JP2796688B2 - Self-propelled printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a self-propelled printer which performs printing while moving on recording paper by itself.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional printers include a type that performs printing while moving recording paper and a type that performs printing while moving on stationary recording paper (hereinafter referred to as a “scanner type”). Was. Among them, scanner-type printers have been devised and implemented because they have the advantage of being able to print freely without being caught by the size, shape, paper quality, etc. of the recording paper.

An example of such a scanner type printer will be described with reference to FIGS. Such a printer is a print head built in the printer body 500.
510, an external interface 550 for inputting print information from an external personal computer, a word processor 570 or the like, a program ROM 560, and a buffer memory 540 for temporarily storing print information. In such a scanner-type printer, printing is performed by pressing the print button 520 provided on the side surface of the printer body 500 with the thumb and moving it over the recording paper P by hand (FIGS. 8 and 9). reference S ₁ of 10).

[0004] At this time, by the movement amount detecting means 520 incorporated in the printer main body 500, detects the amount of movement of the printer main body 500 (see S ₂ in FIG. 10), buffer memory the print data at a rate commensurate with the amount of movement 540 to printhead 510
And outputs against (see S ₃ in FIG. 10). For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the moving amount detecting means 520 includes a magnetized disk 521 rotatably supported inside the printer body 500, and a magnetic detection sensor 522 for detecting the rotation of the magnetized disk 521. There is something consisting of. In this case, the output from the magnetic detection sensor 522 is sent to the CPU 530, and the CPU 530 calculates the movement amount of the printer main body 500 from the number of pulses from the magnetic detection sensor 522. And
Outputs print information at a speed corresponding to the moving amount with respect to the print head 510, print head 510 performs printing (S ₄ in FIG. 10
See). Then, all the print information is printed is output completed (see S ₅ in FIG. 10).

[0005]

However, the above-mentioned scanner type printer has the following problems. That is, since the printer body is manually moved at the time of printing, distortion due to camera shake is likely to occur as shown in FIG. 12A, so that it is not suitable for printing on large recording paper P. Further, since the print start position is visually adjusted by a human, the print result is as shown in FIG.
As shown in (B), the recording paper P may be bent at the end.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and eliminates the adverse effects caused by camera shake by moving on a recording sheet by itself, and also determines the printing start position by itself. It is an object of the present invention to provide a self-propelled printer in which a printing result does not bend.

[0007]

A self-propelled printer according to the present invention moves on a recording paper in an arbitrary direction by itself.
A self-propelled printer with a printer that prints
And a print head that prints on recording paper,
Position detection means for detecting the position of the printer
And the printer body in any direction on the chart paper.
Moving means for moving the recording paper according to the print information.
Start printing after automatically moving to the printing start position of
In the self-propelled printer, the position detecting means may record
Remove the edge of the recording paper, which is the boundary between the paper and the desk on which it is placed.
An error detected by the difference in light reflectance between recording paper and a desk
Which of the reflectance of the edge sensor, recording paper, desk, etc. is higher?
And a color tone changeover switch for setting Also before
The moving means is rotatably supported by the printer body.
Multiple spheres and two motors per sphere
The two motors are orthogonal to each other
It is configured to be driven to rotate in the direction in which it moves.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a self-propelled printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a moving means for rotating and driving a sphere, and FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the moving means. Figure,
FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a specific means for bringing a roller of a driving means into contact with a sphere, FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a position detecting means, and FIG. 6 is a movement of the self-propelled printer to a printing start position. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the movement to the print start position when the self-propelled printer is placed obliquely with respect to the recording paper.

A self-propelled printer according to this embodiment is a printer body that performs printing while moving on a recording paper P by itself.
A print head 200 for printing on recording paper P, and position detecting means 300 for detecting the position of the printer body 100 with respect to the recording paper P.
And a moving means 400 for moving the printer main body 100 in an arbitrary direction on the recording paper P, and starts printing after automatically moving to a printing start position on the recording paper P according to print information. It is configured as follows.

This self-propelled printer has a rectangular printer main body 100, in which a print head 200, a position detecting means 300, and a moving means 40 are provided.
0 and a CPU for controlling these.

As the print head 200, an arbitrary one such as a known thermal transfer print head used in a conventional printer can be used. The print head 200 is provided at a substantially central portion of the printer main body 100. When the printer main body 100 is placed on the recording paper P, the print head 200 comes into contact with the recording paper P with a predetermined contact pressure. Is set to

On the other hand, the position detecting means 300 for detecting the position of the printer
Four sets of edge sensors 310a to 310d provided at corners
And a color tone changeover switch (not shown). Previous
The edge sensors 310a to 310d include a light emitting element 310 such as an LED lamp and a light receiving element 320 such as a photodiode as shown in FIG. 5, and the light from the light emitting element 310 is reflected by the recording paper P or the desk D. Light receiving element 3
20.

This focuses on the point that the reflectance of light is different between the white recording paper P and the brown desk D. The output of the light receiving element 320 is input to the comparator 340 via the amplifier 330. You. The output of the comparator 340 is guided to the CPU, and the CPU outputs each of the edge sensors 310a to 310a.
It is determined whether 310d is on the recording paper P or the desk D. That is, this corresponds to the edge sensors 310a to 310
If d is on the recording paper P, the light received by the light receiving element 320
Since the amount increases, the output of the light receiving element 320 increases,
In the opposite case, the output of the light receiving element 320 decreases.
And use. The color tone changeover switch is
Set which of the recording paper P and desk D has higher light reflectance
Is what you do. That is, this color tone changeover switch is
If the recording paper P has a higher light reflectance than the desk D,
If it is set, the desk D has a higher light reflectance than the recording paper P.
High (for example, if the recording paper P is brown and the desk D is white)
Is printed on desk D).
is there. A color tone switch is provided so that the user can
Set which of P and Desk D has higher light reflectivity
By doing so, such a result can be prevented beforehand.
You.

The moving means 400 is a part of the printer body 100
Four spheres 410a to 410d rotatably supported at the corners, a total of eight motors for rotating the spheres 410a to 410d in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, respectively.
And rollers for transmitting to 410a to 410d. The four spheres 410a to 410d have two block bearings 480 with a part thereof protruding from the back surface of the printer body 100.
U, supported by 480D. The spheres 410a to 410d are rotationally driven as follows.

That is, each of the spheres 410a to 410d has two motors, rollers driven by the respective motors, and spheres 410a to 41d of the rollers.
It is combined with a solenoid that turns on and off contact with 0d.

Since the four spheres 410a to 410d have the same configuration, the sphere 410a will be described as an example.
The sphere 410a can be contacted by an X-axis roller 420x that rotates the sphere 410a in the X-axis direction and a Y-axis roller 420y that rotates the sphere 410a in the Y-axis direction orthogonal to the X-axis. I have. These rollers 420x and 420y respectively support the support shaft 450
x and 450y rotatably supported by bearings 490x and 490y formed on the printer main body 100, and supporting shafts 450x and 45y.
A motor 430x for the X axis and a motor 430y for the Y axis are connected to 0y via flexible joints 440x and 440y. X axis, Y
DC pulse motors are used for the shaft motors 430x and 430y, and rotate in accordance with the number of input pulses.

Further, a pair of springs 460y and an operating rod 471y of a Y-axis solenoid 470y having a hook-shaped tip are engaged with the support shaft 450y. Spring 46
0y is the Y-axis roller 42 when no external force is applied.
0y is resiliently urged to contact the sphere 410a. On the other hand, when the Y-axis solenoid 470y operates, the support shaft 450y is lifted, and the Y-axis roller 420y and the sphere 410a are lifted.
The contact state with is released. Note that X
The shaft roller 420x is similarly configured.

The surfaces of the four spheres 410a to 410d include:
The recording paper P is coated with a soft rubber or a synthetic resin so as not to be damaged.

The amount of movement of the printer body 100 by the moving means 400 configured as described above is detected as follows. That is, a rotating body provided with a striped black and white pattern is attached to the output shaft of each motor, and a change in the black and white pattern is detected by a light emitting element such as an LED lamp and a light receiving element such as a photodiode. CP the detection result
It is realized by sending to U. Note that the detection of the movement amount is not limited to this method, and other methods, such as detecting the rotation of the magnetized disk with a magnetic detection sensor as described in the section of the related art, are described. Is also good.

Next, the operation of the self-propelled printer thus configured will be described. The self-propelled printer receives print information from a personal computer, word processor or the like (not shown) and stores the print information in a RAM serving as a buffer memory. This print information is CP
The print data is sent to the print head 200 via U and printing is performed.

The self-propelled printer moves to a printing start position (upper left of the recording paper P) prior to printing. That is, when the self-propelled printer is placed on the recording paper P,
Position detection is performed by the edge sensors 310a to 310d of the position detection means 300.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the upper left and lower left edge sensors 310a and 310c are on the desk D, and the upper right and lower right edge sensors 310b and 310d are on the recording paper P. Consider the case. In this case, since the self-propelled printer is determined to be at a position straddling the left end portion PL of the recording paper P, the moving means 400 moves the self-propelled printer to the right (FIG. 6B). reference). That is, each X-axis solenoid causes the X-axis roller to contact the spheres 410a to 410d, and only the X-axis motor of the total of eight motors driving each of the spheres 410a to 410d is rotated. As a result, the printer body 100 of the self-propelled printer moves to the right.

The printer main body 100 moves to the right, and as shown in FIG. 6C, the upper left and lower left edge sensors 31.
If 0a and 310c detect the recording paper P, the rotation of each X-axis motor is stopped, and each sphere of each X-axis roller is stopped.
The contact with 410a to 410d is released. As a result, the self-propelled printer has reached the correct position in the left-right direction (X-axis direction).

Next, movement in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction) is performed (see FIG. 6D). That is, it moves upward until the upper left and upper right edge sensors 310a and 310b detect the upper end PU of the recording paper P. In this case, each Y
The shaft solenoid contacts the Y-axis roller with each of the spheres 410a to 410d, and rotates only the Y-axis motor. Then, the upper left and upper right edge sensors 310a, 310b
Has detected the upper end PU of the recording paper P (FIG. 6E).
), The rotation of the Y-axis motor is stopped, and the contact of the Y-axis roller with each of the spheres 410a to 410d is released. As a result, the self-propelled printer accurately reaches the printing start position.

In this case, the print start position is located inside the distance between the upper left edge sensor 310a and the print head 200, that is, the distance corresponding to the distance between the upper left end of the recording paper P and the print head 200. Will be set. If the user wants to set the print start position arbitrarily, the data corresponding to the arbitrary position is input to a personal computer or the like in advance, and the position corresponding to the data can be set as the stamp start position.

As shown in FIG. 7A, when the upper left and lower left edge sensors 310a and 310c are disengaged from the recording paper P and the self-propelled printer is placed obliquely with respect to the recording paper P. In FIG. 7B, a self-propelled printer is connected to an arrow θ.
It is necessary to move the recording paper P to face the recording paper P.

In this case, first, the printer body 100
Moves to the right. With this movement, the upper left edge sensor 310a detects the recording paper P before the lower left edge sensor 310c. If the upper left edge sensor 310a detects the recording paper P, the sphere 410a is fixed and used as a fulcrum, and the spheres 410b and 410c are set in the free state, and the sphere 410d
Is rotated in the X-axis direction. Then, the printer body 100
Makes a circular motion in the direction of the arrow θ around the sphere 410a. If the lower left edge sensor 310c detects the recording paper P, the printer main body 100 has faced the recording paper P, and the subsequent steps are the same as those shown in FIGS. 6C to 6E. .

To fix the sphere 410a, the X-axis roller 420x and the Y-axis roller 420y are brought into contact with the sphere 410a,
In addition, this is realized by not driving the X-axis motor 430x and the Y-axis motor 430y that rotationally drive these. on the other hand,
To make the sphere 410b free, X with respect to the sphere 410b
This is realized by preventing the axis roller and the Y axis roller from contacting the sphere 410b.

[0029]

[0030]

The self-propelled printer according to the present invention has a recording function.
A pre-printer that prints while moving on paper in any direction
Self-propelled printer having a printer
Printhead for printing on paper and printer for recording paper
Position detecting means for detecting the position of the main body, and a printer
-Moving means for moving the main body in any direction on the recording paper
The print start position of the recording paper according to the print information
Self-propelled printer that starts printing after automatically moving to
Wherein the position detecting means comprises:
The end of the recording paper, which is the border with the desk, etc.
An edge sensor that detects the difference in the reflectance of
A color tone that sets which of the recording paper and the desk etc. has higher reflectance
And a changeover switch. For this reason, the conventional scan
The printing start position is different from the
Printing results, camera shake, etc.
No distortion or the like occurs. In addition, color tone switch
For the difference in light reflectance between recording paper and a desk
Mistakenly print on a desk, etc.
There is no. Further, the moving means rotates with respect to the printer body.
About multiple spheres freely supported and one sphere
Two motors, said two motors being spherical
Are configured to be driven to rotate in directions orthogonal to each other.
And move more freely than the wheel type
Can be. That is, it moves quickly according to the print start position.
It becomes possible. Furthermore, another self-propelled type according to the present invention
The printer should not move in any direction on the recording paper.
Self-propelled printer with a printer body that performs printing
A print head for printing on recording paper, and a recording paper.
Position detection to detect the position of the printer body with respect to
Transfer means and the printer body in any direction on the recording paper.
Moving means for moving the
Printing starts after automatically moving to the printing start position of the recording paper
Self-propelled printer, wherein the moving means is
A plurality of spheres rotatably supported by the
And two motors for one sphere.
Motors rotate the spheres in orthogonal directions.
It has become so. For this reason, this self-propelled printer
Can move more freely than the wheel type
it can. In other words, it moves faster depending on the print start position
It becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a self-propelled printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a moving unit that rotationally drives a sphere.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the moving means.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of specific means for bringing a roller of a driving means into contact with a sphere.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a position detection unit.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating movement of the self-propelled printer to a printing start position.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating movement to a print start position when the self-propelled printer is placed obliquely with respect to recording paper.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing how to use a conventional scanner type printer.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of a movement amount detection unit in a conventional scanner type printer.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the operation of a conventional scanner-type printer.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a conventional scanner type printer.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a problem of a conventional scanner type printer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 Printer body 200 Print head 300 Position detecting means 400 Moving means 410a to 410d Spherical P Recording paper

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A self-propelled printer having a printer body for printing while moving on a recording paper in an arbitrary direction by itself, comprising: a print head for printing on the recording paper;
Position detection to detect the position of the printer body with respect to
Transfer means and the printer body in any direction on the recording paper.
Moving means for moving
After automatically moving to the recording paper print start position,
In the self-propelled printer to start, the position detecting means
Indicates the boundary between the recording paper and the desk on which it is placed
Edge of the paper is detected by the difference in light reflectance between recording paper and a desk.
Edge sensor, and any reflectance of recording paper and desk
Color change switch for setting whether the
And a self-propelled printer. 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein said moving means is rotated with respect to the printer body.
About multiple spheres freely supported and one sphere
And two motors, wherein the two motors are ball
It is characterized by rotating the body in directions orthogonal to each other
The self-propelled printer according to claim 1 . 3. Do not move in any direction on the recording paper.
Self-propelled printer with a printer body that performs printing
A print head for printing on recording paper, and a recording paper.
Position detection to detect the position of the printer body with respect to
Transfer means and the printer body in any direction on the recording paper.
Moving means for moving
After automatically moving to the recording paper print start position,
In the self-propelled printer that starts, the moving means is
A plurality of spheres rotatably supported by the linter body,
It has two motors for one sphere,
The two motors drive the sphere in orthogonal directions.
A self-propelled printer characterized by moving .