JP2012016838A - Dot line printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent print density from becoming low by adjusting a distance between a printing mechanism and a platen when printing continues beyond a standard number of printing dots.SOLUTION: A selection is made by comparing the standard number of print dots and the overall number of print dots in which a plurality of print elements are driven, when an ink ribbon is due for replacement, whether to change the number of prints, to adjust a distance between the print mechanism and the platen, or to stop the printing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a dot line printer, and more particularly to print control thereof.

FIG. 4 shows an outline of the printing mechanism of the dot line printer.
The printing mechanism unit 41 having a plurality of printing elements (not shown) is reciprocated in the digit direction by the driving force of the shuttle mechanism unit (not shown) to secure the printing force via the ink ribbon 42 and the paper 43. For this purpose, it is arranged in a state of facing the platen portion 44. Each time the printing element is driven in a timely manner while the printing mechanism 41 is reciprocating, printing is performed on the paper 43 via the ink ribbon 42 in the form of a dot matrix. Further, after printing in the dot matrix format, phase switching (one step rotation) is performed by the stepping motor 46 for driving the tractor, the tractor 47 is moved forward, and the paper 43 is conveyed. In this way, characters, graphics, etc. are printed by repeatedly performing dot matrix format printing and paper feeding operations.

  When the printing operation of the dot line printer described above is continued, there is a problem that the density of the ink ribbon gradually decreases due to the ink on the ink ribbon being transferred to the paper by the impact of the printing element. In order to solve this, conventionally, when the number of printed characters exceeds the ribbon life, a method of displaying a ribbon replacement message and notifying the operator of the ribbon life has been adopted.

  In the conventional configuration, the printing process continues even while the operator is notified of the ink ribbon replacement message. Therefore, if the operator is not aware of the ribbon replacement message, the print density will be reduced and later. Therefore, there is a problem that the ink ribbon must be exchanged (for example, after the printing is completed) and the same printing must be performed again. In order to solve this problem, conventionally, a method has been adopted in which the platen position is moved in accordance with the number of times the printing element is driven to appropriately maintain the gap between the printing element and the platen (see Patent Document 1). .

  However, in the case of the above-described conventional configuration, control is performed by ignoring the status of the ink ribbon or paper that runs between the printing element and the platen, so that the ink ribbon or paper is damaged or the paper is transported. There was a problem that the print quality was affected by the obstruction.

  Therefore, the present invention has an object to solve these problems and output high-quality printing.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, in the present invention, a printing mechanism unit on which a plurality of printing elements are mounted, a platen unit that faces the printing mechanism unit and can be adjusted by a moving unit with the printing mechanism unit. In a dot line printer having a paper transport means for transporting with the feed holes provided at both ends of the paper engaged with the feed pins of the tractor, printing is continued when the number of standard print dots is exceeded. It is possible to select whether to change the number of times, adjust the distance between the printing mechanism unit and the platen unit, or interrupt printing.

  According to the present invention, even when printing is continued without an operator noticing the ink ribbon replacement message, the printing density is prevented from being reduced by automatically adjusting the distance between the printing mechanism and the platen by the platen position adjusting means. can do. In addition, by reducing the distance between the printing mechanism and the platen, even if there is hole galling in the paper, printing the same line multiple times prevents the reduction in print density without interfering with paper transport. can do.

FIG. 2 is a print control block diagram as an example of a dot line printer of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart of print control as an example of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart of print control as an example of the present invention. It is a principal part schematic side surface sectional view which becomes an example of a dot line printer. It is a table | surface which shows the relationship between the ratio of a printing dot, and the frequency | count of printing.

  FIG. 4 shows an outline of the printing mechanism of the dot line printer.

A printing mechanism 41 having a plurality of printing elements (not shown) is reciprocated in the digit direction by the driving force of a shuttle mechanism (not shown). It is arranged in a state of facing the platen portion 44 for securing the printing force via the ink ribbon 42 and the paper 43. Each time the printing element is driven in a timely manner while the printing mechanism 41 is reciprocating, printing is performed on the paper 43 via the ink ribbon 42 in the form of a dot matrix. Further, after printing in the dot matrix format, the paper 43 is conveyed. The paper 43 is conveyed by engaging the paper feed holes provided at both ends thereof with the feed pins of the tractor, switching the phase (step rotation) by the tractor driving stepping motor 46, and driving the tractor 47. Let In this way, characters, graphics, and the like are printed by repeatedly performing dot matrix format printing and paper feeding operations.

FIG. 1 is an example of a control block diagram for print control used in the dot line printer of the present invention.
The control unit 11 includes a print control unit 12 that performs line printing by reciprocating the printing mechanism unit 41 having a plurality of printing elements in the digit direction by the driving force of the shuttle mechanism unit, and the total number of printing dots driven by the plurality of printing elements. The platen unit that performs phase switching (one-step rotation) by the stepping motor 48 (for driving the tractor unit) and advances the platen unit 44 disposed opposite to the printing mechanism unit 41 every time the ratio of the platen increases by 10%. A control unit 13; a printing dot number storage unit 14 that holds total dots driven by a plurality of printing elements after ribbon replacement; and a platen unit movement counter storage unit 15 that holds the number of times phase switching has been performed by the platen unit control unit 13. And a print count storage unit 16 that holds the number of times that dot overlap printing is performed, and the number of times that the number of times that dot overlap printing is actually performed is retained And a counter memory unit 17.

  FIG. 2 is an example of a flowchart showing print control according to the present invention.

  The printing process 21 is a process of printing characters, figures, etc. in the form of a dot matrix on the paper 43 via the ink ribbon 42 each time the printing element is driven in a timely manner while the printing mechanism 41 is moving. .

  After the movement associated with one printing of the printing mechanism unit 41 is completed, the value of the printing counter storage unit 17 is incremented by one by the printing number counter update process 22. Then, the value of the printing number storage unit 16 is compared with the value of the printing number counter storage unit 17 by the printing number determination 23 until the value of the printing number counter storage unit 17 becomes the same value as the value of the printing number storage unit 16. The print process 21 for printing the same print area and the print counter update process 22 are repeated, and dot overlap printing is performed. Normally, the value of the printing number counter is 1, and the value of the printing number counter is changed by the process described later.

  After printing for a predetermined number of times, the printing number counter initialization process 24 initializes the printing number counter (= 0).

  Next, after performing paper feeding in the paper feeding process 25, the print dot number ratio determination 26 is a standard print dot number of the total number of print dots driven by a plurality of printing elements stored in the print dot number storage unit 14. Calculate the ratio to. If the ratio of the number of print dots does not exceed 100%, the process branches to “platen position adjustment unnecessary” and the print process is continued. On the other hand, if it exceeds 200%, the process branches to “platen position adjustment unnecessary”, and the process of the print control means 12 is terminated. That is, printing is interrupted.

  Further, when the ratio of the total number of printing dots driven by a plurality of printing elements is 100% to 200%, the process branches to “necessary to adjust the position of the platen”, and the operation panel control processing 27 causes the operation panel 48 to “require ribbon replacement”. By displaying the “Yes” message, the operator is notified of the ink ribbon replacement time.

  Further, it is determined whether or not hole misalignment has occurred in the paper feed hole of the paper by the hole misalignment determination 28, and when the hole misalignment has occurred, the number of times of printing update processing 30 is performed according to the total number of print dots. The number of times of printing is updated according to the table shown in FIG. 5, the value of the number of times of printing storage unit 16 is set, and the printing control means 12 is terminated. The detection of hole sag is always performed by detecting the output signal of a photo sensor that monitors a certain paper feed hole and calculating the amount of sag from that signal.

  On the other hand, if hole galling does not occur, the platen part movement process 29 performs phase switching (one step rotation) by the stepping motor 45 for driving the platen part every time the ratio of the total number of printed dots increases by 10%, and printing. The platen unit 44 arranged to face the mechanism unit 41 is advanced. When phase switching (one step rotation) is performed, the value of the platen unit movement counter storage unit 15 is updated by one count.

  As described above, when the distance between the printing mechanism unit 41 and the platen unit 44 is reduced in accordance with the total number of printing dots, the distance between the printing element and the platen unit is reduced. A phenomenon occurs in which the printing element presses the paper, and a load in a direction opposite to the transport direction is applied to the paper. Eventually, a hole sag phenomenon occurs in which the position of the paper feed hole is shifted. Therefore, in the present invention, it is essential to detect the hole gap so that the hole gap phenomenon does not become larger, and to perform processing that does not reduce the distance between the printing mechanism portion 41 and the platen portion 44 after the hole gap is detected. .

  As described above, according to the present invention, in order to keep the printing density constant, either the movement of the platen portion or the increase in the number of prints is appropriate by confirming the presence or absence of hole galling before the platen portion movement processing. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the printing density appropriately while eliminating the adverse effect on the paper.

  1 is continuous paper, 2 is a printing section, 3 is a paper feed tractor, 4 is a paper exit section, 5 is a paper discharge space, 6 is a paper feed space, 7 is a top cover, 8 is a paper guide, and 9 is a paper head alignment. The scale 10 is a paper guide, 11 is a holder, and 12 is a tension coil spring.

JP 2000-85203 A

Claims (1)

A tractor is provided with a printing mechanism portion on which a plurality of printing elements are mounted, a platen portion that faces the printing mechanism portion and can be adjusted by a moving means, and feed holes provided at both ends of the paper. In a dot line printer having a paper conveying means that is engaged with a feeding pin of the paper and conveyed,
When printing exceeds the number of standard printing dots, it is possible to select whether to change the number of printings, adjust the distance between the printing mechanism and platen, or interrupt printing. Dot line printer.

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