Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Masahiro Shiigi

Junichi Yamamoto

Chiharu Imaseki

Yoshio Tohyama

A thermal transfer color printer for recording color images on recording paper by successively transferring inks of different colors from an ink ribbon onto the recording paper at a recording position. The printer includes a transport member adapted to transport the recording paper in forward and reverse directions and disposed downstream from the platen roller with respect to the direction of transport of the recording paper for thermal transfer.

Thermal transfer color printer with tensioning roller

A multi-color thermal transfer printing apparatus having a platen roller rotatable in opposite directions with a recording medium driven to travel on the platen roller and a continuous length of carrier medium driven to travel in conjunction with the recording medium on the platen roller so that the carrier medium may be in contact with the recording medium, the carrier medium having a series of areas carrying differently colored inks. A thermal print head is movable between an inoperative position spaced apart from the platen roller and an operative position having the carrier medium pressed against the recording medium on the platen roller and operative to form an image on the recording medium by thermal transfer of an ink from one of the colored areas of the carrier medium to the recording medium. A guide member is movable between a first position close to the platen roller and a second position spaced from the platen roller, the guide member in the first position forming a passageway through which the recording medium is to be guided to travel along a predetermined path with respect to the platen roller. The guide member and the print head are together so that the guide member is moved to the first position in response to movement of the print head to the inoperative position and is moved to the second position in response to movement of the print head to the operative position.

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Osaka, Japan

Masahiro Shiigi