Thermal transfer recording apparatus and facsimile apparatus

A thermal transfer recording apparatus for transferring an ink contained on an ink sheet onto a recording medium to record an image on said recording medium, comprising:

• ink sheet conveying means for conveying said ink sheet by a conveyance amount;
• recording medium conveying means for conveying said recording medium;
• recording means for recording on said recording medium using said ink sheet;
• and
• control means for controlling so that a predetermined quantity of an image data is recorded and for controlling said ink sheet conveying means so as to make the conveyance amount large at a time of starting a next recording operation if the recording operation has been suspended after said predetermined quantity of said image data has been recorded.

A facsimile apparatus using a thermal transfer recording apparatus for transferring an ink contained on an ink sheet onto a recording medium to record an image on said recording medium, comprising:

• ink sheet conveying means for conveying said ink sheet by a conveyance amount;
• recording medium conveying means for conveying said recording medium;
• decoding means for decoding a received image signal to produce a decoded signal at each time when a predetermined quantity of said image signals is received;
• recording means for recording in accordance with the decoded signal on said recording medium using said ink sheet being conveyed by said ink sheet conveying means at each time when the predetermined quantity of image signals are received;
• and
• a controlling means for controlling recording so that a predetermined quantity of image data is recorded and for controlling said ink sheet conveying means so as to make the conveyance amount large at a time of starting a next recording operation if the recording operation has been suspended after said predetermined quantity of said image data has been recorded.

A thermal transfer recording method for recording by applying thermal energy with a recording head to transfer an ink contained on an ink sheet onto a recording medium to record an image on said recording medium, said method comprising the steps of:

• inputting an image data into a memory;
• supplying continuously said image data as an image signal to said recording head when a predetermined quantity of said image data has been input into said memory;
• determining whether said image signal is being continuously supplied to said recording head;
• conveying said ink sheet and the recording medium relative to said recording head by a predetermined conveyance amount when said image signal is continuously supplied to said recording head;
• increasing the conveyance amount of said ink sheet at said conveying step when said image signal is not continuously supplied to said recording head;
• and
• transferring said ink from said ink sheet to said recording medium by causing said recording head to generate heat in response to said image signal to be supplied to said recording head.