JP2006001163A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer that can accurately calculate a residual amount of a paper sheet after the end of the paper sheet passes through a position of a paper sensor, and dose not have an error of a printing stop position due to runout of a paper sheet. <P>SOLUTION: This printer comprises a printing position coordinate calculation means for calculating a printing position in a longitudinal direction in a printing page, a paper residual amount calculation means for calculating a printable residual amount of a paper sheet from the total number of pages of printing paper sheets to be used and the number of pages of printed paper sheets, a nonvolatile memory device for holding memory information even when a power source is turned off, a means capable of allowing an operator to set the total number of pages of the printing paper sheets to be used, presence or absence of alarming of runout of a paper sheet, and a start position and to store them in the nonvolatile memory device, a means for reading the information set by the operator from the nonvolatile memory device, an operation panel having a switch to be operated by the operator and a display, and a paper near end processing means for carrying out adjustment of a paper feeding speed and alarming of runout of a paper sheet such as displaying on the operation panel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that uses continuous paper as printing paper.

  With reference to FIG. 3, a paper remaining amount detection mechanism in the continuous paper printing apparatus will be described.

  In FIG. 3, 41 is a printing mechanism unit, 42 is a printing sheet, and 43 is a sheet sensor for detecting the end of the sheet. After printing is started from the state shown in the figure and the end of the sheet passes the sheet sensor 43, the remaining printable sheet remaining amount is calculated by means for calculating the remaining printable sheet based on the distance A between the sheet sensor and the printing mechanism. Start the calculation and stop printing at an appropriate position such as the top of the page. There are the following two methods for actually stopping printing. The first is a method of calculating the logical position of the ordinate in the page even inside the print control unit, stopping printing at the top of the page etc. according to both calculation results, and displaying the paper out status on the display device, etc. The second is a method of stopping printing when the calculated value of the remaining amount of paper becomes 0 and displaying a paper out condition on a display device or the like.

  In addition, in a printing apparatus that does not require such a high degree of accuracy, the paper full length data may be compared with the accumulated usage amount to detect out of paper (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-18469 A

  However, conventionally, particularly in a high-speed printing apparatus, the speed at which the end of the sheet passes through the sheet sensor 43 differs depending on the print data, and the calculated value of the distance A varies depending on the data. Therefore, in this case, in the case of a method in which printing is stopped when the calculated value of the remaining amount of paper becomes 0 and a paper out state is displayed on a display device or the like, printing cannot be stopped accurately at the paper end position.

  On the other hand, if the speed at which the end of the paper passes the paper sensor 43 is made constant and control for suppressing variation in the calculated value of the distance A is added, such a problem can be avoided, but the paper sensor passing speed must be adjusted to the slower speed. In other words, the effective printing speed is reduced.

  A printing apparatus according to the present invention calculates a printing mechanism unit that performs printing on continuous paper, a printing control unit that controls the printing mechanism unit, a sheet sensor that detects a sheet end, and a vertical printing position on a printed page. Print position coordinate calculation means, paper remaining quantity calculation means for calculating the remaining amount of paper that can be printed from the total number of printed paper sheets and the number of printed pages, and non-volatile that can retain stored information even when the power is turned off A storage element and means for storing the total number of pages of printing paper to be used, presence or absence of out-of-paper warning, and a start position set by an operator and stored in the nonvolatile storage element; Means for reading out information set by the operator from the non-volatile memory element, an operation panel comprising a switch operable by the operator and a display display; Adjustment of the paper feed speed, and having a paper near-end processing means for paper-out warning display or the like with the operating panel.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately calculate the remaining amount of paper after the end of the paper passes the paper sensor position, and it is possible to eliminate the error in the print stop position due to running out of paper.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram, FIG. 2 is a flowchart, FIG. 4 is an operation panel, and FIG. 5 is means for storing setting information in a nonvolatile memory element.

  In FIG. 1, 1 is a printing mechanism unit that executes printing on continuous paper, 2 is a paper sensor that detects the end of the paper, 3 is a printing control unit that controls the printing mechanism unit 1, and 4 is a printing position in the vertical direction on the printed page. Print position coordinate calculation means 5 for calculating the paper, 5 is a paper near end processing means for performing a paper out warning such as adjustment of paper feed speed, display on the operation panel, and 6 is based on the total number of printed papers and the number of printed pages. Paper remaining amount calculating means for calculating the remaining amount of paper that can be printed, 7 is a non-volatile storage element that can retain stored information even when the power is turned off, 8 is the total number of pages of printing paper to be used, whether there is a paper out warning, and Means for storing the start position in a nonvolatile memory element that can be set by an operator and stored in the nonvolatile memory element 7, and 9 is a nonvolatile memory that can read information set by the operator from the nonvolatile memory element 7 Means for reading from the memory element, 10 is an operation panel having a display displaying a switch that the operator can operate.

  In FIG. 2, printing paper feed is executed in processing 21, and printing position coordinates are calculated using printing position coordinate calculation means 4 in processing 22. It is determined whether or not the coordinate calculated in the process 23 is the page top position. If the page is the page top, the printed page is incremented by 1 in the process 24. In process 25, the warning setting value preset by the operator is compared with the printed page by means 8 for storing the setting information in the non-volatile memory element. If the printed page exceeds the warning setting value, the paper feed speed is set in process 26. Performs paper near-end processing such as reduction and display on the operation panel. In step 27, it is determined whether or not the end of the paper has passed the paper sensor position. If the end of the paper has passed the paper sensor position, the remaining printable paper is calculated in step 28. In process 29, it is determined whether or not the remaining amount of paper calculated in process 28 is 0. If it is 0, out of paper is displayed on the operation panel in process 30 and printing is terminated.

  In FIG. 4, reference numerals 51 to 60 denote switches, and 61 denotes a display.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of the means 8 for storing the setting information in the nonvolatile memory element. The presence / absence of an out-of-paper warning, the number of pages of printing paper, and a warning start page can be set. The reason for setting the warning start page is to allow the operator to set the timing for preparing the next sheet in preparation for running out of sheets. For example, when the printing paper is set to “2000 pages”, the warning start is set to “10 pages before”, and the paper out warning is set to “warning”, the printing paper feed is completed after 1990 pages, and the operation panel 10 is displayed with “Yoshibori 10 page”, and the paper feed speed is reduced to the same speed as the line-by-line printing. As a result, when the end of the sheet passes the sheet sensor position, the sheet feeding speed is the same as that of the line-by-line printing, and variations due to the sheet feeding amount can be prevented. At this time, the operator can prepare for setting the next sheet. Thereafter, after the end of the paper passes the paper sensor position, the remaining amount of printable paper is calculated by the printable paper remaining amount calculating means 6, and when the remaining amount becomes 0, “Yoshiga Arimasen” is displayed on the operation panel 10 and printing is performed. To stop.

It is a block diagram of one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart of one Example of this invention. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship between a printing mechanism, a paper sensor, and printing paper. FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation panel in one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the means to memorize | store setting information in a non-volatile memory element in one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: Print mechanism unit 2: Paper sensor 3: Print control unit 4: Print position coordinate calculation means 5: Paper near end processing means 6: Paper remaining amount calculation means 7: Non-volatile memory element 8: Setting information to non-volatile memory element Means for storing 9: Means for reading setting information from the nonvolatile storage element 10: Operation panel 21: Printing paper feed execution processing 22: Print position coordinate calculation processing 23: Determination of whether the calculated coordinates are the page top position 24: Printing Processing for incrementing the number of completed pages by 1 25: Comparison processing between warning set value and printed page 26: Performing paper near-end processing 27: Judging whether the end of the paper passes the paper sensor position 28: Remaining printable paper Amount calculation processing 29: Determination of whether or not the remaining amount of paper is 0 30: Out of paper processing 51-60: Switch 61: Display display

Claims (3)

  A printing mechanism unit that performs printing on continuous paper; a printing control unit that controls the printing mechanism unit; a paper sensor that detects a paper end; a printing position coordinate calculation unit that calculates a printing position in a vertical direction on a printing page; Paper remaining amount calculating means for calculating the remaining amount of paper that can be printed from the total number of pages of printing paper to be used and the number of printed pages, a non-volatile storage element that can retain stored information even when the power is turned off, and printing to be used Means for storing in the non-volatile storage element that the operator can set the total number of pages of paper, whether or not there is a paper out warning, and the start position, and store the information in the non-volatile storage element in a non-volatile manner Means for reading from the non-volatile memory element that can be read from the volatile memory element, an operation panel having a switch that can be operated by the operator and a display display, adjustment of the paper feed speed, Printing apparatus characterized by having a paper near-end processing means for paper-out warning display or the like to create the panel.   Set the total number of pages of printing paper used by the operator, the presence or absence of out-of-paper warning, and the start position, calculate the number of printed pages, and compare the total number of pages of printing paper to calculate the remaining amount of paper. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a paper out warning is issued when the remaining amount of paper set by an operator is reached. Set the total number of pages of printing paper used by the operator, the presence or absence of out-of-paper warning, and the start position, calculate the number of printed pages, and compare the total number of pages of printing paper to calculate the remaining amount of paper. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the paper feed speed is decreased when the remaining amount of paper set by the operator is reached.

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