of the thermal head 4 changes to the head up state. Furthermore, the pressure-contact member 9 can move up and down as the pressure-contact plate 9 a is pressed against the cam member 10, which is rotatably supported by a support shaft 10 a supported on the side plate 2 a. A head guide 11 is disposed separately from the head supporting member 6 so as to surround the head mounting table 5 to which the thermal head 4 is mounted. The head guide 11 has a hollow part 11 a formed therein, and a lower portion of the hollow part 11 a is opened by an opening 11 b. In addition, a peeling roller 11 c is rotatably supported at a lower left end of the head guide 11 in the drawing so as to strip an ink ribbon 18 adhered to a recording paper 17, to be described below, during printing.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS4739341 *Jun 17, 1986Apr 19, 1988Hitachi, Ltd.Heat sensitive transfer recording apparatus and methodUS4962387 *May 23, 1989Oct 9, 1990Minolta Camera Kabushiki KaishaThermal transfer printing apparatusUS5110229 *Feb 6, 1991May 5, 1992Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Printing device having a ribbon cassette with a end of ribbon sensorUS5144335 *Oct 2, 1991Sep 1, 1992Eastman Kodak CompanyThermal printer donor guide rollerUS5266967Aug 12, 1992Nov 30, 1993Eastman Kodak CompanyEdge reading donor sensors for a thermal printerUS5434597Nov 12, 1993Jul 18, 1995Ricoh Company, Ltd.Thermal transfer recorderUS5516219 *Aug 1, 1994May 14, 1996Lasermaster CorporationHigh resolution combination donor/direct thermal printerUS5547183 *Aug 31, 1992Aug 20, 1996Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaImaging deviceUS5609425 *Feb 22, 1995Mar 11, 1997Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.Thermal sublimation printer for use with different ribbonsUS5903299 *Apr 2, 1997May 11, 1999Shinko Electric Co., Ltd.Thermal color printerUS5921687 *Aug 24, 1995Jul 13, 1999Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaPrinting apparatusUS5936653May 28, 1996Aug 10, 1999Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaThermal transfer printing mechanism and facsimile deviceUS6006014 *Oct 29, 1997Dec 21, 1999Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaTape-shaped label printing device having color range setting meansUS6019529 *Oct 28, 1996Feb 1, 2000Minolta Co., Ltd.Ink film cassette and reelUS6042280 *May 12, 1997Mar 28, 2000Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaTape label printing deviceUS6141115 *Sep 2, 1997Oct 31, 2000Casio Computer Co., Ltd.Printing apparatus and printing methodUS6152621 *Feb 2, 1999Nov 28, 2000Moore U.S.A., Inc.Multicolor thermal transfer imaging processUS6309118 *Jun 7, 2000Oct 30, 2001Sony CorporationInk ribbonUS7014376 *Jan 16, 2004Mar 21, 2006Alps Electric Co., Ltd.Thermal printerUS7217047 *Jun 1, 2005May 15, 2007Alps Electric Co., Ltd.Thermal transfer printerUS20010052923 *Jun 14, 2001Dec 20, 2001Victor Company Of Japan, Ltd.Thermal transfer recording apparatus and its recording methodGB2289444A Title not availableJP2002144616A Title not availableJP2004050598A Title not availableJPH09188048A Title not availableJPH09202027A * Title not availableJPS5952668A Title not available* Cited by examinerNon-Patent CitationsReference1Chinese First Notice of Examiner's Opinion for Application No. 2005101253732 including an English translation.2European Search Report for Application No. EP 05 25 6791, dated Sep. 19, 2007.Referenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS7726892 *Aug 30, 2006Jun 1, 2010Eastman Kodak CompanyDonor cartridge for thermal printer* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification400/120.01, 400/120.16International ClassificationB41J2/32, B41J2/315, B41J2/325Cooperative ClassificationB41J35/18, B41J2/325European ClassificationB41J35/18, B41J2/325Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionSep 23, 2011FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Nov 18, 2005ASAssignmentOwner name: ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD., JAPANFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:MARUYAMA, TAKAHITO;ABE, YOSHIBUMI;REEL/FRAME:017238/0189Effective date: 20051017RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services©2012 Google