JP2596075B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is configured to supply a plurality of types of paper such as continuous paper and cut-sheet paper from separate feeding units, and to supply any one of the papers. The present invention relates to a printer configured to supply a predetermined sheet from a feeding unit.

(Prior art)

Conventional printers are configured to supply special-purpose paper such as continuous paper, cut-sheet paper, slips and envelopes from separate feeding units.

Generally, when printing only one sheet of cut-sheet paper or special-purpose paper, the paper is directly inserted into the paper feed mechanism of the printer main body through an opening provided in the printer main body by an operator's manual operation. The paper is fed into the printing unit by the feed mechanism, but when printing continuous paper, multiple cut sheets or special-purpose paper, the paper is inserted into the paper feed mechanism by an automatic paper feeder separate from the printer body. Most printers use this method.

The automatic paper feeder is a feeder such as a pin tractor for continuous paper, and a paper storage type feeder such as a paper feed cassette for cut sheet or special purpose paper. It is detachable with respect to.

Prior to printing, the operator manually operates a paper feed selection key on an operation panel provided in the printer body to select and specify a paper feed mode to be used in order to instruct which paper is to be printed. The designated paper feed mode is continuously executed unless the operator performs a change operation.

The paper feed mode includes a manual feed mode for one sheet of paper and one special use paper, a continuous paper mode for continuous paper, and an ACSF for single paper or special use paper using an automatic paper feeder. There is a mode.

By the way, for example, after turning off the power once, sometimes it is desired to continue printing in the same mode as the feeding mode specified immediately before the power was turned off. The user had to operate the select key to select and specify the paper feed mode.

As a printer designed to save such troublesome work, the paper feed mode specified immediately before the power was turned off during the initial setting of the print format by turning off the power once and turning it on again A device having a function of continuously re-specifying automatically has been proposed.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above-described conventional printer, if, for example, the continuous paper mode or the ACSF mode is specified immediately before the power is turned off, even if these automatic paper feeders are detached from the printer main body, even if the automatic paper feeder is disconnected from the printer main body, there is a problem with that. And re-specify the paper feed mode immediately before the power is turned off. There is a contradiction that the mode is specified even though the mode cannot be used.

The printer starts printing in response to a print command after receiving a predetermined amount of print data. At this start, the printer detects that paper has not been fed to the printing unit, and the automatic paper feeder is disconnected. Recognize that for the first time.
Therefore, there is a problem that the print data is lost even though the print is not performed.

Alternatively, if a print start is instructed when the unusable mode is specified and a printer that starts printing even if it cannot supply continuous paper or special-purpose paper to the print unit, a print error occurs. Also, a load is imposed on a mechanism connected to the automatic sheet feeder.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances,
An object of the present invention is to provide a printer that automatically selects a paper supply mode that can be used when the power is turned on or informs an operator that the paper supply mode cannot be used, thereby preventing inconsistency. .

[Means for solving the problem]

The present invention has the following configuration to achieve such an object.

Operating means for selecting and specifying a feeding unit to be used in a printer configured to supply paper from the feeding unit to the printing unit using one of the plurality of feeding units; Among the feeding unit information specified by the operation unit, a non-volatile storage unit in which feeding unit information immediately before power-off is stored, and a determining unit for determining whether the feeding unit is usable or not,
Reading means for reading the feeding section information stored in the storage means at power-on, feeding section information providing means for providing the feeding section information read by the reading means to the determining means, and the feeding section information When the determining unit determines that the feeding unit specified by the feeding unit information provided from the providing unit is usable, the initial setting of the printer is performed using the feeding unit information stored in the storage unit. When the determination unit determines that the first paper feeding mode initial setting unit to be specified and the feeding unit specified by the feeding unit information provided from the feeding unit information providing unit are unusable, Priority storing means for storing the priority of the feeding unit used immediately after the loading; and, in accordance with the priority stored in the priority storing means, a printer which is capable of performing initial setting of the printer with feeder information executable. Initial setting of double feed mode Characterized in that it comprises a stage, a.

[Action]

In the printer of the present invention, the feeding unit to be used is selected and designated by the operator by operating the operating unit, and the nonvolatile storage unit stores the feeding unit information immediately before the power is turned off, among the feeding unit information specified by the operating unit. The feed unit information is stored, the reading unit reads the feed unit information stored in the storage unit when the power is turned on, and the feed unit information providing unit determines the feed unit information read by the reading unit as the determination unit. Give to. Here, when the determining unit determines that the feeding unit specified by the feeding unit information provided from the feeding unit information providing unit is usable, the first sheet feeding mode initial setting unit sets an initial value of the printer. The setting is specified by the feeding unit information stored in the storage unit, and the determining unit determines that the feeding unit specified by the feeding unit information provided from the feeding unit information providing unit is unusable. When the determination is made, the second sheet feeding mode initial setting means can execute the initial setting of the printer in accordance with the priority stored in the priority storing means for storing the priority of the feeding section used immediately after the power is turned on. Specified by sender information.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of the printer. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a platen, and a print head 11 is disposed at a position facing the platen 10, and the print head 11 is
It is mounted on a carriage 13 that can be repeatedly moved along guide bars 12a and 12b disposed in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the carriage.

A pair of paper feed rollers 14a and 14b are arranged on both sides of the platen 10 and the print head 11 in the paper transport direction.

The side surface of the printer body, various special purpose paper P ₃ such as a cut sheet paper P ₂ and documents and envelopes are provided with an opening 15 to be inserted one by one, the paper at the lower end of the opening 15
A guide plate 15a for guiding P ₂ and P ₃ to the opening 15 is fixed substantially horizontally. Then, the sheets P ₂ and P ₃ are inserted into the pair of sheet feed rollers 14a through the opening 15 while being guided by the guide plate 15a by the manual operation of the operator. This opening 1
Below 5 is provided a feed section 16 for continuous paper P ₁ ,
Pin tractors 16a as an automatic feeder for conveying guiding the continuous form paper P ₁ to the feeding portion 16 is disposed. This pin tractor 16a is configured to be detachable from the printer main body. More above the opening 15, ACSF device (auto-cut as many noncontinuous media P ₂ and a number of one by one special purpose paper P ₃ automatically and continuous automatic sheet feeding apparatus for feeding and A sheet feeder 17 is detachably attached to the printer body. The ACSF unit 17 is provided in a state where the housing portion 17a is inclined to accommodate multiple noncontinuous media P ₂ or special purpose paper P ₃ in a stacked state, the feed roller in contact with the stacked sheets P _2, P ₃ 17b contains 17
automatically from a noncontinuous media P ₂ or special purpose paper P ₃ one by one send out to the pair of paper feed rollers 14a. Printer using the description of the present embodiment, As described above, the guide plate 15a to the opening 15 for delivering the cut sheet paper P ₂ or special purpose paper P ₃ in the operator's hand operation is equipped with a fixed state The pin tractor 16a and the ACSF device 17 are configured to be detachable from the printer main body.

In the vicinity of the pin tractor 16a and the ACSF device 17, photo sensors 18a and 18b for detecting whether the pin tractor 16a and the ACSF device 17 are mounted are provided.

FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of the printer. In the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes a central processing unit for printer control (hereinafter simply referred to as a CPU).
The CPU 20 functions as a reading unit, a feeding unit information adding unit, a determining unit, a first sheet feeding mode initial setting unit, and a second sheet feeding mode initial setting unit. The CPU 20 includes at least a ROM 21 in which various control programs for printing and a program for controlling operations according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 are written, and an area for temporarily storing print data from the host computer 22.
The RAM 23 is connected to an erasable and rewritable nonvolatile PROM 24 that stores information such as a paper feed mode designated by the operator and a designated priority of the paper feed mode. this
The PROM 24 corresponds to a nonvolatile storage unit and a priority storage unit.

Further, a host computer 22, photo sensors 18a and 18b, and an operation unit 25 are connected to the CPU 20 via an interface 26, and the print head 11, a paper feed roller drive motor 27, a carriage drive motor 28, Roller drive motor 29 and drive circuit 30 for operating them
33 are connected via an interface 34. The designated priorities to be stored in the PROM 24 are preset in this order, such as the manual feed mode, the continuous book mode, and the ACSF mode in this embodiment.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, a printing speed switching key 35 for switching the printing speed, a paper feeding selection key 36 for selecting and specifying a used paper feeding mode, and a leading edge cue of the paper are displayed on the operation unit 25. It has at least a page feed key 37 for giving an instruction to execute, a line feed key 38, and an online key 39 for making it possible to receive print data from the host computer 23 in FIG.

In addition, display LEDs are provided on the sides of the print speed switching key 35 and the paper feed selection key 36 to notify the operator which mode is currently designated by the keys 35 and 36, respectively. In the example, the paper feed selection key
At 36, three types of manual feed mode, continuous book mode, and ACSF mode can be selected. The paper feed selection key 36 corresponds to an operation means.

Next, the operation of initial setting of the paper feeding mode when the power is turned on in the printer having the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

When the power is turned on, first, in step S1, initialization is performed based on a print format such as a print pitch and a paper feed amount stored in the ROM 21. Next step S2
In step S3, the sheet feeding mode designated immediately before the power is turned off and stored in the PROM 24 is read, and in step S3, the read sheet feeding mode is set as the sheet feeding mode to be designated.

In step S4, it is determined whether or not the specified scheduled paper feed mode can be used. In other words, if the designated paper feed mode is the manual feed mode, it is determined in step S4 that the paper feed mode can be used immediately, and the process proceeds to step S5. In the case of (1), it is necessary to determine whether the pin tractor 16a and the ACSF device 17 are attached to or detached from the printer main body based on detection signals from the photo sensors 18a and 18b. This is determined in step S4. If it is determined in step S4 that the camera is mounted, the process proceeds to step S5. If it is determined that the camera is removed, the process proceeds to step S6.

In step S5, it is determined whether or not the paper feed mode stored immediately before power-off in the PROM 24 matches the specified scheduled paper feed mode that has been determined to be usable. Then, the process proceeds to step S7, and if they do not match, the determination is NO, and the process proceeds to step S8.

On the other hand, in step S6, the paper supply mode designated in step S3 is changed to the paper supply mode one level higher than that, and the process returns to step S4 to determine whether the mode can be used. You do it. By the way, step S2
The paper feed mode designated immediately before the power shutdown read out in step S4 is, for example, the ASCF mode, and the ACSF device 17
If it is determined that has been removed, in step S6
Make the continuous mode, which is one higher than the ACSF mode, a new designated schedule. If it is determined in step S2 that the feed mode read out is the continuous book mode and that the pin tractor 16a has been removed in step S4, the manual feed mode, which is one level higher than the continuous book mode, is determined in step S6. Make a new designated schedule.

Then, in step S7, the designated paper feed mode is designated and determined, and since it matches the paper feed mode immediately before power-off, the paper feed mode stored in the PROM 24 is stored as it is. On the other hand, in step S8, the paper feed mode to be specified is different from the paper feed mode immediately before the power is turned off, so the paper feed mode currently stored in the PROM 24 is deleted and replaced with a new paper feed mode.

Thereafter, in step S9, mechanical processing such as coupling of a drive mechanism provided in the printer main body to the paper feed mechanism in the paper feed mode in which the designation has been confirmed is performed, and the above processing ends.

If the printer of the above embodiment, only the feeding unit for supplying a cut sheet paper P ₂ or special purpose paper P ₃ in the operator's hand operation is a fixed to the printer main body, the pin tractors 16a and ACS
Although F unit 17 is the form which is detachably attached to the printer body, some printers also formats have become fixed to the printer main body also feed section, that the pin tractor 15 of the continuous paper P _1, the Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to a printer of a type.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the processing is performed so as to select another paper feeding mode when the specified paper feeding mode cannot be used immediately before the power is turned off, but without selecting another paper feeding mode,
It is also possible to perform processing such as sounding an alarm immediately after turning on the power.

Further, in the above embodiment, the pin tractors 16a and A
By detecting only whether an automatic paper feeder such as CSF device 17 is attached to or detached from the printer body,
Determines whether the specified paper feed mode is available or not, but has a connection mechanism that connects to the drive source of the printer body,
In an automatic paper feeder that operates by obtaining a driving force from a drive source via the coupling mechanism, in addition to detecting whether the automatic paper feeder is attached to the printer main body, the coupling mechanism includes Whether or not it can be used may be determined by detecting whether or not it is connected to the drive source. Also,
A connector for inputting a control signal from a control unit of the printer main body, which is provided with a drive source, and operating on the basis of the control signal, is provided in the automatic sheet feeder for inputting the control signal. May be determined by detecting whether or not the device is connected to the control unit.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, the present invention recognizes whether any of the feeding units automatically designated by turning on the power supply is usable or unusable. When possible, it is possible to cope with not specifying the feeding unit, and it is possible to prevent inconsistency as in the related art.
Therefore, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of a useless error associated with the start of printing without paper as in the related art, and it is possible to prevent the drive mechanism provided in the printer from being adversely affected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 to 4 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the printer, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the configuration of the printer, FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing an operation unit of the printer, and FIG. It is. 11 Print head, 15 Opening 16a Pin tractor, 17 ACSF device 18a Photo sensor, 18b Photo sensor, 20 CPU, 24 PROM, 25 Operation unit, 36 ... Paper feed selection key.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printer configured to use one of a plurality of feeding units to feed paper from the feeding unit to a printing unit, and select and specify a feeding unit to be used. Operating means for performing the operation, non-volatile storage means for storing the feeding section information immediately before power-off from the feeding section information specified by the operating means, and determining whether the feeding section cannot be used. Determining means for reading, feeding means information for reading the feeding section information stored in the storage means at power-on, feeding section information providing means for providing the feeding section information read by the reading means to the determining means, When the determining unit determines that the feeding unit specified by the feeding unit information provided from the feeding unit information providing unit is usable, the initial setting of the printer is stored in the storage unit. Initial setting of the first paper feed mode specified in the feeder information And when the determining unit determines that the feeding unit specified by the feeding unit information provided from the feeding unit information providing unit is unusable, the priority of the feeding unit used immediately after turning on the power is given. Priority order storage means for storing the order, according to the priority order stored in the priority order storage means,
A second sheet feeding mode initial setting unit that specifies the sheet feeding unit information capable of executing the initial setting of the printer.