Foil transfer device

Abstract

To excellently perform foil transfer by using information in a memory of a film cartridge.SOLUTION: A foil transfer device 1 comprises: a housing body 21; an electric contact 151 which is arranged in the housing body 21; a film cartridge FC which can be detachably attached to the housing body 21; a transfer unit 50 which transfers foil to a sheet; and a control unit 160. The film cartridge FC comprises: a supply reel 31 around which a foil film F including foil is wound; a take-up reel 35 which takes up the foil film F; and a memory 100 which stores a type of the foil film F. The memory 100 includes an electrical contact surface 120 which is brought into contact with the electric contact 151 at an attachment position where the film cartridge FC is attached to the housing body 21. The control unit 160 changes a heat quantity given to a unit area of the foil film F from the transfer unit 50 on the basis of the type of the foil film F acquired from the memory 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a foil transfer device for transferring a foil onto a sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a foil transfer device equipped with a film cartridge having a memory is known (see Patent Document 1). This technology reads data such as the film cartridge specifications from the memory, and performs foil transfer under optimal conditions according to the film cartridge specifications. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-053965 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the prior art does not take into consideration what information in the memory is used and how and which foil transfer conditions are changed.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a foil transfer device that can perform foil transfer well by utilizing information stored in the memory of a film cartridge. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the foil transfer device according to the present invention comprises a housing body, an electrical contact, a film cartridge, a transfer unit, and a control unit. The housing body has an opening. The electrical contacts are disposed within the housing body. The film cartridge is detachably attached to the housing body through the opening. The film cartridge has a supply reel, a take-up reel, and a memory. The supply reel is a reel on which a foil film containing the foil is wound. The take-up reel is a reel for winding up the foil film. The memory has an electrical contact surface that comes into contact with the electrical contact when the film cartridge is in the installed position in the housing body. The memory stores the type of the foil film. The transfer unit overlaps the foil film and the sheet supplied from the supply reel, and heats the foil film and the sheet to transfer the foil to the sheet. The control unit changes the amount of heat applied to a unit area of ​​the foil film from the transfer unit based on the type of the foil film obtained from the memory.

[0007] According to this configuration, the control unit changes the amount of heat applied to a unit area of ​​the foil film from the transfer unit based on the type of foil film obtained from the memory, thereby enabling foil transfer to be performed smoothly by utilizing the information in the memory of the film cartridge.

[0008] The control unit may also change the amount of heat applied to a unit area of ​​the foil film from the transfer unit by setting a target temperature of the transfer unit.

[0009] The memory may store the color of the foil as the type of the foil film, and the control unit may set the target temperature based on the color of the foil obtained from the memory.

[0010] According to this configuration, a target temperature appropriate for each foil color is set, so foil transfer can be performed satisfactorily.

[0011] The memory may store manufacturer information of the foil film as the type of the foil film, and the control unit may set the target temperature based on the manufacturer information acquired from the memory.

[0012] According to this configuration, even if the foil film material differs for each manufacturer, a target temperature appropriate for each manufacturer is set, so foil transfer can be performed satisfactorily.

[0013] In addition, the memory may store usage history information of the foil film, and the control unit may determine whether the foil film is in an empty state, where the remaining amount is less than or equal to a first predetermined amount, based on the usage history information obtained from the memory.

[0014] In addition, the control unit may determine, based on the usage history information obtained from the memory, whether the remaining amount of the foil film is in a near-empty state, where it is equal to or less than a second predetermined amount that is greater than the first predetermined amount, and if it determines that the remaining amount is in the near-empty state, it may reduce the conveying speed of the sheet compared to when it does not determine that the remaining amount is in the near-empty state.

[0015] According to this configuration, when the remaining amount of foil film is near empty, the sheet conveying speed is reduced, so that even if the foil film breaks and separates from the supply reel when empty, the broken end of the foil film can be prevented from getting caught in the transfer section.

[0016] The transfer unit may also include a heater, a heating roller heated by the heater, and a pressure roller that sandwiches the sheet and the foil film between the heating roller and the pressure roller.

[0017] The heating roller may have a central region including the center of the heating roller in the width direction of the sheet, and end regions located outside the central region in the width direction, the heaters may have a first heater that heats the central region more strongly than the end regions, and a second heater that heats the end regions more strongly than the central region, the memory may store the width and position of the foil film, and the control unit may select at least one of the first heater and the second heater based on the width and position of the foil film obtained from the memory to perform foil transfer.

[0018] According to this configuration, the control unit selects the first heater and the second heater based on the width and position of the foil film stored in the memory, thereby reducing costs compared to a configuration that provides, for example, a sensor to detect the width and position of the foil film. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, the information stored in the memory of the film cartridge can be used to perform foil transfer satisfactorily. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1A is a diagram showing a foil transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a foil film. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a view showing the film cartridge removed from the foil transfer device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a first film unit, FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a second film unit, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view showing a third film unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a heating roller, a first heater, and a second heater. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a table stored in a control unit. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an empty determination process during non-foil transfer. [Figure 7]10 is a flowchart showing a foil transfer process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1(a), foil transfer device 1 is a device for transferring a foil such as gold foil onto a toner image on sheet S. The toner image is formed on sheet S by an image forming device such as a laser printer. Foil transfer device 1 includes a housing 2, a sheet conveying unit 10, a film supply unit 30, a transfer unit 50, and a control unit 160.

[0022] The housing 2 is made of resin or the like, and includes a housing main body 21 and a cover 22. The housing main body 21 has an opening 21A (see also FIG. 2) at the top. The cover 22 opens and closes the opening 21A. The cover 22 is rotatably supported by the housing main body 21. The cover 22 is rotatable between a closed position (position in FIG. 1(a)) where the opening 21A is closed, and an open position (position in FIG. 2) where the opening 21A is opened.

[0023] The sheet conveying unit 10 includes a sheet supply mechanism 11 and a sheet discharge mechanism 12. The sheet conveying unit 10 is rotationally driven by a main motor M, which will be described later. The sheet supply mechanism 11 is a mechanism that conveys sheets S on a sheet tray (not shown) one by one toward the transfer unit 50.

[0024] The sheet discharge mechanism 12 is a mechanism that discharges the sheet S that has passed through the transfer unit 50 to the outside of the housing 2.

[0025] The film supply unit 30 is a section that supplies the foil film F so as to be superimposed on the sheet S conveyed from the sheet supply mechanism 11. The film supply unit 30 includes a film cartridge FC, a first guide shaft 41, a second guide shaft 42, and a main motor M. The first guide shaft 41 and the second guide shaft 42 are provided in the housing main body 21 (see FIG. 2).

[0026] As shown in Fig. 2, the film cartridge FC is detachably attached to the housing body 21 through the opening 21A. The film cartridge FC includes a film unit FU having a foil film F and a holder 90 that detachably supports the film unit FU. As shown in Fig. 3, film units FU with different foil colors, widths of the foil film F, and widthwise positions of the foil film F can be selectively attached to the holder 90.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the foil film F is a film made up of multiple layers. Specifically, the foil film F has a support layer F1 and a supported layer F2. The support layer F1 is a tape-like transparent substrate made of a polymer material and supports the supported layer F2. The supported layer F2 has, for example, a release layer F21, a transfer layer F22, and an adhesive layer F23. The release layer F21 is a layer that facilitates peeling of the transfer layer F22 from the support layer F1 and is disposed between the support layer F1 and the transfer layer F22. The release layer F21 contains a transparent material, such as a wax-based resin, that is easily peeled from the support layer F1.

[0028] The transfer layer F22 is a layer to which the toner image is transferred and contains foil. The foil is a thin metal such as gold, silver, copper, or aluminum. The transfer layer F22 also contains a coloring material such as gold, silver, or red, and a thermoplastic resin. The transfer layer F22 is disposed between the release layer F21 and the adhesive layer F23.

[0029] The adhesive layer F23 is a layer for facilitating adhesion of the transfer layer F22 to the toner image. The adhesive layer F23 contains a material that easily adheres to the toner image heated by the transfer unit 50, which will be described later, such as a vinyl chloride resin or an acrylic resin.

[0030] The film unit FU mainly includes a supply reel 31, a supply case 32, a take-up reel 35, and a memory 100. The holder 90 has a shaft 43.

[0031] The supply reel 31 is made of resin or the like and has a supply shaft portion 31A around which the foil film F is wound. One end of the foil film F is fixed to the supply shaft portion 31A.

[0032] The supply case 32 is a hollow case that houses the supply reel 31. The supply case 32 is made of resin or the like.

[0033] The take-up reel 35 is made of resin or the like, and has a take-up shaft 35A for taking up the foil film F. The other end of the foil film F is fixed to the take-up shaft 35A. The take-up shaft 35A is driven to rotate by a main motor M.

[0034] The memory 100 is a medium for storing information, such as an IC chip. The memory 100 has an electrical contact surface 120. The memory 100 is provided in the supply case 32.

[0035] The memory 100 stores specification information and usage history information for the foil film F. The specification information for the foil film F includes the type of foil film F, the width and position of the foil film F, and the length of a new foil film F. The memory 100 stores the type of foil film F, such as the foil color and manufacturer information for the foil film F. The usage history information for the foil film F includes the length of foil film F used, the remaining amount of foil film F (i.e., the length of unused foil film F), and the elapsed time since the film cartridge FC was first used. The length of foil film F used may be calculated from the amount of rotation of the supply reel 31 or take-up reel 35. The memory 100 can be initialized, for example, by a personal computer owned by a maintenance company or the like.

[0036] The foil transfer device 1 further comprises a reader 150 that contacts the memory 100 and reads information from the memory 100 . The reader 150 is disposed in the housing body 21. The reader 150 is disposed in a position facing the memory 100 when the film cartridge FC is attached to the housing body 21. The reader 150 has an electrical contact 151 that comes into contact with the electrical contact surface 120 when the film cartridge FC is attached to the housing body 21 at the attachment position. The electrical contact 151 is disposed inside the housing body 21. The reader 150 is connected to the control unit 160.

[0037] The first guide shaft 41 is a shaft that guides the foil film F. More specifically, the first guide shaft 41 comes into contact with the foil film F being pulled out from the supply reel 31 and changes the traveling direction of the foil film F. The first guide shaft 41 is made of, for example, SUS (stainless steel).

[0038] The second guide shaft 42 is a shaft that guides the foil film F. More specifically, the second guide shaft 42 comes into contact with the foil film F guided by the first guide shaft 41 and changes the traveling direction of the foil film F. The second guide shaft 42 is made of, for example, SUS.

[0039] The shaft 43 is a shaft for adjusting the angle of the foil film F when peeling the foil film F from the sheet S. The shaft 43 is made of SUS or the like. The shaft 43 comes into contact with the foil film F guided by the second guide shaft 42 and changes the traveling direction of the foil film F.

[0040] The first guide shaft 41 guides the foil film F pulled out from the supply reel 31 so as to overlap the sheet S, which is transported with the side on which the toner image is formed facing downward, from below. The first guide shaft 41 changes the transport direction of the foil film F pulled out from the supply reel 31 and guides the foil film F approximately parallel to the transport direction of the sheet S.

[0041] The second guide shaft 42 is a peeling roller that comes into contact with the foil film F that has passed through the transfer unit 50 and changes the conveying direction of the foil film F that has passed through the transfer unit 50 to a direction different from the conveying direction of the sheet S, thereby guiding the foil film F in a direction away from the sheet S. The foil film F that has passed through the transfer unit 50 and is conveyed while overlapping the sheet S is guided in a direction different from the sheet S when passing through the second guide shaft 42 and is peeled off from the sheet S.

[0042] The transfer unit 50 is a unit for transferring a transfer layer F22 onto the toner image formed on the sheet S by applying heat and pressure to the sheet S and the foil film F in a superposed state. The transfer unit 50 has a pressure roller 51, a heating roller 61, a first heater 62, and a second heater 63. The transfer unit 50 heats and presses the sheet S and the foil film F in a superposed state at the nip portion between the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61.

[0043] The pressure roller 51 is a roller in which the periphery of a cylindrical core metal is covered with a rubber layer made of silicone rubber. The pressure roller 51 is disposed above the foil film F and is capable of contacting the back surface of the sheet S (the surface opposite to the surface on which the toner image is formed).

[0044] The pressure roller 51 is rotatably supported by the cover 22. The pressure roller 51 sandwiches the sheet S and the foil film F between itself and the heating roller 61, and is driven to rotate by the main motor M, thereby causing the heating roller 61 to rotate. With the sheet S and the foil film F sandwiched between the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61 in this manner, the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61 rotate, thereby transporting the sheet S and the foil film F.

[0045] The heating roller 61 is formed in a cylindrical shape. A first heater 62 and a second heater 63 are disposed inside the heating roller 61 and heat the heating roller 61. The heating roller 61 is disposed below the foil film F and is in contact with the foil film F. The heating roller 61 can be pressed against the pressure roller 51 or separated from the pressure roller 51 by a pressure contact / separation mechanism (not shown).

[0046] The control unit 160 has a CPU, ROM, RAM, nonvolatile memory, etc., and is configured to perform various controls based on pre-prepared programs. The control unit 160 has a function of pressing the heating roller 61 against the pressure roller 51 while the sheet S passes through the nip portion of the transfer unit 50, and separating the heating roller 61 from the pressure roller 51 when the sheet S does not pass through the nip portion of the transfer unit 50.

[0047] In the foil transfer device 1 configured in this manner, sheets S placed on a sheet tray (not shown) are transported one by one by the sheet supply mechanism 11 toward the transfer unit 50. The sheet S is superimposed on the foil film F supplied from the supply reel 31 on the upstream side of the transfer unit 50 in the sheet transport direction, and is transported to the transfer unit 50 with the toner image on the sheet S and the foil film F in contact with each other.

[0048] In the transfer section 50, when the sheet S and the foil film F pass through the nip between the pressure roller 51 and the heating roller 61, they are heated and pressed by the heating roller 61 and the pressure roller 51, and the transfer layer F22 is transferred onto the toner image. In the following description, the transfer of the transfer layer F22 onto the toner image is also simply referred to as "foil transfer."

[0049] After the foil transfer, the sheet S and the foil film F are transported in close contact with each other to the second guide shaft 42. When the sheet S and the foil film F pass the second guide shaft 42, the transport direction of the foil film F changes to a direction different from the transport direction of the sheet S, and the foil film F is peeled off from the sheet S.

[0050] The foil film F peeled off from the sheet S is taken up by the take-up reel 35. Meanwhile, the sheet S from which the foil film F has been peeled off is discharged to the outside of the housing 2 by the sheet discharge mechanism 12.

[0051] The film cartridge FC selectively has a first film unit FU1, a second film unit FU2, or a third film unit FU3 as shown in Figure 3. In the following description, the width direction of the foil film F and the width direction of the sheet S will also be simply referred to as the "width direction."

[0052] 3(a), the first film unit FU1 has a first foil film F10 having a first width H1, and the first foil film F10 is arranged shifted to one side in the width direction. When the first film unit FU1 is attached to the foil transfer device 1, it holds the first foil film F10 so that the first foil film F10 is arranged shifted to one end side of the heating roller 61. The first width H1 is smaller than the width of the widest sheet S that can be used in the foil transfer device 1, and is, for example, 110 mm (half the size of a third width H3 described below).

[0053] 3(b), the second film unit FU2 has a second foil film F20 having a second width H2, and the second foil film F20 is disposed at the center in the width direction. When the second film unit FU2 is attached to the foil transfer device 1, it holds the second foil film F20 so that the second foil film F20 is positioned at the center in the axial direction of the heating roller 61. The second width H2 is smaller than the width of the widest sheet S that can be used in the foil transfer device 1, and is, for example, 110 mm (half the size of a third width H3 described below).

[0054] 3(c), the third film unit FU3 has a third foil film F30 having a third width H3. When the third film unit FU3 is attached to the foil transfer device 1, it holds the third foil film F30 so that the third foil film F30 is arranged from one end to the other end of the heating roller 61. The third width H3 is larger than the maximum width of the foil film F that can be arranged in the film cartridge FC, in other words, the width of the widest sheet S that can be used in the foil transfer device 1, and is, for example, 220 mm.

[0055] The memory 100 of the first film unit FU1 stores, as information on the position of the foil film F, "edge position" information indicating that the position of the foil film F is shifted to one side in the width direction, and stores, as information on the width of the foil film F, "half width" information indicating that it is half the size of the third width H3. The memory 100 of the second film unit FU2 stores, as information on the position of the foil film F, "center position" information indicating that the position of the foil film F is in the center in the width direction, and stores, as information on the width of the foil film F, "half width" information similar to that of the first film unit FU1. The memory 100 of the third film unit FU3 stores, as information on the position of the foil film F, "center position" information similar to that of the second film unit FU2, and stores, as information on the width of the foil film F, "full width" information indicating that it is the third width H3.

[0056] Hereinafter, the film cartridge FC with the first film unit FU1 attached will also be referred to as the first film cartridge FC1, the film cartridge FC with the second film unit FU2 attached will also be referred to as the second film cartridge FC2, and the film cartridge FC with the third film unit FU3 attached will also be referred to as the third film cartridge FC3.

[0057] 4, the heating roller 61 has a central region 61A that includes the center of the heating roller 61 in the width direction, and end regions 61B that are located on the outer side in the width direction of the central region 61A. The end regions 61B are located on one side and the other side in the width direction of the central region 61A.

[0058] The first heater 62 has a higher output in the central portion 62A in the width direction than in both end portions 62B in the width direction, so that the first heater 62 heats the central region 61A of the heating roller 61 more strongly than the end regions 61B.

[0059] The second heater 63 has a higher output at both end portions 63B in the width direction than at the central portion 63A in the width direction, so that the second heater 63 heats the end regions 61B of the heating roller 61 more strongly than the central region 61A.

[0060] The control unit 160 stores the table shown in Fig. 5. The control unit 160 has a function of changing the amount of heat applied to a unit area of ​​the foil film F from the heating roller 61 by setting a target temperature of the heating roller 61 based on the type of foil film F obtained from the memory 100 and the table.

[0061] The table shows the relationship between foil color information, manufacturer information indicating the manufacturer of the foil film F, and target temperature. If the manufacturer information is "Company A," the control unit 160 sets the target temperature to the reference temperature Tb (°C). Here, Company A does not manufacture foil film F with dark or matte color foil, so target temperatures for dark or matte colors are not set in the table.

[0062] If the manufacturer information is "Company B" and the foil color is gold or silver, the control unit 160 sets the target temperature to "Tb+10 (°C)". If the manufacturer information is "Company B" and the foil color is dark, the control unit 160 sets the target temperature to "Tb+10 (°C)". If the manufacturer information is "Company B" and the foil color is matte, the control unit 160 sets the target temperature to "Tb+20 (°C)".

[0063] Although not shown, the transfer unit 50 has a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heating roller 61. The control unit 160 controls the current flowing through at least one of the first heater 62 and the second heater 63 so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes the target temperature.

[0064] The control unit 160 has the function of selecting at least one of the first heater 62 and the second heater 63 based on the width and position of the foil film F obtained from the memory 100, and performing foil transfer. In this embodiment, when the information on the position and width of the foil film F obtained from the memory 100 is "center position" and "half width", the control unit 160 passes current to the first heater 62 and does not pass current to the second heater 63. When the information on the position and width of the foil film F obtained from the memory 100 is not "center position" and "half width", the control unit 160 passes current to both the first heater 62 and the second heater 63.

[0065] The control unit 160 has a function to determine whether the remaining amount of foil film F is an empty state where it is equal to or less than a first predetermined amount, based on the usage history information acquired from the memory 100. The control unit 160 has a function to determine whether the remaining amount of foil film F is a near-empty state where it is equal to or less than a second predetermined amount that is larger than the first predetermined amount, based on the usage history information acquired from the memory 100. When the control unit 160 determines that the remaining amount of foil film F is a near-empty state, it reduces the conveying speed of the sheet S compared to when it does not determine that the near-empty state is a near-empty state. In more detail, the control unit 160 controls the rotation speed of the main motor M to control the conveying speed of the sheet S in the sheet conveying unit 10 and the conveying speed of the sheet S and foil film F in the transfer unit 50.

[0066] Next, the operation of the control unit 160 will be described in detail. When the power of the foil transfer device 1 is turned on or the cover 22 is closed, the control unit 160 executes the non-foil transfer empty determination process shown in Fig. 6. Here, the determination of whether the cover 22 is closed may be made based on, for example, a signal from a cover sensor that detects that the cover 22 is closed.

[0067] In the non-foil transfer empty determination process, the control unit 160 first determines whether the connection between the memory 100 and the reader 150 is normal (S1). Here, whether the connection between the memory 100 and the reader 150 is normal can be determined based on the voltage applied to the reader 150, for example.

[0068] If it is determined in step S1 that the connection is not normal (No), the control unit 160 issues an error message (S2) indicating that the film cartridge FC is not attached to the housing body 21, and ends this process. If it is determined in step S1 that the connection is normal (Yes), the control unit 160 acquires usage history information from the memory 100 (S3).

[0069] After step S3, the control unit 160 determines whether the battery is empty based on the usage history information (S4). If it is determined to be empty in step S4 (Yes), the control unit 160 notifies the user that the battery is empty (S5) and ends this process.

[0070] If it is determined in step S4 that the battery is not in an empty state (No), the control unit 160 determines whether it is in a near-empty state based on the usage history information (S6). If it is determined in step S6 that the battery is in a near-empty state (Yes), the control unit 160 notifies the user that the battery is in a near-empty state (S7) and ends this process. If it is determined in step S6 that the battery is not in a near-empty state (No), the control unit 160 ends this process.

[0071] When the control unit 160 receives a foil transfer command to execute foil transfer, it executes the foil transfer process shown in Fig. 7. Here, the foil transfer command is output to the control unit 160 from an operation panel located on the exterior surface of the foil transfer device 1, for example, when the user presses a start button on the operation panel. In the foil transfer process, the control unit 160 first acquires, from the memory 100, information on the manufacturer of the foil film F, information indicating the color of the foil, information indicating the position and width of the foil film F, and usage history information (S21).

[0072] After step S21, the control unit 160 determines whether or not the sheet S is in a near-empty state based on the usage history information (S22). If it is determined that the sheet S is in a near-empty state in step S22 (Yes), the control unit 160 sets the conveying speed of the sheet S to a second speed that is slower than the first speed, which is the conveying speed when it is determined that the sheet S is not in a near-empty state (S23).

[0073] After step S23, the control unit 160 sets a target temperature for the heating roller 61 based on the foil color information and manufacturer information acquired from the memory 100 and the table of Fig. 5 (S24). After step S24, the control unit 160 determines whether the width of the foil film F is "half width" and the position of the foil film F is "center" based on the width and position information of the foil film F acquired from the memory 100 (S25).

[0074] If it is determined in step S25 that the position is "half width" and "center" (Yes), the control unit 160 turns on only the first heater 62 (S26). If it is determined in step S26 that the position is not "half width" and "center" (No), the control unit 160 turns on both the first heater 62 and the second heater 63 (S27).

[0075] After step S26 or step S27, control unit 160 starts the foil transfer operation (S28). Specifically, in step S26, when the temperature of heating roller 61 reaches near the target temperature, control unit 160 drives main motor M to start conveying sheet S. Then, when sheet S reaches transfer unit 50, heating roller 61 is pressed against pressure roller 51, and heating roller 61 and pressure roller 51 are rotated, thereby conveying sheet S and foil film F at the nip portion of transfer unit 50 and transferring the foil to sheet S.

[0076] After step S28, the control unit 160 calculates the length of the foil film F used for one sheet S (S29). In the following description, the length of the foil film F used will also be referred to as the "used length." In addition to the method described above, the used length of the foil film F can also be calculated based on, for example, the circumferential length and number of rotations of the pressure roller 51 during the time that the heating roller 61 is pressed against the pressure roller 51.

[0077] After step S29, the control unit 160 calculates the total used length by adding the used length of the foil film F calculated in step S29 to the usage history information, and determines whether the sheet S is empty based on the total used length (S30). When foil transfer is to be performed on the second or subsequent sheets S, the total used length is calculated in step S30 by adding the used length of the foil film F calculated in step S29 to the previously calculated total used length.

[0078] If it is determined in step S30 that the foil transfer chamber is not empty (No), the control unit 160 determines whether foil transfer to the number of sheets S specified in the foil transfer command has been completed (S31). If it is determined in step S31 that foil transfer has not been completed (No), the control unit 160 returns to the process of step S28 and starts foil transfer to the next sheet S.

[0079] If it is determined in step S31 that the foil transfer is completed (Yes), the control unit 160 ends the foil transfer operation (S33). Specifically, in step S33, the control unit 160 stops the main motor M and turns off both the first heater 62 and the second heater 63.

[0080] If it is determined in step S30 that the foil transfer device is empty (Yes), the control unit 160 notifies the user that the foil transfer device is empty (S32) and ends the foil transfer operation (S33). After step S33, the control unit 160 writes the total length used in the memory 100 (S34) and ends this process.

[0081] Next, a specific example of the operation of the control unit 160 will be described. During the foil transfer process, if the foil color information obtained from memory 100 is "gold" and the manufacturer information is "Company A," control unit 160 sets the target temperature of heating roller 61 to Tb (°C) and executes the foil transfer. Also, during the foil transfer process, if the foil color information obtained from memory 100 is "gold" and the manufacturer information is "Company B," control unit 160 sets the target temperature of heating roller 61 to Tb+10 (°C) and executes the foil transfer. Therefore, it is possible to execute the optimal foil transfer tailored to the material of the foil film F produced by each manufacturer.

[0082] Furthermore, in the foil transfer process, if the foil color information acquired from memory 100 is "matt color" and the manufacturer information is "Company B," control unit 160 sets the target temperature of heating roller 61 to Tb+20 (°C) and executes foil transfer. This allows optimal foil transfer to be executed according to differences in foil color.

[0083] 3(b) is attached to the housing main body 21, the control unit 160 reads information from the memory 100 of the second film unit FU2 that the width of the foil film F is "half width" and the position of the foil film F is "center." As a result, the control unit 160 turns on only the first heater 62, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0084] As described above, the following effects can be obtained in this embodiment. The control unit 160 changes the amount of heat applied to a unit area of ​​the foil film F from the heating roller 61 based on the type of foil film F obtained from the memory 100, so that foil transfer can be performed smoothly by utilizing the information in the memory 100 of the film cartridge FC.

[0085] Since a target temperature appropriate for each foil color is set, foil transfer can be performed satisfactorily.

[0086] Even if the material of the foil film F differs for each manufacturer, a target temperature suitable for each manufacturer is set, so foil transfer can be performed satisfactorily.

[0087] When the remaining amount of foil film F is in a near-empty state, the conveying speed of the sheet S is reduced, so that even if the foil film F breaks and separates from the supply reel 31 when it is empty, the broken end of the foil film F can be prevented from being caught in the transfer section 50.

[0088] The control unit 160 selects the first heater 62 and the second heater 63 based on the width and position of the foil film F stored in the memory 100, thereby reducing costs compared to a configuration that uses a sensor to detect the width and position of the foil film, for example.

[0089] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be used in various forms as exemplified below.

[0090] The method for changing the amount of heat applied to a unit area of ​​the foil film from the transfer unit may be, for example, a method for changing the conveying speed of the sheet and the foil film. In this method, the amount of heat applied to a unit area of ​​the foil film increases as the conveying speed of the foil film decreases.

[0091] The number of heaters may be one or three or more.

[0092] The transfer unit may be configured to include, for example, a belt, a heater, and a pressure roller that sandwiches the belt between the heater and the belt.

[0093] In the above embodiment, a foil transfer device that transfers foil onto a toner image formed on a sheet has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The foil transfer device may be any device that transfers foil onto a sheet. For example, the foil transfer device may be configured to include a thermal head as a heating element that heats the sheet and foil film. Also, for example, the foil transfer device may be configured to transfer foil onto an ink image formed on a sheet.

[0094] The elements described in the above-described embodiment and modified examples may be implemented in any combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1 Foil transfer device 21. Main body 21A opening 31 Supply reel 35 Take-up reel 50 Transfer unit 100 memory 120 Electrical Contact Surface 151 Electrical contacts 160 control section F foil film FC Film Cartridge S seat

Claims

1. a housing body having an opening; an electrical contact disposed within the housing body; a film cartridge that is detachably attached to the housing body through the opening, a supply reel on which a foil film containing the foil is wound; a take-up reel for taking up the foil film; a film cartridge having an electrical contact surface that comes into contact with the electrical contact when the film cartridge is attached to the housing body at an attachment position, and a memory that stores the type of foil film; a transfer unit that overlaps the foil film and the sheet supplied from the supply reel and heats the foil film and the sheet to transfer the foil to the sheet; a control unit, the control unit sets a target temperature of the transfer unit based on the type of the foil film acquired from the memory, thereby changing the amount of heat applied from the transfer unit to a unit area of ​​the foil film; the memory stores the color of the foil as the type of the foil film; The control unit sets the target temperature based on the color of the foil obtained from the memory.

2. the memory stores manufacturer information of the foil film as the type of the foil film; 2. The foil transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the target temperature based on the manufacturer information acquired from the memory.

3. A housing body having an opening; an electrical contact disposed within the housing body; a film cartridge that is detachably attached to the housing body through the opening, a supply reel on which a foil film containing the foil is wound; a take-up reel for taking up the foil film; a film cartridge having an electrical contact surface that comes into contact with the electrical contact when the film cartridge is attached to the housing body at an attachment position, and a memory that stores the type of foil film; a transfer unit that overlaps the foil film and the sheet supplied from the supply reel and heats the foil film and the sheet to transfer the foil to the sheet; a control unit, the control unit sets a target temperature of the transfer unit based on the type of the foil film acquired from the memory, thereby changing the amount of heat applied from the transfer unit to a unit area of ​​the foil film; the memory stores manufacturer information of the foil film as the type of the foil film; The foil transfer device is characterized in that the control unit sets the target temperature based on the manufacturer information acquired from the memory.

4. The memory stores usage history information of the foil film, A foil transfer device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control unit determines whether the foil film is in an empty state, where the remaining amount is less than a first predetermined amount, based on the usage history information obtained from the memory.

5. The control unit determining whether the remaining amount of the foil film is in a near-empty state, i.e., equal to or less than a second predetermined amount that is greater than the first predetermined amount, based on the usage history information acquired from the memory; 5. The foil transfer device according to claim 4, wherein, when it is determined that the device is in the near-empty state, the conveying speed of the sheet is slower than when it is not determined that the device is in the near-empty state.

6. The transfer unit includes: A heater and a heating roller heated by the heater; 6. The foil transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure roller that sandwiches the sheet and the foil film between the pressure roller and the heat roller.

7. a housing body having an opening; an electrical contact disposed within the housing body; a film cartridge that is detachably attached to the housing body through the opening, a supply reel on which a foil film containing the foil is wound; a take-up reel for taking up the foil film; a film cartridge having an electrical contact surface that comes into contact with the electrical contact when the film cartridge is attached to the housing body at an attachment position, and a memory that stores the type of foil film; a transfer unit that overlaps the foil film and the sheet supplied from the supply reel and heats the foil film and the sheet to transfer the foil to the sheet; a control unit, the control unit changes the amount of heat applied to a unit area of ​​the foil film from the transfer unit based on the type of the foil film acquired from the memory; The memory stores usage history information of the foil film, The control unit determining whether the foil film is in an empty state where the remaining amount is equal to or less than a first predetermined amount based on the usage history information acquired from the memory; determining whether the remaining amount of the foil film is in a near-empty state, i.e., equal to or less than a second predetermined amount that is greater than the first predetermined amount, based on the usage history information acquired from the memory; When it is determined that the foil transfer device is in the near-empty state, the conveying speed of the sheet is slower than when it is not determined that the foil transfer device is in the near-empty state.

8. a housing body having an opening; an electrical contact disposed within the housing body; a film cartridge that is detachably attached to the housing body through the opening, a supply reel on which a foil film containing the foil is wound; a take-up reel for taking up the foil film; a film cartridge having an electrical contact surface that comes into contact with the electrical contact when the film cartridge is attached to the housing body at an attachment position, and a memory that stores the type of foil film; a transfer unit that overlaps the foil film and the sheet supplied from the supply reel and heats the foil film and the sheet to transfer the foil to the sheet; a control unit, the control unit changes the amount of heat applied to a unit area of ​​the foil film from the transfer unit based on the type of the foil film acquired from the memory; The transfer unit includes: A heater and a heating roller heated by the heater; a pressure roller that sandwiches the sheet and the foil film between the pressure roller and the heat roller, The heating roller is a central region including a central portion of the heating roller in the width direction of the sheet; an end region located outside the central region in the width direction, The heater is a first heater that heats the central region more strongly than the end regions; a second heater that heats the end region more strongly than the central region; the memory stores the width and position of the foil film; The control unit A foil transfer device characterized by selecting at least one of the first heater and the second heater based on the width and position of the foil film obtained from the memory, and performing foil transfer.

Images