Color thermal printer
AssigneeFuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
InventorTakao Miyazaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal printer has a conveyor roller set and three thermal heads along a feeding passage. In feeding a recording sheet, a pinch roller is deformed by pressing force of a capstan roller. In addition, platen rollers are also deformed by respective thermal heads. The feeding passage is bent to form V-shape at the feeding roller set and respective thermal heads, so the recording sheet is prevented from waving. By bending the feeding passage, the recording sheet is prevented from waving, so deviation in feeding speed is decreased even when the load to the recording sheet is changed. Moreover, since all thermal heads press the recording sheet simultaneously and are retracted to decrease the pressing force gradually after thermal recording, it is possible to decrease deviation in the load to the recording sheet.
Claims12
A color thermal printer for recording a full-color image to a recording area of a continuous recording material that is drawn from a roll and fed along a feeding passage, said thermal printer including:
- feeding means for feeding said recording material in a first direction and a second direction along said feeding passage, said recording material being fed in said first direction to be drawn from said roll to said feeding passage, said second direction being opposite to said first direction;
- a plurality of thermal heads for recording said image in said recording area, said thermal heads being arranged at a regular interval along said feeding passage;
- and
- a controller for controlling said feeding means to feed said recording material in said first direction and feed said recording material in said second direction after said recording material reaches a print start position where a rear end of said recording area passes said thermal heads, and driving said thermal heads to record said image in feeding said recording material in said second direction.
A color thermal printer for recording a full-color image to a recording area of a continuous recording material that is drawn from a roll, said thermal printer including:
- a feeding passage for guiding said recording material from said roll toward an outside of said printer;
- feeding means for feeding said recording material in a first direction and a second direction along said feeding passage, said recording material being fed in said first direction to be drawn from said roll to said feeding passage, said second direction being opposite to said first direction;
- a plurality of thermal heads for recording said image to said recording area;
- a plurality of platens that are disposed opposite to respective said thermal heads;
- said platens supporting said recording material that is pressed by said thermal heads;
- and
- a elastic members for covering surfaces of respective said platens, said elastic members being deformed by pressing force of respective said thermal heads;
- wherein said feeding passage is bent toward said thermal heads at positions where said thermal heads press said platens, so as to form V-shapes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.