JP2692069B2 - Automatic paper thickness controller for printer - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to automatic paper thickness detection for a printing device, and more particularly to a control device for paper thickness detection operation. [Prior Art] Conventionally, in this type of printing device, particularly in a dot impact printer, the above-mentioned problem must be adjusted according to the thickness of the printing paper because the distance between the printing surface of the printing paper and the tip of the printing head is very small. As its means, it has a mechanism for automatically detecting the thickness of the printing paper. [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Since the conventional automatic paper thickness detection mechanism described above executes the detection operation each time the printing paper is set in the printing device, the next paper to be printed is It is very effective when the paper thickness is different from the paper printed on, but the paper thickness detection operation is executed for each sheet even when continuously printing the paper of the same paper thickness by the auto sheet feeder etc. Therefore, there is a drawback that throughput is reduced. [Means for Solving the Problems] The automatic paper thickness detection device of the present invention is a printing device having a mechanism for detecting that a printing paper is attached to the printing unit and automatically detecting the paper thickness of the printing paper. The apparatus is characterized in that information relating to the paper thickness detection operation is selectively included in each print information for each paper attachment detection, and the paper thickness detection operation is controlled according to the information relating to the paper thickness detection operation. Example Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 2 denotes an automatic sheet feeder that feeds a plurality of cut sheets 1 stacked on a hopper 3 while separating them one by one from the top by a paper feed roller 4, a separation roller 5, and a friction plate 6. The description of this separation method is omitted because it is a well-known technique. The sensor 7 detects the inhalation of the cut sheet 1, and sends a detection signal 71 to the control unit 10. The feed roller 8 is for feeding the cut sheet 1 fed from the auto sheet feeder 2, and the paper thickness detection unit 9 is for detecting the paper thickness of the cut sheet 1. The control unit 10 decodes the print information 11 sent from the host device and the detection signal 71 sent from the sensor 7, and drives signals 21, 81 to the auto sheet feeder 2, the feed roller 8 and the paper thickness detection unit 9, respectively. Send out 91. Next, the operation will be described. FIG. 2 shows an example of the print information 11 sent from the host device, and the control unit 9 instructs the print information 11 to inhale the first sheet.
The drive signal 21 is sent to the auto sheet feeder 2 by 11a, the single sheet 1 stacked in the hopper 3 is fed while separating only one sheet from the top, passes through the sensor 7 and the feed roller 8
Send out. When the sensor 7 detects the single-cut sheet 1, the detection signal
71 is sent to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 sends a drive signal 81 to the feed roller 8 in response to the detection signal 71, and sends the cut sheet 1 to the paper thickness detection unit 9
The paper feed is performed until the control unit 10 sends a drive signal 91 to the paper thickness detection unit 9 to perform the paper thickness detection operation of the cut sheet 1 and then prints with the print data 11c. Perform the discharging operation. Next, in the case of the second sheet of the print information 11, the sheet feeding operation to the sheet thickness detection unit 9 of the cut sheet 1 by the suction instruction 11a is the same as that of the first sheet described above, but the sheet thickness detection stop instruction is issued after the suction instruction 11a. 11b is included, the control unit 10 sends the drive signal 91 to the paper thickness detection unit 9
Do not print and immediately print and discharge. Similarly, if the cut sheets have the same sheet thickness, the sheet thickness detection operation can be omitted by including the sheet thickness detection stop command 11b in the print information 11. [Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, by including the information regarding the paper thickness detection operation of the print paper in the print information, when the print paper of the same paper thickness is continuously printed, the first sheet By performing the paper thickness detection operation only for the second sheet and omitting the paper thickness detection operation for the second and subsequent sheets, the throughput can be improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of print information. 1 ... Single sheet, 2 ... Auto sheet feeder, 7 ... Sensor, 8 ... Feed roller, 9 ... Paper thickness detection unit, 10 ...
Control part, 11 ... Print information.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] In a printing device that has a mechanism that detects when printing paper is loaded in the printing unit and automatically detects the paper thickness of this printing paper, selects information regarding paper thickness detection operation for each printing information for each paper loading detection. In addition, the automatic paper thickness detection device of the printing device is characterized in that the paper thickness detection operation is controlled according to the information about the paper thickness detection operation.