Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Makoto Sakuwa

Keiki Yamada

Hisashi Yamada

Yusuke Kanatake

Yoshifumi Yamamoto

Takaaki Kase

Kosuke Oda

Ichirou Furuki

Yoshihito Matsuura

An object is to provide a thermal transfer printer having an inexpensive configuration and capable of making a tension given to an ink ribbon as constant as possible, even when a secular change and an environmental change occur in a DC motor used as a supply motor and a winding motor. A supply motor control unit controls a supply motor of an ink ribbon supply unit. A winding motor control unit controls a winding motor of an ink ribbon winding unit. A remaining amount detection unit detects a remaining amount of an ink ribbon. A variable calculation unit acquires parameters for an armature current, an applied voltage, and a rotational speed of each of the supply motor and the winding motor, and calculates variables to be used for controlling the supply motor and the winding motor on the basis of the acquired parameters.

Thermal transfer printer

A thermal printer uses an ink ribbon having a function of performing cleaning of a thermal head by being heated. The thermal printer performs a cleaning process of performing cleaning of the thermal head. In the cleaning process, the thermal head applies, to the ink ribbon, heat of a heat quantity with which a dye applied onto the ink ribbon does not sublime and with which the cleaning is performed.

Thermal printer

A first cutter(cutting unit) is provided between a color recording unit(the first printing unit) and an overcoat recording unit(the second printing unit). A portion whereon color printing is completed by the color recording unitof a recording paper(printing medium) is cut off by the first cutterand detached. An overcoat recording unitperforms an overcoat process on the detached recording paper (printing medium strip). In parallel with this, the color recording unitperforms next color printing on the recording paper. This makes it possible to reduce a printing time in a printing device including a plurality of printing processes without deteriorating printing quality. Further, an useless paper feeding is eliminated by optimally arranging the color recording unit, the first cutter, the overcoat recording unit, and the second cutter, etc. in accordance with a size of a printing area.

Printing method and device having first and second printing units

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Tokyo, Japan

Makoto Sakuwa