Dye-sublimation printer and control method thereof

Abstract

To provide a sublimation type printer and a control method for the sublimation type printer that allow jamming to be prevented without increasing the number of components.SOLUTION: In a printer 1, when a sheet conveyance unit 23 conveys a sheet P in a reverse direction RD during non-printing and makes it pass between a platen roller 25 and a thermal head 39, a ribbon feed roll 31 ink ribbon T is fed in synchronization with conveyance of the sheet P by the sheet conveyance unit 23 until the ink ribbon T no longer contacts the sheet P, and the ink ribbon T is wound around a ribbon take-up roll 33. Accordingly, the ink ribbon T is prevented from being entangled in the sheet conveyance unit 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dye-sublimation printer and a control method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Dye-sublimation printers print on paper by heating an ink ribbon that is in close contact with the paper. When not printing, the ink ribbon is kept separate from the paper. However, when paper is transported near the ink ribbon, depending on the type and condition of the paper, the paper and the ink ribbon may come into contact and the ink ribbon may stick to the paper. When this happens, the ink ribbon may be pulled out along with the paper to the rollers that transport the paper, causing the ink ribbon to jam. Therefore, innovations to prevent jams are being considered.

[0003] For example, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, air is injected between the paper and the ink ribbon to prevent the paper and the ink ribbon from sticking together, thereby preventing jams. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-64318 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 requires the installation of a blower to inject air, which increases the number of parts in the dye-sublimation printer. Also, there are several possible reasons why paper may stick to the ink ribbon, and simply blowing air may not be enough to prevent jams.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a dye-sublimation printer and a method for controlling the dye-sublimation printer that can prevent jams without increasing the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the printer of the present invention has a paper transport section that transports paper in a forward direction and a reverse direction along a transport path, a ribbon supply roll around which an ink ribbon can be wound so as to be able to be unwound, and a ribbon take-up roll that takes up and winds up the unwound ink ribbon, and is equipped with an ink ribbon section that is arranged so that a transfer surface of the ink ribbon stretched by a guide section between the ribbon supply roll and the ribbon take-up roll faces the paper transported along the transport path and pays out the ink ribbon in the reverse direction along the transport path, a thermal head that is arranged on the opposite side of the transfer surface of the ink ribbon stretched by the guide section and presses the ink ribbon stretched by the guide section against the paper transported along the transport path and transfers the ink on the transfer surface to the paper by heat to perform printing, and a platen roller that is arranged on the opposite side of the paper against which the ink ribbon is pressed from the side where the thermal head is positioned and supports the paper against which the ink ribbon is pressed.

[0008] When the paper transport unit transports the paper in the reverse direction and passes it between the platen roller and the thermal head during non-printing, the ink ribbon unit unwinds the ink ribbon with the ribbon unwinding roll in synchronization with the transport of the paper by the paper transport unit until the ink ribbon is no longer in contact with the paper, and then winds it up with the ribbon winding roll, thereby preventing the ink ribbon from getting caught in the paper transport unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] By doing this, in the present invention, the ribbon take-up roll takes up the ink ribbon so that it advances in sync with the transport of the paper, so even if the ink ribbon comes into contact with the paper and sticks to it as it is transported along with the paper, the ink ribbon is forced to move along the path that allows it to be taken up by the ribbon take-up roll, and is separated from the paper. Therefore, in the present invention, the ink ribbon does not get caught in the paper transport section. As a result, jams can be prevented without increasing the number of parts.

[0010] The synchronized winding operation of the ink ribbon onto the ribbon winding roll during non-printing periods only needs to be performed within the range or period in which the ink ribbon is not in contact with the paper. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a dye-sublimation printer. [Figure 2A] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a vertical plane passing through the center of the printer in the width direction and along the front-rear direction. [Figure 2B] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the main body is pulled out from the exterior cover. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the ribbon mechanism of the printer. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a simplified cross-sectional view showing a standby state. [Figure 5A] 10A to 10C are simplified cross-sectional views showing the flow of printing. [Figure 5B] 10A to 10C are simplified cross-sectional views showing the flow of printing. [Figure 5C] 10A to 10C are simplified cross-sectional views showing the flow of printing. [Figure 5D] 10A to 10C are simplified cross-sectional views showing the flow of printing. [Figure 5E] 10A to 10C are simplified cross-sectional views showing the flow of printing. [Figure 5F] 10A to 10C are simplified cross-sectional views showing the flow of printing. [Figure 6A] 10A and 10B are simplified cross-sectional views showing the flow from printing to transition to a standby state. [Figure 6B] 10A and 10B are simplified cross-sectional views showing the flow from printing to transition to a standby state. [Figure 6C] 10A and 10B are simplified cross-sectional views showing the flow from printing to transition to a standby state. [Figure 6D] 10A and 10B are simplified cross-sectional views showing the flow from printing to transition to a standby state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A dye-sublimation printer according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] <Configuration> Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a dye-sublimation printer 1 (hereinafter referred to as printer 1), Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view of a vertical plane passing through the center of the width direction W of the printer 1 and along the front-to-back direction L, Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view showing the state when the main body is pulled out from the outer cover, and Figure 3 is a left side view of the ribbon mechanism part of the printer 1.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the printer 1 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape overall, and includes a main body 3 and a trash can 5. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, a left-right direction (width direction) W, a front-rear direction (length direction) L, and a top-bottom direction (height direction) H are defined.

[0015] The main body 3 is formed by covering the outside of a metal frame with a metal exterior cover 7 and a resin front case 9. Inside the main body 3, as shown in Fig. 2A, a paper storage chamber 11 that stores roll paper 10 and a ribbon storage chamber 13 that stores an ink ribbon unit 12 are formed.

[0016] The front case 9 is disposed at the upper front part of the main body 3. The front case 9 is disposed opposite the cutter unit 15 disposed at the upper front part of the main body 3, and covers the cutter unit 15.

[0017] A discharge opening 17 is formed on the front surface of the front case 9, through which the paper P conveyed from inside the main body 3 is discharged to the outside. The discharge opening 17 is formed to have a dimension longer than the width of the paper P.

[0018] In addition to the paper storage chamber 11 and ribbon storage chamber 13, the main body 3 also includes a power source, a paper transport unit, a ribbon transport unit, a cutter unit 15, a control unit, and the like.

[0019] The trash can 5 is detachably attached to the main body 3 so as to cover the front opening of the main body 3. As shown in Fig. 1, the trash can 5 is engaged with the main body 3 in the closed state to maintain the closed state, and can be disengaged by pulling it forward and removed from the main body 3. Furthermore, when the trash can 5 is removed from the main body 3, it can be pushed backward R to engage with and attach to the main body 3, and maintained in this attached state.

[0020] The trash can 5 is formed in a box shape with an open top and an internal space 5a. The opening 5b at the top of the trash can 5 is formed below the gap K formed between the discharge port 17 of the front case 9 and the cutter unit 15.

[0021] When the cutter unit 15 cuts off the margin of the paper P as a long, thin strip of paper in the width direction W of the paper P, the paper falls, passes through the gap K between the discharge port 17 and the cutter unit 15, and is stored in the internal space 5a of the trash can 5 through the opening 5b.

[0022] The paper storage chamber 11 stores roll paper 10, which is a long strip of paper P wound into a roll. For example, photo paper, which is thicker and more stiff than regular paper, is used as the paper P. As shown in FIG. 2B, the roll paper 10 can be replaced by pulling out the main body 3 from the exterior cover 7, lifting up the upper front part of the main body 3 equipped with the front case 9, and removing the trash can 5.

[0023] The main body 3 is provided with a transport mechanism 19 that unwinds paper P from the roll paper 10 stored in the paper storage chamber 11 and transports it along the transport path CP. The transport path CP is the path indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2A that extends from the position of the roll paper 10 to the discharge outlet 17. In this embodiment, the transport direction from the position of the roll paper 10 to the discharge outlet 17 is defined as the forward direction FD, and the opposite direction is defined as the reverse direction RD. The paper P is transported along the transport path CP in the forward and reverse directions by the transport mechanism 19, and is finally discharged from the discharge outlet 17. When transporting paper P in the forward direction FD of the transport path CP, the roll paper 10 rotates counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 2A, and when transporting paper P in the reverse direction RD, it rotates clockwise.

[0024] The transport mechanism 19 is arranged along the transport path CP. The transport mechanism 19 includes a roll paper feed roller 21, a grip roller (paper transport section) 23, a platen roller 25, and a feed roller 27, which are arranged in this order from the paper storage chamber 11 along the transport path CP.

[0025] The roll paper feed roller 21 has a drive roller 21A and a driven roller 21B, which sandwich the paper P between them, and the paper P is transported by the rotation of the drive roller 21A. The grip roller 23 has a drive roller 23A and a driven roller 23B, which similarly sandwich the paper P between them, and the paper P is transported by the rotation of the drive roller 23A. The platen roller 25 is positioned opposite the thermal head (described below), and supports the paper P against which the ink ribbon is pressed. The feed roller 27 transports the paper P and discharges it from the discharge opening 17. The rotation of the drive roller 21A, drive roller 23A, and feed roller 27 is controlled by the control unit. The control unit is driven by power supplied from the power source.

[0026] The main body 3 also has an ink ribbon section IR that transports the ink ribbon T of the ink ribbon unit 12 housed in the ribbon housing chamber 13. The ink ribbon T is a strip-shaped sheet in which yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) ink regions and an overcoat (OP) region are repeatedly and alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction. The ink ribbon T is indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2A. As shown in FIG. 2B, the ink ribbon unit 12 can be replaced by pulling out the main body 3 from the exterior cover 7. The ink ribbon unit 12 includes a ribbon supply roll 31, a ribbon take-up roll 33, and two driven rollers 35 and 37.

[0027] The ribbon supply roll 31 winds the long strip-shaped ink ribbon T in a roll shape so that the ink ribbon T can be supplied. The ribbon take-up roll 33 is disposed closer to the grip roller 23 than the ribbon supply roll 31, and takes up the supplied ink ribbon T.

[0028] The two driven rollers 35 and 37 serve as guides between the ribbon supply roll 31 and the ribbon take-up roll 33. The two driven rollers 35 and 37, the ribbon supply roll 31, and the ribbon take-up roll 33 are arranged so that the ink ribbon T approaches the transport path CP from the ribbon supply roll 31 toward the driven roller 35, the transfer surface of the ink ribbon T stretched between the two driven rollers 35 and 37 faces the paper transported along the transport path, and the ink ribbon T moves away from the transport path CP from the driven roller 37 toward the ribbon take-up roll 33. This allows the ink ribbon T to pass between the platen roller 25 and the thermal head 39 but not between the drive roller 23A and driven roller 23B of the grip roller (paper transport unit) 23, which is located on the reverse direction RD side of the driven roller 37. In other words, when the paper P moves in the reverse direction RD, the position of the driven roller 37 is the branch point between the paper P and the ink ribbon T.

[0029] 2A to pay out the ink ribbon T, which is then wound up by the ribbon take-up roll 33, which rotates clockwise in sync with the ink ribbon T, so that the ink ribbon T is paid out in the reverse direction RD along the conveyance path CP. During printing, the ink ribbon T is paid out in the reverse direction RD along the conveyance path CP in synchronization with the paper P moving along the conveyance path CP in the reverse direction RD.

[0030] The drive mechanisms for the ribbon pay-out roll 31 and ribbon take-up roll 33 will be described with reference to Figure 3. The drive mechanism DM1 for the ribbon pay-out roll 31 includes a pay-out motor 31A, a gear train 31B having multiple gears, and a ribbon pay-out shaft 31C. The ribbon pay-out shaft 31C is fixed to the center of one of the gears of the gear train 31B and includes a torque limiter.

[0031] The drive mechanism DM2 for the ribbon take-up roll 33 includes a take-up motor 33A, a wheel train 33B having a worm gear and a worm wheel, and a ribbon take-up shaft 33C. The ribbon take-up shaft 33C is fixed to the center of the worm wheel of the wheel train 33B, and rotates when the take-up motor 33A rotates, winding up the ink ribbon T. A self-lock occurs between the worm gear and the worm wheel, so that the worm gear does not rotate even when the ribbon take-up shaft 33C (i.e., the worm wheel) is rotated. When the ink ribbon T is unwound from the ribbon unwinding roll 31 side to the ribbon winding roll 33 side, the winding-side motor 33A is rotated, causing the ribbon winding shaft 33C to rotate, thereby unwinding the ink ribbon T from the ribbon unwinding roll 31. At this time, the torque limiter is activated, and the unwinding-side motor 31A is rotated in the reverse direction so that the ink ribbon T is fed out with a constant torque. When the ink ribbon T is rewound from the ribbon take-up roll 33 side to the ribbon supply roll 31 side, the take-up side motor 33A is rotated in reverse, the ribbon take-up shaft 33C is rotated in reverse to supply the ink ribbon T, and in synchronization with this, the supply side motor 31A is rotated in reverse, the ribbon supply shaft 31C is rotated in reverse, and the ink ribbon T is wound up.

[0032] The drive mechanisms DM1 and DM2 for the ribbon supply roll 31 and the ribbon take-up roll 33 are controlled by a control unit.

[0033] The thermal head 39 is disposed on the opposite side of the transfer surface of the ink ribbon T, which is stretched by the guide section (two driven rollers 35, 37), and presses the ink ribbon T, which is stretched by the guide section and unwound in synchronization with the paper P, against the paper P being transported along the transport path CP, and uses heat to transfer the ink on the transfer surface to the paper P, thereby performing printing. The state in which the thermal head 39 presses the ink ribbon T against the paper P is also called head-down, and the state in which it is not pressed is also called head-up. The head-down and head-up positions of the thermal head 39 are controlled by the control unit. The thermal head 39 generates heat when it is energized by the control unit. Control of the head-down, head-up, and heat generation of the thermal head 39 is performed in parallel with control of the transport of the ink ribbon T and paper P, thereby transferring the ink of the ink ribbon T to the paper P, thereby performing printing.

[0034] An edge detection unit 41 that detects the leading edge position of paper P is provided on the transport path CP, closer to the ribbon supply roll 31 than the ribbon take-up roll 33. With the edge detection unit 41 having detected the leading edge position of paper P unwound from the paper roll 10, the printer 1 is in a standby state awaiting a print command.

[0035] <Printing processing> 4, 5A to 5F, and 6A to 6D are simplified cross-sectional views that show the movement of the paper P and the ink ribbon T when the printer 1 prints on the paper P unwound from the roll paper 10. The flow of the printing process will be explained using these figures.

[0036] [Waiting] 4 shows the above-mentioned standby state in which a print command is awaited. As shown in the figure, the leading edge of the paper P is positioned at the position of the edge detector 41.

[0037] [Print] 5A to 5F are diagrams showing the flow of printing with printer 1. When image data is input to printer 1 and a print command is issued to start the printing operation, as shown in Fig. 5A, roll paper 10 rotates counterclockwise and paper P is fed in the forward direction FD, and is positioned to the print start position in synchronization with transport mechanism 19. At this time, margins of paper P are cut off by cutter unit 15 as necessary.

[0038] When the paper roll 10 reaches the print start position, as shown in Figures 5B and 5C, the paper roll 10 reverses and rotates clockwise, advancing the paper P in the reverse direction RD, and the ribbon supply roll 31 and ribbon take-up roll 33 rotate clockwise to supply and take up the ink ribbon T. During this time, the thermal head 39, while energized and heated, presses the ink ribbon T against the paper P being transported along the transport path CP (head down), and the heat transfers the ink on the transfer surface to the paper P, performing printing. After printing is complete, the thermal head 39 is turned up, and Figures 5D and 5E are repeated in accordance with the formation of images in each color (yellow Y, magenta M, cyan C, overcoat OP), transporting the paper P back and forth repeatedly, forming an image combining each color in the same area of ​​the paper P.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5F, once printing is complete, the roll paper 10 rotates counterclockwise and the paper P is fed out in the forward direction FD. The printed portion of the paper P is then discharged from the discharge port 17 and cut off from the roll paper 10 by the cutter unit 15, yielding the printed paper P (photograph).

[0040] [Transition to standby mode] 6A to 6D are diagrams showing the flow from when the printer 1 prints to when it transitions to a standby state.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 6A, after the printed paper P is discharged from the discharge port 17, the roll paper 10 reverses and rotates clockwise, advancing the paper P in the reverse direction RD (passing step). Although printing is not taking place at this time, if the paper P were allowed to pass between the platen roller 25 and the thermal head 39 as is, the paper P and the ink ribbon T would come into contact, causing the ink ribbon T to stick to the paper P and be pulled out along with the paper P to the grip roller (paper transport section) 23, potentially causing the ink ribbon T to jam at the grip roller 23. Therefore, in this embodiment, the ribbon payout roll 31 and ribbon take-up roll 33 also rotate clockwise at this time, so that the ribbon payout roll 31 pays out the ink ribbon T and the ribbon take-up roll 33 takes it up. During this time, the thermal head 39 is not energized and does not generate heat, pressing the ink ribbon T against the paper P being transported along the transport path CP (head down). 6B, the ink ribbon T is fed out and wound up in synchronization with the transport of the paper by the transport mechanism 19 until the ink ribbon T is no longer in contact with the paper P (ink ribbon feeding step). This prevents the ink ribbon T from getting caught in the grip roller (paper transport section) 23 of the transport mechanism 19.

[0042] Furthermore, when the paper P is advanced in the forward direction FD, even if the paper P sticks to the ink ribbon T, the self-locking generated in the gear train 33B prevents the ribbon winding shaft 33C from rotating and the ink ribbon T from being unwound, so this does not cause the ink ribbon T to jam in the transport mechanism 19.

[0043] As shown in Figure 6C, when the ink ribbon T is no longer in contact with the paper P, the pressure from the thermal head 39 is released (head up), the ribbon supply roll 31 and the ribbon take-up roll 33 are rotated counterclockwise, and the length of ink ribbon T that was supplied together with the paper P in Figure 6B is rewound onto the ribbon supply roll 31.

[0044] Thereafter, the roll paper 10 rotates counterclockwise, the paper P is fed in the forward direction FD, and the leading edge of the paper P advances to the position of the edge detector 41, and the state returns to the standby state shown in FIG.

[0045] [Printer Actions] The operation of the printer 1 and the control method will be described below.

[0046] The apparatus includes a paper transport section 23 that transports paper P in a forward direction FD and a reverse direction RD along a transport path CP, a ribbon supply roll 31 around which ink ribbon T can be wound so as to be able to be unwound, and a ribbon take-up roll 33 that takes up and winds up the unwound ink ribbon T, and is arranged so that the transfer surface of the ink ribbon T stretched by a guide section (driven rollers 35, 37) between the ribbon supply roll 31 and the ribbon take-up roll 33 faces paper P transported along the transport path CP, and an ink ribbon section IR that unwinds the ink ribbon T in the reverse direction RD along the transport path CP and is arranged on the opposite side of the transfer surface of the ink ribbon T stretched by the guide section, and presses the ink ribbon T stretched by the guide section against paper P transported along the transport path CP, thereby transferring the ink on the transfer surface by heat. The ink ribbon unit IR includes a thermal head 39 that transfers ink onto paper P to perform printing, and a platen roller 25 that is arranged on the opposite side of the thermal head 39 from the side of the paper P against which the ink ribbon T is pressed by the thermal head 39, and supports the paper P against which the ink ribbon T is pressed.When the paper transport unit 23 transports the paper P in the reverse direction RD to pass between the platen roller 25 and the thermal head 39 during non-printing, the ink ribbon unit IR unwinds the ink ribbon T with the ribbon unwinding roll in synchronization with the transport of the paper P by the paper transport unit 23 until the ink ribbon T is no longer in contact with the paper P, and then winds it up with the ribbon winding roll, thereby preventing the ink ribbon T from getting caught in the paper transport unit 23.

[0047] By doing this, in the present invention, the ribbon take-up roll 33 takes up the ink ribbon T so that the ink ribbon T advances in synchronization with the transport of the paper P, so even if the ink ribbon T comes into contact with the paper P and sticks to the paper P and is transported together with the paper P, the ink ribbon is forced to move along a path that allows it to be taken up by the ribbon take-up roll 33, thereby being separated from the paper P. Therefore, in the present invention, the ink ribbon T does not get wound up in the paper transport section 23. As a result, jams can be prevented without increasing the number of parts.

[0048] The printer 1 further includes an edge detection unit 41 that is disposed on the transport path CP closer to the ribbon supply roll 31 than the ribbon take-up roll 33 and detects the edge of the paper P, and the paper transport unit 23 may transport the paper P in the reverse direction RD until the ink ribbon T is no longer in contact with the paper P, and then transport the paper P in the forward direction FD until the edge of the paper P is detected by the edge detection unit 41. In this way, the paper P can be transported to a standby position for printing.

[0049] When printing is not in progress, the thermal head 39 may press the ink ribbon T against the paper P without generating heat when the paper transport unit 23 transports the paper P in the reverse direction RD and passes it between the platen roller 25 and the thermal head 39. In this way, the thermal head 39 can press the ink ribbon T and the paper P, allowing the paper P to be transported stably.

[0050] The ink ribbon unit IR may transport the paper P in the reverse direction RD until the ink ribbon T is no longer in contact with the paper P, and then reversely rotate the ribbon supply roll 31 and the ribbon take-up roll 33 to rewind onto the ribbon supply roll 31 the length of ink ribbon T that was supplied to the ribbon take-up roll 33 when printing was not being performed. By returning the supplied ink ribbon T, the ink ribbon T that has not had ink transferred onto it can be used for transfer during the next printing operation, so the ink ribbon T is not wasted.

[0051] This method can also be regarded as a control method for the printer 1. In this case, it can include a passing step in which the paper transport unit 23 transports the paper P in the reverse direction RD to pass between the platen roller 25 and the thermal head 39 when not printing, and an ink ribbon feeding step that is executed together with the passing step and feeds and rewinds the ink ribbon T in synchronization with the transport of the paper P by the paper transport unit 23 until the ink ribbon T is no longer in contact with the paper P.

[0052] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it goes without saying that modifications are possible within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0053] In the above embodiment, in the state of Figure 6A, the thermal head 39 was in a head-down state and the paper P and the ink ribbon T were advanced in sync, but if the paper P and the ink ribbon T are advanced in sync, it is also possible to advance the thermal head 39 in a head-up state.

[0054] In the above embodiment, in the case of FIG. 6C, the length of ink ribbon T that was unwound together with the paper P in the case of FIG. 6B is rewound onto the ribbon unwinding roll 31. However, it is also possible not to rewind the ink ribbon T. Also, by adjusting the unwinding position of the ink ribbon T in advance and making the ink ribbon T that is unwound synchronously the used portion, it is possible to eliminate the need to rewind it later. Furthermore, it is of course possible to reverse the order of FIG. 6C and FIG. 6D, and first advance the leading edge of the paper P to the position of the edge detection unit 41, and then rewind the ink ribbon T onto the ribbon unwinding roll 31.

[0055] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the passing step and ink ribbon feeding step are performed when the printer transitions to the standby state, but it goes without saying that the passing step and ink ribbon feeding step may also be performed when the paper is passed between the platen roller 25 and the thermal head 39 during other non-printing times. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1. Printer 3 Main body 5. Trash Can 7 Exterior cover 9 Front case 10 rolls of paper 11 Paper Storage Room 12 Ink ribbon unit 13 Ribbon Containment Room 15 Cutter unit 17 Outlet 19 Transport mechanism 21 Roll paper feed roller 23 Grip roller (paper transport section) 25 Platen roller 27 Feed roller 31 Ribbon payout roll 33 Ribbon take-up roll 35, 37 Driven roller 39 Thermal head 41 Edge detection unit CP transport path T Ink Ribbon IR ink ribbon section H Height direction L Anteroposterior direction W width direction FD Forward RD Reverse direction

Claims

1. a paper transport unit that transports paper in forward and reverse directions along a transport path; an ink ribbon unit including a ribbon payout roll around which an ink ribbon can be wound so as to be payable, and a ribbon take-up roll that takes up and winds the paid-out ink ribbon, the ink ribbon unit being arranged so that a transfer surface of the ink ribbon stretched by a guide section between the ribbon payout roll and the ribbon take-up roll faces the paper that is transported along the transport path, and pays out the ink ribbon in the reverse direction along the transport path; a thermal head that is disposed on the opposite side of the transfer surface of the ink ribbon stretched by the guide section, and presses the ink ribbon stretched by the guide section against the paper being transported along the transport path, and transfers the ink on the transfer surface to the paper by heat, thereby performing printing; a platen roller that is disposed on the opposite side of the paper sheet against which the ink ribbon is pressed by the thermal head, the platen roller supporting the paper sheet against which the ink ribbon is pressed; Equipped with When the paper transport unit transports the paper in the reverse direction and passes it between the platen roller and the thermal head during non-printing, the ink ribbon unit unwinds the ink ribbon by the ribbon unwinding roll in synchronization with the transport of the paper by the paper transport unit until the ink ribbon is no longer in contact with the paper, and winds it up by the ribbon winding roll, thereby preventing the ink ribbon from being wound up in the paper transport unit. A dye-sublimation printer characterized by:

2. an edge detection unit that is disposed on the transport path closer to the ribbon supply roll than the ribbon take-up roll and detects an edge of the paper; The paper transport unit transports the paper in the reverse direction until the ink ribbon is no longer in contact with the paper, and then transports the paper in the forward direction until the edge of the paper is detected by the edge detection unit.

2. The dye-sublimation printer according to claim 1.

3. When the paper transport unit transports the paper in the reverse direction and passes the paper between the platen roller and the thermal head during non-printing, the thermal head presses the ink ribbon against the paper without generating heat.

2. The dye-sublimation printer according to claim 1.

4. The ink ribbon unit conveys the paper in the reverse direction until the ink ribbon is no longer in contact with the paper, and then rotates the ribbon supply roll and the ribbon take-up roll in reverse to rewind the ink ribbon onto the ribbon supply roll by the length that was supplied to the ribbon take-up roll when printing is not being performed.

2. The dye-sublimation printer according to claim 1.

5. a paper transport unit that transports paper in forward and reverse directions along a transport path; an ink ribbon unit including a ribbon payout roll around which an ink ribbon can be wound so as to be payable, and a ribbon take-up roll that takes up and winds the paid-out ink ribbon, the ink ribbon unit being arranged so that a transfer surface of the ink ribbon stretched by a guide section between the ribbon payout roll and the ribbon take-up roll faces the paper that is transported along the transport path, and pays out the ink ribbon in the reverse direction along the transport path; a thermal head that is disposed on the opposite side of the transfer surface of the ink ribbon stretched by the guide section, and presses the ink ribbon stretched by the guide section against the paper being transported along the transport path, and transfers the ink on the transfer surface to the paper by heat, thereby performing printing; a platen roller that is disposed on the opposite side of the paper sheet against which the ink ribbon is pressed by the thermal head, the platen roller supporting the paper sheet against which the ink ribbon is pressed; A method for controlling a dye-sublimation printer comprising: a passing step in which the paper transport unit transports the paper in the reverse direction during non-printing and passes the paper between the platen roller and the thermal head; an ink ribbon feeding step, which is executed together with the passing step, of feeding and winding the ink ribbon in synchronization with the transport of the paper by the paper transport unit until the ink ribbon is no longer in contact with the paper; 1. A method for controlling a dye-sublimation printer, comprising:

Images