1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image generating apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to an image generating apparatus comprising a print head, including a print portion pressing an ink sheet, capable of printing images on papers.
2. Description of the Background Art
An image generating apparatus comprising a print head, including a print portion pressing an ink sheet, capable of printing images on papers is known in general, as disclosed in each of Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 2001-63868 and 7-156487 (1995), Japanese Patent No. 3832097 and Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-240091, for example.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-63868 discloses a thermal transfer recording apparatus (image generating apparatus) comprising a thermal head (print head), a protective cover provided on a first end of the thermal head for protecting a drive portion driving a heating element provided on the lower portion of the thermal head and guiding transportation of an ink sheet along the lower portion of the thermal head and a sheet guide provided on a second end of the thermal head for guiding transportation of the ink sheet passing through the heating element provided on the lower portion of the thermal head. In the thermal transfer recording apparatus (image generating apparatus) described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-63868, a contact surface of the protective cover coming into contact with the ink sheet in printing is enabled to come into contact with the ink sheet for expanding the central portion of the ink sheet more than both cross-sectional ends thereof, thereby transporting the ink sheet while applying stronger tension to the central portion thereof as compared with both cross-directional ends.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-156487 discloses a thermal transfer recording apparatus (image generating apparatus) comprising a thermal head (print head) and a guide bar provided on the rear end of the thermal head for controlling the transport direction for an ink donor film (ink sheet) passing through a heating resistor provided on the lower portion of the thermal head. In the thermal transfer recording apparatus (image generating apparatus) described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-156487, a contact surface of the guide bar coming into contact with the ink donor film in printing is bent with downward inclination from the cross-directional central portion toward both ends of the guide bar, so that the guide bar transports the ink donor film while bending both ends thereof in the same direction as the contact surface thereof.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent No. 3832097 discloses a thermal transfer printer (image generating apparatus) comprising a substrate provided with a heating element having a prescribed printing width on the lower surface thereof and a thermal head (print head) including a first guide portion integrally formed on a support plate mounted with the substrate for guiding transportation of a thermal transfer ribbon (ink sheet) and a second guide portion mounted on the lower surface of the substrate for guiding transportation of the thermal transfer ribbon. In the thermal transfer printer (image generating apparatus) described in Japanese Patent No. 3832097, the first guide member is so formed as to vary the sectional shape thereof along the cross direction of the thermal transfer ribbon, to be capable of transporting the thermal transfer ribbon while warping the same in the cross direction. The second guide portion is so formed as to have a sectional shape of a prescribed thickness along the cross direction of the thermal transfer ribbon, to be capable of controlling the position of the thermal transfer ribbon immediately before passage through the heating element.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-240091 discloses a thermal transfer printer (image generating apparatus) comprising a line thermal head (print head), a ribbon guide provided on the line thermal head for guiding transportation of an ink ribbon (ink sheet) along the lower portion of the line thermal head and a separation plate separating the ink ribbon from a recording paper after printing. In the thermal transfer printer (image generating apparatus) described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-240091, a ribbon sliding contact portion of the separation plate uniformly comes into contact with the ink ribbon along the cross direction after printing, so that the ink ribbon adhering to the recording paper in printing can be separated from the recording paper. Further, the ribbon sliding contact portion of the separation plate is provided with a plurality of strip-shaped grooves (ribbon guide portions), to be capable of preventing the ink ribbon from meandering.
However, the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-63868 proposing the thermal transfer recording apparatus (image generating apparatus) neither discloses nor suggests a member for controlling the transport direction for a recording paper (paper) when the recording paper is fed into the body of the apparatus. If the recording paper (paper) is fed into the body of the apparatus with unnecessary warpage, therefore, the recording paper (paper) may not be properly fed due to interference with any of the internal components of the apparatus. Further, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-63868 proposing the thermal transfer recording apparatus neither definitely describes nor suggests the relation between the cross-directional size of the protective cover and the width of the ink sheet. If the cross-directional size of the protective cover is smaller than the width of the ink sheet, therefore, the protective cover comes into contact with only a portion around the cross-directional central portion of the ink sheet, whereby the protective cover can conceivably not reliably apply tension to easily wrinkled cross-directional ends of the ink sheet. Therefore, wrinkling easily caused on the cross-directional ends of the ink sheet cannot be reliably suppressed, in particular.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-156487 proposing the thermal transfer recording apparatus (image generating apparatus) neither discloses nor suggests a member controlling the transport direction for a recording paper when the recording paper is fed into the body of the apparatus. If the recording paper is fed into the body of the apparatus with unnecessary warpage, therefore, the recording paper may not be properly fed due to interference with any of the internal components of the apparatus. Further, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 7-156487 proposing the thermal transfer recording apparatus neither definitely describes nor suggests the relation between the cross-directional length of the guide bar and the width of the ink donor film. If the cross-directional length of the guide bar is smaller than the width of the ink donor film, therefore, the guide bar comes into contact with only a portion around the cross-directional central portion of the ink donor film, whereby the guide bar can conceivably not reliably apply tension to easily wrinkled cross-directional ends of the ink donor. Therefore, wrinkling easily caused on the cross-directional ends of the ink donor film (ink sheet) cannot be reliably suppressed, in particular.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent No. 3832097 proposing the thermal transfer printer (image generating apparatus) neither discloses nor suggests a member controlling a supply path for a recording medium (paper) when the recording medium is supplied into the body of the printer. If the recording medium (paper) is fed into the body of the printer with unnecessary warpage, therefore, the recording medium (paper) may not be properly fed due to interference with any of the internal components of the printer. In the thermal transfer printer described in Japanese Patent No. 3832097, further, the second guide portion is conceivably so formed as to have a uniformly thick sectional shape along the cross direction of the thermal transfer ribbon, whereby the thermal transfer ribbon is transported while receiving uniform pressing force from the second guide portion on the cross-directional central portion and the cross-directional ends thereof. In this case, no tension is caused between the central and the ends of the thermal transfer ribbon in the cross direction thereof, whereby wrinkling easily caused on the cross-directional ends of the thermal transfer ribbon (ink sheet) cannot be suppressed, in particular.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-240091 proposing the thermal transfer printer (image generating apparatus) neither discloses nor suggests a member controlling the transport direction for the recording paper when the recording paper is fed into the body of the printer. If the recording paper is fed into the body of the printer with unnecessary warpage, therefore, the recording paper may not be properly fed due to interference with any of the internal components of the printer. In the thermal transfer printer described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-240091, further, the outer shape of the ribbon sliding contact portion of the separation plate is conceivably uniformized along the cross direction of the ink ribbon, whereby the ink ribbon is transported while receiving uniform pressing force from the ribbon sliding contact portion of the separation plate on the cross-directional central portion and the cross-directional ends thereof. In this case, no tension is caused between the central portion and the ends of the ink ribbon in the cross direction thereof, whereby wrinkling easily caused on the cross-directional ends of the ink ribbon (ink sheet) cannot be suppressed, in particular.
The present invention has been proposed in order to solve the aforementioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image generating apparatus capable of properly feeding papers in the body thereof and reliably suppressing wrinkling easily caused on cross-directional ends of an ink sheet.
An image generating apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises a print head, including a print portion pressing an ink sheet, capable of printing an image on a paper, a paper guide member guiding a transport direction for the paper when feeding the paper and an ink sheet guide member, having a central portion convexed toward a take-up direction for the ink sheet with respect to the print head in plan view, for guiding transportation of the ink sheet in printing, while a region of the paper guide member corresponding to a cross-directional end of the ink sheet integrally includes an ink sheet contact portion so shaped as to apply tension to the cross-directional end of the ink sheet.
As hereinabove described, the image generating apparatus according to the aspect of the present invention comprises the paper guide member guiding the transport direction for the paper when feeding the paper so that the paper guide member guides the transport direction for the paper even if the paper is fed into the apparatus with unnecessary warpage, thereby properly feeding the paper. The image generating apparatus further comprises the ink sheet guide member having the central portion convexed toward the take-up direction for the ink sheet with respect to the print head in plan view for guiding transportation of the ink sheet in printing so that the ink sheet guide member guides transportation of the ink sheet on anteroposteriorly different positions with respect to the take-up direction for the ink sheet on a cross-directional central portion and the cross-directional end of the ink sheet. In other words, transportation of the ink sheet is guided successively from the cross-directional end toward the central portion of the ink sheet, whereby wrinkling easily caused on the end of the ink sheet can be preferentially suppressed. Further, the region of the paper guide member corresponding to the cross-directional end of the ink sheet integrally includes the ink sheet contact portion so shaped as to apply tension to the cross-directional end of the ink sheet so that the cross-directional end of the ink sheet is transported in a state stretched by the ink sheet contact portion of the paper guide member, whereby wrinkling easily caused on the cross-directional end of the ink sheet can be more reliably suppressed also by the ink sheet contact portion of the paper guide member, in addition to the aforementioned effect of suppressing wrinkling by the ink sheet guide member.
In the image generating apparatus according to the aforementioned aspect, the paper guide member is preferably so formed as to rotate with the print head rotatable between a nonprinting position and a printing position for the paper, and the paper guide member is preferably so formed as to guide the transport direction for the paper when the print head rotates to the printing position. According to this structure, the paper guide member can rotate to a position for guiding the paper through the rotation of the print head in printing, thereby reliably guiding the transport direction for the paper.
In the image generating apparatus according to the aforementioned aspect, the ink sheet contact portion of the paper guide member is preferably so formed that a region corresponding to the cross-directional end of the ink sheet protrudes toward the ink sheet with respect to another region corresponding to a cross-directional central portion of the ink sheet. According to this structure, the ink sheet contact portion of the paper guide member can start coming into contact with the cross-directional end of the ink sheet from the cross-directional end region of the ink sheet contact portion and guide transportation of the ink sheet continuously in contact with the cross-directional end of the ink sheet. Therefore, the ink sheet is reliably in contact with the ink sheet contact portion on the cross-directional end thereof, whereby the surface thereof is stretched due to the pressing force received from the ink sheet contact portion. Consequently, wrinkling easily caused on the cross-directional end of the ink sheet can be easily suppressed.
The image generating apparatus according to the aforementioned aspect preferably further comprises a head portion pressing member for pressing the print head against the ink sheet by pressing the upper portion of the print head with prescribed pressing force in printing and an engaging member, mounted on the print head, including an engaging portion for engaging with the head portion pressing member and vertically moving the print head, and the ink sheet guide member is preferably integrally provided on the engaging member. According to this structure, the head portion pressing member so presses the upper portion of the print head that the pressing force thereof can be directly transmitted to the print head. Therefore, the oblong print head having a prescribed printing width in the longitudinal direction can be reliably pressed against the ink sheet with proper pressing force. Further, increase in the number of components constituting the print head can be suppressed dissimilarly to a case of providing the ink sheet guide member independently of the engaging member.
In the aforementioned structure comprising the head portion pressing member and the engaging member, the print head is preferably rotatable between a nonprinting position and a printing position for the paper, and the ink sheet guide member preferably includes a contact portion guiding a transport direction for the ink sheet by coming into contact with the ink sheet along a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction for the ink sheet when the print head rotates to the printing position. According to this structure, the ink sheet guide member comes into contact with the ink sheet along the direction substantially perpendicular to the transport direction for the ink sheet due to the contact portion, thereby horizontally uniformly guiding the ink sheet. Thus, the ink sheet can be regularly transported in the direction perpendicular to the contact portion.
In the aforementioned structure including the contact portion, the length of the contact portion of the ink sheet guide member is preferably larger than the cross-directional length of the ink sheet. According to this structure, the contact portion of the ink guide member comes into contact with the overall cross-directional region of the ink sheet, whereby transportation of the ink sheet can be more reliably guided.
In the aforementioned structure including the contact portion, the engaging member integrally provided with the ink sheet guide member is preferably made of sheet metal, and the contact portion of the ink sheet guide member coming into contact with the ink sheet is preferably formed in a U-shaped manner along the transport direction for the ink sheet by folding an end of the engaging member made of sheet metal. According to this structure, the ink sheet guide member can smoothly come into contact with the ink sheet on the contact portion when the ink sheet is taken up in printing, whereby the ink sheet can be prevented from scratching caused by the ink sheet guide member or wrinkling resulting from friction with the contact portion.
In the aforementioned structure comprising the head portion pressing member and the engaging member, the ink sheet guide member preferably has an inclined portion, the engaging member integrally provided with the ink sheet guide member preferably further includes a fixed portion mounted on the print head and a coupling portion connecting the fixed portion and the central portion of the ink sheet guide member with each other, and the inclined portion of the ink sheet guide member is preferably provided on a cross-directional end of the ink sheet guide member not connected with the coupling portion. According to this structure, the portion of the ink sheet guide member not connected with the coupling portion can be easily bent by bending a plate member, whereby the inclined portion of the ink sheet guide member can be easily formed.
In the aforementioned structure comprising the head portion pressing member and the engaging member, the image generating apparatus preferably further comprises a spring member for transmitting the pressing force of the head portion pressing member to the print head through the engaging member, and the engaging member is preferably enabled to fix the spring member. According to this structure, the engaging member may not be separately provided with a member for fixing the spring member, whereby increase in the number of components constituting the print head can be suppressed.
In the image generating apparatus according to the aforementioned aspect, the ink sheet guide member preferably has an inclined portion, the ink sheet is preferably stored in an ink sheet cartridge and taken up on a take-up bobbin of the ink sheet cartridge, the ink sheet guide member is preferably arranged between the print portion of the print head and the take-up bobbin, and the inclined portion of the ink sheet guide member is preferably provided on a cross-directional end of the print head in plan view, to be inclined from the side closer to the take-up bobbin toward the print head. According to this structure, the cross-directional end of the ink sheet is guided from a position closer to the print head with respect to the transport direction for the ink sheet due to the inclined portion of the ink sheet guide member, whereby the print head can more reliably press the ink sheet prevented from wrinkling.
In the image generating apparatus according to the aforementioned aspect, the ink sheet guide member preferably has an inclined portion, and the inclined portion of the ink sheet guide member is preferably provided on a position corresponding to a portion close to the cross-directional end of the ink sheet. According to this structure, the inclined portion of the ink sheet guide member can guide transportation of the ink sheet on the position corresponding to the portion close to the cross-directional end of the ink sheet, whereby the cross-directional end of the ink sheet can be easily prevented from wrinkling due to the inclined portion of the ink sheet guide member.
In the image generating apparatus according to the aforementioned aspect, the ink sheet is preferably stored in an ink sheet cartridge and transported from a supply bobbin of the ink sheet cartridge toward a take-up bobbin in printing, and the paper guide member integrally including the ink sheet contact portion is preferably arranged between the print portion of the print head and the supply bobbin. According to this structure, the ink sheet is transported without wrinkling the cross-directional end thereof on the section held between the print head and the paper guide member in printing, whereby the print head can reliably press the ink sheet prevented from wrinkling.
In the aforementioned structure provided with the ink sheet contact portion having the region protruding toward the ink sheet, the ink sheet contact portion of the paper guide member is preferably formed by an inclined surface curvedly inclined from the cross-directional central portion toward an end of the paper guide member. According to this structure, the ink sheet contact portion can come into contact with the ink sheet from the cross-directional end toward the central portion through the smooth inclined surface, whereby the transported ink sheet can be prevented from scratching or the like resulting from the shape of the ink sheet contact portion.
In the aforementioned structure provided with the ink sheet contact portion formed by the inclined surface, the length of the ink sheet contact portion of the paper guide member is preferably larger than the cross-directional length of the ink sheet. According to this structure, the transported ink sheet can be more reliably prevented from scratching or the like dissimilarly to a case where the cross-directional end of the ink sheet contact portion abruptly wrinkles or scratches the ink sheet by coming into contact with the ink sheet.
In the image generating apparatus according to the aforementioned aspect, the paper guide member is preferably made of resin, and the surface of the ink sheet contact portion of the paper guide member is preferably rounded along the transport direction for the ink sheet. According to this structure, the ink sheet contact portion can smoothly come into contact with the ink sheet also in the transport direction when the ink sheet is taken up in printing, whereby the ink sheet can be prevented from scratching caused by the ink sheet contact portion or wrinkling resulting from friction.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
An embodiment of the present invention is now described with reference to the drawings.
First, the structure of a sublimatic printer 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to
A printer body 90 of the sublimatic printer 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises a chassis 1 of metal, a print head 2 for printing, a platen roller 3 (see
As shown in
Two platen roller bearings 3a are mounted on the first and second side surfaces 1a and 1b of the chassis 1 respectively as shown in
First and second support portions 6a are provided on first and second ends of the support rod 6 respectively, as shown in
The head portion pressing member 7 is integrally provided with a pressing portion 7a and a gear portion 7b, as shown in
The head portion pressing members 7 and 8 are provided with D-shaped receiving holes 7c and 8c respectively, for receiving insertion portions 6b provided in the vicinity of both ends of the support rod 6 respectively. Thus, the support rod 6 and the head portion pressing member 8 are rotatable following rotation of the head portion pressing member 7. The head portion pressing members 7 and 8 are arranged closer to the first and second side surfaces 1a and 1b of the chassis 1 respectively, as shown in
The print head 2 includes a pair of support shafts 2a, a head portion 2b opposed to the platen roller 3 (see
According to this embodiment, a paper guide member 28 of resin is mounted on the head portion 2b from below the print head 2 as a separate member, as shown in
As shown in
According to this embodiment, an ink sheet contact portion 28f so bent that the cross-directional ends thereof protrude downward (along arrow Y) with respect to the central portion of the paper guide member 28 in the cross direction (along arrow X) and so formed that regions corresponding to cross-directional end regions 51b (along arrow X) of the ink sheet 51 can apply tension to these cross-directional end regions 51b (along arrow X) of the ink sheet 51 is provided on the rear end of the paper guide portion 28a connected with the vertical wall 28c along the cross direction (along arrow X) of the paper guide portion 28a, as shown in
According to this embodiment, the surface (corresponding to the inclined surface 28g curved in the cross direction) of the ink sheet contact portion 28f is rounded along a transport direction (along arrow A in
As shown in
As shown in
According to this embodiment, an engaging member 30 of sheet metal is mounted on the upper surface of the heat radiating portion 2d of the print head 2 with a screw 31, as show in
According to this embodiment, the ink sheet guide portion 30e is constituted of a flat portion 30f provided on a prescribed region of the cross-directional central portion (along arrow X) of the print head 2 and inclined portions 30g provided on both cross-directional ends (along arrow X) of the print head 2 and bent along the extensional direction of the flat portion 30f toward the front surface 2h of the head portion 2b to be inclined at a constant angle α in plan view, as shown in
According to this embodiment, the flat portion 30f of the ink sheet guide portion 30e has the length L1 (along the cross direction (along arrow X) of the print head 2) substantially identical to the length of the coupling portion 30d while the inclined portions 30g extend from cross-directional ends (corresponding to both ends of the flat portion 30f) of the ink sheet guide portion 30e not connected to the coupling portion 30d toward outer sides (cross-directional ends of the ink sheet 51), as shown in
According to this embodiment, a contact portion 30h of the ink sheet guide portion 30e coming into contact with the ink sheet 51 from above in printing is formed by folding a sheet metal member substantially by 180° to be U-shaped along the transport direction (along arrow A in
According to this embodiment, first and second spring fixing portions 30i and 30j are integrally provided on a region of the engaging member 30 located above the head portion 2b, as shown in
According to this embodiment, the first torsion coil spring 32 has a first end 32a pressed by the pressing portion 7a (see
The first end 32a of the first torsion coil spring 32 is stopped on the stop portion 30k of the engaging member 30, while the second end 32b thereof is fixed to the protrusion 30l of the engaging member 30, as shown in
When the head portion pressing member 8 rotates upward (along arrow Q2), the protrusion 8b of the head portion pressing member 8 and the notch 30a of the engaging portion 30b so engage with each other that the head portion 2b also rotates upward (along arrow P2), as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The take-up reel 16 is so formed as to engage with the take-up bobbin 53 arranged in a take-up bobbin storage portion 54b of the ink sheet cartridge 50 described later thereby taking up the ink sheet 51 wound on the take-up bobbin 53, as shown in
The lower paper guide 11a is set in the vicinity of the feed roller 4 and the press roller 5, as shown in
The housing 26 includes lid members 26a and 26b and pushbutton switches 26c, as shown in
The ink sheet cartridge 50 includes the supply bobbin 52 for supplying the ink sheet 51 and the take-up bobbin 53 for taking up the supplied ink sheet 51 along arrow A, as shown in
The printing operation of the sublimatic printer 100 according to this embodiment is now described with reference to
Before starting printing, the head portion 2b of the print head 2 is held on a position upwardly separating from the platen roller 3, as shown in
When the user presses any of the pushbutton switches 26c (see
Following the rotation of the print head 2 along arrow P1, each paper 60 is transported (fed) toward a printing start position from the state shown in
After substantially horizontally passing through the space between the print head 2 and the platen roller 3, the front end 60a of the paper 60 comes into contact with the lower surface of the paper guide portion 28a of the paper guide member 28 to be guided obliquely downward, as shown in
In paper feeding, the stepping motor 18 is so driven that the motor gear 36 mounted thereon rotates along arrow C3 and the feed roller gear 10 rotates along arrow C1 through the intermediate gears 21 and 22, as shown in
After the paper 60 is completely sensed, the head portion pressing members 7 and 8 further rotate along arrow Q1 while the print head 2 moves to the position for pressing the ink sheet 51 and the paper 60, as shown in
When rotating and coming into contact with the ink sheet 51 from above along arrow Y, the head portion 2b of the print head 2 starts coming into contact with the cross-directional end regions 51b (along arrow X) of the ink sheet 51 in advance of the cross-directional central region 51a (along arrow X) of the ink sheet 51, as shown in
Then, the heating elements 29 of the print portion 2e so generate heat as to melt and sublimate the ink of the ink sheet 51 (Y ink sheet), thereby transferring the ink to the paper 60.
Then, the stepping motor 18 is so driven that the motor gear 36 mounted thereon rotates along arrow D3 and the feed roller gear 10 rotates along arrow D1 through the intermediate gears 21 and 22, as shown in
When the ink sheet 51 is transported along arrow A immediately after the ink is transferred to the paper 60, the contact portion 30h changes the transport direction from the substantially horizontal direction to the obliquely upward direction on the positions R1 and R2 (shown by the black circles) of the flat portion 30f and each inclined portion 30g (shown by the thin two-dot chain line) of the ink sheet guide portion 30e for the central region 51a (shown by the solid line) and each end region 51b (shown by the thick two-dot chain line) of the ink sheet 51 respectively, as shown in
When the paper 60 is completely printed with the Y (yellow) ink sheet, the stepping motor 19 is so driven that the driving force thereof is transmitted to the gear portion 7b (see
Then, the stepping motor 18 is so driven that the motor gear 36 mounted thereon rotates along arrow C3 and the feed roller gear 10 rotates along arrow C1 through the intermediate gears 21 and 22, as shown in
After substantially horizontally passing through the space between the print head 2 and the platen roller 3, the front end 60a of the paper 60 comes into contact with the lower surface of the paper guide portion 28a of the paper guide member 28 to be guided obliquely downward, as shown in
Thereafter operations similar to the aforementioned printing operation with the Y (yellow) ink sheet shown in
According to this embodiment, the head portion 2b of the print head 2 also starts coming into contact with the cross-directional end regions 51b (along arrow X) of the ink sheet 51 in advance of the cross-directional central region 51a (along arrow X) of the ink sheet 51, as shown in
Then, the heating elements 29 of the print portion 2e so generate heat as to melt and sublimate the inks of the ink sheet 51 (M and C ink sheets), thereby transferring the inks to the paper 60.
Also when the ink sheet 51 is transported along arrow A immediately after the M and C inks are transferred to the paper 60, the contact portion 30h changes the transport direction from the substantially horizontal direction to the obliquely upward direction on the positions R1 and R2 (shown by the black circles) of the flat portion 30f and each inclined portion 30g (shown by the thin two-dot chain line) of the ink sheet guide portion 30e for the central region 51a (shown by the solid line) and each end region 51b (shown by the thick two-dot chain line) of the ink sheet 51 respectively, as shown in
When printed with all inks of the ink sheet 51, the paper 60 is transported in the paper discharge direction (along arrow U1 in
According to this embodiment, as hereinabove described, the sublimatic printer 100 comprises the paper guide member 28 guiding the transport direction for each paper 60 when feeding the paper 60 so that the paper guide member 28 guides the transport direction for the paper 60 even if the paper 60 is fed into the printer body 90 with unnecessary warpage, thereby properly feeding the paper 60. The sublimatic printer 100 further comprises the ink sheet guide member 30e having the central portion convexed toward the take-up direction (along arrow A in
According to this embodiment, the ink sheet 51 can pass through the ink sheet guide portion 30e while obliquely upwardly warping from the central region 51a coming into contact with the flat portion 30f of the ink sheet guide portion 30e toward the end regions 51b coming into contact with the inclined regions 30g as shown in
According to this embodiment, the paper guide member 28 integrally includes the ink sheet contact portion 28f having the regions, corresponding to the cross-directional end regions 51b (along arrow X in
According to this embodiment, the paper guide member 28 is mounted on the print head 2 (head portion 2b) rotatable between a nonprinting position and a printing position for each paper 60 from the side (lower side) of the print head 2 opposite to the paper 60 for guiding the transport direction for the paper 60 when the print head 2 rotates toward the printing position so that the paper guide member 28 can rotate to the position (see
According to this embodiment, the ink sheet contact portion 28f of the paper guide member 28 is so formed that the regions corresponding to the cross-directional end regions 51b (along arrow X in
According to this embodiment, the sublimatic printer 100 comprises the head portion pressing members 7 and 8 for pressing the upper portion of the head portion 2b of the print head 2 thereby pressing the print head 2 against the ink sheet 51 in printing and the engaging member 30 including the engaging portion 30b mounted on the upper surface of the heat radiating portion 2d of the print head 2 for engaging with the head portion pressing members 7 and 8 and vertically moving the print head 2 along arrows P1 and P2 (see
According to this embodiment, the ink sheet guide portion 30e includes the flat portion 30f (the contact portion 30h) coming into contact with the ink sheet 51 in the direction (along arrow X in
According to this embodiment, the length (total length of the flat portion 30f and the two inclined portions 30g) of the ink sheet guide portion 30e is larger than the cross-directional length (along arrow X in
According to this embodiment, the contact portion 30h of the ink sheet guide portion 30e coming into contact with the ink sheet 51 is formed by folding an end of the engaging member 30 of sheet metal substantially by 180° to be U-shaped along the transport direction (along arrow A in
According to this embodiment, the engaging member 30 integrally provided with the ink sheet guide portion 30e further includes the fixed portion 30c mounted on the print head 2 and the coupling portion 30d coupling the fixed portion 30c with the central portion of the ink sheet guide portion 30e while the inclined portions 30g of the ink sheet guide portion 30e are provided on the cross-directional ends (along arrow X in
According to this embodiment, the inclined portions 30g of the ink sheet guide portion 30e are inclined by the prescribed angle α with respect to the flat portion 30f of the ink sheet guide portion 30e so that the ink sheet 51 can horizontally symmetrically warp from the cross-directional central region 51a (along arrow X in
According to this embodiment, the sublimatic printer 100 comprises the first and second torsion coil springs 32 and 33 for transmitting the pressing force of the head portion pressing members 7 and 8 to the upper surface (upper portion) of the head portion 2b of the print head 2 through the engaging member 30 while the engaging member 30 is enabled to fix the first and second torsion coil springs 32 and 33 so that the engaging member 30 may not be separately provided with a member for fixing the first and second torsion coil springs 32 and 33, whereby increase in the number of components constituting the print head 2 can be suppressed.
According to this embodiment, the inclined portions 30g of the ink sheet guide portion 30e arranged between the print portion 2e of the print head 2 and the take-up bobbin 53 are provided on the sides of the cross-directional ends (along arrow X in
According to this embodiment, the ink sheet guide portion 30e can continuously warp the ink sheet 51 from the central region 51a toward the end regions 51b along the cross direction (along arrow X in
According to this embodiment, the inclined portions 30g of the ink sheet guide portion 30e are provided on the positions corresponding to portions close to the cross-directional end regions 51b of the ink sheet 51 for guiding transportation of the ink sheet 51 on the cross-directional end regions 51b (along arrow X in
According to this embodiment, the ink sheet 51 is stored in the ink sheet cartridge 50 and transported from the supply bobbin 52 of the ink sheet cartridge 50 toward the take-up bobbin 53 in printing while the paper guide member 28 integrally including the ink sheet contact portion 28f is arranged between the print portion 2e of the print head 2 and the supply bobbin 52 so that the ink sheet 51 is transported along arrow A (see
According to this embodiment, the ink sheet contact portion 28f of the paper guide member 28 is formed by the inclined surface 28g curvedly inclined from the cross-directional central portion (along arrow X in
According to this embodiment, the length of the ink sheet contact portion 28f of the paper guide member 28 is larger than the cross-directional length (along arrow X in
According to this embodiment, the paper guide member 28 is made of resin while the surface (corresponding to the inclined surface 28g) of the ink sheet contact portion 28f of the paper guide member 28 is rounded along the transport direction for the ink sheet 51 to be smoothly contactable with the ink sheet 51 also in the transport direction (along arrow A in
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims.
For example, while the aforementioned embodiment is applied to the sublimatic printer 100 employed as an exemplary image generating apparatus, the present invention is not restricted to this but is also applicable to another image generating apparatus other than the sublimatic printer, so far as the same comprises a print head, including a print portion coming into contact with an ink sheet, capable of printing images on papers.
While the ink sheet contact portion 28f is formed by the inclined surface 28g so bent that the cross-directional ends protrude beyond the cross-directional central portion with respect to the ink sheet 51 in the aforementioned embodiment, the present invention is not restricted to this but the ink sheet guide portion 30e may alternatively be provided with a flat portion, having a prescribed distance, parallel to the ink sheet 51 on the cross-directional central portion thereof and connected with an inclined surface inclined from both ends of the flat portion toward the ends of the ink sheet contact portion 28f at a prescribed angle.
While the ink sheet guide portion 30e is provided with the inclined portions 30g inclined at the constant angle α on both ends of the flat portion 30f in the aforementioned embodiment, the present invention is not restricted to this but inclined portions having not a constant inclined angle but bent inclined surfaces, for example, may alternatively be formed on both ends of the flat portion 30f.
While the paper guide member 28 is made of resin in the aforementioned embodiment, the present invention is not restricted to this but the paper guide member 28 may alternatively be made of sheet metal and the ink sheet contact portion 28f may alternatively be formed by bending a plate member, similarly to the case of forming the flat portion 30f and the inclined portion 30g on the ink sheet guide portion 30e of the engaging member 30 by sheet metal working.
While the engaging member 30 is made of sheet metal in the aforementioned embodiment, the present invention is not restricted to this but the engaging member 30 may alternatively be constituted of an integrally molded component formed by a resin member.
While the first and second torsion coil springs 32 and 33 transmit the pressing force of the head portion pressing members 7 and 8 to the upper portion of the print head 2 through the engaging member 30 in the aforementioned embodiment, the present invention is not restricted to this but spring members other than torsion coil springs may alternatively transmit the pressing force of the head portion pressing members 7 and 8 to the upper portion of the print head 2.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2007-2326 | Jan 2007 | JP | national |