JPH0414465A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to give two types of functions jointly such as normal paper printing and making of a lettering tape to a printing device by a method wherein a tape printing area and normal paper printing area are jointly provided in a carriage moving range, and at the boundary between the tape printing area and normal paper printing area, a reference position detecting means for the carriage is arranged. CONSTITUTION:Setting of a normal paper printing area and tape printing area is executed by assigning from a keyboard, etc. The major constituent elements are a CPU 61, counter area 65, carriage motor 6 and carriage motor driving circuit 74, etc. When the tape printing area is assigned by a carriage position setting means, a carriage is moved while counting a specified step number with a detecting position of a photo-sensor 14 as the home position, and the carriage is stopped at a specified position. In this case, the counter area in a RAM 64 is used. In the meantime, when the normal paper printing area is assigned, a specified printing is performed while making the carriage in the printing area reciprocate-move, with the detecting position of the photo-sensor 14 as the home position.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a printing device that uses a print head to print characters, symbols, etc. on a print medium, and is particularly applicable to printing on plain paper and creating lettering tape. This invention relates to a printing device that enables printing with one device.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a word processor having a thermal transfer type printing device for printing on single-size paper such as plain paper and a tape printer for creating lettering tape have existed separately.

These had many things in common, such as using a thermal head to print via an ink ribbon, and using printing elements of 48 or more dots to print complex Chinese characters and calligraphy characters.

[Problems and Objectives to be Solved by the Invention] However, as a matter of course, it is not possible to print on plain paper with a tape printer, and although it is possible to create lettering tape with a word processor, the printing medium used to create it is After printing, it is necessary to cut it to the specified size, or
Some word processors cannot print mirror image characters, making it impossible to print on transparent tape, or requiring most of the printing sheet, which is the printing medium, to be thrown away.

Furthermore, since word processors and lettering tapes are both expensive, it is extremely difficult to own both, which has hindered the spread of these electronic stationery items.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional disadvantages and to
To provide a printing device capable of printing on plain paper such as cut paper and creating a lettering tape using a stand-alone printing device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a printing device that prints characters, symbols, etc. on a print medium while moving a carriage equipped with a print head on which a plurality of printing elements are arranged in the left-right direction. a plain paper printing area having a plain paper printing means for printing on cut paper; a tape printing area having a tape printing means for creating a lettering tape; a carriage position setting means for selecting the position of the carriage according to a printing mode; a carriage position detection means for detecting a reference position, the tape printing area and the plain paper printing area are provided side by side in the carriage movement range, and the carriage position detecting means is provided at the boundary between the tape printing area and the plain paper printing area. This is a printing apparatus characterized in that a reference position detection means is installed.

[Function] The present invention provides a plain paper printing area that can print on plain paper and a tape printing area that can print on tape-shaped printing media, and moves a carriage equipped with a print head to both of the printing areas. It is a printing device that can be used in a wide range of applications, making it possible to print on plain paper and create lettering tape, both of completely different quality, with a single printing device. Detection means for detecting is installed at the boundary between both print areas, and the width of the entire printing device is suppressed to achieve efficient printing control. Explain in detail.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a thermal head, which is a kind of print head, and predetermined characters and symbols are formed by pressing and heating a platen 8 through a thermal transfer ink ribbon 2 and plain paper (not shown). In this thermal head, a plurality of heating elements (shown as 1a in FIG. 4) are arranged in a row as printing elements. A ribbon cassette 3 stores the ink ribbon 2, and is driven by an ink ribbon winding device (not shown) mounted in the carriage 4, and is constantly supplied with new ink during printing operations. The carriage 4 is moved in the left-right direction (
It is installed so that it can be driven reciprocally in the direction of arrow B in the figure). 7a and 7b are guide shafts that support this carriage.

Ribbon winding devices generally use a system in which power is obtained from the movement of a carriage, but in this example, since there are cases where the carriage is stopped for printing, a structure in which a motor exclusively for ribbon winding is mounted inside the carriage is used. It will be adopted.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a paper feed roller for conveying the printed paper, which pinches and conveys the cut sheet between it and the auxiliary roller 12. Reference numeral 9 denotes a paper feed motor that serves as the power source, and the paper feed roller 11, the auxiliary roller 12, and the paper feed motor 9 form a paper conveyance mechanism as main components.

A ribbon winding mechanism for winding and driving the ink ribbon in synchronization with the movement of the carriage is built into the carriage, and a ribbon winding motor (not shown) serving as a power source for this mechanism is mounted.

These structures form a plain paper printing means, which is basically the same in structure as that of a conventionally commonly used serial type printing device, and this printing area 10 is referred to as a plain paper printing area.

Further, in the present invention, a tape printing area 20 for forming a lettering tape adjacent to this plain paper printing area 10 is B M
has been done. 21 is printing tape 22 and adhesive tape 23
This is a printing tape cassette that stores .It is shown schematically with the top lid removed.

In this embodiment, as an example, the printing tape is a transparent tape, and the adhesive tape is a double-sided adhesive tape having adhesive parts on both sides so as to cover the printed surface of the printing tape and allow it to be pasted on other articles. . 15 is a printing opening of the printing tape cassette, and 16 is a discharge opening for discharging the tape as a lettering tape.

Reference numeral 27 denotes a cassette stand on which a printing tape cassette is mounted, and a tape transport mechanism 30 is arranged below this.

A platen roller 31, a pressing roller 32, and a pressing auxiliary roller 33 are engaged with the tape conveying machine $30, and the printing tape 22 and the adhesive tape 23 are conveyed. The printing tape cassette, tape transport mechanism, carriage, etc. constitute a tape printing means.

Tape printing area is an extension of plain paper printing area: Yes,
One of the greatest features of the present invention is that the carriage motor used to move the carriage within the plain paper printing area can easily move the carriage to the tape printing area.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a projection installed on the carriage, which engages with a photosensor 14, which is a type of position detection means for detecting the carriage position, and detects the reference position of the carriage. This photosensor is installed at the boundary between the tape printing area and the plain paper printing area.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of this printing tape conveyance mechanism, in which a tape conveyance motor 40 is used as a power source and gears 34.
35, 36, and 37, the rotational motion is transmitted to drive the platen roller 31 and the pressing roller 32. The platen roller 31 rotates in the direction of arrow C, and the printing tape sandwiched therebetween is ejected from the print head section by the pressure of the thermal head.The pressure roller 32 receives the transport force and transports the tape toward the ejection opening. Ru. The pressure auxiliary roller is rotatably installed at one end of the lever 38 and biased in the direction of the arrow E by a coil spring 39.The pressure roller rotates in the direction of the arrow, and the printing tape and the adhesive tape are pasted together to form the lettering tape 17. is created. 38a
is the fulcrum of the lever 38. A release portion is formed at the other end 38b of the lever 38 so that the pressing roller can be released, so that the printing tape cassette can be easily attached and detached.

The pressing roller 32, the auxiliary roller 33, the coil spring 39
, a tape pressure bonding mechanism is constructed using the tape transport mechanism 30 as a main component.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a plan view of a printing tape cassette;
Tape guide rollers 24, 25, and 26 are disposed within the printing tape cassette to guide and stabilize the running of the tape. 45 is the lower frame of the cassette; 41.
42.43 is the lower frame 45 to prevent foreign matter from entering.
It is a rising part that is integrally formed with. A printing tape cassette is completed by attaching an upper frame (not shown) serving as a lid to this.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a word processor using the printing apparatus of the present invention. Components that are the same as those in FIG. is a ROM 62 that stores control programs, etc., and an RO that stores character fonts, etc.
It has an M63, a RAM 64 for temporarily storing data, a timer 66 for measuring various times, and the like.

In addition to these, a display 67, an input keyboard 68, and the like are connected. An area 65 that functions as a counter is secured within the RAM 64.

70 is a printing unit of the word processor; 71 is a head drive circuit that drives the thermal head 1; 72 is a ribbon winding motor drive circuit that drives the ribbon winding motor 69; and 73 is a paper feeder that drives the paper feed motor 9. The motor drive circuit is a carriage motor drive circuit that drives the carriage motor 6, 75 is a tape transport motor drive circuit that drives the tape transport motor 40, and 76 is a photo sensor 1.
The light emitting/receiving circuits connected to 4 are shown respectively.

Setting of the plain paper printing area 10 and the tape printing area 20 is performed by designation from a keyboard or the like. Generally, a stepping motor is used as the carriage motor 6. When the tape printing area is specified, the carriage is moved while counting a predetermined number of steps in the direction of arrow B, with the detection position of the photosensor 14 as a home position (reference position), and is stopped at a predetermined position. At this time, the counter area in RAM 64 is used. On the other hand, when a plain paper printing area is specified, predetermined printing is performed while the carriage is reciprocated within the printing area with the detection position of the photosensor 14 as the home position. The carriage position setting means moves and selects the position of the carriage between the plain paper print area and the tape print area depending on the print mode, and includes the CPU 61, counter area 65, carriage motor 6, and carriage motor drive circuit. The main components are 74th grade.

The operation within the plain paper printing area is the same as that of a general printer, so the explanation will be omitted.

The operation within the tape printing area will be detailed below. After the carriage stops at a predetermined position, a printing operation begins, and first the thermal head is brought into pressure contact with the platen roller 31.

Since the pressure contact mechanism of such a thermal head is common, its explanation will be omitted. A ribbon winding mechanism (not shown) that winds up the ink ribbon 2 and a printing tape conveying mechanism are driven almost simultaneously, and the thermal head is driven in synchronization with this operation, so that predetermined characters, symbols, etc. are printed. formed on tape 22. After printing, the printing tape is bonded to double-sided tape by a suppression roller 32 and an auxiliary roller 33 to complete the lettering tape 17.

By placing a tape cutter for cutting the tape in the vicinity of the discharge opening 16, handling of the tape is improved.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the carriage position N setting means and the position detecting means, and the horizontal axis shows the moving distance of the carriage. 100 indicates a predetermined stopping position of the carriage within the tape printing area. Reference numeral 101 indicates the position and speed (S) of the carriage motor, which starts from a standby position 105 based on a print command, passes through an acceleration area 106, and then enters a constant speed area 107. The photosensor operates near the transition from the acceleration area to the constant speed area, which becomes a printable area.

Reference numeral 102 indicates a detection waveform of the photosensor.

Reference numeral 103 is an example of a drive waveform of the print head, which is configured to be a printable area directly after the reference position is detected, that is, a plain paper printing area. Part or all of the acceleration area is set within the tape printing area to minimize the carriage movement distance and suppress the width of the printer mechanism. When the carriage returns to the standby position, after the photo sensor is detected, deceleration control is performed to return to standby position 1.
It can be stopped at 05. Such control is performed by the carriage position setting means.

It is also possible to make the standby position of the carriage for plain paper printing and the predetermined printing position in the tape printing area the same position.

FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 are explanatory diagrams of printing using the tape printing area of the printing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a printing state by the thermal head 1, in which the printing tape 22 is transported in the direction of arrow G, and the ink ribbon is transported in the direction of arrow F at substantially the same speed. Generally, the printing tape and ink ribbon must move at the same speed directly below the thermal head to prevent printing smudges, and these require tape travel control means, mainly a tape transport motor drive circuit, and a ribbon winding motor. Each ribbon winding speed is controlled to an optimum speed by the main ribbon winding control means.

More generally, a slip mechanism is installed on the winding side of the ink ribbon winding mechanism so that the ink ribbon can be wound around a winding core (not shown) without slack. 81 indicates characters formed by being transferred from an ink ribbon. As shown, the character 81 is a mirror image character, and the printing method is different from that of the plain paper printing area. However, font data such as characters and symbols used in the plain paper printing area can be used as is.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the structure and production process of a lettering tape, in which 22 indicates a transparent tape for printing, and 55 indicates ink transferred to this. 23 is adhesive tape;
It is formed from adhesive layers 51 and 52, a base film 53 having this adhesive layer, and a separator 54. Both tapes are pressed together by a pressing roller and a pressing auxiliary roller to create a lettering tape 17.

The space between the separator and the adhesive layer 52 is easily peeled off, allowing the lettering tape to be attached to various articles. Moreover, since the surface to which the ink has been transferred is covered with the printing tape itself, the printing result will not be erased due to rubbing, making it highly reliable.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the prepared lettering tape is cut, the separator 54 is peeled off, and it is pasted on an article.Since the surface is transparent, the printed mirror image characters are reversed and realized as normal image characters.

In this embodiment, the printing method of the printing device is explained using an example of a thermal transfer printer that has a heat generating element. good. Furthermore, improvements in ink have made it possible to print on transparent tape even with inkjet printers, and various printing methods can be selected.

Although the carriage position setting means is a means for specifying the position using a counter area with a stepping motor at its center, a method may be adopted in which the number of photosensors is increased and the position is specified based on position detection. This method is particularly suitable when a DC motor is used as the carriage motor.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention, a one-unit printing device is extremely useful in combining two types of functions: printing on plain paper and creating lettering tape, and is expected to be widely used. can.

Furthermore, by sharing the thermal head control unit, character font data, etc., costs can be significantly reduced compared to conventional methods, and the range and number of users of word processors can be expanded.

Furthermore, position detection means for detecting the position of the carriage is installed at the boundary between the tape printing area and the plain paper printing area, and the acceleration area of the carriage motor is set within the tape printing area, thereby suppressing the width of the printer mechanism. A compact mechanism can be realized.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of this printing tape transport mechanism. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a plan view of a printing tape cassette. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a word processor using the printing apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the printing state by the thermal head 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the structure and manufacturing process of a lettering tape. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the created lettering tape is cut, the separator is peeled off, and the lettering tape is pasted on an article. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the carriage position setting means and the position detection means. 1 ・ 4 ・ 6 ・ 9 ・・Printing device of the present invention・print head (thermal head)・carriage・carriage motor・paper feed motor・plain paper print area・tape print area・carriage position detection means・tape transport mechanism・suppression Rollers, tape conveyance motors, printing tapes, adhesive tapes, printing tapes, cassettes, lettering tapes and more Applicant Seiko Epson Corporation Agent Patent attorney Kizobe Suzuki and 1 other person Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) In a printing device that prints characters, symbols, etc. on a print medium while moving a carriage equipped with a print head on which a plurality of printing elements are arranged in the left-right direction, A plain paper printing area having a plain paper printing means for printing, a tape printing area having a tape printing means for creating a lettering tape, a carriage position setting means for selecting the position of the carriage according to a printing mode, and detecting a reference position of the carriage. the tape printing area and the plain paper printing area are provided side by side in the carriage movement range, and the carriage position detection means is installed at a boundary between the tape printing area and the plain paper printing area. A printing device characterized by: 2) The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a carriage motor for transporting the carriage, and when printing within the plain paper printing area, the tape printing area is used as an acceleration area of the carriage motor. 3) The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control means that uses the position detection means as a reference position and causes the carriage position setting means to stop printing at a predetermined position within the tape printing area. 4) The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the print head is a thermal transfer print head that uses heat to transfer ink from an ink ribbon onto a print medium. 5) The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the printing element of the print head is a heat generating element.