Printer and recording method

Abstract

A printer is provided with a recording portion including a recording head for recording on one side of a recording medium, a thermal activation portion including a thermal head for heating the other side of the recording medium, a first discharge port disposed on a downstream side of the recording portion, a second discharge port disposed on the downstream side of the thermal activation portion, and a conveying roller arranged between the recording portion and the first discharge port. The conveying roller is capable of conveying the recording medium from the recording portion to the first discharge port through normal rotation. Further, the conveying roller is capable of changing the course of the recording medium conveyed from the recording portion and conveying the recording medium to the thermal activation portion through reverse rotation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet constituting an example of the recording medium.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a recording method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing how the recording medium is cut in the printer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view showing how a pair of conveying rollers nips the trailing end portion of the recording medium in the printer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing how the recording medium is thermally activated in the printer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing how discharge operation with respect to the thermally activated recording medium is performed in the printer shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of an ordinary label constituting an example of the recording medium.

FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view showing how a pair of conveying rollers nips a heat-sensitive adhesive sheet in a printer according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic sectional view showing how discharge operation with respect to the ordinary label is performed in the printer of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional printer.

Claims

1. A printer, comprising: a recording portion including a recording head for performing recording on one side of a recording medium and a conveying mechanism for the recording medium;a thermal activation portion arranged at a position off a course of the recording medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism of the recording portion and including a thermal activation head adapted to heat the other side of the recording medium and a conveying mechanism for the recording medium;a first discharge port provided on a downstream side of the course of the recording medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism of the recording portion;a second discharge port provided on the downstream side of the course of the recording medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism of the thermal activation portion; anda conveying roller arranged between the recording portion and the first discharge port, capable of conveying the recording medium from the recording portion to the first discharge port through normal rotation, and capable of changing the course of the recording medium conveyed from the recording portion and conveying the recording medium to the thermal activation portion through reverse rotation.

2. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a control device which, when a recording medium having on one side thereof a recording surface on which recording is to be performed and on the other side thereof a heat-sensitive adhesive layer is supplied, causes the conveying roller to make normal rotation until a trailing end portion of the recording medium, on the recording surface of which recording has been performed, reaches the conveying roller, causing the conveying roller to start reverse rotation in a state in which the trailing end portion of the recording medium is nipped, and which, when a recording medium having on one side thereof a recording surface on which recording is to be performed and requiring no heating of the other side thereof is supplied, causes the conveying roller to make normal rotation until the recording medium on the recording surface of which recording has been performed is discharged through the first discharge port.

3. The printer according to claim 2, wherein: the thermal activation head heats the heat-sensitive adhesive layer of the recording medium changed in course and conveyed through the reverse rotation of the conveying roller to thereby develop adhesiveness; andthe conveying mechanism of the thermal activation portion discharges the recording medium through the second discharge port.

4. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the recording medium having on the one side thereof the recording surface on which recording is to be performed and requiring no heating of the other side thereof is a recording sheet on which no adhesive layer is provided or an ordinary label on which an adhesive layer covered with a separation sheet is provided.

5. The printer according to claim 1, wherein when the recording head of the recording portion and the thermal activation head of the thermal activation portion are thermal heads, the conveying mechanism of the recording portion is a platen roller for recording, and the conveying mechanism of the thermal activation portion is a platen roller for thermal activation.

6. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a temporary stocking portion arranged on a downstream side of the conveying roller and capable of temporarily retaining the recording medium on the one side of which recording has been performed.

7. The printer according to claim 6, wherein the temporary stocking portion temporarily retains the recording medium prior to a conveyance of the recording medium to the thermal activation portion through the reverse rotation of the conveying roller, and the recording medium discharged through the first discharge port through the normal rotation of the conveying roller is not introduced into the temporary stocking portion.

8. The printer according to any one of claim 1, wherein a temporary stocking portion capable of temporarily retaining the recording medium prior to a conveyance of the recording medium to the thermal activation portion through the reverse rotation of the conveying roller and a discharge guide for guiding the recording medium discharged through the first discharge port through the normal rotation of the conveying roller, are detachably and interchangeably mounted on a downstream side of the conveying roller.

9. The printer according to any one of claim 1, wherein the thermal activation portion and the second discharge port are provided in a unit detachable with respect to a casing of the printer, and when discharging the recording medium through the first discharge port, the unit can be detached from the casing.

10. A recording method using a printer comprising: a recording portion including a recording head for performing recording on one side of a recording medium and a conveying mechanism for the recording medium;a thermal activation portion arranged at a position off a course of the recording medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism of the recording portion and including a thermal activation head adapted to heat the other side of the recording medium and a conveying mechanism for the recording medium;a first discharge port provided on a downstream side of the course of the recording medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism of the recording portion;a second discharge port provided on the downstream side of the course of the recording medium conveyed by the conveying mechanism of the thermal activation portion; anda conveying roller arranged between the recording portion and the first discharge port, wherein:when recording is to be performed on one side of the recording medium and thermal activation is to be effected on the other side thereof, the following steps are executed:a step of performing recording on the one side of the recording medium by the recording head and conveying the recording medium by the conveying mechanism of the recording portion and the conveying roller until a trailing end portion of the recording medium reaches the conveying roller;a step of conveying the recording medium toward the thermal activation portion through reverse rotation of the conveying roller in a state in which the conveying roller nips the trailing end portion of the recording medium; anda step of heating the other side of the recording medium conveyed through the reverse rotation of the conveying roller by the thermal activation head and conveying the recording medium by the conveying mechanism of the thermal activation portion to discharge the recording medium through the second discharge port; andwhen recording is to be performed on one side of the recording medium and no heating is to be performed on the other side thereof, there is executeda step of performing recording on the one side of the recording medium by the recording head and conveying the recording medium by the conveying mechanism of the recording portion and the conveying roller to discharge the recording medium through the first discharge port.

11. The recording method according to claim 10, wherein when recording is to be performed on the one side of the recording medium and thermal activation is to be effected on the other side thereof, the recording medium prior to a conveyance thereof to the thermal activation portion through the reverse rotation of the conveying roller is temporarily retained by a temporary stocking portion provided on a downstream side of the conveying roller.

12. The recording method according to claim 10, wherein the thermal activation portion and the second discharge port are provided in a unit detachable with respect to a casing of the printer, and when discharging the recording medium through the first discharge port, the unit is detached from the casing in advance.

13. A printer for performing recording on one side of a recording medium and heating the other side of the recording medium for thermal activation, comprising: a recording portion for performing recording on one side of the recording medium;a thermal activation portion for heating the other side of the recording medium; anda course changing mechanism for changing a course from the recording portion in a normal direction toward the thermal activation portion in a reverse direction which is off a course of the recording medium from the recording portion.

14. A recording method for performing recording on one side of a recording medium and heating the other side of the recording medium for thermal activation, comprising the steps of: conveying the recording medium in a normal direction to perform recoding on one side of the recording medium;changing a course of the recording medium in the normal direction to a reverse direction which is off a course of the recording medium conveyed in the normal direction; andconveying the recording medium in the reverse direction to heat the other side of the recording medium.