Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus for transferring an ink contained in an ink sheet onto a recording medium to record an image on the recording medium, includes a take-up roller for taking up the ink sheet, a driving unit for driving the take-up roller to take up the ink sheet, and a control unit for controlling a drive amount of the driving unit to maintain an almost constant conveyance ratio of the ink sheet to the recording medium in correspondence with a change in take-up amount by the take-up roller.

Abstract: There is disclosed a thermal transfer recording apparatus for recording an image by transferring the ink contained in an ink sheet onto a recording medium, wherein the apparatus comprises ink sheet conveying means for conveying said ink sheet, recording medium conveying means for conveying said recording medium, recording means for recording onto said recording medium by acting on said ink sheet, and control means for controlling the driving amount of said ink sheet conveying means when the power is turned on.

Abstract: A heat transfer recording apparatus for transferring the ink of an ink sheet to a recording medium to thereby effect recording of images one the recording medium has an ink sheet loading portion for loading the ink sheet therein, discriminating means for discriminating the number of times of possible recording of the ink sheet loaded in the ink sheet loading portion, recording means for acting on the ink sheet to effect recording on the recording medium, and control means for setting the number of times of possible recording to a predetermined value when the number of times of possible recording of the ink sheet cannot be discriminated by the discriminating means, and controlling the conveyance of the ink sheet and the recording medium.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus for transferring an ink of an ink sheet to a recording medium to record an image on the recording medium includes a conveying unit for conveying the ink sheet, a determining unit for determining a relative speed of the ink sheet with respect to the recording medium in correspondence with image information, and a control unit for controlling the conveying unit on the basis of the relative speed determined by the determining unit. A thermal transfer recording method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus for performing the recording of an image on a recording medium by transferring ink contained in an ink sheet to the recording medium has an ink sheet, a conveyance unit for conveying the ink sheet, a recording medium conveyance unit for conveying the recording medium, a recording unit for recording an image on the recording medium by activating the ink sheet, a counting unit for counting the black dot numbers in the current line, a timing unit for measuring the elapsed time since the image recording in the last line by the recording unit, and a control unit for controlling the ink sheet to be conveyed for a predetermined length without conveying the recording medium in accordance with the timing value of the timing unit and the counting value of the counting unit subsequent to the current line recording by the recording, thus making it possible to separate the ink sheet and recording sheet more reliably to maintain a high recording quality.

Abstract: There is disclosed a thermal transfer printer for image recording by ink transfer from an ink sheet onto a recording sheet, capable of stable sheet transportation and improvement in image quality. The printer has transport mechanisms for the ink sheet and the recording sheet, a thermal head for heating the ink sheet, and a controller. If a next recording operation is instructed at the end of a preceding recording operation, the controller starts the transportation of the sheets and at the same time activates the thermal head with an energy smaller than in the ordinary image recording, thus effecting pre-heating of the thermal head, prior to the start of next recording operation.

Abstract: There is disclosed a thermal transfer recording apparatus in which the ratio of amount of transportation of ink sheet to that of recording sheet is varied according to a measured condition, for example head temperature, of the apparatus. When the temperature or humidity is higher, facilitating the ink transfer from the ink sheet, the ink sheet is advanced by a smaller amount to economize the consumption of the ink sheet.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus for transferring an ink of an ink sheet onto a recording medium to record an image on the recording medium, includes an ink sheet convey unit for conveying the ink sheet, a recording medium convey unit for conveying the recording medium, a recording unit which is driven in correspondence with image data and records an image on the recording medium using the ink sheet, and a control unit for, when a next recording operation is not instructed after image recording by the recording unit, driving the recording unit with an energy lower than that in a normal image recording mode, and for, when a time interval until the next recording operation becomes equal to or longer than a predetermined period of time after the above driving operation, driving the recording unit with an energy lower than that in the normal image recording mode at a predetermined time interval.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus for transferring an ink of an ink sheet to a recording medium to record an image on the recording medium includes a conveying unit for conveying the ink sheet, a determining unit for determining a relative speed of the ink sheet with respect to the recording medium in correspondence with image information, and a control unit for controlling the conveying unit on the basis of the relative speed determined by the determining unit. A thermal transfer recording method is also disclosed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a thermal transfer printer utilizing a one time ink sheet or a multi-print ink sheet. In order to avoid sticking of the ink sheet and the recording sheet, for example where there is an interruption in facsimile transmission or when a recording interval exceeds a predetermined time, the thermal head is energized to maintain a high temperature state and then the recording paper is transported by a predetermined amount, thereby separating the ink sheet and the recording paper.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus which performs image recording by causing a recording head to act on an ink sheet so as to transfer ink from the ink sheet onto recording paper. Changes in the take-up amount of the ink sheet, which is fed by being wound onto a take-up roller, are detected from changes in the amount by which the ink sheet is fed with respect to a given drive amount of an ink-sheet feeding motor, and, on the basis of the changes detected, the driving torque for the ink-sheet feeding motor is changed, thereby reducing the noise generated and the power consumed by the apparatus.

Abstract: There is disclosed an ink sheet cartridge suitable for use in thermal transfer recording. The cartridge has a supply reel and a winding reel for the ink sheet, and a guide pin or pins protruding from the container of the cartridge. The guide pins serve as a guide in cartridge loading, thus facilitating the loading operation and securely determining the cartridge position, thus avoiding eventual disengagement of the reels from the power transmitting gears of the recording apparatus.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus for transferring the ink of an ink sheet to a recording medium to thereby effect the recording of images on the recording medium has a first motor for conveying the ink sheet, a second motor for conveying the recording medium, recording means for acting on the ink sheet to effect the recording of images on the recording medium, time counting means for counting a predetermined time after the phase change of the first and second motors, and control means for controlling the recording means so as to be driven after the lapse of the predetermined time after the phases of the first and second motors are changed.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus for transferring the ink of an ink sheet to a recording medium to thereby effect recording of images on the recording medium, the apparatus has ink sheet conveying means for conveying the ink sheet, recording medium conveying means for conveying the recording medium, recording means for acting on the ink sheet to thereby effect recording of images on the recording medium, and control means for controlling the driving torque of the recording medium conveying means in conformity with a quantity of dot driving information.

Abstract: There is disclosed a thermal transfer recording apparatus for image recording by ink transfer from an ink sheet, in which the thermal head is energized in divided manner in plural blocks, and the recording sheet and the ink sheet are so transported as to generate a relative speed therebetween, thus facilitating the ink peeling from the ink sheet.

Abstract: A heat transfer recording method of transferring the ink of an ink sheet to a recording medium to thereby effect recording of an image on the recording medium is characterized in that the ink sheet is conveyed in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the recording medium and recording of an image is effected on the recording medium.

Abstract: There is disclosed a thermal transfer printer for image recording by ink transfer from an ink sheet onto a recording sheet, which is capable of stable sheet transportation and improvement in image quality. The printer has transport mechanisms for the ink sheet and the recording sheet, a thermal head for heating the ink sheet, and a controller. If a next recording operation is not instructed by the end of a preceding recording operation, the controller starts the transportation of the sheets and at the same time activates the thermal head with an energy smaller than in the ordinary image recording, thus effecting pre-heating of the thermal head prior to the start of the next recording operation.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus, which transfers ink contained on an ink sheet onto a recording medium to record images thereon, and comprises a means for conveying the ink sheet and recording medium; recording means for effecting the ink sheet to record the image on the recording medium; and adjusting means for adjusting the conveyance amount of the ink sheet against the recording medium at the time of starting the next recording action if the recording action is suspended after the unit of a predetermined amount of image data has been recorded by the above-mentioned recording means.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording apparatus for image recording on a recording medium by transfer of ink from an ink sheet is taught. This apparatus includes recording means for transferring ink from the ink sheet onto a recording medium to record, a rotary member capable of rotation for transporting the recording medium, and transporting means for transporting the ink sheet with a relative speed with respect to the recording medium, wherein the frictional force between the recording medium and the rotary member is made larger than the shearing force in the ink in the ink sheet during the recording operation.

Abstract: A heat transfer recording apparatus of the present invention reliably separates an ink sheet and recording paper which have been joined at recording of immediately before from each other when ink of the ink sheet is transferred to recording paper to record an image. More concretely, when an ink sheet and recording paper are transported to record an image of a noticed line, a recording head is heated on the basis of the image data of the line recorded immediately before. As a result, the ink of the ink sheet is melted and therefore the sheet and the recording paper can be separated easily.